Absolute Destruction
Scott sat on the couch across from the professor, leaning on his knees as he waited for answers. His thigh brushed against Logan’s, cotton against denim a welcome comfort. Jean squeezed Scott’s shoulder while Logan rested his arm on the back of the couch behind them. The two closed him in, sandwiching him in place, but somehow he didn’t feel trapped. They created a barrier that insulated him from all the evils in the world.
Raven, Erik, and Ororo sat on the couch on the other side of the room. Evan leaned against the windowsill, Emma standing by a bookshelf. The group created a circle around the professor, some already aware of the news, others anxiously waiting.
Hank-- the final person to enter the study-- closed the door behind him and Charles finally spoke to fill everyone in. “They have scheduled a hearing to reconsider the Registration Act if we can provide proof of substantial hardship that this act has incurred on mutants. This will be a difficult task, and a part of me does worry that we will not be able to convince them; which is why I do not want the younger of us involved in this. I want them focused on enacting change in the streets. But I want all of you to be gathering as much evidence as you can. We only have one month.”
“I mean, that shouldn’t be too hard. This entire thing has been so messed up and cost so many lives. How could they ignore that?” Scott looked to Evan who made a face at his comment.
“You don’t know how blind people can be when they don’t wanna see something. If it means adjusting their lives to accommodate people they don’t wanna think about, people will choose convenience every time.”
Ororo stood up, clasping her nephew’s hands in hers. “Which is why we must show them what we face. Show them things they cannot turn away from. Things that will haunt them forever, the way it haunts us. It has worked in the past.”
Raven’s skin pulsated from blue to white as her agitation seemed to grow. “These aren’t the Nuremberg Trials. We don’t have mountains of evidence from our enemies records. We don’t have entire countries on our side willing to fight for us. We are alone, fending for ourselves. This is not the holocaust, these are the witch trials.” That was it! Raven had unwittingly given Scott the answers he needed. His body buzzed as adrenaline gave him the energy to complete his goals.
Logan tuned the conversation out, no one saying anything productive. He listened to Scott and Jean’s breathing, the rustle of Evan’s sleeves as he squeezed them like a stress ball, the electric whirr of Charles’ wheelchair, the ticking of the clock on the wall. Tick. Tick. Tick.
Logan’s pulse spiked when Scott’s heart picked up speed and his breathing shallowed. He placed a hand on Scott’s back checking his face for distress, but Scott glanced back, a subtle smile at the corners of his mouth.
“Mystique is right. We don’t have evidence from our enemies. But I know exactly where we could get some. Trask was experimenting on us. He was registering us. If there are any records of mistreatment, it would be there, in the basement of the Mutant Registration Headquarters. Even if they didn’t document their experiments, which I find unlikely, they had security cameras.”
“No, Scott. Breaking in to liberate victims was one thing, but an unprovoked attack?” Charles’ immediate dismissal boiled Logan’s blood. Scott was right, his plan was valid.
“Unprovoked?” Erik’s voice teetered on playful. “I’d say we’ve been plenty provoked, Charles.”
Scott ignored Erik’s support, he knew what the man would have in mind and that was entirely separate from Scott’s plan. “I’m not talking about attacking the facility, Professor. I’m just talking about breaking in and stealing documents. If we do this right, they’ll never even know we were there.”
Charles looked away, his eyebrows furrowed the way they always did when he delivered Scott news he didn’t want to hear, as if disappointing Scott physically pained him. “I’m sorry, Scott, but the risks are just far too great. Think of the consequences this could have if the senators were to find out.”
Scott motioned for Logan to follow him before he stood up, grabbing Jean’s hand to take her with them. “No, I’m sorry, Professor, but you’re wrong about this one. You trained me to be the leader of the X-Men. You’ve expected me to make the hard decisions to keep everyone safe, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Whether you like my methods or not, I’m gonna do what you taught me to do.” He stormed out of the room. A part of him wondered if he should ask Nathan what to do, but he didn’t need to, he knew the answer in his bones. This was the right plan, he just had to fight the disapproving voice of Charles that he always projected in his head.
Scott entered his room like a hurricane, Jean and Logan trailing behind him, sticking to the corners of the room to stay out of his way. He gathered his visor, his suit, his duster to cover the x-symbols, and finally he found his keys.
Logan leaned against the wall, his foot propped on the paint reminiscent of those cowboy silhouettes that people place in their lawns. He eyed Scott up and down, an intensity in his eyes that made Scott’s skin hot, the sensation of being observed unsettling. “I love that jacket.” Logan mused.
“Sexy?” Scott joked, trying to ease the tension with some friendly teasing.
“Fuck yeah; means you’re about to do somethin’ crazy.” Logan’s earnestness seared Scott’s skin even more, his face turning bright red. He turned his back, trying to hide his face from his friend, but there was no point, Logan could smell his excited embarrassment. He heard a deep chuckle behind him and it infuriated him that Logan had won, that he had the satisfaction of knowing Scott’s every emotion.
“Logan, you have to be more subtle with Scott. He’s a slow mover.” Jean chastised. “Scott.” Jean’s voice hung in the air as she waited for him to face her. Scott reluctantly turned to his wife, hyper-aware of Logan’s eyes on him. “Do you think this will work?” Her voice nearly trembled, fear in her eyes.
“It has to.” Scott searched Jean’s eyes for the glimmer of hope that always rested, waiting for a spark to ignite it.
“I don’t mean this mission. I mean…” She looked around the room motioning vaguely. “Change. Do you think we can actually change the world? How people see us? How we live our lives?”
Logan left his corner to stand by Jean’s side. “I’ve lived a long time. I’ve seen a lotta things, but the one constant is change. Things always change, yet somehow they stay the same. Things will get better for us, then some new group will come along for the world to hate and spread the same recycled rhetoric about. We’ll fight for them too.”
