To Forgive is to Forget
Chapter 6
by
Hunter
DISCLAIMER: When my plot for world domination comes into effect, I will buy Marvel comics, 20th Century Fox, and all characters attached thereto, but until then, nothing is mine, only the lame characters I make up to play with the X-Gang.
DEDICATION: With major hugs to Leylue, All Great and Powerful Wolverine Lore Protector and Guide. . . without whom, this little South African wouldn't of even have gotten this far. And to Barbara, Tyger, and whoever gets this site next. . . excellent job grrrrls.
Beast had returned to the mansion with Professor Xavier, Jean, Gambit, and Cyclops after taking the Blackbird to the island to pick them up. The other X-Men had agreed to remain behind with the children, and act as if nothing had happened.
Rogue sat sobbing in the chair where earlier, Logan had sat. The Christmas tree lights blinked meaninglessly as melancholy settled into the room. Storm turned to the door as the Professor came in with Scott and Jean. He went to Rogue, and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Marie, I know what has happened," he said. "We will find him. Don't worry."
It would have sounded like empty words coming form anyone else, but Professor Xavier. He had read Hank's mind to see the intruders come, to see Hank falling from the dart, and then to see Logan trading his life for his friends. The image of Logan's body lying prone as a disfigured man kicked him had caused Beast much suffering. He had been personally berating himself for being caught unawares. The Professor knew that the other X-Men were feeling the same as well.
After assuring them that all would be well, the Professor left Storm hugging a distraught Rogue who was crying for the loss of her best friend and protector. Jean looked at Scott as he fingered the bullet that had been found in the bloody snow. They had tried to trace the bullet, but it had been unmarked. It was the same with the equipment that had been left behind which had presumably fallen off the men that Logan had attacked.
The blood in the snow bore a mute testimony to Logan's actions and the number of men that had been taken out solely by him. The bodies were gone. They, at least, had been taken away.
* * * * *
Jean was waiting outside Cerebro for the Professor to come out. "Logan. How could Logan be gone?" She sniffed and Scott shot her a glance.
"He'll be fine. You know that," he assured her.
"Do I?" Jean shook her head as the doors slid open and the Professor came out.
"Jean, Scott," Xavier said, "We must find Logan as soon as possible. He is in great danger."
The Professor gave the directions to where he had seen Logan and described the elements around him. As Jean and Scott hurried away to the Blackbird, the Professor stopped them.
"One other thing. I've only felt emotions and images like this from Logan from his dreams. It is what he remembers from 16 years ago."
Scott shot an anxious glance towards Jean. They both ran to the Blackbird shouting orders for the rest of the X-Men over the COM.
* * * * *
Lloyd was not happy about this situation after Heather had told him the whole story. This whole project was supposed to be about saving lives, not taking them. Now he was told that they would have to perform surgery on this mutant to get the adamantium out of him.
"Just what the hell had happened 16 years ago to posses someone into grafting metal on to a skeleton?"
The thought was beyond him. Although the medical aspects of the experiment where intriguing, the suffering this man had gone through must have been unbelievable. It gave Lloyd the shivers. He had spoken to the Doctor after they had gotten back, and after he had first spoken to Heather. Fishing for information, Lloyd had said he was interested in the procedure that the Doctor had used 16 years ago. Apparently, the mutant had been awake when the procedure had begun.
Lloyd had been walking towards the lab. He had unconsciously slowed his pace as his mind processed what he had just been thinking about. Startled back into movement, Lloyd saw one of four guards come around the passage. The Doctor had insisted that no staff was necessary. The General had ordered Captain Resta to pick up the adamantium when it was processed. Resta was due to arrive in an hour.
Lloyd walked onto the lab where the mutant was being held. He prepared himself mentally for what about was about to happen.
"It's for the better. One life for many," he kept repeating to himself. If only he could really believe that.
* * * * *
Slowly consciousness flooded back into Logan's mind. He was cold, naked, and tied down. Opening his eyes, he immediately closed them again as sharp fluorescent light glared down upon his pupils. He opened them a second time, but slowly, to get them used to the brightness. Testing his body's movement, Logan felt metal bonds against his arms, wrists, legs, and torso.
"Where the hell was he?"
There was a smell about this place that was familiar to him. In fact, it was very familiar.
