Ian went straight to work on his exercise routine, spending two-weeks after classes, doing nothing but exercise, and every day as he worked out, he noticed that it was getting easier and easier for him to complete his goal. Finding that every day, he could double his previous record.
" Ha! Ugh! Come on ye, bloated basterd. Ye can do it!" Ian struggled to push himself up " If ye can't finish these one thousand push-ups, we'll do one thousand kicks." Ian had stuck to punishing himself further if he couldn't complete any full set. Using the idea of further punishment to strengthen his mental fortitude. " GAAAH! One Thousand!" Ian pushed all the way up and finally collapsed onto the ground breathless, but successful.
" I did it. I bloody did it." Ian exclaimed. " Alright, time for those kicks." Ian pushed himself up from the grass and walked towards the tree post, a cut down to a thick stump, and started kicking it.
A few weeks ago, something like this would have snapped his leg in half like a pencil, now his legs were strong. Strong enough to shake the stump.
While Ian, continued his painful and quite extreme workout regime, Scott and Logan watched from the institute's windows.
" So, Logan. What do you think?" Scott asked the man.
" About what?" Logan asked in response.
" About him, going itno the danger room? You think he's ready?" Scott asked in detail.
" Well, I think the kid's a little monster. He's made progress in two-weeks that no man has made in his entire life. He's got the stamina and endurance but as far as actual comabt skills, he's still lacking a bit. I guess his body doesn't adapt to the technique aspect of fighting as well as it does the physical." Logan explained.
" Can you teach him?" Scott asked.
" Slim, what kind of question is that? Of course, I can. But should I?" Logan asked.
" What do you mean?" Scott asked the man. He turned to Logan with a raised eyebrow.
" Well, should we really be teaching these kids how to fight? I get it, they need to know. But should they be in such a hurry to join us out there? Where nothing is simulated, where anything and everything can kill them? Sometimes I wonder if we're really setting these kids up to fail." Logan told the man.
Scott sighed and removed his shades from his face to rub his eyes. He was frustrated and understood what Logan was feeling but to Scott their training was mor eimportant than his conscience.
" I understand how you feel, Logan. But we have to prepare these kids for the dangers of being a mutant. We all have a target on our backs, whether we like it or not, these kids need to be ready just in case. I need you to help me get them ready Logan." Scott asked the man. He wouldn't beg him; he'd hoped their lives would be more important than whatever differences they had.
And they were.
Logan sighed and nodded.
" But we shouldn't keep them cramped up here all the time. They are still kids, let them head into town every now and then. Live a little. We gotta let them live their own lives at least a little Scott." Logan told the man.
Scott paused for a moment to consider what Logan said,
" You're right Logan. We'll set up a shuttle bus that they can take into the town on the weekends." Scott spoke up.
" That's just fine, Scott." Logan replied.
" Good to hear. But you still haven't answered my question yet, Logan. Is he ready for the Danger Room?" Scott asked once more.
" I don't know. I'll ask him. He'll probably say yeah. So, I'll give him a test run. But there's something I want to work on with him first." Logan spoke up.
" Fine, just let me know when you're ready. I want to be there to see it myself." Scott stated.
" Yeah, alright." Logan replied. He grunted and walked out of Scott's classroom, leaving scott behind to continue watching Ian's training.
" Whew! Done... Now for the next leg." Ian muttered. He raised his left leg and began kicking the tree in front of him repeatedly. With power and speed.
" Hey, Runt!" Logan called out to Ian, causing him to look towards him.
" Hey, Logan. What's up?" Ian asked.
" I got something for ya." Logan spoke. " Stop kicking."
Ian stopped halfway through another kick and walked over to Logan who had a black bag in his hand.
Ian eyes the bag suspiciously as he knew by now, nothing Logan gave him would be considered a gift.
" What is it?" Ian asked the man suspiciously.
" Ha, I can see what you're thinking. No, don't worry this is just a little something to make your training a little harder." Logan explained.
" What is it?" Ian asked.
Logan dropped the bag and it hit the ground with a thud.
" Just some weights for ya. I had Forge make these." Logan explained. He opened up the bag and pulled out five pieces of clothing. Here get changed." Logan spoke. He picked up the shirt with and tossed it at Ian, who didn't think anything of it. But the moment he caught the shirt Ian nearly dropped it.
" Wow! What is this? Why's it so heavy?" Ian asked.
" I told you, it's weights. Weighted clothing. All this time, we've been working on getting you in shape. Before you couldn't run a lap without wheezing. Now you can run twelve miles with no trouble at all. You have good core strength, and your upper body strength is firm. But you don't have power, raw power. You're stronger than most of your peers. Good. But considering you still only weight about one hundred and eighty pounds, you're practically a lightweight. Each individual piece of clothing weights a certain amount, that shirt weights about one hundred and fifty pounds." Logan explained.
