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** ** indicates telepathic communication
‘ ’ indicates thought
“ ” indicates spoken words
“Lets go meet the mysterious Wolverine.”

Earlier,

“Hey. What are you guys doing here?” Bobby Drake burst through the doors of the recreation room.

“What the F,” he cursed as he tried to stop himself from running slam bang into an orange slushie.

“BOBBY!!” Kitty Pryde cried out in horror at wearing the liquid that she was planning on drinking. As if that wasn’t enough, most of it had been frozen, thanks to the mutant powers of the atmospheric moisture manipulating Iceman. Pushing him away from her, she phased through the walls and ran to her room.

“Kitty,” Bobby cried back in a mock imitation of the doused Kitty. Shifting to his ice form, he easily flicked the frozen orange colored ice off his body.

Turning back to normal, he came back the reason for his excited state.

“Guys, you won’t believe what-who is coming?”

Seeing his enthusiasm, his best friend and resident fire manipulator John Allerdyce, aka. Pyro spoke from in front of the television. “Who is it ice for brains? That rocker chick you were babbling about yesterday.”

“I wasn’t babbling,” Bobby answered automatically. “No man. Someone much cooler.”

“Who is coming Bobby?” inquired Jamie Mardox, the youngest of the group. He was among the newest entrants into the school and the ability to create multiple *copies* of himself, earning himself the moniker, multiple man, although given his age, most of his friends called him multiple boy.

“Wolverine,” a single word stopped all movement in the room, only to be replaced by an uproar a moment later.

“When?” asked one student.

“Who told you?” asked another.

“Is he going to hurt us?” a small girl asked.

“You are joking,” spoke a voice of disbelief and suspicion.

“Is he coming to stay here?”

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Bobby took the easy way out, he yelled out at the top of his voice.

“EVERYONE QUIIIEEETT.”

Pin drop silence set over the room.

“I heard Scott and Jean talking in the kitchen,” he spoke softly. “According to them, he should be here within the next couple of hours. Scott was also saying…”

Bobby stopped as he felt a restraining hand on his shoulder. Fearing that it would be Scott, he clenched his eyes and didn’t turn back to face, “Robert…” Ororo.

“Oh, Ms. Monroe,” he sighed in relief. “Its just you.”

“Yes,” Ororo’s arched eyebrow was enough to silence him. “Please inform the students that after lunch they are to return to their rooms and remain there until it is announced otherwise.”
“Yes mam,” a nod.
“As for you, Katherine, Samuel and St. John, you are required to report to the Professor’s office…in your uniforms.”
“Yes mam,” another nod.

“Thank you,” with that the white clad Ororo turned around and left the room. Bobby was just about relax when her smooth voice came from the door.

“And in the future, please refrain from eavesdropping on your teachers and fellow students. It is not a good practice, especially not from a X-Man.”

“Yes….mam.”

-----

At the same time, a hundred or so miles away,

“Understood kid, no unnecessary yapping.”

“I got it in one,” Jubilee gave a confirmatory nod, her words and actions betrayed by the mischief glimmering in her dark brown eyes. “You don’t haveta repeat it a gazillion times.”

“I mean it Jubes,” Logan stressed again. “This ain’t a picnic. We are going for a single purpose, to get that stinkin’ Cajun outta there. Idiot. Got himself captured. Shoulda let him die the first time. Now gotta save his sorry ass.”

“He likes him you know,” Jubilee turned to the silent X23. “He just has a difficult time showing it, and he also knows what will happen when he gets home. Roguey will chew him a new one, maybe even a couple.”

“Hn,” was all the answer she got.

“Very glib,” Jubilee stuck out her tongue at the uninterested X, whose raised eyebrow expression was eerily similar to her father’s.

“Please Jubilee,” Logan softened his tone, or at least tried to. “I am pretty sure that they will give you their usual sell about the betterment of mutants, peaceful co-existence with mankind and all that shit. You just…”

“Ignore it,” the firecracker completed the sentence. “For real Wolvie, what do you take me to be? And why are you telling all these things only to me? Why not to X?”

