The Ties That Bind Us All
Chapter 2
[Dairou does the voice-over]
Previously on The Ties That Binds Us All...
Piotr was annoyed but not much as he'd found who he was looking for, Rogue "we meet yet again...Rogue"
"How'd you learn to shoot like that?" Rogue replied sharply with a bit of fear but Piotr knew she was relieved by her reaction when he shot at Beast.
"Father taught me, back in Soviet Russia" Piotr then said "he could've killed that...thing with one shot"
"Run, Anna" he said in a hushed tone as he ducked and they heard Dairou's almost silent steps in boots nearby.
As Rogue was gone, Rasputin stood and took aim at Dairou but the much more experienced gunman already had his gun at Piotr's forehead "drop it and you live, child" Dairou warned as Piotr cocked the gun, showing that he had no intention of doing that as he shot at Dairou's head but missed, hitting the lights above and behind the man who growled to himself "What is this place, a school for killers and assassins or something?!" He tapped Peter's wrist, hitting a pressure point which hurt like hell as he dropped the gun, since he could smell the faintest scent of the young Howlette's perfume, he knew she was here and was after her but the Russian was determined not to let him do that.
"Look me in the eye before you make another threat that I'll make you regret" Dairou warned, this one was getting a beating, both an illusion and a very real and painful one.
Like the guard the day before, Dairou easily put an illusion on Piotr but he seemed unhindered by seeing himself die in a very painful way as he frowned at the thought 'so this one knew pain, huh? I'll be the judge of that' he grabbed Piotr as he still shook off the illusion, his knee hitting his stomach until he felt and heard the boy's ribs crack from the force of the attacks, causing him to scream out as he was beaten relentlessly.
Rogue was a distance away when she heard Piotr cry out, it filled her with dread as she grabbed a bike out front and peddled like her life depended on it as bullets whizzed past, taking out her schoolmates like flies.
She didn't stop until she was home, there she locked herself in, still feeling like the killer was right behind her as she tried to calm herself but it failed as Piotr, her best friend's crush was probably killed protecting her.
Back with Logan, they were just back from the airport, when Logan was called to Rasputin's office to see a breaking story.
"What is it?" Logan said entering the lounge as Vlad switches to the news "Our suspect should appear on the news anytime now"
They saw Dairou sitting outside Bayville High and Rogue glancing at him surprised then suspicious before turning her attention back to the instructor who screamed as the bell went off.
The scream was what caught Logan's attention as he froze the video at the point where Dairou had captured Scott.
"Is there a problem?" Vlad looked at Logan, who pulled out the sketch and put it up beside the man in the video's super enhanced face and gave a dangerous glare "why would an armed man enter a high school?" Logan asked as he matched the face on the screen with the sketch.
Vlad raised an eyebrow, rubbing his chin in thought...not about what Logan said, but this stranger "We leave tomorrow then?" He asked as Logan shrugged "see ya tomorrow then" he left with a heavy mind.
Logan returned home to hear the television on "Anna-Marie's home already?" He asked himself as he'd found it weird as she wasn't usually home before he was.
"Darlin', you here?" Logan called out as he saw a hand raise from the couch where she laid "H-here, uncle Logan" he smelt the salty tears, who's the dead man who made his girl cry?
Logan came up and kissed her forehead, she flinched at his touch "you okay?"
He put Rogue up and sat with her in his arms around her "I swear on my own life, I'll protect you"
A few minutes later, Rogue was in the car with Logan, going to search for the other students, where she met Piotr's father for the first time.
A vehicle pulled up and Rogue saw a massive man step out and approached them, it was Vlad "Greeting, Logan and my apologies for calling you out this late" Logan shook his head "if you hadn't called me, I'm sure someone would"
"And who's our beautiful new friend?" Vlad smirked looking at Rogue as she hid near Logan causing Vlad to laugh "you're huge compared to her."
"That's Anna-Marie, my niece...I'm kind of the only family she has after her parents' death and I have no kids o' my own..." Logan looked at Rogue.
"Greetings" Vlad extended his hand to Rogue, his calm nature surprising her "Vladimir Rasputin"
"Rasputin...you're Peter's dad?" She asks as Vlad nods and replies "he speaks rather fondly of you as well"
"Save the introductions for after we know he's still alive" Logan says as the three enter the school.
Little did they know, they were being watched by Dairou, who hacked the cameras inside as well to keep his eyes on his new targets
"Well what do we have here?" Dairou watched the three enter the school "Howlette, huh?"
He scowled, not really caring for the Rasputin's as much as his eyes were on Rogue "she's the one that kid with the gun must have been protecting" he chuckles to himself "I like a target that's hard to pin down or kill"
...Now...
Logan, Rogue and Vladimir walked through the halls of the school, dying or already dead students and teachers everywhere causing Rogue to break down.
Vladimir held her close as he said a prayer silently in Russian as he looked at Logan "Logan...I don't think the girl has much stomach for this" he said as Rogue stopped him "I think I'll be fine..."
