Fic: How to reintegrate into society in about forty weeks (5/6)

[mayachain]

Title: How to reintegrate into society in about forty weeks (part 5/6)
Pairing: Bobby/St John
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Forty weeks ago, St John Allerdyce escaped from his prison in the Xavier Mansion's cellar. Logan is no longer the X-kids' favorite teacher.
Notes: Timestamp to How to escape from prison in 210 days.
Thanks to evilsincarnate for looking it over for me!

Nine Months Silence augmenteth grief, writing increaseth rage, Staled are my thoughts, which loved and lost the wonder of our age: Yet quickened now with fire, though dead with frost ere now, Enraged I write I know not what; dead, quick, I know not how. from “Epitaph on Sir Philip Sidney” by Lord Brooke Fulke Greville The Vespa comes to a halt, and Logan sits back on the saddle and takes a moment to let himself just look at the Mansion. In the years since he first came here, he's regained glimpses of places he must have lived in at some point. To his surprise, some of them weren't even that bad. They're all distant, though, and after two years' absence, this place still feels like home. There's no-one around to see, so he lets himself inhale deeply. A year or so ago, someone set fire to this place. Just like that, Logan's anticipatory calm is gone. There's an unmistakable scent of smoke, and it does not smell as if Iceman even tried to quench it. There is also, Logan realizes as he slides off the Vespa, a lingering scent of burning flesh. The front door opens to reveal a boy he recognizes. The kid's nose twitches the way it took Logan four weeks to teach him, expression smoothing out before he leans back inside. "It's Wolverine!" he shouts, confirming to the people inside what those brand new surveillance cameras at the gate must have already shown. The entrance hall is full of healthy enough children. They look and smell excited to see him, and the thought of a good meal and a bed starts to overwhelm his alarm, but -- there's another scent, one that's not welcoming at all, and it's getting stronger the more children appear. Silence, they're not supposed to be so quiet, not supposed to simply stand there and stare at him. "Hey," he tries, taking a step forward, shakes the hand of the kid closest to him, intent on greeting all of them by name. There's Funk, and Syrin, and Ellie and hey, teachers - Iceman and Shadowcat, Colossus, Beast - no Storm, but it isn't unlike Storm to stay in her office to sulk, and... Pyro? When he realizes his claws have come out, Artie, Paige and Xian have already stepped protectively in front of Magneto's henchman. "Where's Rogue?" Shadowcat asks before Logan can utter so much as a snarl. The scent of unwelcome is bordering on hostility now, underlined by mistrust stronger than Scott's ever was, and Logan finds himself reeling at the unexpected rejection. "Edmonton," Logan says shortly because What the fuck is he doing here? is clearly the wrong answer. "Where's Sid?" he asks, because he counts all the students that were here two years ago save one. The helpless anger and accusation in every pair of young mutants' eyes is almost enough to choke him. They will never turn him away from this home, but even before Pyro volunteers, “Dead.” when no-one else will, Logan knows they will never look at him the same again. * * * on to Epilogue: One Year

Comments

[tyhyin.livejournal.com]

You know what I was just thinking where the hell is Logan when reading how desperate the Xavier Institute was. Bobby and Kitty are barely adults, Piotr isn't that older.
They should never have had to hold it up by themselves.
Logan better be humble, he and Rogue should have come back, heck they should have heard of Ororo's death at least.
I love this :D
Update soon please

[tyhyin.livejournal.com]

I apologise if the above comment doesn't make sense
:D

[mayachain.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you enjoy reading!

To be fair to Logan, when he and Rogue left, Ororo and Hank were the only remaining "old school" teachers at the Mansion, but things were fairly quiet - had there been conflict at the time, they would have stayed. Not checking in all that time, or at least the last 18 months or so, is pretty unconscionable, though. Even if Magneto and Storm hadn't killed each other during that time, weakening the X-Men and splintering the Brotherhood apart, it's just not what you do :(

Final update tomorrow!

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

:-D