Logan stood up. Ann took a sheet and covered her. Most heads were bowed. "How dare they? She was nice and kind! I'm gonna"
"Slow yer roll Wade." Logan put his hand on Wade's shoulder.
"We want for them to attack. Let them get close then slaughter 'em." Victor said lighting a cigar.
"Who put you in charge?" Wade retorted.
"Army's a dictatorship. The lounger you've been in it the higher yer command I've been doin' this the longest so shut up!".
"I kinda liked it better when you didn't care." Kitty crossed her arms.
"I don't. you can die for all I care."
"Do you have a heart?" Kitty uncrossed her arms.
"Yeah, ya wanta see it?"
"No! that's gross!"
"Can't you play nice Victor?"
"Not as soft as you Jimmy."
Logan rolled his eyes. "Groups A and B will be the second line of defense. C will come out if needed, other wise they stay inside with D, defending the walls. A is the boys. B is the original X-men. C is the newer X-men. D is the natives."
"Who's the front line? Wraith inquired.
"Me and Jimmy."
"An' where do we fall?" Wraith gestured to Magneto, the brotherhood and the former Stryker force.
"Original X-men." Logan shrugged with his answer.
"You two can't take on a whole army. It's to dangerous." Storm deemed.
"Sounds fun to me." Victor informed.
"Those two will be fine Ms. Monroe." Ms Noire reassured. "Now, from the information we've received, most of the soldiers guns' have mutant cure in the bullets. Mutant cure isn't permanent. And if I treat the wound soon enough there will be no effect to your mutation."
"What is your mutation Ms. Noire?" Beast asked.
"Healer, but I also can create illusions."
"How long till they get here?" A worried Rogue asked.
"Ten minutes." Victor's answer made them frantic.
"Get yer weapons and go to the main wall lookout."
"Newbie's." Victor muttered, rolling his eyes. He and Logan walked off. When everyone arrived at the lookout, Logan and Victor were just watching outside.
The Mutation Free's army was near the edge of the woods. "Chuck I need ya ta make sure they don't get in. If they do get 'em out quick." Logan looked back outside for a second. "Magneto, mind opening' the dome."
Magneto made a hole large enough for the two to jump thru. When they landed the soldiers began firing at them. "Wanna play a game Jimmy? The one who kills more wins."
"Fine by me." Logan said before jumping to avoid getting shot.
The X-men were horrified. They were even more horrified with the feral children. They watched the battle like it was their school against their rival. They enjoyed watching the killing. They wanted to join the killing.
"They're predators. They're suppose to kill." Alexander said looking out at the two ferals.
"Doesn't make it right." Rogue argued.
"I never said it was right. I said it was natural."
"I think it's great." They all looked at Charlet. "It's nice to see Mama and Dad having fun and bein' happy."
"I've never seen them so happy." Wolf mused.
"Neither have we." Allen said.
"Joy shouldn't be found in killing."
"We're predators ferals. Killing means livin'. It's like eatin' or breathin'." Steve explained. "We kill for food and we kill those who try killin' us."
"You can't condemn someone for self-defense." Alexander said monotonously.
"That looks like they're slaughtering not defending." Rogue nearly yelled.
Alexander turned around "They are fighting for the cubs and you. Those men, if they got the chance, would kill you. This is war, people are going to die, people are going to kill. That is how things are. You will have to deal with it." He looked back, "Here they come."
They all looked out the window. They saw the two covered in blood and dirt. They walked as if clean and guiltless. Magneto opened the hole back up. The two jumped in and continued their discussion.
"I can't believe we tied." Victor scoffed.
"I can't help they only sent fifty men."
Victor sighed "At least they'll send more tamorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Kurt asked.
"They sent only a small number ta see how many made it back. Tanight they'll praly collect their dead and engage us tamorra. Wraith Warren an' Kurt 're on tower tanight." Logan jumped off the wall following Victor. The cubs jumped next.
Later that night Rogue went to the lookout window. She smiled finding the feral she was looking for. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Thinkin'." Logan was looking out the window,
"'Bout earlier?"
"No and yes." Rogue looked at him confused. Logan didn't turn. "It's nothing'."
"Logan, you slaughtered people taday. That's not like you."
"Wrong. I was in the business of killin' for a long time. I lived off death and to a point I still do."
"Do you enjoy it?"
"Yes, an' that pisses me off."
"Let me get this straight, you hate enjoying killing. Why then do ya enjoy it?"
Logan shrugged before turning his head sharply. He walked off in that direction. Rogue stood there confused before she walked in the opposite direction.
Logan walked into his house. He could hear all of the cubs sleeping. He continued on into the kitchen. He grabbed a beer out of the frig, sat down and began drinking.
Victor had been watching him since he walked in. "It's war, Jimmy."
"I know."
"Then why are ya mopin' about it? You can't change the past an' it's who we are."
"I know." Logan took a sip of his beer and leaned back in his chair.
"Then what's yer problem?" Victor leaned slightly forward in his chair.
"I don't regret killin' 'em."
