Marie

 

 

"NOW, CHARLES!

I had just a moment of -oh shit - before Charles turned towards me, fully meeting my eyes with his own. Erik jumped, but his death grip on Charles’ hand remained true. There was nothing on Charles’ face, no hint of expression, no regret or anticipation. He reached out with his hand and touched the very center of my forehead with his pointer finger.

The whisper of touch was inhumanly hot. I flinched away, but he followed me, relentless. I tried to shift away again, but to my shock, Erik stood behind me, keeping me in place.

Es tut mir leid, Marie. Forgive us.”

Bile rose in my throat as I felt something burn through my skin. I felt it. I felt it for real, not just in this weird mindscape that went on and on. I gasped, then cried out, then screamed, fighting now, desperate to get away. Charles looked absolutely wrecked , eyes wet. Erik was a solid column of strength behind me, keeping me restrained. They were cruel, and I felt something give way, something inside of my head that I hadn’t been aware of until just this moment; the absolute agony of fire spreading through me.

The fire hit something and it was like a bomb going off. I screamed, the sound flaying my throat and opened my eyes to--

 


 

-- to Logan bent over me. He cupped my cheek with a hand that trembled and the warmth of his palm was stark against the coolness of my skin.

I felt something on my shoulder and gaped at the realization that Jean was leaning over me. She looked just like the Jean from my (her?) (our??) mind, and to my shock her lips twitched in a small ghost of a smile.

“M-M-Marie? Your eyes.” Logan;s voice sounded like he’d been crying. His eyes were red and I was floored at the way he sounded. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Logan look so vulnerable before.

Jean nodded. “Yes. I’m afraid there’s more...”

I blinked. “More what?” I had the feeling that there was something that I should tell her, some thing that I was forgetting. Before I could get an answer, Logan tensed, growling low in his throat. He whirled so that he was facing the door, blocking whatever made the sound from coming inside.

“Oh shit,” Jean said, her nails clenching uncomfortably on my shoulder.

“Why, hello there, Logan. Been a long time.”

I still couldn’t move, but I could feel the tension rising off of Logan’s body. I was aware of a strange tingling in my extremities, as though my foot was waking up after falling asleep. It was distracting, but not as distracting as Logan readying himself to attack. I could see his indecision in the broad line of his shoulders; unsure if he should attack or protect.

Logan moved slightly and I was able to see. Stryker stood there, eyes narrowed. He held what looked to my gaze a weapon of some sort, something like a cross between a gun and a syringe. He stepped into the room, lips twisted into a cold smirk.

“I’ve been trying to get my hands on the lovely Marie for quite a long time. She’s quite a special specimen.” His lips twisted. “As you well know.”

“Stay. Back.” Logan’s growl was barely discernible.

Jean’s hand moved on my shoulder, sliding up my neck towards my head. I was sweating for some reason, still prone from whatever they had used to knock me out. Her hand slid unpleasantly against my skin and if I could have, I would have shuddered away.

“I’m afraid not. We have a lot of plans for you too. Now that she’s fully human, it would be fun to lock the two of you in here. I’ve heard a rumor that it didn’t work out so badly for you before, yes?”

The oily sound of Stryker’s voice made me swallow, uncomfortable. I didn’t know if he knew what had happened way back when Logan had been feral, or if he was just guessing. I hoped the later, because the idea of one of our people selling us out. . .

It seemed almost impossible that Logan could be any more wound-up, but the underlying tension was palpable. Like the tingling in my hands and feet, it built, and built until it throbbed like a sore tooth.

Jean’s hand brushed against my hair, stroking it back from my sweaty head. I was almost . . . afraid of her fingers, although I couldn’t say why. When she brushed one finger on my forehead though, I flinched hard, my eyes rolling back in my head.

I could hear Stryker and Logan talking, the tones of smug, toying superiority, and the low growl of fury, but I couldn’t make out individual words. I felt like the inside of a just-rung bell. The tingling from before was now a bass thrumming, and heat. . . a burning like I’d never felt before licked at my skin.