He inhaled slowly, and felt the bonds against his chest restrict him. He savoured the air and was just about to take a second breath when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Glad to see you're awake, Logan," said the owner of the footsteps.
"My god! It was him!"
The realisation hit Logan like a train hitting a car stuck on the tracks. With a savage growl, he extended his claws and hoped to hit something. . . anything. All his muscles strained for release.
"Come a little closer, you son of a bitch, and I'll end what I started," he snarled.
All these years and the bastards had him again. This face belonged to one of them. One of them who had done this to him 16 years ago. Logan didn't actually remember slicing into him, but he must have done it. It gave him a small amount of self-satisfaction knowing that he had done some damage before.
"Tut, tut, Logan. Still the mindless beast I see." The footsteps came a little closer to the table. Logan's claws itched to get into him.
"Do you know where you are?"
Logan snarled an affirmative.
"Good. I was hoping you would remember. The dear General only wants your adamantium, and I'll gladly give it to him. But first, my old friend, you are going to pay for what you did." The face came into Logan's vision. Doctor Cuin smiled, "Your worst nightmare is about to be revisited."
Logan spat into his face.
Losing his smile, Cuin said, "Really, you should be glad. I'm just taking back what you didn't want in the first place."
Logan felt a snarl grow in his throat.
"Oh, don't worry. You won't die. You'll just be minus some enhancements when you wake up. How will it feel to be back to normal, Logan, after 16 years?"
The face suddenly spun away and the footsteps retreated to be replaced by another set.
"You may start the prepping, Lloyd."
When Logan felt a familiar feeling of pressure on his body; the pressure of a pen drawing dissection lines on your skin, he started to shake. As Lloyd finished his chest and legs, Logan pulled his claws back in. He watched as Lloyd came around to start on his arms. Keeping well clear of the sheathed claws, he started with Logan's shoulders.
"So, what's your name?" Lloyd spoke into the cold silence, and quickly berated himself mentally for trying to make lame conversation with a soon to be dead man. Though by all of Heather's accounts, he was very hard to kill.
"Get me outta here," Logan spoke softly, the words sticking in his throat.
Lloyd stopped his drawing, and looked down into Logan's eyes. His pupils were dilated. From fear?
"You know I can't do that," answered Lloyd quickly. He began his drawing again, starting on the other shoulder.
"You know what they're gonna do." It was stated as a fact, not a question.
Lloyd swallowed.
"Shit, I can't go through this again," Logan thought, "Not again."
"You gotta let me outta here!" Urgency traced Logan's voice. Hoping to trigger some help, he tried to play on Lloyd's emotions.
"Untie me. I'll be gone before they even know it!"
Lloyd opened his mouth, and was about to answer when Captain Resta stormed into the room. He was here to take the adamantium back to home base so that they could complete the project in time for the first demos.
"So this is it? I suppose it was easier than taking on an entire base," Resta said in a bored tone as he came to a stop next to Logan's head, and peered down into his eyes. "It's about time we found a use for these fucking muties."
The hate he saw on Logan's face made Resta look away quickly to ask another question. "What're all the black lines for?"
Before Lloyd could answer, the man strapped down calmly stated, "Yeah, so easy that I gutted eight of your happy little soldiers like fish."
Lloyd noticed that his eyes had lost their fearful look and that he had stopped shaking.
Pushing Lloyd out of the way, Resta turned to Logan's side again. He was not in a good mood to start with. Just being here playing courier for General Portman, and having Logan insult his best troops did not help to improve his mood. Raising his arm, Resta punched Logan's head with a well-aimed hit.
Lloyd stepped forward to try to intervene as Logan's head snapped back. He stopped when he heard "SNIKT," and saw Resta suddenly turn very white. Logan's split cheek had already healed as Resta stumble off his claws.
"Make that nine," Logan growled as his claws shot back in.
"Shit, what was that?" It was the last thing Resta said as he fell to the floor clutching his stomach as his blood pumped furiously over his hands.
Logan said nothing more as soldiers carried Resta's body away. Lloyd picked up the pen that had fallen to the floor and walked over to the table Logan was on.
"It's Logan." His dark eyes fixed on Lloyd.
"What? Oh," Lloyd answered, "Thank you." He shakily began drawing on Logan's face, trying to avoid his stare.
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