Infirmary
Level 3 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
5:30 A.M.
As soon as Ororo had gently set the Blackbird on the basketball court, Logan left his seat and headed for the bay door. The minutes he stood there waiting for the platform to go below ground felt like hours had passed. So impatient to get to Marie; the animal in him began to make him pace back and forth. He smelled Ororo next to him and wasn’t sure when she’d joined him.
“She’s gonna be okay Logan,” she spoke as she put an arm around his lower back in friendship.
“You promise?”
“Yeah, I promise,” she answered him as he put his arm around to her left shoulder, “It’s gonna be okay because I’m helping to plan your wedding and because I say so.”
Ororo smiled at him and he truly smelled that she told the truth. Logan got the feeling that somehow it would be all okay. Then the bay door opened and he broke away from her arm before he quickly exited the plane. Within seconds he was in the elevator going up from the fourth underground level to the third level and the infirmary. Ororo went on up to the room she shared with her family. He went in right away.
Xavier was in a chair that had been by her side, now moved to her head area. He looked to be in a concentrated session with Marie. The sight of his girl hooked up to machines upset the animal but the man understood the need for them. However, the man didn’t appreciate the pulsing cries they made every 10 seconds into his delicate eardrums. He had to accept that they were necessary to keeping Marie alive and functioning. Logan pulled up another chair and sat by her right side. He tried to be patient and wait but the thoughts projected spoke otherwise. Then Charles opened his eyes.
“Welcome back. I trust business was taken care of?”
“My hands are clean Chuck. Marie’s cousin’s friends took care of everything.”
“Interesting.”
“How is she? What can I expect when she wakes up?”
“I’m not certain. I have tried to help her heal from the breakdown, getting her to find her way back. I would expect her to go through the grieving process as any normal person might after the loss of their parents.”
“What do I do if she gets mad at me for makin’ her see her folks?”
“Just be patient with her. Be there for her anyway. I will try to make sure that she does not push you so far away that your relationship suffers.”
“Thanks.”
“She’ll be waking up soon. I must go hit the coffee urn in the kitchen before the others awake.”
“Get some rest. I’ll be up in a bit for some coffee myself.”
“Don’t punish yourself, Logan. It’s not your fault. You had no way of knowing these events would occur this way,” Charles sighed. “I know you’ve already started beating yourself up inside that adamantium laced skull of yours. Don’t throw yourself under the bus…”
“My sister told me… Lily told me that she saw the deaths, but she didn’t know who they were. She didn’t go into much detail, but she must have been talkin’ ‘bout Marie’s parents.”
“Still, there was no way you could have prevented their deaths. When she heals Logan, I think she will be glad that she reconnected with her mother.”
“The way both her parents acted when we got there, I never dreamed that she’d give us her blessing before we left.”
“I’m sure that it made Marie very happy.”
“Yeah for a bit. I just don’t get it… In the span of a few days she lost her grandmother and her parents. I’d go insane too. Talk about instant karma…”
Charles squeezed his shoulder in support before he walked out of one of the med bays that made up the infirmary.
The buzz of the blood pressure machine started up again as it began to fill the bag attached to Marie’s left arm. Logan tried not to wake her but he needed a way to connect with her. He gently lifted her hand and cradled it in both of his. Her hand felt so delicate, almost frail compared to the heaviness of his hands. He softly pressed his lips to the back of her hand and he felt her fingers grip his. He looked up to see her stirring. Her eyeballs began to move a little more rapidly up under her lids. Logan could hear her heart beat quicken in his sensitive ears. His patience was near on end… And then…
Marie was standing in a beautiful meadow, with wild flowers brilliantly blooming through tall, lush green grasses and a gentle breeze blowing through pine trees. The sun high and floating in a clear blue sky; clouds blown through already. She was picking some of the flowers when she felt a pressure on her right hand. She dropped the few flowers she picked and held up her hand. She looked at it strangely. Then she felt a quick pressure on the back of her hand, but then she still felt the grip on her skin. Out of the blue she had a bizarre desire to leave the meadow. A door appeared a few feet away and she felt drawn to it. Marie went through the door and then she began to see through the slits of her nearly closed eyes. She began to open them slowly to become adjusted to the lights overhead. Then she saw Logan holding her hand.
“Hey…” Marie softly spoke; it was the only thing she could think to say.
“Hey…” Logan answered.
“How’d ah get here? Ah was lookin’ out the window in the recreation room.”
“Just rest for now, darlin’. I’m glad those beautiful eyes opened, but you need your rest.”
“Ah should call mah mama and have her come up to the school to see mah dress. She’d really love that. Would you call her for me? She likes you. Once ah get out of here ah can buy her a plane ticket.”
