Disclaimer: Here we go again. I own nothing of any kind. I am not
doing my OC universe, 'cause it sucked. So...
&&&&&&
Logan sighed briefly as a gaggle of Jamies scampered around him, running from an irate Jubilee and Rahne. Yells and screams floated through the air, accompanied by the thoughtful melodies of explosions, and a low- flying Toad, courtesy of Wanda air-mail.
Yes, the Apocalypse celebrations were going as expected.
Logan turned at the sound of wheels, seeing Xavier with his ubiquitous raised eyebrow and slightly oh-so-superior smirk. Logan raised his own eyebrow, then eventually smirked as well, turning back to the carnage. For a few minutes, the two men simply looked at the kids, playing their heedless games.
"So, Chuck, you caring to divulge exactly what you saw from Apocalypse's mind, or are you going to speak in your customary riddles and half-truths?"
"I think we both know the answer to that, Logan."
Logan shrugged, then sat down, deep in thought. "Tell me, Chuck, really. Did you think that we would end up like this? What, with all of these kids and what's happening around the world."
Xavier clasped his hands, his fingers intertwining, and he held them up to his face. "Truthfully, Logan, this was one of my more optimistic hopes for us all."
Logan raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
"Oh, our public acceptance is not what I may have wished for." Xavier continued, "However, we have so many things here to be thankful for." He gestured with his hand at the laughing children at the pool, and at the certain couples walking hand-in-hand.
"I was always afraid that the Brotherhood and the Acolytes would always battle us, but things seemed to have turned for the better." He smiled at the sight of Kitty and Lance. "Sometimes they have turned out better then I could have hoped for."
Logan followed his gaze, then rolled his eyes. "I still think she's being stupid going out with him."
"So does Scott, but I know they'll be just fine. Trust me."
Logan grimaced. "I wish I could, Chuck, I sincerely wish I could."
Hank padded over to them, wringing wet and with a most annoyed expression on his face. He held up a finger seeing Logan open his mouth. "Not. One. Word."
"May I ask what happened?" Xavier said in an innocent voice, a slight smile on his face.
"It all started with an argument between Amara and Bobby, causing both of them to use their powers, causing a minor personal holocaust, which in turn led to Ororo deciding that a premature shower was in order..." Hank gestured on vaguely. "You get the general idea."
Logan grimaced. "Unfortunately." He looked back to Xavier. "I hope these types of incidents won't occur regularly."
"I believe you should ask Miss Irene Adler for that information. I may have seen into the future, but not with that amount of clarity." He paused; then. "Talking of which, how is Rogue? I hear she has been, rather... intrigued by the knowledge that Mr. Le Beau is staying on at the institute." Xavier smiled. "Allegedly, that is."
Logan scowled. "I don't like the idea of her hanging out with an ex- felon, even one who is reformed." He glared at Xavier. "Allegedly, that is."
"You don't like most people, though." Hank noted with an upraised finger.
"That's because most people aren't to be trusted."
Hank merely pulled a slightly perturbed face, which fell back into a grin. "'It is easy to love a friend, hard to love an enemy.' " He quoted, smiling broadly.
"The Bible." "Shakespeare." Both men said at the same time.
"Both wrong, I'm afraid, it was from the Orange Catholic Bible." Hank pulled off a parody of a paternal frown. "You two should start expanding your literary knowledge, if you wish to compete with me on quotes." He smiled again, and walked off, shaking occasionally to dry himself off.
Both men returned to looking back at the kids. Xavier pulled a wry smile. "Just think, Logan. With all of our immediate concerns dealt with, I'm sure you could introduce a few training sessions with the children once again."
Logan groaned theatrically, pulled an imaginary gun from his pocket and blew his brains out. "I miss Apocalypse already. I'd go as far to say I miss Creed already, to boot."
Xavier smiled, and wheeled off. "I'm sure they would miss you too, Logan, if they were in your position."
Logan ignored the comment, still sitting on the floor. Another yell, mingled some rather colourful Russian expletive sounded in the air, followed by a hasty apology.
It all seemed too good to be true...
&&&&&&
A ringing phone, the click of it being picked up. A young, arrogant voice: "Nanee Nomu."
"You called me earlier."