“Cuz she knows how to deal with it if they try to mouth off in front of her,” Logan answered frankly, an audible -snikt- from the rear of the cabin, accompanying his words.

“Oh, just because she has claws like half the people we knew, she knows how to handle herself huh?” Jubilee’s emotional blackmail routine didn’t work this time. “And what am I, last season’s fashion?”
“Yeah,” Logan answered flatly. “Fer X, I just gotta one thing, don’t pop the claws until absolutely necessary. Use yer hands and feet to get the point across…an’ that goes fer you too. No paffing unless necessary….and if ya need to, do it hard enough to blow the hair offa their balls.”

“Hmph,” Jubilee pouted and crossed her arms at her chest, the upturned collar of her coat hiding half of her face, the rest being covered by the oversized pink goggles.

“Jubes, Jubilee,” Logan got no reply for his calls. “Sorry ok. Please.”
“Hmph,” this hmph, meant okay.

“Just do one thing, that’s all,” this got a tilted head look.
“What?”

“Just stay within hearing distance from at least one of us.”
“Hmph.”

“Now what is that *hmph* supposed ta mean?”
“Hmph.”

“I know that one,” Logan cracked a lop sided grin. “It means fuck off. Doesn’t it?”

“Hmph.”

----

About an hour and half later,

“Professor, look,” Jean had drawn attention to the black truck that was standing at the front gate.

A security check later, it was allowed to pass through, with General Fury and his aides waiting at the foot of the steps of the mansion. Charles Xavier and the rest of the X-Men including the four juniors were at the top.

“Man, what a heap,” Bobby was the first one to comment about the dilapidated condition of the truck. “How does he even get that thing to start?”

Scott Summers, the team leader and a self-proclaimed car and bike fanatic, stayed silent at the remark. Even from a single look, his keen eye had been able to discern that what met the eye was not everything. Even though it had all the looks of a twenty-year-old truck, it was riding along smoothly….too smoothly for what it should have been.

Even when it came to a halt in front of Nick Fury, it stopped without the characteristic screeching of the brakes.

However, as soon as they doors opened, all thoughts of the vehicle were lost. From the truck driver’s side stepped out a scruffy and *naturally* pissed off looking man, a smoldering cigar clenched between his teeth. He was dressed in worn out, skin tight, navy blue jeans, muddied work boots, at least two flannel shirts, a black t-shirt and a brown leather jacket.

Equally surprising for the X-Men was what came out of the passenger’s side, two girls, both in their teens. The first one was the younger and clearly livelier of the two and had an attention drawing yellow raincoat. That struck more than one person present as odd as there were no rain clouds anywhere on the horizon, neither was there any forecast of rain in the near future. The rest of her attire was matching blue colored shorts, gloves and boots and a red shirt with buttons on the side. The last pieces of her attire were a pair of super-sized earrings dangling and pink shades, which were perched on her nose. She also had on a cowboy hat, which looked to be at least one size too big for her. It was clear whose hat was it.

It was the last person of the trio that was dressed most conventionally as far as the X-Men were concerned. The second girl had an uncanny resemblance to the mutton chopped male and her black leather attire was very similar to the X-Men’s own uniforms, right down to the gloves and the zipped jacket. However, while the X-Men had a sort of basic armor woven into their jackets, the girl’s was a generic one.


The X-Men looked on as Nick Fury stepped forward and shook hands with the man, while the girls stood in silence, with the shorter one chomping away on a fresh piece of bubble gum she had just popped in her mouth, while the taller and older one kept an eye on the people gathered at the top of the stairs. She also spared a glance at the mangled remains of what used to be the front door and almost broke her smile on her unexpressive face.

**I am still unable to sense their thoughts** Xavier conveyed to the senior X-Men.
**Neither can I Professor** Jean informed about her own inability to read the minds of either of the three. **Can their mental shields be so strong?**

**What if they have some other means to block telepathic intrusions?** Projected Scott.
**Like Magneto** Ororo supported his point.