Logan’s heart sank and he cast down his eyes so that she couldn’t see his reaction. She didn’t realize what she’d said. Her mother was dead. He wondered if Charles had set her mind back to before the news announcement of the horrific murder of her parents. He needed to see Chuck right away and let him know that she had some kind of amnesia.
“Sure baby, now get some rest. I’ll be back down in a few hours. It’s still early. I’ll bring you a tray of somethin’ to eat in a while.”
“Okay. Ah’m kindah tired again.”
“Sweet dreams.”
Logan watched as she closed the lids over those beautiful eyes and stayed until he heard her breathing slow. She’d gone back to sleep. He worried that maybe he shouldn’t tell her that her parents were deceased. It would be a great shock and she might have another fainting spell like she had in the rec room. Still he felt guilty for taking her to see her parents. It most definitely put them at risk after seeing what they had written above the victim’s heads.
Level 6 Underground
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
6:15 A.M.
When Logan came out of the infirmary, he smelled a strong current of coffee. He knew Charles had gone up to get some, but why would it be in the hall? Curiosity got the better of him and he followed the scent signature to a metal panel in the corridor. Hmmm… He pushed on the wall and the metal panel pushed out towards him and an elevator greeted his sight. Funny, he couldn’t ever remember hearing about an extra elevator during the bi-monthly security reports. He pushed the only button on the wall next to the door. The door closed and Logan was suddenly being lowered. When he reached the bottom and the doors opened, he got the shock of his life. He’d discovered the secret med bay that currently held Victor Creed floating in a tank of fluid. It was usually only used for dangerous mutants. He was obviously unconscious and hooked up to an oxygen line. Out of the blue, Logan had a flashback to something he wasn’t sure of. He’d been floating just like Victor in a tank of bluish fluid. Charles came out from a small room to Logan’s left.
“What the fuck is, ‘he’ doing here?” He growled as he tried to keep control over his claws.
“We rescued him from a lab in Australia,” Charles sighed with a disappointment laced breath.
“When the hell did this happen? Why wasn’t I called?”
“You were away with Marie. Logan, there’s something you should know… But let’s go get some food, my friend.”
“There’s somethin’ you should know too…”
Headmaster’s Office
Xavier’s School for Gifted Students
Westchester, NY.
7:30 A.M.
Logan entered the kitchen and grabbed a quick cup of coffee. His appetite wasn’t all that great. Not since he found out that Chuck was hiding Victor Creed behind his back.
‘BLOODY HELL!’ The Wolverine screamed in Logan’s head.
Maybe later when Marie woke up and was hungry he’d feel up to eating? Maybe not… He headed to Xavier’s office and took up a seat across from where Charles would be sitting shortly. He set his large mug on the desk and popped both sets of claws to release some of the animal’s tension in his hands. It hurt like hell but then within 10 seconds he was all healed. A few minutes later Xavier walked in and sat in the big leather chair behind the antique desk.
“Now, you wanna tell me what the hell is goin’ on?”
“As you know, we received word that the Weapon X Program had been reopened and that they had captured Victor Creed. We were able to track him down to a secret underground lab in Australia, Everett Labs. We found the location 40 Miles South Of Uluru, near Fregon, South Australia. I will not apologize for not including you and Rogue,” he held up his hand to squelch Logan’s objections. “As I saw it, if we took you along there was a risk that you both might have been captured. I couldn’t risk it.”
“But that doesn’t explain why he’s here…”
“Logan, there’s no easy way to say this… Victor Creed has been enhanced just as you were. Moira, Hank, and I have been running tests since he arrived. He is immune to most everything that we first had developed. He has limited immunity to the fatigue poisons created in his body. We were able to focus on the ones he was vulnerable to and generated a kind of sedative for him. So far we have had success in keeping him sedated.”
“What the hell?” Both the animal and man were confused in a way but they also understood on some level what Charles said.
“The difference between you now is that he’s been genetically enhanced by the Weapon X Program. They have increased his strength and accelerated his healing factor.”
“How?”
“Apparently, according to the reports from my contacts, they’ve been capturing and recapturing Victor for the past several years for the genetic modifications. Dr. Valerie Cooper has been in charge of Sabretooth’s transformation. He’s had physical synthetic modifications at least twice. He received his first strength enhancement from his deceased son, Graydon Creed. They used his stem cells to give him superhuman stamina. He can now push himself at top ability for days before fatigue can begin to affect him.”
“You’re shittin’ me, right?”
Charles nodded his head, “I’m afraid not Logan. It’s actually worse, we believe.”
“Sabretooth’s strength has permanently been enhanced after being recaptured after the announcement that Weapon X was operational. His skeleton has been coated with adamantium. However, he was not given adamantium connective tissues in his joints and wrists; only secondary adamantium.”
