SquidgeWorld Archive

Soul Keeper 4 Knowledge is power
by Susan

The day was overcast and the clouds heavy with rain, but so far none had fallen, when it did they would be in for a thunderstorm. In the woods surrounding the Xavier Mansion, one of the more primal predators was out and hunting.

The Wolverine's shoulders lowered and there was a double snitk as the claws come out, reaching up he slashed at the side of one of the large oak trees, marking it with his claws. He tilted his head to one side and inhaled, his enhanced senses filtering out all the other scents until he found the one belonging to his prey. The Wolverine was a hunter, his prey skilled and dangerous, but he would catch it and bring it down.

0-0-0-0 En-route from Cascade.

Commander Daniel Slater of the GDP gave Sentinel Jim Ellison a sideways look, the Sentinel had been driving for two hours now, and it didn't seem as if Blair Sandburg had stopped talking since they had left Cascade, he was still talking a mile a minute.

"Blair," the commander cut across the Guide in mid-sentence.

"Yes," Dan turned slightly and found himself with Blair leaning over his shoulder, so he was nose to nose with the Guide; the kid had no idea of personal space. But even so he didn't pull back, incase the Sentinel saw that as a slight to his Guide.

"Are you sure that it's a good idea, the GDP has not had a lot of luck with the Mutant Guides, they tend to be..."

"More aggressive and independent," Blair finished for him. "Just call this interagency co-operation; the Clan, the Professor and the GDP," he paused, "One word of warning Dan, Gambit won't kneel to you or the GDP."

"He is a Guide Blair, I am sorry, but Mr. Gambit will need to report for GDP testing, he has to have his abilities registered, and after that the MDP will want to..."

Jim braked so fast that Dan was thrown forward, only his safety belt stopping him from hitting the dashboard.

"What don't you understand Dan"? Jim all but threw his hands in the air, and then his face took on a look that made Blair grin. Almost as if reconsidering he added, "You're right, Gambit is a Guide, maybe you should put your views to his Sentinel."

"I will." Maybe just maybe, the Sentinel finally understood there had to be some order in this Sentinel and Guide world

Blair rolled his eyes and shook his head as he sank back in his seat; this was going to be messy.

Jim checked the rearview mirror and pulled back out into traffic as he drawled, "By the way Dan, what's your blood type"?

0-0-0-0-0-0.

Wolverine slowed again, the prey was still on the move. Moving quickly, he ignored the Nature Club meeting beneath one of the oak trees, scattering the children, Bobby Drake, called out. "You lost him again Logan."

The Wolverine dismissed him; the Wolverine never lost anything, and certainly not his prey.

0-0-0-0-0

Jim pulled up in front of the Mansion, and allowed Dan to admire the view; the building was old, dating back to the Colonial days, with impressive pillars and bay windows, unlike any school he had seen before.

They had just got out of the car when a figure came running from the large wooded area, a black leather duster flying round him like a cloak. The young man came to halt when he saw them, than gave a quick look over his shoulder before focusing all his attention on the men in front of him.

To the GDP Commander it was as if the younger man changed, his hands crossed over his chest, and he lowered his head, Blair to Dan's surprise mirrored the other man's actions.

"Welcome to de Mansion Blair", the younger man said and then added, "Sentinel," as he acknowledged Jim Ellison. This was unheard of, before Dan could comment the younger man fixed him with a look, and Dan took a surprised breath as he found himself looking into red on black eyes, a mutant.

"Gambit, this is Commander Dan Slater GDP, he..." That was as far as Blair managed to get, when Gambit looked the newly introduced man up and down, his mouth turning hard.

"GDP", and he spat at Dan's feet and turned away.

Something snapped inside of the Commander, he had never allowed a Guide to talk to him like that, and he wasn't about to start now. He grabbed the Guide's arm and pulled him back, meaning to force him down to his knees. But before he could, Jim caught the Guide's fist, stopping it only inches from Slater's face.

The Sentinel looked past the struggling men, and when he spoke it was low and level. "Dan let Gambit go, and don't make any sudden moves."

Puzzled, the GDP Commander suddenly saw the look on the mutant's face, it was the smug look of a cat that had the cream, and had just inherited a whole dairy.

It was then Dan heard it, the scrapping of metal on the brick wall, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he heard the low growl of a large predator.

Moving his head very carefully he saw the three metal claws resting on his shoulder, the slightest pressure and they would slice through him like a hot knife through butter.

With great care he opened his fingers and allowed Gambit to go, only the younger man didn't go, he leaned right into Dan's face, "Next time, Ellison won't be around, Gambit take y'r head off."

Dan could not help but flinch as he heard a Snitk as the claws retracted into the other man's hand.

"Dan, meet Logan, Gambit's Sentinel."

Logan was a round 5 foot 9, stocky build, with wild dark hair; his brown eyes were flecked with gold, and seemed to burn through him. The Sentinel, made no effort to acknowledge him, he was dismissed as unimportant. Logan was focused totally on his guide. Slater could almost see the Sentinel's senses wrapping around the younger man. Logan's was flaring to take in the scent, the slightly parted lips tasting the air. His was a Sentinel in the heat of bonding.

