knock on wood | howlett

xv. him

wolves without teeth by of monsters and men

"let me stand guard."

"you're involved."

"she'll trust me."

"she's not a human anymore," xavier hissed. "she's not normal."

"like we are?" logan paced in front of xavier's desk. xavier's eyes stopped following. he folded his hands in his lap.

"she's not like us. she's not a normal mutant. she's dangerous and she could jeopardize both your and her safety. she could hurt the kids... she's not the beck you knew."

logan stopped pacing and gathered his words carefully: "she needs help, and we need her to let us help her. she's not going to cooperate unless i'm involved. she doesn't trust any of us other than me."

xavier looked logan up and down.

"fine. go to her, but if you try to pull anything i'll have you quarantined too."

"understood. thank you, xavier." logan took his leave.

logan hurried down the way she'd been dragged. he got in the elevator and traveled down its shaft. he reached the bottom floor and the doors opened.

ten feet in front of him laid a glass wall. she sat inside, cross legged on the floor. she watched him, but didn't see him. two guards guarded the door to the elevator. he stepped out and into their view.

"state your name and purpose," one said.

"logan howlett; xavier assigned me in your place, gentlemen."

"yes sir." they left.

logan stood in front of the glass. "beck? can you hear me?"

"yeah. i can't see you, though. it's one way glass." she straightened up, tucking her hands in her lap. "you don't sound the same."

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"you don't trust me, do you?" her face was a blank canvas. he studied it freely, he sat on a stray chair.

"i can't trust you; you've been with them," he uttered. she frowned, her eyes frowned.

"yes, you can." she stood. "you know me, james." she looked up at the skylight. her ceiling was entirely glass, showing her the sky through patches of ivy. her cell was the only part of this bottom floor that wasn't under the mansion.

"it's logan, now." she turned back toward his voice. "and i can't; you're not normal."

"i'm like you."

"exactly."

she nodded quietly. she laid on the floor and watched the skylight. occasionally, a child's shadow played on the glass as they ran by.

"so what exactly's wrong with me? the guards never said; they just dragged me away."

"your brainwaves are astronomical. they're abnormal for xavier, that's how abnormal they are."

"weird."

"what?"

"you can say 'weird', logan. the waves are weird. i'm weird. i'm quarantined for God's sake."

•••

day after day, for the next week, they spent their days like this. they ate twice a day together. they parted at night and the two guards took his place while he slept.

she was allowed coffee in the morning and they drank it in silence together. alone in each other's company.

one day was different, though, xavier received the thermograph results. logan was called into his office.

they sat alone. xavier's face was grave.

"what is it?" logan had to ask. he couldn't wait any longer.

"her net body temperature is 80 degrees fahrenheit. she's 18 degrees below the average human's."

logan sat back. "is it from the cryo-freeze?"

"i'm assuming, but she shouldn't be alive at this temperature."

"there're a lot of odds she's defying."

xavier dialed a number on his landline. he put the phone to his ear: "i need a sample of her blood. now." he hung up.

within minutes, he got a call. he was quiet, his brows furrowed, and he said a quick, "i'll be right there."

logan stood. xavier hung up.

"what's happening?"

"the needle," xavier rolled away, "it broke when they tried to inject it into her skin. she's indestructible."