I don’t know if I twitched, or made some sort of sound, but it only took a second for Logan’s attention to shift. I was still staring at Stryker, but couldn't move to warn Logan or Jean. I was helpless as the soldier raised the weapon and aimed very carefully, and the split second of terror of Logan being ‘Cured’ caused my heart to jump up into my throat.

Jean yelled something, and everything froze.

I thought for a moment that it was just me. Belatedly, I realized that she’d taken her hand from my head to hold up both hands, and the oddly-shaped bullet from Stryker’s weapon trembled in mid-air, as through whatever was keeping it from following its trajectory was pushing back, defying physics.

In a blink, the force keeping me immobile dissipated, and I overbalanced, slumping onto the cold, stainless-steel floor.

From there, things sped up, like someone had pressed fast forward on a movie.

Logan’s reflexes were incredible. I heard the bright clink of sound and realized that Stryker had pulled a gun from somewhere to fire again, only this time, Logan had blocked it with one of his adamantium claws, sending the bullet spinning off towards the other side of the room. Logan leaped and slashed out with his claws, slicing cleanly through Stryker’s stomach.

Stryker screamed.

Jean frowned, muttering under her breath and a bright yellow, thing appeared out of nowhere. A hand covered in scars reached through it and plucked the first bullet as though picking a flower. Almost simultaneously, another spark-covered hole opened up and another hand, this one covered in a long yellow glove, reached out and down, scooping up the other one. Jean stumbled a little but moved as quickly as she could, scooping up Stryker’s guns and looking down at Logan with something so naked on her face that it made my heart hurt.

I was weak as a kitten as I tried to move towards them, horribly aware that my mutation was dead. I felt feverish, unsure if this was really happening for real, or if I was just in another mindscape. I blinked, and saw Charles in front of me, Adam’s apple bobbing as he caused me pain, and in another blink the grisly red stain of Stryker’s blood as it began to pool on the floor in front of me.

Stryker had fallen to his knees. He stared down at the blood flowing from his stomach with a dumb shock on his face. “It wasn’t. . . No . . .”

To my utter shock, a man dressed like a carnival villain stepped through one of the holes. I recognized the yellow glove, and the scarred hand. For some reason, his other glove had been burned away, and he shook his hand as flakes of ash floated down to the floor. He was quite handsome, even striking-looking, with his hair silvering at his temples. His cloak seemed to have a mind of its own as it reached out towards me, almost seeming like it was about to chuck me on the chin.

It smelled faintly of some sort of incense.

“Jean.” The man’s voice was low, cultured and carried such a tone of finality that Jean was already moving towards him before the word ended.

“I’m. . . sorry for this. For what happens next.” Jean did look sorry. I felt it again, the strange double-reality vision of Erik’s body behind me, hand clenched on my forearm hard enough to leave bruises, Charles muttering under his breath as he pushed and oh god. God it hurt so fucking much!

The strangely-dressed man looked to Logan, who had moved to keep the new threat in his sight, one set of claws poised at Stryker’s throat, and the other pointing at the man who had appeared out of nowhere, arm stiff with tension.

“My apologies for the timing, but the multiverse waits for no man. Or woman. You will only be able to watch. This is something she must win for herself. . . although I do not believe she will be fighting completely alone. She has the tools to do so.” The man stepped back through the yellow, sparkly portal and Jean turned towards it, obviously planning on following.

Jean nodded at him, and I shook my head, confused.

“Sorry, kid. He’s such an impatient ass.” She smiled a little wryly, tapped her forehead in the dead center and stepped through the hole in the room with a wink in my direction, disappearing without a word to Logan.

The burning stopped as soon as the portal shut, and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

I could smell the blood and thick scent of darker things from where Logan had sliced open the man who had tormented him for decades, and stood there, dully watching him bleed out.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

I shook off the weird lethargy, focused inward as what had to be the Shadowbeast fought against the prison Jean had created, one talon thrust through one of the cracks splintering through the material in the wall.

I blinked back to the here and now, knowing that Logan wasn’t gonna like what had to happen next.

“You make sure he’s dead this time, sugah.” I stepped forward over the pool of blood, reaching out to brush the skin between one of his claws. “I know what I have to do now.”

“What? Marie. . . wait!”

