Storm stared in horror at the very bloody Wolverine emerging from the wrecked wall and despite Cyclops’s warning she stepped towards Wolverine involuntarily. She reached for him---
“Storm! Get back!” Scott sent a low powered optic blast into the ground directly in front of her, knocking her backwards. She glared icy daggers over at him from the flat of her back.
“Don’t hurt him!” Storm said angrily, as Cyclops fired another blast at Wolverine, who dodged and leapt at them, moving like nothing Ororo had ever seen before.
“It’s not him I’m worried about!” Cyclops said, positioning himself in front of Jean as he lifted his wrist saying, “Hank be on standby. Have Warren finish up on Alison’s leg if he hasn’t already.“
“Is Wolverine hurt?“ Beast came back.
A pause. “Just be ready. Possible multiple injuries coming back.”
There was a startled pause from Beast. “We shall be prepared.”
“Good. Send Colossus out.” Scott ordered. He turned his head and the ruby quartz of his visor glinted in the sun, catching Wolverine’s attention
Wolverine rushed him, his fierce growl turning the other X-Man’s blood cold.
Clang!
Gambit stepped in front of Wolverine, preventing his charge, adamantium staff drawn, blocking his attack. “Easy, homme. We be friends, remember?”
Wolverine snarled at him, moving with the natural grace and skill of a born predator, deflecting Gambit’s staff and flaying the other man’s arm open from shoulder to wrist. Gambit cried out, dropping his weapon, blood spraying the ground. Wolverine slashed again, and Gambit evaded, but barely. He rolled, but before he could get up Wolverine stood over him, bare foot cracking Gambit’s jaw, claws extended, arms drawn back, viscously snarling.
Jean unleashed a telekinetic pulse, sending Wolverine careening across the ground. He snarled at her, claws sinking into the soil, digging up small trenches, halting his progression. Jean screamed as he leapt, covering the distance between them in one smooth motion and flinging her to the ground. Hunt. Hurt. Kill. No! Yes! Hunt. Hurt. Kill. He raised his arm.
A silver and steel fist caught Wolverine under the chin, sending him soaring back. Mid flight Wolverine arched his spine, flipping and landing on all fours with animal grace. He was quickly becoming surrounded, but the animal in him refused to back down. It was kill or be killed. Narrowing his black eyes Wolverine attacked without hesitation, evading Gambit’s flung cards, and Cyclops optic blasts.
Cyclops swore, knowing that if they didn’t stop him soon, Wolverine would single handedly bring down the X-Men. “Jean can you get a fix?”
“Are you kidding? I couldn’t touch his mind before this!”
“Storm, take him down with a bolt, or send him to Kansas, or something!”
Storm glared at him. “I can reach him. I know I can. Just give us some space.”
“Storm, you’re insane. You don’t know Wolverine, he’s a killer. An assassin. We’ve known him for years and the only person to get more than a growl out of him was Jean.” This was said with great reluctance and more than a bit of anger.
“Give me a chance.”
“No!” Finality.
“Heads!” Iceman shouted as Wolverine lunged for Cyclops.
“Wolverine!” Storm tackled him, heedless of the danger, using the force of her winds to propel them several feet away from the others, back into the building that he had erupted out of. He glared up at her, roaring in rage. “Stop.” She said gently. Something akin to recognition flashed in his eyes, but before Storm could say more she was kicked from him and he swiped at her, causing her to flinch.
“Wolverine.” She said, scrambling backwards away from him. “It’s me. Storm. Remember?” She looked around the room seeing all the hooks and blades and the strapped table, and she felt her stomach roll. Oh Goddess, what had they done to him? Her hands slid in something sticky and she realized she was crawling through a layer of Wolverine’s blood.
Wolverine’s head swiveled towards her, fangs bared, snarling. Hunt. Hurt. Kill!! With deadly accuracy Wolverine sprung to his feet and launched himself at Storm, only to stop directly over her, straddling her, his claws skimming her chest, almost gently, but still cutting thorough the leather and lycra of her uniform, leaving three crimson marks. She cried out softly, trying not to.
Hunt. Hurt….Mate. Protect. Wolverine shook his head, his vision still crimson, but some part of him was screaming in protest at the thought of hurting this prey. She was looking up at him and he could smell her fear and it turned his stomach and excited him at the same time. He lowered himself to her level, leaning into her, pressing his nose to hers, growling low and deep.