That seemed to ease Jean’s mind. She gave Logan a smile and sat on her and Scott’s bed. “I’ve been thinking a lot this past week about the way we live our lives. The way mutants disrupt human society and how we live our lives so differently from them. I’ve been thinking about the ways I want to change my life, to be more open like the Morlocks. I’m tired of conforming to fit into human’s societal expectations.” She held her hands out for Scott and Logan to take. Logan stepped forward and took her right hand, Scott at her left. “I have more love to give than I’m supposed to. I’m tired of suppressing it. I’m in love with you, Logan.”
Her eyes glistened like emeralds and Logan couldn’t breathe. The words were like a song that he had hummed in his head for a decade, waiting to hear the original. His heart pounded heavy, a small ache in his chest nagging at him to check on Scott. Happiness soon morphed into betrayal until all feelings of joy had been smothered out.
“Scott-” Logan started but Jean cut him off.
“I love you, Scott, more than anything. I know you’ve never doubted it, even now.” She was right. Scott’s heart remained steady, his breathing neutral. Logan couldn’t smell anything on him but his regular scent of cologne and dormant anxiety. Scott was fine. How was he not seething with jealousy?
“And I know you two love each other too, even if you’re afraid to admit it. I feel everyones emotions around me.” Jean’s words were like an anvil that she dropped on Logan, tearing him through the floor five stories. “I’m done hiding my feelings, and you two don’t need to either.” Was he ready to admit that to Scott? Was he ready for the complications that would bring? Wait. His mind rewinded her words. She hadn’t outed his feelings, she had outed their feelings. Scott felt the same way. He hadn’t been imagining things.
Scott’s face burned hot. He was trapped in his body, like he was just a mind in a meat-vessel. He couldn’t move. He wanted to speak, to answer his wife, to explain to Logan, to apologize for complicating things, but he couldn’t.
“What’re ya sayin’, Red? You wanna date us both?” Logan wanted to take Scott’s hand, increasingly conscious of Scott’s oncoming panic, but he kept himself still, separate from their bodies until given permission.
“No, I’m saying I think we should all try to make things work.”
Scott finally pulled himself back outside his body. His tingling hand was no longer so heavy he couldn’t move it, his feet weren’t stuck to the floor. He tried to logic it out. He and Jean had been together for 15 years, they had loved each other for 20. Logan had arrived 10 years ago. He and Jean quickly developed feelings. He wasn’t sure exactly when he had fallen in love with Logan, but he did remember an awkward training session 7 years ago that had kept him up all night with knots in his chest. He had felt so dirty like he was lying to his wife, that must have been the start of things. “When did it happen for you?” He asked Logan.
“What?” It occurred to Scott that Logan, unlike Jean, didn’t have constant access to his thought processes.
“Sorry. You fell in love with Jean 10 years ago. When did you…” He couldn’t find the words to finish his sentence but he didn’t need to.
“I think I always hated you cause I liked you.” Logan lit a cigar and moved to the open window, something he did when things got too emotional. “I’ve always thought you were hot. Not sure when the focus switched from your body to you.”
Scott stared deep into Jean’s eyes. Was this a good idea? They had loved each other long enough for him to not be worried about the feelings fading, but…could they work together without jealousy? If it failed, could it be the end of his marriage?
“If we try it, and it doesn’t work, we’ll just go right back to how things are now. It will probably be a little awkward at first, but we’re all adults, we’ll get through it.” Jean assured, clearly reading Scott’s thoughts.
“Okay. I’m in.” Scott and Jean looked to Logan nervously.
“What the fuck? You’re asking me if I wanna date the hottest, most badass couple in mutant history? Do I really have to answer?” He took a long drag of his cigar before letting out a big puff. Scott and Jean refused to answer his snark forcing him to give them a real response. “Yes. The answer is yes. Now who do I get to kiss first?”
Jean did a small jump in celebration, Scott wasn’t sure if she even realized she did it. It was cute, and he loved seeing her so happy. She looked to Scott for permission. “Go on, you two have been waiting for this for a decade.” Scott smiled.
Jean grabbed Logan’s hands, her skin soft and warm. Her perfume filled his lungs, and Logan wanted to close his eyes to savor the sweet scent, but he couldn’t look away. Her green eyes stared into his soul as she slowly leaned forward. Her eyes drifted closed as their noses brushed, sending shivers along Logan’s spine at the contact. Their lips connected and Logan nearly melted on the floor. He placed a hand on her neck to stabilize himself.
Jean let out a soft whimper, the sound reverberating down Logan’s body, his stomach burning, his chest aching for more. He pulled her body tight against his, longing to get closer, but nowhere left to go. Scott’s breath hitched from across the room and Logan’s mind broke, thoughts of Jean and Scott overwhelming. This was too much, too fast. He pulled away, stroking Jean’s face with his thumb. “God, I wanna do so much more with you.”
“But we shouldn’t rush things.” Jean finished his thought. She was just as breathless as he was, her necklace dishevelled. She looked to Scott. “Do you want a turn?”
Scott crossed the room, stopping infront of Logan. He smelled of dissipating excitement, his breathing deepening. Damn, Logan wished he could see his eyes. It could be so hard to read Scott when he wasn’t actively panicking over something.
Scott held out his hand for Logan to shake. “Let’s stick with this for now. I’m a slow mover.” He reiterated. Logan smiled, taking Scott’s hand. The grip was light, Scott’s skin tickling his palm. There was no shake, they simply held hands, keeping each other’s gaze. Logan’s hand ached at the contact, and there it was again, the familiar longing in his chest, begging him to move closer, to pull Scott into his arms. His breath caught in his throat until Scott let go and Logan could finally breathe again. “Partners?”
The word rung in Logan’s ear, repeating in his mind on loop, nothing sweeter he wanted to hear. “Partners.” He agreed, trying to hide the goofy grin that managed to weasel past all of his defenses.
