X-men: Mutant Awakening (Ch. 12)

As usual: Continued Thanks to Kindar for his help! :)
Chapter 12
The only thought on his mind was to help Logan. Intellectually he knew that Logan would most likely survive the crash they'd heard, but he wasn't thinking with his head. Once he reached the bar entrance, he hesitated when Brenda shouted for him to stop. He paused by the entrance when Brenda shouted for him to stop.

"Wait! Don't go out there!" Brenda skidded to a stop and grabbed Tad's arm. Of all the foolhardy moves Tad could have made -- this could have been his last.

Tad glared at her. "What if he needs help?"
Brenda growled. "Think, dammit. Even if you managed to teleport across the room, what good would you be against that guy? You can't even really fight yet."

Tad scowled and yanked his arm away. "Probably nothing, but I have to try!" He sped outside without waiting for a reply.

Brenda shut her eyes tightly and groaned. "Fuck. He's gonna get himself killed." She ran outside, fearing the worst.

Tad skidded to a stop -- as he stared at Sabretooth smirking at Logan. His fear grew when Sabretooth grasped Logan's shirt with his large hand. reached with his large hand, grasping Logan's shirt. He hastily stepped backwards, feeling fear shoot through him as Sabretooth shifted his gaze to him, then growled menacingly. Maybe I should have stayed inside... Tad's heart thumped wildly in panic as he was yanked backwards in a hurry. He glanced backwards to find Brenda glaring at him.

Brenda hissed in a whisper, "Get back here! You're in no shape to deal with him!"

Tad tried to pull his arm away from Brenda's iron grip but couldn't. He whipped his gaze back at Logan who was held in midair in Sabretooth's grasp. Logan hadn't moved for the last couple minutes. He wondered if all of Logan's bones had been broken. Strange emotions flitted through him at Logan's seemingly lifeless body, and he felt the stirrings of anger. "But-!"

Brenda pulled him toward the bar door against Tad's will. "Dammit, Tad -- he's just unconscious."

Sabretooth's voice held an edge of steel as he spoke in a deadly tone. "Listen to the bitch. This is between him and me." He had a caricature of a pleasant smile that grew creepy as he focused on Tad. His voice was dripping with barely hidden lewdness. "He reeks of lust and men. Perhaps after I'm done with Wolverine, I'll take him for a trophy."

Tad gasped, shrinking back against Brenda, as color drained from his face. Only the fact that Sabretooth had Logan held in midair kept him rooted to the spot, even though the urge to run was incredibly strong. He pulled his focus from Sabretooth, to Brenda, who was unusually quiet.

Brenda was panting shallowly and looked drawn and pale. She wasn't prepared for the raw animalistic emotion that had exploded in her head through her shielding. Her only thought was fear and chaotic hunger. A tiny part of her brain screamed to run, but her body wouldn't move.
Sabretooth's smile grew even wider as he sniffed at the air. His eyes glittered with veiled promise, then returned his focus to Logan who'd started to regain consciousness. He shook Logan in midair several times and growled. "Wake up, pretty boy."

Logan's growl began in his chest as his claws slid out to slice deeply into Sabretooth's forearm.
Sabretooth roared in pain, and flung him into a tree. He gritted his teeth as the deep gashes on his forearm closed themselves and healed smoothly. He snorted, then narrowed his eyes at Tad, and started loping toward the two gaining speed with each step.

Tad took a quick step backwards, trying to tug on Brenda to no avail.

Logan shook his head, trying to clear the stars out of his eyes. His ears heard a low whimper of fear, then he focused on it, and to his horror he realized it was Tad and Brenda. He climbed up to his feet using his hands on the trunk, and shouted out, "Tad! RUN!"

As Tad heard Logan warn him to run, he simply reacted by touching Brenda, and focused on Logan as he'd done in the bar, then felt the familiar wrenching sensation, but it seemed to take a few more seconds longer. The world shifted into balance again as he stood in front of Logan. Dizziness made Tad sway slightly, before his head cleared.

Logan blinked and growled. "What the fuck are you doing? I meant RUN!"

Tad didn't have time to answer when he heard Sabretooth scream in rage, and start thundering over to them. He turned his head sharply behind his shoulder, and his eyes widened, then he grabbed Logan's arm, and squeezed his eyes shut. Dizziness roared in his head as he tried to focus on the mansion courtyard, but to his relief, he sensed it slowly starting to take all three of them, then abruptly nothing. Once he realized they'd not moved, he mentally cursed, then took a deep breath, digging deeper than he thought he could, and forced another attempt, trying to get to the courtyard.

Sabretooth leaped at them just moments before the trio glowed and dematerialized in smoke. He landed on his hands and feet, and growled softly, then sniffed the air. He had a calculating look in his eyes, and stood up, then shrugged. Affecting an air of disinterest, he brushed dust off his fur-coat and started walking into the forest.

* * *

As Tad felt the three of them teleport, he immediately realized there was something off-kilter about his trip, and without warning, the wrenching abruptly stopped. The trio suddenly materialized several feet in mid-air, sending them falling in a heap on top of an asphalt road. A streetlight shone partially on them in the crisp evening air. Tad groaned, as dizziness swamped his senses for several seconds, before it slowly began to clear.