“So what does that mean?” Logan looked at Charles like he’d grown another head.
“It means… That his can be severed if given the opportunity.”
“Well fuck, that ain’t gonna be easy. Not with the Energizer bunny running in his veins.”
“Victor was given secondary adamantium which is different than that which was grafted to your skeleton. True it is greatly indestructible and far stronger than titanium or steel compounds. In contrast from the report however, extraordinary blunt force such as a punch from superhuman strength can warp or break it. Energy charges in different forms can warp or damage secondary adamantium… Like lightening attacks.”
“You’re sayin’ that the Yellow Sparkplug could damage Sabretooth?”
“Yes, with enough condensed energy Jubilation could.”
“Shit. So, how am I different?”
“During the process of bonding the true adamantium to your skeleton, a new metal was born of a side-effect. Your healing factor not only allowed you to survive the procedure, but it induced a molecular change in the metal. You have adamantium beta. It functions identically to the true structure of adamantium, but it does not inhibit the biological processes of bone. And I believe you have the stronger of the two types of adamantium.”
“Well thanks for the vote of confidence,” Logan smirked and peaked an eyebrow in smugness.
“The exact limits of his strength are unknown, but he is seemingly stronger than you…” Charles teased him.
“Moving on,” Logan spoke to get around the barb. “So now that he’s here, what are your plans? You know it ain’t safe for him here, even if he is underground.”
“I plan to do a little transformation of my own. From what I have seen in our sessions, his psychosis is rooted in his time as a CIA operative. On a mission, he slaughtered a target, his wife and a little boy. The look in the boy's eyes has followed Victor ever since. However, we know not if these memories are accurate. It is likely that the Weapon X Program wanted Sabretooth to believe he has always been prone to violence.”
“True. Then what? You seriously believe you’re gonna change him into a model citizen?”
“Yes, actually,” Charles said and Logan seriously wondered if the new improved Xavier was a few bricks short in his new brain.
“You can’t be serious…”
“Victor Creed is a wanted murderer and if he leaves here, they will use whatever cure weapons they have left to cure him and then incarcerate him permanently. I am not so sure that would work given his virtual immunity to any drug. My proposal is to keep him here and use him on the X-Men team when needed.”
“No way, no way is he goin’ on the team.”
“Just give me some time to get through his mind…”
“Speaking of minds… Marie woke up believing that her mother’s alive. She wants me to call and invite her up here to see the dress. She’s planning to buy her a plane ride up here.”
Charles steepled his fingers in front of his mouth; his brow furrowed in thought.
“She’s entered the shock and denial stage of grief. It’s a good sign.”
“How the hell is that a good sign?”
“The shock is providing some emotional protection from becoming overwhelmed suddenly. She is denying the reality of the loss to avoid the pain. When she finally remembers, she will probably react with numbed disbelief.”
“How long will this last?”
“I’m sorry to say, it may last for weeks.”
“Shit. We’ve got a fourth of July party comin’ up.”
“The stages can hit at the same time or out of order. It’s up to Marie. She may loop back several times, just to keep you aware. Whatever you do, don’t force her to remember what happened to her parents. It could make her recess back into her mind.”
“So what do I do with her?”
“Love her. Hold her when she needs to be held. Bring her tissues when she needs them. General things. Show her you are there for her if she needs you, but don’t push her to get over her loss.”
“I wouldn’t dare. I’m just worried she’s gonna blame me for gettin’ ‘em killed.”
“She may do that, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Howdy!
Sorry this has taken so long to get out. Yah know, the tuffer stuff takes longer to dish out. I hope you all like the new update.
A/N The site ate the last 3 responses to your reviews so I am trying Google Chrome. I hope this works!
To Mezza999: A new reviewer! Yeay! Yes, I am most definitely continuing the story! We have to see them get married! Thank you for your review!
To Xgirl14: It's here for your noshing pleasure... *Wink, wink.* I hope you like your snack! And work is almost done on the next two chapter update!
To RaveRRat: Your welcome! :)
Enjoy!
Sorry this has taken so long to get out. Yah know, the tuffer stuff takes longer to dish out. I hope you all like the new update.
A/N The site ate the last 3 responses to your reviews so I am trying Google Chrome. I hope this works!
To Mezza999: A new reviewer! Yeay! Yes, I am most definitely continuing the story! We have to see them get married! Thank you for your review!
To Xgirl14: It's here for your noshing pleasure... *Wink, wink.* I hope you like your snack! And work is almost done on the next two chapter update!
To RaveRRat: Your welcome! :)
Enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
I hope you liked this... Please review and let me know! Now go hit the next button and get another fix of Rogan!