|
|
Post by logan on Oct 10, 2006 21:21:49 GMT -5
Logan? It's Forge... listen... I need to talk to you about Rayen.
The conversation had upped Logan's anxiety level, and really taken his legs out from under him given the success of his recruiting.
Lorna Dane was growing bolder, and her control seemed to be getting stronger. The exact opposite of what Logan wanted to hear. Now he was tracking Rayen through the woods, following her by her beautiful, natural scent.
A nagging familiarity with the situation was tugging the back of his mind. It made him shiver a bit as he passed through the trees noiselessly.
Hang in there, babe. Be as strong as you can – we'll get you out of this.
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 10, 2006 22:29:19 GMT -5
How dare you. How DARE you.
I only did what I had to to help your brother!
It is MY CHOICE to help him or not! It's my body, you bitch!
Calm down Rayen, please. Hear me out.
Do you have any idea how I feel right now?
I could ask the same of you!
Listen Lorna... I appreciate your situation. I really do. But I'm only doing what is right by letting you stay in my body. You have to play along here... do you want this to be miserable for BOTH of us?
Rayen? I'm not sure you HAVE a choice but to have me here. The least you can do is compromise.
She let out an angry scream, running her fingers through her hair. This woman had hijacked her body and there was -nothing- she could do about it. It was frightening, sure... terrifying. More than anything she felt anger. A cold sort of anger that made her want to lose control.
Losing control was the LAST thing she could afford to do.
Hearing someone come through the trees, she wiped her eyes.
"Please don't come near..." She said out loud. She wasn't sure who it was but she didn't trust herself- or Lorna- while she was still so upset.
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 10, 2006 22:39:57 GMT -5
Logan stepped out of the treeline into the clearing. “Rayen... it's me.” He said, keeping his voice low. She looked extremely distressed, the look on her face hitting him like a sledge to the gut.
“God, Rayen... what's happened?”
He took a few careful steps forward.
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 10, 2006 22:49:48 GMT -5
"Careful," she said, holding tightly to her own arms. She didn't know how else to explain.
"Lorna took over when I was working on Forge. Our powers crossed, reacted against each other... I was trapped inside myself..." she pressed her fingers to her eyes, not looking at him.
"I don't know what to do."
Lorna stayed quiet. It almost made her angry.
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 10, 2006 23:08:55 GMT -5
Logan took a few careful steps further, and held his hands out as if to calm her. “Just calm down, Ray, we'll figure it out.”
Damn it, this situation was getting more fucked by the day. He could imagine living with Lorna in her brain would be a lot like having multiple personalities, given how close to her own mind it must feel. If only Charley X where here, he could find a way to help her. He could...
Deja Vu.
Logan's head spun with the intensity of it as his mind raced back to her. To Jean. It wasn't exactly a situation he liked to recall, particularly with what a nightmare the situation turned out to be. And here he was again...
He swallowed, his mouth suddenly very dry.
“It's okay, Rayen, your brother can help you, he can build something, he's already said as much.”
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 10, 2006 23:40:59 GMT -5
"What if it doesn't work?" She looked up. Oh god, she just wanted to sink into his arms. But she didn't want Lorna anywhere near Logan. It made her heart beat harder and harder. Rayen swallowed, then took a deep breath.
"What if it kills Lorna?"
You almost hope it does, don't you.
I don't know Lorna.. I just want you out.
I know. I'm sorry Rayen...
Rayen looked at him, her feelings for him obvious on her face. "Thanks for coming to find me."
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 11, 2006 0:23:03 GMT -5
Unable to stand the distance any longer, he finally stepped into her space and put his arms around her. He pulled her tight, rubbing her back gently.
“I'm sure Lorna wants out as much as you want her out, Ray.” He said, pulling her back enough to look her in the eyes. “It's probably more uncomfortable for her than it is you... so we're going to do everything we can. We'll get it fixed, I swear to God. No matter what it takes.”
He meant that very literally. He was willing to search the Earth for a mutant who could help them.... another psychic, possibly, or even another electropath.
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 11, 2006 0:27:20 GMT -5
Rayen laughed softly, kissing him again.
"Thank you Logan. I don't know what I'd do without you and Bandero. I'm sorry to add to your stress and all."
She put her arms around him.
Don't speak Lorna. Don't you dare.
I'm not going to. Back off.
*I* am the one that needs to back off?
"I need an answer to this... quick." She kissed his neck, suddenly badly needing the physical contact.
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 11, 2006 0:46:41 GMT -5
He grinned, the kiss on his neck sending a shiver down his spine. It made him tighten his grip a bit more, and move his face along her until their lips brushed together. He kissed her gently.
