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Title: Same Coin, Different Sides - Logan Author: Terri E-Mail: xgrrl26@yahoo.com Rating: R, adult themes Disclaimer: I don’t own them. Poo. Archive: Dolphin Haven, Peep Hut, Agony and Ecstasy - anyone else, please ask ;) Feedback: Please? With a few more hours in the day on top? Good, bad, and ugly welcome……. Summary: AU. Logan. Marie. Different sides. Still kinda hot for each other, but they don’t know it yet ;) Comments: So I went to DC this past weekend for a conference. I’ll spare you the details of my very stinky fellow passenger on the flight out (why, oh why is there always some guy who feels compelled to take his shoes off or who hasn’t known the wonders of indoor plumbing for weeks on my flights?) and focus on the good. One evening, after my conference, I was waiting to meet a client in Kramer Books at Dupont Circle. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a neat little bookstore with the now-common bookstore-sized coffee bar, and a little café in the back to boot. Well, this particular client had told me he’d be arriving anywhere within a 30 min. range, and I’d arrived about 10 mins. early for that. As I was browsing through the books, I heard from somewhere behind me, ‘Terri? Terri!” I knew by the voice that it wasn’t my client, so I kind of ignored it. My name isn’t all that uncommon, and there’s no earthly reason why anyone in a DC bookstore should know me. But then I kept hearing it and the voice was getting closer and closer and before I knew it, I was standing face to face with a guy I’d practiced law with while at a summer job. I hadn’t seen him in years, and had no idea he was in DC. My client ended up being about 15 mins. later than his latest possible time, and I got the chance to sit down and have a really good conversation with my old friend. He reminded me that sometimes, even when you’re hitting a rough spot in life, there are still people out there who think of you as the ambitious, smart young woman who acted like she could do anything she put her mind to and wasn’t afraid to try ;) I didn’t realize it, but needed a dose of that, badly, and the universe delivered. Thanks, Higher Powers ;) ----------------------------------------------------- I’m not a nice guy. Just about anyone who’s ever met me will tell ya that, and even people who haven’t met me still know the score. I’m the Wolverine. I kill. I hurt. I punish. I avenge. Even those do-gooder X-fuckers - they’ve given up tryin’ to reach out to me, to get me on their side. You know, if I hadta guess, I’d say it was probably Red, talkin’ shit to them after I got done with her. Sure, she was a good ride, but that wasn’t enough to turn me to the light side of the force, if ya know what I mean. After all - women, they’re a dime a dozen, and I’ve never had a shortage of ones willin’ to come to my bed. But I’d bet what finally turned old Wheels against me was somethin’ Red said - and she hadta say *somethin’* ‘cause Mystique posted those pictures of her naked in my bed all over the internet, and she’d hafta give some kinda explanation of that to her little teammates. Wonder what they thought when they saw ‘em. Heh. No more Congressional testimony for you, Doctor Grey. Yeah, it’s kinda low, but hadta be done. Those X-fuckers just don’t see that it’s no use tryin’ to convince people to accept us. The only thing the homo-inferior thinks we’re any good for is sufferin’. And I’ve had enough fuckin’ sufferin’. Mags said they’d had me for twelve years. But what happened to Red - it’s really her own damn fault anyhow. Married women, supposedly upstandin’ citizens, shouldn’t be comin’ to a sleazy hotel in the middle of the night and lettin’ strange men have their way with ‘em. Sure, I enticed her, flirted with her when we fought, and hooked her by sayin’ all kindsa flowery shit like she had my heart in her hands - I let her think all that was workin’ on me, bringin’ me over to their side, but I didn’t mean a word of it. Whatever it takes to complete a mission, you know? She’s old enough to know better, but she didn’t and that’s the bottom line. That’s another thing the X-fuckers just don’t get. They oughta learn, they oughta know better by now, but they don’t. On the other hand, maybe they stopped reachin’ out to me because they finally did catch on to a few things. Aw, hell, I dunno why they do any of the shit they do. Maybe Red told ‘em all it was rape, who knows? And who cares. One more bad-ass notch in my reputation don’t make no difference to me and I was sick of hearin’ from ‘em anyway. The reality of the situation is that I ain’t goin’ nowhere. I may be a lotta things - killer, savage, animal - but even animals have a sense of loyalty, and I ain’t gonna forget that it was Erik who got me outta that goddamn lab. I ain’t gonna turn my back on him just ‘cause some telepath in a fancy-pants mansion don’t like his style. Besides, it’s a helluva lot better deal for me stayin’ here than livin’ there. Here, I do whatever the hell I want as long as I do a favor or two for Mags in the process. Shit, sometimes those favors even involve bangin’ hot redheads to get some dirt on ‘em. Heh. Yeah, no reason for me to leave. I bet good old Wheels’d shit the first time I killed a guy. Too many fuckin’ rules over there. “Logan? Would you come to my office, please?” Speakin’ of - there’s Mags on the intercom. “Comin’.” Wonder what’s shakin’ now. Maybe he found somethin’ out about that super-virus the last batch of lab guys we had as ‘guests’ kept jabberin’ about. Mags seems pretty worried about it, but frankly, I don’t give a shit. I mean come on, what’s gonna happen to me? Sounds a little cold, sure, but really - I don’t have a whole lotta attachments. In fact, I have none, and that’s just the way I like it. Sure, I’m loyal to Mags, I appreciate what he did for me. Yeah, I like kickin’ ass with Vic - now *there’s* a fuckin’ animal if I’ve ever seen one. And OK, so I fuck Mystique every once in a while. Still - if they all died and I didn’t, my reaction would pretty much be so fuckin’ what? You gotta look out for number one in this world, and that’s the way it is. Mags and all of ‘em - they understand that, and I betcha they’d feel the same way if it was me who bought it. “Whatcha want? I was workin’ on the bike.” Must be somethin’ important if he’s waitin’ outside his office door to meet me. “I believe I have acquired something you’ll enjoy working on even more.” Fucker sure has a flair for drama, sweepin’ his arm inta the doorway like that. Wonder what he - oh, shit. He caught one of those X-fuckers. No - one of the kids, a young one. An X-fucklet. Shit. “Where’d you steal this one from?” Not that he ain’t got good taste in women - she’s cute. Fiery-lookin’. But she’s gotta still be jailbait and that ain’t usually Erik’s style. In fact, he usedta say that he and Wheels had a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ not to fuck with the kids at his school. I told him - does Wheels know he’s the only one of you two that’s a gentleman? - but Erik just laughed. Hmm. Didn’t think he’d break that one somehow, though. He’s still got a little thing for Wheels. Must be somethin’ important he wants outta this one. “I…..*acquired* this one from right beneath Charles’ nose. Say hello, Wolverine. This is the Rogue.” “The Rogue - shit, don’t any of ‘em use their real name?” “Jean does.” Well, well. Little kid’s got some backbone. But judgin’ by that righteously pissed off look and scared as hell scent, I was right ‘bout what Jeannie said. She musta told ‘em it was rape or this one here wouldn’t be so mad and so terrified of me. Well, time to show her why she should be scared of me. I’m the Wolverine, dammit. “Yeah, you’re right. As a matter of fact, she enjoyed hearin’ me scream her name as I recall. What name’re you gonna want me to scream for you, darlin’? ‘Cause I ain’t buyin’ that Rogue shit for a minute. You get that outta one of your little girlie magazines or somethin’? That what you doodle on your notebook?” “Shut up.” Heh. Now that’s a lame-ass retort. But there’s somethin’ about her scent - scared, yeah, but somethin’s wrong in there too ‘cause I don’t like her scared smell. Mostly don’t mind it on people, and sometimes, yeah, I even enjoy it. But not on her. “I’m not going to scream anything for you.” “Of course not, my dear.” There goes Mags, tryin’ to play good cop. He’s got a soft spot for the classics. Whereas I’m more of you’re no-frills kinda guy - just beat the hell outta them and they’ll give up whatcha wanna know eventually. Never found one yet who could take a beatin’ longer than I could dish one out. “We would never dream of harming you, isn’t that right, Wolverine?” Just gonna shrug. I’m no rapist, despite what Jeannie probably told the X-fuckers, but we didn’t kidnap this one to take her to Disneyland. The point is - she’s *supposedta* be scared. And she’s just a little fucklet. Whatever Mags wants outta her, she’ll crack before long, and it won’t take too much to do it. Might as well get it over as soon as possible and then her scent can quit drivin’ me fuckin’ nuts. “Forgive him, my dear, sometimes he is……hard to control.” “What do you want with me?” “Yes, what *do* we want with you? Well, to be direct, my dear, we want you to continue your education here, at my facilities. We want you to join the Brotherhood of Mutants. I know you want to help your fellow mutants, Rogue.” “Help them do what? Steal to pad your bank account? Kill humans? Kill mutants too if they get in your way?" Tryin’ to be brave. Almost succeedin’. Squirmin’ in that chair like it’s uncomfortable. Don’t like to be tied up, this one. Really don’t like to be tied up - can tell by her scent that it’s gettin’ to her, scarin’ her pretty deep. Hmmm. Can relate - I get squirrelly ‘cause they always had me restrained in the lab but this one’s too young to have spent any serious time in one of those places. On the other hand, any time at all is too damn much time……. “Tsk. Tsk. I cannot imagine what lies Charles must have been feeding all of you.” Look at Mags - tryin’ to seem all indignant. This guy really coulda been an actor in another life. He woulda probably even gotten an Oscar. He’s good, damn good. “I am merely a philanthropist, a benefactor to my fellow mutants. That large bank account that you speak of has been emptied repeatedly to aid mutantkind in distress all over the world.” That part’s true, actually. Well - it ain’t the whole truth. It’s also been emptied to train mutant militias, to fund attacks on anti-mutant groups, and to wreak havoc on humans in general. “And we do not kill, not unless there is no other way.” Now that’s an out-and-out lie. We sure as hell do kill, and I for one kill those fuckin’ humans that run the labs whenever I get a chance. Don’t care if you’re the head nutjob or just the janitor - if you’re workin’ for one of those places, you die at the end of my claws. “Really, Rogue, you cannot believe everything you hear.” “I don’t.” Heh. Shot that one right back at him. “Are you going to tell me what you really want with me?” Nervous glances at me. Yeah, she’s terrified of me. That’s the way to get to her. I can tell by the look on him that Mags is clickin’ on to that too. “I’ve told you, Rogue. I only wish for you to join us.” “I’m not going to. Let me go and let me go back to Westchester. I’ll never join you.” “Hmmm……I am sorry to hear that that is your position. I fear that I cannot let you return to Westchester, at least not until you reconsider. You see, Rogue, a girl with your……special talents could be a tremendous asset to our cause, to your fellow mutants. I’m afraid I simply cannot abide by your decision to waste those talents.” “Yeah, well - whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. The X-Men will come to rescue me.” I hafta hand it to her - she did a good job with that. Her voice almost didn’t shake at all and she sounded pretty sure. Wouldnta knows that she’s gettin’ more and more worked up at all if not for her scent. Which is still drivin’ me nuts. “Of course. Well, we shall endeavor to keep you entertained in the meantime. Wolverine, do take our guest to your quarters and make her………comfortable.” Yeah, there’s the wide eyes. She’s scared as shit now. And her fuckin’ scent - I just do not like the smell of her scared. Dunno why that is. Fuck, why am I even tryin’ to make sense of that? I just gotta get rid of it so it quits botherin’ me. Maybe I’ll just let her loose and walk her down. Maybe it’s the bein’-tied-to-the-chair that’s freakin’ her out the most. Maybe it’s not all me. “Oh!” What the fuck is your problem now, girl? I’m tryin’ to - oh yeah. The claws. Used the claws to cut her loose. Forgot that freaks people out. “Don’t worry, my dear. He keeps those sheathed. Most of the time.” I take back what I said about that Oscar. That evil-mastermind laugh was a little over the top there, Mags. “Do entertain our guest as you see fit, Wolverine. Oh, and I must warn you - do be careful of her bare skin. It is lethal, perhaps even to you. She absorbs the life force and mutant powers of others through that bare skin, so however………tempting it may be, please bear in mind that it is dangerous.” “Whatever.” Not gonna let her see I’m a little impressed by her powers - but I can definitely see why Mags wants her on our side. “You gonna be around?” “Sadly, no. I am needed elsewhere.” The super-virus thing - I get it. He’s been headin’ out, scroungin’ up whatever he can on that. Must be kinda serious. Ah well, nothin’ I can do about it. I dunno jack shit about science and I’ve never been much interested in medical shit. Had some medical shit forced