Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews RhiannonUK and tamazi. Glad you like it so far. Anyone who reads this please feel free to give advice on how to make my writing better.

The katana sliced through the air impacting the shoulder join cutting through flesh and bone. As the man cried out and fell away another leaped forward to take his place. Already the sword had drawn back blocking a strike as a leg kicked out and slammed a different body into someone behind. The hands holding the weapon moved with a speed and surety that only comes from many years of rigorous drill and practice. Those hands belonged to a man who knew for a fact that he had never even pick up a sword in the fifteen years that he could remember. Block, slice, kick, block...what the hell...how was he doing this?

It had all started as an opportunity to try out Xavier's newest toy. It was called the Danger Room. Scooter must have figured that one out he thought. It was built so that they could practice against a variety of opponents and fighting styles. Anything from a mugger to the Incredible Hulk could be programmed into the computers and would then be reproduced as a holographic image that moved and fought like the real thing. In the twenty minutes that Logan had been there he ran though all of the training routines that had been set up by Scott for the rest of the team. Needless to say he was not impressed. Most were stealth setups, sneak in get the poor captured mutant and sneak out. As soon as he started to kick ass the program failed him. "Damn it, " he said shaking his head. "Only Scooter would use a multi-million dollar machine to play hide and go seek." He walked over to the screen and looked at it again. Ororo had explained how to access the programs by using the touch screen. Eventually voice activation would be available for the computer illiterates like Logan. Backing up a menu Logan smiled at seeing the word archive. Programs from an older version of the Danger Room had apparently been transferred. Pressing the icon he saw the names Scott, Jean, and Ororo along with others he didn't know. What the hell he thought and pressed the first name on the list which was Betsy. There was only one program, something called Hydra. Shit wasn't that some kind of monster...oh yea seven heads breathes fire. Just what he needed to take the edge off his anger. He pressed the button and...nothing. Wait, a door opened next to the screen and when he looked inside he saw various swords and knives. One, a beautiful katana with an ivory inlaid handle seemed to call to him. Immediately after he pulled the sword out the room changed. Suddenly he was in hallway maybe eight feet wide. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of some kind of polished metal. About twenty feet ahead it turned a corner. Behind him the corridor opened up to a large room. Straining to hear he caught the sound of many bare feet coming toward him. He thought about just tossing the sword away, but somehow the feel of it was comforting. Griping it with both hands he sliced the air, surprised that it felt so good. Just then figures clothed in black from head to toe rounded the corner. Seeing him they screamed "HAIL HYDRA" and charged toward him, swords raised for battle.

While Logan was busy cutting and slashing his way through the hordes of Hydra, two young women watched wide eyed and open mouthed in the observation booth above. Through a pane of bullet-proof glass they could see directly through the (to them) transparent roof to the scene of carnage below. Dozens of black clad men were trying to get at Logan, but the narrow hallway only allowed two or three at a time to fight him. The ones behind this first group waited for someone to fall so they could rush forward to take their place. They didn't have to wait long. Logan's speed and footwork were amazing. His blade moved so fast that it difficult to see and no matter what the men he fought tried he was never caught flatfooted. Katana whirling Logan was fighting them to a standstill. Blood was splashed and limbs hacked off. Rogue felt a little queasy at all the gore. Looking at the girl beside her as Jubilee stared at the melee below she thought that maybe this wasn't the best idea they had ever come up with.

They had both slept the morning away after Ororo had walked them back to their room. Rogue had been very tired having sat up with Jubilee most of the night as her friend told her what had happened while she was held captive. While horrified at what Jubilee had gone through, Rogue was glad that Logan had talked her into staying. The brash outspoken girl had quickly become her best friend at the school. Rogue was the only person besides the Professor and Storm who knew what Jubilee's life had been like before she came to Xaviers. She knew that behind her sometimes caustic tongue Jubilee struggled with a bad self image, fearing that other people would think badly of her if they knew what she had gone through. When hunger finally drove them out of bed they showered and made their way down to the kitchen. Grabbing sandwiches they sat down in the now empty dinning room.

"So Rougey...how come snowball wasn't hanging around outside our door waiting for you to make an appearance?" One of Jubilee's favorite pastimes was teasing Rogue about her relationship with Bobby. At least she was being quiet about it...for now.

