Who: Wild Child & Wisdom What: A chat, a mission and a delivery When: Tuesday evening Where: Excalibur offices Pete sat at his desk, downstairs in the Excalibur offices, his little domain inside the Haven walls. He was waiting for Wild Child, an operative of his gone missing, or rogue, or nobody knew for sure. He had to ascertain that he was fit for duty for himself, no matter what all the bizarre and conflicting before and after psych evaluations showed. It was like looking at two different men, two different mutants who shared a similar physiognomy and form of mutation and little else, depending on how one looked at it. It was interesting to note that new Gibs seemed to be much less feral than before, and yet this had been the Gibs who killed an innocent girl. That was something Wisdom was unable to overlook.
The old Gibs had been more feral, supposedly more savage, and yet he’d been like a loyal puppy. True, he had tried to attack Pete and seriously injured Kurt the one time, but in hindsight Pete saw that what he had done was like reaching for a frightened, cornered dog. Whomever or whatever it had been that had dulled his team’s senses and stolen their target right from under their noses must have been what had Gibs so tense and irascible.
Whatever the causes, and whatever might have happened, Pete couldn’t make any decisions until he spoke to the man himself. And even if he proved to be unstable enough to kill, so long as he remained trustworthy Wisdom had a job for him that would actually benefit from his erratic behavior of late.
***
The Haven had been a lonely place for Kyle ever since his return. No, that was not entirely accurate... it had always been a lonely place, Kyle had only had the senses to realize this fact since his return. Despite remaining visible and social, he had spent much of his time alone, reflecting on his actions and a possible future. His talk with both Logan and Laura had given him a great deal to think about. Everyone had been... very kind about his actions, much more kind than Gibs was willing to be on himself. It bothered him deeply, and the fact that he felt, deep down, that he still could not lay a hand, or a claw, on the people who had done this to him was even more disturbing. How deep into his mind had they gotten, how much had they changed him? It was not the first time Kyle Gibney had been radically changed, and once again it was, overall, a good change, but if he could not defend himself against the most horrible people he could think of...
New Years Eve had been spent alone on the roof. With his sensitive nose and digestive tract, Kyle had no desire to consume alcohol or most of the cooked and spiced foods that most people ate. He had been content to sit and watch the stars and fireworks, besides it was good training for him. He still needed to keep his feral side in check, and the boom of the fireworks tugged at an instinct which told him to run. Still, so much time alone, so much time for reflection had left Gibs unsure and, for possibly the first time in his life, uncomfortable in his own skin.
The young man who stepped into Wisdom’s office was not the hyper puppy who had haunted these rooms so many times before. He stood straight, shoulders squared, had a sense of confidence, a sense of himself which he had been unable to even consider before. Jeans still hung slightly loose around his legs, but were distinctly lacking in rips, tears and mud, and a soft button down shirt framed the muscles of his neck. He stepped in and gave a quiet clear of his throat to alert his boss that he had arrived, offering a slightly timid smile. “You wanted to see me?”
****
If Wisdom were to be honest with himself, he would concede that he had been putting this meeting off. Seeing Wild Child at all brought back a whole slew of bad memories, from the great big clusterfuck that had been that botched op to the news that their bad intel had gotten some X-men hurt and Ororo captured. Thankfully she was back, and Logan was nigh indestructible. They had also found Laura and Counterfeit, both of whom were on the mend. However, Bryan was down for the count, and Pete wasn’t very hopeful that the boy would rise up to the challenge any time soon. Not that he blamed him, after what he’d been through. And now the last of the missing was back. Kyle Gibney, a feral man whom he had rescued from the MLF, and who had acted towards him with the grateful loyalty of a puppy. He’d even become friends with his dog, Buster. And then Kyle had almost killed him. All in all, not a good few months.
Then he was faced with the man himself, no longer the feral, crouched up thing running on all fours, but... this. Whatever this was. Knowing what to expect and actually seeing this poised stranger wearing Kyle’s face before him were too very different things. Unless this was some sort of clone, made with technology which as far as Pete knew did not currently exist, this man standing in his office was the genuine article. He should know. He made the labs test and retest until they threatened bodily harm.