A chuckle, slow and the sound of a creaking chair. "Oh yes. How nice it is to hear from you. How are you?"
"You didn't phone me in order to question my health. Why did you call?"
A pause, then a slight sigh of annoyance. "This is a tad embarrassing on the part of the people I represent..."
"Spit it out."
"Alright then. We have a job for you. Nothing major, we'll sort out the details later on if you'll agree with me to do the job. If you do it, you get a cool five hundred K, in used bills."
"I'd like details."
A laugh. "I'm sorry, I couldn't possibly divulge such important information over such an impersonal device as a phone." Another pause. "You know, it really breaks my heart that we could not meet face-to-face in order to discuss this in proper detail, but my timetable is quite unrelenting."
"If you're not willing to be frank with me here and now, I have no business with you. I've more important things to do-"
"Stop." A pause, then an aggrieved sigh. "I sincerely wished that I did not have to do this, but my associates were quite determined to acquire your unique talents. If you do not accept my first offer, then we will be forced to make another offer."
"What, more money?"
"Not so materialistic, my dear. No, our next offer would be to not to kill your children in a horribly painful and violent manner."
Silence.
"I know you are an individual of sublime cunning, I like that in a person. I wish I could not threaten you so crudely, but my superiors insisted that I make such a threat."
"You wouldn't dare."
"We could, we would, and we, quite frankly, should. My organisation cannot bow to those unwilling to... see things from our point of view."
Silence.
"If you accept the first offer, however, you will still get the money, and your children will not be killed by us." A pause. "Please consider this, I'd hat to think I had anything to do with ruining your life-
"I'll do it." A death-bed whisper.
"Excellent choice! I'm sure we will all benefit from your agreement! Now, further details of your requirements will be revealed to you soon. But we will send them to you. Don't bother calling this number again, please."
"What about my tel-"
"Oh, waffle-waffle my dear! Give us some credit, we can do some research on our own, despite our recent losses. Now, good day, and no talking to any nasty, bug-eyed monsters."
Click. Purr...
&&&&&&
A new story I've come up with. It's going to be more than slightly different from my previous poor attempts.
By the by, Nanee Nomu means 'Whaddya want'.
&&&&&&
Logan sighed briefly as a gaggle of Jamies scampered around him, running from an irate Jubilee and Rahne. Yells and screams floated through the air, accompanied by the thoughtful melodies of explosions, and a low- flying Toad, courtesy of Wanda air-mail.
Yes, the Apocalypse celebrations were going as expected.
Logan turned at the sound of wheels, seeing Xavier with his ubiquitous raised eyebrow and slightly oh-so-superior smirk. Logan raised his own eyebrow, then eventually smirked as well, turning back to the carnage. For a few minutes, the two men simply looked at the kids, playing their heedless games.
"So, Chuck, you caring to divulge exactly what you saw from Apocalypse's mind, or are you going to speak in your customary riddles and half-truths?"
"I think we both know the answer to that, Logan."
Logan shrugged, then sat down, deep in thought. "Tell me, Chuck, really. Did you think that we would end up like this? What, with all of these kids and what's happening around the world."
Xavier clasped his hands, his fingers intertwining, and he held them up to his face. "Truthfully, Logan, this was one of my more optimistic hopes for us all."
Logan raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
"Oh, our public acceptance is not what I may have wished for." Xavier continued, "However, we have so many things here to be thankful for." He gestured with his hand at the laughing children at the pool, and at the certain couples walking hand-in-hand.
"I was always afraid that the Brotherhood and the Acolytes would always battle us, but things seemed to have turned for the better." He smiled at the sight of Kitty and Lance. "Sometimes they have turned out better then I could have hoped for."
Logan followed his gaze, then rolled his eyes. "I still think she's being stupid going out with him."
"So does Scott, but I know they'll be just fine. Trust me."
Logan grimaced. "I wish I could, Chuck, I sincerely wish I could."
Hank padded over to them, wringing wet and with a most annoyed expression on his face. He held up a finger seeing Logan open his mouth. "Not. One. Word."
"May I ask what happened?" Xavier said in an innocent voice, a slight smile on his face.