"Stay with Logan then, I have a call to make" Rasputin said dialing a few ambulances and other cops.
Rogue held her bag close, when she felt something poke her "Wait...what the-?"
"Something wrong, Rogue?" Logan turned to her as she peered into her bag and what she saw made her drop it
"Rogue!" Logan said to gain her attention as she pointed at the bag with a fearful voice "That ain't mine, Uncle Logan, I swear!"
Logan took the bag, giving Rogue a questioning look "what's gotten into ya lately?" He asked the question mostly to himself as he looked into the bag and almost dropped it at what he saw if he weren't a professional at this sort of thing.
"Rasputin!" Logan shouted pulling his niece close in a hug as the man returned having finished his calls "Found something?" He asked with worry.
Logan kept Rogue in his arms "Look in the bag..."
He did it and glared at Rogue, growing more annoyed as this investigation went on "Where'd you get this?" He showed them the large hunting knife without touching or removing it from the bag.
Rogue took a moment to reply, gathering her thoughts when they heard footsteps and found the injured but alive Piotr as he fell to the ground moaning "Rogue..." before losing consciousness.
"Peter..." Rogue sobbed holding onto Logan as Vladimir felt his son's pulse "do not be too alarmed, he's alive" he released a consecutively held breath, he was unnervingly calm but Logan could see the anger and rage burning in his eyes.
They heard footsteps again and turned in the direction it came from "Let's pick him up and get out of here before-" Logan was cut off by a sharp feeling of killer's intent (K.I) and drew his gun, same for Rasputin as he handed the dagger to Rogue and whispered "use this if you must"
"Girl" Dairou said coldly and stern but calmly as he came to the doorway "you have something that belongs to me..."
Suddenly, Dairou ended up not two feet from Rogue, a sword at Vlad's throat on his left and a gun to Logan's forehead on his right. Both their guns were at his head, but he paid that little attention, if any.
Dairou gave a demented smirk as Logan growled intensely, he definitely knew this man from somewhere "You're the one responsible for this?!"
"You must be the one who did this to my son!" Vlad spat angrily as Dairou grinned wickedly, his eyes flashing "guilty as charged, I'm afraid, blame him for getting in my way" he looked at Piotr emotionlessly, making him cringe.
"I knew I'd gain attention after that little zombie flight, but never did I expect an old man, a runt and a brat...or two" Dairou laughed as he saw Rogue flinch "try it, Rogue...you don't have it in you to even hurt me and you know it, do ya?" he growled seeing her grip the dagger tighten.
As she was about to lunge at the man, he kicked her hard, shot Rasputin in the arm and slashed Logan across his chest in one fell swoop as she hit the wall cracking it.
He took the chance and got closer to her, staring at her with child like curiosity until she woke up then grabbed her by the neck, lifting her "let go of me!" she struggled to no avail, only making Dairou tighten his grip.
He then turned her attention to her companions lying on the floor injured "ssh...I feel a bit good as you're quite the catch, so I'll leave their fates in your hands"
He aimed his gun at Logan, ready to shoot "does the runt live or does he die?" He whispered in her ear as she shook "Logan...please, no" she pleaded
"Logan..." He looked at Rogue then at him with wide eyes "so this is the famous James Howlette, huh?"
"You know who I am?" Logan turned to glare at him, obviously buying time for his weak healing factor to kick in.
"Who doesn't?" Dairou asked "I have a lot of frenemies with bets on your dear brother's life...too bad he's already dead, yours can appease me though...for now" he glances at Rogue
The gun was pointed at Logan's head as he stared at Dairou as his unruly hair seemed to spike and he gave an animalistic snarl as he grinned darkly "I promise ya, on my brother's life...you...will...pay!"
"Stop talking about your nii-san for once" Dairou gave a mad sort of giggle "especially when you can see him again real soon."
Piotr got himself ready for a stupid idea that may just save their lives as Dairou seems to have forgotten about him...at least for the moment.
Dairou shot at Logan and Peter thought fast, getting between him and the bullet, holding onto Logan as they both turned into a silver metal.
"Hn?" The sound of surprise came from Dairou Cerulean as the Piotr turned himself into a metal form and since he was holding onto Logan when he did, so did Logan, making both literally bulletproof as the bullet pinged off his new metal body.
That sound woke Logan up a bit as he raised his hand to see the hard metal receding from them both, he was not shocked, he was overwhelmed as he whispered "Pete, ya alright?"
Peter was a bit speechless at the moment, so he tapped Logan's arm as his answer.
Logan was on his feet in seconds, swatting at Dairou with his claws, until he used Anna-Marie as bait placing a sword at her throat "eh eh, you have it in you to watch her die?" he asks in a warning tone making Piotr cringe twisting her arm with bone breaking force, without actually breaking the bone as she cried out.
