First Dance: Part Three
Spotting something in the sand, Domino knelt down to look. It was a shovel, she realized. A kid's plastic sand shovel, probably forgotten during the day. Beside it were three small, symmetrical piles of sand. A castle, she thought with a smile.
"What are you doing?" Bridge called.
"Admiring sand castles," she shot back. Following a sudden impulse, she used the tip of the shovel to add the outlines of windows to the castle. She thought she remembered doing this before, a long time ago. Wishful thinking, a voice in her mind said derisively. She had so few clear memories of those years. But this seemed so familiar, there had to be some substance behind it--
Bridge, who'd been meticulously picking up litter and depositing it in the trash cans, came over and smiled as he saw the castle. "Looks like someone's a budding architect," he said with a chuckle.
"Either that or the kid just liked getting dirty," Domino said, knowing she sounded a little shrewish but unable to help herself. Something had been taking shape in her mind, a memory, maybe, but when he'd interrupted her, she'd lost it.
The combination of the moonlight and the glow of the light in the nearby parking lot didn't provide much illumination, but Domino still saw the curious look Bridge gave her. "Probably both, knowing kids," he said easily.
Domino told herself to stop scowling at him. He'd actually been rather pleasant since they'd left the bar, she reflected. He was a little unsteady on his feet, making her think he'd probably had a fair bit to drink before her arrival, but he seemed perfectly clear-headed.
Frankly, she'd thought this 'walk' was just an excuse for him or Cable to pry more personal information out of her. Especially after Creed had all but revealed her connection to Logan back in the bar. But neither of them acted real surprised, she reminded herself. They must have known already, like I thought. Still, it seemed strange that it didn't matter to them, and more than a little suspicious that they'd agreed to take her into the Wild Pack so quickly. But the expected questions had never materialized. Bridge had just made small talk since they'd gotten here, and Cable--well, as far as she could tell, Cable had forgotten her existence entirely.
Domino looked down the beach to where he stood, right at the water's edge, absolutely motionless as he stared out at the lake. From here, she couldn't even tell if he was breathing.
"What's he doing?" she asked Bridge, unable to restrain her curiosity any longer. He shrugged.
"Communing with Lake Ontario, for all I know." She scowled at him, and he smiled, raising a defensive hand. "That wasn't a joke, Domino. Like I said before, he takes some getting used to."
"And are you 'used' to him yet?" Domino asked, more sharply than she'd intended. But she'd caught an odd undertone in Bridge's amiable words, a hint of long-suppressed frustration.
Bridge's expression hardened, but his reply, when it came, was surprisingly mild. "Hell, no. But I try." Before she could say anything, he looked past her and grimaced. "One of these days I'm going to borrow that oversized gun of Nate's and go hunting for litterbugs," he muttered darkly, and walked on without another word.
She peered at the patch of sand he was bearing down on, but couldn't see anything. Nothing he'd been picking up had been all that noticeable; candy wrappers, cigarette butts, the odd aluminum can. By most standards, this beach was pretty tidy. This was Toronto, after all. She'd heard that filmmakers using it as a double for American cities had to bring in garbage to make the street scenes look realistic.
Bridge seemed a little on the fastidious side. What did Cable call him? 'Mr. By-the-Book', wasn't it? That'd had the sound of a nickname, the way Cable had said it. Domino reminded herself to jaywalk in front of him at the first opportunity. Then we'll see how far HE can be pushed.
Grinning, she left him to his refuse hunt and strode down the beach towards Cable. As she approached him, she felt curiously apprehensive, as if she were about to intrude on something very private. But her curiosity, insatiable as always, drew her onwards.
He kept staring out at the lake, not acknowledging her presence as she came up beside him. Domino studied his expressionless face thoughtfully, and for a moment, just a heartbeat, really, thought that she had never seen anyone quite so lonely in her life.
Cable blinked and then looked down at her, his left eye glowing briefly. "Lose interest in the sand castle?" he asked politely.
