Sins of the Father

Chapter 12: What's Best Forgotten Is Never Forgotten

When the blackbird touched down in Westchester, Logan had been sure to walk Kamala through what needed to be done to switch the whole plane down, and she was positively beaming.

"Nice job," Logan said when they were done with their checklist. "'Nother seven or eight times, and Scott might let you try the simulator."

She had to grin at that. "I think you have it backwards," she pointed out.

"I believe in learning as you go, on the spot — he doesn't always agree," Logan told her before he leaned closer. "You officially didn't do this. But you did a fine job for your first time not flying the blackbird."

She beamed at him and threw her arms around him for a quick hug. "Thanks for letting me try this. That was really cool."

"You're welcome," he said with a little smirk as he returned her hug. "Gotta give you some reason to come back that isn't related to a book deal. Seein' as I heard you were a superhero on the side."

"Oh, you know. I dabble." Kamala grinned at him and then down at her little lightning-bolt uniform. She climbed out of the cockpit and looked back at the group, who were in varying stages of either still asleep or starting to wake up now that they'd landed. Even Scott was starting to stir the slightest bit, for the first time since they'd left Sinister's hideout.

"Hey Slim. Miss Marvel here would like to learn how to fly — any thoughts?" Logan asked, totally straight-faced.

"Sims Monday," was the reply before Scott had even opened his eyes.

Logan smirked Kamala's way. "Lucky you."

"Are you gonna get in trouble if he figures out that I know how to fly it already?" she whispered to him with wide eyes.

Logan just laughed at her. "Let's just say you're not the first. He'll get over it as he makes you do it his way anyhow."

"Yeah, but I'm the first when he's got the stink-eye going on," Kamala pointed out with a little laugh.

"He's always had the stink-eye going on," Logan promised as he headed over to check on K, frowning when he saw that there had been no progress at all.

"He just used to be able to hide it better," Rachel added in a little whisper as Kamala stopped next to her, frowning at Logan's suddenly tensed stance.

"Nah," Logan assured the two girls quietly as he gently picked K up in a bridal carry. "He was just easier for you to ignore when he was wearing the stupid sunglasses." He headed toward the open door before he paused. "Have Hank come up when he's done with checking everyone over. And try to keep outta trouble for the next few hours, alright?" He gave Kamala a little wink before he climbed down the steps and crossed the hangar, bent on heading to the room the two of them were sharing, pausing only to give Hank a heads up on how bad off the rest of the passengers on board were.

Of course, with the two ferals, it was a matter of time, sleep, and food for their healing — but for just about everyone else in the jet, there was no way they could get past a screening by Hank before they went into the mansion proper. And he was waiting for them in the hangar and watching them over the rim of his glasses. Rachel grabbed Kamala by the hand and offered to find her a place to stay the night as she pulled her toward the elevators — but everyone else? He was not about to let them leave.

A few of the other X-Men who hadn't been snatched and who had remained behind to be sure that Creed didn't try to take the opportunity to escape with so many of their number out of the game helped unload their teammates — and of course, when the bamfs saw their big brother, it was more of a mobbing than anything else. They had clearly been worried about Kurt — and several of them were making concerned noises over Kate as well, especially since both of them were still coming off of whatever drugs Sinister had given them. One of the little guys had even found a purple headband to replace the one that Kate had lost somewhere along the way, so that she wouldn't go without, and another was preempting Hank and checking Kurt's now-less-glossy eyes.