"It all started with an argument between Amara and Bobby, causing both of them to use their powers, causing a minor personal holocaust, which in turn led to Ororo deciding that a premature shower was in order..." Hank gestured on vaguely. "You get the general idea."
Logan grimaced. "Unfortunately." He looked back to Xavier. "I hope these types of incidents won't occur regularly."
"I believe you should ask Miss Irene Adler for that information. I may have seen into the future, but not with that amount of clarity." He paused; then. "Talking of which, how is Rogue? I hear she has been, rather... intrigued by the knowledge that Mr. Le Beau is staying on at the institute." Xavier smiled. "Allegedly, that is."
Logan scowled. "I don't like the idea of her hanging out with an ex- felon, even one who is reformed." He glared at Xavier. "Allegedly, that is."
"You don't like most people, though." Hank noted with an upraised finger.
"That's because most people aren't to be trusted."
Hank merely pulled a slightly perturbed face, which fell back into a grin. "'It is easy to love a friend, hard to love an enemy.' " He quoted, smiling broadly.
"The Bible." "Shakespeare." Both men said at the same time.
"Both wrong, I'm afraid, it was from the Orange Catholic Bible." Hank pulled off a parody of a paternal frown. "You two should start expanding your literary knowledge, if you wish to compete with me on quotes." He smiled again, and walked off, shaking occasionally to dry himself off.
Both men returned to looking back at the kids. Xavier pulled a wry smile. "Just think, Logan. With all of our immediate concerns dealt with, I'm sure you could introduce a few training sessions with the children once again."
Logan groaned theatrically, pulled an imaginary gun from his pocket and blew his brains out. "I miss Apocalypse already. I'd go as far to say I miss Creed already, to boot."
Xavier smiled, and wheeled off. "I'm sure they would miss you too, Logan, if they were in your position."
Logan ignored the comment, still sitting on the floor. Another yell, mingled some rather colourful Russian expletive sounded in the air, followed by a hasty apology.
It all seemed too good to be true...
&&&&&&
A ringing phone, the click of it being picked up. A young, arrogant voice: "Nanee Nomu."
"You called me earlier."
A chuckle, slow and the sound of a creaking chair. "Oh yes. How nice it is to hear from you. How are you?"
"You didn't phone me in order to question my health. Why did you call?"
A pause, then a slight sigh of annoyance. "This is a tad embarrassing on the part of the people I represent..."
"Spit it out."
"Alright then. We have a job for you. Nothing major, we'll sort out the details later on if you'll agree with me to do the job. If you do it, you get a cool five hundred K, in used bills."
"I'd like details."
A laugh. "I'm sorry, I couldn't possibly divulge such important information over such an impersonal device as a phone." Another pause. "You know, it really breaks my heart that we could not meet face-to-face in order to discuss this in proper detail, but my timetable is quite unrelenting."
"If you're not willing to be frank with me here and now, I have no business with you. I've more important things to do-"
"Stop." A pause, then an aggrieved sigh. "I sincerely wished that I did not have to do this, but my associates were quite determined to acquire your unique talents. If you do not accept my first offer, then we will be forced to make another offer."
"What, more money?"
"Not so materialistic, my dear. No, our next offer would be to not to kill your children in a horribly painful and violent manner."
Silence.
"I know you are an individual of sublime cunning, I like that in a person. I wish I could not threaten you so crudely, but my superiors insisted that I make such a threat."
"You wouldn't dare."
"We could, we would, and we, quite frankly, should. My organisation cannot bow to those unwilling to... see things from our point of view."
Silence.
"If you accept the first offer, however, you will still get the money, and your children will not be killed by us." A pause. "Please consider this, I'd hat to think I had anything to do with ruining your life-
"I'll do it." A death-bed whisper.
"Excellent choice! I'm sure we will all benefit from your agreement! Now, further details of your requirements will be revealed to you soon. But we will send them to you. Don't bother calling this number again, please."
"What about my tel-"
"Oh, waffle-waffle my dear! Give us some credit, we can do some research on our own, despite our recent losses. Now, good day, and no talking to any nasty, bug-eyed monsters."
Click. Purr...
&&&&&&
A new story I've come up with. It's going to be more than slightly different from my previous poor attempts.
By the by, Nanee Nomu means 'Whaddya want'.