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Shadenfreude: Chapter 2



Logan offered Ororo his arm as they began the trek back to the mansion. She glared and furrowed her brow at him. He snatched his arm back and snorted at her. She made an attempt to straighten out her clothes and wipe the dirt off, but then realized how absolutely futile it was. Logan had the time of his life watching her struggle. He brought his index finger and thumb up to rub at his chin as he remembered why he loved to frustrate and annoy her.



*Flashback*
Ororo looked out of her window for the street name. *Orange road.....ApplePlumGrapePeach...What, in the world, possessed these people to name this streets...Oh good grief, there it is!* She slowly pulled into the cul de sac. After she put the Benz in park and unbuckled her seat belt, a rush of memories assaulted her. As she opened the door and saw the neighborhood, the memories wouldn’t stop. She saw Jean and herself playing Scott and Hank in a hockey game in the middle of the rounded road. She and Jean leaning on and dragging each other to the Grey house after yet another night of, “I dare you to drink that. Oh yeah, watch me! Your turn.” There was another time the four musketeers were walking to the Grey’s, Ororo noticed how everyone seemed to be obsessed with these adorable little green leafy plants. People where wearing them and had them hanging on their doors. She asked Jean what they were about.

“It’s for St. Patty’s day,” was the super cheery response.
“I’m sorry, what does that mean?”
“Oh jeeze, Rory. I keep forgetting that you’re kinda new here.”
Scott had snuck up behind Jean and nudged her. “Good one Jean. Weren’t you the one who was with the Professor to LEAVE THE COUNTRY to pick up Ro. Duh! You know for a telepath, you’ve got some problems up here,” he had tapped her on her forehead to stress his point. Jean got the last word in by stepping on his foot as hard as she could. Hank separated the soon to be wrestling match.
“Do you two mind,” he admonished, “I would, for once, like to walk into this house not looking like violence itself.”

*I know this is difficult for you.*
Ororo snapped around at the voice in her head. She saw Logan help the Professor out of the car and into his chair.
*I’m sorry, Charles. I refuse to believe that all of this is happening. It can’t be all undone like this. It was supposed to be better. Why is this happing so fast? I just don’t understand.*
His gaze had brought her down to her knees in front of him. He took her hand and hoped his thoughts would be enough for her, because at this point it was all he had.
*Don’t be sorry, child. Absolute power corrupting is more than a cliche. This is why we became X-men. We need to be prepared. I know that Jean is still here, and I’m going to get her.*
Logan’s voice was enough to bring them back. “We need to look alive; we have company.” After a brief discussion with Magneto the last thing Xavier said to them was to wait for him. Scant seconds later, all hell broke loose.

*****Later on in the flashback****

Both X-men met up with each other in the living room of the Greys’ after getting their collective asses handed to them by Callisto and Juggernaut.

“This is ridiculous,” Logan nearly screamed.
“Aww, what’s wrong Wolverine? Not used to being tossed around like a worthless ragdoll.” Storm nearly bit her lip at her retort. It was a little harsh, too bad it was true. She changed the topic to prevent further rudeness. “Jean’s room is in the attic, we need to get there NOW!”

As they raced upstairs, they suddenly felt the ground shift as the house was inexplicably ripped off of its foundation, and it started to hover and spin in the air. The sudden movements of the house knocked Logan off his feet and into a corner in the living room. Storm used her winds to lift herself off the floor. Logan glared at her, mainly because that’s all he could do.

Sucking up his pride he asked her a question he knew he was never going to hear the end of. “I could us a little help here, please.”
She had a puzzled look on her face. “I’m sorry, what did you say. I know that I must have heard you incorrectly. I thought you said, help me. Then you said please.” Ororo rubbed her head like it hurt. “Wow, I must have hit that coffee table harder than I thought.” She gave a toothy smile, and floated towards the stairs.
“You know,” he shouted, “your real friggin funny.”
“Not nearly as funny as you right now. Hurry up, we have things we need to do, as a team.”

She let her winds take her under the second floor railing and sat down under neath of it. She threw her legs over the side and got her self a good look as Logan struggled to upright himself. His situation got worse as the house took a few more spins. Storm simple leaned in the direction of the turn. Logan was defenseless as he toppled around wherever gravity and centripical force took him. Storm bit down on her lip and sat on her hands to hold back from pointing and laughing.

