CHAPTER 203– XAVIER AWAKENS
The late morning sun spilled through the blinds of Logan's room, stripes of gold cutting across his bare chest. He leaned in the window frame, cigar clamped between his teeth, smoke curling lazily into the air. His eyes narrowed at the horizon.
'A week since the kid came back. A week of Colossus pacing like a caged tiger, Illyana crying herself to sleep, Storm worrying over her, Kitty hovering like a little sister who doesn't know whether to hug or hide. A week of waiting for wheels to come off again. Hell of a way to measure time.'
He took a slow drag, exhaled, then flicked the stub out the window. The mansion creaked with its usual morning life, but Logan's gut said the peace wouldn't last. It never did.
The room suddenly filled with brimstone and smoke.
"Bamf!"
Logan didn't even flinch. "Morning, elf. You're late. Thought you'd wait 'til I changed my drawers before poppin' in."
Nightcrawler's yellow eyes gleamed. He was grinning ear to pointy ear. "Logan! He is awake! Professor Xavier—he has woken up!"
Logan's brows lifted. The words hit him like a shot of whiskey. "What?"
Nightcrawler grabbed his arm, tail swishing excitedly. "Come! Everyone must see!"
In a heartbeat, the mansion filled with running footsteps, doors opening, voices echoing down halls. By the time Logan padded into Xavier's room, half the family was already there.
Cyclops stood at the foot of the bed, glasses gleaming as though his eyes themselves burned brighter. Colossus filled the corner like a statue of steel sorrow. Kitty perched by the dresser, bouncing on her heels nervously. Storm stood regal, yet her hands betrayed her with the smallest tremble. Illyana clutched her brother's arm tightly. Lilandra—her whole body trembling with joy—sat at the bedside, her fingers entwined with Xavier's pale hand. Corsair lingered near the door, arms folded, eyes suspicious but softer than Logan had ever seen.
And in the bed, Charles Xavier stirred, eyelids fluttering. His lips curved into a small, weary smile.
"My… X-Men," he whispered. "I didn't expect to… wake. And yet… here I am. It seems I have won, after all."
Lilandra pressed her forehead to his hand, tears sliding down her cheeks. "You have returned to me. That is victory enough."
Kitty sniffled. "Professor… you scared us half to death! We thought you were—" She cut herself off, swallowing hard.
Xavier's eyes, though heavy, warmed at her. "I am sorry, child. It seems I still had battles to fight—within myself."
Logan stepped forward, close enough to smell him. His nose wrinkled. Something was off. Not sickness, not weakness—something buried deeper. A strange, shadowed scent clung to Xavier's skin, like smoke from a fire that hadn't burned out.
He opened his mouth.
Don't.
The voice wasn't sound—it was in his head. Charles' voice, calm but firm.
Logan's eye twitched. He kept his mouth shut, but his mind fired back, raw and blunt. 'You smell wrong, Chuck. You hiding somethin'?'
A pause. Then Xavier's thought again: You are correct. But it must remain between us, Logan. Not yet.
Logan's jaw clenched. He wanted to growl it out loud, to warn the others, but the old man's determination pressed against his skull like steel. So he folded his arms and muttered, "Fine. Your funeral, wheels."
Lilandra, unaware, straightened, her face lighting with resolve. "Then we must honor this victory. Tonight, aboard the Shi'ar flagship, I will host a banquet in celebration. For you, Charles—though I fear your body is still too weak to attend."
Xavier chuckled faintly. "You're correct, my love. I shall have to settle for stories when you return."
Storm touched his arm gently. "Rest is your duty now, Professor. Leave the celebration to us."
Illyana squeezed Colossus' hand, whispering in Russian too soft for most to catch. He bent down, kissed her hair, then looked at Logan with pain that hadn't faded in the week. Logan gave him the smallest nod back.
The room filled with warmth, relief, chatter—the whole family exhaling a breath they'd been holding for too long. Logan hung back, silent, his eyes never leaving Xavier's face.
'You're keepin' secrets, old man. I can smell it. And secrets… they always come back to bite.'