[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Bh20knA.png[/img]
[b][i][color=#ffffff]In … The Beast Within: Pt. IV[/color][/i][/b][/center]
[b][color=#ffffff]Kitimat, British Columbia[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Since the day he’d woken up to find Heather McNeil’s shotgun pressed against his face, “Logan” hadn’t spoken a word to anyone. It was clear even to Heather that beneath the growling, there [i]was [/i]a man – or at least, there had been once upon a time. It had been nearly a week since they had picked him up and day by day, James had attempted to coax words out of Logan. It was two days until he was docile enough for them to unchain him. Even then he backed himself into a corner like a trapped animal and growled at them for hours on end. Hudson brought him food: he turned his nose up at the cooked meat they offered him, but seemed to enjoy raw meat well enough. Finally, after two more days, he relaxed around them enough that James didn’t feel the need to carry the shotgun – though Heather kept it close at hand. 

Logan still wouldn’t, maybe [i]couldn’t [/i]speak, outside of vague murmurings in his sleep that almost sounded like words. He seemed the most free out running through the hills and valleys that surrounded the cabin. One morning he produced a deer not unlike that he’d been gnawing on when James had almost run him over. This time Logan [i]had [/i]been willing to share it and Hudson seemed to consider that progress. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]From the porch, James and Heather watched as Logan trudged his way towards the lake. It had been mild in Kitimat over the past few days and the lake, usually frozen at this time of year, still sat clear and smooth. Logan’s bare feet kicked snow around with him as he went. Though Hudson had been able to get their guest to wear pants, he’d not yet been able to convince him of the importance of shoes. James smiled as he watched Logan kneeling beside the lake. He turned to Heather to find her unmoved by the scene. She was as opposed to his presence there as she had ever been.[/color]

[b][color=#93c47d]“We’re going to have to go back to work soon,” [/color][/b][color=#ffffff]McNeil sighed.[/color][b][color=#93c47d] “If we’re off much longer, people are going to start asking questions.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]James nodded.[/color]

[b][color=#f4cccc]“You know, it’s the weirdest[i] [/i]thing. That goat Jaxon was calling me every two seconds up until a couple of days ago – then nothing. Maybe he knows something we don’t? It’s unlike Jerome to go AWOL like that, [i]especially [/i]when he’s got someone’s balls in a vice.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]The cogs began to turn in Heather’s mind as she considered what could have caused his sudden disappearance. He [i]was [/i]a multi-billionaire after all, there were hundreds of things that Jaxon could be doing. In the back of her mind, she worried not only would the Guardian project be dead, but that they wouldn’t have jobs to go back to when they went back to Toronto. There was a sudden splash from the lake that made Heather laugh nervously. Logan had begun slapping the water in an attempt to attract fish.[/color]

[b][color=#93c47d]“We go into the lab tomorrow and put a brave face on things,” [/color][/b][color=#ffffff]Heather shrugged. [/color][b][color=#93c47d]“Maybe corporate has already told them the game’s up, maybe not, either way we’ll face that miserable bastard down together. What’s the worst he can do, James? Truett basically [i]built [/i]Can-Am from the ground up from beneath him. Everyone knows that.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Heather invoking his brother’s name seemed to sit uncomfortably with James.[/color] [b][color=#f4cccc]“You’re right. It’s probably nothing.”[/color][/b]

[b][color=#93c47d]“What are we going to do with Logan? Do [i]you[/i] feel comfortable leaving him out here on his own whilst we go into town? Because I sure as hell don’t.”[/color][/b]

[b][color=#f4cccc]“What’s the worst he can do?” [/color][/b][color=#ffffff]Hudson said with a smile. [/color][b][color=#f4cccc]“All he seems to want to do is hunt and sleep. We’ll be out … what, eight hours? Maybe ten at a push. I figure he won’t even realise we’re gone.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Before Heather had a chance to respond, James skipped down the porch and made his way towards Logan. The mutant was still slapping his forearms into the water and snatching at fish that scattered around with each splash. Hudson made sure to let his feet scrape along the ground noisily as he approached, though he knew well enough by now that the mutant’s senses were far stronger than his own. It was a courtesy. One that helped to keep the growling at bay and their relationship cordial.[/color]

