Title: Host
Summary: Someone wants to sort out this mutant problem once and for all. And they may have found a perfect host for a virus that could wipe out every mutant in it's wake.
Notes: Set after X-2, but a version where Jeannie didn't die.
I've always been a big fan of the zombie horror and wanted to bring that into my latest obsession with the X-Men but I didn't want super slow zombies (which I love, btw), but a different mutant like zombie to fit the mould. Having just watched X-Men First Class, I'm sure certain influences from that film will be seen as well.
Warnings: Contains horror and gory stuff throughout. You have been warned.
A/N: While this may be my first venture into X-Men fanfic, I've wrote many other fanfics' before. I wlecome concrit, especially as I may be off writing some of these characters to start with. I also have no idea where this is going.
~'An ineffective virus kills its host. A clever virus stays with it.'~
"It was a trap, we walked right into a trap."
Scott Summers paced around angrily in the Professor's office, venting his frustration at their latest mission.
"Scott, sometimes such things happen. I blame myself for not realising anything was amiss before I sent you out."
"It's not your fault professor, but what if things hadn't gone the way they did? We might not have found that boy and it might not have been Logan..."
The professor's face was grim at the reminder. "Hank's coming by, although I've already warned him that Logan's not one who'll take kindly to the interest Hank might have in him medically."
Scott's mouth formed a tight smile at the idea. "I've never seen mutants like that before professor..."
*Flashback*
Scott watched one of the mutants run away from the battle before he turned to watch Jean and Ororo escort the young mutant boy away from his captors. Scott had used his optic blast to knock them back and giving them a chance to get away. "Storm, you and Nightcrawler get the boy back to the jet. Jean, where's Logan? We need to leave now!" He yelled out.
Jean concentrated for a moment. "He's inside... something's not right, Scott."
Scott raced inside the building determined to find Logan and get them all out before the mutants they fought decided to try attacking them again. He had no idea where to find Logan and glanced behind him to where he knew Jean was following, waiting for her to guide him. She concentrated again for a moment, frowning at whatever it was she was sensing wrong. She pointed to the door nearest Scott. "That way."
Scott didn't hesitate and barreled through the door. The next room was empty and he kept racing along until he was stopped by the grusome sight in front of him. Logan was down, a mutant with her hands on his head who Scott presumed was the one keeping Logan prone. Nearest too him, the mutant there was actually eating Logan's arm, and Scott saw the flashes on the metal coating Logan's arm. Another mutant was on Logan's other side. Scott thought that maybe that one was eating him as well, but there was no flesh missing. Scott shot at the woman at Logan's head and whatever power she possessed had no affect on Logan now that contact with him had been broken. Scott heard the familiar sound of Logan's claws popping out. Scott blasted the creature the furthest away from him and once Logan's arm was freed of that mutant, he quickly used his arm to swipe away the other creature that was eating him. It didn't get knocked far, and Scott blasted it away, closing the distance between himself and Logan.
In battle, Scott didn't usually find himself worrying much about the Wolverine, but this was different. He'd never seen anything quite as horrific as this before.
Logan had sat up a little and was inspecting his savaged arm. Scott looked at it briefly but couldn't quite stomach the gory look of it and glanced over to Logan's other arm. All he saw was a couple of puncture marks and it took a moment for him to realise what that meant.
"What the hell, is that thing some sort of vampire?" He looked around the room for it and saw it slinking into the shadow. "Damn," Scott muttered more to himself. Turning back to Logan he asked "We need to get out of here now."
"Yeah..." Logan replied, not making an attempt to move just yet. He felt drained, not surprising if he had some vampire leeching off of him. He needed to give his body more time, however, he saw Scott didn't understand that he was drained from the experience and felt the need to move rather than admit he needed more time. He started to clamber to his feet when Jean's startled cry alerted both him and Scott to her being in danger. Scott looked to the corner where the vampire creature had been and saw it absent and a chill ran through him of Jean trying to fight it off. He briefly glanced round to see the woman who'd made Logan unable to fight the other mutants off still out cold. For that he was relieved as if Jean still had her powers, she wasn't helpless.
Scott raced to the door after Jean. She was in the next room, the vampire creature suspended in mid-air where she held it as she eyed it with startled, wide eyes. It's teeth were bared as it tried to sink it's fangs into her neck yet it could do nothing now but hang in the air helplessly. Scott blasted the creature so hard it smashed through the wall, into the outside. Scott rushed to Jean's side, holding her hand in his as he made sure she was untouched.
"Lets get out of here." Scott said. Jean nodded in agreement He helped her to her feet, while shouting through to the next room, "Come on Logan, let's go."
"I'll get Kurt to teleport us, it'll be the quickest way." Jean said, as she made psychic contact with the other man.
"Logan, come on." Scott yelled again.
The sudden sound of Kurt teleporting into the room, made Jean and Scott spin their heads towards the hole that Scott had created when blasting the vampire through the wall. Kurt sat there a moment, before teleporting futher into the room.
Logan appeared at the door just then, seemingly ready to go. Jean eyed him carefully. "Are you okay?"
He nodded briskly. He might not be okay right at that moment, but by the time they returned to the mansion he was certain he'd be more or less healed.
Scott noticed that Logan kept his mauled arm out of sight of Jean and Kurt.
"Take Jean first." Scott insisted. Kurt nodded and wrapped his arms around her as he teleported away, a cloud of blue smoke left in his trail. Scott noticed that once they were gone, Logan leaned heavily against the doorway. Maybe he was more hurt that Scott had thought.
Before he could wonder any longer, the mutant that had mauled Logan was back, this time grabbing Logan from behind, Scott moved to strike his blast at it, but was unable to get a shot without hitting Logan, the positioning it took kepot most of it's body behind Logan's own. Scott watched horrified as the creature went to sink it's teeth into Logan's neck, but Logan managed to knock it away slightly. He clearly wasn't at full strength though and the creature was back at him quickly.
Scott knew he needed to take a shot before the mutant creature got another chance to get close to Logan. His claws were out and although he attemopted to use them to defend himself, he missed his mark more often than not. He saw the creature move in again, getting close enough to Logan again to strike and Scott was about to blast when he suddenly felt like his whole body turned to stone.
He dropped down to the ground quickly, unable to move. He was dimmly aware of a cry of pain from Logan, but his own survival was in peril now and he could do little to help his team mate. He realised that the woman who had held Logan earlier had somehow got behind him. Maybe there was more to her mutation than the power she currently held over him. He could still see Logan from where he lay on the ground and realised that the creature had bitten him again, somewhere around his throat or neck. Scott watched in horror as he saw the creature eating the flesh and felt sick at the sight of it, sick that he was unable to do anything to help Logan.
Logan's hands were grasping at his throat, Scott wondered if he was even able to breath any more and that thought suddenly made him aware of how this could all become their worst mission. Kurt suddenly re-appeared in the room and saw Scott laying on the floor helpless and Logan attacked. Kurt hadn't been with the team long, but his instincts told him the prone man on the floor was in more danger than the one on his feet. he quickly knocked the woman away and teleported Scott away from the room, back to the Blackbird.
Logan vaguely had the idea that he was all alone as he struggled for breath which couldn't come to him any longer as his world turned black, he was dimmly aware of the creature taking another chunk of flesh away from him body.
TBC