Fortunately for the male protagonist of the three budding authors’ first literary venture, things hadn’t turned so ‘intrusive’ as what Jubilee’s had conjured up with her fertile imagination.
//Flashback//
Ready to blow his top off at the security guard, Logan, remembering the small plastic card that Xavier had ‘procured’ for him, reached in and pulled it out from the inside pocket of his ever present jacket. Even though it would be hot where he was going, it wasn’t the case here in New York…especially in the bitter cold of winter. “Here.” He practically shoved the card it in the face of the other man.
“Oh.” The card read about Logan’s ‘special status’, even having details like the having metallic rods in both his hands and also in one of his legs and the metal plate in his head, typed at the back. “Sorry sir.” The man stopped short at the US DoD stamp. “Sorry for the inconvenience. Please go ahead.”
“Hn.” Snorting at the sudden change in behavior, Logan stomped through the metal detector, wincing as the loud beep rang behind him.
Walking towards Ororo, noting at how detached she seemed, he shook his head, seriously contemplating his acceptance of Xavier’s proposal to go with her to Africa….and that too without knowing what was she going there for. He would have pressed the matter, had he not sensed that even Xavier wasn’t sure of the Ororo’s plans and was only going along with to give her time some time alone, time to deal with whatever demons were troubling her. Of that Logan wasn’t quite sure off. What would be troubling Ororo? And what was she going to gain out of running away to Africa. ‘Running away?’ That brought a pause as did the realization that in his musings, Logan had drifted precariously close to what was his habit and what he had almost done many a time in the past month.
Closing off any further thought, the two clearly unmatched traveling partners fell in step, heading towards the boarding area to wait for their flight…the one that was going to take them to their first stop.
Cairo, Egypt.
//End Flashback//
---
“You can leave if you want to. This is going to take some time.”
Looking up, first at woman standing in front of him, noticing how she had tied up her hair, using a floral print scarf to cover the unmistakable snow white tresses, Logan then moved his gaze to either side, instinctively checking for any approaching danger. Even after a full night and the better part of the morning’s rest, a long lunch, Logan’s senses were still on high alert, both due to the sheer throng of life and due to the absolutely new surroundings. The change from the Canadian wilderness to the opulent Xavier estate in Westchester still made him wary sometimes, and it wasn’t anywhere near the difference between those two places and where he was now, the language difference only serving to make the divergence all the more clear…and unsettling.
Good thing that Ororo understood Arabic and even managed to speak it, not fluently, but good enough to get them by. The first time it had happened, right at the airport itself, was when she had hailed a cab for them, one simple thought had sounded loud across Logan’s mind.
‘Now where did she learn that from?’
----
That was then and this was now.
“Hn.” Starting with a noncommittal grunt, Logan forced himself to give an actual answer. “ Do what you want. ‘ll wait.”
“It might take some time.” Ororo repeated herself, a more than subtle hint at her wish of having some time to herself. Sadly for her, trying subtle with Logan was as useful as trying to getting him drunk by showing him a single bottle of beer. It just wouldn’t work, as made clear by the next words out of his mouth.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“I’d rather do it alone.” This time around Ororo tried the direct route, getting about as much luck as the first time.
“An’ I’d rather have a beer. But its not like that’s gonna happen either.”
“Logan…” An arched eyebrow, oddly playing against his forcibly relaxed demeanor, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his left leg bent with his boot flat against the wall, caused Ororo to stop with whatever argument she was going to put forth. Deciding that it was a better use of her time to do what she had come here for, she straightened up, squaring her shoulders and schooling her features into an impenetrable mask.
“Very well,” was all she said before turning around and stepping to the edge of the sidewalk, looking both ways before crossing the road, all the while feeling a stare boring into her back.
---
A few minutes later,
‘What’s she doin’?’ Logan frowned, trying to discern what was Ororo trying to accomplish by just standing there, in front of that office building, her head lowered as if in prayer. The way she stood, there but not quite, one would think that as far as Ororo was concerned she might as well have been the only person there, instead of being just one in a veritable river of people, all of whom either just neglected her or sidestepped to avoid bumping into the strange woman.
What none of the dozen of strangers or Logan knew was the reason for Ororo’s coming to this place and her strange behavior. They did not know that it was here, that as a young child of only five and a half years of age, Ororo had lost not one but both of her parents, a plane crashing into the hotel that had stood here then, long before the new building came up, years after the debris had been cleaned off.
When she finally did turn, Logan’s hackles rose, an involuntary growl burbling up his throat. ‘What the…’ There were tears in her eyes.
“Ororo?” He pushed himself of the wall and crossed the road.
There was no verbal response. All that there was the momentary meeting of eyes before the somber Ororo walked away, her slumped shoulders very much unlike her, the sudden graying of the clear bright sky mirroring her emotions.
----
A few hours later,
“You should leave.”