She managed a shrug. But it infuriated her, that she couldn't read this man. Most people were as transparent as glass, if you knew how to look, but not Cable. Opaque didn't even cover it. "Beautiful night, isn't it," she remarked, lacking anything better to say. "Toronto's a nice-looking city," she continued. "I've never been here before."
"As cities go, it's better than most," Cable said in a detached voice. "Quieter, at least."
"You don't like cities?" She sensed, somehow, that this was an important bit of information, that it revealed something--but she'd be damned if she knew what.
"No," he said brusquely, and changed the subject. "G.W. and I have to go and meet with our new employer in the morning," he told her. "We'll be leaving for Europe tommorow night--did you bring your gear with you?" When she nodded, he looked mildly pleased. "Good, that will save time. Once we're there, we'll have a few days, maybe even a week of intelligence-gathering before we actually move on our target. I'd prefer to give you more time to settle in, learn our procedures--"
"The best training for something is doing it," Domino said, quoting one of Logan's favorite sayings. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Cable glared down at her, looking seriously irritated. Has he heard that from Logan before? she wondered uneasily. Crap, I think I'm pushing my luck here--they might be putting my history with him aside, but that might change if I shove it in their faces like this!
"Interesting attitude," he said in a chilly voice. "So it's full speed ahead and damn the tornadoes?"
"The WHAT?" she blurted without thinking. "Don't you mean torpedoes?" He gave her such an evil look that she almost took a step backwards. Mental note, she told herself. Does not take kindly to being corrected.
"Whatever," he growled, sounding exasperated. "My point was, charging headlong into things without preparation is a sure way to get yourself killed."
"I'm not saying training isn't important," Domino said carefully, trying to placate him. Oops. Looks like I just pushed a button by accident. "I'm not stupid, Cable. But pretending you can prepare for every contingency is just--"
"If you're not stupid, you're doing a pretty good impression of it," he said harshly. Before she could object, he went on. "Of course you can't prepare for everything. Not even if you know--or think you know--the future." There was a strange, bitter amusement in his voice that she didn't understand.
"Cryptic much?" she said stiffly. For some reason, the rebuke, mild as it was, stung as much as Bridge's insults had earlier.
"Don't change the subject," he said, glowering at her. "Training is important, yes. But physical training, however neccessary it is for people in our line of work, is only one side of the equation. When you pulled your gun on Creed back there, you were fast. I was impressed, and I don't impress easily." Before she could even react to the compliment, he went on, his voice growing even harsher. "But you have to learn to think even faster than you can move, Domino. Someday, you'll find yourself with no time to consider alternatives, no time to do anything but act. You might end up choosing the wrong path, but if you don't choose, if you can't make the decision before it's too late--chances are you won't be the only one who suffers for it."
He didn't raise his voice, but it took all of Domino's self-control to hold her ground against the terrible intensity of his words. He's speaking from personal experience, a wiser, calmer voice told her. He's trying to tell you something. Pay attention to him.
"Are you--" She cleared her throat and continued. "You're talking about instinct?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bridge watching them.
Cable's shoulders slumped, as if an enormous weight had suddenly descended on him. "I hope you live long enough to be able to tell the difference," he said bleakly, and turned back to the lake. "Tell Bridge where you're staying. We'll stop and pick you up after the meeting tommorow."
Domino stared at him for a moment, wondering what had just happened. Was this another test--one she'd failed? When the silence dragged on, she gathered her composure and gave him a brisk nod.
"I'll see you in the morning, then." It seemed like such an inadequate thing to say. She felt like she was copping out, walking away from a challenge because she didn't understand how to respond to it. This was stupid! she thought savagely. She'd gotten what she wanted tonight, a place in the Wild Pack, but it didn't feel like a victory. She got the sense that Cable, for all that he'd made the offer himself, would've preferred it if that cab driver had gotten her so lost that she'd missed the meeting entirely. Why the hell did you say yes, if you don't want me here? she wanted to shout at him.
"Domino," Cable said suddenly as she started to turn away. He looked over at her, and she was surprised at the real strain on his face. "How long have you been in the business?" he asked.
"About a year as a freelancer," she said uncertainly, not sure where this was going. "Why?"