" One- What?! How did forge make this?" Ian asked.
" There's nothing, forge can't make." Logan spoke. He continued reaching into the bag and pulled out two blue wrist bands. " These are both twenty-five pounds each." Logan stated as he tossed them at, Ian. He caught dropped the shirt to the ground and caught the two wrist bands. " Put them on." Logan ordered.
Ian nodded and placed the two wristbands on each of his arms and noted the difference in weight.
" How are they?" Logan asked.
" They fit fine, but I think they could be heavier." Ian replied.
" We'll get there, for now I want you to get used to wearing the extra weight first." Logan explained. " And finally, your shoes. A pair of black combat boots. Thirty pounds each. I want you wearing these every day. From the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. And don't worry about cleaning them, i got you more than one set. Just make sure to clean them before the end of the week." Logan explained.
Ian nodded and proceeded to place the shirt on over his head and then replaced his training shoes with his new combat boots.
" Ugh! This is heavy." Ian stated as he struggled to stand up straight.
" Good, now we work on building that power. right now, your total body weight is over four hundred pounds. Did you know that?" Logan asked.
" You mean right now; I'm carting around four hundred pounds?" Ian asked.
" Well, you do all those push-ups kid, you're gonna get stronger. But don't let it go to your head kid. Ya ain't picking up four hundred pounds, right now you're still only carrying two-sixty." Logan explained. " From now on, you're done outside, we're moving back inside. Everyday bench press, squats, leg press, dead lift. The basics as basic as we can get. Got it?" Logan explained to the boy, how his new workout plan would go.
For Ian, he didn't mind the excess anymore. He actually enjoyed the peace and calm it brought him. Gave him time to think and just relax.
" Yes sir." Ian replied with enthusiasm.
" That's good, now go shower and get ready. We're going into the city for a bit." Logan stated.
" Yeah? For what?" Ian asked.
" Don't worry about it, just come on." Logan spoke.
" All right, jeez. Get off me back." Ian exclaimed. He walked back to the school, leaving Logan waiting.
About thirty minutes later, Ian walked into the school's garage wearing his new gear and a black jean jacket.
" Jesus Logan, did you really need to make these things all so heavy?" Ian asked.
" Yeah, I did. Get used to it, cuz they're only gonna get heavier from here on out." Logan stated. He walked up to the black Jeep and hopped into the driver seat." Come on, let's go."
" Yeah, yeah. I'm comin." Ian replied. He hopped into the car with Logan and the two quickly left the mansion.
As they drove through the country roads, towards the city, Ian looked over at Logan's disgruntled face and laughed.
" what's so funny?" Logan asked.
" Well, ya look like an angry midget." Ian joked.
" Oh you, got jokes huh runt? Well, how's this for a joke?" *Snikt! Logan popped his claws and pointed them right at Ian's lap, making Ian shrink in his seat. " Yeah, thought so." Logan grunted.
" Oh come on, Logan. You can't say it wasn't funny." Ian stated. He waited for a few minutes for Logan to reply, but when it became clear he wasn't Ian just sighed. " Killjoy." Ian mumbled.
There was an awkward silence in the jeep once more. Neither person knowing what to say. Well, Logan didn't want to talk in the first place.
" Hey Logan, a favor." Ian asked.
" What kid?" Logan finally replied.
" Hey, when we get into the city can I go shopping for a bit, I want to stop at a music store." Ian asked the man.
" Fine, got your own money?" Logan asked.
" Yeah." Ian replied.
" Okay, just don't take too long." Logan spoke.
" Alright!" Ian shouted.
Logan simply shook his head and continued into driving as Ian made a fool of himself.
Salem.
" Alright, kid. Meet me back in here in about thirty minutes. Any later than that and I'm coming to drag ya back. With or without your hands." Logan said to the boy.
" You got it." Ian replied. He exited the jeep and left to find the music store.
Along the way Ian noticed he had one problem that he didn't think of. He had no idea where what was.
" Alright, I'm lost. Probably should have asked Logan where I was going first." Ian mumbled to himself. After stumbling around, blindly on his own, Ian stopped and asked for directions from a man on the street.
The man pointed Ian further down the road and told him to take a right and the music store would be on the left.
Ian thanked the man and continued walking, taking the sights around in the meantime.
" What a beautiful little town." Ian noted. He liked how simple everything seemed. It really gave him a sense of peace. A sense of home. " Home, it's been so long hasn't it." Ian asked himself. " I wonder if mom got any of ma letters?" Ian wondered.
Ian continued walking, choosing not to focus on anything negative or what could bring down his mood.