“Not happening.”
“Logan…I want you to leave.”
“Tough luck.”
“You don’t understand. The journey I am about to undertake…”
“Yeah?”
Hesitating for a couple of seconds, Ororo stood up and walked to the window, feeling the evening air flowing in to cool her body but doing nothing to assuage her emotions. Still facing away from the man lounging in on the couch, she resumed her explanation.
“The journey…It-Its one that I must go through alone. Besides, it might take longer if its two of us.”
“Huh? What’s that mean?” was Logan’s frank return.
“I have done this once before.” Ororo explained in a simple yet still somewhat roundabout manner. “The first time I did this, it took my almost a year to do it.”
‘The first time?’ Logan stopped short. Granted he did not know much about Ororo’s personal life or for that of matter the personal life of any other resident, teacher or student, but from what he had heard, Ororo didn’t have any family outside the institute and hadn’t taken that long a break from the institute.
“An’ now?”
“If I’m alone, I maybe able to do it in about a month….a month and a half.”
‘A year? A month and a half?’ That was cutting the travel time to less than a sixth, maybe even lower. “How’s that?”
“By riding the winds.”
And just like that, as far as Logan was concerned, the conversation took a turn into the surreal. ‘Riding the winds?’ Granted Ororo did not weigh all that much, but unless…
“Huh? You wanna try that in English?”
Turning around to face him, Ororo tried in a layman’s language. “Its my power. I am able to channel the winds to levitate and carry myself along their currents.”
“You fly?!” Logan exclaimed. Where did this aspect of her power come from?
“Not quite.”
“What do you mean ‘not quite’?”
“It-Its…” Ororo did not want to go into the details of how her powers worked and also did not want to give a practical display. “Its complex.”
“Hn.”
“So I suggest you take your leave.” It was back to the first point that had started the conversation. “You can either meet me here….no, that won’t work. You…”
“Will be going with you.” Logan’s cut in, completing the sentence…with all the finesse of a brick to the head.
“Logan.” Ororo’s frustration was sounding clear in the voice. The only reason she had agreed to the Professor’s request of taking Logan with her was because she had thought that she would be able to get him to leave. In fact, knowing what little she knew about him, she had thought that Logan would practically jump to it, if not bringing it up himself.
“What?” Logan growled back, wishing, not the first time that he was back in Canada, nursing a chilled bottle of beer, its two dozen or so 'Canadian only' sisters lined up waiting for him to pick them up. Heck, he would be take any other place too, as long as it got him away from this stalemate. ‘Shit. Xavier told me that there wouldn't be any whinin' from her.’
“I told you the reason it has to be just me. I think you can appreciate….”
“No.” Once again the teaspoon deep Wolverine patience dried up. “You told me a reason why it could be just you. And seein’ that you haven’t said it, I take that this flyin’, ridin’ shi….thing, with that you can’t carry someone else with you.”
Slightly taken back at the rather unexpected question, Ororo mused on the reason behind it. Did he expect her to carry him? “I-I never tried. The only person who was able to do it was….” She stopped midway, not wanting to add even more oil to the fire.
Seeing her stop, Logan pointedly looked at her.
Jean. That was the name that was left unsaid as Ororo steered clear of it to carry on.
“Moreover, even if I could I am not sure that I could carry someone with your weight…at least not for a long period of time, or over long distances.”
“Hn.” Another noncommittal grunt belied Logan’s surprise. ‘Long period of time? Long distances? Where is she plannin’ on going frem here?’
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Letting out an audile sigh, Logan slapped his thighs, his heavy boots thumping on the floor, his legs straightening to lift his up.
“When do you wanna leave?
‘He is leaving.’ Ororo was surprised at her surprise. What else did she expect him to do? Hadn’t she thought that he would leave? So why such a reaction?
“I think I’ll take my leave early in the morning. Just before sunrise.”
“…”
“Until then we could…”
“Anythin’ else?” This time it was Logan’s turn to snap, his tone of a frustrated realization, one that Ororo took coming from having to accede to her arguments.
“What? Uh-nothing.”
“‘m goin’ out.” Logan started for the door. “Don’t know when I’ll be back. You need anythin’?”
“No. Nothing.”
He was nearly at the door when remembering what she had started to say a few seconds before, Ororo called out.
“Logan.”
“Yeah?”
“What about dinner?”
“You have it. ‘m not hungry.”
And just like that, he was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.
---
Later that night,
Lying the dark, intermittent lightning flashes lighting up night sky and the room, Ororo listened to the storm raging outside. All she heard was the thunder booms and not what she was straining to catch….some sort of sound from the room next door.
The dull red glow of the digital clock silently blared at her, telling her that it had been almost seven hours since Logan had left, not her room, but from the sounds of it, even his.
Ororo had waited, both sitting up and now after tossing and turning for more than two hours….waited to hear any sound to tell of his return.