“Let’s go get some evidence.” Scott winked at Logan, but no one could see it, a secret for only himself and Jean.
A timid knock rang through the door. Scott looked to Jean who seemed confused. “It’s Evan.” She said, opening the door to their old friend. “Evan? What’s going on?”
Evan motioned for her to keep her voice down. “I wanna help you. There’s no way you’re getting into that base without the most accomplished thief on the east coast.”
“Pietro?” Scott shook his head immediately ready to dismiss the entire idea.
“Yeah. Look, I know you still see me as that 15 year old kid that was so caught up in my own privileged drama that I could barely make it through one training sesh, but I’m 20 now. I’ve grown up and so has he. I didn’t believe it at first, but he’s proven that to me. We’re your best options. It’s either us…or Mystique and Magneto; they’re planning on joining you, they just don’t know you guys well enough to know you’re leaving tonight.”
Logan crossed the room to his former student. “Look, Porcupine, I appreciate that you’ve been leadin’ the Morlocks-- and you’ve done a damn good job of it-- but if you think I’m gonna let you run into that base with us, you’re out your damn mind.” He poked the man in the chest. A full out assault was one thing, when they had half the force of the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Brotherhood combined, but just the four of them. There was no way. “I say we grab the speedster and leave you behind.”
A gust of air whipped Logan’s hair in his eyes, the smell of cheap hair spray filling the room. “That’ll be a no-go.” Quicksilver leaned against the dresser. “You see, I mapped that entire place out the first time we were there, and there are a few really important rooms I’m gonna need Spyke’s help to enter.”
Logan let out a low growl. “Fine.” He looked to Scott and Jean for their input.
Scott considered everything. Evan could be an asset. He was smart, durable, his evolved abilities could be useful in opening doors, and he had gotten really good at going unseen. The only problem was, he was too fond of the kid. For two years, Evan had fought alongside them, trained with them, trained under them. He was their friend and one of his favorite students. Not to mention the fit Ororo would have if she found out they led her nephew into danger and something happened to him.
“Scott. He’s been living out in the real world for five years. He’s an adult who can make his own decisions. If he says he wants to go, we could really use him.” Jean, always his voice of reason, pulled him out of his fears. She was right, as usual. There were more reasons to bring him than there were to leave him behind.
“Okay. Go grab a backpack for any evidence we find.” Scott ordered the Morlock.
Evan motioned toward the armour of bone on his back. “Maybe someone who doesn’t have a shell of mutated spikes from poison on their back should take the backpack? Just a suggestion.” He snarked.
“Not me! Friction and all that.” Pietro threw his hands up as if calling ‘not it’.
“I get shot too much. I’d ruin the materials.” Logan said, not that anyone had asked him to take it.
“I’ll grab the backpack.” Jean rolled her eyes at the men, an amused smile on her lips. She left the room to find a bag.
Once everyone was ready they took Scott’s recently retrieved car. Evan hunched over the entire time, complaining about how uncomfortable cars were now. Pietro complained about how slow the vehicle was. And Logan griped about being stuck between the two, Evan’s spikes poking him with every turn.
Although the ride was bumpy, they managed to reach the building in one piece. Pietro ran ahead, disabling all of the surveillance cameras. Once he gave the go-ahead, Jean walked them past the guards at the entrance. It was odd, and Logan wasn’t sure he would ever get used to it. There was nothing behind the soldiers’ eyes as they blankly stared through them, it sent a shiver down his spine, and not the good kind.
Pietro reconveined with them, his hair somehow maintaining its perfect shape. “Trask’s not here. The whole upper level is clear aside from a few mutants in temporary detainment.”
“Probably got them through official legal channels.” Evan speculated. “When do you think they’ll move them to the lower levels for experimentation?”
Pietro shrugged. But Jean gave an educated guess. “If they have those mutants legally, then they likely won’t be experimenting, especially with Trask being on such thin ice right now. One mistake could spell the end of his career.”
“That’s good, I guess.” Pietro fidgeted, bouncing around to different locations, whipping Scott’s hair in his face. “The lower level is where we find the jucy stuff. I found the records room.”
“Great. Let’s free the mutants and find those records.” Scott ordered. Logan placed a hand on his shoulder, a look of concern on his face.
“You sure freeing legally obtained mutants is a good idea, Slim? I’m not sayin’ you’re wrong to do it, just askin’ bout the consequences.”
Scott hated when Logan was the one thinking ahead. The role reversal made him feel small and weird, out of place. “I know what the risks are, but...it just doesn’t feel right to leave them. Isn’t that what you were telling me to do? To stop thinking so much and act on emotions?”
Logan smiled at him. “Yup. Let’s go rescue some mutants.”
“Wait.” Jean shook her head. “I completely agree, but we need to figure out the best way to minimize the consequences.”
“That’s easy!” Pietro disappeared in a silver streak, reappearing a second later with a piece of paper and pen. He drew a quick sketch of the room, a really bad sketch. “They have them in these cubicles, here.” He pointed toward his rushed sketch. For a man with all the time in the world, he never seemed to take his time with anything. “They have inhibitor collars on, and they’re chained to the wall. If we can shut their inhibitor collars off-”
“We don’t even have to step inside the room!” Evan finished. The two looked at each other with bright smiles, highfiving.
“They might never know how they escaped.” Jean concurred.
“That’s a good plan. Pietro, find the power switch, shut everything down. Make it look like a power-outage.” Scott ordered.
“I can help with that. You three get to the lower levels to the records room, we’ll meet you there.” Evan pulled two toothpick sized spikes out of his fingertip, handing them to Jean. “Hope one of you knows how to pick a lock.”
Logan released his claws. “Yeah, I do.” A giant smile grew on his face.
“Logan, the point is for them to not know who was here.” Scott reminded. “We’ll try Spyke’s way.” He motioned toward the picks. “Pietro, give Jean the directions to the records room.”