"A year," he said softly. "A lifetime, at your age." She stiffened, sure he was being condescending, but he shook his head. "I didn't mean it that way. Just--be sure, Domino. Be very sure this is what you want." He turned back towards the lake, and shadows obscured his face. "You can't know what you're getting into, so I won't even tell you to try. But make up your mind, before tommorow night, if you really want this life."
Domino stared at him, taken aback. So he had been giving her an out earlier, when he'd suggested a trial period. And here he was, trying to do it again. Did he really not think she was capable, or was it something else?
"I made my decision a long time ago, Cable," she said finally. There was no other answer she could have given him. "What about you?" she asked a little waspishly, though there was genuine curiosity behind the question as well. Maybe this was self-doubt at work here, his own regrets. "Is this the life you want?"
"There's a difference," he said in an expressionless voice. "I never had a choice." He looked at her for a moment, measuringly, and then back at the lake for a long moment, as if etching the image into his memory. "Sleep well." He started down the beach in the other direction.
Domino watched him go. After a moment, Bridge appeared at her side. "Well," he said quietly. "Remind me not to try and get him drunk again." He looked down at her measuringly. "Then again, there is that old saying about 'truth in the wine'--"
Domino scowled, but she wasn't about to let Bridge see how unsettling she'd found the whole conversation. "I'm fairly sure I'm never going to understand him," she said sardonically. "Not if I end up staying with the Wild Pack for the next fifty years."
"Join the club," Bridge said with a faint smile. "Want a ride back to wherever you're staying?"
Domino blinked. "Sure. I don't think I could trust myself around any more cab drivers tonight. But what about him?" She gestured at the figure growing more distant by the moment.
"Nate'll be fine. Don't worry."
"You do, though," Domino said, to see his reaction. But Bridge merely shook his head.
"True, but where does it get me?" He stared after Cable for a moment, and then shook his head ruefully. "On second thought, I've done a little too much celebrating tonight. We could go and find the nearest subway station?"
"Walking me home, huh?" she said banteringly. He chuckled, offering her his arm in an exaggerated parody of good manners. She shook her head at him warningly, but followed him quite willingly off the beach. This gave her the perfect chance to ask some questions of her own.
***
The watcher in the shadows waited until Domino and Bridge were well out of sight. Bridge could be trusted to see her safely back to her hotel, he decided. In any case, he had some unfinished business to take care of here. Carefully, he began to creep down the beach after Cable.
But as soon as he caught up to him, Cable stopped, turning to stare out at the water again. The watcher bit back a curse. Damn, don't tell me he's--
"Seen enough, Logan?" Cable called.
This time, the curse slipped out. "And you're supposed to be a low-level telepath?" Logan said sourly, stepping out of the shadows into view. Well, he'd given it a try. He would have preferred to keep control of the situation, but being off-balance wasn't a new experience for him. Not when it was Cable he was facing.
"Low-level, alpha-class--not much difference on an empty beach," Cable murmured. He kept his back to Logan, an unmistakable challenge. Logan didn't take it up, this time. He wasn't there to fight, after all. "And anger makes most people think more loudly than usual. For all the trouble I have reading you, you're no exception to the rule." Logan went down to join him at the waterline, keeping a careful distance. Cable glanced sideways at him with an ironic smile. "I'm shocked. I don't even rate the claws tonight?"
"I haven't decided yet," Logan growled. Part of him was tempted, just because of Creed. He knew it wasn't Cable's fault. It was just a particularly nasty coincidence, that was all. And Neena had handled it well. But the way that animal had looked at her--Logan had been hard-pressed to stay concealed. He'd wanted to gouge Creed's eyes out. "How long have you known I was there?"
"Not long," Cable admitted. "Only since Domino left. Can't hear much of anything else, with her around. All the sneakiness you undoubtedly passed on to her doesn't do much good when she broadcasts her thoughts so loudly. She'll have to work on that--it's a liability." Cable gave him a measuring look. "I'm assuming you've been around for a while--in the crowd at the Gatehouse, maybe? I thought I sensed someone who wasn't affected by my mindwipe." Logan didn't answer, and Cable's voice turned cold. "My turn to ask a question. Why the hell didn't you talk her out of this?"
