Claws and Heartstrings: Logan Howlett | Wolverine ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི

Chapter Seven

—Lalia

I sat in the Professor's office, the events of last night still fresh in my mind. The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the machinery. Simon stood by the window, his arms crossed and his expression tense. I knew he was still upset about everything that had happened.

The Professor's gaze shifted between us, a blend of worry and resolve etched in his eyes. "Lalia, Simon," he started, his tone steady yet resolute. "We need to talk about last night's events."

I nodded, a sense of dread tightening in my stomach. "I'm sorry, Professor. I should've checked the student hall; it might have prevented the incident."

He held up a hand to stop me. "It's not about blame, Lalia. What's important now is how we move forward."

Simon finally spoke up, his voice edged with frustration. "I don't see why we have to involve Logan in this. He's reckless and—"

"Simon," the Professor interrupted gently but firmly. "Logan can be a valuable member of this team, and him and Rogue share a bond. We need to work together, especially in times like these."

I glanced at Simon, seeing the conflict in his eyes. He cared deeply for me, and his concern was understandable, but the Professor was right. "We have to trust each other," I added softly.

The Professor nodded, his gaze shifting to Simon. "I urge you to find common ground with Logan. Your strength lies in unity, not division."

Simon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll try, Professor. But it's not easy."

"Nobody said it would be," the Professor replied, a hint of a smile on his lips. "But it's necessary. For all our sakes."

I reached out and placed a hand on Simon's arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get through this. Together."

He looked at me, his expression softening just a bit. "Yeah, together."

As we were about to leave the office, the door burst open with a loud crash. Storm and Logan rushed in, their faces etched with urgency and concern. I could feel the tension in the room spike instantly.

"Where did she go?" Logan demanded, his voice rough and filled with desperation.

Simon turned to face Logan, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are you talking about?"

The Professor's expression turned grave, a deep sigh escaping his lips. "Rogue. She's gone."

My heart sank, and a cold wave of worry washed over me. Rogue, missing? This was worse than I had imagined. I glanced at Simon, whose face mirrored my own concern, though his was tinged with frustration.

"How did this happen?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I felt a knot of fear tightening in my stomach.

Storm stepped forward, her usually calm demeanor now fraught with tension. "We don't know. One minute she was there, and the next she was gone. We need to find her, quickly."

Simon looked at the Professor, his eyes pleading for guidance. "What do we do now, Professor?"

The Professor's gaze was steady, his voice calm despite the chaos. "Cerebro."

— Some Time Later

The Professor led us down a long, dimly lit hall, the silence only broken by the sound of our footsteps echoing off the walls. We stopped in front of a large, imposing metal door. As we approached, a voice emanated from it, welcoming the Professor and granting us entry.

"Welcome to Cerebro," the Professor announced as we stepped inside.

Logan looked around, his eyes wide with a mix of confusion and awe. "This certainly is a big, round room," he muttered, his tone gruff as usual.

The Professor nodded, his expression serious. "The brain waves of mutants are different from average human beings. This device amplifies my power, allowing me to locate mutants across great distances. That's how I intend to find Rogue."

Logan's brow furrowed in thought. "Why don't you just use it to find Magneto?"

The Professor sighed, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "I've been trying, but he seems to have found some way to shield himself from it."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "How would he know how to do that?"

"Because he helped me build it," the Professor replied, his voice heavy with the weight of past alliances and betrayals.

We watched in silence as the Professor placed the Cerebro helmet onto his head, closing his eyes in concentration. The room seemed to hum with energy, the air thick with anticipation. Logan paced back towards us, a worried look clouding his face.

He glanced at me, hesitation in his eyes. "Have you ever—" he began, clicking his teeth towards the machine.

I finished his sentence, "Used Cerebro?" I shook my head. "No, it takes a degree of control and for someone like me, it's—"

"Dangerous," Simon interrupted, his voice tense. He looked at me with a mixture of concern and protectiveness that I had come to recognize.

Logan's eyes flicked between us, his worry deepening. "I just hope this works," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

We all stood there, the weight of the situation pressing down on us. The Professor's concentration was substantial, and all we could do was wait and hope that Cerebro would lead us to Rogue before it was too late.

The Professor emerged from the metal doors, his face etched with a mix of relief and urgency. "She's at the train station," he announced, his voice steady but tinged with concern.

Logan immediately perked up. "Where is it?" he asked, his tone gruff and impatient.

"A few miles west of here," the Professor replied, his eyes meeting Logan's with a look that spoke volumes.

Without another word, Logan turned and began to walk away from us, his determination clear in his stride. The Professor quickly called out after him, "Logan, you can't just leave the mansion. This is the opportunity Magneto needs."

Logan stopped and turned slightly, his face hard. "Listen, I'm the reason she took off," he said, his voice low but firm.

The Professor's expression hardened. "We had a deal," he reminded Logan, his tone carrying the weight of unspoken promises.

I stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension. "She's alright. She's just upset," I said, hoping to calm Logan down.

The Professor nodded, then turned to Ororo and Cyclops. "Go find her and see if you can talk to her," he instructed, his voice leaving no room for argument.

As they hurried off, I turned to face Logan, wanting to say more, but he was already gone, his figure disappearing down the hallway. I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and worry.

The Professor then turned his attention to me and Simon. "I need you both to stay here with me until we find out more information," he said, his tone softer but still authoritative.

Simon and I exchanged a glance, both of us understanding the gravity of the situation. We nodded in unison, ready to do whatever it took to help. The Professor's eyes lingered on us for a moment, as if drawing strength from our resolve, before he turned back to Cerebro, his focus shifting back to the task at hand.