I've lost track of the days. How long I've been down here, I have no idea. Two days? Three? A week? More? After a while, it stops mattering. I've spent the last however many hours drifting between sleep and waking, numbness and pain. The only thing that distracts me from the pointless passing of time are Lindsey's visits. And those aren't exactly... fun
( ... )
I'm outside the door of the room when Rogue is being held. I know she's there. And I can't get in. The door is thick steel, and there's a keypad lock.
There is also a terrified security guard lying on the floor. I pull him to his feet, and then hold him against the wall with my claws.
"Tell me the code," I say, quite calmly, my claws sinking into the plasterwork.
***
I walk into the room. Marie is chained up to a wall. She looks barely conscious. Anger pulses in my head again and I have to take a deep breath so I don't hit the wall. I don't want to scare her. She looks like she's been having a rough time of it.
I crouch down in front of her.
"Hey, kid," I say gently, looking up at her pale face. "It's Logan."
The door bursts open but I don't have the energy to look up. Don't have the energy or don't want to bother trying. In the end, it's all the same. It's probably someone coming to secure me, or Lindsey back to-
Rogue speaks, and her voice is hoarse. Shit, what have these fuckers being doing to her? I half wish Lindsey wasn't dead, just so I could rip the bastard a new one myself.
"I'll start expecting it or something." "Yeah, well, that's alright with me, kid," I say. I reach up to touch her cheek, and then remember I can't. It's goddamn ridiculous that I can't even touch her in a situation like this. Poor kid. I squeeze her t-shirt clad shoulder instead. Not so much of a comfort, I don't think, but it's something
( ... )
As Logan cuts me out of the restraints, I fall forward. My legs don't support my weight. In fact, my whole body doesn't want to cooperate. I've hardly eaten, since Lindsey has given me what was necessary to keep me alive, and I've been locked in the same position for days. My muscles are practically numb. And something hurts, deep inside.
I cough, and a bubble of blood forms on my lips, then pops.
I wipe at it, hoping that Logan won't notice. But I'm sure he did. He has an eye for these things.
He eases me into the chair and I just slump over, weak with both hunger and relief. My whole body aches, and I just want to sleep for days. But we're not out of it yet. We're not safe. I concentrate on getting feeling back in my limbs, rubbing at my wrists where they're raw from the restraints. I'm slowly gaining control over my body... but not fast enough.
I look at Marie, and wonder. Shit. She's in a really bad state. I think I'm going to have to take a calculated risk.
"In about ten seconds, I want you to give me a shove, ok, kid?" I say. "Don't want you taking everything." Then I kneel down in front of her and put the palm of my hand against her cheek.
Nothing happens at first, and then I feel a weird sensation. Something hot and cold, and I feel weak. Not the first time it's happened to me - I've lent my healing abilities to Rogue twice before now - but it's still unpleasant. My vision starts to go a little grey, but I can't move my hand.
Then I feel her push my chest and I fall backwards, coughing. I feel dizzy, but not incapacitated. Good. And Rogue -
"That's better, kid," I say gruffly. "You looked like shit before." Her cheeks are back to their normal colour, and the raw patches at her wrists are gone. I stand up slowly.
"Guess we'd better get out of here," I say. "An' since if I stop bullets this time, I stop, I think we should be careful about it." I
( ... )
I should've seen it coming, but I'm too exhausted and weak to think straight, and I don't. So I jump a little when Logan's hand brushes my cheek, unused to physical contact. How sad is that? Someone touches me and I freak out
( ... )
"Yeah," I grunt, rubbing at my chest slightly. "This time you weren't pretty much dead, so it's easier." I breath in and out hard through my nose. "Right
( ... )
"Yeah." I smile weakly. "This time." It's unfair that there's a 'this time', and there's a last time, and there will probably be a next time. Lindsey had no idea what he was talking about. The power. I never wanted it. I never wanted any of this
( ... )
Rogue moves aside to make room for me, and it strikes me suddenly that she's not wearing very much. I hadn't really noticed before, with all the rage I had going on. I guess those must be her pyjamas. They certainly give me a good look at her legs.
Ok, Logan, perving over a teenager is not what we need right now.
"Do you know which way is out? I came in here blindfolded.""No," I say. "But I'll figure something out." My sense of direction has always been good
( ... )
Crawling around in dark tubes isn't really my idea of a good time, but it beats the alternative, still being locked up in that room with nothing to look forward to except more pointless violence. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic. And Logan's here. I just know everything's gonna be fine when he's here. His presence relaxes me
( ... )
"Cheeseburger sounds good," I observe. "You're buying, seeing how I just saved your ass." I wink at her, and move towards the elevator.
The door rumbles open and we slide in. It's one of those big cage deals, used for transporting goods. Whatever the hell sort of goods Wolfram and Hart use, that is. There are dark, sticky things on the wall. Nice.
At last the elevator shudders to a halt.
"Please enter your access code to exit," I says a pleasant female voice. I look at the blinking control panel. "Failure to comply will result in summary execution."
"They couldn't have told us before we got in?" I asked, gritting my teeth. I punch some random numbers into the panel, which flashes red. Shit. After a few minutes of this, a low green gas starts filling the bottom of the elevator
( ... )
I'm so relieved at being so close to freedom that I feel like I can joke about it now, what happened over the past however many days, even though it's probably not in the best of taste.
