The Calming Storm (Part Five)
Colossus stepped slowly into the small ‘cell’ where Logan was crouched and moved toward the back wall to make room for the others to enter. In human form, and standing 6’ 4", Peter Rasputin towered over the 5’ 3" Canadian on any given day. Now, he had transformed into his steel form and, in so doing, gained in size - in both height and girth - looking like a living, breathing monolith. As he entered the room Wolverine snarled. Pulling his lips back in a vicious display he showed Peter his oversized canines, reminding Colossus of the destructive power of those one-inch fangs.
Hank entered the room next followed by Cyclops and Gambit, both of whom had to remain nearer the door for the lack of space inside the small storage closet. Wolverine growled at the men standing over him, but they didn’t move or show any fear, they just looked at him silently… waiting. Wolverine’s eyes shifted to each of them in turn trying to figure out what they wanted. Then Hank spoke.
"Logan?" Wolverine looked at him. "We’re here to help you," McCoy explained. "Do you understand?" Wolverine stared at him, then stretched his neck forward lowering his head in a predatory fashion. "We’re going to take you out of here, Logan," Hank told him in a very calm voice.
"No," Logan growled. "Go away."
"I can’t do that, Logan," Hank replied, shaking his head sadly. "You really need to come with us so we can help you," Hank replied.
"I don’t need yer kind o’ help," Logan growled menacingly.
"We’re not going to hurt you," Hank told him, taking a slow step forward. Logan straightened his back, snarling at Hank, and the four X-Men watched as the hair on Wolverine’s arms and chest rippled like a wave and stood on end. Then his dark mane bristled and fanned out. ‘Raising his hackles’ in this manner served to make Wolverine seem larger than he actually was, in an attempt to intimidate his enemies. It was an instinctual response, not a conscious one and it was a part of Logan’s mutation that his teammates didn’t see everyday. Few people have ever actually witnessed him raising them like that – although, after battle he always looked a bit ‘crazed’ and disheveled. "Logan, please don’t make this harder than it has to be," Hank asked of him calmly. "We are prepared to take you out of here, but we would rather you come of your own accord."
"I’m sure you would," Logan replied with an evil smirk. The X-Men looked at one another, prepared to do what none of them wanted to do. Wolverine took that opportunity to scan the room quickly. The two men standing in front of him were the largest of the four, the two smaller men were standing between him and the door. He didn’t like the looks of the one standing closest to him on his right. He wore a visor which hid his eyes and, while the others managed to appear somewhat calm, this one was rigid… on edge. The other one was leaning against the doorjamb with his arms folded across his chest, relaxed and off his guard. He wasn’t wearing the trench coat Logan often saw him in and… he was unarmed. Wolverine could scent that there were others outside the door out of view. ‘But, first things first.’
Logan looked back up at McCoy, just as Hank turned his eyes toward him. "Okay," Logan stated and McCoy looked at him curiously.
"Okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Logan answered quietly. "I’ll come with you," he said lowering his chin toward his chest and his eyes to the floor. Hank looked at Logan for a moment, not sure of what to make of this change in behavior. He didn’t trust that Wolverine had become so submissive so easily. But, then again his behavior had not been what they expected at all recently. Logan just sat there and waited.
Hank tested Wolverine’s docile demeanor by making him wait like that for a minute or two. McCoy just stared at him silently as the others looked back and forth between the two. Finally, Hank gave a nod to Scott who nodded back and proceeded with the next step - to release Logan’s ankles from the restraining straps. He moved slowly, and very cautiously, knowing that the last thing he wanted to receive was a kick in the face or chest from Wolverine’s powerful legs. Once Logan’s ankles had been released, Cyclops moved back to a safe distance and let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Logan?" Hank tried again, just to be sure.
"Yeah?" Logan answered calmly.
"We’ve removed the restraints from your legs," Hank informed him.
"Yes," Logan responded.
"We’re going to free your hands now," Dr. McCoy informed him.
"Okay."
"Are you okay with this?" Hank asked.