Ororo met his gaze, slightly defiant. “You are not an animal.” She said gently, but firmly. “Come back to us, Wolverine.”
“Storm!” Cyclops rushed in. Taking in the scene in front of him he blasted Wolverine, punching him through the far wall. He looked at Storm, helping her to her feet. “We have new orders. We retreat, a swarm of Sentinels are coming.”
“But Wolverine…”
“Is no longer our priority. We move.”
Storm glared. “I am not leaving without him.”
Cyclops planted his hands on his hips. “You don’t have a choice. We haul ass, yesterday!”
“You seem awfully eager to leave him!”
Cyclops’s jaw jutted forward. “We can’t beat him,” he admitted reluctantly. “In every DR session Wolverine annihilates the team, I can’t risk it for real. He’s just too dangerous right now. I’m not giving up on getting him back, Storm, but we can’t take him, and unless you want me to blow a hole through his chest and take him out, we leave.”
Storm’s heart felt like lead. She knew the odds were against them, but after losing Adam she couldn’t lose Wolverine too. “I can reach him,” she said. “I know I can. Let me try!”
*Scott!!*
Jean’s mental screaming interrupted them and Cyclops heard the distinct sound of metal shredding. “Son of a bitch! He’s attacking the team!” Cyclops shouted, rushing out of the semi-erect building. “You can’t reach him, Storm. What we have to do now is try to survive him!”
Storm followed, stunned into stillness by what she saw. Iceman lay on the ground, unconscious, Kurt was trying to lift him, and Alison was in much the same condition, her head rolling to the side while Gambit was trying to lift her with one arm, to keep her out of harms way.
Jean lay on the ground, her lip bloodied and Wolverine was standing over her, claws poised to strike. Cyclops raised his hand to his visor, but Storm knocked him aside with a blast of artic wind, frosting his brown hair.
“Fuzzy Elf! Get Jean!”
Kurt bamfed to Jean, dodging the strike by Wolverine with his natural acrobatic ability, then clutching Jean’s shoulders *BAMF* and they were clear.
“Cyclops, where the hell are Colossus, Angel and Kitty?” Storm demanded.
“I sent them back with the baby as soon as things got hairy,” he said, rising to his feet, glowering at her. Jean screamed his name as Wolverine’s foot came out of nowhere, slamming Scott about a dozen times in rapid succession, knocking the Red Leader aside. Cyclops landed hard, throwing up and blood pouring from his broken nose.
Wolverine’s feral eyes glittered black onyx at Storm and his nostrils flared, picking up her scent. Hunt. Hurt. Mate. He snarled at her and she made out a single word mixed in with the growl “Mine.”
Storm’s stomach clenched.
Jean turned to Cyclops. “What do we do?”
Scott staggered to his feet. “We follow our orders. Get in the plane.”
Storm shook her head, her eyes still on Wolverine. “You follow your orders Cyclops, but I am not leaving him. Did you see where those monsters had him?”
“Stormy?”
“Trust me.”
“Always, padnat.” Gambit looked at Wolverine and frowned. Wolverine was staring at Stormy in a way that was very dangerous. Hope you know what you’re doing, Stormy, he thought.
Without another word, or any sign of warning, Storm rushed Wolverine, wrapping her arms around his middle from behind, summoning her winds to carry them high into the air.
“Storm!” Cyclops bellowed, but she was already moving away from them.
“She’s crazy!” Jean said.
Gambit shook his head. “Non, she’s in love,” he muttered under his breath. He looked down at Alison, who was slowly blinking up at him. “Welcome back, chere.”
“What’d I miss?”
Gambit looked over the trees where Storm had disappeared, a worried frown marring his handsome face. “Beauty jus’ went t’ tame da Beast.”
“Let’s roll, people.” Cyclops said. “Jean contact the Professor. Find out what he wants us to do about Storm and Wolverine.”
“Follow them.” Jean said a few minutes later, the jet soaring through the air. “He wants us to follow.”
“And what?” Cyclops asked.
“Do whatever necessary to ensure Storm‘s safe return.” Jean said, mildly confused by the Professor’s orders. He had seemed almost indifferent when Jean had relayed their recent events to him and for some reason that disturbed her, but not nearly so much as his next projected thought had. “If we can not subdue him, we’re to take Wolverine out of commission. He’s too dangerous left alive.”
Scott blinked in surprise. “Xavier wants us to kill Wolverine?”
Jean turned, looking at the beat up and worn out cast of characters behind her. “If we have to.”