But I couldn’t wait. Charles and Erik had held strong for so long, and I could tell they were tiring, waiting and waiting for the endless moments for me to finally understand. I backed up and lay back down on the bed, trusting Logan to deal with everything here.

I couldn’t look at him. My words might have been brave, but I was terrified. The possibility that this wouldn’t go well was... well. More than a possibility, despite the man in the cloak’s assertion. Jean hadn’t been taking something from me, but had given me her mutation. The burning wasn’t of something dying, but of my own mutation coming back, full force. I felt it like a low grade current under my skin, familiar and strong.

“No time. Don’t worry, Logan.” I smiled. “I got this.” I stared at my hand, smiling a little. I didn’t have any more time for nerves. Within one breath and the next, I reached out and touched my forehead, directly in the center.


 

In between heartbeats, I was back in my mind. With a smile, I stepped easily out of Charles and Erik’s grip, noticing that the cracks in the wall were bigger now, the solid surface bulging with the malevolent force behind it. Charles cried out, not understanding, desperately trying to maintain the connection from before. Hearing the pain in his voice hurt me, and I inhaled deeply, turning towards him and catching the hand with both of my own.

“Marie?” Erik sounded terrified, as though he wasn’t sure who would be answering him back.

As tempting as it was to fuck with him, this really, really wasn’t the time. We had maybe minutes before the Shadowbeast broke through.

I moved, wrapping one arm around Charles’ waist, and resting my head on Erik’s shoulder. I could feel the weight of the stare they gave each other as they followed my lead, the three of us huddled together, breathing deeply.

“You’re. . . you?” Charles sounded exhausted.

“Yeah. Took me long enough. Look.”

I twitched one of my fingers, and the metal ball bearings wiggled out of Erik’s pocket, like they were dancing to some song that only they could hear.

“Erik?”

“Nope.” I grinned and spoke directly into Charles’ head.

Piece of cake, really.

I felt a little bad that Erik couldn’t hear us, so instead spoke with just my mind. And you were right about my control. I feel shaky, but. . . well. It will have to do, I suppose.

“You’re touching us both.” Erik wrapped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me. He sounded like a proud father, and I had a brief moment of deja vu at how far we’d come in what seemed like such a short time. The Erik of old would have been furious that I had borrowed his power for something so silly, and would have schemed until he got the upper-hand back.

“Jean?”

“Mm.” I pressed more deliberately against the two of them, testing my control. I wasn’t exaggerating. It was shaky. If I didn’t concentrate, I could drain the both of them without even thinking too hard about it. But I also had Jean’s voice in my head, whispering what to do to keep that from happening.

Her and my Logan did not get along.

I moved back, ending the three-way hug. I could feel myself bleeding from the center of my forehead, and knew that if the Beast won, that hole would crack open like a walnut shell, and the Beast would have its host, free and clear. Whatever was left of me would burn away like ash.

I licked my lips nervously. “You guys ready? No last kiss for the road or anything?”

Erik’s ears turned bright red. What they’d done in desperation seemed to embarrass him now. Or so I thought, until he stepped forward and into Charles’ arms.

It was like watching my parents kiss. I wrinkled my nose and averted my gaze, attempting to give them privacy. There was the chance that whatever shade of the two of them existed in my head could burn out under the dark fire of the Phoenix. There were just too many variables.

I wish I could give them more time, but we could see the actual shape of the Shadowbeast bulging through the wall now. The few cracks from before had spiderwebbed into something that would take just a tiny bit more pressure to break.

Charles took a step back, eyes still a little foggy. He took a deep breath and dredged up a smile from somewhere, turning to face the wall.

Erik’s muttered ‘fuck’ under his breath made my lips twitch into a smile as he too turned and took a few steps to my left, leaving me to turn so that the three of us were in a line.

Charles raised one finger to his temple, ready.

Erik jerked his head to the left, towards the destruction of the room from Jean’s mind, sorting through for anything metallic. Objects started lining up, swooping into a loose formation behind him, screws, metal arms and legs of furniture, more ball bearings, and what even looked like a set of really fine silverware. Row after row assembled behind the three of us, ready for when Erik needed it.