Brenda grunted as she rolled off Tad, and glanced around. "Where the hell are we?"

Logan huffed in annoyance and pulled himself to his feet, then stepped backwards, looking around. He sniffed the air for anything remotely familiar, then growled. "I think this is the main road to the Mansion. Dunno how far, though."

Tad slowly sat up and clambered to his feet, feeling stiff. He felt run-down, but also relieved that they appeared to be far away to have gotten away. Worry began to whisper at the back of his mind. That wasn't my brightest of ideas... I hope I didn't get us lost.

Brenda glanced at Tad with a frown. "Tad? Are you okay?" She stepped toward him, with a look of concern.

Tad blinked, and focused on Brenda. "Yeah. I think so." He was about to say something else, but Logan beat him to it.

Logan crossed his arms and growled. "What the fuck were you thinking? You didn't have to risk your neck back there -- you could have gotten hurt or even killed!"

Brenda tried to hush Logan with a warning tone. "Logan --"

Logan glared at her and spoke in an icy tone. "Shut up." He shifted his glare toward Tad as he continued his tirade. "I had everything handled. I've dealt with him before. You haven't."

Tad drew up straighter, stung by Logan's attitude, and tried not to let it show. He also tried to ignore the low thrumming sensation in his head. "But he nearly broke you into two!"

Logan reached for Tad's shirt and yanked him closer, and snarled. "You damned fool! I told you to stay inside!" He let go of Tad by pushing him away.

Tad stiffened, feeling anger rise within him, giving him a boost of strength. "Fine. You can do it all. You're perfect! I just thought maybe you needed help." He growled when Logan didn't say anything and didn't quite meet his eyes, then pivoted abruptly in the opposite direction. Tad took several steps in quick succession before faltering and falling to his knees, then fainting onto the road without a sound.

Brenda gasped sharply, and rushed to Tad's side, then turned him over onto his back. She was worried, but his slow breathing reassured her that he was still alive - most likely just exhausted.

Logan took a couple hurried steps forward, and hesitated. He looked ashen for a moment, as his anger was forgotten entirely, then spoke haltingly. "I-Is he okay? Did Sabretooth attack him?" 

Brenda turned her head back at Logan, and glared. Her concern for Tad changed to annoyance at Logan's thoughtlessness. Coldness crept in her voice as she spoke. "He exhausted himself because he thought you needed some help. And now we're supposedly somewhere near the mansion..." She paused and huffed. "I also have no clue where the fuck we really are. Nothing looks familiar - but then again, it's night."

Logan bit off a growl before it manifested, feeling guilty about how he'd dealt with Tad. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Dammit, he just wanted to help, and I just bit his head off -- he just didn't know any better... He shook himself out of his preoccupation, and focused on Brenda, then looked around, recognizing a mile marker several feet away illuminated dimly by the light above them. "Wait. I know where we are. This is the road -- See that mile marker? We're only about a mile away."

Brenda sagged with relief as she focused on the marker, then glanced at Tad. "Thank God - He managed to get us this far. Help me stand him up." She dug her hand under Tad's armpits, and grunted as she pulled him up to a sitting position.

He shut his eyes, then shook his head briefly, and knelt at Tad's side. He wrapped his arm around Tad's shoulders, and brushed Brenda aside. "No. I'll take him." He slipped his arm under Tad's knees and shifted his weight. With a grunt of effort, Logan climbed to his knees holding onto Tad. He took the first step, and was surprised at Tad's lightness then took another step.

Brenda frowned and reached out her hand to Logan. She knew Logan had great stamina, but a mile? "Can you really carry him that far?"

Logan paused, feeling irritation swamp him for a second, and pushed it away. He responded in an even tone of voice. "Yes. He's not heavy. Let's go. I don't smell anything odd, but I don't want to wait around for anything." He started walking quicker and heard Brenda nearly scramble to catch up.

Brenda kept up with Logan, and decided to scan the surroundings - just in case Sabretooth had decided to follow. Granted, they were at least eighteen or so miles away from the bar at this point, but it couldn't hurt to make sure nothing was following them. She lessened the barrier she held around her mind to a fraction of it's thickness, and immediately sensed Logan's state of mind, but it was too chaotic to really pin down any specific emotions. Tad's emotional state, however, was thankfully a muted presence in her mind.

Brenda ignored both Logan and Tad's moods, as she expanded her awareness to look for any human minds in the immediate region, and detected only flickers of feelings nearly at the limit of her range. Even straining her ability to the limit, she was able to recognize those flickers as non-humanoid emotional states. She shook her head, and thickened her shielding again. "You're right -- Just animal life.."

Logan grunted as he kept walking. He had dimly heard Sabretooth talking to Tad but he hadn't been able to focus properly to understand what was said. His stomach knotted in worry as he remembered smelling Tad's fear broadcasting clear as day. "At least we're safe for now. Did he threaten Tad?"