Alison was looking out the plane window, worrying her lower lip.
Kurt was talking to himself, praying probably, murmuring in his native language.
Gambit sat stiff as he shuffled a deck of cards with his good hand.
Iceman was still unconscious, but breathing steady. Hank was attending him.
Jean turned back to Scott. “You think she’ll be all right?”
Scott shook his head. “I think she’s probably already dead.”
Still high above the tree line Storm released Wolverine, allowing him to tumble to the ground. His claws had nearly slashed her twice now, and she was getting tired of trying to control him and the winds at the same time.
She followed him down, landing a healthy distance away.
“I know you can hear me,” she said softly, her tone dulcet and surprisingly neutral. “You have excellent hearing, don’t you?”
He was watching her warily, his eyes glittering in the shadows of the trees. He shifted, his body completely absorbed in darkness and Storm grew tense. “Wolverine?”
She took a hesitant step forward. “Wolverine?”
She was hit from behind, her breath knocked from her lungs as she hit the ground. She rolled and Wolverine was straddling her, his breathing heavy, sniffing her. Again recognition flashed but was quickly gone and he grabbed a fistful of her hair, dragging her across the ground, her feet sliding in the mud, unable to find traction.
He continued walking until he reached a large tree. He looked down at her, remembering pain. Pain caused by her…for her…? He shook his head, growling.
Storm tugged on the hand holding her hair and he slapped her, hard. Ororo saw spots dance in front of her eyes. “You ass!” she swore angrily. “You wanna play rough, sweetie, okay. We play rough.” Ororo’s eyes swirled and Wolverine inhaled the distinct scent of ozone a second before he felt electricity coursing through his body, causing his to howl in pain. He panted heavily, now on his knees, but still clutching her hair in one tight fist.
He glared at her and Ororo saw a look of hurt betrayal flash in his black eyes. He stared at her angrily, but made no move to retaliate. She sat on her heels, watching him warily. “I know you’re in there. Come back to us.” She leaned forward one hand planted in front of her for balance, the other reaching out to him. “To me.”
Wolverine pounced, knocking her onto her back, releasing her hair to instead grab her wrists, holding her hands above her head. His breathing was erratic and his lips drew back, exposing his long canines. His eyes glittered and Ororo knew she had made a fatal mistake. He didn’t know her, and he was going to kill her. As she thought it, she felt his teeth pierce her throat in a savage bite, her blood filling his mouth.
“Logan.” She whispered and he drew back startled, chin crimson.
He reached for her, touching her face uncertainly. A red hot optic blast slammed him from her torso and punched him through a far tree, splintering the wood with a hideous crack. Ororo sat up, clutching her neck. “Wolverine!”
“Stay down!” Cyclops commanded, rushing past her towards Wolverine.
Capturing Wolverine was obviously no longer an option for them, she realized. She wanted to scream in frustration. She knew he had recognized her. All she needed was some time and she knew she could get under the animal to the man… Wolverine sprang loose from the underbrush, knocking Cyclops aside with a deft backhand. He turned, fangs bared, stalking towards Storm now, low and fast.
-SNIKT-
“Stormy!!!” Gambit cried plowing through the foliage, “Get away from ‘im!”
Wolverine whirled on the Cajun, now tossing pink phosphorous cards towards him, charged low so as not to hit Storm.
There was a strange humming sound and Ororo knew that Cyclops was gearing up to take Wolverine down.
“No!” she cried as Cyclops fired. At this close range it would be impossible for Wolverine to dodge both Gambit and Cyclops. Reacting on instinct alone Ororo threw herself at Wolverine, wrapping her arms around his neck and knocking them to the ground, taking the brunt of Gambit’s cards in her back.
Ororo gasped, barely feeling the three blades enter her midsection, her head dropping forward to rest on Wolverine’s shoulder. Instead of rolling to the ground she leaned into his deadly embrace, tightening her arms around his neck. She lifted her head and said into his ear, “It’s all right, Logan. It wasn’t you, I know…It’s all right…” She kissed him, her lips moving on his and slowly he responded, his tongue darting out to taste her and she sighed. She let their lips touch as she was mouthing the words against his lips, holding him, turning them so Cyclops couldn’t get a shot without hitting her.
Wolverine’s head was swimming, the scent of fresh blood filling his nostrils. He shook himself but it was still there. A soft voice was whispering to him through the rage, through the blood lust. “It’s all right…It wasn’t you…I know you…Logan.” Logan. Logan. His name was Logan.