**That maybe the case** Xavier agreed. **That would also make them invisible to Cerebro**

**Heads up guys** Scott ended the conversation. **Newcomers at twelve o’clock.**

----

“Where’s he? Where’s Lebeau?” Wolverine neglected any welcome wishes and directly went to the point. As far as he was concerned, he had done all the welcoming and hand shaking with Fury. These fuckers were basically the cheerleading squad and could jump around shaking their pom-poms and he still wouldn't give them the time of the day.

“Mr. Logan, I presume,” Xavier offered an easy and completely non-threatening smile. “Or would you like to be addressed by your codename, Wolverine.”

“What I would like,” Logan started just as smoothly before dropping back into his characteristic growl. “Is for you to take me to yer prisoner. Fury,” he called to the smirking General.

“Don’t look at me,” Fury raised his hands in defeat. “This is in their hands now.”
“Is it?” Wolverine’s face contorted into a menacing smile. “Then I suggest that you take us to the kid.”

“Are you trying to threaten us?” Scott’s right hand was ready to reach for the visor control.

“Who said anything about trying?” the answer and the person who gave it both took Scott and the rest of the X-Men by surprise. “Who said anything about trying, you one-eyed jackass,” Logan did not know whether to laugh or scowl when Jubilee repeated her answer, attaching an additional endearment towards the end.

“You heard the kid, one-eye,” he settled on adopting Jubilee’s nickname for Cyclops.

“Scott, Warren, please take Mr. Logan to Mr. Lebeau,” Xavier did not let the situation get out of hand. Even though all three guests were free from telepathic manipulations, rendering him effectively powerless against them, he did not lose his nerve. Being an adept public speaker and student counselor, he fell back on his oratory skills. “Meanwhile, Jean and Ororo can help….” He looked towards the girls as if waiting for their names.

“Jean and ‘Ro ain’t gonna do shit with the kids,” Logan cut him right off. “They came with me, they stay with me.”

“As you wish,” Xavier acceded, not missing out Logan’s use of the familiar endearment for Ororo’s name.

The conversation being brought to an abrupt end, the X-Men, General Fury, Wolverine and his two teammates and the General’s aides made their way indoors and towards the elevators leading to the lower levels.

-----

“You fuckers got him in lock up,” Logan snarled at the sight of the young man behind the force field.

“It was for the safety of the school and the students,” Scott didn’t take his words lying down. He was already pissed off at the way Wolverine had rebuffed the Professor’s welcome. “We wouldn’t have done it if someone hadn’t attacked us first.” His mildly veiled accusation did not have the desired effect.

“Switch it off,” Logan jerked his head at the control panel.

Barely suppressing another retort at being ordered around on home ground, Cyclops entered the security code to disengage the force field.

“Get yer ass out here Gumbo, we’re leavin’,” Logan’s growl was answered by a laid back yawn from the former inmate, who sat up on the smooth metallic surface that served as the only sitting or sleeping structure in the otherwise barren holding cell. Apart from that, there was another polished metal surface which served as a mirror, a wash basin and a toilet.

“Ah, da Wolverine is here. Remy knew that you would come, but he didn’t know it be so soon,” Gambit stepped out with his usual flare, his worn out overcoat flapping around his legs. “Remy was jus’ getting’ comfortable.”

“I didn’t come fer yer sorry ass. I came for the kid. She’d miss ya,” Logan disregarded his prattle and started back on the way he had come on, leaving a scowling Scott and grinning Jean standing in front of the now empty cell. The rest of the X-Men and Fury were waiting for them in the war room, with Jubilee and X-23 standing outside the room, within visual range of the hulking Wolverine.

“What are you laughing about?” Scott gritted out to his teammate and girlfriend as they followed the two strangers.
“Nothing,” answered the redhead, letting free yet another round of giggles. She had accompanied Scott, in place of the winged Warren. “Its-its…”

“What?”

“You look constipated,” Jean answered, finally giving in and laughing a full throaty laugh.

