Part 3: Two Sides of the Fire
Location: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Outdoor Terrace
Time: Morning, same day as the incident
The cold wind didn't bother Riven as he stepped out onto the stone terrace behind the mansion. Dressed in a fresh black t-shirt and simple pants, he leaned against the railing, letting the breeze wash over him. His eyes swept across the grounds—the expansive lawn, the training field in the distance, students walking or talking in clusters, their voices low and curious.
He didn't belong here. That thought clung to him like fog.
The soft creak of a door behind him didn't startle him. He already knew who it was.
Logan stepped out, cigarette already lit, a second coffee in his other hand. He offered the cup silently.
Riven took it, nodding in appreciation.
They stood side by side, drinking in silence. Smoke curled into the morning air.
"You always this quiet?" Logan finally asked.
Riven didn't look at him. "After everything… words feel small."
Logan gave a rough chuckle. "Yeah. I get that."
A pause. Then Riven asked, "Can I ask something? Your mutation… did you always have those claws and healing?"
Logan exhaled smoke slowly. "Nah. Not exactly. I was born with the healing. The claws came with the bones. The adamantium—that was forced on me." He tapped a knuckle against one of his claws. "They laced my whole damn skeleton with it. Hardest metal on Earth. Unbreakable. Turned me into a weapon."
Riven stared at the horizon. "Hydra wanted to do the same. Turn me into something they could control. I was just… a lab rat."
Logan's voice lowered. "I know the smell of that kind of pain. They took a lot from you."
Riven turned toward him now. "What about you?"
"Me?" Logan smiled bitterly. "Lived too long. Fought in wars. Lost people. Got a brother out there somewhere I haven't spoken to in years. Doesn't help that I don't age like the rest of you."
"So you're just… always angry?"
"Not always," Logan said, taking a final drag of his cigarette. "Just often."
Riven looked back out over the field. "Sounds familiar."
The two stood in silence again, their drinks nearly finished, bound not by comfort but by shared understanding.
Logan crushed the cigarette under his boot and glanced at Riven. "You ever need to talk or just blow something up, you know where to find me."
Riven didn't smile, but he nodded. And for now, that was enough.