In Fear of Three Little Words

Chapter 38


“We tried to stop him, but Logan wouldn’t listen,” Jean said, her voice shaking. “He just jumped into his Jeep and drove away.”

“Yeah,” Kitty stated. “If we hadn’t had Kurt’s SUV, I don’t know how we would have gotten home. We’re lucky the windshield didn’t collapse in on us.”

“That’s because I didn’t let it,” Jean said, glancing over to Kitty.

“What? You were driving and telekinesing at the same time?”

Jean just shook her head and sat, all her strength suddenly draining out of her. She had already called her parents and told them she wouldn’t be coming home for Christmas, not as long as Kurt remained missing. Her parents were understandably disappointed as well as concerned, but they hadn’t given her a hard time about it, sensing her resolve to help her missing friend.

They had all gathered in the community room waiting for the Professor to return from an urgent phone call. She didn’t know who he had called but she certainly hoped whoever it was could help them.

Kurt was in big trouble and Logan was running straight into a trap. She didn’t know how, but she was absolutely certain of it.

The Christmas tree remained unlit and all the bright lights that usually twinkled on the lawn were dark. No one wanted them on. No one wanted anything, but to find Kurt safe and unharmed.

Scott sat down beside her, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. “We’re going to find Kurt,” he said, but his voice wasn’t as confident as she’d heard before. Or perhaps she was letting her fears conjure something that wasn’t really there.

Kitty hung up from her own call home, her parents sounding less understanding than Jean’s. “You don’t think Sabeth wth would kill Kurt, do you?” Kitty said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I know he’s mean, but....”

“We’re not going to let that happen, Kitty,” Scott said. “We’re going to find Kurt.”

“Then why are wetin’tin’ here doin’ nothing?” Rogue asked. “Kurt’s in trouble and Logan is not thinkin’ straight. He’s out there by hisself and we need to get our butts out there and help.”

“I know, Rogue,” Scott said, rising and crossing the room to where she leaned against the fireplace mantle, arms tightly crossed against her chest. “But we need to know where we’re looking and the Professor is talking to someone who can help us.”

“Who?”

The doors swung open and in rolled Professor Xavier, Nick Fury right beside him. Ororo and Hank followed them in.

Jean tried to keep an open mind and beneath Agent Fury’s hard exterior, Jean sensed a decent man with something of a conscience, one who had gone out of his way on their behalf on more than one occasion. And here he was again.

“Students, you remember Agent Fury.”

“Of course. Yeah, sure. Hey, how you doing?” came the round of greetings.

“Agent Fury has agreed to help us.”

Jean rose and moved to meet them. “We can’t thank you enough. Kurt means the world to all of us.”

“You were there with Logan when you found the kid’s SUV?” Fury asked and Jean couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the man’s eye that he had to wear a patch over it.

“Yes.” Jean threw a look over to Kitty. “Myself and Kitty.”

“Did you see the note?”

“Yes. It was typed though. No signature, but Logan was certain Trask was involved. Probably something the note said that made him believe. And, of course, he smelled Sabertooth’s scent. Logan can do that.”

Fury nodded as if he was well aware of what Logan could do.

“What exactly did the note say? Can you remember?”

Kitty came up beside her and they looked at each other.

“It said something like...as you can see, I have a new ally,” Kitty began then hesitated, looking embarrassed.

“It said something like...your blue boyfriend is mine now and Victor Creed’s” Jean picked up where Kitty left off.

“And that he’d enjoy playing with your little demon as much as you did,” Kitty finished. “The little demon he’s referring to would be Kurt. You know what he looks like.”

Fury gave another nod. “And the note was addressed to Logan?” Fury asked.

“Yes,” Jean and Kitty said in unison.

“Doesn’t give us much to go on,” Fury said. “But, at least, it’s not a direct death threat.”

“Direct or indirect, Kurt’s in a lot of trouble,” Rogue said, striding over to join the conversation.

“I understand Logan and the kid have gotten close lately. Ever since Trask did his experiments on them.” Fury glanced around, flinging this information out, trolling, Jean thought.

“Yeah,” Rogue said. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

Fury tried to suppress a smile. “I didn’t realize he swung that way.”

“That’s because it’s nobody’s business,” Rogue said.

Jean frowned. Rogue’s defensiveness was admirable, but unproductive. Particularly when they were needing Fury as an ally.

“Rogue----” Scott began, obviously thinking the same.