"Mmmhhhmm," Logan sounded with a nod. His eyes were now closed and he appeared to be very relaxed. Hank wondered if Logan had managed to put himself in a meditative trance, using his martial arts training to calm his mind. If so, that was a wonderful thing. But he had known this man called Logan for a very long time and one of the things Dr. McCoy had learned very early on was to never underestimate this particular man. Coming to the conclusion that he had no other choice at the moment, but to accept Logan’s calm demeanor, Hank gave Scott a single nod. Scott moved forward cautiously and began to release the straps from Logan’s wrists. As they came loose Logan dropped his hands to his sides and waited. Then Scott loosened the strap from Wolverine’s neck and stepped back.
Logan opened his eyes slowly and stood up, feeling his leg muscles stretching out and allowing his blood to circulate freely through the starving tissues. He took a long, deep breath and raised his eyes to look at Dr. McCoy. As Logan’s gaze shifted to the colossal steel form standing beside the blue furry Beast, Hank spoke to him.
"Everything is fine, Logan," McCoy stated softly. The compassionate tone of his voice served to comfort most of his patients and Hank hoped Logan was no different. "No one here wishes to hurt you." Wolverine’s eyes returned to Hank.
"Then why do I have to leave this room?" Logan asked, his voice low and distrustful.
"Because there are much more comfortable places for us to talk," Hank told him. "That is all we wish to do. We just want to talk to you."
"So talk," Logan challenged, narrowing his eyes.
"Not here," Hank countered. "Out there," he said, gesturing toward the open door. As Logan glanced in that direction, Gambit moved quickly to recover his stance, trying to hide the object he had just been handed by someone unseen on the other side of the door, but he wasn’t quick enough. Wolverine did a quick double take, his eyes flaring with rage. Gambit froze in surprise at having been caught, his hesitation was only momentary but it would cost him dearly. With a surge of anger and without hesitation, Wolverine spun around and was on LeBeau so fast that the Louisiana-born X-Man had no time to react.
"Traitor!!" Logan screamed, as his fist slammed Remy right between the eyes. Instead of falling backward into the lab, Remy got pinned against the doorjamb as Logan pummeled him in rampant fury. Wolverine had been standing still one moment and was on the move the next and, although they had fully expected Wolverine to put up a fight, his actions had been dealt out so quickly and so viciously that it took a few seconds for the situation to register in their minds.
Because Scott was closest he got to them first. He grabbed onto Wolverine, trying to pull him off of Gambit who was desperately trying to protect his head and face as Wolverine’s metal-filled fists wracked him relentlessly. Logan’s rage had always served to make him stronger, quicker and more unstoppable and he easily dislodged Cyclops with one powerful sweep of his arm. As Cyclops slammed into a nearby wall, Beast and Colossus tackled Wolverine. The three men were sent sprawling onto the floor by the sheer force of the two large powerhouses as they each tried to seize control of the smaller man. But, Wolverine was incredibly agile for a man of his size and build and he was able to twist around beneath the force of the blow, evading capture and allowing him to maintain his hold on LeBeau.
Wolverine pulled the injured X-Man along with him as the momentum threw him toward the center of the lab. Logan’s bare feet scrambled for purchase on the tile floor and, once he found it, he was on his feet instantly. He snarled at the object that Gambit had been holding before the attack, which now lay on the floor nearby. Before Logan could move to pick it up Kurt teleported in, grabbed the suppression collar and was gone again in the blink of an eye. The acrid odor of sulfur and burning brimstone left behind by Nightcrawler’s teleportation stung Wolverine’s heightened sense of smell and burned his eyes and throat. The effects slowed him down enough to allow Colossus and Beast to regain their feet.
Colossus grabbed onto Wolverine, wrapping his arms around Logan’s torso, and began to drag him across the room. But, Logan grabbed onto Remy’s tank top and, dragging the injured X-Man in tow, continued punching him as he pulled Gambit across the tiled floor.
As Storm tried to race forward at the onset of the attack, Jean grabbed her by the shoulders and held her firmly to her spot. They watched with growing concern as Wolverine continued to fight his teammates with savage brutality. Ororo could not believe this was happening. She stood, nearly in shock, watching the horrific scene being played out before them. She knew with certainty that she could’ve gained Logan’s trust and cooperation if they had just allowed her more time. This show of force would solve nothing and only served to give Logan a viable reason to release his vindictive rage.