Brenda suddenly felt uncomfortable. She knew that Logan would react poorly to the idea of Sabretooth using Tad sexually, and tossing him aside. She decided to cover her uneasiness by stating a partial truth, and to keep it simple. Brenda spoke tersely. "Yeah."

Logan halted his steps, then frowned. Something was off here - Brenda's comment was too vague. He turned around, holding Tad in his arms, to stare intently at Brenda under the weak light from the next street lamp up ahead. "What aren't you telling me?"

Brenda acutely felt the tension radiating off Logan and pushing against her shielding. She shook her head sharply. "Nothing. It can wait. I'd rather not talk about it. We need to get him back home."

Logan wanted to force her to tell him more, but she was right -- now wasn't the time, but ... he'd find out. Soon. He turned wordlessly and kept walking toward the mansion.

* * *

Tad moaned softly, as he blinked at sunlight peeking through the curtains. His body protested when he tried to move his head, and he gave up on moving for a minute. Tad looked at the ceiling, not recognizing where he was for a second, then the prior night came flooding back, making his stomach knot with nervousness. What the fuck happened last night after I got the three of us away from that psycho...?  I'm still intact, but... He struggled to sit up, still feeling exhausted. I must have overdone it... That's the only thing I can think of to explain this.

Tad slowly realized that he was under covers, and back in his room without a shirt, or most of his clothes. Panic began to set in as his thoughts whirled around in his head. How'd I get here? And why am I almost naked?? All I remember was fighting with Logan, and then... nothing. He blinked slowly, then heard water running from the bathroom. He wondered in puzzlement who would be in his bathroom, when the water stopped. Tad held his breath, waiting for whoever it was to come out.

* * *

Logan stepped out of the bathroom, still damp from his shower with a towel securely wrapped around his waist. He smiled. "Ah, I thought I heard something. How are you feeling?"

Tad squeaked in surprise, and involuntarily clutched his blanket to his chest. Logan was breathtaking enough that his brain started to stutter at the sight of him in a towel. He tore his gaze away to look at anything else except at Logan. He mentally growled at himself -- even though he liked Logan -- he was still peeved. He spoke with an edge of ice in his voice. "What happened to my clothes?"

Logan shrugged. "They're on the dresser." He moved closer and sat on the bed with his back facing Tad. He knew he should get dressed first, but he could tell that Tad was still angry. "Listen... I'm sorry for snapping your head off the other night." When Tad didn't speak, he sighed.  "...I just wanted to make sure you were safe. That's why I told you to stay inside. You would have been no match for him in a fight."

Tad didn't relax his grip on his blanket, as he stared at Logan's muscular back. "...I guess. It sounded like you needed it. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly." He sighed, feeling nervous about the question he was going to ask. "Um...what happened after we ...talked?"

Logan closed his eyes, and shifted his weight. "Well, after you passed out -- we got you home after walking a mile from where you dropped us. I was surprised you were even able to get us that far..."

Tad crossed his arms, still holding the blanket under them. "Oh. I see." He felt more relaxed, but there was one question remaining on the forefront of his mind. "So, uh, why are you in a towel?"

Logan shrugged, and got off the bed. "Cuz I needed a shower. I should get dressed."

Tad frowned, and looked down at the bed. "Um, okay." He was confused. He could remember most of what transpired the other night up to the argument, and then things got hazy. He vaguely remembered someone picking him up, and carrying him as he faded in and out of consciousness. Try as he would, he couldn't remember anything else -- except a feeling of total safety. He didn't notice as Logan stared at him with a frustrated expression before Logan ducked back into the bathroom with a pile of clothes.

Tad snuck out of his bed to grab his shirt from the chair, and shimmied it on. He was surprised that he was feeling better already, but he was still tired. He was about to dive under the covers again, when he noticed the door slightly open. His eyes were caught by Logan bending down and pulling up his pants. He paused, feeling his heart thump wildly, as Logan pulled them up and straightened up. Tad's breath caught as he saw a sizeable and obviously hard bulge in Logan's underwear. He panicked, when Logan started to turn in his direction, and leaped into bed quickly.

Tad took a moment to try to compose himself and buried as much of himself under the blankets as possible. He had no clue how to react when Logan came out of the bathroom, and hopefully would fool Logan into thinking that he'd decided to try to sleep.

Logan stepped out of the bathroom with a small grin on his face, and stepped up to the bed. He stood there with his hands on his hips, and smirked. "Tad, Did you like what you saw?"

Logan suddenly reminded Tad of the man who'd beat him a week ago; Tad's breathing grew panicked, and scrambled backwards, pressing his back against the headboard. The feeling of being trapped was growing, along with the need to flee.

Logan's smirk faltered at Tad's abrupt spike of fear, and his hand reached out. "What's wrong?" He took a tentative step forward. That was the wrong move.

Tad turned paler, not seeing Logan anymore, but the other brute. A flash of imagery echoed in his brain of his living room, and he was there. He panted heavily on his hands and knees feeling the panic fade away, as he recognized his apartment. He felt dizzy again, and hit the floor, blacking out again.  

(TBC)

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