I took a deep breath and focused inward, shaking off all the locks on invisible doors that I kept in my head. From what seemed like years ago, Carol’s powers surged through me, and I rose off the ground a foot. I felt invincible, strong and solid and ready for anything. Erik’s metal manipulation was child’s play, but still exhausting. I could do it if I wanted to, but didn’t really need to with Erik preparing for a fight next to me. Logan’s growl of anticipation made me shiver, and I was grateful that he was here with me, protective and able to heal if things went wrong. Faintly, I could feel lightning at my fingertips from two years ago when I’d accidentally brushed against Storm during a fight. Charles’ thoughts were so entwined with mine that I knew he could see everything I was doing, a deep approval almost radiating from him; fierce pride in the fact that I’d come into my own, able to control my mutation instead of letting it control me. Jean’s Phoenix was at the very back of my consciousness, still so new and unfamiliar that I was unsure of how to access it, or how to control it if I did. I had what I needed-bits and pieces of the mutants who had shown me that I wasn’t a freak.

“Ready?”

“Indeed.”

Ja.”

With a jerk of my head, I snapped the gossamer-thin threads of the prison keeping the Shadowbeast locked away.

I thought that I understood what it was. Charles and Erik had been terrified on my behalf, and Logan furious and protective as he tried to keep it from my mind. My first impression was just blackness; an absence of light. A blink, and I could discern eyes, and a gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, and wings.

Erik and Charles were attacking before the last thread fell away. I could see how Charles attacked its mind, fighting against the barriers there. Erik flung what looked like missiles at it, aiming for the fragile-looking wings. The Shadowbeast roared, and I jumped out of my stupor, flying up and around, trying to keep its gaze on me.

The Shadowbeast furled out its wings with a sharp snap, and the space seemed to shrink away from him as he reached for me. Carol’s strength gave me the ability to kick at the talon stretched in my direction, and inky darkness flared for a moment, as shadows licked out and over my foot.

Something shiny cut through its hold on me, and I kicked off the shadow that clung like some malevolent vine, tumbling through the air and losing velocity as the weirdness of it caused me to forget for a moment that I was several hundred feet in the air. Metal whizzed and twirled so quickly that it was almost impossible to see it, except for a glint here and there. Erik once explained to me how he flew- repelling himself against the metal that was in the very earth itself. I wasn’t sure what he was using here, but he hovered behind the Shadowbeast’s far left, attacking from the back while I attacked from the front.

That gave me an idea.

Erik!!

I clapped my hands together then flung them outwards, a bright sizzle of lightning spearing through its heart. The shock of it caused me to sink again, and I swore, furious that I couldn’t use both Carol’s and Storm’s mutations in perfect sync. When my concentration wavered, so did my grasp of the power. In the next second I flung myself backwards, flying up and back into place.

The thing roared when Erik immediately sent the metal flinging through the bolt of lightning and into the wings, tiny holes shredding them and cutting until it landed on the ground with another pain-filled growl.

Unfortunately, that put it right on eye-level with Charles.

Erik and I had moved into position several feet away, intent on our own battle. I only had a second to scream a warning. Charles was completely oblivious, thoughts turned inward as he fought against its shields, still with the one finger on his temple to focus all that power.

The Shadowbeast spread its broken tatters of what were once its wings and fell forward, enveloping Charles in darkness.

Erik screamed, the syllables so broken that I didn’t have a prayer of understanding him, but his intent was clear as he dropped down, running for Charles and the Shadowbeast. All the metal in the room dropped to the floor with varying clinks and clanks as Erik ran, completely focused on the man he had loved for years.

The Shadowbeast was no longer solid, turning instead to the shadows it had been named for. I could see them attacking both Erik and Charles, hundreds of thousands of little curls of shadow wrapping around each of their bodies, then inside.

I froze, paralyzed with fear.

Both men collapsed like puppets whose strings had been cut, and I could see the Beast gaining strength from whatever it was doing to my friends. Dimly, I could still see Erik fighting to get to Charles, desperate and hopeless as the strength and vitality bled from his body.

“No!”

Unbelievably, the thing hissed a low chuckle. “Weak. . . You are nothing , human. Weak and just as broken as these two.”

