Rebirth

It was quiet for the next few days. People tended to stay away from Anni and I, including Scott. Logan was there, though. I think she felt a lot better with Logan there, knowing that he wasn't going to let her get hurt. Anni's eyes wouldn't leave me for a few hours after the fights. She knew I hated using my powers against people. And even though I wanted nothing more to fall over and cry, I didn't. It wasn't my turn to be the weak sister. It was my turn to be the backbone.

Anni had a few cracked ribs that would have to heal on their own. Our healing factor wasn't as amazing as Logan's because it had a restriction on it. Where would be the fun in beating us to near death when we would just jump back up in the next ten minutes? She knew that I was upset, though, and I knew it stressed her out. So whenever Logan was in the room, I left. That way my tension wouldn't bother her, and Logan and her could talk freely.

I couldn't stop thinking about the Coats. How they found us, I'd never know. Maybe there was a chip they had implanted in us, kind of like a return to sender card applied to a suitcase. Whatever the case, they had been here. They had found us. Who knows what else they had found. If they knew the kids were mutants, then I knew for sure they would be back. They'd come with military this time, though, and we'd be left unprotected.

Unless Anni and I went back. They would never leave us alone if we were still on the loose. Even if they did, we'd live in constant fear. The kids were having nightmares, I had been told. They were terrified of being taken, again, and losing another XMEN. I couldn't tell them they were safe, with truth, unless Anni and I were gone. But I couldn't make Anni leave. She loved this place, and even if she wouldn't admit it, I knew she loved Logan, and he loved her.

I sighed as I walked down the hallway where I had killed that Coat. Paul Jones, his name tag had said. Paul was married with two children, with the same genes as the blood on the wall. I wondered if when he went home, was he a kind father? Did his children run to him and greet him when he came home? I couldn't think about it. The only men I could think of them as were the ones that tortured us daily, and stole our innocence. We were children, force-fed knowledge and trade, and were turned into killing machines. This was the outcome of mutant experimentation, but somehow they thought they could beat it into us. I sighed, and sagged against the opposite wall.

The physical blood no longer remained, but I could still see it all over the walls, running in streaks. It was all over my hands. Just knowing that there might of been a good man inside Paul made me feel more like a monster. How could they have trained a child to do this, though? Cause mass-destruction with such little hands. I was twenty, but had been doing this for as long as I knew. I was sick of it. I was sick of the chase, of the pain. I was ready for it all to end.

Scott was scared of me now, apparently, and so was everyone else. Not even the Professor had looked at me since then. Unless it was a glare, I was invisible. I felt invisible, just knowing that I had protected my sister and managed to lose everything else.

I was unaware to footsteps coming down the hall, until they were right in front of me. I looked up at Logan with cold eyes, knowing that he wasn't here on his own business. I couldn't help but feel some sort of anger; maybe because Scott hadn't even asked me if I was okay. I don't know.

Logan sat on my right, staring at the wall, also. "You don't regret it, do you, kid?" He asked, chewing on one of his cigars. I looked over at him with soft eyes before saying in a much softer voice then his gravely one.

"Logan, I'd never feel sorry for killing one of them. But what have I done to his kids? How are they going to take it when their father never comes home from work again?" I could feel myself near tears. "You'd kill to protect Rogue, wouldn't you?" I asked, looking at him. He nodded. "And you wouldn't feel an ounce of regret for it, because you know it was right. And that's how I feel. But Logan, why do I have to lose everything I was gaining just because I was protecting all that I have?" A tear landed on my knee, and I placed my head on top of it.
Logan was silent for a moment, thinking. I didn't have the courage to use my powers to read anyone's mind lately, let alone use my power to grab a piece of toast from across the room.

"Scott is a strong believer in justice, Jasey. He doesn't like to kill. But I think he understands how you feel. Maybe he's working through his past. He loved Jean with all he had, and now you're here; a chance for a new beginning."

I was silent, before nodding and closing my eyes. So many thoughts were running through my head constantly, but the silence was nice every once in a while. Logan began to stand, before I talked quietly. "Logan?" He looked at me, his eyes saying that he understood. "If anything happens to me, if I get captured by the Coats, or if I just.. can't go on, take care of Anneliese for me. She deserves it."

Logan nodded, and I did, too. He walked off, and I closed my eyes before leaning against the wall. Until Scott spoke, I'd be waiting. And luckily, I had time for that. How much time, though, well. I have no idea.