"Jubes, ya know exactly where he is same as I do. Its his flight time in the Blackbird simulator. There's nuthin that turns a man's head like a pretty piece of machinery. Sides I'm not too happy with him right now. Told me yesterday that I should stay away from Logan...that he was dangerous! I had ta laugh at that. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Don't know girl...wouldn't think he'd be like jealous...but you told me that Wolvie was sexy as hell. Maybe your little snowball is worried about competition. Then again maybe it was just my mood last night but I just didn't see what sexy you were talkin about."

"Well ya gotta remember girl that when I first laid eyes on him the man was stripped ta the waist and fighten in a cage! Ma good Lord he has the finest body ah have evha seen! Ah mean it Jubes, I luv Bobby Ah really do but sometimes when Ah think what Ah saw that night...well if you'd seen ya would know what Ah was takin about."

Jubilee covered her mouth to hide her smile. Every once in a while, when her friend got excited about something (usually when they talked about sex) her accent would get thicker. It was one of those things that drew people to Rogue. Despite the rotten card she had drawn in her mutation, Rogue was not one to hide her excitement about the people and things she cared about. She never pretended to be anything other than what she was. 'I don't know Rougey. He seems nice enough, and he's easier to talk to than I thought, but he's not like anywhere near as nice looking as Mr. Summers...just not as boring."

While Jubilee was talking Rogue noticed Logan walking past the open doorway carrying the bag he used when he worked out. "Well Jubes yer gonna get a little education, come on." Grabbing her friend's hand she dragged her into the hallway just in time to see Logan stepping into the elevator that lead to the lower levels. Walking over to the door she pulled out the card that allowed her access as well. Seeing Jubilee's surprise she confessed that when Logan was in a coma after the Liberty Island incident Jean had given her the card so she could visit him when ever she wanted. "I just kinda forgot to give it back" she said with a wink.

So a few minutes and wrong turns later found them sneaking into the Danger Room observation deck just as Logan was completing his warmup. Cracking his neck, Logan pulled his shirt off and started running through the simulations.

Rogue looked over at her friend and couldn't hide her smirk. Jubilee's gaze were fixed on Logan, her mouth hanging open eyes wide. "Ya better close that mouth girl before ya start droolin. Did ya evha see anythang so fine in all yer life?

"Now I know why you jumped in his trailer. What I want to know is why you haven't jumped his bones?"

"Shit Jubes its...well I don't really...Logans not like that to me. At least not now." Rogue was blushing, eyes looking down. "When I first met him...well Gawd the man made me horny just sayin my name. It's just not how he looks Jubes. When he first found me in his trailer he was so mad, I thought he was gonna dump me right there in he middle of nowhere. After he let me in his truck, he never implied anything like he expected to get any from me. He treated me with respect right from the first. I had forgotten what it was like for a man to treat me like a person and not a pair of tits and an ass. Logan looks real rough, but he was so kind to me. After he saved me on Liberty Island I had him in my head real strong and I realized that he didn't ...or maybe couldn't look at me that way. I mean he knew I was a girl...my inner Logan thinks I'm a real looker. It's just that I was the first person in a long time that meant something to him, and that was way more important to him then the other stuff. So I decided to suck it up and just be his friend, which isn't so hard now that I have Bobby. So kill me if I still like to perve on him a little." She finished with a knowing grin. What she told her friend had been pretty much the truth. It was just that what her inner Logan thought about her was more complicated then she had let on. Since that was also true for her, and she didn't really want to go there, she had told Jubilee as much as she could, or would.

"Don't know about that chica, could of sworn he was checking you out the other day at lunch. Maybe you outta ask him. You know how guys are."

"Jubes I'm not gonna go there. I'm real happy with Bobby and I don't think Logan would do anything even if he had those kinda feelings for me."

"Your sure babe? You wouldn't be pissed if he fell into the sack with someone else? Ya know I think snowball is a nice guy but damn Rogue...just damn."

Rogue had to smile. Its was pretty obvious that Jubes had fallen in lust. In fact the look on her face as she continued to watch Logan was almost predatory. "Why are ya asken girl, you got someone in mind? I thought you were stayin away from guys, tryin to get your shit together? I think ya need to get those hormones of yours under control."

Jubilee just shook her head and smiled. "Relax Rougey, I'm just like admiring the scenery. This was your plan ya know. If ya didn't want me to get an eyeful then why did ya bring me here. What's your problem you don't think Wolvie would be good for me?"