“Ha, ha, very funny Jean, very funny,” Scott chuckled sarcastically. “I’m glad at least someone finds the situation humorous. We have a maniac in our midst, with two young girls god knows where he got or kidnapped from, and you find it funny. Real mature Jean, real mature.”

“Oh, come on Scott,” Jean grabbed his arm and pulled him to her. “Betsy was right. You are a tight ass. What happened to the man I fell in love with? When did he leave, leaving this grandmother of twelve in his place?”

“Don’t talk to me about Psylocke,” Scott harrumphed. “I don’t trust her one bit.”

“Oh, now who is being the immature one,” came the instant response. “Earlier you were panting over her, and now that she turned out to have a past, you are all puckered up.”

“I was not,” Scott’s scowl didn’t let up. “And I am not.”

“Sure flyboy, whatever you say,” Jean composed herself as they reached and entered the war room.

----

Inside the room,

“I don’t a shit about what you wanna know about me or my kids,” Wolverine was bellowing at an unaffected Charles Xavier. “You wanna ask them something, you go through ME. And the next time, I find that you or anyone even remotely known to you has been stickin’ their noses where it don’t belong, you will lose much more than a gate and a door.”

“Mr. Lebeau is an adult Wolverine,” Xavier’s voice held a sternness that his students knew well. It was akin to a don’t give a shit tone with anyone else.

“Logan, I ordered that Gambit he brought in,” Fury’s support added weight age to Xavier’s words.

“Yeah, excuse me for not giving a shit about either of ya,” Wolverine’s rebuke surprised the X-Men but not Fury, who had heard it hundreds of times. “Come on kids, lets blow this dump,” both Jubilee and X-23 were up in an instant. Jubilee had been talking to Bobby, who was unsuccessfully trying his level best to impress her.

“What are you doing with those girls?” Scott voiced his suspicion. He had been observing both girls and from the first look itself, it was clear that the younger one wasn’t related to the asshole Wolverine. About the other, he wasn’t so sure. She was too old to be daughter, at least it looked so, and she was too young to be his sister. As far as their information told them, Wolverine did not have any family. He was the quintessential loner. “Who are they?”

“None of yer business,” was the grunted reply, with an additional so fuck off, for goof measure.

“Did you kidnap them?” Cyclops continued to prod. He didn’t even want to think about any kind of physical relations.

“Swamp rat,” Logan called more than a bit loudly, instantly drawing Remy’s attention from the thing he was getting himself busy with, not only because of his volume, but also due to the name he just used. A name that was normally used by just one person, and she wasn’t in the room. “You wanna stay here?”

“Non mon ami,” Remy answered with a grin, wiggled his eyebrows at the vivacious Psylocke and leapt down from the table he was sitting on. “Remy had enough of da X-Men, and even though da X-Women are ‘ere, he don’ wanna stay ‘ere. He don’ like da accommodations.”

--

“Wolverine,” Xavier’s baritone sounded clear in the hall like room. “What about the other children you pickup? What do you do with them?”
“Like I said to one-eye,” Logan answered over his shoulder. “None of yer business, cueball. So don’t try an’ stick yer nose in it, or it won’t be the only thing you lose.”

“Do you sell them to the government labs?” Even Fury winced at Scott’s words…well almost winced. His jaw muscles did twitch…a millimeter.

Before anyone knew what had happened, Cyclops found himself thrown against the wall, two sets of metal blades….claws against his body, one pair on either side of his neck, while the other, a smaller set around his right hand’s wrist, holding it in place, leaving him helpless, unable to reach for his visor’s controls.

“Scott,” Jean cried out in horror.

“Fuck,” was Bobby and St. John’s gasp.

“Goddess,” Ororo blanched at the sight of the claws, not only from Wolverine’s hand, but also from the hand of the young girl.

“Wolverine,” Xavier called out. “Don’t”

“You wanna see what comes out of those labs,” Logan growled at his ear as a third claw peeked and then gradually made its way out until it was resting right against Cyclops’s Adam’s apple. “Huh asshole, do ya?”

“N-No,” Scott managed to voice with minimum of muscle movement.

