The steady hum of the spaceship filled the silence as Logan sat in the pilot's seat, eyes fixed ahead, one hand resting casually on the control stick. "We're here," he announced, gruff voice cutting through the low chatter.
In the mirror near the back of the cabin, Quentin and Dante were adjusting their sleek black suits—an outfit way too clean for the kind of mission they were about to pull off.
Quentin tugged at his collar with a frown. "This is cruel and unusual punishment."
"If we leave now," Logan replied dryly, glancing at him through the mirror, "I can get you back to school just in time for Professor Rogue's gym class."
Quentin's face fell. "Okay, now you're just being cruel."
Dante snorted as he straightened the cuffs of his jacket. "So… are we doing the whole undercover act? Like, pretend we're a bunch of off-duty soldiers enjoying a break, or maybe I play the mysterious celebrity and you two pose as my elite security detail?"
Logan didn't respond immediately. He walked over to Quentin and began fixing his tie with surprising precision for someone who'd rather wear flannel and boots than a tux. Once satisfied, he headed toward the hatch without missing a beat.
"We act like normal customers," he said plainly. "Nothing special."
The two followed him, footsteps soft against the metal floor. "You two follow my lead," Logan added. "I'm the head. Quentin's the brains. Dante—"
"Let me guess," Dante cut in, raising a brow, "I'm the luck."
Logan gave a slow nod. "Exactly."
Dante frowned, walking beside him. "Didn't I already explain that my luck isn't like Domino's? I'm not flipping probabilities, I'm just… above average in luck. That's it."
"I know," Logan replied without looking back. "But there's no harm in having a little extra assurance."
Quentin rolled his eyes as they stepped into the docking corridor. "Right. So I count the cards, you place the bets, and we all leave when you say so. Totally not illegal at all."
"It's only illegal if we get caught," Dante pointed out with a smirk. "And we're not using the winnings for anything shady."
Logan gave a sharp nod. "Exactly."
"Oh well. Good then," Quentin muttered. "That doesn't sound at all vaguely dangerous."
Logan stopped and turned slightly toward him. "If I say run, you run. Got me?"
"Bah! Running is for horses and Homo sapiens," Quentin replied with a dramatic flick of his hand.
Logan ignored him and kept moving. "Time to show me you've been paying attention in those psychic tutoring sessions with Ms. Grey. Keep a telepathic link with me. Every step."
Quentin wrinkled his nose. "Your mind smells like beer farts."
Logan didn't even flinch. "We ain't in school no more, kid. This is for real."
There was a beat of silence as they stepped through the casino's main entrance, lights flashing and alien music pulsing in the air.
They have entered planet sin the Milky Way galaxy on the edges of ungoverned space
And they are here to earn money for the school apparently they need the money Dante never thought a superhuman school number one problem will be money but I guess i'm wrong
"You say you're the smartest mutant in the world," Logan continued, now keeping his tone low and sharp. "Several thousand brilliant thoughts a second. But what've you ever actually accomplished? One riot? A single international incident? Hell, I'd done worse than that by the time I was twelve."
The tension in the air crackled between them. Logan's eyes were sharp beneath his brow as he looked over the bustling alien crowd.
"You want to prove you're as smart as you think you are?" he said. "Then help me beat the odds."
He gestured around them with a small tilt of his head. "This is one of the biggest casinos in the known universe. Enough money moves through this place in a day to buy entire planets."
Dante whistled under his breath.
"We just need enough to fund one little school," Logan finished, voice full of grit and purpose. "Now what say we go get it?"
Quentin grinned wide. "Ooo, I know. The genius kid and the grizzled old hood working together to pull off the greatest con in history."
Logan smirked, one corner of his mouth twitching. "What could possibly go wrong?"
Logan's smirk crept up lazily, tugging one corner of his mouth as he leaned back in his seat, the dim lights of the alien casino casting flickers across his weathered features. "What could possibly go wrong," he muttered under his breath, eyes sweeping the room with a mix of amusement and suspicion.
