" Plague Chapter One"

THEME: Adventure

RATING: M (does contain some swearing and violence)

SPOILERS: The X-Men movie.

FEEDBACK: I'm always eager to hear your views so please contact me and let me know at tanyajoy74@hotmail.com

DISCLAIMER: X-Men and all their affiliates belong to Marvel Comics, and 20th Century Fox Studios for the time being. All other characters belong to me. No money is being made from this exercise.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is set after the X-Men movie and before, hopefully, it's many sequels. I've just become a fan and have never read the comics so I'm just winging it, okay? Don't flame me for any discrepancies.

THANKS: Go out to my Betas; Chris ( the Comma Queen) and Crystal. Thanks for all your support and corrections. This is a much better fic because of you guys!

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

A man walked along the quiet street looking for a deserted alleyway. Dressed in faded old jeans and a brown leather jacket, he moved with the quiet confidence of someone who did not fear the dark, or the denizens that lived among it. Spying a likely candidate, he walked halfway down before stopping to face the wall. Taking a swift look about he unzipped his fly and, with a sigh, proceeded to relieve himself. He leant one hand against the brick wall as three hours of steady drinking splashed noisily onto the ground.

A sudden noise caused his head to whip around as he heard footsteps running his way.

Two of them, the man thought, standing upright again and scratching at a sideburn. One's heavier than the other and both of them are tired.

Sure enough, two figures stumbled past the alley opening. It looked like an adult and a child. The child was dragging it's feet, clearly exhausted, while the adult looked backwards as if in fear.

 

The shaggy looking man leant his forehead against the cool wall, silently debating with himself as to whether or not he really needed to know what they were running from. He had just decided to mind his own business when six large men with baseball bats rushed past.

"Well that don't look good." He muttered as he zipped up his jeans and stepped quietly towards the street.

He stopped warily at the alley entrance, making sure he was still in the shadows, and sniffed deeply. He frowned, sniffed again, then moved to his left. About two feet in front of him was an old dumpster with some flattened boxes and garbage bags piled up around it. When he picked up two of the bags it revealed a terrified boy curled up behind them.

"What'cha doing there, bub?" the man asked keeping his voice low and friendly.

The little boy just curled himself up tighter and tried to burrow backwards.

"Name's Logan, what's yours?"

"A . . Andy." The boy replied hesitantly.

Andy must have been only about eight years old. The boy's face was swollen and he had a bloodied nose to go with a black eye. Cuts and bruises ran up and down his bare arms. Someone had given this kid a pounding.

"Those big guys chasing you and your friend?"

Andy nodded miserably.

"She tell you to hide here?" said Logan, "That she'd get help?"

Andy looked up surprised. "How'd you know she was a she?"

Logan sniffed. "Perfume," he replied, as if that explained everything.

"They're bad men." Andy stated. "Are you a bad man?"

Logan snorted at that statement. "Yeah I'm the worst kinda bad man, kid. The one your parents warned you about. Luckily for you and your friend I don't beat up on nice people," he leant down and grinned at the small boy. "But I do like to beat up on bullies. So why don'tcha stay here and I'll go see if your friend needs any help, kay?"

"Okay." Andy replied a bit uncertain.

Logan piled the bags back on the boy and started to lope down the street. Sniffing as he went, searching for that elusive scent he had smelt on the boy.

 

He heard them before he saw them. It looked like the girl had run down a similar alley that Logan had just come from.

"Where's the mutie kid?" a snarling male voice demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," a clear female voice replied with just the faintest hint of worry.

"Do you know what we do with mutant lovers like you?" another male voice said.

"Well a girls gotta get it anyway she can," she retorted.

"Oh you're gonna get it bitch. From all of us," the first voice replied.

By this time Logan had wandered quietly into the alleyway and just stood there observing the scene. The six men had ranged themselves along the alley effectively cutting off the girl's only escape. The girl, no Logan corrected himself, try woman, had ended up halfway down the alley. She had turned herself sideways to the men and was standing there with her weight on the balls of her feet and her hands fisted and placed in front of her face in a defensive posture.

Logan moved out of the shadows. "Is this a private party or can anyone join?"

"Piss off pal. This is none of your business," the leader of the men snapped back over his shoulder.

"I wasn't asking you, bub."

"Mister if you're any kind of decent guy, you'll go get help." The woman called out.

