She had never really understood what Logan had gone through during the war or what it had done to him. He had returned to her, looking
like he had gone through hell. He had left her again, only to return
six months later, looking like his old self again. Now she was
watching the beast he had shackled away during those six months he
had been gone, crawling on his hands and knees without eyes,
tracking his prey with scent alone. Sabretooth was dancing around
him, raining taunts and insults, as well as good placed kicks from
now and then.
She had been returning to her car from the market, carrying two
large paper bags, planning what she could make for dinner. Black,
unmarked van had pulled to halt next to her, side door open, and
strong, hairy arms had pulled her inside. She had managed to see a
glimpse of a smirking face before they covered her eyes with black
cloth.
"Inform the runt. We have his bitch."
"Do you have any idea what that husband of yours is doing when he is
away from home? When he is supposed to be in Westchester, helping
Xavier?" She couldn't see the owner of the voice, but she knew him
still. Goosebumps rose to her skin and she shivered. Magneto.
"Let me tell you… He works for Xavier, that much is true. I believe
he has told you he teaches self defense?" Magneto was clearly
waiting for an answer, so she nodded. Magneto laughed softly.
"Clever guy… He isn't a teacher. He's Xavier's hitman. Xavier has no
heart to put his kids in danger, so he sends your husband to take
care of worst problems. From what I have seen, our dear Wolverine
has started mixing entertainment with work. I have proof. Videotape.
Would you like to see it?" For that she shook her head. What ever
was on that tape, was most likely false information, distorted and
manipulated.
"Why do I even ask? Of course you would like to see it!"
Cloth had been removed from her eyes. Huge screen on the opposite
wall had flared to life. Image was crystal clear, most likely filmed
in this same compound. She noticed structural and material
similarities on background with this room she was held. There was a
room filled with mutants, all shapes and sizes. Some were carrying
different weapons and guns, some seemed to be confident to use their
own mutation. Suddenly door was kicked in. Somebody stood in the
doorway. She squinted her eyes. Logan. It was Logan. Wearing black
leather suit, uniform of the X-Men. Several shots echoed, and he
went down, falling heavily on his face to the cement floor. When
some of the mutants approached him, true carnage was unleashed. Mere
five minutes later Logan was only one still standing, covered with
blood and other secretions from head to toe, blood and little shreds
of flesh dripping from the tips of his claws. Sight of it made her
sick, but that wasn't anything she hadn't known. She turned her
questioning gaze to Magneto who stood smiling next to the chair she
had been tied to.
"Patience, my child. Best part is coming…" Old man said, pointing
towards the screen, where Logan was crouching now, and poking a
steaming pile of innards.
She couldn't stop screaming before Magneto slapped her hard on the
cheek. Logan was a cannibal. Anything else she could have
understood. Not accepted, but understood. Anything else. Another
woman, drugs, anything but this. Anything but that half-man, dropped
on his haunches and chewing through still beating heart, clearly
enjoying it. This had got to be some sort of cruel joke. Soon
everybody would start laughing. Anybody? Now would be a really good
time before she wet herself or vomited.
There was no laughter. Only sympathetic look on Magneto's face.
"He has to be stopped. I doubt even Xavier knows about this. We have
told Wolverine where you are. He will come for you. And then this
all ends."
Logan had come, crashing through warehouse doors with his bike,
blood and gore gleaming in his eyes. Mystique and Toad had gotten
maimed, but before his death Toad had managed to cover half of his
head to sticky, glue-like substance, sealing off his eyes. He was
blind when Sabretooth joined to battle.
"I don't need to see you to kill you. Your stench is bad enough to
gag a maggot, furball…" Sabretooth had swept him off from his feet,
stomping hard on his lower back. She had heard a snap, and for a
moment all life had been gone from Logan's limp body. Sabretooth had
been dangling him from the back of his jacket, pummeling his head
against iron support beam. Logan hadn't made a sound, but suddenly
Sabretooth was down, screaming and holding his lower abdomen. Logan
had stood little unsteadily, looping something slippery and shiny
around his left wrist. Sabretooth's intestine.