But Logan had a plan, he knew Dairou thought he didn't have it in him to hurt Rogue but he made a mistake underestimating the feral man as he really didn't have it in him to watch Rogue die. Wolverine, however was different...he would call his own bluff.
"Go ahead, bub, waste her if ya want!" Logan said, his tone changing as he looked Rogue straight in the eye. Dairou was willing and raised his blade slightly aiming to stab her throat "nice knowing ya, sweetheart..."
His mistake, however was to take his eye off Logan's other self, Wolverine, who healed himself only enough to fight again.
"Rogue, now!" He snarled tossing a gun to her as she shot Dairou in the stomach and Scott Summers appears and shoots him in the chest with his laser vision as Rogue jumped close to Wolverine.
Wolverine pulled her to her feet as they were both silent, looking into each other's eyes "your-" Rogue said in shock as the man put his hand up interrupting her.
"I am Wolverine" he extended his hand to her as she shook it and grinned darkly and widelyto "nice to finally meet ya, cub."
She then hugged him as he looked at Scott "Thought ya were dead, bub, glad I was wrong" he said as Scott's eyes returned to normal and he fell to his knees "Ya alright?"
"Yeah" Scott breathed as his eyes crackled with red energy "that just took a lot out of me."
The group managed to get outside, Vlad carrying his son as Dairou somehow gave them the slip.
Wolverine stopped and narrowed his eyes as the injured McCoy reappears, glaring at Peter before joining them "What happened to you?" Scott asks
"You don't want to know" Hank said in a shaky voice as Wolverine stopped him "try me..."
The next day at the hospital...
"How long can Wolverine stay in control?" Rogue asks her uncle who looked at Hank who was in a world of his own at the moment "We can switch control at will for however long we want...finally met him, huh?" He smirked.
Rogue nodded as Logan switched with Wolverine and looked at Hank, shaking in his bed with fear "be calm, bub...how long can you turn into that furry guy for?"
"I'm cursed..." Hank said trying to calm himself as Wolverine scowled "Not this bullshit again..." He rolled his eyes with the comment.
"This 'furry guy' as you call him is the Beast" he raised his hand which turned into blue furred claws then back to normal "I can't control when he takes over at all, only slow it, then I'm forced to watch myself attack my own students, by the way, do you think he's gone?" He said speaking of Dairou as he looked out the window.
"I hope so..." Anna-Marie said as Vlad, Piotr and Scott were in another room "I have to go, play nice..." She hugged Logan then Hank and left. Logan snarled quietly "This ain't the last we've seen of him, I'm sure"
"Play nice...what was that s'posed to mean?" Wolverine said looking at Hank curiously "I'm doin' nothin' 'til I see this 'Beast' again for myself"
Hank looked out the window, seeing Beast's dark smirk for a moment in his slight reflection and grimaced.
"Wolverine" he looked at the man on the bed across from him as he grunted in response "I have a question...do you ever see Logan in your reflection or vice-versa?"
"No" Wolverine said "That sounds preposterous to me, but is that the relationship between you and Beast?"
Hank looked at him in shock "How'd you make that guess so quickly?"
"I may be feral but I'm not an idiot" Wolverine popped his claws, though mainly out of boredom and not exactly to threaten Hank who paid it little to no mind "besides, that must be the reason why yer always so calm...strong emotions trigger the involuntary switch."
"Precisely" Hank nodded "I admire your deductive skills, Wolverine"
Wolverine shrugged turning in his bed "Get some rest..."
Elsewhere, Dairou had stopped in a secluded area where he could not be seen as he nursed his wound.
He then pulled out an old photograph of Logan with a man and a woman, holding a young baby girl with happy smiles and a smirk in Logan's case.
There was a third man there as well, but part of the old photo was burned so his head wasn't seen but Dairou could put the face to the body as he was there that day "Howlette, huh?" He said again.
"Rogue...Logan" he looked up to the sky "we'll meet again, bet your ass on it" he chuckled.
Elsewhere, in the Bayville Correctional Facility and Asylum, a scream echoed through the night as one inmate...one very dangerous inmate had just woken up from a severe nightmare.
The man's had the build of a tank, a feral appearance, golden blonde hair and amber eyes as they glowed in the darkness of his cell and he moaned.
A recent inmate had become his cellmate as he came up to him, rubbing his back gently "you alright?".
He pushed the man hard "don't touch me, faggot..." He glared at the smaller man from the corner of his eye "and no, I ain't anywhere near 'alright'...the nightmares...my nightmares and insomnia have worsened."
He took a few pain killers and sat back on his bed, just staring at the girly inmate "go to sleep, before I put you to sleep"
"What about you-" he said as the man glared at him "what about me?"
The man was silent and went back to sleep as the large man asked himself "guess I won't be sleepin' tonight, again, but these dreams...what could they mean?" He stared at the ceiling in wonder.
A/N - chapter 2 complete with a little mystery at the end...review or PM me if you have any idea suggestions or questions...read and review.
Warrior-of-Darkness015 out...