on me, but I’d just as soon forget about all that, and Mags probably knows it. Hell, he’s seen me freak out when we’re inside one of those labs; he knows I’d go bezerk on whoever we came across and that probably wouldn’t be too damn conducive to gettin’ the information he wants. Well - he’s got Vic - almost as good of an ass-kicker and none of the hang ups I got. And besides, I got my hands full now with the little X-fucklet. “C’mon, then. Let’s go.” “I thought we had a deal, darlin’.” Deal bein’ - I don’t tie you up and you don’t try to escape. I’m sorry I hadta toss you around like that, but I can’t letcha go. “Don’t call me darling. I know what you did to Jean.” Yeah, as I’ve heard about a thousand fuckin’ times this evenin’. “You don’t know shit.” “Fuck you.” Real mad, and rubbin’ at her shoulder. Fuck - did I break it or somethin’? “Don’t talk to me.” “Well, make up your mind, darlin’ - do you wanna fuck me or quit talkin’ to me?” That shoulder must be hurt pretty bad. She’s startin’ to smell like she’s in pain. Dammit, if she wouldnta made a move for the door, I wouldnta hadta throw her back against the far wall like that. “Hmph. Just leave me alone.” “I *have* been leavin’ you alone, darlin’, but you’re not stickin’ to our deal.” “I don’t make deals with kidnappers. Or rapists.” Christ. She’s just not gonna let that one go. You know - maybe it’s time to let her in on exactly what happened between me and her precious Doctor Grey. “Sit there. Don’t move.” Oh-oh. That scared her. She thinks she went too far and now I’m gonna try somethin’. “I’m gonna turn on the computer.” Heh - all confused now. That wasn’t exactly what she thought I was gonna try. “I’m gonna show you somethin’.” “I don’t want to see any sick internet porn.” “Hey, some of that porn is pretty good.” Scandalized little expression. Yeah, darlin’, men like me like porn. Big surprise there. God, the X-fuckers really *must* be a buncha do-gooders. “But that’s not what I’m gonna show ya.” “What, then, some - some kind of anti-X-Men propaganda?” “No.” I can just feel her itchin’ to ask more questions. “And if you’ll just shut up a second, you’ll see what it is.” “I’m - I’m very hard to brainwash. My head - it’s different than most people’s.” Sure is, darlin’. It’s got those big innocent eyes and a mouth built for gettin’ men off. Don’t see that combination too often. “Look, I need all the brains I got - can’t spare any of mine for washin’ other people’s. Just watch this.” “What are you bringing up?” Scootin’ over - yeah, curiosity’s gettin’ the best of ya, darlin’. Well, you take a good look. “That - is that Jean?” “Yep.” Comin’ through my motel door. Mystique only posted ‘selected clips’ of my little tryst with Red, and my new friend Rogue here is about to get the unabridged version. “Oh God, I - I don’t want to watch this.” One hand over her mouth like she’s gonna be sick. “Well, you’re gonna, ‘cause I’m tired of hearin’ you run your mouth about somethin’ you dunno shit about. I didn’t rape her.” “Turn it off, please.” Turnin’ away. Well, fine, don’t believe me. Even if you don’t look the audio’s plenty convincin’. “No. Just watch. It ain’t - it’s not gonna be what you think.” “I don’t believe y- ” “Oh, God, just like that, Logan………” Yep, Red’s voice comes through loud and clear. “Take it off, rip it off with your claws!” There’s that curiosity again. She’s turnin’ around to take a peek, just a peek. Betcha never heard your dear old Jeannie talkin’ with that mouth. “Oh, YES!” “You - you must’ve edited it, tampered with it……..” “Nope.” “You had to, you - ” “God, yes, fuck me, fuck me you animal!” Heh - blushin’ and turnin’ away. I guess she’s seen enough. Time to give her a little shit. “I didn’t tamper with the tape and I didn’t do a goddamn thing that Jeannie didn’t want me to. Hell, I didn’t do nothin’ she didn’t beg me to. And it wasn’t the only time. What do you think, Rogue - do you think that she’d scream for me to fuck her like an animal the first time we fucked?” She’s givin’ me the ‘how the hell would I know’ look. And a scared one. I guess that came out kinda crass. “My point is - I gave her what she was lookin’ for. Only she didn’t plan on the whole world seein’ her kinks out in the light of day. She wanted a little walk on the wild side, a little rough treatment, a little outlet for all her submissive fantasies, the ones that probably scared the shit out of her dickless wonder of a husband. Hey, if he wasn’t gettin’ it done for her in the sack, she used me just as much as I used her. Only problem is - she didn’t want people