I felt something shift in my head; almost like a click of a bone snapping back into place. It had Charles’ fingerprints all over it, and I finally realized what Charles had been doing. He hadn’t been fighting the Shadowbeast’s mind, he’d been fighting mine . I felt the flood of power burn through me, and flung out my arms, unable to contain it all.

Jean’s Phoenix.

“Fuck you. I’m. . . not. . . human!”

I had no concept of control, or ‘can’t’, or ‘shouldn’t’. The power was immense and I understood why even Charles had been afraid of Jean’s full, unlocked power. I only had to think of what I wanted to happen, and the power leaped to obey. A scythe of pure light swung through the air, cleaving the shadows between Erik and Charles.

The darkness seemed to shudder for a moment, dissipating in a blink and forming back into the creature from before. Now, I had its full attention. I heaved the scythe again, splitting it into two slightly smaller blades. With a jerk of my head, the two blades, split into four, then into eight, then into sixteen.

I smiled and flung the blades at it, pure tendrils of power connecting all of them. I pulled force from everywhere to send them spinning, slicing indiscriminately. With a quick thought I landed and began running towards it, sending the blades of light into closer and closer circles. I pushed with part of my mind, sending Erik and Charles tumbling into a wall, away and as safe as I could make them. It didn’t escape my notice that Erik folded himself around Charles, just as protective as always.

I wish that I could say that I hollered something incredibly cool as I attacked, sending the blades of light back together into a single, massive column of light that speared through the Shadowbeast from nose to toes. Growing up around superheroes taught me that there was always some sort of witty repartee during these types of fights.

But I couldn’t. I was too furious. This is the thing that had attacked Logan. It had attacked Charles, and Erik, and almost killed off my own psyche. It had tried to enslave me, to use me against the people I loved the most.

The Shadowbeast’s eyes rolled in pain and terror, looking down at me as it began to bleed out, a foul-smelling onyx-colored ichor that caused the floor to bubble and smoke, as though I’d thrown acid on it.

I closed my fingers into a fist and the spear of light burned impossibly bright before expanding and shrinking, like a living thing’s breaths. I heard a wail of pure, unadulterated pain as the Shadowbeast exploded into little specks of nothingness, the light burning all of the shadow out like paper consumed by fire.

There was a heartbeat of silence, then another. I blinked rapidly, not entirely sure that the fight was over, and that something wasn’t going to rise up out of nothingness again to attack.

It took me a second to figure out how to pull all that power back inside of myself. It wasn’t very well done. I felt like someone who had crammed a bunch of clothes into a drawer, like there was too much pushed into a small space. I bit my lip and walked over to Charles and Erik, only to realize that they were kissing, wrapped up in each other so tightly that they probably didn’t even realize that we were out of danger.

“Uh. Guys?”

Nothing. I saw Charles’ hand slide down over the long expanse of Erik’s back and whirled to stare at the broken wall, face flaming.

“Um. Y’all sure you don’t want to uh. . . check for a concussion or something? Blood loss? Possession?”

Nothing. I might as well have been talking to myself. I rolled my eyes, screwing them shut and pressing the palms of my hands over my eyes. I had no idea how to get “back” to myself, but Erik was busy, and Charles was much too polite to talk with something in his mouth.

Jean’s voice whispered at me deep in my head, and all of the sudden I knew what I had to do. 



 

Interlude

Charles gasped, pulling away from Erik’s mouth only when he saw little pinpricks of light from lack of oxygen.

“Wait. . . Erik, just a. A moment.”

Erik heaved a breath, but pulled away, rolling so that he was on his back. He covered his eyes with one forearm, and Charles struggled a bit to sit up, staring a bit shocked at the scorch mark on the floor.

“Do I need to apologize?” Erik’s voice was rough, gravelly with something that made Charles’ trousers uncomfortably tight.

“Are you mad?” Charles popped up, staring down at Erik incredulously. “ Apologize?! Whatever for?”

Erik’s ears turned a rather fetching shade of dusky pink, and Charles was utterly charmed, despite himself. He shook his head and sat up on his elbows, also looking around at the destruction brought by both Jean’s mental games and the Shadowbeast’s demise.

