The Search for Jean
Logan stood beside Scott at the front door of the Osborn mansion. He listened in as Spider-Man tried to convince the billionaire of the idea in the entryway, but the man was not having it.
“Come on, Harry. You said you wanted to undo some of the damage the green goblin had caused. This is how you can do that; by taking in people being wrongfully targeted.”
Harry sighed. “I don’t want any trouble with the law. I don’t wanna be labeled like him.”
“I know. But eventually, history will remember this time with shame, and the people like you who help will be seen as heroes. The government isn’t always the good guy, you won’t be your father if you oppose it. You know this is the right thing to do. You can create a new Osborn legacy.”
“I still don’t like you, you know that right? But…fine, they can stay. I’ll just…not be here for a while.”
“You know who would probably love to take you in?”
Harry raised an eyebrow at Spider-Man. “Your friend Peter. Weren’t you two roommates in college?”
Logan stopped listening after that. The thought of a bed to collapse on and food to eat too distracting. Besides, the man had already agreed to take them in, there was nothing more he cared to know.
A gentle hand rested on Logan’s shoulder. He looked up to see Scott looking at him. “Have they decided yet?” Logan nodded, a happy grin creeping onto his face as he daydreamed about sleep. “I’ll take that as we’re in.” Scott squeezed Logan’s shoulder and Logan wanted to pull away, he wanted to still be mad at Scott, but he just couldn’t anymore. He was too tired to be angry, and the rhythm of Scott’s heart as it descended into relief was too distracting. Scott was always so anxious; Logan reveled in the rare moments of calm. He closed his eyes to listen, a steady reminder that Scott was right there, their leader safe. As long as they had Scott, they had a plan. As long as they had a plan, they would be fine.
“You’re in! Ya’ll can make your way inside and get comfortable!” Spider-Man announced. “I gotta run! I need to make sure there aren’t any mutants stranded on the streets needing help. You’re in good hands with Harry. He’s gonna leave you alone after getting you settled, so don’t hesitate to call either of us if you need anything.” With that, Spider-Man was gone and the mutants were left with Harry Osborn, an awkward man who appeared very uncomfortable with the entire situation.
Scott immediately stepped forward to shake Osborn’s hand. “Hi, I’m Scott. Thank you for taking us in.”
“Yeah, it’s not right what’s happening to you guys. I’m sorry.” Osborn looked around. “Um…I have my and Spider-man’s phone numbers on this sticky note.” He motioned toward an entry table. He then ushered the rest of the X-Men in. “I’ll give you guys a card so you can buy clothes and anything else you need to appear normal.” Harry’s eye quickly caught Hank and he fumbled over his words. “I-I didn’t mean normal like you aren’t! I-I meant like…the last thing you want to look like as a refugee in hiding is a refugee. I’m sorry.” He hung his head. “I’m not good at this.”
“Good at what? Talking to mutants?” Logan chuckled.
“Helping people.” Harry mumbled.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re helping us immensely.” Hank placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry gave the Beast a thankful smile.
“Buy anything you need. If you have any special skincare or…I don’t know, anything.”
“On that note-and I’m sorry if this triggers any ill feelings, but I have seen the news, I’ve read the papers…I understand that your father, Norman Osborn may have had a laboratory for his…inventions?” Harry’s eyes filled with panic at Hank’s question.
“The authorities never found anything.” His lawyer-like answer didn’t phase Hank.
“I understand your concerns, but, a few of us have very unique needs in order to manage our mutations. I was hoping that I would be able to use your laboratory in order to build the equipment we lost at home. We can get a bit destructive when our powers aren’t managed, you see.”
Harry let out a shaky breath, but he let his tense shoulders fall. “Okay. But don’t touch anything that you don’t know what it is, and please don’t play with any explosives you find.”
“You have my word.”
Harry left with Hank to show him to the lab, leaving Scott to manage the group and Logan to take a nap.
Harry had given Scott a credit card before he left and Kitty immediately grabbed a laptop to search for clothes. They all got a few pairs of clothes, not knowing how long they would be stuck there. After a lot of convincing Scott, the cardholder, to authorize the purchase, Rogue managed to buy her usual makeup, explaining that the heavy white foundation allowed for a split-second barrier on her skin. She even convinced him to let her buy black eyeliner and lipstick, after all, she would look incredibly odd to people in white foundation with no other makeup.