On the other side of the room the brutal assault on the fallen X-Man known as Gambit continued. Gambit tried to break free of Logan’s grasp, but his repeated attempts to escape the frenzied fury of his teammate failed. Wolverine was so focused on his target that he didn’t even fight back as the attempts to restrain him continued, he just kept a tight grip on LeBeau’s clothes as Peter dragged him toward the infirmary.
"Traitor! Murderer!" Logan roared over and over again.
Hank was finally able to grab onto one of Wolverine’s legs just as Bobby raced forward and wrenched Gambit free of Logan’s grasp. When Wolverine realized that he had lost his prey he reflexively kicked out with his free leg and caught Remy square in the face. Blood exploded from Remy’s mouth and nose and he nearly lost consciousness. The tremendous crushing force produced by Logan’s powerful kick against his teeth had split Remy’s lower lip wide and deep. Hank grappled for Logan’s free leg and, when he finally caught it, he had to hold on for dear life because only then did Wolverine understand his predicament.
Logan’s intense fear of being pinned down and unable to move took over and he bucked and strained frantically against the hold his friends had on him. Wolverine was short and stocky, but he had enormous strength which his teammates were reminded of as they were nearly thrown off balance by his desperate flailing.
"Traitor!" Logan shouted out at Remy as he was carried away. "You’ll pay, you murdering savage!"
LeBeau got shakily to his hands and knees with blood pouring from his mouth and nose. He could barely mumble a response to Logan’s name calling as he tried not to choke on his own blood. "Look who’s talking," he managed, unable to close his mouth.
Rogue ran to him as Jean went to get some towels from a nearby linens closet. She handed them to Rogue who held one lightly to Remy’s mouth as Jean knelt beside him to check the damage.
"Why he call Remy a traitor?" he asked, not understanding Wolverine’s demented behavior.
"He’s not thinking straight, Remy," Jean tried to explain. "They messed up his mind. He doesn’t know who we are or where he is… or who to trust."
"Dey make de Wolverine… crazy?" he asked. His mouth and eyes were beginning to show signs of the beating. Swelling and bruises began to appear across his handsome face. Jean shook her head as she tried to mend his wounds not knowing how to answer his question. She didn’t want to believe it herself, but it was hard to deny what they all had just witnessed.
"No, Remy. Logan’s not crazy," she finally answered, trying to convince herself as well. They could still here Logan growling and shouting profanities as he struggled to get free of his ‘captors’. The three sat quietly together as Jean tended to Remy’s wounds. The sounds of Logan’s seemingly irrational hysteria echoed loudly through the corridors as he was carried away toward the institute’s infirmary. "We’ll help him," Jean finally blurted out nodding her head vigorously, refusing to accept the possibility that Logan may be beyond their help this time. When there was no response to her statement she looked up to see Rogue and Remy looking at her with concerned disbelief. "He’ll be fine," she told them, trying to sound confident of that fact. They both nodded, not so much because they believed it but because she needed to believe it. Then they heard a soft whimper and the three turned around to see Storm still standing behind them. She was still standing in the spot where Hank had placed her and Jean had kept her… away from Logan. She had her hands pressed firmly against her face, as she sobbed forcefully, trying to muffle the sounds of her grief.
"Ororo?" Jean said, concerned, but Ororo didn’t answer. She didn’t even look at them before turning and racing out of the room. She ran down the corridor toward the infirmary, the tracks of her tears drying on her cheeks. Determination and regret etched deeply in her elegant features. Ororo was angry. Angry with the people who had done this to Logan. Again! She was angry at her teammates who had taken the situation into their own hands and refused her council. Angry with them for not giving Logan the time he needed to learn that he could trust them, to learn to believe he was safe, to learn he was among friends who would fight to protect him and keep him safe as best they could.
But mostly, she was angry with herself. For allowing them to take the situation into their own hands and for allowing them to refuse her council. She was angry… because she didn’t fight hard enough on Logan’s behalf. She didn’t fight hard enough for his trust, his sense of worth… his love. Ororo was determined now. No one would get in her way… ever again. No one would destroy Logan’s faith in her… ever again. No one would take him from her… ever again. No one would come between them and keep them from each other… ever again!
TBC in "The Calming Storm – Part Six"