to think she was anythin’ but the fine, upstandin’ Doctor Jean Grey. She didn’t want ‘em to know what she was really like, underneath. She didn’t want to admit to what she really was.” Nothin’ to say to that, darlin’? Heh - didn’t think so. She’s not your little idol now, is she? Well, I - “Whatever took place privately between the two of you, whatever it was - it should’ve stayed private. You had no right to put those pictures on the net, to humiliate her with things she shared with you privately, things she trusted you with. Even if - even if it did happen exactly like you said, even if she was cheating on Sc- on Cyclops with you, she didn’t deserve what you did to her.” “Sure she did - she’s a fuckin’ hypocrite, and she deserves whatever she gets.” “She’s a person who has feelings and who made a mistake. Haven’t you ever made any mistakes?” “Well, yeah, but I - ” Wait. What the hell am I doin’? This ain’t all about me. I ain’t on fuckin’ Oprah. What the holy fuck do I care what this little girl thinks? Dammit, I gotta get a grip. “Shut up.” “Lame comeback.” “I said shut up.” Puttin’ a little growl inta my voice oughta get the job done. “How would you like it if someone put pictures of what those scientists did to you on the internet? Pictures of you naked and being humiliated? I - I know it’s not the same thing, I know you didn’t ask for that or even have a choice, but it was your lowest point, and I bet you wouldn’t have liked everyone seeing - ” “What the hell do you know about that?” Lotta growl. Fuck that, out and out menace. You’re playin’ where you shouldn’t, little girl. “The Professor told us that you’d been in a lab, he told us they implanted metal all over your body. We know about you, about how you got those claws.” That goddamn telepath. Fuckin’ X-bastards. Tellin’ all the little kids this shit - dammit, I oughta go over there and fuckin’ - “He didn’t do it to humiliate you, not like you did to Jean. He did it to warn us, to let us know what we were facing if we agreed to join the team.” “You’re on the team?” Not gonna confirm or deny that, judgin’ by the hard look on her, but I wouldnta thought that fuckwad would put little kids on his mutie adventure squad. “Must be a piss poor team.” “We’ve kicked your butt a time or two.” “Yeah, well, it turns out you had a little advance knowledge of what my powers were. Wheels toldya all about me to warn ya what you might be facin’.” “No - not - he didn’t tell us that to warn us against you. He told us to warn us about what might happen to us if one of those labs got a hold of us, if one of us got captured.” “And you still joined up?” Little fatalistic shrug. “I owe the Professor.” “And I owe Mags.” And there you have it. Huh. “I’m sorry, you know. I’m sorry it was Magneto that found you, not one of us.” “I’m not.” Disappointment in her eyes, not what she expected to hear. “He gave me a chance for revenge against the people who did this to me. I ain’t sorry one damn bit for that.” “There’s more to life than revenge.” “Not to mine.” Big sigh, and her scent’s changin’. I don’t know that smell - what is it? “Then I’m sorry for that too.” “I don’t need your pity, *Rogue*.” “You don’t have it. You have my………my sympathy, I guess. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, none of it.” Fuck. My throat is all tight. That got to me. Fuck. “Wolverine - if you - if you didn’t really force yourself on Jean, then why would she say that? Why would she tell such a big lie?” “To save face. To keep her husband. I - I dunno why.” Look at her - so insightful about some things, so naïve about others. Odd combination. “You know her better than me.” “But you two were……..” “Fuckin’. Yeah. But that don’t mean I know anythin’ about her. The mistake she made was thinkin’ that meant she knew somethin’ about me. She was playin’ me, Rogue, gettin’ her rocks off and workin’ on me to join up with the X-fuckers all at the same time. She never realized that I might be playin’ her too. Fuck, she never even had a passin’ thought that I might be gettin’ over on her just like she was tryin’ to get over on me - women like her, they’re usedta thinkin’ that they can use their tits and ass and pretty face to get a man to eat outta the palm of their hand. And the truth is that it works mosta the time. Just didn’t work with me.” Just starin’ at me, thinkin’ things through. “That’s a very poor view of women. Just because someone is good-looking it doesn’t mean they think those things or have those motives. That's actually kind of misogynistic.” “You watch too much fuckin’ Oprah.” Laughin’ - she’s laughin’ at me? “You’re pretty much making my point here.” “Rogue - stereotypes - they exist ‘cause there’s some truth to ‘em. Good-lookin’ women generally know they’re good-lookin’ and use it. Nothin’ wrong with that - I use what I got too.” Namely, my brawn and my claws. And I do know that women like a good, hard, animal fuck and that they know I can give it to ‘em. “But relationships shouldn’t be about using the other person.” “I don’t have relationships.” “Why not?” “Don’t need ‘em.” “Everyone needs them.” “Not me.” More quiet thinkin’. You know, I’ve told her to shut up a time or two, but now I wish she’d spit out whatever’s makin’ her look that way at me. Amused, kinda, and decidin’ to keep somethin’ to herself. “X-fuckers?” “Yeah.” Actually smilin’ now. Big smile too - looks good on her. “But you’re just an X-fucklet.” Laughin’, real laughin’ this time, and that looks good on her too. God, that mouth….. “I guess I’ll have to try to get myself promoted.” “You should just join up with us.” More serious than I meant for that to come out, but it’s true. “Magneto gets what he’s after. And you’d be better off here anyway.” ‘Why?” “No rules. You do whatcha want.” “Not what Magneto says?” Doubtful of that, and I don’t blame her. “Yeah, you do what he says, but he don’t ask for much, and Rogue - he’s right about things. A war is comin’. This super-virus - ” “I thought that was just a rumor. The Professor said it wasn’t true.” “He’s wrong. Look, Rogue - think about it. If you don’t come over to our side, I dunno what Mags’ll do with ya.” Doubt he’d kill her, but he’d definitely turn her over to Vic for a while if I can’t convince her. “The X-Men will come to find me. I meant that. They’ll come, and I’ll get away.” “Maybe. Maybe not. Look - just think about it.” Not gonna say yes, but not gonna tell me if it’s no either. It’s probably no. She said she felt like she owed Wheels. Fuck. “Are you - do you have anything to eat?” Yeah, might as well change the subject. Enough of this fuckin’ conversation anyhow. Might as well feed her. “Yeah. I’ll get it.” Maybe the walk to the galley’ll clear my head or some shit. And when I get back - well, when I get back I’m gonna set her straight on a few things. Just gonna lock her in so she don’t get any ideas about us bein’ all friendly since we had this little chat. I’m still the guy who’s gotta convince her to join up and to keep her from escapin’. I just wish I knew of a way to get her to - “Wolverine! Freeze!” What the hell? Aw, dammit - X-fuckers. Rogue was right, they did come to rescue her. Now I’m gonna hafta fight ‘em. Shit. “Bite me.” Claws out. OK, let’s see what we’ve got. One, two, three little X-fuckers. The weather witch, the dickless wonder, and one I don’t know. “Who’s the new kid?” “I’m no kid. I’m Iceman.” “Holy shit, ‘Iceman?’ What is this, Top Gun?” Fuckin’ Iceman. What’s his power? Imitatin’ an automatic refrigerator ice-maker or somethin’? “We’re here for Rogue. We know you have her. We know Magneto, Sabretooth, and Mystique have left. You can’t fight all of us. Hand her over.” “Fuck off.” Like I’m gonna surrender when faced with the awesome power of ice cubes. Christ. “She’s stayin’ here.” “Have it your way.” Dickless wonder. Yeah, I bet you’re just itchin’ for a shot at me. But all I gotta do is duck that optic blast and - fuck! How the hell did I wind up on my ass? “Stay down and we won’t hurt you, Wolverine.” Icecube - more like big-ass sheet of ice. Claws still work on it though and - there. No more ice for me. But, fuck, the weather witch is headin’ back to get Rogue. And I can’t turn my back on these fuckers. “You’re going to wish you’d stayed down.” More fuckin’ ice, on my ass again, and - shit! There she is - Rogue, runnin’ towards them. “No, wait! Rogue!” Magneto’s just gonna nab her again and next time she won’t get tea and fuckin’ conversation with the likes of me. Next time, he’ll do somethin’ to her. Can’t let that happen. “Rogue, don’t go!” There - she’s stoppin’, turnin’ to face me. “I’m sorry. I can’t join up. I have to go.” “Rogue, what the hell - ” “Not now, Bobby. Look, Wolverine, come with us. I - ” “No fuckin’ way.” Not gonna happen darlin’, not in this lifetime. I ain’t ever gonna be anybody’s puppet again, and I know pretty damn well what you all think of me now. Can’t do it. Not even with those big eyes lookin’ right down at me. Even if I wanted to go with her……she didn’t say come with her, she said come with us, and that’s the fuckin’ problem. “Can’t do it.” “Rogue, it’s Iceman on missions, remember, not