[b][color=#f4cccc]“Doing a spot of fishing, huh? I was never really much of a fisherman. My old man was pretty handy with a rod, if my brother’s to be believed. Said he used to take him out fishing most weekends and they’d reel in the biggest trout and salmon you’d ever seen.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]Logan didn’t respond. James didn’t expect one. He’d built up a theory that whatever trauma the mutant had been though had fractured his mind. He had dissociative disorder or something similar to it. Hudson wasn’t a psychiatrist by any means, but something told him the only way to reach the man inside of Logan was to treat him like one. That meant no more shotguns or chains. He’d treat him not like some caged animal, but like a man and maybe with time [i]something [/i]would reach him.[/color]

[b][color=#f4cccc]“I see you favour a more [i]traditional [/i]approach,” [/color][/b][color=#ffffff]Hudson said with a mock slapping motion.[/color][b][color=#f4cccc] “Not much of an angler, eh? I don’t blame you, I could never quite get the handle of it. I went on a fishing trip with Truett and Jaxon once, not lake fishing mind, we were on Jaxon’s yacht out in the Caribbean somewhere. I didn’t catch a damn thing. Nearly split my hand open on a line at one point too. Jaxon didn’t let me hear the end of it for the best part of six months.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]James glanced back at the porch and saw Heather shake her head disapprovingly and disappear inside. He sighed and took to watching Logan have at the water again. This time the mutant’s furry arms plunged into the water just in time to grab a large salmon. It was flapping around violently until he plunged his teeth deep into it and took a large mouthful. Blood sprayed down his face and splattered onto Hudson’s coat. He laughed and looked down to wipe the blood away and when he looked up Logan was thrusting the fish towards his face.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]There was no warmth in the gesture, no kindness as such, but there was almost a reluctant acceptance of Hudson’s presence and his likely need to eat too. James considered turning the fish down but had no idea how his refusal might be taken and so accepted it slowly. The mutant was watching him closely, too closely for James to feign a bite. He steeled himself and chomped down on the fish and almost instantly regretted it. His mouth filled with blood, bones, and flesh. It took all his strength not to retch as he forced the mouthful down with a grimace.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]James used the back of his hand to mop the blood from his chin and handed the fish back to Logan with a smile.[/color][b][color=#f4cccc] “T-t-thank … thank you.”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]A grunt left the mutant’s lips in recognition of the thanks and Hudson’s eyes lit up. It was the first time Logan had acknowledged him verbally and he couldn’t help that it represented a victory of some sort. He wanted to run to the cabin and tell Heather but he knew even if she believed him, she wouldn’t see the significance in it. Instead he stayed with Logan and watched him scarf down the rest of the fish, bones and all.[/color]

[b][color=#f4cccc]“You know, Logan, I know you don’t feel the cold like … well, like the rest of us, but I really think we ought to see about getting you some shoes. Your feet are so blue they look like they’re going to fall off any sec-”[/color][/b]

[color=#ffffff]A hand clamped over Hudson’s mouth before he realised what was happening. Logan had dropped the fish to the ground and crouched like an animal that sensed a predator’s gaze resting on it. His right hand, dangling free, balled into a fist and James saw the skin begin to stretch over so slightly and the silver claws he’d seen the first night begin to sprout from the back of his hand.[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/cLf91eT.png[/img][/center]
[b][color=#ffff00]“Someone … someone’s watching,”[/color][/b][color=#ffffff] Logan whispered to Hudson from beside him. [/color][b][color=#ffff00]“Out there ... in the trees. They’re [i]watching [/i]us.”[/color][/b]

After a few seconds, the danger seemed to pass because the mutant let his hand slip from Hudson’s mouth. There was no time to ask questions. Logan had taken off running into the woods almost instantly, leaving James alone by the side of the lake. A wave of nausea ran over him and he knelt and pressed his fist against his lips to hold down the raw fish he’d just eaten. Once he was sure that he wasn’t going to be sick, he rose to his feet, and walked gingerly towards the cabin. He wouldn’t be telling Heather about this. That much James [i]was[/i] sure about.