“I suppose I did,” he replied calmly, tilting his head slightly back to look up at the blond feral. He couldn’t stop his left eyebrow from shooting up in a sharp arc. “It looks like you’ve been cleared for duty. No nasty bugs in your brain waiting to turn you back into a killing machine. No tracers or trackers inside or outside your body. I believe they even checked for nanotech in your bloodstream, and it showed up clean. And so, here you are.” Pete eyed him again, at a loss for what else to say. “You look... different,” he offered, a little sarcastically, but this dry humor was about all he could muster up at this point.
***
“I feel... different,” Kyle returned in a quiet rumble, dropping himself rather heavily down into a chair. He was actually reading social cues, something else new. Wisdom was sitting, so he should sit too, no need to wait for the order. He lifted a big hand, still as clawed and hairy as before, and raked it through his long hair to push it out of his eyes. He took in a slow breath and settled back in his chair a little, resisting the still ever-present urge to fidget, as he peered across the space at Wisdom. “I guess you’re the one to tell me if that’s good or not, huh?”
No, Gibs was still not entirely sure this change was good, at least not after a great deal of introspection. He was more human, that was good for the man in him and likely for the smooth functioning of society around him, but he could still feel the feral caged deep within, and he still had his concerns about his ability to fight those who had done this to him, though he was keeping that distinctly to himself for now. His full lips pressed into a thin line before he leaned slightly forward, bushy brows knitting up with a look of honest concern as he spoke. “You really did run all those tests? And they all came out ok?” The last thing he wanted was to hurt anyone, he would never do it of his own will, but knowing what he had done under the control of others... it was disturbing and more than enough to make one question themselves.
***
“I guess I am, at that,” Pete echoed, still unsure of what to make of this new and arguably improved Gibs. He sucked in the corner of his lips and worried it as he observed the blond man. “Let me begin by stating that we looked for you everywhere, and somehow managed to not find you until you literally came running back to us.” He nodded, and a pregnant silence followed. Pete cleared his throat and pressed ahead.
“So I understand you remember everything from before this... change,” he pressed on, needing to get a sense of where he stood with the man. Did he feel taken advantage of now that he was no longer a largely mindless feral? Did he still feel that loyalty he had shown in the past? “Because if you do, I have one very important question for you. The day you disappeared, you were fine one moment, and then you turned on us. Do you remember that, and if you do, do you recall why? I’ve been asking myself that question this whole time.
***
Kyle had to pause and think how to best articulate the situation. He did not blurt out the first thing which came to mind, something new and different right there! He scratched at the thick fur along his jaw before clearing his throat in a low rumble, keeping his eyes cast downward. “You have to understand... things from then are... I wasn’t...” He stopped, took in a deep breath and started over, trying to meet and hold eye contact with Wisdom this time. “I couldn’t think then, not like you can, not like I can now. There was very little planning or anything like that. I was with you, we were going but then,” he paused, and genuine distress touched his features for an instant.
“There was something out there, and every instinct told me not to go to it. Everyone was so intent on leaving, but leaving that way was... trouble.” He was aware that it was an odd, vague explanation, but how else did you describe instinct? It was a challenge just to put it into words. “I was trying to tell you, but I couldn’t... articulate. And you were angry, there were people coming after us and I... reacted.” He hung his head, long hair falling loosely around his face as he sat in silence, looking like a kicked puppy for that moment. “I am sorry,” he added softly, as if he was already aware that it was too late for apologies. He had so many apologies to give here, too. Where should he even begin? Attacking his boss, wounding a teammate, killing someone from the Haven, trying to kill a friend? None of it was any good and Gibs was entirely sure that simple apologies were just not enough.