Pietro zipped in front of Jean, looking irritated and impatient. “Okay, you gotta help me out here, cause I don’t have a lotta experience communicating with telepaths, so you’re just gonna have to read my mind to get a blueprint of this place.”
Jean scraped Pietro’s mind and the five split up. Jean led the way, Scott close behind, Logan taking the rear. The smell of gunpowder and axe body spray rapidly approached. ‘Jeanie, we’ve got a guard comin’ up.’
‘On it.’ Jean shot her hand to her temple, but her pace didn’t change. The three ran right past the guard, the same unsettling blank stare in his eyes. Jean led them down the stairs. The lights flickered and everything went dark, Pietro and Evan’s plan seemed to be working. Logan bumped into Scott who had stopped abruptly on the concrete stairs.
‘Watch where you’re goin’, Idiot.’ Logan grumbled to himself.
‘Patience, Wolverine. I can’t see anything until I switch to night mode.’ Logan’s face burned hot, an embarrassed pit in his stomach. He hadn’t realized Jean had linked them.
‘Sorry, Cyke.’ He mumbled.
Scott inwardly chuckled at his partner. His impatience would be the death of him someday. He flipped through the different settings on his visor. Heat vision. Snow vision. Sun mode. Finally, night mode. ‘Jean, grab ahold of me.’
Jean blindly reached for her husband, her hands patting up his body until she found her way to his side. ‘For once, I’m the one helping you in the dark.’ Scott laughed, grabbing his wife’s waist. A heavy hand grabbed his shoulder from behind him, and Scott smirked at the Wolverine’s silent request for assistance. He was happy to help, even if Logan would never admit that was why.
Scott helped the two to the next platform. The backup generator finally kicked in and red lights lit their way.
Logan let go of Scott, the world drenched in crimson. Was this how his partner saw the world? It was so disconcerting, everything desaturated, certain colors blending together to destroy all definition.
Jean opened a door to the sub-levels, ushering them inside. They followed a long corridor. The walls were still battered from their escape, and remodeling equipment stacked in corners. Being back here strangled Logan’s lungs until he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He grabbed Scott’s hand listening for an irregular heartbeat. Scott’s breathing had picked up slightly, but he seemed to be keeping things under control.
Scott focused on Jean’s shoulders, the way her hips swayed as she walked, how her hair bounced with every step. He ignored the incessant buzz of the backup lights, ignored the floors that reminded him of the cold sting on his bare feet that told him to run, ignored the phantom pains in his back. He focused on Logan’s rough hand that squeezed his ever so slightly, the quiet growl he released every fifteen seconds, the scent of stale cigar Scott had begrudgingly gotten used to.
Logan positioned himself protectively at Scott’s back, letting go of his hand in favor of clenching his fists at his sides, afraid his trauma might trigger his claws. They found a solid gray door, or was it green? It was impossible to know the color in this light.
Scott tried the handle but the door was locked. The lock needed an electronic fob. Dammit. It would have been helpful if Pietro had mentioned that when Evan provided them with their presumed way in. They would just have to improvise.
‘Blast a hole in the wall, why don’t you?’ Logan suggested to Scott.
‘I don’t know what’s on the other side. I could destroy a crucial piece of evidence.’
Jean crinkled her nose as she stared at the door. ‘I could try to break the lock with my powers, but that might lock us out for good.’ She warned.
‘What I wouldn’t give to have Halfpint with us right about now.’ Logan grumbled.
Scott searched through his storage of backup plans, he tossed out 1-10, none of them would work. Number 12 seemed promising however. ‘Jean, if we ignore the lock pad, are you able to shift the physical lock inside the door?’
‘I can try.’ Jean closed her eyes, her hand hovering over the door. ‘I can’t find it.’ She deflated, accepting defeat, but Scott wasn’t going to give up that easily. He switched his visor to heat vision, releasing a small stream of energy into the metal. He moved the beam rapidly, the friction heating the object. The door lit up in a variety of vibrant colors. The entire structure became visible, the lock appearing.
‘Look through my eyes.’ Once he felt Jean’s increased presence in his mind he encouraged her to try again.
With the visual, she was successful and the group piled into the room. A weight lifted from Scott’s chest the moment he left the hall. His mind finally cleared from all of the distracting noise and extra stimuli he forcefully rejected.
Cabinets of files lined the walls of the room, a desk of video files in the corner. This could take some time. ‘Jean, start at the north wall, Logan you start south. I’ll get the west wall.’
The three rifled through files and documents, not finding much. They kept everything in here, from shift schedules to direct orders from the president.
A whirlwind of air swept through and the paper in Logan’s hand nearly flew out. He was already annoyed with the speedster’s ‘talent’.
“The mutants are escaping.” Evan informed them.
Pietro snatched the document out of Logan’s hand, then moved to Jean and Scott. He whipped around the room collecting all of the papers, discarding the ones he found useless on the floor.
“He’s gonna read through everything, so we’ll just have to stand here for five or so minutes while he does.” Evan leaned against a wall, staying out of the way.
Logan and Jean stepped out of the room, while Scott and Evan stayed to watch the scene unfold, or at least, that was Scott’s excuse. He needed to stay. He needed the quiet in his head for as long as he could keep it. After a few minutes Pietro shoved a stack of files and a journal into Scott’s arms. “Keep those.”
“What’s in them?” Scott questioned.
Pietro gave him a devilish grin. “A lot. I found Trask’s personal journal.” He handed Scott a folder. “Your file.” he explained. “Thought you might wanna know what they did to you.” He stared at the ground for a moment seemingly lost in his own thoughts before he quickly adjusted and shot his regular inphased grin.
Scott stared at the file in his hands. His stomach twisting violently. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was inside, but he was grateful for the option.
