Chapter 23 – The Rescue and Shiver
The town sprawled below them, sun dipping slightly westward, shadows stretching across cracked streets and weathered buildings. The Blackbird had been parked discreetly behind a small ridge, hidden from prying eyes. Logan, Storm, and Nightcrawler crouched behind the edge, surveying the gang's hideout—a grimy warehouse pulsing with danger.
Logan glanced at his companions. "Alright, three rules. One: no powers unless absolutely necessary. Two: stay sharp. Three: I handle the point."
Storm's arms crossed, wind whispering faintly around her fingers. "Point taken. But if anyone gets reckless, I'm stepping in."
Kurt's tail flicked, eyes wide but serious. "And I'll… teleport where I need. Keep thesurprises."
They approached the warehouse, the sounds of laughter and clinking bottles reaching their ears. Inside, two teenagers were trapped—a boy and a girl—used as tools by the gang.
Logan's eyes narrowed. Something shivered deep inside him. A double shiver—the boy's eagle-eyed precision, the girl's enhanced hearing resonating in his altered genes.
'Here we go again,' he muttered under his breath, feeling that familiar thrill that came when he absorbed overlapping powers. Not now. Not yet. First, the job.
Storm led, gliding ahead like a shadow. "It's alright… just breathe," she whispered as she approached the boy, crouched in fear. Her hands wrapped gently around him, drawing him into a comforting hug. "I know what it'slike."
The boy froze, then relaxed slightly, eyes wide as Storm's warmth reached him. Nightcrawler's tail flicked nervously, but he knelt near the girl, noticing her wary expression, a mirror of his own past fears.
Logan stepped closer, scowling as he approached the duo. "You kids… want out of this hellhole?" he asked, voice rough but steady. The teens shuddered in the hug of Storm's embrace, glancing at each other before meeting Logan's piercing gaze. A hesitant nod from both, their silent agreement echoing courage in the quiet.
Storm growled softly at Logan's effect on them. "Careful, Logan! You'll scare them more than me!"
Logan simply turned his head, spitting at the ground, muttering a low, gruff acknowledgment. "They'll live… because I say so."
The battle erupted. Logan and Nightcrawler moved as a deadly duo—Logan's claws slicing and striking with precision, Nightcrawler teleporting to appear behind the surprised gang members. Storm's wind powers surged, lifting and throwing debris, using the environment to trap and disarm.
The gang bastards were overwhelmed quickly, their overconfidence crumbling. Logan's claws flashed, Nightcrawler's movements unpredictable, and Storm's gusts crushing weapons against walls.
Finally, Storm piled the subdued gang members at the doorway of the local policestation with a controlled gust, a wicked smirk on her face. "Tell them I said hello."
Logan stepped back, wiping a trickle of blood from a cut on his knuckle. Nightcrawler teleported beside him, eyes reflecting newfound respect.
"Uncle," Kurt said softly, almost shyly, glancing at Logan. "I didn't know you were… kind."
Logan arched an eyebrow, lips twisting into a crooked smirk. "Who's your uncle, bub?"
Kurt's grin spread, lightening the tension. "My new favorite uncle."
Storm shook her head, smirking at the exchange. "He's going to be trouble, but I like him."
The teenagers followed, still clinging lightly to Storm and Logan's protective presence. Thesun dipped lower as they made their way back to the Blackbird, shadows stretching long across the streets. Logan's eyes glinted faintly with the residual shiver—the double resonance of their abilities whispering potential, a new deadly combo in his mind.
He didn't speak of it yet. Not now. Tonight, they survived. Tomorrow, he'd think about how to play with bullet time and their overlapping powers.