“We gotta find somewhere safe to stay until Diana awakens,” Storm comments, grabbing Wolverine and taking to the sky with him.
HLM and Raph keep the monster at bay while Logan and Ororo scan the area.
“Looks like there’re mountains over there!” Logan shouts, pointing with his chin.
“Mebbe there’re caves,” Raph rumbles between blows.
“My thoughts exactly, bub,” Wolvie answers as Storm starts leading the group toward the mountains at top speed.
At the same time, HLM manifests a sharp, long stick out of a tree that she spied only a second ago. She grips it as one would a javelin or spear, and hurls it with one powerful thrust of her arm into one of the massive, dark eyes nested in the horrendous face. When it screeches and rears back, blind with pain, HLM runs after the rest, catching up.
“Nice shot, woman,” Raph hollers.
“Thanks!”
For a few seconds, they can hear the monster thrashing behind them, but it’s not long before there’s silence.
They trek through dense vegetation that seemed to appear out of nowhere while they were running from the monster for about an hour. The landscape changed the barren rock as quickly as it changed from swamp to forest. Wolvie and Storm land to help look for an unoccupied cave.
“This is strange landscape,” Jae comments.
Storm nods. “Yes, and the weather patterns are warped, as well.”
“That, Lord Jadeite and Lady Munro, is because this world was the center of much magical warfare before the magicians killed themselves off,” the sword suddenly speaks into everyone’s heads.
“How d’you know?” Wolvie asks gruffly.
The sword answers in the manner of a person answering an annoying little kid who asks too many questions. “I just do.”
“Friggin’ stuck up sword,” Wolvie grumbles, going back to looking for the cave.
“Hey, hey, can we say jackpot?” HLM exclaims from where she’s standing with Storm, by a partially hidden cave mouth.
“Didn’t know we were gambling,” Jae grumbles, gently shifting Diana’s weight in his arms.
“I believe what she means is that we have found a cave we can rest in,” Storm answers.
“'Zactly,” HLM says, her eyes glowing, searching for any strange energy patterns to see if there’s anything alive in it. “Damn, the energy patterns are fucked up, too. Hey, Miz Speaking Sword, how long ago did these wars happen?”
“At least a century ago,” it answers.
“Sheesh…anyway, I don’t see anything living. What does your shnoz say, Wolverino?”
“Smells safe to me, Moron.”
At that, the group cautiously makes its way into the cave.
Like most caves, this one is dank and cold; hardly a comfortable resting spot. It’s safe, though, and there’s a stream running through it, so once boiled, they might have some fresh drinking water.
“Yeah, just add curtains, and it’ll be just like home,” Raph comments upon entry.
“Oh, come on, hon. You’ve lived in a sewer your whole life, and anyway, it’s better than the swamp,” HLM tells her man with a grin, as she manifests the blankets again and a bucket.
Jae and Storm had gone off to gather firewood, and HLM and Raph are pitching camp. This leaves Wolvie to guard the entrance and keep an eye on Diana’s vital signs. She hasn’t regained consciousness since her battle with Ed, and everyone’s worried.
Logan rests two gentle fingertips on Diana’s neck to check her pulse again. It’s slow, but steady.
Mebbe she just used up all her energy, and will wake up soon. She’s a nice enough kid, and don’t deserve to be burned out so young. Plus, she’s our ticket out of here.
“How she doin’?”
He looks up at the soft voice to see HLM standing there in her stained, torn jeans and bikini top. She’d lost the shirt somewhere along the way.
He’s struck by how pretty she is in a paradoxly delicate and tough way. She also reminds him of himself, and that, like very few things, scares him.
“She’s still sleepin’,” he answers gruffly. “Ya got the camp all set up?”
“Yeah,” Raph answers, coming up behind HLM and wrapping his arms around her.
Man, those two’re made for each other.
Raph’s also like him, in the temper department, Wolvie realizes with a jolt. If they were from the same reality, Logan and Raph could probably have one hell of a rip-roarin’ good time.
Jae and Storm return, arms loaded with enough firewood to last the night, and soon they have a decent fire going, placed so the cave doesn’t end up filling with smoke.
As they eat their stew made from the left overs of last night, and eaten from mugs manifested by HLM, Wolvie grins. He realizes that this is the most fun he’s had in ages.
Reunions Index
Chapter Eight
Chapter Ten