“Trask prepared for the act to pass. He knew the courts would never issue him a warrant to raid a school without the ratification, but he also needed the element of surprise. He waited outside your school to attack the second it passed. Then he planned to get the warrant and fuck with the dates of the arrests. Here’s the really damning part.” Pietro shoved another document in Scott’s face. “The experiments he was doing on us, they weren’t just to register us. They didn’t need any of that information for registration. He’s using the information he got about our powers to further his sentinel program. And get this.” He pointed to a picture of Trask and Warren Worthington Jr. “The samples that his scientists took, are being sent to Worthington labs to further the search for a ‘cure’. Pietro made air quotes, an avid believer that mutants were the future, not an illness. “Angel’s gonna have an awkard family reunion this year.” He joked. “Lucky for everyone, Task’s been struggling to find mutants since you killed his telepath. The four mutants we just let loose were the only ones.”
Scott let out a heavy breath. That was a lot. He should be happy for the evidence they’ve collected, but he couldn’t stop thinking about all of the pain and suffering they went through. A part of him was relieved, but most of him was just tired; tired of persecution; tired of hate; tired of fear; tired of society; tired of the government; most of all, he was tired of running and fighting. Why couldn’t they just live their lives like everyone else?
Jean shoved the stack of evidence into the backpack, a photo peaking out from a folder stealing Scott’s attention. “Wait. What’s that?” He grabbed the picture and inspected it. An ashen body lay on a metal table, stitched incisions all over their skin. The world shrunk around him, his vision narrowing until all he could see was the image in his hand. It was an autopsy photo. “Jean, give me that file.” His voice cracked a little, but he couldn’t be bother to modulate his voice.
Jean handed him the file and he desperately flipped through it. “You don’t wanna look at that.” Pietro warned. But Scott ignored him, he had to see what Trask had done, he had to know the extent. Three photos of three people and their autopsy reports stared up at him. “They died during the experiments.” Pietro explained.
“Torture.” Logan corrected.
“Where are they?” Scott grabbed Pietro’s shirt, staring him down. Noise busied his mind, his body aching with pent up rage.
“You really don’t wanna go in that room.”
“Yes, I do. Where is it?” Scott’s muscles were so tense he thought he might break his own bones. The familiar taste of acid stung his throat.
A soft hand landed on Scott’s shoulder. He turned to be met with Logan’s worried face. “I know what they did to you was bad. I probably know more than most. And trust me, I wanna tear this whole place apart too, but nothin’ good’s gonna come from visitin’ the morgue. Don’t torture yourself more.”
“It’s not about that, Wolverine.” Scott looked to Jean, his guiding light. “They can’t stay here. We can’t leave them here.”
Jean smiled, pulling him into a hug. “It’s not your fault.” She whispered in his ear. “We’ll give them a proper burial.” Scott buried his face in his wife’s shoulder, her delicate hands gripping his jacket.
“Cyclops.” Evan motioned for their leader to follow him. Scott obeyed and Logan shot Jean a concerned look. He knew the look on Scott’s face well, he had worn it many times. A part of him itched to see what Scott would do, but there was no telling if they’d be able to pull him out of this. Scott was known to be self-destructive, a trait he and his brother unhappily shared.
They followed Evan to the morgue, the double doors swinging open like a portal to a cold, dark world; the red emergency lights casting mangled shadows on the floor. The chilled air tickled Logan’s skin, the smell of bleach and menthol choking him. Vials of blood stood in a container labeled for the lab. A blue heart, beating independent of it’s vessel, floated in a jar marked for further testing. One of the bodies’ eyes had been removed, along with thier fingernails and tongue.
Evan ran out of the room and Logan could hear vomiting from the hallway. “I told you, you didn’t wanna come in here.” Pietro’s voice was quieter than Logan had ever heard the boaster.
Scott’s hand hovered above one of the victims, trailing over their incisions. His left eye ached as he fought fresh memories from surfacing. “Wolverine.” He whispered, his partner quickly appearing by his side. “Carry this one out.” He wiped tears from his eyes, turning to assess the others.
Scott’s legs felt week, his body shaky. He couldn’t let himself collapse, not here, not now. His thoughts sped, losing coherency with the increase. This wasn’t right. Trask couldn’t get away with this. He grabbed the mutants’ files, bundling them with his. He’d read about them later, form a eulogy, search for their families, but for now, all he could do was get them out of here , give them piece in death, restore their bodies’ dignities.
“Jean, can you get the most mutilated one?” His breath caught in his throat, keeping him from a full inhale. He picked the final mutant up, the scaled skin cold on his fingers, the body surprisingly light. ‘Just get out. Get out before you break down.’ He chanted over and over in his head. “Let’s go.” He ordered, his legs unstable beneath him.
“Scott. I can’t get us past any guards if I’m carrying this person.” Jean warned, but Scott was past the point of caring.
“Focus on your victim. I’ll handle it.”
Jean shot him a concerned look but he couldn’t handle her worry. He turned away, avoiding her eyes. Fuck this place that reminded him of every truama he had ever faced. Fuck these people that perpetuated his constant state of fear. Fuck these walls that echoed his past surpressed screams. Fuck the ceiling and those awful LED lights that were the last things these mutants saw, the last thing he saw before-
“Scott.” Jean’s voice was delicate, like she was speaking to an unstable person. Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!
“I’m fine.” Scott dug his fingers into his mutant’s scales until he realized what he was doing. “Come on. Let’s go.”
They rushed through the hallways, up the stairs, through the upper-level. They ran into a few guards, but Scott made quick work of them, blasting them into whatever wall they were furthest from. Quicksilver and Spyke handled the guards outside of the gate as the others rushed to the car. They piled the bodies in the trunk as delicately as they could, but that didn’t stop the corpses from falling all over the place. “Get the car started.” Scott ordered, going back for Evan and Pietro.
Logan tried to follow but Scott shot him the meanest glare he had ever seen from the man. “Stay!” The command was like he was speaking to a dog. Logan stopped, slightly scared, slightly turned on at the new level of rage Scott had unlocked. He was always so repressed, maybe this viscerality was good for him?