Dealer: "Congratulations, sir. You're on quite the hot streak. Shall we play another hand?"
Logan tapped a thick finger against the table, eyes narrowed slightly. The stack of unfamiliar alien currency in front of him was steadily growing. His luck hadn't run out yet… but he wasn't about to push it. "Another hand?" he echoed, glancing to his side where no one stood physically. "The count's not in your favor," came Quentin's voice in his mind. "And the dealer's starting to get suspicious. Best change tables."
Logan chuckled under his breath. "Thanks… but I think I better quit while I'm ahead."
He stood, scooping up his winnings with one hand and making a mental note of the exits.
Logan (via telepathy): "Where to now, kid?"
Quentin's mental tone was casual, almost smug. "Table Voo-Thurk is heating up. But I'd avoid Zo-Eleventy. The dealer there's a disgruntled Reptoid who'd love to see someone take a fall."
Logan (grumbling aloud): "You're supposed to be nearby, acting as my eyes. Not just snooping around in people's heads."
Quentin (telepathically): "You want to win enough to keep the school open, right? I'm just doing my part to support education."
Meanwhile, a loud chime rang from another table across the room.
Dealer: "Winner!"
Quentin raised his fists triumphantly. "C'mon, lucky number Krob-Thnad!"
Further down the row, at a different table, Dante leaned forward with a calm expression, casually flipping a coin between his fingers while monitoring the game in front of him. The alien chips in front of him weren't massive, but they were steadily growing.
Logan's voice echoed in his head. "Didn't know you gambled, kid."
Dante smirked. "I played online sometimes, back before I ended up here. Not with real money, just for fun. I'm average at best… but my luck makes me a lot better than I should be."
His eyes drifted toward Quentin. "Though I gotta admit, I didn't see Quentin being into this kind of stuff."
Logan replied through the bond with an amused grunt. "He's exactly the kind of guy who'd study poker just to seem cool."
"Hey!" Quentin's voice cut in indignantly, clearly listening in.
But Dante's face tensed a little. "I'm getting a bad feeling. Security's a little too quiet for a place like this…"
Logan (serious now): "Kids, might be time to pull out. Quentin, keep your mind open."
"Oh, you better believe it," Quentin replied.
A few moments later, Quentin could be seen swaggering through one of the lounge corridors, flanked by two attractive alien girls, grinning confidently. "No, I swear. Back home, pink hair is totally in. Super cool. Practically irresistible," he said, giving one of the girls a wink.
Logan and Dante approached from the side.
"Time to go, kid," Logan growled.
Quentin turned around with a wide grin. "Hey, I got my money back. And more than yours."
Dante shrugged. "Well, you're the mind reader. I figured you'd specialize in this kind of con."
Quentin snorted. "Don't worry, I'm sure one of these lovely ladies has an older sister—or a lonely aunt—who'd be a much better match for you."
Before he could finish the thought, Logan grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away mid-sentence.
"Say goodbye to loverboy, ladies. He wouldn't have known what to do with you anyway," Logan muttered as the girls laughed and waved.
Dante couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, hands in his pockets as he followed.
Quentin glared at him. "Laugh it up, pretty boy."
Before he could retaliate, though, a group of large, armor-clad aliens blocked their path. Security.
Alien Guard: "Leaving so soon, gentlemen?"
Logan's gaze narrowed. "Save yourself, kid," he muttered under his breath. "Brain-zap as many as you can, then grab the money and run."
Quentin winced. "Oh, trust me, I've been trying to do exactly that. But their minds are shielded—"
WHACK.
Logan's fist slammed into the nearest guard, sending him reeling.
Logan: "Then it's a good thing their faces ain't."
With that, the room exploded into chaos. Dante ducked to the side, and summoned Ray from his back in a fluid motion. "So I guess we're starting a fight," he muttered, electricity crackling through the blade.