Chance Encounter - Wolverine/X-Men Fanfic

Chapter 17: You just need an ass kickin'. It'll set your head straight

Logan woke with a start, sweat rolling off him in sheets. Max moaned softly beside him, but didn't wake up.

What the hell?

It felt like they'd gotten to bed just minutes ago. Perhaps they had. Logan sat up, tossing the covers off and swinging his feet to the floor. Something chittered at the edge of his conscious thoughts – closer now than usual. It set his teeth on edge. He knew he wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Usually when he slept next to Max he was able to make it through a somewhat uneventful night of sleep. What was different this time? His captivity this time around seemed pretty run of the mill, from what he could remember.

Well – except for them blowing his chest cavity open this time; and he'd only felt the edges of pain due to the drugs they'd kept pumped into him. He could only imagine how astronomical the facility medical bill for narcotic supplies had been. It took an impressive amount to keep him doped effectively for any length of time. Logan ran a hand over his face and slowly stood up. He needed to find something to do to bleed the agitation off. Something was irritating the shit out of him, and it was compounded by the fact that he had a vague idea of what it actually was.

He pulled on a pair of jeans and a white tanktop and quietly headed downstairs.

As he walked through the sitting room, he spotted a figure sitting in a corner chair in the low light. Logan scented the air, recognizing Scott before he saw the outline of the kid's odd glasses. He was looking outside.

"Figured you'd be long asleep by now." Logan murmured, walking over to him.

Scott looked over and replied, "I seem to be having problems sleeping lately."

"That why you were up when we got in?" Logan asked, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

"Yeah." Scott's reply was quiet, almost a whisper.

The boy was brooding about something – something heavy.

"You still in the complex?" Logan tapped the side of his own head gently, wondering how much action the kid had seen before that.

Scott's expression was pinched as he smiled tightly.

"I can't seem to leave it. I can't stop seeing what they did to you."

Logan slid his hands in his pockets, his tone soft.

"You ever seen anythin' that rough before?"

Scott let out a halfhearted laugh.

"I've seen a lot of nasty shit in my time, Logan – but that.."

Now that surprised him. Logan found himself re-evaluating his opinion of Scott somewhat, hearing the truth behind his words. It made him wonder what the boy had gone through.

"How do you do it?" Scott asked, bewildered.

Logan thought about it for a moment, then rumbled, "How'd you get through – when the shit got thick for you?"

It was difficult to read the boy's expression without being able to see his eyes, but Logan could feel his scent shift, becoming bitter and acrid.

"I just did. No other way through it."

Scott's words were clipped, as if the memory – whatever it was, was still strong enough to bite.

Logan nodded and replied, "Same here."

Scott took a breath, then seemed to shut himself back down into that distant calculating persona that he always wore.

"Fair enough."