“Yes, Sir. Do what you gotta do.” Logan backed away, his hands in the air. Whatever Scott was about to do, he couldn’t blame him. Logan’s rampage after the Weapon X program; the amount of teeth he’s pulled from his knuckles; the blood he’s washed out of his clothes, all meant he was the last person in the world who could judge his partner.
Scott stormed down the hill toward the facility, he blasted a few guards away from Evan, Pietro making quick work of the rest. “Get back to the car!” He shouted at the two. The moment they were behind him he found a nearby tree. He knelt on the ground in front of it, one foot propped against it to keep him from sliding backward. He watched the facility for a moment, guards climbing to their feet. He hated this place more than anywhere he had ever set foot in; more than Sinister’s lair; more than the orphanage he grew up in; more than that god-awful plane that had derailed his life. His blood bubbled like poison in his veins as his anger overtook him.
He reached for his visor, a moment of hesitation stopping him until Logan’s words resurfaced in his mind. ‘Let go!’ He took a deep breath, tensing his neck. He ripped his visor off, painting the world red around him. The noise was deafening as the building cracked and crumbled under the pressure of his blast. The MRD blew away, disappearing forever. The base crumbled in on itself, a deep crater all that was left. He closed his eyes, putting his visor back on. Shit. That felt good.
He stood up, his head light. He swayed a little until the pressure in his head leveled out. He staggered to the car, climbing into the passenger side. Pietro elected to run back, claiming he needed to clear his head, leaving Jean room to sit in the back with Evan without being poked.
The moment they got home and stepped out of the car, Logan pulled Scott into a hug, his hands tangling in Scott’s hair. “I know the fit Chuck’s about to throw at ya’ so I just want you to know I’m proud of ya.” The words were becoming a pattern, and while Scott wasn’t sure Logan was the person he wanted to be proud of him, it was still nice to hear. “You did exactly what I would’ve.”
“That’s comforting.” Scott snarked, but there was no venom behind his words.
Logan pulled back, holding Scott’s face in his hand. “Hey. Can we be real for a second?” Logan searched Scott’s face for reluctance, but Scott just frowned, leaning into the touch. “Are you okay?” Logan stood on his toes to get closer to his partner.
“Truthfully? No.” There was too much, he didn’t even know where to begin. Jean could feel everything, but Logan looked at him as if he already knew. “We have to get the corpses out of the car.” Scott diverted.
“We can do that in a minute. Maybe it’ll delay Charles’ lecture.” Scott tried to step away but Logan pulled his face back. “We aren’t done talkin’. What can I do for you?”
Scott deflated, leaning toward Logan. “I don’t know. I don’t even know how I feel, how can I know what I need?”
“You’re confused, for one.” Logan started. “You feel helpless and scared. You’re hurt that anyone would do this stuff to anyone, and you’re mad that it happened to you. Wanna fill in the rest?”
Scott stared at Logan for a long minute. He had always hated how similar they were, but he never realized how much Logan was like Jean; until now. He may not be the most delicate with his words, but, like Jean, he knew how everyone was feeling, and he genuinely wanted to help.
Scott wanted to say more. He wanted to tell Logan how disappointed he was in himself. How liberating losing control was, but how that terrified him. How he didn’t feel worthy of Logan’s pride, or even his respect. How he feared he did the wrong thing. How he didn’t regret any of his actions or decisions, but he hated that he was ever forced to make them. And he was scared of the backlash he knew he was about to face. Would it make him doubt himself? Would he hate himself?
He wanted to say everything and more, but all he could think about was how Logan believed in him, how he helped him, how he supported him. Logan was there for him and he would be there when Scott faced the professor.
Scott leaned down and squeezed Logan in another tight hug. “Thank you. I just don’t wanna face him alone.” A convulsion in his abdomen made his voice shake. Fuck. His eyes stung. He had to think of something else, quick. If he started to cry, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
“Hey, it hasn’t happened yet. I’ll make sure he doesn’t talk to you until you get some sleep. How’s that sound?” Logan promised.
Scott took a deep breath, the air catching three times before finishing smooth. “I don’t know if I’m ever gonna sleep again.” He chuckled, standing up straight and fixing his posture. He breathed out heavy and mentaly prepared himself to enter the building. “Let’s go.”
“What should I do with the dead bodies in the trunk?” Peitro had the trunk open, the mutants waiting to be retrieved.
“Leave them there. I’ll send Hank and Kurt out to get them.”
When they entered the building Charles was already waiting for them. “Not now, Chuck.” Logan placed himself between Scott and the professor.
Charles put his hand up to make Logan be quiet. Logan was about to instigate a fight to direct the man’s anger but something in Charles’ eyes stopped him. There was no disappointment, no frustration, no fear for humanity, he just looked concerned. “While I am incredibly displeased, I understand that you all had a difficult night, so we will discuss this later. I’m just glad that you’re okay. Is there anything I can do for you?” Charles looked to Scott and Jean, understanding that Logan was fairly unphased by the whole ordeal, at least in the long run.
Jean smiled and hugged the professor. “I just wanna go to bed. Sleep it off. But we’ll talk in the morning.”
“Or afternoon, since it’s currently 3am.” Charles smiled at her, an invitation for the three to sleep in.
Jean walked past Scott, squeezing his shoulder. “Come to bed when you’re ready.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Love you.” ‘Call if you need me.’
Scott leaned into the kiss. “Love you.” He watched her leave, the thought of a soft bed next to his warm wife comforting. His chest was tight, but rapidly relaxing by the second. “You’re not mad?”
“Of course I’m mad, Scott. But there are more important things to worry about right now.” Charles opened his arms to invite a hug from his first student.
