The Wilder Side

Chapter 9

Logan's Broken Promise

Jericho refused to leave her spot from the giant glass windows. Her face was pressed up against it as she waited anxiously for Logan to arrive. She didn't care much about Hank or whoever else was coming. She only wanted to see Logan. Pepper had made her a plate of eggs, fruit, and pancakes before she left to work even though Jericho insisted she could cook for herself. Jericho only ate the fruit and forgot all about the rest of her breakfast.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., are there any updates about where they are?" Jericho asked impatiently, her eyes not moving from the cars driving by on the street below them. She waited to see either Scott's old buggy or the professor's black car.

"No, Miss Kaur but I can check again," the AI said and Jericho nodded.

When F.R.I.D.A.Y. came up with the same result as before, the mutant slumped on the window with a frown. She had been there for hours.

She heard a ding from the elevator but didn't move.

"Jericho," Tony called out but she didn't nudge. She only let out a grunt as a response.

"You want to go have brunch at Reggie's or should we do take out?" Tony asked but Jericho only grunted again. The Avenger knew she was excited to see her friends again so he didn't say another word before stepping out. He decided to order take out from Reggie's so he could keep an eye on her.

Jericho glanced at her turtle, who was eating lettuce on a pillow next to her. She sighed and patted his hard shell.

"It's okay, Ringo. Logan will be here soon," she said. The turtle didn't even acknowledge his owner and continued to chew on his meal. Jericho huffed and threw her body back to lay on the floor flat. She was annoyed that Logan was taking forever to arrive. She had texted him to bring pretzels but he never answered.

"Miss Jericho, I believe they have arrived," the AI announced and Jericho bolted up and pressed her face up against the window. Sure enough, a black van was at the front, and Jericho immediately disappeared through a shadow to travel downstairs quicker.

Downstairs, Tony and Peter stood outside as the black car stopped in front of them. Tony stepped up closer as some of the X-men stepped out of the car. The billionaire frowned.

"Wait, where's-"

"Hank!" Jericho's happy voice drifted in and they all watched as she ran out from a shadow. Tony had never seen her so happy but he knew her heart would be crushed when she realized Logan hadn't arrived.

As she approached the car, she came to a sudden stop when she didn't see her favorite mentor.

"Where's Logan?"

Jean and Scott shot a glance over to Hank before he cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, he couldn't make it. Something held him up on a mission," Jean said and Jericho frowned.

"But he-"

"He had business to attend to, Jericho, and we came as his replacement. Please don't make this harder than it has to be," Scott interrupted. The young mutant's eye twitched as she began to glitch between reality and the shadows around her.

If there was anyone Jericho hated more than cockroaches, it was broken promises. Jericho's face turned the familiar red the mutants had seen plenty of. And then suddenly, she turned around and disappeared into a shadow.

Hank let out a sigh. He remembered back at the mansion, whenever Jericho was upset or angry she would spend hours inside her shadows and wouldn't come out until Logan or Kitty pleaded her. But Logan wasn't there and neither was Kitty. Hank knew it would take a lot for Jericho to show herself again.