"Sorry darlin', I'm anything but decent." Logan let his arms drift down to his sides as he stepped closer.

The leader of the group turned around, swinging his bat. "What are you? Another one of those damn mutant lovers?"

"Nope I'm much worse than that." A loud metallic ring echoed along the alley as three claws shot out of each of Logan's clenched fists. "I'm one of your freakin' mutants."

"Holy shit!" exclaimed the woman as Logan rushed towards the men. She took the opportunity while everyone's attention was on the clawed man to throw a roundhouse punch at one of the thugs, knocking him to the ground. She kicked him in the stomach a couple of times for good measure, then picked up the discarded baseball bat. "That's for calling me a bitch."

Logan in the meantime had two men on the ground and was circling the leader when he heard the bat bouncing off someone's head. "Those odds just keep getting better and better," he growled with a grin.

Realising they were only going to get hurt, the two remaining thugs dropped their weapons and made a run for it.

Logan decided to let them go, cowards were never much fun to play with. He turned to the woman and noticed she was standing there with the bat still raised. The look on her face suggested that she was expecting to have to fight him as well.

"Hey easy darlin'." He retracted the claws. "I ain't here to hurt you." The bat didn't lower a fraction. "I left Andy back at the dumpster." Logan was hoping that mentioning the boy might help his credentials.

"Andy?" The bat clattered to the ground and the woman took off back up the street at a run.

"You're welcome," Logan muttered as he followed her at a more sedate pace.

 

He found the two huddled together. The woman was running her hands over the boy checking that he was alright. Andy looked up and noticed Logan.

"Did you bash the bad guys?" the boy asked.

"Yeah bashed em good." Logan confirmed.

The woman stood up and wiped a hand on her jeans before holding it out. "Look, thanks for helping us out back there."

Logan accepted the gesture. "Welcome. Who were those guys?"

"Oh just your local branch of anti-mutant thugs. Call themselves the PHL. That's Pure Human League," she explained to Logan's questioning glance.

"Why'd they want the boy?" Logan looked down at Andy, who was starting to waver on his feet from exhaustion.

"He's a mutant." The woman shrugged as if that was obvious to anyone with half a brain.

"Alex, will the bad men come back?" Andy asked.

"Hope not hun. But let's get out of here just in case." She leant down and picked the boy up.

"Listen I know of a place you could go." Logan started to say.

"Don't worry, we're going to a place in Westchester."

"What - Xavier's school?" Logan asked.

"You know it?" It was Alex's turn to look surprised.

"Yeah that's the place I was gonna suggest." Logan frowned. "Listen to me - now I'm recruiting for Chuck."

"Hey maybe you can come with us," Andy said hopefully.

"The man doesn't want to come with us, Andy," Alex replied.

"Sure I do." Logan grinned at the look of annoyance that flickered across Alex's face. "Besides what if the bad guys come back? Whose gonna protect you if I'm not around?"

"We were doing just fine," Alex muttered.

"To the Batmobile." Andy pointed down the street imperiously then slumped over Alex. "I'm tired."

Alex hitched the boy a little higher onto her left shoulder. "I know Andy. We'll get to the Batmobile soon and you can rest then, okay?"

The tired boy nodded and snuggled into Alex's shoulder.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

They walked for about twenty minutes with Logan insisting he go first so he could sniff out any trouble. They finally reached a busier street and Alex pointed out a dented old Dodge that was resting half on the pavement.

"That's the Batmobile?" Logan looked at it with disbelief. "I thought that old thing was abandoned."

"Hey!" Alex protested loudly. Andy mumbled and lifted his head. "Hey," she added more quietly. "It mightn't look like much but she's got it where it counts, much like me. And if you don't like it, you can walk for all I care."

Logan held up his hands. "Hey don't get all bent outta shape."

He watched with faint amusement as Alex tried to retrieve her car keys out of the left hand side of her jeans with her right hand. "Need any help?"

Alex glared at him. "Right, like I'd let you anywhere near my pants."

She thrust Andy at Logan. "Here hold him for a minute." She pulled the keys out of her jeans and opened the driver side door. Reaching through she unlocked the rear door and plucked Andy back from the scruffy mutant.

"Where we?" Andy asked sleepily as Alex pulled open the rear door and gently placed the boy inside.

"Back at the car," Alex explained as she pulled the seatbelt across Andy. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you when we get there."