Once the items arrived, it took them all less than ten minutes to scramble into real clothes again. Rogue was the fastest to put her clothes on, but the last to return to the group, applying makeup with Kitty and John.
Hank returned from the lab, human in appearance. “I whipped up a few batches of serum so I can lay low. And I’m making you another pair of sunglasses so you don’t have to wear your visor outside, but the whole process takes at least 24 hours.”
“Thank you, Hank.” Scott couldn’t complain, his visor was incredibly comfortable, he would just have to be careful.
“Damn, Hank. It’s a real shame that society doesn’t understand your hotness. I hate that you have to hide like this.” Alex remarked, hanging on Hank’s shoulders.
“This isn’t the time, Alex.” Scott scolded.
Alex rolled his eyes. “You’re the worst.” Scott’s little brother stormed out of the room, Hank awkwardly trailing after.
Scott’s heart broke a little at the response. How could Alex be mad at him, not even seven hours after they had almost lost each other, again? Alex was one of three people in Scott’s family that he currently had with him, that he currently knew was safe. There was nothing Alex could do that could make Scott upset at him, not right now.
Scott moved to the kitchen, away from prying eyes, away from Bobby. He couldn’t drag his adopted little brother into this. A firm hand caught his wrist. “Hey, he didn’t mean it.” Logan’s gruff voice was a surprising comfort.
“I know.” Scott let his squeezed fist relax and his stiff posture collapse. “I’m just-”
“I know. I’m worried about her too…and Chuck.”
“I just can’t lose them again.” Scott fought tears. He couldn’t cry in front of Logan. He would never live it down. He took a deep breath, focusing on the rise of his chest until the wave of emotion passed.
“We’re not talking about the X-Men anymore, are we?” Logan paused, waiting for a response he knew wouldn’t come verbally. The air smelled like salt and hormones, and Scott’s regular fast heart-rhythm was on full blast. His breathing shallowed again and Logan knew he needed to immediately disrupt the oncoming outburst. “Let’s get outta here. We’ve got clothes now, we have a motorcycle, let’s take a ride, clear our heads.”
Scott’s head perked up. “You’re right!” They had clothes now, they could blend in. He could find Jean.
He rushed to the laptop in Kitty’s hands, taking it from her. She complained at him, but he had no time for her, he was on a mission. He placed the laptop on the kitchen table, searching for the footage of last night. He found the news coverage of the hearing. The mutants gathered around Scott, all watching the events unfold.
The act was ratified, the court erupted in a mixture of cheers and protests. A courtroom officer started toward Charles and Jean until everything went quiet. The whole room froze. Jean pushed Charles toward an exit, but there were too many people blocking it for Jean to move them all out of the way safely. An explosion of debris flew across the courtroom, a hole in the side of the building emerged from the dust. Magneto appeared in the crowd, lifting the professor’s chair and flying the two X-Men out of the building.
Magneto had them. Scott’s blood boiled. He didn’t know who to be mad at. Magneto? The government? Society? Magneto had saved them, but was it all for his own agenda? Were they captives? Were they safe? Where were they?
“Hank, Alex, take the X-van. Try to find anything that could give us a clue as to where they are. You four stay put.” Scott ordered the youngest of them, ignoring their complaints. “Come on, Logan. Let’s go.” He grabbed the keys to his bike, Logan trailing after him.
“This isn’t what I had in mind, Slim.”
“I know.” Scott marched to his bike, grabbing his helmet.
“If you want me to track Chuck and Jeanie, I’m gonna need to drive.” Logan eyed Scott’s tall shoulders, hoping the man wouldn’t piece together his height dilemma.
Scott tossed Logan the keys without a second thought. He had no time to argue or question, as long as the job got done.
The two rode into town past skyscrapers and hotels. Eventually, they got caught in traffic, forcing them to find parking and walk the rest of their search. They walked for blocks, aimlessly searching for any signs of their friends.
“I can’t feel her.”
“She’s probably just outta range.” Logan assured.
“No, you don’t understand. I can always feel her presence. Why can’t I now?” The lack of Jean inside his mind was a distressing absence. Sure, she had a range for which she could speak to him, but he could always feel her. Had she been captured? Does she still have her powers?
“Hey.” Logan stopped in front of Scott, forcing him to a halt as well. He placed his hand on Scott’s shoulder, his eyes sharp. “Jean’s a tough bean. We’ll find her, wherever she is. But you gotta pull your head outta every worst-case scenario you’ve got runnin’ right now.”