****
“Don’t look so glum, lad. I’d figured as much a while back,” Pete said in a professional yet reassuring voice. “I need to ask these things. I’m sure you understand.” He blinked at himself as he said the words, because what he was really thinking was that at best he could hope Gibs would understand. He paused for a long moment, teeth clenched and breathing through his nose. Those perceptive, knowing eyes kept studying Kyle. “Apology accepted,” he finally said, because his conscious mind knew that Gibs had only acted on instinct. But, still... “We were able to get Kurt back to the healer in time to save him, and he made a full recovery, as you may know.” He let that sink in for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, Gibney, I am glad you are back with us and seem to be healthy and even fitter for duty than before we lost you, but if Kurt hadn’t made it, we would be having a very different conversation right now, we would,” he deadpanned coldly, a steely undertone to his voice.
He’d liked the old Gibs a great deal, Wisdom had, but he had to be honest with the man precisely because of that. No matter how much he liked him, if he had killed another of his operatives in a particularly nasty and clawed version of friendly fire, Pete would have put him down like a mad dog. It would have been the same if the positions were reversed, and someone had hurt Kyle in the line of duty for no reason. As it was, Wisdom seriously wanted to have words with the people who had done this to Kyle, and to Laura, and to Bryan. It didn’t take a genius to figure that this all had to be related to the same shadowy entity who had done a similar thing to Wolverine, and surely others in the Brotherhood of Mutants as well, according to his intel. And speaking of the Brotherhood...
“I have a job for you, if you feel like you’re up for it. Given your current situation, it might even be good for you to be away from the Haven for a while. Let people cool off and all that.” He watched Kyle for a reaction. “That is, unless you have anything else to tell me?”
***
Gibney kept his eyes down, still upset by his own actions, but he did nod to show he was listening and he understood. He was glad the little blue man was healed, he had never meant to hurt him. He would not have even have hurt Wisdom, the swipe had been more show than anything, but when someone literally threw themselves upon his claws, well... He did his best to shake the memory away, it was giving him phantom blood scents and that was stirring the very real feral within him. That was the last thing he needed. “I understand,” he said calmly, and lifted his eyes to meet Wisdom’s once more. “And I want you to know... I would rather die before I let Excalibur down.”
Kyle’s eyes went wide at the mention of getting away from the Haven, nostrils flaring in a mix of surprise, fear and relief. Was he being thrown out? Not that he would blame anyone for doing so, he had blood on his claws, no question. Still, it stung. Where would he go if he was not welcome here? He had no idea when and if the feral in him would take over again. He had been on some kind of serum, something which repressed the wild beast, how could he live among normal humans if that broke free? How could he live among normal humans now, with his slitted eyes, clawed fingers and tendency to growl? He was more human now than he had been since the Flare, yet he was still a far cry from normal.
“...I...” He started to speak, watching Wisdom a moment before dropping his eyes again. “I’ve spoken to Laura. A friend of the girl I killed. She said I can stay. But... I’m not sure I should. Not sure it’s good for anyone. I don’t know where else to go. I’m not... normal.” Not like you, the thought entered his head without his bidding. I can’t hide what I am, no matter how hard I try. He pushed it aside, setting his jaw before he rumbled low in his chest, “If you have somewhere I should be... I’d love to hear it.” Were Logan present, or anyone with a feral nose, they would smell the shame, isolation and dejection radiating off Gibney, but he called upon his recently acquired, more human skills and kept most of this off his face. Most of it.
****
“I appreciate that,” Pete replied at the very unexpected declaration. He could see the struggle behind Kyle’s eyes, the conflict and the humanity there. Under different circumstances, this would have been something he would have felt was worth celebrating. The way things stood, he knew this newfound clarity only served to torture Kyle in many ways. “Yes. You may certainly stay. That’s not the point, mate. No one’s kicking you out, if that’s what you’re thinking. This would be an op, for Excalibur. If you’re willing, you’d be going undercover into the Brotherhood.”