" Ahh, here we go Cj's. Let's see what they've got for sale." Ian walked into the music store named Cj's and headed straight for the rock section. " Hard rock, punk rock, heavy metal? I would have thought they'd separate the genre's a bit. I'm fine with it though, makes looking for things a bit easier." Ian spoke.
He observed the list of cd's, going over each artist individually. And eventually he stopped on one he saw was interesting.
" Disturbed, Ten thousand fists. I haven't heard this one yet." Ian spoke. He reached to grab one of the Cd's.
At the same time someone else reached for the same disc and the two touched hands.
" Oh, excuse me. my mistake. I wasn't paying much..." Ian gulped when he saw the person beside him, and felt a heat reach his face. " Attention."
" Och, don't worry about it. I wasn't paying much attention myself." The woman spoke.
She was a red head, that was slightly brighter than Ian's, and had emerald, green eyes. She was wearing a red crop top, with a black jacket. She also had on blue jeans with tears in them that showed off her thighs, and black boots. And on her hands, she wore black gloves. As he looked closer, he noticed that the girl also had piercings on both of her ears.
" Is there something wrong?" The woman asked.
" Och, no. Ye just surprised me that's all." Ian replied, his accent coming through from just how nervous he was. She was beautiful, and to Ian she looked no older than he was.
" Och, are ye Scottish?" The woman asked, speaking in the exact same way Ian had.
" Yes, Ah am. The name's Ian... Ian Sinclair." Ian told the woman.
" The world is a small place after all. Ma name's Rahne... Rahne Sinclair. It's nice ta meet ye Ian." The woman identified herself as Rahne, extending her small hand towards Ian.
" It is a small world. Rahne, that's a beautiful name." Ian spoke he shook the girl's hand gently. His kindness and compliment even made the girl smile. " Say, is that a cross?" Ian asked as he noticed the small silver chain hanging from her neck.
" Ah, yes, it is. Ah'm a Christian." Rahne spoke.
" And you're listening to rock?" Ian asked.
" Yes, is there a problem with me listening to rock or metal?" Rahne asked, wondering whether or not she should be a little offended.
" No, of course not. It's just not something I'm used ta seeing maself. People usually classify music like this as the devil's music." Ian explained.
" Nonsense. That's just a bunch of nonsense made up by a bunch of wee jerks who want ta put ya down. Don' ye listen to that, just enjoy the music ye want to." Rahne spoke.
She was small and seemed so delicate, but as Ian listened to her, he found she had a burning passion.
" Ye, know I like ye Rahne. May I have ye number?" Ian asked.
Rahne seemed a little caught off-guard by the boy in front of her.
" Ah just met ye, why would Ah give ye ma number?" Rahne asked with a small giggle.
" Why not? What harm could come from making a new friend?" Ian asked. He gave Rahne a simple small and raised his eyes brows upwards.
Rahne, in turn, laughed at the boy.
" Och, okey. Ah don' see any harm." Rahne replied. She took Ian's phone from his hand and entered her number. She then handed it back and Ian looked down at the screen with a smile on his face.
" Rahne, ah hope ta see ye around. What do ye say... Ah don' know next weekend?" Ian asked.
Rahne looked over the boy for a bit, taking her time to consider it.
" Why not. How about five o'clock?" Rahne asked.
" Sounds good. I've got ta get goin, but Ah'll see ye later." Ian, seeing that his thirty minutes was almost up, quickly left the store, leaving an amused Rahne behind laughing.
Ian hauled ass towards the spot Logan told him to meet him, running with a wide grin on his face all the way to the vehicle.
" HAHAHA! I FEEL SO ALIVE!" Ian shouted with glee.
As he approached the vehicle Logan, who had small cuts on the front and back of his shirt, stared at the boy in confusion.
" Come on, Logan. Let's go home!" Ian exclaimed. He hoped in the jeep excitedly and started hammering on the door.
" Okay, settle down runt. Jeez!" Logan exclaimed. He hopped into the driver seat and looked at the boy.
" What's got you so excited?" Logan asked.
Ian ignored Logan, not hearing his question, and instead leered out at the sky.
" Her laughter." Ian smiled fondly when he remembered how joyful Rahne's laugh was.
' Her, huh?' Logan couldn't help but smirk when he saw how infatuated the boy was with this mystery woman.
Everything was good and well, until Logan caught the scent.
Sniff* Sniff* ' Huh? That scent seems... Familiar.' Logan thought to himself, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind for now and instead focused on the drive back home.
Later that night, after his first weightlifting session with Logan, in which Ian maxed out on two-forty on the bench, Ian and Rahne were both getting ready for bed when suddenly something hit them both.
" OCH! I FORGOT THE CD!" They both exclaimed simultaneously.