“I just need to take care of a few. . .” Charles trailed off with a hand gesture that he still couldn’t stop himself from using. He quickly moved the two of them back to the familiar study in his mansion where they’d played endless hours of chess against one another before everything went. . . wrong. It didn’t take much for both of them to appear side by side on the settee, although Charles worried that might be a tad bit presumptuous.

“Marie?” Erik looked around, nonplussed. He shifted on the couch, turning so that he was leaning towards Charles just slightly.

“Oh. Yes, well, it’s just us in here. Besides, I think she’ll be quite busy with Logan. . . out there.”

Something dark flashed in Erik’s eyes and he moved again, this time deliberately. “The couch is quite nice.” He bent down to trail his lips over Charles’ neck, and he shuddered at just that small touch.

“Th-thank you, Charles replied primly.” Not to be outdone, Charles tugged Erik again, turning his head to meet Erik’s lips with his own. Erik shifted, and Charles thrilled to feel the bulk of Erik’s body over him. After everything, it seemed a miracle that they were here, like this. Charles hadn’t known that Erik could ever meet him halfway. Some small part of Charles’ mind whispered that this wasn’t real, that Erik wasn’t real, but Charles let that thought go as Erik did something bloody amazing with his mouth. They traded kiss for kiss.

Charles gasped a laugh when he felt his zip come undone, and wiggled a little so that his bum was up in the air. Erik covered him like a blanket, but when his long fingers cupped him through Charles’ underwear, barely noticed. Erik must have undone his own jeans because Charles found that he could plunge both hands down the back of them to cup Erik’s arse.

Erik tore his mouth away with a gasp, thrusting blindly into Charles, who moaned and thrust back.

“This is. . . going to be... terribly fast, I’m afraid.”

Erik laughed and pulled away, but the sofa was too small for much movement. Charles found himself on the floor again, with Erik stretched out over him, and found that he didn’t mind in the least.

“Are you. . . certain that Marie can’t see us?” Erik didn’t wait for an answer, instead bending to kiss at the soft skin of Charles’ stomach. He quickly pulled down the clothes in his way, and Charles shivered at the sudden cold air and winced as his cock waved a bit indignantly at the rough treatment.

“Ye--oh. Ohhh, god.” Erik’s mouth was wicked as he swirled his tongue around the tip of Charles’ cock, and Charles moaned, overcome.

Erik. . .

Charles didn’t know if he was projecting words or just urgency as Erik quickly worked his mouth over the tip, then further down until Charles was weakly fucking Erik’s throat, one hand twisted in Erik’s hair, the other clenched on his shoulder.

I wanted to do this for years. I used to dream about you, Charles. About you letting me taste you like this.

Charles felt his mouth drop open in a shocked O as he met Erik’s bright eyes with his own. He had absolutely no leverage as his trousers bunched around his thighs and Erik’s weight kept him from moving, but Erik was relentless, sucking and bobbing in turns until Charles heard himself babbling nonsense in between moans, desperately trying to stave off his orgasm.

It was no use. It had been much too long, and Erik was. . . Erik.

“Erik!”

Charles came so hard that he curled down over Erik’s back, hugging him to him and hoping that the poor man wasn’t choking. It was terrible etiquette to be sure, but he couldn’t have stopped himself for anything.

Dimly, he was aware of Erik’s hand moving over his own cock, and Charles pawed ineffectually at Erik’s back as Erik shuddered above him, coming just as quickly.

They were silent for a few moments, then Erik snorted, brushing his lips over Charles’ hip. “Do I need. . . to apologize?” He was slightly out of breath, and his voice was a wreck, both of which Charles felt a certain smugness over. Charles shook his head.

“That was. . . much too fast for everything I’d had planned to do once I got my hands on you for the first time.” Erik’s voice was muffled, but still rueful as he kissed Charles’ stomach, then over his heart, then his chin, giving him time to move away if he wished before kissing chastely over Charles’ lips.

Charles shook his head. “We have. . . nothing but time.” He smiled into the kiss, and pulled one of the pillows off of the couch, making the two of them as comfortable as can be. “I think that was. . . perfect.”