Normally he would have called on Logan to reprimand his guide for his insolence. But that was not going to happen, and for the first time the Commander had no idea what to do, as a senior officer in the GDP he could order any Guide to his knees, even with the changing of rules regarding the treatment of Guides.

He could even command Blair Sandburg, the Senior Guide Prime of Cascade and the Northern Territories down if he wanted, although he guessed that it would take a unit of guards to do it. This mutant Guide had to learn. "Guide Gambit, show your respect." Dan was rather pleased that his voice didn't waver.

The laugh was chilling, "Y' tryin to piss Gambit off Mon Amie, because if y' serious, Gambit have to..." the playing cards seemed to appear like magic in his hands.

"Play cards with me?" Dan snapped, and then the cards went orange with energy.

"Push dese we're de sun don't shine." With a flick of the wrist the cards soared up into the sky and exploded, showering the GDP Commander with burned card. "Come Cher, Gambit feel like bondin, or y' too tired old man."

Logan growled and lunged at his Guide, only to find that Gambit had already taken to his heels.

Jim hung an arm round Dan's shoulder, "You know, you handled that really well."

"Sure" the sarcasm was plain in the Commander's voice.

"Yeah, you're still breathing."

0-0-0-0-0

Logan shook his head, the moment his Guide walked through the door a long slender finger flicked the CD player on and the room was flooded with Cajun music, he recognized the tune as Jole Boln, a classic Cajun song.

The long duster went flying to land on the chair, and Gambit turned to face him, his body moving to the music, "Logan."

The need to bond was running through the older man like a fever, but he kept a firm clamp on the Wolverine, and closed the distance between them. Gambit undid the band on his hair, and with a shake it settled round his shoulders like an auburn halo. Logan spoke softly, "the ancients called Dark Guides temptation demons, I know why now kid."

Gambit hooked a finger over his glasses and pulled down to look over them, his red on black eyes flashing with mischief, "Y' haven't seen anything yet Cher."

Gambit suddenly had the air knocked out of him as Wolverine caught him round the waist in a tackle, the momentum crashing them onto the bed. Logan effortlessly pinned his Guide to the bed. The feral Sentinel needing to claim his Guide.

Gambit was submissive, and if Logan had been thinking rationally and not just with the Wolverine in control he would have thought it unusual.

Logan suddenly was flipped over the bed to land with a heavy bang on the floor as Gambit rolled off the edge, kneeling and facing his Sentinel across the bedspread.

"Y' think dat Gambit let y' bond like dat?" His eyes flashed, alive with mischief.

With a growl Wolverine lunged, but his Guide had moved out of the way and was now on the opposite side of the bed, "Dat de best y' can do, old man?"

The Wolverine roared, shoulders dropping low, there was a double snitk as the claws shot out.

"Y' think dat frighten Gambit"? The younger looked at his nails, blew on them and shined them against his shirt, with the air of bored indifference. When he heard the deep-throated growl, he grinned and moved round, keeping perfect pace round the bed, matching every move. He knew how to play the Wolverine. Prey became predator as Gambit tackled the older man, sending him flat on his back on the floor, pinning him in place, straddling the shorter compact body. "Now who de' prey?" He heard the snitk as the claws retracted and he knew he had won.

The Wolverine's smile was primal as he caught his Guides scent; his Guide had gone into the heat of bonding. He felt the push of the Cajun's mind against his as he lowered his barriers, then he felt the raw sexual burn of the younger man as with the lowering of his barriers his empathy was released.

Gambit relaxed too early, the moment the Wolverine felt the tension in the body ease he flipped him over and was on top, the brief struggle only stoked the fires of the bond higher, than he claimed his Guide.

0-0-0-0-0

Dan had been introduced to Professor Xavier and found that the man was far from hostile, understanding that the GDP was changing, and for the better.

But he found his attention wandering as he kept looking at Blair and Jim. The normally talkative Blair Sandburg had suddenly gone quiet. As if understanding Jim had pulled his Guide close and behind his chair, so the younger man was stood at his back. That was unusual by itself, but it was then he realized that he was looking not at Blair, but at the Dark Guide. The body language of the younger man had changed, moving with a more sensual grace, Blair was leaning forward, one hand running up and down his Sentinels' arm, from wrist to shoulder, his face pressed to the side of Jim's throat, rubbing his face, skin to skin.

Dan could see his lips moving, his words sentinel soft. Then the Dark Guide looked up, and his eyes flashed with an unholy light, this time when he lowered his head his eyes never left Dan's face.

Xavier coughed, "Jim, could I suggest that perhaps you should retire to your room, I am sure that you're both tired after your journey."

Jim shook his head as if clearing it, and bringing himself back to the present, "What? Yeah right." He sounded slightly lost, as if waking from a long sleep. He got to his feet, Blair was immediately by his side, plastering himself over the larger man, molding his body to Jim's.

"You're in the same room as your previous visit." Xavier put in gently.

"Dan are you..."

"James," Blair's voice dropped to the seductive tone of the Dark Guide calling his mate to bond."

When Jim Ellison turned back to him, Dan saw that Jim was gone and in its place was the Dark Sentinel, and he was forgotten.

Only when they had gone did the Commander turn back to the Professor. The man only shrugged, "one pair calls to the other, it has happened before and will happen again. Now Commander, you were telling me about the new Guide-mutant regulations."

End of part one.