To all my readers...

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to prepare this chapter, but when life gets in the way...what can you do?

But, enough about me. Without further ado, here is...

Chapter Three

(So tired… I'm so tired… I just need a little rest…)

All the running, all the teleporting… It was too much. He had to stop. He needed rest. Just for a minute or two…

"Look! There he is! IT'S THE MONSTER!"

(Oh, no…! Please… just leave me alone. Please…)

"Hurry! Don't let it escape!"

"Destroy the demon! Destroy the demon!"

Poor Kurt just wanted a few hours sleep. It took everything he had to escape Xavier's mansion. That in itself was a miraculous feat. When you consider how powerful a telepath Xavier is, even without his Cerebro device, the X-men should have found him by now. But they haven't. It was all of them against all of him. That only meant one thing… They were not looking for him. They didn't want him back. They were finally done with him.

(I know you're a monster… I know you're a monster…) Will no one understand? He never wanted to be a monster. He had no choice in the matter. He had no say in any of it.

He tried to run, but even on all fours he could only move a few steps before his body gave out. He had no strength left, so teleporting was not an option. The mob had him surrounded within seconds.

Then, as they grabbed him and held him down, their faces became recognizable (Scott…? Peter…? Bobby…? Logan…?). And it wasn't just them. All of the X-men were there. There was Ororo staring down at him, along with Kitty, Jean, Warren... (Dazzler… You, too?). He struggled as best as he could, but then he felt incredibly weak. Rogue was holding his tail…and she was not wearing her gloves!

"I only wanted to help you, Kurt. Why won't you let me help you…?" There was no sign of him anywhere, but the Professor's voice was unmistakable.

Kurt had to endure being caged, sticks and stones being thrown at him, and even gouged at with pitchforks. But nothing scared him more than seeing Logan's adamantium claws headed for his chest. "You're dead, monster…"

COCK-A-DOODLE DOO!

"GOTT IN HIMMELL!" And that is when things got complicated.

Wings were flapping. Feathers were flying. Squawking was everywhere. He could barely make out the corner he was backed into. Poor Kurt was in such a state of panic, he couldn't even think of teleporting. But fear gave him enough strength to smash through the wooden wall*, and high-tail it on all fours to the nearby forest before the morning sun could rise up and expose him.

Once he was deep enough in the trees, he stopped to catch his breath…and regain his thoughts. Kurt could not believe what had just happened. He knew the X-men were after him, but this time they really wanted to kill him. He had to keep running. If they caught up with him, no one would be able to save him…not even if anyone wanted to. "Alright… I can't let them find me. They'll kill me! I can't go back. No more X-Men. No more Weapon X. No more… No more…." He slowly took a peek around the tree he was hiding from. Where were they? He was seconds away from certain death, and now there's no sign of them? And…where did all these feathers come from?

As he began to pluck the feathers off, a dog's barking filled his heart with pure dread. It was not the first time he's had to deal with dogs. Those dogs… Those horrible dogs… Kurt's mind takes him back to a time he wishes had never happened. But the barking reminds him of a small cage. He's had been in many cages in his life; none of which could be described as 'roomy' or 'comfortable'. But there was one cage in particular…

After another failed attempt at escaping Weapon X, he woke up crammed in a cage so small, he felt like a dog in an airport. It was all bars; no roof or floor. They had stripped him of all clothing. He was naked! All he wore was an uncomfortable metal collar, with a padlock that made it extra heavy on his neck. He could not teleport. It was safe to say that the collar was the reason.

He wanted to get out of that base more than anything, and it would seem that he got his wish. His cage was in the center of a clearing in a forest. For days, no one came to check on him. He was alone, at the mercy of the elements. The sun's heat beat down on him. The nighttime air chilled him to the bone. The rain, at least, provided some relief. It washed the dirt off his fur, and provided water to drink.

But, sometimes…those dogs…. Those horrible dogs surrounded the cage, trying to get at the hungry, helpless mutant. The cage (small as it was) was the only thing keeping the dogs from eating him alive, but their slobber would drip all over him as they barked non-stop. Even if he had been able to teleport (oh, that horrible collar!), he was too terrified to even concentrate…

The barking was getting closer. He had to get away. He was too scared to think of teleporting, but he still had some nighttime darkness to his advantage. Perhaps he had just enough strength left to climb up to the branches…

SNAP! A bear trap bit into his right foot.

"AAARRRRGHHH!"

He was weak. He was hungry. He was afraid. He was alone. He was in unbearable pain. And now…, someone was approaching. It had to be the X-Men. Would they kill him right away, or were they going to torment him with taunts before finally putting him out of his misery?

"What a foolish creature you are…"

Upon hearing the voice of Colonel William Stryker, it was clear he was going to be taunted into a slow, painful death.

"Just look at you… You have the potential to accomplish great things for the organization. You could be moving up the ranks, like Sabretooth. Instead, you once again refuse to follow even the simplest of instructions. How many times are you going to try my patience? Perhaps a few days without food will teach you to appreciate what I have been offering you.

"Oh! And speaking of Sabretooth… He says you've made demon-hunting his new favourite hobby…"

Weapon X had found him again? It was too much. This was not how he wanted to die, but what choice did he have? When did he ever really have a choice? All he could do before passing out, was cry and pray that they would grant him a little mercy…and kill him quickly.

"No more… Please… No more…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

* Hulk would have been proud.