Even if he had decided to leave, she didn’t think that he would do so without bidding farewell...or at least telling her. After all, when he left a few hours ago, it wasn’t like he had said that he was going to leave. Just that he was going out.
Then again, how well did she know Logan. Not that well at all. Leaving the last month, and the time he spent unconscious in the infirmary, his time at the school could be collected to a few hours. Even the last month, he spent most of his time either outside with the workers, in his room or who knows where…especially on his late nights and weekends out and away from the mansion. For all purposes, he might have as well have been living in a motel…albeit a five star one.
Continuing with her twisting and turning, Ororo did not realize when her body finally gave in and she fell asleep, waking up hours later at the morning call for prayer from the mosque nearby. Having spent a better part of her childhood in this city, she knew the Azan quite well and what it signified for a devout Mohammedan…especially when her ‘teacher’ had been one himself.
Rising slowly, she made her way, to the window, pushing it open completely to allow the cool morning air in, removing any remnants of sleep. After that, she headed towards the bathroom, stopping midway at the thump from the other side of the wall.
Logan was back.
---
Even as she started towards the door, a heavy announced that the man in question had beat her to the punch.
Good. She was worried that she might miss meeting him before she departed.
Unlocking and pulling the door open, she saw that not only had he returned, Logan had also bathed, (clear from his wet, slicked back hair), he changed his clothes, donning only a white skin tight t-shirt and dirt brown shirt, the shirt completing unbuttoned.
‘Maybe he is also going to check out and leave.’ Thought Ororo, the duffle bag slung over his left shoulder making it even more clear.
“Good morning Logan.” She greeted graciously, her voice still husky from sleep. “I thought that I missed you.”
Oblivious of her disheveled appearance or just plain neglecting it, Logan merely grunted a good morning, and held out what seemed like a folded pamphlet or a…
‘A Map?’
“Yer navigatin’,” he ground out, turning around to leave and flinging over his shoulder. “Come down when yer done. I am gonna check us out.”
‘Us?’ What did he mean. “Logan.” She called out, looking up from the map, only to realize that he was gone.
---
The second, if not the fastest bath of her life, a quick change of clothes, literally shoving her belongings inside her carry bag and Ororo hurried out, practically flying down the stairs before coming to a screeching halt at seeing Logan calmly lounging by the front door, his back to her.
Going to the reception to return the key and she headed towards the seemingly cool as cucumber Wolverine. Barely five feet away when, detecting her presence, Logan pushed himself off the steps, slapping and brushing the dirt off the denim.
Even before she could speak, he jerked his head towards the parking lot, starting down the stairs. “There.”
“There?” Ororo did not move. “What? What’s there?”
“Our ride. One that’ll get both of us going.” It was a rather large and seemingly equally old Mercedes G-Wagon. What made it stand out even more, was the way it was loaded, both inside and out, complete with a foldable tent, sleeping bags, six large cans of some liquid, water or fuel, Ororo could not make out, and only Logan knew what else.
“Logan?” Ororo did not know what to say.
“You wanted to follow yet route and said that you wouldn’t be able to carry us both.”
“Yes.”
“Now you won’t have to. Get in. Just toss yer bag in the back. There ain’t no back seats. Removed them. AC works, but only front middle vents. Got nothing else.”
Walking while explaining, it took Logan a couple of seconds before he realized that Ororo had stopped at the steps and was still there…staring at him.
“What?” He belatedly tried to soften his tone, not wanting to get into yet another ‘Go-Stay-Go-Stay-Fuck off’ argument.
“I-I thought….” Ororo trailed off.
“That I left.” Logan completed her thought, but without telling her that he almost had.
“…” Her eyes did not meet his. “Yes.”
“Gave Xavier my word. Ain’t gonna go back on it.” And there it was. If nothing else, his word was the one thing that Logan had to call as his own, and he would be damned if he shamed it.
“Oh.” Ororo sighed, not quite sure what to make of his answer. One part of her was glad that he did not leave, another accepted it, while yet another one was put off by his stubborn behavior.
“Now get in,” the gruff command announced the end of any introspecting time. “Flip open the map and point….in the right direction.”
Still getting no movement, even after he had walked around to the driver side door and got in, Logan called out again, a little louder but not as harsh.
“‘Ro. Ororo.”
“Huh?”
“Get in.”
“Oh.” Giving in, the fight leaving her body, Ororo quietly go in, occupying the only other seat in the filled to near bursting car.
Seconds later, ensconced in the safe confines of their ride, the dysfunctional duo pulled out of the parking lot….
…heading out on the next leg of their journey across North-East Africa.
Note: My depiction of Egypt and other (upcoming) countries is based on all that I am able to find from a precursory search on the net. Please don’t flame for any inconsistency.
Next, Ororo and Logan sitting in a…Mercedes Truck!!
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