"Don't you think I tried, Cable?" Logan snarled in frustration. "Do you think I WANT her running around with you?" He didn't say that his objections to Domino joining the Wild Pack would have been much less strenuous if Cable hadn't been in the picture. He didn't need to say it; Cable knew.
"Of course not," Cable said dryly. "I might corrupt her."
"Corrupt her?" Logan's claws came out, almost of their own accord, and Cable smiled again at the sound. It was a cold smile, this time, and oddly satisfied. "To tell you the truth, bub, I'm more worried about you getting her killed!"
"So little faith in how you trained her, Logan?" Cable asked challengingly. "She seems competent enough."
"I have all the faith in the world in her, pal," Logan growled, his temper flaring at the veiled amusement in Cable's eyes. "And none at all in you!"
"Ask me if I care, Logan."
The lack of any emotion in Cable's voice finally registered on Logan. Something strange here, Logan thought suspiciously, but didn't sheathe his claws. "Are you drunk?" he asked, remembering what he'd seen in the bar.
Cable shrugged. "Drunk, no. At least I don't think so." He shook his head slowly. "I thought alcohol was supposed to dull your perceptions. But everything's so clear. Too clear. I don't like it." Cable seemed to consider the problem for a moment. "Maybe I didn't have enough."
Logan sighed, sheathing his claws. "Great," he growled. "Thought you didn't drink, Nate."
"You learn something new every day," Cable said brusquely. "So are we going to fight, Logan?" He smiled again. "To quote your student--who really shouldn't have tried to keep her connection to you a secret--I'm game if you are."
"Depends," Logan said, thinking rather pointedly that Cable had less cause than most to be complaining about others keeping secrets. Someone who played fast and loose with the trust of others didn't deserve any in return.
Cable chuckled dryly, apparently 'hearing' him. "On what does it depend, Logan?" he asked almost mockingly.
"On whether you took Neena into the Wild Pack to spite me." The question had been nagging at him since he'd witnessed the meeting in the Gatehouse, and realized that Cable had figured out Neena's connection to him.
Cable snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. You're not worth the effort."
"Why, then?" Logan demanded, his confidence returning at the cold arrogance of Cable's reply. This Cable, he knew--and could handle. "There're plenty of other mercs out there with the skills you and Bridge needed. People with more experience--years more experience. So why her?"
Cable considered his question for a moment. "I could say that we needed someone as soon as possible, and she was the first qualified candidate. That would be part of the truth."
"And the rest of it?" Logan asked, trying to keep the angry suspicion out of his voice. Cable's expression grew oddly troubled.
"I could say that I--see something in her. A potential, for lack of a better word, that I'd like to see fulfilled." He sighed. "I know you won't believe me, but I do wish she'd chosen a different path in life. She's too--she deserves something better."
"So your little warning to her wasn't for my benefit, then," Logan said slowly, trying very hard to understand this concern on Cable's part for a young woman he'd known for precisely an hour.
"Hardly," Cable snapped, suddenly impatient. "I told you, I didn't even know you were there. I didn't really expect her to change her mind. I've known too many like her, I should've known better. But I hoped--I--" He shook his head almost angrily. "It was her choice, Logan. I regret it, but I also know that she has a better chance of surviving in an established group, like mine. You trained her well, I can see that, but she's still got so much more to learn--"
"From you?" Logan asked skeptically. "Sorry, Cable, but I don't really see you as the teacher type."
Cable's cold smile returned. "Amazing. We actually agree on something." He turned to go, and Logan growled warningly.
"I'm not through with you yet, bub--"
Cable whirled on him so fast that Logan unsheathed his claws again, instinctively. "Stop blustering," he said caustically. "Her choice, Logan. If you value your relationship with her, you'll respect it."
"It's because I 'value that relationship' that I'm here," Logan snarled. "I sure as hell didn't come to get lectured by you!"
A sudden, grudging look of sympathy crossed Cable's face. "Let her go, Logan. You can't cage a hawk."
