Fervent Feelings

X1 Chapter 3 - Curse,

I help Jean prepare Logan for the MRI scan, though I can't help but wonder how this is going to work with his metal claws.

I carefully wipe his skin with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol, making sure to clean the surface thoroughly after detaching the sticky wires from his chest. Jean hovers over my shoulder, her eyes scanning my work, ensuring I don't miss a spot. Her and Charles tend to treat me like a protege, sometimes I find it endearing, other times stressful.

Logan's brows furrow, and his face takes on a look of regret as he breaks the silence. "I'm sorry," he mutters, his voice gruff but sincere as he looks over my shoulder at Jean.

Jean's attention shifts from my hands to his face, her brows knitting together in confusion. "For what?"

Logan lifts his right arm and points at her neck, ignoring my hands still working on his chest. "If I hurt you."

Where's my apology, prick? I think to myself, though I keep my mouth shut. I watch Jean's face, expecting her to say something more, but she only offers him a curt smile before moving away. She walks behind me to the giant computer, her fingers deftly turning knobs and dials, setting up the scan.

As I finish wrapping the cords around my hands, Logan turns his head toward me, his deep voice catching me off guard. "So, couldn't wait to get my shirt off again, huh?" He smirks, a teasing glint in his eyes.

I scoff, rolling my eyes dramatically. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm just here because I have to be," I shoot back, turning my attention to Jean, who looks equally unimpressed. With a harsh press of a button, she sends the table Logan is lying on into the MRI machine.

Our eyes widen in surprise as the computer screen lights up with each image the machine takes. "Metal?" I whisper, more to myself than Jean.

Later, I find myself sitting between Ororo and Scott as we gather around to watch Jean showcase our findings. She points to the screen where Logan's skeleton is displayed, illuminated in stark contrast.

"The metal is an alloy called adamantium. Supposedly indestructible," she explains, her voice tinged with fascination. She raises her hand and pans down the image of Logan's skeleton. "It's been surgically grafted to his entire skeleton."

Jean crosses her arms, her expression serious as she walks to the other end of the projector screen. The room is heavy with the weight of what we're seeing.

"How could he have survived a procedure like that?" Ororo hums from beside me, her voice filled with curiosity and a hint of disbelief.

Jean's eyes scan over the images again, her mind clearly working to piece together the puzzle. "His mutation. He has uncharted regenerative capability, which enables him to heal rapidly." She pauses, taking a moment to let the information sink in. "This also makes his age impossible to determine." She turns her gaze to Charles, her expression thoughtful. "He could very well be older than you, Professor."

"Who did this to him?" Scott asks, his voice cutting through the quiet tension in the room.

"He doesn't know. Nor does he remember anything about his life before it happened," I reply, shaking my head. I can hear the wonder in my own voice—this whole situation is as confusing to me as it is to everyone else.

"Experimentation on mutants..." Charles' voice is grim, a dark shadow passing over his face. "It's not unheard of." He sighs deeply, wheeling himself closer to the screens. "But I've never seen anything like this before..."

"What do you think Magneto wants with him?" Scott's question hangs in the air, the implication of it unsettling.

"I'm not entirely sure it's Logan that Magneto wants," the professor answers truthfully, his tone measured, as if weighing every possibility.