Chapter 3

The really cool part about having the room he did was the balcony. From the balcony, one could climb to the roof, and that was just the spot where he was and wanted to be. He could feel the wind blowing through his hair and on his face. He felt free-his room felt more like a cage. He knew that it wasn't, but that was the way the boy felt.

So he sat cross legged on the roof, looking out over the trees.

Mason looked down at part of the wardrobe that he and Rogue had picked out. He was wearing a sleeveless denim button-up shirt that was dark blue and a pair of black Levi jeans-not to mention his new black boots. He had told the girl that he didn't need the boots, but she insisted. She also wouldn't let him spend his own money.

The boy glanced at the Timex he was wearing, also Rogue's idea, and winced. It was about thirty minutes until it was time to go to dinner. If it was just Rogue, he wouldn't mind. In fact, the thought of having dinner with the girl was a pretty damn pleasant one.

No, it was the fact that the rest of the school would be there. Mason didn't know why, but he hated being around a bunch of people. It made him feel crowded and set his senses on fire. Like today at the mall, his sensitive hearing was picking up all sorts of things and the smell... God, the smell made his nose almost burn. But he made it, with the help of Rogue. If she wasn't there, he would have walked out in the first two minutes that he was there.

With the help of Rogue, he walked out with seven sets of clothes.

Mason let out an explosive sigh. It was almost dinnertime and Rogue made him promise that he would wear one of those sets of clothes to dinner. Maybe I could skip it and say I was sick... Nah, she would never go for it, she's probably already heard about my healing factor, he thought, still gazing out over the trees.

That's when he heard a knock at the door. He gave an automatic growl at the person that destroyed his peaceful bubble. He hopped off the roof and onto the balcony with negligent ease. His nose twitched slightly at the direction of the door. "C'mon in, Logan," he called out, resting his forearms on the balcony's railing.

Logan opened the door and walked in and over to where Mason was standing. He pulled out a pack of small cigars and offered one to the boy-and watched Mason's eyes light up at the thought of nicotine. "Thought ya smoked. Smelled it on ya when they brought you in."

Mason just nodded in agreement as Logan gave him a light. "Damn stores wouldn't sale them to me today." Mason replied, taking in a deep breath of smoke. "Is this a social call, or..." He let the sentence trail.

Logan chewed on the end of his cigar, thinking of how to put what he had to say into the right words. "Little bit of both," he replied.

"Just spit it out."

"Got yer lab results back on that blood Red took from ya." Logan said, taking a drag of smoke. He watched the kid do it as well. If it wasn't for the healing factor, Logan wouldn't have offered him one.

Mason leveled a direct stare at Wolverine. "Quit beating around the bush, Logan, and spit it the fuck out." He could tell though, that Logan wasn't the least bit intimidated by him.

"Yer Pa's name is Victor Creed. Some call him Sabertooth, though. He ain't a very nice man. And he's killed more than a fair share of innocent people. And me and him has gone a round or two." He got that out and watched how Mason's eyes shadowed over.

Mason nodded at this, it disturbed him greatly, but he didn't know what to do about it. "Anything else?"

"Yer healing factor and heightened senses ain't the only mutations you got. Ya had some put in you by the same people that put that there metal in yer bones," Logan replied in a blunt and gravelly tone.

Mason gave him a blank look.

"Them bastards gave you more than adamantium," Logan explained. Then he wondered just why in the hell did he volunteer to tell the kid this shit. He watched as Mason's eyes grew as cold as ice chips.

"What'd they give me?" he growled out.

Logan reached into his pocket, pulled out a quarter and handed it to Mason. "They gave you the ability to charge inanimate objects and have'em explode on impact. Least, that's what Red told me."

Before Mason took the quarter, he had one more question. "How's the search for the Ring leaders for H.O.H. goin'?"

"Chuck ain't found'em yet. But he will. That man has got a hell of a lot of contacts." He watched as Mason took the quarter, his teeth firmly clamped down on the end of his cigar.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, from the way Red explained it, yer just supposed to imagine your energy is goin' into the object. She said you'd know when it worked," he replied, watching Mason closely. The boy was hiding his emotions like a pro-visually, anyway. Logan could tell his scent was way off, though. Cougar was pissed.

Mason's thoughts were in a whirlwind that would have made a hurricane happy. This is just fuckin' great. Another reason for people to fear me, he thought to himself. If I ever find those sons of bitches... He let the thought trail as he looked at the quarter.

Despite his intense hatred for the H.O.H., Mason was a little more than curious. Ok, just imagine you're energy going into the quarter.

Logan watched with fascination as the quarter that he gave the kid started to glow a bright red. Mason's face was a pure study of concentration. Then, without hint or preview, Mason threw the quarter over the rail so that it landed on the ground. He and Logan both knew there was no one there, that's why he did it. It sounded like a damn piece of dynamite going off when it landed.

Logan and Mason both looked over the railing. Out on the school ground, there was a hole about three feet wide and a foot deep. Mason let out a slow whistle. Now that is one hell of a mutation. "I think I'm gonna take this ability and shove it down H.O.H's fuckin' throat," he stated with an evil glint in his eyes. Yeah.

Logan had a thoughtful look in his eyes... But the thought was interrupted.

<'Logan? What was that?'> The voice of Jean echoed through his mind.

<'Just Cougar tryin' somethin' out. Don't worry about it, Darlin.'>

<'Well, would you please tell him to stop. We have controlled areas for that, '> Jean replied with a bit of a smile in her voice.

Logan turned towards Mason with a smirk on his face. "Red said don't be blowin' things up in uncontrolled areas," He then gave Mason a once over. "I see Rogue got a hold of ya."

Mason scowled at the older man. "Yeah, 'bout three hours of shoppin' hell. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with her... But that place has a lot of people and-ah, hell, forget about it."

"You feel like yer in a cage when that many people are around," Wolverine replied to the boy. "Was that the reason ya were on the roof?" Wolverine saw the surprise on the boy's face for him understanding. "Wanna know what I do when it gets too crowded?" he asked with that same gravelly voice.

Mason just gave him a nod.

"Go fer a walk. Maybe camp, out in them woods." He used his arms to indicate the forest before them. "It helps, fer a little bit."

He and Mason just stood in a comfortable silence after that, until Logan broke it. "'Heard them girls talkin' about finally gettin' to meet the boy Rogue's been out with."

Mason just bowed his head and let out an explosive sigh. "Don't suppose there's anyway to get out of goin' to dinner, is there?"

Wolverine gave a dry chuckle. "Nope. Yer on yer own with this, Cougar. Marie would have yer head on a platter if you didn't show up with yer new duds on."