“But now it is,” Fury countered. “Maybe if Logan’s little blue boyfriend had been more careful he wouldn’t have gotten himself snatched again.”

Rogue got up into Fury’s face. “And if your people had been doin’ their jobs to begin with you’d have Trask in custody by now and Kurt wouldn’t have been kidnapped.”

“Kurt was simply Christmas shopping,” Charles offered, getting between them. “He was taken in the mall parking lot, a very public place and shouldn’t have had reason to fear for his safety.”

Fury hesitated then offered a nod of agreement. “Trask has gotten bolder...reckless even. Particularly if he’s willing to ally himself with a mutant just to get revenge. He should be easier to find if he keeps up this behavior.”

“And I’m certain your people are doing everything possible to bring Trask in,” the Professor said, with a reassuring smile. “But you must understand the urgency of this situation. Trask has previously threatened Kurt’s life.”

“I do understand. We’ve been tracking him and his accomplices. The ones who disappeared with him. And we’re looking into anyone likely to have the money and the means to fund a complex, technological facility like Trask would need...someplace very private and easy to keep that way. I’ve already made the call to headquarters and told them we needed to make this priority one.”

“Will they?” Scott asked.

“I have and that’s all that matters.”

Scott nodded and Jean only hoped that was enough. She turned away, her mind running frantically over and over the wording of the note.

“We need to talk,” Scott said, his hand guiding her, drawing her away to the hall and across.

Jean looked behind her, but no one noticed them leaving, all in earnest conversations. She let him settle her onto a sofa and sat beside her, door closed for privacy.

“Jean.” Scott took her hand, squeezing it gently between his two. “That note....”

“I know. It sounds bad.”

“It sounds like a threat of rape.”

Jean shot up a glance, wishing she could see Scott’s eyes. She wanted to deny what he said, but she knew she couldn’t. Tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

“Oh Scott, if you only knew....”

“What? What happened? You know, don’t you? You’ve known almost since the beginning, what Trask did to Kurt and Logan.”

She nodded and swallowed down a hard lump.

“Everything changed between Kurt and Logan after Trask had them,” Scott continued. “What did he do to them? And what does that note mean?”

“I’m not suppose to tell anyone. I...I didn’t mean to hear their thoughts, but both of them were so traumatized. I knew by their thoughts they’d been assaulted.”

“Sexually?” Scott asked in a breathless whisper.

Jean nodded and a wash of tears came again.

“Who? Trask?”

Jean said nothing, her thoughts whirling and suddenly she was bombarded by everyone’s thoughts and fears, a cacophony of sound battering her mind. She recoiled, but Scott took her by the shoulders, shaking her gently.

“Jean, block them out. I know what’s happening. You’re overloading.”

She took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts away, throwing up her mental walls.

“Oh Scott,” she sobbed. “It’s all so horrible.”

“Jean, I need to understand what happened. I need to understand what that note means.”

“But I promised...not to tell anyone.”

“It’s too late for promises,” Scott said, his frustration evident. “And it’s time somebody trusted me to know the truth.”

Jean stared into Scott’s glasses, trying desperately to read his unseen eyes, but she could read his mind and his need was valid.

She finally nodded and dropped here. e. “Logan...assaulted Kurt.”

“What?!”

“Logan was drugged,” she went on quickly. “He couldn’t helmselmself. He was injected against his will. The Professor said the drug targeted a primal sexual need and Logan couldn’t control it.”

“Then why? Why would Kurt want anything to do with Logan? This is crazy.”

Jean reached out, clutching Scott’s arm. “There was a second injection. Logan and Kurt didn’t want the second time to happen the same way...so Kurt didn’t fight him. They had as close to consensual sex as the circumstances allowed.”

“Oh my god,” Scott sighed. He looked away and Jean sensed the turmoil inside his mind, raging with his desire to make sense of what Jean had just told him.

“Something happened between them,” Jean continued. “Something sparked and a bond formed. What they have now is real, but that’s where it started. So, you see that note, addressed to Logan, was a direct reference back to what Trask did to them. Trask won’t need to use any drug to get Sabertooth to hurt Kurt. Sabertooth will do that because he hates Logan so much. Kurt’s being used by both of them and Logan is walking into a trap. I just know it, Scott and I don’t know what to do to stop it.”

Scott put his arms around Jean, stroking her hair soothingly. “And I’m afraid there might not be anything we can do to stop it. Rogue’s right. Logan isn’t thinking straight and he won’t be thinking any straighter when he catches up with Sabertooth and Trask.”