Alex quietly closed the door and looked up to see an impatient Logan standing next to the passenger side door.

"Its locked," he growled.

"So?" Alex asked sweetly as she moved towards the driver side door and prepared to get in.

"So," Logan popped the claws in his right hand. "Maybe I should unlock it." He raised an eyebrow and smiled evilly.

Alex dived through her door and reached across the seat to unlock Logan's side. "Bastard," she muttered as he got in.

Logan just grinned as he slammed the door, ignoring Alex's wince. He turned himself sideways and faced the woman sitting next to him. Logan put her age somewhere in the late twenties, blonde hair tied back, jeans and jumper that looked like it had been bought off the rack at some discount bargain shop. Not a dress horse, he decided, but she did carry herself well and with confidence. He was amused at the sideways glances she kept giving his hands and the way she sat herself against the door trying unconsciously to keep as much distance between them as possible.

"So," Logan pointed a finger at the woman, "Alex right?" she nodded. "Name's Logan. Listen we've gotten off to a bad start here."

"Yeah I know, I'm naturally always on the defensive." She looked sideways at him. "Just don't diss my car and maybe I'll learn to like you."

"Fair enough, I guess. What's the deal with you and the kid? You his sister?"

Alex laughed nervously. "Me? Nah I just met him a few days ago." She turned the ignition key and, with a dull throaty roar, the Dodge came to life.

Logan nodded his approval at the sound. "Nice."

Alex stifled a smile. "There see?" she pulled away from the curb. "That wasn't so hard was it? I'm liking you already. Seatbelt," she added as she tugged on her own.

Logan was tempted to argue with her about it but remembered the last time he had done that and how it had turned out, so he just faced the front and clicked his seatbelt home. His eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror to see the boy slumped against the door fast asleep.

"If you only met him a few days ago, why are you helping him?"

Alex shrugged as she turned onto the main street. "Cause that's what I do. I help kids."

"What you some sort of social worker?"

Alex snorted at the thought. "Look Andy was in a situation at home. I knew if I didn't get him out of there, something bad was gonna happen. So I rescued him and I'm going to take him to a place where he'll belong."

"Xavier's School." Logan finished for her.

"Yeah there."

"And the baseball fans in the alley?"

"Are just a bunch of half-witted throwbacks who feel the overwhelming desire to beat up on anyone who isn't exactly like them. This week its mutants and next week it'll be black, lesbian environmentalists from Canada."

"Hey I'm from Canada."

Alex looked at Logan. "You are? And here I always thought Canadians were such nice people."

"Well you're wrong," Logan replied. "Some of us are complete bastards."

"I wouldn't call you a complete bastard," Alex corrected, as she stopped at a red light. "But if its any consolation, you come close."

Silence temporarily filled the car.

"Lights green." Logan pointed out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

They had been driving for almost half an hour in companionable silence. Andy was fast asleep and Logan, head resting on the window, wasn't far behind. Alex was humming under her breath when she suddenly swore and pulled quickly over to the side of the road. Logan sat up instantly alert and looked around for any danger, but all he could see was Alex sitting there with her eyes tightly closed and her arms locked rigidly out in front of her, hands clenched about the steering wheel. She breathed heavily for a few minutes then relaxed.

"What was that all about?"

Alex jumped, startled. She had forgotten she was not alone. "Nothing. It was nothing."

"Like hell it wasn't."

The woman rested her head on the steering wheel. "Look leave it alone, okay?"

"No, something just happened and I want to know what."

"I don't know how to explain," Alex began.

"Try just opening your mouth and see what falls out." Logan overrode her harshly.

He could see her jaw clench in frustration but Logan was damned if he would go easy on her. Something was up and for the kids sake, if not his own, he was going to find out what.

"I just saw a man die," Alex spat out at him.

"Where?"

"In my head. I see things in my head." Alex sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I see future events before they happen. I'm pre-cognizant."

"You're what?"

"I'm psychic," Alex snapped, causing Andy to stir in the back seat.

"You're a mutant, too?"

"I'm not a freak. Psychics were around long before you lot ever were."

"You're a mutant in the closet. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, sweetheart."

"Oh right," Alex spoke bitterly. "And if I was to 'come out of the closet', what do you think would happen to me? I'd be killed just like those bastards were going to do with Andy."

"Is that how you knew the kid was in trouble?"