Wolverine blinked several times, his vision slowly clearing. He found himself staring into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. “’Ro?” he whispered, voice raw.
“Hi.” She smiled tenderly down at him. “Welcome back.” Her eyes suddenly went hazy with pain and his brow furrowed confused.
“Storm?” It was then that he felt it, warm liquid seeping between his finger. He looked down, horrified to see his fist pressed into Ororo’s midsection, the tips of three adamantium claws protruding from her back. He roared in agony. A sound so terrible that the other members of the squads covered their ears.
Sensing his panic and inner loathing Ororo grabbed his face. “Sshh. It wasn’t you,” she murmured. “I know you, I do... It wasn’t your fault.” Her eyes were glazing over and she was rapidly losing strength.
“Help me!” Wolverine bellowed, looking over Storm’s shoulder at the other X-Men.
Jean was the first to rush forward, shaking off Cyclops restraining hand. “He‘s himself again,” she said, walking toward them.
“I‘m not certain it makes a difference anymore,” Cyclops stated flatly.
“Whatever you do, don’t retract,” Jean ordered.
Wolverine was growling in his throat.
“You’re going to have to carry her to the Bird. Can you do that, Wolverine?”
He nodded, unable to speak, the effects of the serum still raging inside.. He rolled, lifting Ororo against him, she groaned but said nothing. Her eyes were still open, looking at him and mixed with the pain was a look of such tender understanding that Wolverine’s steps faltered.
Once at the plane, a journey that felt like it took forever for Wolverine, Jean had him lay Storm down on the medical cot in the back of the jet. She reached for some gauze and a protein filler that would stop any bleeding that would occur as Wolverine retracted.
“Okay. Now.” Jean said filler in hand.
Wolverine retracted and Storm grunted, but didn’t cry out. She looked at him, her eyes surprisingly clear. “It wasn’t your fault.” She said again, firmly.
“Who’s fault was it den, chere? Cause from where dis Cajun sat it looked like Wolverine was wanting t’ kabob da lot of us.” Gambit entered the back of the plane, his arm still flayed open to the bone, glaring fire at Wolverine, his red on black eyes promising retribution.
“It was those government monsters, Gambit.” Storm said, panting slightly as Jean filled her wounds. “What is that?” she asked as the burn intensified.
“Protein.”
“Burns.” Storm mumbled her head feeling light.
“I bet.”
“You’re just loving this aren’t you, pom-pom.” Storm muttered, wincing in pain, one corner of her mouth tilted up.
“A little.”
Suddenly Ororo’s body began convulsing, her teeth chattering.
“What’s wrong wit’ ‘er?” Gambit demanded frantic.
“Shock.” Jean said, holding Storm’s shoulders. “It’ll pass. Someone get Hank, he’ll need to help me. Gambit get that arm covered. You don’t want it to get infected.” “Wolverine?” Storm said softly, her tremors lessoning,.
He looked at her.
She smiled glancing down at him. “Put some pants on.”
“You sure you’re all right, chere?”
“I’m fine, Remy. Relax.” Ororo shifted her weight against him, wincing slightly as she did, her wounds still tender. They had been deep, but luckily non fatal. Upon her arrival she had been sent to the med lab, but was released soon after, Hank realizing that she wasn’t going to stay put. He had warned her to take it easy, but otherwise to most everyone’s amazement she had been given a clean bill of health.
Gambit kissed her snowy hair and settled his cheek on the top of her head. “Dis be a nice night, non?”
Ororo inhaled the sweet night air, taking in the clear shy and smiled. “A very nice night.”
“Dat was a foolish t’ing you did,” Gambit said for the fourth time.
Storm shifted again, saying, “I did what any leader would do for a team mate.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?”
“Not’in, Stormy.”
They sat in companionable silence for a long time, Gambit occasionally running his deft fingers through her hair, his arm stitched and mended. There would be a scar, but thanks to Warren’s healing powers it would be exceptionally small.
A movement on the ground below caught their eyes and Storm felt a familiar stirring in her heart as she watched Wolverine walk across the courtyard, cigar clenched between his teeth. He was moving quickly towards the woods and there was something about the set of his shoulders that bothered her. She sat up, leaning her forearms on her knees, hands dangling by her ankles as she watched him.
‘You should check on Alison,” Storm said without looking at Gambit.