"And if I don't think she's ready to fly on her own?" Logan asked sarcastically, carrying on with the metaphor.
"That's not a choice you--or any of us--get to make," Cable said coldly. "Deal with it, or don't. I don't really care." Giving Logan a dismissive look, he turned and started down the beach again.
Logan didn't follow. "If anything happens to her, Cable--" he stared warningly. Cable stopped, but didn't turn around.
"Don't delude yourself," he said bitterly. "'Things' will happen to her, Logan. It's inevitable. Oath, I'm even willing to admit that you're right, and I'll probably be responsible for some of them."
"Big of you."
"Shut up. Either trust her to handle the consequences on her own, or try to protect her. I wouldn't reccommend the latter--from what I've seen, she wouldn't take kindly to that. But whatever you choose, leave me alone."
And Logan, getting the impression that he'd somehow lost this round, asked a question. A question he would look back on after one fateful night in the stronghold of Apocalyse, years later, and curse himself for asking.
"What about you, Nate?" he growled. "You practice what you preach?" Cable didn't answer, and Logan continued, a little more maliciously than he'd intended. "Have you ever had to 'let anyone go' before? Were YOU ready when the time came?"
Cable stiffened. "Yes, yes, and no."
"And did they learn how to fly?" Logan asked sarcastically.
"To fly?" Cable said softly, no trace of amusement in his voice at having his own metaphor turned back on him. "No."
The grief in his voice, just beneath the surface, was sobering. Logan fell silent, aware he'd hit home somehow, cut more deeply than he'd intended. Cable nodded wearily, conceding the point. And walked away.
***
Someone knocked firmly on her hotel room door. Domino finished shoving the last of her things into her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. "Coming!" she called loudly as she strode across the room and opened the door.
"Good morning," Cable said dryly. "Ready to go?"
"You bet," she replied cheerfully. "The meeting go well?"
"Fine," he said with a wince. Even though he was wearing sunglasses, he was squinting, as if the lighting in the hall was too bright. "Could you not talk so loudly?"
"Hangover?" she asked with a bright smile. Bridge had not been particularly forthcoming last night, but she'd managed to get him to explain his comment about getting Cable drunk. It had amused her that, for whatever reason, one of the foremost mercenaries in the world was next door to a temperance worker. Hmm--we'll have to work on that. Might be the best--hell, the only way to get him to open up.
"I really didn't have that much to drink," Cable pointed out without a trace of a smile. "But I suppose you could call it a hangover, in a manner of speaking."
"So mysterious," she said with a mock scowl. "I'm definitely seeing a pattern here." Suddenly eager to get on with this new phase of her life, she stepped out into the hall, pulling the door shut behind her.
He didn't move out of the way quite fast enough, and she collided with him. He reached out to steady her, and as he did, she felt something odd. Almost like a mild electric shock. Staring up at him, she saw a momentary look of puzzlement in his eyes, as if he'd felt it too, and didn't know quite what to make of it.
Then he let go of her. "We're not in any hurry, Domino," he said sardonically. "Enthusiasm is all well and good. But try not to fall down the stairs and break your neck on the way out of the hotel."
"I will attempt to restrain my enthusiasm," she said primly. And batted her eyelashes at him.
His face stayed perfectly straight. "That's good. I suppose we don't need that leash after all."
"Leash?" she exclaimed. He started down the hall, and she followed him. "Excuse me?" she asked indignantly. "I hope to hell that was a joke, pal!"
"It was a joke, Domino," he assured her.
"So you have a sense of humor after all?" she asked challengingly. He stopped, looking back over his shoulder at her.
"I always did," he said with a perfectly straight face. "I just haven't used it in a while." He glanced down at his watch. "We're running late."
"I thought you said we weren't in a hurry," she said, and was delighted at the irritated look he gave her.
"I--never mind," he grumbled. "Let's get going, shall we?" She grinned at him. "Or haven't you finished trying to provoke me yet?"
"Cable, I haven't even started."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
Walking past him, head held high, she never saw him smile.
fin
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