Zero Hour II
Chapter 3
by
Nina



Disclaimer: All references to characters belonging to the X-Men Universe are © and TM the Marvel Comics Group, 20th Century Fox and all related entities.All rights reserved.

PS: In my mind's eye, the X-Men should be able to run Danger Room scenarios without "monitors" if they rank high enough on the team. So, my muse wins as far as that's concerned. Also, I see Sabertooth as a psycho, so I portrayed him as one - mind games at all. Again if you have a problem, talk to my muse. She's driving.




Hank, a.k.a. "Beast" McCoy was normally a very even-tempered person. He didn't get angry easily, and his peers often considered him to be kind, generous - and yes, even humorous, at times. Of course, his contemporary's friendly commentaries may have been due to his physical countenance more than anything else. After all, most individuals feared blue furry men with fangs too much to tell them the absolute truth. But at this very moment, Hank was on a dangerous cusp. Even the irascible, unflappable, oft-smiling Dr. Henry McCoy had his moments of fury. And this was one of those times.

"You had no right to - "

"Didn't I, Hank? You're treating this like a damned lab experiment!"

Hank slapped the oak table, and a chunk of the wood flew past his blue hands. "I left explicit instructions that she was not to be disturbed! But both you and your husband decided to ignore me, and now the damage to the girl - and us -could carry irrevocable consequences. This isn't up for discussion, Mrs. Summers. The information I have is not conclusive. We cannot assume - "

Logan entered the study, clearing his throat, and Jean and Hank spun around. Waves of guilt wafted from them, and Logan felt like he'd just caught them in an adulterous triangle.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya."

"No, it's all right, Logan," Jean said. She was blushing, and her heart beat a little too fast. "I was just leaving."

She glared at Hank as she left, looking furious. Logan wasn't going to press the issue - he'd come to talk with Hank, not Jean. But he snuck a quick glance at Jean's back, and smiled. It's really over.

Beast sighed. The one individual he did not want to see at this particular moment stood patiently before him.Ah, the joys of a clinician. He rubbed his eyes."Is there something I can help you with, Logan?"

Wolverine kept staring at the door as he spoke. "I think you know more about Nada than you're lettin' on, Blue Boy."

Hank anxiously rubbed his neck. "Really? Whatever gave you the impression that - "

Logan turned to him, tapping his nose. "This don't lie. Not like people do. I know she's 'Ro's and my kid."

McCoy let out a slow breath and tumbled into a leather chair.It creaked under his weight, but still supported his massive blue form. "I suspected you would find out sooner or later. After all, she's the spitting image of both of you, save for the claws and white hair. Does Ororo know?"

"We figured it out together, last night." As well as a few other things. He scratched the back of his neck and smiled faintly at the memory. "Thing is, we sorta figure Nada ain't talkin' because she's scared she's gonna change the future, or something. She knows this is her past, but she's not born yet. That's gonna freak any kid out."

Hank shrugged. "Yes, I imagine so. But are we even sure this is her past? We have so many dimensional travelers, that it seems that she could come from an alternate future timeline. I was arguing with Jean on whether or not we should tell you, in case Nada was from another dimension. If so, it didn't seem right to mention it to you or Storm, unless Nada wished to discuss it."

Wolverine nodded. He went to the Professor's drinks cabinet and measured two whiskeys, one for him and one for Hank. Hank's eyebrow rose, but he took the drink gratefully. Wolverine sat leadenly across from him and traced the glass in his fingers.

"How many other people know 'bout this, other than Jeannie?"

"Charles does. Perhaps Scott as well."

"Damn, does the whole flippin' mansion know?"

Hank chuckled and sipped his drink. "No. Not that I know of. But you know what a curious bunch we are. It won't take long for questions to circulate."

Wolverine dug his thumb into the side of his glass. "Chuck and Red get into her brain to confirm it?"

Hank's lip quirked. "I don't think so. There are only so many ways that a non-telepath, like Nada, can reach out to someone like Jean, or Charles. One of those ways is if she had been trained to contact them beforehand."

"Like in another time."

"Or another dimension," Hank said. He rose to refill his glass. "As in Nada's case."

Wolverine sighed and twirled his glass. "She ain't from another dimension, Hank. She's from ours."