Scott hung his head, forcing out the oxygen reserve he had been building in his rising panic. He took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes. “You’re right. Thank-”
“Wait.” Logan sniffed the air, a familiar, sweet aroma drifting on the wind. “I smell Jean!” He grabbed Scott’s wrist and pulled him through the swarm of patrons on the sidewalk. They rounded a building, pushing their way past busy people until they reached the doors of a shop. Logan charged into the store, his heart racing as he followed the scent. He hit a shelf, forcing him to stop. Dammit! He frantically searched for a hidden door behind the wall, until a solemn hand on his shoulder brought his mind back, pulling his attention to Scott. The slight frown on Scott’s lips and the smell of cortisol angered Logan further. He wanted to punch the wall, break it down, go feral on the entire store.
“Logan.” Scott ignored the murderous rage in Logan’s eyes, holding the bottle of Jean’s favorite perfume up for the man to see. He couldn’t judge his friend-- he also wanted to tear the world apart to find his wife--but that wouldn’t solve anything. “Come on, let’s keep looking.”
Logan’s wild eyes slowly came back to reality. He clenched his fists a few times, his claws luckily, remaining dormant. “I don’t know how many false alarms I can take before I snap, Slim.”
“If you wanna go back, I understand. I’ll keep looking without you.”
“No way in hell am I going back without her.”
Warmth stampeded through Scott’s chest at the promise. He would never tell anyone, but he didn’t want to be alone, not when he felt so isolated from the entire world.
They exited the store. They wandered for an hour or two, finding nothing but dead ends. They asked around, showing people pictures of Jean and Charles, but no luck.
They were headed toward a hot dog truck to ask the vendor and maybe grab a bite to eat when Scott shoulder-checked a person passing by. “I’m sorry.” He immediately swung around to face the person, a tall, thick man with a grandiose posture. “I didn’t see you.” Scott explained, but the man was having none of it, immediately clocking Scott’s visor.
“Hey, you’re one of those mutant freaks, aren’t you?” He sidled up to Scott, invading the X-Man’s personal space.
Scott threw his hands up. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Yeah? Well you got trouble, Shades. You know, my aunt was robbed by a mutie like you. Who’s gonna pay for her losses?”
“Her insurance?”
This was clearly not the right answer, further angering the man. “Oh, you’re a funny guy are you? Well I have a better idea. I think you’re gonna pay for it. If the cops can’t do anything about you freaks, then I guess it’s up to people like me.” The man punched his own hand, indicating plans for violence.
“You don’t want to do this.” Scott warned, but his words fell on deaf ears. The man threw a punch, Scott flinched and blocked with his arm, refusing to be tempted into using his powers. He waited for the sting, but the pain never came. He opened his eyes to see Logan standing in front of him, the man’s fist in his hand.
“You really don’t wanna do this.” Logan reaffirmed.
The man scoffed at the tiny mutant. “Are you threatening me with your mutant powers?”
“Logan.” Scott gave Logan a warning look, but Logan shot him a shit-eating grin.
“Don’t worry, I’ll do this your way. The non-violent way.” Scott’s heart tightened. He had a bad feeling about whatever Logan’s interpretation of non-violence was. “I’m not threatening you; I’m warning you. I promise I won’t lay a hand on ya’. But if you’re gonna pick on someone, pick on me. Go on, punch me.” He goaded.
The man didn’t hesitate, he landed a punch directly on Logan’s jaw. A loud clink rang out before the man’s pained screams ricocheted off the buildings around them.
“Goddammit! You mutant scum!” The man cursed them out as Logan grabbed Scott’s wrist and pulled him down the street. The two ran from the scene, authorities likely not far away.
They ran all the way back to Scott’s bike, starting the ignition and speeding down the street. Scott squeezed Logan’s waist struggling to stay on the erratic vehicle. “Who taught you to drive!?”
Logan grinned. “Just keep holdin’ on!”
Wind whipped past Logan’s ears deafening him as they swerved around cars, a black van now tailing them. He took a corner a little too fast and the bike nearly toppled over.
“Just a reminder that I have chronic head trauma, Wolverine!”
“Then don’t fall off.” Logan retorted. He couldn’t slow down, if he could, he would. He didn’t want to injure Scott, no matter how many times he joked about killing him.
The van chased them onto an empty street. Logan’s heart spiked, the hair on his arms stood up, everything in his senses told him this was wrong. A major street in downtown New York, empty. Before he could fully correct, a van appeared directly in front of him. He tried to turn to avoid it, but the bike skidded along the ground until it collided with the vehicle. Scott was sent rolling down the street, Logan was thrown over the hood.