"Yeah."

Silence filled the car as Alex scrabbled along the dashboard till she found the pen that had spent the trip sliding back and forth along it. She pulled back her right sleeve and started writing on her arm.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Writing down a partial license plate and what little description of the driver I saw."

"Driver?"

"It was a drive-by shooting somewhere, don't ask me where. The guy was just walking along when this car came past and then a shotgun appeared out the window and they shot him." Alex stopped writing and stared blindly out the windscreen. "Why am I doing this, its not like I can help him. I don't even know where it happened, or when."

"You saw the plate right?"

"A partial." Alex corrected Logan.

"So did you see anything that might help? Anything at all?"

Alex thought about it for a moment. "Liberty. I saw the Liberty on the plates."

"So it's local."

"Well the car is, but yeah it sounds like it could be somewhere here, in New York." She turned back to Logan. "But what am I gonna do? Ring the cops and tell them that I saw a shooting in my head and could they please be on the lookout for it? Thanks ever so much."

"No but you could ring in an anonymous tip telling them that you witnessed a shooting and leave them the info. That way when it does happen at least they'll have something to go on."

Alex turned the car back onto the road. "You're smarter than you look," she conceded. "Keep a lookout for a phone," she added.

Logan let her drive for a few minutes then spoke. "So does this happen often?"

"Practically everyday."

"And you're okay with that?"

"No but its not like I have any choice." Alex winced at the bright oncoming lights of another car. "Do me a favour and check that glove compartment for any aspirin, will you?"

Logan rummaged through the parking tickets and general mess that had accumulated in Alex's car. "Empty," he announced as he held up the bottle of aspirin.

"Shit," Alex swore quietly, "my head is killing me."

"You get these headaches often?" He had noticed another two empty bottles rattling about the car.

"Only every time I have one of those visions. Just lucky that way I guess."

Logan debated asking the nest question. "Listen should you even be driving with your problem?"

Alex ground her teeth together. "Gee kick a girl when she's down why don't you." She sighed heavily and seemed to count under her breath. "Technically speaking, no I shouldn't but since my chauffeur is on his annual two weeks paid leave, what can I do?" she asked sarcastically.

"Pull over, I'm driving."

"The hell! Look I always get a couple seconds warning before it hits, I have enough time to pull over. Besides I never get two of them close together."

"A couple of seconds don't cut it in heavy traffic."

Alex pointed out the windscreen at the empty road. "Where the hell is your heavy traffic? Now shut-up before I kick you out of my car," she snapped.

They both retreated into angry silence.

 

Alex noticed an all-night gas station up ahead and decided to pull in. She parked the car away from the petrol pumps and turned off the ignition.

She stared out the window as she directed the next question to Logan. "How much spare cash do you have?"

"Why?"

Alex debated with herself before answering. "Nothing, never mind. I'm going to use that payphone over there to call the cops. Keep an eye on Andy for me."

She got out of the car without looking back, jiggling some spare change she had found in the ashtray. Logan waited till she was almost to the phone before looking over his shoulder at the sleeping boy. Seeing that he was fast asleep, he left the car and made his way towards the shop.

When Alex came back, he was sitting quietly in the front. "You took your time," he said.

"Never try to call the police around here if you have a real emergency. I spent most of the time on hold, then when I finally reached an actual person they gave me the run around when I refused to leave a name. Hopefully they paid attention and wrote down everything I told them."

Logan pulled a small bottle of aspirin out of his jacket pocket and handed it over without looking at her. "I got bored so I thought I'd use some of that spare cash I had."

Alex accepted the bottle gratefully. She unscrewed the lid and tipped out two of the tablets. She looked at them thoughtfully before popping them into her mouth with a grimace at the foul taste.

"You know they go down better with some of this." He shook a bottle of water at her.

Alex snatched the water and, after ripping the lid off, swallowed half of it in one go. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Counting on others for help comes hard for you, don't it?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. Not that I'm ungrateful," she added, doing up the aspirin bottle. "It's just I've found over the years its better to depend only on yourself. That way you're never disappointed."

"I know what you mean."

Alex looked into the rear-view mirror at Andy. "Still asleep huh?"

Logan let her change the subject. "Yeah. Kid's had a tough night he deserves the rest."

Alex passed the water back to Logan and turned on her car. "Well sitting here talking won't get us any closer to our destination."