~Duh. We were defending our pack.~
"And yer morals tell ya, ya should?" Victor sarcastically asked rolling his eyes.
"No. just not use to it." They sat in silence till Logan finished his beer, then they went to bed. No one slept well that night. All were waiting for the worst.
A few hours before sunrise, everyone was up and were quickly eating and getting around for the day. "Wraith." Logan called out next to the tower, but not looking up. Wraith ported in front of him. "Anythin'?"
"Like ya said, they only collected the dead."
"They should be comin' soon, watch close." Logan ordered and the teleported went back up in a puff of blue.
Everyone was on high alert that morning. The 'hospital' was prepared for the worst, the children kept indoors and daily duties completed as fast as possible. For the alliance the world almost stopped in late morning.
Kurt ported down from the tower, "Dey coming!" All rushed to the lookout windows.
The wind blow in the windows. "Yer 'bout an eighth of a mile."
"Hey, Jimmy. First ta kill the one in charge gets the last gallon of whiskey."
"Yer on." And both jumped out heading for the enemy.
"A gallon of whiskey?" Storm cocked a brow.
"They but from a distillery." KelTy shrugged as he spoke.
"By the way, they'll call us out in order. They'll whistle or sumthin'." Jake said.
"If we're lucky." Jay remarked.
"Look, they're cornered." Alexander commented in a monotone voice.
Outside, men were closing in on the ferals. Logan took the stolen gun in his hands and swung the butt of the gun hitting the men in the head. He tossed it up and victor caught it and did the same.
The alliance continued to watch in amazement. "They're so together." Rogue muttered.
"They've been in four wars before this." Steve said back.
"The enemy just keeps comin' and comin'." Trace pointed out.
"How many are there?" Wolf murmured in annoyance.
"A paper Brian got the other day said over nine thousand." Hank informed.
"This is gonna take all day." Jay grumbled.
"LeBeau, can we borrow some cards?" Ricky asked.
"Qui, pourque?"
"Wanta play five hundred rummy, wanna play?" Allen asked taking the cards.
"Why not?" Remy shrugged. They sat down and began an intense game of rummy five hundred. In the end Gambit won the game. They all sat there afterwards.
I'm bored." Ian complained.
So do sumthin' productive." Logan shouted.
"Like what?" Mike asked.
"There's a few thousand punks down here."
"Sweet!" KelTy and Ian high-fived. They all jumped out and down. They then began taunting the soldiers before killing them. It became a game to them.
That is till one of the soldiers shot repeatedly in the air. They all turned to see a man holding Charlet in the air by her hair. "Surrender, or the little bitch dies!"
"Oh Shit!"
"That doesn't even cover it Wade. They just signed their death warrants." Alexander said ominously.
The man moved the gun to be pointed at Charlet's head. She was terrified and nearly in tears. Neither side moved. Each waiting.
The ferals' eyes darkened to near black. The wind blow past them, each smelling the youngest male feral. His scent proved he was beyond angered. The seconds past painfully slow before Coyote jumped out of the tree. His jaw clamped down on the man's throat, ripping out his jugular.
He howled out before nuzzling with Charlet. Both were quickly scooped up by Logan. He jumped thru the dome and handed them off to Ann.
After Logan jumped down, a prehistoric battle cry, that could rival the goddess Alala's, was heard from Victor. It shocked enemy and ally a like. The ferals were hunched over and snarling. The only thing they could see was red, and red would be seen by all others.
Another sound was heard, a purring sound. It came with whimpers from Charlet and Dakota. Ann rocked them, it quieted them but did not stop them. "Are they purring?" Wade pointed.
"Yes Wade, they are."
"Why?" Wade raised an eye brow.
"They need Logan, they're scarred."
"But he's your kid."
Ann breathed out. "Let me explain this to you Wade, I'm dying. It's a degenerative disease. At max I have fifteen years left."
"Is that why Dakota lives with Logan and them?" Storm inquired.
"Yes. He's going to live for a very long time; I always wanted him to find a place where he would be loved and excepted. I was ecstatic when he found Charlet."
Charlet and Dakota became louder. Ann tried to quiet them down when a chorus of howls echoed thru the air. "We may be in trouble." Alexander began, "They're still feral."
"Then we should not let them in." Magneto determined.
"That would only anger them farther and if they consider us not a threat, we will be fine."
"Den Victor is da only problem." They looked curiously at Kurt. "Logan said da 'Cuds' dought of us as harmless after Kitty's vedding and Logan never attacked us vhen he's gone feral."
"Kurt is correct. When they enter bow our heads slightly and don't make eye contact."
"How do ya know so much an ferals?" Wraith asked.
"I am a feral expert." Alexander said modestly. "Here they come."
Victor entered first, followed by Logan. Logan walked over towards Ann; her head was held high. The youngest two ferals fell asleep right after Logan took them. Then the ferals walked off, eyes lightening as they went.
Logan went towards Charlet's bedroom. He placed the two on the bed, who curled up together. The others made beds around them. The frig door was heard opening then closing. Logan went from Charlet's room to his.