"How do you know?"

Wolverine tasted the drink on his lips and enjoyed the brief tingle before the sensation disappeared. "I never really discussed this with anybody, 'cause it wasn't anybody's business 'til now. But I figured out why all these time travelers got me so edgy. They don't smell right."

Hank sipped his drink, frowning. "Come again?"

"They're. . . different, Hank. I dunno. I can't describe it." He downed the drink in his hands, considered another, and changed his mind. "They got a 'smell' about 'em that ain't quite in sync with the rest of us. A weird odor that I can't place. Took me a while to understand what the scent meant, and that got me real edgy around 'em for a while. Damn near took Cable and Bish's heads off a couple times."

"I know," Hank said, grinning. He finished his drink and placed it on the coffee table. "I wish I'd had ringside seats."

Wolverine chuckled. "Yeah, well, once I got it down, it made sense. Cable, Bish, Rachel, an' the rest all have that 'outta sync' scent, so I know they're from alternate timelines."

Beast swallowed at the pause. "And. . . you - you're saying Nada. . . "

"I'm sayin' Nada don't have that scent. She's got other scents I can't place, but those are from places she visited - or will visit, I guess. But her core scent. . . It's like ours. She's from our universe. She will be my child."

"Oh, dear," Beast said. He got up from the chair and went to the drinks cabinet for a refill. "That rather complicates matters, doesn't it?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Well, of course it does. You and Storm certainly haven't been - "

He stopped suddenly at Wolverine's chuckle.

"Oh. . . my. . . stars and garters."

Hank downed his drink as Wolverine grinned wickedly. "Like I said, we figured out some things last night."

"Yes. . . Well. Ahem."

"Ah, c'mon, Hank. We're adults. We knew what we were doin.' It ain't like we're two star-struck kids runnin' 'round the mansion with ragin' hormones."

Hank, still in shock, filled his glass to the rim. "You. And Storm? Ororo?"

Wolverine growled. "Why not?"

"Well, my friend, she. . . well, she doesn't seem the type to go for someone like - "

"She rode me hard and put me away wet."

Hank's jaw dropped. He couldn't think of anything to say. Instead he finished the drink in his hands and fumbled around for another. "Fine. . . fine. Ah, sure."

"You want more details?"

"NO! I mean. . . No, no. That's entirely your affair. . . entirely." Beast decided to take the whiskey out of the cabinet and place it on the coffee table. Wolverine chuckled. "We were havin' a little fun. That's all. It probably won't go anywhere."

"You sure?" Beast's voice had become a little slurred. "Just fun? She may want more, you know."

"I know. I'm thinkin' about that possibility."

"Well, think harder."

Wolverine looked amused.

"Seriously! The woman's love life has been an absolute shambles. If you don't treat her any better than the other men in her life then, on my honor as a gentleman, I will be forced into an altercation with you." He finished his drink. "And believe me, I'm the last person who wants to see that."

"Yeah, well. I ain't inta shreddin' Cookie Monster, either."

"It's Grover, thank you," Beast muttered. He lay back sloppily in his chair and Wolverine chuckled to himself, wondering if he had the strength to carry a drunk Beast back to his room. "Cookie Monster is so. . . dÈclassÈ."

"Okay, whatever. But I ain't gonna hurt 'Ro. That's the last thing on my mind right now."

"Better be."

Wolverine's smile faded. "Has Nada talked yet?"

"Not a peep. The child is decidedly mum. She's fine now - she could get out of bed, walk around the grounds and do a jig, if she wanted. But she's not doing a blessed thing but sulk."

"Has she even got out of the damn bed?"

"Nope. But you would have known that, had you come visit her. Like everyone else has around here." Beast tossed down another drink, and blinked at the half-empty decanter. "My, my, Wolverine. You must stop drinking all of Charles' liquor. He doesn't take too kindly to that, you know."

Wolverine ignored him and got out from his seat, scowling.

"And where are you headed now?"

"I'm gonna do what me and 'Ro shoulda done when she got here. We've been too cowardly to confront this thing head on. Time ta change that."

"Good. 'Bout time someone took charge." Hank yawned grandly, and Wolverine heard the doctor's gentle snores behind him, even before he left the room.



CHAPTERS:   1   2   3   4




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