“Perfect, huh?” Erik shifted again, rolling so that he was on his back, and Charles was snuggled into his side.

“Well--” Charles wrinkled his nose, and in a moment they were back on a much larger couch this time, stark naked and cuddled into one another with a fluffy blanket keeping them warm. “Yes. I should say so.”

Du bist perfekt .”

Charles blinked a few times, shocked at the sleepy mumble. He bit his lip, wanting to say something, but not wanting to disturb the silence. His only answer was another kiss as they pressed as closely as they’d both wanted to for years, until the sound of Erik’s heartbeat lulled them both into a contented, peaceful sleep.

***

Logan

Stryker bled out slowly.

I wish I could say that I felt something as I watched him twitch and groan, lying on the filthy floor like an animal. Someone good would have felt something after killing off someone like him.

But I didn’t.

It was like I was watching it happen to someone else. Absently, I flung the blood and skin off my blades, wiping them against Stryker’s fatigues- black on black camo.

What an asshole.

I’m not sure why he thought that whatever he tried to shoot would work. Some bad intel maybe, or maybe Jean had worked some kind of mojo before going back with Strange to when-and-wherever-the-fuck-they were from. Now, he just looked sad and a little pathetic as he groaned in pain.

Marie twitched on the metal slab, and it looked so much like she was in a morgue that I couldn’t stop myself from watching her breathe. Whatever was going on was causing her to twitch indiscriminately, like someone having an especially vivid dream.

She’d touched me before she’d laid back down, and I could still feel it on my knuckles, like a secret.

“Wolverine. . .”

I almost jumped, startled to hear my name from Stryker’s throat. It was just a faintly garbled whisper, but I had no problem hearing the hatred in three syllables. I don’t know what he wanted. I didn’t give a fuck. WIth a snickt! I stabbed him in the heart, putting him out of his misery. I listened as the last bit of air left his mouth in a gasp, and still felt nothing.

“Sugah?”

I turned my head so quickly that I think actual vertebrae in my neck cracked. Stryker was forgotten as I stumbled forward, awkward and stupid with the absolute fucking gratitude that I felt. “Marie.” She was turning to sit up as I landed near her with a wet plop, the blood on the floor tacky and cold through my jeans. She smiled, leaning forward, and I felt my throat tighten as---

The familiar portal opened right between us.

“Er. Don’t mind me.” Strange looked slightly flustered as he reached through and put both his hands on Marie’s temples.

There was a flare of red energy that even I could see, and I blinked at him, close enough to kiss.

“Have to give these back, yanno? Part of the deal.” Strange cleared his throat, awkwardly. He nodded once then popped back through the portal, which disappeared in a flurry of golden sparks.

Marie slumped a little, reaching out to catch herself on the uncomfortable metal surface. “Oh thank Christ .”

“What?” I had only a half second to panic before I realized- she was smiling, grinning actually, looking so young and so goddamn beautiful that my heart shivered in my chest.

“It’s gone. All of it. All of Jean’s. . . everything. I’m just. . . me.”

I had no idea what the fuck that meant.

“Logan. I’m. . . me.”

I still didn’t get it until she reached out, stroking one finger against my cheek. I felt the familiar pull then, of Marie’s mutation siphoning off my healing ability. Before, when she’d woken me up out of a dead sleep, it had been like a tsunami, pulling my very life from me. Later, when Magneto had drained her, I’d given it to her, desperately and willingly, pleased when she’d drained me almost dry. I hadn’t cared then- as long as she lived. As long as she was okay. Now though, it was just a tickle. It was controlled. I watched as the wound on her forehead cleared up, the bruised skin repairing itself before my eyes.

She laughed, delighted with herself and I realized that I was probably grinning at her like a total dumbass.

But, when her lips brushed against mine, I didn’t care about that either.

“How ‘bout we get the hell outta here?”

I looked around, realizing that we were still in the middle of some kind of holding facility in the middle of goddamn nowhere.

But somehow? Somehow that didn’t matter either.

I kissed her back, wrapping my arms around her body and standing in one movement, so fucking thankful that I was almost afraid of someone taking it away.













TBC.... 

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