Wisdom grabbed a thin folder and shoved it at Kyle over his desk. “Everything you need to know is there. It’s a simple op. You’ll just be there, observe, and report back to me through my eyes and ears in Mutant Town, mostly. I repeat, this is strictly voluntary,” he went on. “Your recent actions actually present the perfect, believable excuse for you to abandon the Haven and seek refuge with them. Use the truth to build the lie. You felt ostracized, feared and mistrusted by the residents here, many of which did not believe you’d been brainwashed and under mind control. Et cetera. What do you think?”
***
Gibney blinked and gave himself a bit of time to take all the information in. He did feel... out of place at the Haven now. Not like Wisdom was suggesting for his cover, but certainly uncomfortable. Guilt was heavy on him, memories and concerns around every corner. In a very real way, his feral, instinctual, chaotic and random life had been a blissful one. No time for introspection, no time to eat himself alive with his thoughts, just happily romping through the woods and tearing up any slippers left lying about. It had been nice, looking back on it.
But that was the past, and his future, or at least one potential future, was laying in that folder before him. Slowly he straightened and reached one big hand out to settle upon it before bringing the folder to himself. His eyes glanced over the pages, taking in any details which seemed important as his mind raced. The Brotherhood would be a fresh start, and from what he knew, a little blood under your belt was considered a good thing there. He pressed his lips into a thin line before his eyes flicked back to Wisdom. “I’ll need to think about it, of course,” he began quietly. “But it sounds... like it could be a good plan.” A little distance, a little extra breathing room, a few people who might not look at him with fear over his attacking them for a burger, or lashing out for no reason or because he was brainwashed. He took in another slow breath before he slumped back in his seat a little more, studying the file. “A very good plan.”
****
“You do that. Think about it, but don’t think too long. I need an answer while your alibi is still viable,” Pete replied simply when there was a knock at the door. Cooper’s voice called out, and Wisdom had a moment of confusion. Since when did Xavier’s lackey come calling?
“Excuse me, Mr. Wisdom,” the man said, “but Mr. Xavier says you don’t like his telepathic communication.”
“What is it, Cooper? I’m in a meeting, my good man,” Pete said briskly but just politely enough to get a pass.
“This was couriered to this address, charge of the professor, but it is sealed and addressed to you. Quite a seal that is,” the man replied, nonplussed, stepping in and handing Pete an envelope that made him blanch.
“Thank you, Cooper. Quite,” he answered, his mouth dry. He watched Cooper promptly leave and turned back to Gibs. “What was I saying? Oh. Right. Let me know ASAP. If you’ll excuse me, now, this actually is important.” He eyed the package with trepidation. “And hopefully not a bomb.”
The seal. That was the Queen’s seal, and not a forgery. Pete had a bad feeling about this.
***
Gibney heard Cooper approach, it was not like a man of his size could move silently, so the knock did not startle him. He sat quietly and watched the little exchange. His nose easily told him that Wisdom’s reaction to the package was complex and powerful, and Gibs knew it was more than high time for him to be going. No point sticking his nose into the emotional affairs of others, God knew he had enough of his own problems to deal with. He nodded and stood, waving the folder lightly. “It shouldn’t take too long. I had a lot of time to think over new years.”
He started for the door and almost left without a word. But, hand on the door, he turned back to look at Wisdom. “‘S not a bomb,” he stated simply, then tapped the side of his nose. Were it a bomb, he would have smelled it. Hopefully that was some kind of comfort? He cracked a small, fangy smile then let himself out and left Wisdom to his little package. Were his mind any more clear, he would have snickered at that, but for now he was just a little too distracted.
***
Wisdom gave Kyle a tight smile in return. “Brilliant, mate. Cheers,” he said softly, not even sure if Kyle had heard him or not. He closed and locked the door, and came back to open the package. He did, and he read what was inside.
Pete Wisdom had to sit down. He lit a cigarette, the first of many, and reread the letter a few times, thinking each time it made less sense than the time before, even though the missive was quite simple and straightforward. Finally, he set the papers down in front of him and sucked in almost half his cigarette before exhaling and running his hand over his face.
“Ah, bugger,” he cursed under his breath. Now, that was some big news.