Time stood still as Wolverine took heavy breaths as if trying to get himself under control. Finally he withdrew the middle claw and lifted his free hand and gently laid it against X-23’s forearm, knowing from personal experience how to approach such a situation.

“Its alright kid,” his voice carried a softness yet unheard by the X-Men. “He got the message. He not gonna do anything? Are ya one-eye,” he deliberately stretched out the nickname that Jubilee had given to the visor wearing Cyclops.

“No,” this time his voice carried his usual confidence as Scott agreed with Wolverine’s words.

“Hn,” was all he got as an answer as Wolverine also stepped back from him, turning around and walking away to the door as if nothing had happened. Both him and X-23 still had their claws out, their internal sensors now set on a kill to survive mode.

--

“I hope you understand and accept my advice now…” Fury stated once the three had left the room, a clearly shaken Jean, Warren, Bobby and John accompanying them to help and ensure that they get out.

“Sir,” one of his aides interrupted him, the look on the young man’s face telling him that it was an emergency.

Stepping away from Xavier and Ororo, he read the printout that had just been handed over to him.

“Not again,” his face scrunched in frustration. Pressing a finger to his ear, he spoke contacted the soldiers posted outside the mansion.

“Stop Wolverine from leaving. His country needs him.”

-----

Elsewhere, few hours ago,

“General,” a soldier knocked and entered the room. “You instructed to be informed when he woke up.”
“Good work private,” the four star army General looked up from behind his reading glasses. He knew about whom the soldier was talking about, even if the soldier himself didn’t. There were only a handful of people in the base, who knew the identity of their single inmate.

Closing his file, the General stepped out from behind his desk and started towards the door. Five minutes later he was standing in front of a bulletproof glass enclosure, four cameras focused on him. This was nothing compared to the two dozen inside the cell where a slender bespectacled man sat, silently eating his first meal in two days.

Seeing the General standing before him, the geneticist stood up and came towards him. He had just one thing in mind….and also in his heart.

For the ten minutes that they talked, the man inside the cell requested the same thing six times, each time with growing unease.

Their conversation ended when the older man started walking away towards the door, his last words ringing in the man’s ears.

“She’s gone to my cabin in Muskoka….”

“….gone with her new boyfriend.”

“….to get away from you.”

“…stay away from my daughter you freak.”

“No, no, no,” the man inside the cell fell to his knees, his whole body shaking, first with shock, then when anger and finally with rage.


“Oh, my god,” the sergeant in the control room gasped in fear, his hand automatically gravitating towards the emergency alarm button. “General Ross sir….sir…..we have a situation.”

“What do you mean a situation?” the battle hardened voice barked over the comm. lines
“Sir, he is shaking sir,” the sergeant squeaked out.

“WHAT?” This got the General’s attention, along with a whispered sweet-motherf**king-god. “This is not supposed to happen. We have him doped up to his eyeballs with the antidote he developed himself. And he needs the serum to turn in the first place.”

“I don’t sir, but it is happening right before my eyes sir,” the subordinate tried again.
“I know that you idiot, I can see it for myself,” this time the answer came from the war room.

“All stations, code red, all stations, code red,” another voice rang out over the intercom. “This is not a drill, this is not a….

RRAAARRGHHH!!

….drill.”

BETTYYY!!!


Note: New characters introduced and their descriptions (In order of mention/appearance)

John Allerdyce (Pyro): Mostly from the movieverse, except for the fact that he is not joined the Magneto’s Brotherhood….yet. Unlike Iceman, Shadowcat and Cannonball, not a major player in the fic….yet. (Age: About six to eight months older than his best friend. Iceman…..17 ½ to 19 ½)

Jamie Mardox (Multiple Man): Haven’t had much exposure to this mutant, most of it has been from the Evolution cartoon series. Therefore basing this character with that in mind. Young teenager, shy but wanting to impress teachers and peers, sometimes looses control over powers…at the most inappropriate times. (Age: Pre to Early teens…11 to 13)

As for the third entrant, its pretty easy to guess who that is. Character explanation, next chapter.

Please, don’t forget to review!!





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