Scott rushed into the embrace. “Thank you.” He held the hug perhaps a little too long, but he had really needed his father-figure’s support. He hadn’t had anyone else since he was young, no one that guided him with compassion like Charles did, no one that he looked up to like Charles.
“They need a funeral.” Scott pulled away, switching his mind back to work.
“We’ll deal with that tomorrow.” Charles assured, and Logan, always skeptical of Charles’ parenting technique was beginning to drop his guard. This was exactly what Scott needed, someone supporting him in taking care of himself.
“No, they’ve waited long enough. They deserve more.”
“Scott.” Charles looked at him with stern eyes. “Sleep. Rest. We aren’t abandoning them, they aren’t forgotten. We will bury them, at the institute. We have nowhere to bury them tonight. Go to bed.”
Scott pursed his lips. He didn’t want it to be true, but Charles was right. There was nothing he could do for them.
“Come on.” Logan steered Scott up the stairs and to his room.
Jean was waiting in a cotton nightgown, her hair a mess as she lay on her pillow. She reached to the nightstand beside her, throwing a bundle of clothes at Scott. “Get in your pajamas and join me.” She demanded. “And Logan?” Logan looked up at her. “Go get changed and come cuddle.”
Logan smiled, his chest jittery with excitement. He rushed out of the room and back to his own, throwing on the first clean shirt he could find and taking off his jeans. He rushed back to the room, creaking open the door and quietly closing it behind him. The room was dark. Scott had his nightmask on, keeping him from blasting the roof off in the middle of the night. He had his arm around Jean who lay half off the bed, half levetating.
Logan climbed into the bed, immediately being met with Jean’s arm slinging over him from behind Scott. Logan threw his leg over Scott’s, pressing against his back and resting his hand on Jean’s arm. He inhaled Scott’s scent, Scott’s hair tickling his nose. He ran his finger up and down Jean’s arm, reveling in the new texture of her goosebumped skin.
Scott sighed and leaned against Logan, pulling Jean back onto the bed. Her head rested under his chin, her breath hot against his neck, spreading warmth throughout his body. This was the safest he had felt since the attack on the mansion, his heart finally at a normal resting pace, his mind at peace. A few thoughts tried to wiggle their way into his full attention, but Jean’s light puffs of air on his skin and the rise and fall of Logan’s chest against his back kept all the horrors at bay.
Scott’s leg shifted to get Logan closer to Jean, the warm cotton of his pajama pants soft against Logan’s bare thigh. Logan’s body grew heavier and heavier with each breath, the bed underneath him hugging his body. As his mind slowed, his nightly fears crept past his daytime defenses. His muscles tensed and twitched as his body became restless.
“Logan?” Jean’s gentle voice pulled him back to full-consciousness.
“Sorry.” He let go of Jean’s arm, turning to face away from them, to protect them from any sleep-induced outbursts.
Scott turned with him, his hand searching Logan’s body, running over his arm, down his side, finally finding his chest. He pressed against him, mimicking Logan’s previous position. He snaked his leg under Logan’s again. “What’s wrong?” He whispered. Had their endeavor awoken a new line of nightmares for the man?
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Logan stared at the silhouette of the nightstand beside the window, the moonlight shining on the carpet in streams. It would be daylight in a few hours. He should get up to close the blinds so Jean wouldn’t be awoken early.
“Don’t pull that bullshit, Logan.” Jean said, but Logan could hear Scott’s voice in hers. He didn’t know who it had originated from, but he wasn’t sure if it mattered. Scott and Jean had melded into one a long time ago. It was hard to separate them in his mind.
“I promise, it’s nothin’ new. I just can’t shut my thoughts off at night, ‘specially now…”
“Now that what?” Jean’s voice was fully her own now, Scott busy brushing Logan’s hair from his face in a repetitive motion that was almost hypnotic. Logan closed his eyes, his scalp prickling with every disrupted hair.
“Talk to us, Logan. Communication is a two way street.” Scott whispered, his minty breath sending waves of pleasure down Logan’s neck.
It was only fair that he talk to them, he had forced them to talk to him when they hadn’t wanted to; only, he didn’t want to burden them with his fears. There was nothing they could do to stop his worst nightmare from coming true. He reached back to grab Jean’s hand, interlacing their fingers. “Every night I have the same dream, and it’s only gotten worse since we’ve gotten closer. I see a future where I’m the only mutant left. Where Trask wins and wipes everybody out. He kills the X-Men and makes everyone else human. I might like being alone now, but believe it or not, I actually kinda like having company sometimes.” ‘I like having a family.’ He hadn’t meant to project that to Jean, but he couldn’t take it back now.
“Hey, don’t worry.” Scott’s voice was deceptively sincere. “I’ll kill you before that ever happens.” His promise was a false promise, a joke meant to ease Logan’s mind, and although it made Logan chuckle, it was exactly what Logan wanted. He knew Scott was incapable, though. He couldn’t kill Jean when it had mattered, he wouldn’t be able to kill Logan.
“Don’t promise somethin’ you can’t follow-through on.” Logan warned, a fond smile creeping onto his lips. It was nice that Scott wanted to cheer him up, but he was out of his element here.
“I’m gonna shut up and let Jean handle this now.” Scott whispered.
Logan shuffled to look at Scott. His heart was stuck between content warmth and fearful frozen but Scott’s concerned frown brought a smile to Logan’s lips. He watched the moonlight dance on Scott’s skin, casting a white glow. “That’s a good idea. You’re prettier when you’re quiet anyway.” Logan joked, pretending that Scott’s voice didn’t make his heart skip every morning when he would first greet Logan; that it wasn’t the first thing he listened for at the end of every mission; that he didn’t play it in his head whenever he was lonely; that he didn’t look forward to the melody of Scott’s showers.