"I have a gut feeling, that what ever this stuff is, it's quite
vital for you…" He started and gave the bundle a good, swift yank.
"So I should probably be very careful about what I'll do with it.
Right?" Sabretooth screamed and kicked him, but there was no power
behind his kicks anymore. Logan crouched next to him, leaning closer
to his face and smirked.
"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" His other hand patted Sabretooth's
torso carefully, until he found his neck. He grabbed Sabretooth's
hair and lifted his head, looping the intestine around his neck
couple of times. Then he continued lower, tying his hands together
with the same horrendous manner. Sabretooth had stopped screaming
already, and just lay there, staring at him mutely.
"Why don't you take a bite, war hero? Show that little wench of
yours what you really are…" He suddenly grunted. That stopped Logan
for few seconds. He actually seemed to contemplate the offer.
"No thanks. I'm not sure if my mutation covers food poisoning."
"Wolverine, my dear boy… Be a good little soldier now, and let
Victor go, before I snap her pretty neck!" She tried not to scream,
but it was hard when Magneto wrapped his fingers around her neck.
Logan stood up and turned his head to their direction, tilting it,
and suddenly he reminded Marie about an old commercial. There had
been a dog, listening to an old gramophone.
"Marie?"
"I'm here. Please, do as he says…" Magneto cut off rest of her
sentence by covering her mouth with his hand. Logan started walking
closer.
He could hear her heartbeat. Smell vanilla and peppermint. Fear.
Same kind of mix he had smelt year ago. She was afraid all right.
And not just because of Magneto. She was afraid of him. What the
fuck was going on?
"Want to let her go now? It's me you're after, not her!" He shouted,
trying to determine her exact location. She was at ten meters range,
somewhere in front of him. He could hear Sabretooth struggling to
stand up somewhere behind him. Fucker was a fast healer. Faster than
him.
"We had a very interesting conversation before you arrived. I showed
her quite entertaining movie, too. I must say you have a very
peculiar diet…" Nausea gripped his stomach. She knew now. After this
he could just pack up and leave. There was no chance in hell she
would tolerate him in her eyes anymore.
"Just let her go. You don't need her anymore." Every word he could
pull out from Magneto would help him to locate them.
Just as it looked like Magneto would let her go, Logan roared and
leaped, crashing against him. His grip around her throat tightened
momentarily, then suddenly went slack and he fell to the floor,
Logan on top of him. Logan moved quickly, pressing his fist against
Magneto's forehead, and she could hear a sickening crunch when his
claws pierced old mutant's skull. Then it was over. Logan just lay
there. Sabretooth groaned and pulled himself little unsteadily to
his knees. Logan lifted his head and turned his face to his
direction.
"Stay down, Vic. I don't want to hurt you more." Surprisingly enough
bigger mutant obeyed, laying down and trying to sort out the mess
Logan had left his guts.
They sat outside, on his bike. He was cutting off sticky goop that
was covering his eyes.
"Is it true?" She asked, voice shivering.
"Yeah. True enough. I did it. That's why I have been at Xavier's so
often. Therapy."
"Magneto… He had some footage of you… He told me you are Xavier's
hitman."
"True. Xavier doesn't want to get his hands dirty. And I kind of owe
him. He put my head back in order." Logan had gotten his face
cleaned up, and turned face-to-face with her.
"You weren't in Canada?"
"No. I was in a padded cell at Xavier's." She turned her gaze away,
and he could smell her tears.
"As soon as we get home, I'll pack up and leave. I won't… I won't
come back, if that's what you want. You don't have to see me
anymore."
"If you ever need anything, call Xavier. He'll know how to contact
me." He was standing in her small kitchen, backpack slung carelessly
over his shoulder, grim lines on his face. She couldn't help
thinking how they were back at square one again. Both hurting, and
he was leaving.
"Can I keep this?" She lifted her gaze from the tablecloth. Ring she
had gotten him. They weren't officially married, but one sunny day
they had decided to make their union more noticeable. They had
gotten rings for each other. Pure silver, two hands clasped
together. She couldn't bring herself to actually say the words, so
she just nodded. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, stepped closer.
Placed a soft kiss on top of her head.
"Good bye, kid. I love you."
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