“Babe, don't you worry about my stress level.” he chuckled. “Hell, I've got nothin' on my plate compared to what you're going through.”
He pulled his body away from hers, though kept his hand held tightly over hers.
“We're going to get on this today, actually. How'd Forge's leg thing work out? Think he's up to get started on something to help you out?”
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 11, 2006 0:52:48 GMT -5
She shook her head. "I don't think..." she reluctantly pulled herself away from him, rubbing the back of her neck.
"I don't think it's safe." I don't trust myself.
Or is it just that you don't trust me.
Yeah, that'd be most of it.
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 11, 2006 21:29:52 GMT -5
“Are you worried about your power surging?” He asked, an eyebrow raised. “I can't imagine that Lorna would want to risk her life for some kind of mutany all of a sudden, and I'm sure Forge can build some sort of lightning Rod as back up – something that'd suck in any electrical backlash?”
He tilted her head up, his hand on her chin. “Hey, anything's better than not tryin', right?”
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 11, 2006 21:44:41 GMT -5
"Yeah. People staying alive." She made a face, when she'd much rather have kissed him. He really had no idea how strongly she was beginning to feel for him.
"I almost killed Bandero when I was five. I actually managed to kill a dozen friends of mine when I was sixteen. And here, I killed Bandero again, and if Josh hadn't been there, he wouldn't have come back."
Tears spilled down her face. "I'm sorry if I'm not up to shrugging it off just now. I really don't think it's safe for me to go back."
"This is why I stayed away so long in the first place."
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 11, 2006 23:41:50 GMT -5
A wave of sympathy, nostalgia, and that sense of deja vu hit Logan. Seeing Rayen so hurt really stung him, and his first reaction was to embrace her. But he couldn't do that every time, constantly trying to hug her problems away. Additionally he couldn't just try to get her to shrug away what was affecting her either, no matter how much of a 'get it done' attitude he threw at her.
There was a part of him that felt as if he'd been here before. The woman he ... what, loved?... being taken over by a possibly malevolent force, being a danger to those around her, crying over someone she loved being killed by her. It was all too familiar, yet different. Not different enough to keep Logan from wanting to drink the memories away, however.
Besides, it was familiar in another way.
“Trust me, Ray, if there's anyone here who can relate to that, it's me. My first night here at Xavier's, I killed a girl. If not for mutant power intervention, she wouldn't have come back either.” The faded look of memory dulled his eyes for a moment, then he brought them back to the present.
“I'm an animal. I was a raised killer, trained a killer, and lived a killer...” Or so he could assume from Stryker's words. “I definitely know what it's like to feel you're a danger to the people around you. That you can't be close to anyone without...” He let the words trail off.
“It may be dangerous for us to help you, but don't you think you should give us the chance to decide for ourselves if we want to?”
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 12, 2006 0:40:45 GMT -5
Rayen nodded, wiping her tears.
"Yeah. You're right. But... I have to do this on my own terms. I'm not coming in the building until I know Lorna and I aren't going to hurt anyone else."
She looked up at him, the sort of stubborn determination he knew all too well on her much younger eyes. "I'll just have someone nab me a tent or something and chill out here." She kissed his cheek. "I'll be fine."
In the WOODS, Rayen? You realize that's where I was killed.
Forgive me Lorna, but you're not exactly blood. Trust me on this; no one's going to be sneaking up on me out here.
"Then maybe we can have a talk about it out here. One thing though."
She smirked, lightening up just a bit now that she'd thought up her solution. "Get my cigarettes?"
|
|
|
|
Post by logan on Oct 12, 2006 0:46:52 GMT -5
Logan stared at her for a long minute, considering carefully just how set she was to staying out here in the woods. Eventually it sunk in, and he shook his head, a small smile on his face.
"You sure are one stubborn broad, you know that?" He said. "Yeah, I'll go get your smokes. You ever consider cigars? I got an awesome case Charley gave me - real quality stuff. I'll bring em' out if we're going to be camping out here."
He looked back at the mansion.
"Xavier thought of everything, ya know, there's enough survival gear on that big ass helo we have in the hangar to last for weeks. I can get a tent."
|
|
|
|
Post by conduit on Oct 12, 2006 0:50:38 GMT -5
Rayen nodded and, as he headed back towards the mansion, she smiled to herself. She should likely have been taken aback that he was insisting- without really insisting- that he stay out there with her, but really she was pleased as hell.
Not only was she not going to have to face the night alone with Lorna(she loved being outdoors alone, but not with the formerly green haired electromagnet living inside her), but it felt good to have Logan be... a little protective.
She just wondered how Bandero was going to take it.
|
|