“Glad yer enjoyin’ this, darlin, cause instead of laughin’ ya could get that nice ass of yers down here and help me.”
Storm’s struggle to not laugh just made her face scrunch up and look funny. Before he could give her his meanest glare the house took a deep dive. Furniture started to move books were blown about, and the dining room glass table skidded out of nowhere and slammed in Logan, shattering instantly. Storm flinched at the unexpected blow and at the sound of the broken glass. The Wolverine has seemingly had enough. After the house began to ascend again, he unsheathed his claws and used them as leverage against the hard-wood floors. The added pressure of gravity made every move he made a difficult one.

The house rose again, and this time it span continually. Logan was abruptly taken from the floor, and slammed into the wall, next to the stairs, with no mercy. He heard the audible crack of the eight by tens under his weight. *What the hell,* he thought, *this damn day couldn’t possible get any worse!* Storm also felt the sharp turn, but she once again just leaned to the right. Wolverine once again used his claws to climb the wall heading towards Storm and the second floor hallway. He gave her some awfully dirty looks. It was plain as day that he was thinking all sorts of naughty thoughts. She squints back at him, brushes dirt off her jeans, and casually shrugs. When he was mere inches from his “partner,” he reached out a clawed hand to possible use her as leverage. She rolled her eyes. He reached for her again. She was about to pull him on the landing when a large looming shadow above her caught her attention. Before he could grab on to her she was backing out of the radius of the shadow.

“What the hell Storm?”
“I’m almost sorry Logan,”she pouted at him, then she gave him a signature smile.
“What are you talking about, woman?”
She pointed up. Logan sees it and gives her his number one your-gonna-get-it-as-soon-as-I-get-out-of-here glare. He sheathes his claws and tried to get up from the floor as quickly as possible. The weight of the his metal skeleton and gravity glue him to the floor. He tried so hard to give Storm the finger, but he never had the chance. The grand piano crashed into him like it hated him.

Storm shook her head trying to dislodge the awful noise from her head.
“I forgot that Jean used to play the piano.”
Two pairs of clawed hands shot up out of the rubble. A very pissed of Wolverine pulled himself up. He turned around and roared straight in Storm’s face.
Once again she shrugged and asked, “What?”
He threw his hands up in the air. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Let’s just go.”

They ran for the end of the hallway. Before they got there they heard the ceiling creak above them. The sound went wherever the house tilted. As if other large objects were being jerked around by gravity. The house stopped, then it started moving again causing most people and items to bounce. The ceiling above them groaned it protest and cracked. Storm’s eyes widened in horror as she realized what was above them. She pulled Logan out of the way. But the object just seemed to follow them. She saw the ceiling buckle and this time she actually felt a little bad this time as she saved herself. Logan once again had no warning to save himself from the large custom engraved anvil. Needless to say, Wolverine was none too pleased about this latest mishap. Storm turned around from him and covered her face with her hand. She really felt bad about that one.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS A FUCKIN ANVIL DOIN’ IN THIS DAMN HOUSE? What’s the excuse this time, HUH? Are ya gonna tell me that Jean’s a part-time blacksmith?”

She flinched when he finished screaming. Then wrapped her arms around her mid section. The only thing she could offer him was a meek, “no.”

“Oh no, girlie, ya ain’t gettin outta that easy. Ya gonna answer my damn question. I wanna know why the hell I was attacked by a random anvil. I mean I understand the piano, but this shit...Ya gotta be fuckin kiddin me!” He looked at her expecting a through explanation.

She inhaled slowly, “Jean’s father, John Grey, was a professor at Bard. He taught U.S. History. He absolutely loved eighteenth and nineteenth century life. He used to take us too his events that he coordinated at the colonial fair at Busch Gardens. For his twentieth year there they gave him an engraved anvil. Jean loved it so much that he let her keep it in her room.” She finished her story with her eyes cast down. She knew that if she looked at him she might die laughing, literally.

“Jesus,” he swore again. “I’m really beginnin’ to think this day really can’t get any fuckin’ worse!”

Four and a half minutes later, it got much much worse.
***End Flashback***



Instead of letting Ororo go to her room for a bath that she desperately needed; he steered her towards the headmasters office. Her office.



“Logan, I would really like to start the day clean.”
“No time sweet cheeks,” and swatted her rump to back up his compliment, “Em is waitin’ on ya. Besides you look fine.” This was no lie on his part.



She just rolled her eyes and opened the door. She walked across the room to the desk and sat down. He noticed her putting her arms on the desk to make a nice crook for her head.



“Oh no ya don’t.”
She blew air at him. He walked over to her desk and turned on her computer and monitor. He found the software needed to start her VIDEO conference call.



If looks could kill...





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