Building a Team ((RP for summers_grey))

[bestdamnxman]

Hockey is going well. Started out a bit rough what with the number of interested parties who didn't know a Puck from a Mustard Seed (Logan, as may surprise many, is well read) but once everyone got past that first awkwardness and Little Miss Organisation let them all get back to playing

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[summers_grey]

It was a good thing, this hockey team. It was the kind of normal life thing that Rachel was struggling to have these days. Time with friends, or people who could be friends, maybe. If they all kept trying

[bestdamnxman]

"Hn." Logan gave her a smile as he considered an answer. "Key to hockey is anticipation. Gotta know what she's gonna do before she does it. Keep paying attention."

This advice works for more than just hockey of course.

"Really glad you're doing this, Ray. Good to see you back here and involved." He looked out over the grounds. For a moment he pictured things the way they were when Rogue and Rachel and the rest of his misfits lived here. And Jean was gone.

"So. What are you up to?"

[summers_grey]

"I got a car . . . " Rachel looked away, tugging nervously at her hair. It was getting long in the back. "And, classes are going good, college? And SHIELD is making me and Nathaniel go to counseling because they think he might kidnap me and run away to work on evil genetics projects."

Rachel shot a look at Logan, wondering how he would take that. "He won't, obviously. I mean. He won't." She hopped up, feeling like maybe she was saying the wrong things to be reassuring. "I mean, they should be more worried that he'll corrupt me and make me go find his victims or something, but that seems to have escaped their notice as a possibility." Rachel laughed, then stopped abruptly.

That was definitely the wrong thing to say.

[bestdamnxman]

Logan had less to say about the Sinister relationship than most. Didn't exactly sit well with him but in the grand scheme of things it seemed relatively harmless. Why he's surrounded by women with awful taste in men he does not know, but, hey, there's only one of him after all. What's a girl to do?

But, she'd given him the perfect opening.

"I can think of better things for you to do with your abilities."

[summers_grey]

"Better than college?" Rachel looked at him askance. "A lot of your plans end up with me in a sewer or something. I'm not looking for that, so much."

[bestdamnxman]

Logan almost laughed at that. He gave her his best "Hey, it's me." look and explained:

"In addition to college."

He lowered his voice and heightened his intensity.

"I'm putting together a new team. Unaffiliated. An' missions might be bit more covert and preemptive than you recall from our X-days. Talkin' to people I trust - who ain't gonna be pastin' the X or the A on their jersey anytime soon. You, Beaubier, Ramsey, Cassidy, Wanda, Rogue...."

He shrugged.

"Can't promise no sewers."

[summers_grey]

"You've been in contact with Anna?" Rachel looked around. She concentrated for a moment to make sure no one was telepathically eavesdropping. When she looked back at Logan, everything had the odd, orange-tinged light that meant her eyes were glowing. Rachel didn't bother to hide it. "And she agreed to this?"

Rachel watched Logan carefully. "They actually agreed, or you're spinning them the same pitch you're giving me? Naming who you meant to ask, not who's really a part of this." She looked down. " . . . How's Anna?"

[bestdamnxman]

Logan appeared to ignore the energy she was exuding but he was primed to react as necessary. Had enough experience with the Phoenix to always be prepared.

"Physically okay, mentally stressed and emotionally troubled," he answered honestly. "But she's Rogue. She'll be ok."

He looked over toward Jean-Paul, laughing with Terry and Peter.

"Early stages, Ray. I've spoken to most of 'em and got tentative acceptance. Yes, even from...Anna." Logan never used the name, but he understood it helped Rachel to see her that way. "She has an agenda at the moment but I think her current situation is not what she intended it to be when she signed up with Magneto. Haven't spoken to Little Miss Maximoff." Only person who really gave Logan the willies. Well, besides Jean. "But I expect she'll just fall in line."

He shrugged again. "And had a couple nos - Peter. Lorna. Point bein' I ain't gonna force you or no one. But offers on the table."

[summers_grey]

Rachel watched the others for a long moment. "I've left every team I've been on, sort of disastrously," she said. Her voice was perfectly calm. "Once, because you killed me." Rachel realized she was holding her stomach where the stab wounds had been, and moved her hands away quickly. "I don't have any reason to think this would end differently, if you still don't trust me."

She looked at Logan, biting at her lip. "Do you trust me, maybe?"