The car pulled out of the gas station and disappeared into the night.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Storm was walking down the corridor when she came across Jean. "There you are."

"Is there a problem?" the elegantly dressed redhead asked her friend.

"No, its just the Professor asked me to find you."

"I'm surprised he didn't contact me directly." Jean frowned.

Storm smiled. "I think he thought you and Scott might be occupied."

Jean blushed slightly and looked down. "Yes, well."

Storm's smile widened. "Guess he was right."

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"Just to prepare a room, it seems we're expecting company."

Jean looked intrigued. "Did he say who?"

"Not to me, but he did add that Logan would be with them." Storm looked slyly at Jean. "Should we tell Scott?"

"Not just yet. Why ruin the rest of his night?" Jean hooked her arm with Storm's. "Let's get that room ready."

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *  

The Batmobile pulled into the driveway of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters almost two hours later. Alex drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she stared at the large closed gates. Logan rolled down his window and leant out to punch in a code on the security console.

"Welcome to Freaks-R-Us," Alex muttered as the gates swung silently open.

Logan grunted but said nothing.

"We gonna stay here all night?" he finally asked when Alex made no move to continue down the driveway. "I thought you was the one in a hurry."

Alex snapped out of whatever thought she was in and shifted gears. "Yeah we're going."

 

Scott was standing at the open doorway when they pulled up in front of the house. He had been alerted to their arrival when Logan had entered the security code. He was wearing pyjamas and a bathrobe and was adjusting his ruby glasses. Even from the car, Alex could see the scowl that crossed his face.

Logan was grinning widely as he exited the car. "Hey sport."

"What are you doing back?" Scott demanded. "I thought you were out of here for good?"

Logan ignored the questions as he looked past Cyclops into the building. "Where's Jean?"

"In bed, where I left her." He crossed his arms and looked smugly at the Canadian - see, the look said, I still got her and you don't.

"You left her alone? I wouldn't have done that." Logan smirked.

Scott looked past Logan. "Where's my bike?"

Logan patted his various pockets. "Bike, bike." He shrugged. "Sorry sport, seem to have lost it."

"You what?" Scott uncrossed his arms and looked furiously at Logan.

Alex gently lifted Andy out of the car, pulling a small backpack out after him. She lifted the boy onto one shoulder and, after locking the car, carried him towards the feuding men. "Look, I hate to disrupt this touching lovers reunion but I want a bed to sleep in."

Scott looked at Alex. "Who are you?"

Logan gestured from Alex to Scott. "Alex, this is One-Eye. Scott, that's Alex and that's Andy." He pointed to the sleeping boy.

Alex hitched Andy higher. "Want. Bed. Now!" she emphasised each word.

"Its all right, Scott," Jean walked out onto the front porch tying her robe closed. "The Professor was expecting them."

"He was?" Scott turned to his fiancé, surprised. "Why wasn't I told?"

Logan grinned at Jean. "Hey there, Red."

"Because you were asleep at the time and I didn't want to wake you," Jean explained.

"Didn't want to tell me he was coming, more like it," Scott muttered darkly.

"Hello Logan. I thought you were headed for Canada?" she added.

"Yeah well I was side-tracked," Logan replied.

"Must have been some side-track, you've been gone almost four months." Jean turned her attention to the other two members of this late night meeting.

"She was." Logan grinned and winked at Scott. "But I'm back now and believe me, Red, she couldn't hold a candle to ya."

Scott muttered under his breath some more and ground his teeth together. This caused Logan's grin to widen as he noted how pissed Cyclops was.

Jean wisely decided to ignore the two men and walked down to Alex. She took the backpack from her. "I'll show you to your room and I know the Professor will be delighted to see you both in the morning." Jean reached out and gently brushed some hair from the sleeping boy's face.

"Yeah great, in the morning." Alex didn't sound at all pleased at the thought.

"Is my room still free?" Logan asked Jean.

"Of course," she replied. "You'll be just down the hall from our new guests."

"Hear that," Logan announced. "I'll be right next door."

"Oh goody," Alex said. "I hope the locks here work."

The four adults and the sleeping boy went into the mansion. Alex felt a small lurch of worry as the door closed behind her. Normally, she never entered the premises, just dropped the kids off at the gates. Now she found herself wondering if she would ever leave here again.

 

è CHAPTER TWO