Bobby, and we have to go!” “Grrr………” Don’t like the sight of the little Icepick tuggin’ at her like that, grabbin’ her arm. “Wolverine - ” “Go, Rogue, now!” Dickless wonder, shovin’ her down the hall. Dammit. Dammit. “You’re going down, Wolverine.” “Not this time, asshole.” A little claw, a little traction and I’m up off the ice again. If little Icecube and the weather witch are occupied stealin’ Rogue then it’s just me and him. And I know how to beat his ass. “Not any time. You’re gonna be sorry you took her, One-Eye.” “I’m not going to let that sweet young girl fall victim to the same horror you made Jean live through.” Yeah, keep talkin’. Less blastin’ and I can maneuver around you while you’re too damn aggravated to realize what I’m plannin’. “Horror? Come on, Cyke, we both know I gave her the best fuckin’ of her life. The only thing she should be upset about is that she ain’t gettin’ it from me any more and she has to make do with you.” “You son of a bitch!” That’s it, boy, go for the visor, blast me. ‘Cept I ain’t gonna be a stationary target and you’re gonna get that supportin’ beam instead. Brings the whole room down and Mags’ll be pissed as hell, but hey, that’s what he’s got that big bank account for. Besides, I’ll survive a ton of metal and stone comin’ down on my head. How ‘bout you, ya little X-fucker? “Aaaaah!” Try and outrun it - ya won’t make it, not all the way out. Fuck - it’s really comin’ down. And that big beam is headed straight for my - “How nice that you’ve decided to rejoin us.” Shit. Everythin’ fuckin’ hurts. “Logan, do come around, would you? I grow impatient.” Whoa! Snappin’ me up and floatin’ me in the air. Grr. Told him to never fuckin’ do that again. “Put me down.” Ooof. Dropped me right to the floor. “I toldya not to pull that shit on me.” “And *I* told *you* not to lose the girl. Are you incapable of supervising a teenager?” “X-fuckers came to get her. Three of ‘em. Had a new one with them. He put me on my ass with this sheet of ice kinda thing.” “Yes, well, that does explain why all the carpets are ruined. I didn’t think the building collapse had ruptured a water main. Now - where is the girl?” “Hey - where’s One-Eye? He shoulda gotten caught in the rubble.” “Do not worry about him. He was here, but I permitted him to wake on his own and escape. I allowed him to go on his way back to Westchester - with a small parting gift, of course.” There’s that cheesy evil laugh again. Damn bastard’s gonna have a mini-me any day now. “But that is not your concern - where is Rogue?” “Back with them, I guess. They took her.” “Then ‘I guess’ since it was your failure, *you* will have to retrieve her from the mansion. We need her, Logan, and I do not have time for any more failures, even though they are a specialty of yours. Do you understand?” Aw, fuck you, Mags. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. “Yeah.” “Very well. I expect that you’ll have her back here within 24 hours. I have other matters to attend to.” Yeah, yeah, super virus. I hope that bug bites ya in the ass, you pompous - “And Logan - if you are not up to the task - ” “I’ll get her back. Keep your cape on.” Heh. That one pissed him off. “Don’t you have better things to do?” “Yes, quite.” He’ll get me back for that one eventually, but if I get Rogue back here, he’ll get over it. Just gotta figure a way to do that. A way around the mansion security and through the X-fuckers and - aw, shit. This ain’t gonna be easy. Might as well head back to my room and pull up those old plans on the place that Mags gave all of us. Miserable X-fuckers. Why’d they hafta come here and ruin my fuckin’ day, huh? I swear, when I get them, I’m gonna - Hey - what’s that? Somethin’ sparkly, on my desk next to the ‘puter. Earrings. Where the hell did earrings like that - Rogue. They’re hers. I can smell just a trace of her on ‘em. And it’s not earrings - it’s just one earring, a square one, looks like a diamond. Musta cost Wheels a pretty penny - didn’t know he bought gifts like that for the X-fucklets. Maybe she was takin’ ‘em off when they attacked. Maybe she was relaxin’, waitin’ for me to get back and getting’ ready to eat and she just - wait - what’s this on my monitor? Wolverine - I told you they’d come rescue me. I meant the things I said before. I guess I’ll see you in a fight sometime. I’ll try not to kick your ass too much. Rogue Oh yeah, darlin’. You’re gonna see me in a fight real soon. And don’t you worry about kickin’ my ass. I’m gonna be haulin’ yours back here. I’m not finished with you yet. Now where’re those plans? |