Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this again?? Pour salt into the wounds, won't you?
Notes: Inspired by the current issue of "X-men unlimited", a story I had to try to do my own take of. Title shamelessly stolen from the movie of the same name.
* indicates what happened earlier*
Marie's POV.
I'm losing my mind. I'm sure of it and screw what everyone else thinks! They mean well and keep on insisting that it's just my mind playing tricks on me, that I am just seeing what I want to see yada yada yada.
Like that's even possible. Some men can often be mistaken for others because they do look very similar, especially from a distance. Others because there are some vague similarities between them and illumination, state of mind and countless other reasons make you do the mistake.
That can't happen where Logan is concerned. He's unique, or maybe I should say was unique.
Okay, so I am biased. So sue me already. The point is, I'm sure I
saw Logan earlier this week, which just isn't possible. He's dead and has been
for over a year.
*"LOGAN! Get out of there now!" Rogue could hear Cyclops
yelling before a big explosion caused universal chaos all around, making it
impossible for her to
see or hear anything else. After what seemed like an eternity and then some
peace reigned again
and the consequences of the disastrous mission could be clearly seen. The
abandoned
warehouse was in ruins and a lot of people were severely injured. Members of the
Brotherhood, the X-men and the people the Brotherhood had held hostage alike.
And one person was
missing. Logan was either trapped in the warehouse or dead. Cyclops, being the
leader and felt that it was his duty as both a friend and a leader, slowly
entered the
building leaving it to Jean and Iceman to keep Rogue from running in after
Logan. Neither
task was easy to say the least. Jean and Bobby had to work the hardest they
could
to keep Rogue at bay and they both had a bad conscience of keeping Rogue from
helping
her boyfriend, but they both also knew that she was in no condition of helping
anyone and could quite possibly make things worse. Their task wasn't made any
easier
when Scott emerged from the building again, alone. If that wasn't enough the
look on his
face gave him away. The X-men had suffered their first causality.
He just lay a hand on Rogue's shoulder whispering "I'm
sorry", knowing that there wasn't anything else he could do.*
That was a year ago almost to the day. Time heal all wounds they say but that's not true. They're just easier to live with and I was so sure I could handle knowing Logan is never coming back to me by now. I was wrong. So very wrong. Or maybe I could, at least a little, before I saw him walking among the living.
Well, there's only one thing I can do about it - try to find him. That's a real sign of mental health isn't it? Going out in New York trying to find a dead man. Never mind. If he's alive and is in New York and won't come back to the mansion for whatever reason, I know I can find him. It's just a matter of time.
Three weeks later
It took me longer than I thought going through all the bars that offers cage-fights, the only places where Logan is sure to show up at eventually. Most of the bar-owners knew of the Wolverine of course but couldn't help me in finding him or knowing anything about him really. All they could say was that they hadn't seen him in over a year. Except this barowner. A short guy that goes under the name of Mac. He claims to be a friend of Logan's and not just some other random bartender. I don't have anything to lose so I hang around in his place for many nights in a row and I am almost ready to give up when one night, Logan does show up! I don't know how it's possible but I intend to find out.
I start to walk towards him but before I reach him I see him sniffing the air, as he always does when he senses danger and before I know it Sabretooth is attacking him! Why is that overgrown housecat always in the way when I want to talk to Logan? It's so not fair and I've had enough of it. I use the bar as leverage and jump on Sabretooth, touching his face skin-to-skin knocking him out cold.
Logan looks at me, both surprised to see me and annoyed to being fooled out of a good bar-brawl with Creed. He regains his wits almost instantly and says "Nice seeing you again, kiddo." and drags me out of the bar and into his car.
Before he has the chance to say anything I start hitting him in the chest with all my might, screaming at him and cursing him for making me think he was dead. Yeah, real mature of me.
Anyhow, he just takes blow after blow until I am completely exhausted. Then he takes that opportunity to give me an explanation. Apparently what happened was that the Logan Scott found dead wasn't Logan at all.
It was some poor guy that Magneto had killed and made look like Logan, all to convince us all the Wolverine had been killed. The real Logan was during the year held prisoner in Magneto's lair, being experimented on so Magneto could find out exactly how that healing-factor is working and possibly clone it. Magneto became too over-confident eventually and Logan could escape, barely but still.
Only one more question.
"Logan?"
"Yes?"
"Why didn't you come back to the Mansion once you had escaped?"
"I was going to, once I had figured out if it was safe. And when I knew
how to tell things."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Magneto could have fooled me somehow and planned my escape
and I don't really know exactly what he did to me while I was
his `honoured guest' as he likes to put it. It could have been a trap. And even
if it
wasn't, I didn't know how to explain what had happened to me and why I hadn't
kept
in touch after my escape. It became harder and harder for every day."
"Well, duh! You're not being very logical here, you know."
"No?" he said with a raised eyebrow.
"No. But I forgive you if you come back home with me now."
"Anytime darlin'. Anytime."
How I've longed to hear those words again.