After a moment of thought, Jean finally spoke. “Isn’t this what we’re fighting for? Our future? Nothing is ever guaranteed, and I can’t tell you that that won’t happen, but it’s a very unlikely future. I wish I had the perfect words to ease your mind, but all I can offer you is a good night’s sleep. I can give you a different dream, I can also make it that you don’t dream.”
The offer was perfect. The weight on Logan’s chest lifted. “Yes, please.”
Jean smiled and placed a hand on his head. She closed her eyes. “What would you like?”
“I wanna dream about you two, and maybe the girls too.”
Jean’s smile turned devious. “I think I have the perfect dream for you.”
“Uh oh.” Scott smiled. “That doesn’t sound good.” He warned Logan.
Logan grabbed Scott’s face, staring at him as intensely as he could. “Promise me you’ll wake me if she does her mischievous giggle. You gotta get me outta there.” He joked.
Scott felt his way up Logan’s body until his hand found his cheek. “I promise.”
“When you fall asleep, you shouldn’t have any problems with bad dreams, but wake me if you do.” Jean released Logan’s head.
Logan thanked Jean watching her hair float a little as she yawned. The backpack they had filled with Trask’s paper-trail hung on the closet door behind her and Logan’s heart constricted at the sight. “Do you think what we have will be enough? I mean, Trask is still out there, people still hate us. And even if we don’t have registration, we’re still not safe. There are so many anti-mutant bills tryna get passed. It just feels like a losing battle sometimes.”
“I have hope.” Jean said with a content sigh. “I really, truly believe people will see how corrupt this entire operation has been and change their tune. I mean, of course we’ll always face hatred from individuals, but I think we can get past the systemic prejudice.” Her hope was nice, but it was idealistic, as she often was. Scott, on the other hand, was on a more similar wavelength to Logan.
“I don’t think we’ll ever be done fighting, not in our lifetime. Maybe in our kid’s lifetimes, but even then, I’m not sure. But giving up isn’t an option.” Scott’s hand felt its way down Logan’s face until his thumb found Logan’s lips. His rough skin stroked over Logan’s mouth, mapping the delicate surface. He pictured the man’s face in his mind, configuring an image of his expression. He let his voice drop even lower. “We know what happens to us when we stop fighting. So we have to keep the rights we have right now, and try for more; if not for us, than for our grandchildren and every other mutant kid that will live to see the future we create.”
Scott leaned forward, his forehead resting on Logan’s, their breath mingling, their noses touching. Logan’s breath hitched at the proximity, Scott’s scent gripping Logan’s heart like a clamp. He let out a shaky breath, his fingers squeezing Scott’s t-shirt. It took everything in him not to lean forward and close the gap between them, but Scott had to be in charge, he set the pace for their relationship.
“If we get Trask out of the way, things should at least get closer to normal.”
“Talk dirty to me, why don’t ya?” Logan whispered earning a smirk from his partner.
“I’m done talking.” Scott teased, an open invitation. His chest tightly constricted his breathing as he waited for Logan’s response.
“Then come shut me up.” Logan coaxed.
Scott shifted his head up, connecting their lips. His hand firmly held Logan’s jaw, shockwaves chasing his building anxiety away as they moved. Logan’s hand slipped under his shirt, gripping his hip; his fingers digging into Scott’s skin with a sweet burn.
Logan inched closer, Scott’s hand moving to his hair, his fingers tangling and tugging, eliciting a growl from the Wolverine. Logan released Scott’s hip, dragging his hand up his spine. His finger ran over a partially healed bump on Scott’s back and Logan’s heart stopped. He froze, Scott’s unconscious body laying on the lab table replaying in his mind.
Scott pulled back. “What’s wrong?” He whispered.
Logan brushed his finger over the spot, over and over again until Scott caught his arm, stopping him. “You’ll just have to help me create good memories for those.” Scott smiled.
Logan’s stomach sank at the thought of Scott’s injuries. He hadn’t seen the extent, Scott had kicked him out of the room when Hank and Jean looked him over. He hadn’t seen Scott shirtless since. Logan leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Scott’s forehead, breathing him in deep. He pulled Scott’s shirt up, inspecting his injuries, only one was still bandaged. He kissed down Scott’s neck and chest, finding each forming scar with his lips.
Scott squeaked as Logan’s lips tickled the sensitive skin, his breathing picking up speed. Logan wrapped his arm around Scott’s back, stabilizing him as he licked a warm trail up his torso. Scott grabbed Logan’s shoulder, cold air prickling his wet skin. The back of his neck tingled as he felt Jean’s eyes on him.
Logan licked and kissed up Scott’s neck, salty skin on his tongue sending waves of pleasure through his body. Jean’s hand found his, their fingers intertwining, her wedding ring warm against his skin. Scott caught Logan’s chin, pulling him back up to his lips. Logan watched Jean pepper Scott’s ear and cheek with light kisses, her fiery eyes trained on Logan. Scott bit Logan’s lip, his teeth scraping against the soft tissue. Logan let out an animalistic groan, following the contact as Scott pulled his head away to bury his face in Logan’s hair, his hands roaming the Wolverine’s body.
Jean took the opportunity to lean over Scott and plant an excited kiss on Logan. She hovered slightly above the bed, her hair floating freely. She brushed her fingers through Scott’s hair, her ring glinting in the moonlight. Their limbs tangled together, so interlocked Logan couldn’t tell where he ended and Scott and Jean began.
Their lives always seemed to parallel each other while also contrasting. Logan had been experimented on, but he had done it alone and showed no scars. Scott was experimented on, he had support but bared the scars. Logan had lost himself and hurt people, but they were bad people that he couldn’t remember. Jean had lost herself and hurt people, but they were good people, people she couldn’t forget. Scott had lost his family, but he had created his own family at Xavier’s school. Jean still had family, but she created a new one at Xavier’s school. Maybe now, their lives would be so interconnected that all of their experiences would be shared and the universe wouldn’t know what to do with them. Maybe together they could win against the impending hateful future the humans wished to bring forward.