"I get kidnapped and I have to pay?" I raise my eyebrows but laugh. No amount of money is worth freedom and safety. I'd give it all up if I had to.
Stifling panic as we come dangerously close to dying in the elevator, I stay close to Logan's side as we walk into the parking lot. I nod at his choice of car - generic, unnoticeable, easy to miss, perfect - and slide into the seat. I think we're both remembering the same thing as I pull the seatbelt over my shoulder, then reach out to crank up the heat.
"You think this is fun, don't you?" I look over at him, just like I'm used to seeing him, with the cigar in his mouth and a grin. Although I think it's a nice change of pace, personally. If it wasn't so dangerous. But to Logan, it's the best part, and I sort of understand that.
"You think this is fun, don't you?"If someone else had said that, it would have been in a disapproving tone, or at least in a patronising one. But with Rogue, she just accepts how I am, and is kind of amused by it. I grin wider at her
( ... )
I wrap my arms around my knees and duck as we crash through the gates. There's a loud screech of metal on metal and I grit my teeth, the sound making my head practically vibrate. I dig my hands into my hair, squeeze my eyes closed even though I can't see anything anyway and hold my breath
( ... )
"Your place," says Rogue quickly, and there's something in the tone of her voice that makes my gut clench. Shit, I think. I am way too old to have a crush on an eighteen year old girl. Too old and too messed up. I breathe out hard through my nose and drive the van through the streets, more slowly now we're out of immediate danger
( ... )
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There is also a terrified security guard lying on the floor. I pull him to his feet, and then hold him against the wall with my claws.
"Tell me the code," I say, quite calmly, my claws sinking into the plasterwork.
***
I walk into the room. Marie is chained up to a wall. She looks barely conscious. Anger pulses in my head again and I have to take a deep breath so I don't hit the wall. I don't want to scare her. She looks like she's been having a rough time of it.
I crouch down in front of her.
"Hey, kid," I say gently, looking up at her pale face. "It's Logan."
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Hey, kid."What ( ... )
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"I'll start expecting it or something." "Yeah, well, that's alright with me, kid," I say. I reach up to touch her cheek, and then remember I can't. It's goddamn ridiculous that I can't even touch her in a situation like this. Poor kid. I squeeze her t-shirt clad shoulder instead. Not so much of a comfort, I don't think, but it's something ( ... )
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I cough, and a bubble of blood forms on my lips, then pops.
I wipe at it, hoping that Logan won't notice. But I'm sure he did. He has an eye for these things.
He eases me into the chair and I just slump over, weak with both hunger and relief. My whole body aches, and I just want to sleep for days. But we're not out of it yet. We're not safe. I concentrate on getting feeling back in my limbs, rubbing at my wrists where they're raw from the restraints. I'm slowly gaining control over my body... but not fast enough.
"I don't think I can run."
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"In about ten seconds, I want you to give me a shove, ok, kid?" I say. "Don't want you taking everything." Then I kneel down in front of her and put the palm of my hand against her cheek.
Nothing happens at first, and then I feel a weird sensation. Something hot and cold, and I feel weak. Not the first time it's happened to me - I've lent my healing abilities to Rogue twice before now - but it's still unpleasant. My vision starts to go a little grey, but I can't move my hand.
Then I feel her push my chest and I fall backwards, coughing. I feel dizzy, but not incapacitated. Good. And Rogue -
"That's better, kid," I say gruffly. "You looked like shit before." Her cheeks are back to their normal colour, and the raw patches at her wrists are gone. I stand up slowly.
"Guess we'd better get out of here," I say. "An' since if I stop bullets this time, I stop, I think we should be careful about it." I ( ... )
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Ok, Logan, perving over a teenager is not what we need right now.
"Do you know which way is out? I came in here blindfolded.""No," I say. "But I'll figure something out." My sense of direction has always been good ( ... )
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The door rumbles open and we slide in. It's one of those big cage deals, used for transporting goods. Whatever the hell sort of goods Wolfram and Hart use, that is. There are dark, sticky things on the wall. Nice.
At last the elevator shudders to a halt.
"Please enter your access code to exit," I says a pleasant female voice. I look at the blinking control panel. "Failure to comply will result in summary execution."
"They couldn't have told us before we got in?" I asked, gritting my teeth. I punch some random numbers into the panel, which flashes red. Shit. After a few minutes of this, a low green gas starts filling the bottom of the elevator ( ... )
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"I get kidnapped and I have to pay?" I raise my eyebrows but laugh. No amount of money is worth freedom and safety. I'd give it all up if I had to.
Stifling panic as we come dangerously close to dying in the elevator, I stay close to Logan's side as we walk into the parking lot. I nod at his choice of car - generic, unnoticeable, easy to miss, perfect - and slide into the seat. I think we're both remembering the same thing as I pull the seatbelt over my shoulder, then reach out to crank up the heat.
"You think this is fun, don't you?" I look over at him, just like I'm used to seeing him, with the cigar in his mouth and a grin. Although I think it's a nice change of pace, personally. If it wasn't so dangerous. But to Logan, it's the best part, and I sort of understand that.
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