"Jubes are ya nuts? Ya just laid eyes on him five minutes ago and ya sound like yer ready ta jump him. Yer always rantin ta me about how guys are only out for sex. Well listen ta yourself"

Jubilee turned away from the spectacle of Logan below to pout at her friend. "Shit chica, why do guys get to have all the fun? Your damn right I wanna jump him. God look at him, the dude has the finest bod I've ever seen and I want me some. Look girl I'm not stupid, I know yer bud isn't gonna go all luvy on me. That's ok, cause I'm not lookin for a boyfriend, just some fun."

Rogue had no idea what to say, and before she had a chance to think of something all hell broke loose in the Danger Room. The girls had not been paying too much attention to what Logan was doing down there (just to what Logan was, or was not wearing). That changed when he started running the Hydra program. They stood watching as dozens of holographic ninjas fought with Logan, trying to force him further down the hallway to an open room where they could make their superior numbers count. Logan stood his ground not giving an inch as he fought the three opponents that could get to him. Whenever a gap appeared those behind the ones fighting him would throw daggers or darts of some kind, trying to catch him by surprise. Somehow Logan seemed to be able to tell which ones would hit him. Those he would flick his katana at deflecting the weapon away while not missing a beat in his sword play. The others he simply ignored as they whistled past.

Jubilee had heard from Rogue that Logan liked to fight and was good at it so she had expected to be impressed. What she didn't expect was a one man fucking army. "Shit babe I can't believe what I'm seeing. I thought you said he had some kind of freaky claws. So why is he makin like the fucking Lord of the Rings on steroids?"

"I don't know Jubes. I only really seen him fight all out like this once. That was the night Stryker's men came. Sure as hell didn't use a sword then. Ya know it's funny but I can't remember seeing anything inside his head about sword fightin. Usually when he fights he just punches the hell outta someone or like with the soldiers he'll go with his claws." In fact, though she tried not to show it Marie was throughly confused. If Logan was this good with a sword he had to spend a lot of time practicing, yet when she searched his memories she got nada.

"So like he never used a sword before and now he's like Zorro. Come on Rogue, that only happens in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Ya know babe...we can make a video from this and sell it over the internet. God I can't believe how hot he is."

Rogue shook he head. She had thought that her friend would appreciate Logan's...finer qualities but now it looked like she had created a monster. A yellow horny toad. Well she was just gonna have to get ahold of herself...wait...it was too quiet...no more clanging of swords...UH OH...

"WHO THE HELLS UP THERE! Rogue what are you doin down here?" Logan sniffed the air and glowered, "LEE WHERE DO YA THINK YER GOING? Both of ya get down here RIGHT NOW!"

Marie turned to see her friend...her best friend...trying to sneak out and leave her to face Logan's anger alone. "Where are you goin girl? I though you wanted ta meet Logan up close and personal." The panic on her face made Rogue smirk. "Relax sugah, let me show ya how ta handle him." Taking her friends hand she walked into the Danger Room to face a glowering Logan.

"What are you two doin down here? I know that ya aren't allowed in the lower levels and I sure as hell don't think you should be anywhere near this place. Don't ya know how dangerous it could be if ya get in here?" Logan was talking to both of them but was looking directly at Rogue.

"Hence the name? Come on sugah we were just doin a little explorin. When I found out you would be down here we just thought we could watch see how this place works. Besides Jubes didn't believe all the stuff I told her about how good a fighter you were. Wanted to show her that Scott can't hold a candle to you when its comes to scrappin." Jubilee could see Logan visibly relax and realized it wasn't so much what she was saying, but the manner of her delivery. She talked calmly, deepening her accent and smiling as she looked Logan in the eye.

Logan ran his fingers through his hair nearly slicing his ear off in the process. Eying the sword in his hand, he put in back in the locker and closed the door. "Look kid I'm sorry I yelled at ya but this place is off limits for a reason. I'm not gonna say anything about this ta Chuck but I want both of ya ta promise ya won't come down here until yer givin clearance." After they assured him that they would do as he asked Logan turned to the computer screen and pressed a button that a few seconds later produced a disk that was a recording of the session he had just finished.

As they walked to the elevator Rogue asked him the question that was on both their minds. "Logan, how come I nevah saw you using a sword in any of your memories? I don't know much about sword fighin be you looked really good."

"Well kid the reason is that I don't remember ever using one, at least since those fuckers experimented on me and I got away. I have no clue how I got so good using one, but hopefully Chuck can help me find out." Shit he thought. I just thought I was goin nuts. Now here's the evidence.