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Title: The New Mutants II, Volume XV: Run To The Hills
Author: kanedax
Fandom: X-Men & Spider-Man Movieverses, plus other Marvel characters
Spoilers: X3; Spidey 2 & the trailer for 3; New Mutants I & II (see above)
Rating: PG-13 for language
Summary: Logan and the Parkers arrive at the Academy, and things are quiet. Too quiet.
Notes: I don’t own the X-Men, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Comics, or Iron Maiden.
Run to the hills
Run for your life!!!
Previous Chapter (Weapon X) / Next Chapter (Secret Lair)
“Do you see anyone following us?” Peter Parker asked tensely from the passenger seat. “Hear anything flying overhead?”
“No, I don’t,” Logan said as they drove the streets of Salem Center, New York, the streetlights turning on as the sky darkened to night. “Why? Feeling something?”
“My Spider-Sense isn’t exactly tingling,” replied Parker. “But it’s definitely breathing hard.”
As they drove down Graymalkin Lane, Logan’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t like this,” he said.
“What is it?” Mary Jane asked from the back seat. May Parker lay next to her, sleeping soundly with her stuffed penguin wrapped in her arms.
“The lights,” said Logan. “I should be seeing them by now.”
“Maybe they didn’t turn them on yet,” MJ countered. “The sun’s only been down for maybe an hour.”
“They’re automatic,” said Logan. “Forge is lazy that way.”
“What is this place, anyway?” asked Peter. “You still haven’t told us.”
“Xavier Academy,” Logan answered. “For Gifted Youngsters.”
“Well, you did mention that back at the house, yeah,” Parker said. “So, what, are you a teacher here?”
“You could say that,” he said as he pulled into the driveway. As they turned the corner, they discovered the mansion was completely dark. Not a porch light or desk lamp was seen anywhere.
“It’s a school,” MJ said. “Shouldn’t there be a janitorial staff, or something? I mean, if class is done for the day...”
“Not exactly that kind of school,” Logan said quietly as they stopped the car a good distance from the building. “It’s a school for mutants. They live here. At least, they should be.”
“Looking kinda quiet,” Parker said. “Well, it’s Saturday night, maybe they all went out partying?”
Logan took the keys out of the car. “I’m going up,” he said. “But I’m not leaving you all out here, in case something bad’s happening.”
“Spidey-Sense is still caught in idle,” Parker said as Logan stepped out of the vehicle. “Nothing too dangerous. Yet.”
Logan sniffed the air. “I’m not smelling anyone strange…”
“Wait, you can smell, too?” Parker said as he stood next to the car, Mary Jane carrying May as she stepped out. “Super human healing, cool claw things, and Super Smell. Wacky.”
“Not too great after you’ve been in a car with three people for nine hours,” Logan responded. “Mary, get behind me. If you want to wake up May, make sure she stays quiet. Parker, get behind them.”
“That’s Mary Jane,” she replied, but slipped up close behind Logan, anyway.
“Whatever, just say back,” he said, brandishing his claws. Slowly, the four walked through the dark up towards the front door. Logan heard a soft, barely noticeable whirring from the roof, and stopped in his tracks.
“What is it?” Parker asked as Mary Jane bumped into Logan. May stirred in her arms, and moaned as she dimly woke up.
“Mommy?” she whined.
“It’s okay, honey,” MJ replied. “Just stay quiet for Mommy, okay?”
“Okay,” May replied in a forced whisper.
“It’s just a security camera,” Logan replied. Hearing it reminded him of what was potentially out here, and he turned to MJ. “Stay closer,” he said. “And don’t stray from behind me.”
“Do you think something’s going to happen?”
Yeah, lasers, he thought, but responded: “Just playing it safe.”
“If she were any closer she’d be in front of ya,” Parker said jokingly. Logan turned and gave him a look in the dark, and Parker wilted. “Sorry. Marx Brothers.”
“I know,” Logan said, and turned back to the door. The group fell silent as they crossed the yard.
“Mr. Logan?” a loud voice said in the dark.
“Hoobajooba!” Peter yelled, and flung two streams of webbing into the dark towards the source of the voice.
Logan recognized the voice instantly. “Jones? Where are you?”
“Right here,” Jones responded. A small red light turned on next to the front door. It was slightly masked by the white coating of web, but Logan saw that it was coming from the front door’s intercom system. “Good to see ya.”
“How are you seeing me?” asked Logan. He was answered by a rhythmic whirring above his head. He looked up to see the red light of a security cam blinking on and off. “Why did I even ask?” he grunted to himself.
“Who’s Silly String guy?” Jones asked.
“I’ll clean up the mess,” Peter said sheepishly. “I got jittery.”
“Long story,” replied Logan. “What’s with the blind man act? Where is everyone?”
“Long story,” Jones repeated. “But I can’t talk for long, time’s running short.”
“What are you talking about?” Logan asked.
“Stark gave us twenty-four hours,” explained Jones. “Dr. McTaggert thinks it might be less than that. Either way, Professor Munroe wanted us out so we can have more time to regroup, to try to clear things up without anyone getting hurt. And that includes you and the Brady Bunch back there.”
Logan’s brow furrowed in confusion. Stark? Twenty-four hours? “I’m gonna need a little more info here, kid,” he said, and then heard a gasp behind him. He turned to see Peter slowly backing away.
“Parker?” he asked. “What?”