Logan’s skin scraped against the asphalt, the sting of severe lacerations keeping him incapacitated for a few seconds. Thank god for Scott’s helmet.
“Cyke, you okay?” He called, climbing to his feet. The smell of dozens of bodies snapped his attention, pulling his body into fight mode. His heart dropped when ten seconds went by with no response from Scott.
Soldiers filed out of cars, placing posts in the ground at four corners surrounding a barricade of vans. Logan immediately searched for Scott. He found his friend on the ground, Trask standing over him, some kind of projectile weapon in his hand.
Scott’s heart was racing, sweat and fear overshadowing his usual scent. He was awake, but not moving. He was terrified. “What the hell did you do to him!?” Logan tried to release his claws but they were stuck. A persistent mechanical whirr emitted from the posts surrounding them. What the hell?
“Don’t worry, Wolverine. I simply injected him with a paralytic. He’ll be fine in a few hours. You’ll get to see each other soon.” Trask pointed his weapon at Logan, firing. The projectile serum flew right through Logan. The X-Man froze in confusion for a moment. The whirring had stopped. A tingling drew his attention to his shins, where he found Kitty clinging to his legs, half of her body beneath the concrete.
“Thanks, Halfpint.”
“Don’t mention it! Let’s get Scott!”
John, Hank, and Alex all brawled with MRD while Rogue destroyed their vehicles, Bobby going after their machinery.
Logan turned to Trask, rage in every blood cell. Trask pulled Scott’s limp body toward him, using the man as a shield. He placed a gun to Scott’s head. “Not so fast Wolverine!”
“It’s gonna be okay, Cyclops.” Logan reassured, the fear in his friend rising.
Rogue swooped down, kicking Trask in the head. Trask dropped the gun, stumbling forward, but one of his MRD used the distraction to hit Rogue with the paralytic agent. She yelped and fell to the ground, her muscles quickly losing control.
“Rogue!” Bobby rushed toward the woman on an ice slide, but an MRD agent aimed a net gun right at the man. Logan tackled Bobby to the ground, inadvertently allowing Trask time to escape.
More trucks carrying more weapons and more men arrived. John blasted a truck with a fireball, launching it into another vehicle. Hank tackled Alex to the ground, covering him from the debris. Logan had had enough of this. He charged the men that picked Scott and Rogue off the ground, but a vehicle blindsided him, launching him into Hank. Logan crawled to his feet, a scream from Bobby the last thing he heard before the blood rushing in his ears drowned out the world.
Alex pulled Logan away toward the nearest building. Kitty and John converged with them. Kitty phased them all through the building to the other side, where the X-van waited for them. She spoke words to him, her face apologetic, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying. It was then Logan realized. Where were the others?
“We can’t leave them!” Logan shouted. “They have Scott and Rogue!” He tried to pivot back toward the fight, but John and Alex pushed him into the van, his muscles relenting as they struggled to heal. Alex started the van and drove them away from the scene.
Once his hearing returned the sound of Kitty’s quiet sobs kicked him back to his main duty. Everything in him wanted to shout and punch Alex until he turned the car around and went back for the others, but that wasn’t what Scott would want from him. He still had people relying on him, he couldn’t throw their safety away.
“We shouldn’t have left them.” John mumbled.
Alex slammed his hands on the steering wheel, letting out an angry scream. “Goddammit!”
“We’ll get them back.” Kitty assured through sniffs. “We just need more help.” She pulled a large piece of paper from her shirt. “Rogue took this from one of the vans. It looks like schematics to some sort of base. If it’s where they’re going, it gives us somewhere to start.”
Logan grabbed the paper from the woman, inspecting it.
“Do you think Osborn has a first aid kit?” Alex questioned. Logan’s mind short-circuited for a minute.
“Are you hurt!?” He would never live it down if the second Scott was missing and Logan was in charge, Scott’s little brother died.
“I’m fine, I just cut my hand when I slammed it on the steering wheel.”
“What, is the steering wheel made of knives or something?” John sassed, his arms crossed over his chest protectively.
Alex rolled his eyes. “My hand slipped and hit the keys in the ignition, smart-ass. Geez, how did Scott ever put up with you?”
Logan tuned out the somber banter for the rest of the ride, his mind too focused on everything he had lost.