Gambit said nothing by way of response. He watched her profile intensely. She looked over her shoulder at him, raising one eyebrow. “You should. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you flirt with her.”
“Jealous?”
Storm laughed softly. “You wish.”
With out another word, just a quick kiss on her cheek Gambit rose to his feet, but before he swung himself down through her skylight he said very seriously, “Be careful, padnat.”
As soon as he was out of sight she stood and let herself float on the breeze, silently gliding through the air, following Wolverine.
He walked for several minutes, making his way through the forest unerringly, his instincts uncanny. From above Ororo admired the way his body moved, the way he seemed a part of the forest itself. He was not one with nature, he was nature, she mused. He was beautiful to her, and that terrified her. She was drawn to him, on more than a base level of attraction, drawn by more, something much more.
After a while he stopped at a clearing, taking a seat on a fallen log, lighting the unlit cigar in his mouth.
A cloud of blue gray smoke swirled about his head. “Ya gonna hover up there all night?”
Storm felt her lips twitch. Of course he knew she was there. She slowly descended, sitting beside him, her hair falling about her shoulders slowly. “How are you?” she asked.
Wolverine snorted, still looking straight ahead. “How am I? Yer the one I stuck like a pig on a poke and ya wanna know how I am? I’m fan-fuckin’-tastic, thanks fer askin’.”
Ororo said nothing for a moment, then hesitantly she placed her hand on his arm, unsure of how to offer him comfort. “It wasn’t your fault, Wolverine. They used you.”
He turned his glittering gaze upon her and wished he hadn’t. She looked so beautiful sitting there in the moonlight and shadows, her features exotic and breathtaking and immediately he wanted her. “Ya heard Wraith, Storm. I used ta be one of them.”
Storm shook her head. “It wasn’t you.”
“What ya think there’s two of me out there. It was me, Storm. I still wake up in the night covered in sweat from the nightmares.” The last part came out without his intending it to.
Her hand flexed on his arm. “The Professor told me they messed with your mind, Wolverine. That doesn’t count.”
Wolverine leaned towards her, teeth gleaming. “They may have tweaked the controls but it’s my nature ta hunt. Ta hurt and ta kill. They only enhanced it. I’m an animal.” He jerked his arm away from her.
Storm sighed. “Is that what you think?”
“It’s what I know, Storm.” Wolverine gave a harsh laugh. “I‘m not some fluffy X-Man. I don‘t believe I stayed here this long.”
Storm’s breath caught in her throat. “You’re leaving?”
“It’d be best.”
“Stay.” She said quietly.
Wolverine looked at her surprised. “What do you care if I stay or go? I nearly killed ya, kid.”
Storm wouldn’t meet his eyes, instead looking into the shadows of the forest. “You didn’t. You fought your way back, Wolverine, that has to count for something with you.”
Wolverine ground his cigar under his boot heel. “Well, it don’t.”
“Let it go, Wolverine. Get rid of the baggage, and the guilt. Let it go.”
“Yer treadin’ where ya ought not ta tread little girl.”
“Coward.”
Wolverine growled down at her. “What did you just say?”
Storm stood facing him. “I called you a coward.” He bared his fangs. “What’s the matter? Did I hit a little too close to home?”
His dark eyes narrowed, then coldly, “What the fuck does a pampered little kid like you know about guilt or baggage?” He stalked away from her and had made it several feet when her soft voice reached his ears.
“I was exceptionally young when my mutant power manifested,” she was saying. He turned and saw that she was once again seated on the hollowed log, her blue eyes glazed white in a faraway look. “I was five or six years old , it’s hard to know for sure.” She took a deep breath, still not looking at him. “I had a nightmare. A particularly bad one, as I recall.” Her voice became softer and Wolverine found himself walking back towards her. “The tornado took out half the village, wrecked the school and toppled my house.” She looked at her feet, her voice trembling slightly. “My father died instantly, struck by lightening. But Mom….was crushed, under the rubble with me. I held her hand while she went. It took hours, and no one could come because in my fear the storm raged…so I sat, holding my mother's hand as she died, all the while knowing I killed her.” She looked up at him with scarred eyes. “I know about guilt, Logan, and baggage.” She stood and touched his cheek with her hand, cradling his jaw. Instinctively he nuzzled against her as she said, “The secret of life is to live it, Logan. Don’t give up. I believe in you.” With those words she lifted herself into the night sky, her silver and white hair a brilliant contrast to the deep midnight.
“Jesus.”