“Tony Stark,” Parker breathed. “He was on TV last night, giving a warning to… Jesus Christ, you took us to the fucking X-Men?”
“Daddy said a swear!” May gasped.
“I didn’t mention that?” Logan said. “Yeah, I’m an X-Man. This is our base. What?”
“Jesus Christ, we’re trying to run away from the government, and you took us to the one place that’s going to be swarming with them!”
“Honey, what are you talking about?” MJ asked, panic slowly creeping into her voice as her husband became more and more hysterical.
“You didn’t watch the news last night,” Parker said.
“No, I was asleep, remember?”
“The X-Men are wanted in the Radio City attack,” Parker yelled. “Stark said he’s sending the Defenders or S.H.I.E.L.D. or some-fucking-one to capture them if they don’t turn themselves in and we are standing on ground zero!”
“Well, we’re being framed more than anything,” Jones answered, “But that’s the gist of it, yeah.”
“Wait, slow down,” Logan said, raising his hands in confusion. In response, Peter Parker ran up and grabbed his collar, slamming him into the wall.
“You dragged my family to this deathtrap!” he screamed. “You got us tangled up in your issues, and now the Weapon X project doesn’t need an excuse to kill us, because they have one! We assaulted two agents, and now we’re tied to a group wanted for the murder of a dozen people!”
Logan slipped his hands up to Peter’s chest and shoved him back just far enough to throw his unclawed fist into Parker’s jaw. MJ screamed as Peter fell to the ground.
“Yeah, you’re here,” Logan said. “Can’t change that.”
“We can turn ourselves in,” Peter said. “Tell them that you coerced us into following you. Threatened us. Maybe they’ll just let us go back to Kingstown.”
“Do you really believe that’ll happen?” Logan growled.
“Dammit,” Parker growled from the floor.
“As much fun as it is to watch, you guys don’t have a lot of time for punching right now,” said Jones. “He made the announcement at about 10, so you’re looking at two hours, tops, if they’re being honest. Less if they’re not.”
Logan looked down at Parker, who stared back in anger.
“Peter,” MJ said. “The suit’s not you anymore. Don’t turn into him again.”
Having no idea what MJ was talking about, Logan followed his own train of thought. He pulled the keys from his pocket and handed them to Mary Jane. “I’ll leave it up to you,” he told her. “I want to help, we want to help. If you want to follow us, stay here. If you think leaving will help, then take your husband and the car, and get out of here.”
“What about you?” MJ asked.
“I can handle myself,” he replied. “This isn’t your fight. Your husband got you into this mess, and I pushed you and May deeper than he wanted you to go. Follow me, and we’ll do our best to make sure you’re safe.”
MJ looked down at her husband, then back into Logan’s eyes. She nodded, took his hand, and placed the keys onto his palm.
“Good choice,” he said.
“You seem like good people,” said MJ. “Besides, strength in numbers, right?”
Parker pushed himself up from the ground. “My uncle once said that with great power comes great responsibility,” he said quietly. “I know you have a lot of power, all of you. But can you be responsible? Can you keep my family safe?”
“We’ll try our best,” Logan said. “You’re along for the ride, right?”
Parker sighed. “I guess if we were in too deep my Spider-Sense would be playing a Metallica concert in my head right now. I’m gonna head to the roof, make sure we don’t have any company on the way.”
“I think the doors might be locked,” Logan said as Peter threw a line of webbing up to the chimney and flew into the air. “Or you can do that.”
“Don’t worry about him,” MJ said, smiling despite herself. “He used to love to swing around the city. I think he misses it. Looking for any excuse to get airborne again.”
“Logan,” Jones said anxiously, “Seriously, you should…”
“I’m here,” Logan said. “Where are we going?”
“I uploaded directions into the car,” Jones said. “Copy them down as soon as you get there, then delete them. If someone catches you between here and there…”
“Eat the paper, gotcha,” Logan replied.
“Well, um, I was going to say burn it,” stammered Jones, “But, hey, whatever greases your trombone…”
“What’s the destination?” said Logan.
“Can’t tell ya,” Jones said shortly.
“Afraid someone’s listening in on the conversation?”
“Oh, hell no,” Jones laughed. “Forge and I are switching frequencies every second, there’s no way they’re catching what we’re saying, or where we’re broadcasting. No, if I told you where we were, you’d get mad.”
“Logan,” Parker said from the roof, “I’m seeing a chopper in the distance. Heading this way.”
“How you feeling?”
“Starting to tingle a bit.”
“Okay, we’re out of here,” Logan said. “Thanks, Glitch.”
“Catch ya on the flip side, Wolverine,” Jones said as the intercom light blinked out.
Peter Parker jumped from the roof, landing effortlessly on the ground in front of the three. May giggled and clapped her hands as Peter bowed deeply.
“No more theatrics,” Logan said, grabbing MJ by the arm and dragging her back to the car. “We’re leaving now.”
As the four piled into the car, Logan began to hear the faint thudding of helicopter blades. He started the engine, floored the accelerator. Parker studiously copied the directions from the navigation system onto a McDonald’s napkin, and then shut it off.
“Shouldn’t you have the headlights on?” MJ asked from the back.
Logan smiled, his eyesight extra sensitive in the darkness. “Don’t need them,” he responded as the helicopter and SWAT vehicles arrived at Xavier Academy, unmindful of the dark, silent vehicle driving away in the night.
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