Episode 10: Weapon X

A laboratory of unknown origin where a person is suspended in a water-filled tube. He awakens suddenly, unsheathing metal claws from his hands, it's Logan. Slicing open the tube he falls to the floor in nothing more than a speedo.

Logan wake up from then nightmare, safe in the X-Mansion.

The alarm clock goes off in Kitty's room waking her abruptly, still half asleep Kitty makes her way to the washroom, walking right through the door and upsetting Greer.

"Wha- hey, do you mind? The sign says occupied. The door was locked."

"Who can read at this hour? Sor-ry!" Kitty says half asleep.

'Dear mom and dad, today started out just like all the others, just with different people. Everyone is feeling a little...crowded- me included, especially with a roommate like Tori... though it's not real easy to get close to her or healthy either...'

Noise filters in from the hall way.

"... I need to shower!"

"Make sure you put the cap on."

"...racquetball or something."

"We gotta check on that..."

Kitty moves to the kitchen to continue writing her email, 'Finding a place to be alone around here is really a matter of timing. Sometimes you have to settle... like when Mr. Logan's around. But that's ok, because he doesn't wanna talk to anybody.' Kitty pauses looking over at Logan looking over at Logan drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

"What's the matter, half-pint? Am I readin' too loudly for ya?"

"Uh...no. Just enjoying how quiet it is."

Just before everyone enters the kitchen.

"Hey, all right!"

"I'm starving."

"Do we have any ketchup?"

"What happened to all the milk?"

"Kurt, why did you leave the lid off the toothpaste again?"

Scott turns on the TV where a newscaster is damage caused by some unknown animal, "...in the Canadian wilderness."

'It's like sometimes Mr. Logan can be so incredibly rude, you know?'

"...as a result, authorities have closed mt. Mckenna national park until further notice."

"Mt. Mckenna." Logan groans.

"Hey, Logan, you ok?" Scott wonders.

'I mean, Professor Xavier is always saying that we're kind of like a family here, and we all have to get along. But Mr. Logan doesn't act like it. He's always going off, doing this lone wolf thing. I mean, it's not like his life is so much tougher than ours.'

Logan retreats to his room where in a fit of range he starts trashing it as Kitty passes by.

"Mr. Logan?"

Logan looks a bit out of it as he see's Kitty, "Oh—hi."

"Sorry, I- are-are you ok?"

Logan groans, "uh...eh... yeah, fine. Fine. Just...redecorating."

Kitty enters the family room. Chris is hanging a poster on the ceiling.

"Chris, what are you doing?"

"Didn't have space for this in my room." he says as he pins a poster to the ceiling with bone spikes.

"We all share this area, you know." Kitty says looking up, "What if some of us don't like the Festering Boils?"

Chris shrugs and walks off.

'Chris is the youngest, and is so immature sometimes, you know? It's like he has no idea how his actions affect the rest of us.' The poster falls on along with some of the ceiling, 'And then again, like maybe he does.'

Kitty moves to a tree outside with her laptop to continue, 'Some of the kids around here are pretty nice. Like Scott. Sometimes he tries to be so totally responsible for Professor Xavier and the other students. Then other times he acts just like a regular high school kid.' she watches as Scott peels out in his car. "Today he's definitely a kid. Thank goodness for Professor Xavier. He keeps the lid on things around here. Not an easy job sometimes... especially with Mr. Logan. I bet he really gets after him for trashing his room."

At a outside garden Logan and Xavier talk, "Something in that news story- I don't know what- set me off."

"Let's, uh... let's talk about it. Sit down."

"Charles... there's something in my head buried there. How's about you get inside and see if you can't pry it loose?"

"All right. But first you need to relax."

"Ha! Yeah. Easy for you to say." I image of a man with thick goggles and a black lab-coat flashes through his head, Logan screams, "aah! Oh...tell me that was a dream or something."

"No. A memory. Long forgotten. Or rather, suppressed. I believe that was a glimpse of how you came to acquire your unusual implements. Do you wish to continue?"

"Go for it."

"Oh...uh... are you all right?"

"Uhh... whatever happened to me, that's where it started... with that ghoul in the black coat. He's the guy who did this! I gotta go."

"You're going to that mountain in Canada, aren't you? The one you saw on TV and in your nightmares."

"Happen to pick that up while inside my head?"

"Do you want company?"

"Do I ever."

Now Kitty has moved to the Blackbird, 'Well, I guess I'd better sign off before Kurt pops in here and finds me. he's always doing that- totally freaks me! besides, I'm about late for school.'

Kurt pops in, "There you are! Why are you in here?"

"Out of, like, necessity."

"Whatever. Come on. Scott's giving us a ride to school."

"All I wanted was just one minute alone in this whole stupid mansion! Gah! You're like worse then the Brotherhood!"

"Ooh! Touchy! Sounds like someone's got an astrophysics test today."

The Blackbird fires up and takes off.

"Oh...oh! It's Logan." Kurt says as he moves out of the back compartment to the cabin with Logan at the controls.

"I wouldn't. He's been acting, like, mega-weird all morning."

"Aw, don't be so dramatic." Kurt turns to Logan "Hey, man. What's happening?"

Logan turns and growls at him fiercely.

"Oh...is this seat taken? Uh, sorry. My mistake." Kurt smiles before porting out of Logan's reach.

"Still think I'm being dramatic?"

"Actually... no, I don't."

Logan growls, "Engage...autopilot." then turns his attention to Kurt and Kitty, "Oh...ah... why...are you following me?"

"We're not following you. It's just- aah!" Kitty protests before Logan lunges at her.

"Now you made him angry." Kurt comments.

"I gotta... take you back before-aah! Aah! You gotta get away! There's something in my head! I can't control it! Can't be trusted! Gaah!" Logan spasms before securing the back cabin, his claws cutting into the door as they rise up.

"He locked us out!"

"No, he shut himself in so we'd be safe." Kitty counters.

"There's a crazy person flying the plane. You call that safe? We've gotta get out of here!"

"Can you teleport us to the ground?"

"Uh...yeah, right. Like picture this: bumpety-bumpety- bumpety-bumpety-splat! Too high up and way too fast."

"Then I guess we're stuck on this flight. Question is, where are we flying to?"

Mystique stumbles leaning against a tree, holding her head, "N-No, I'm not going back. You can't make me."

Her eyes start to glow as she stumbles some more, "Mt. Mckenna." before shifting into a hawk and flying off.

"Katherine," Nala knocks on her door, the catgirl emerging.

"What do you want."

"Did you notice Rogue never showed up at the camp or the fight, I fear something has happened to her."

"And?" Kat says annoyed.

"I say we track her down, bring her back to the Brotherhood."

Kat sighs, "Whatever. Why do you need me."

"You have enhanced senses right?"

"Yeah so."

"So between your senses and my training we should be able to track down where she vanished off to."

Soon the rest of the Brotherhood are gathered around draw to the girls talking, "Where are you two going?" Lance demands.

"To find and bring back Rogue." Nala explains.

"Hey you know the X-Jerks are probably still pretty sore after the Juggernaut, we could take them down hard." Pietro muses.

Lance smiles, Nala gives Lance a odd look.

Rahne starts to stir, Tori already there checking on Sektor when she awakens and runs to her side, "Rahne, your awake!"

Rahne sits up slowly, "Rogue!"

"Easy, easy, you've been out for over a week. Take it easy."

"T-Tori has Rogue returned?"

Tori shakes her head, "No."

Rahne sits up, "Tori we have to find her, she's probably confused. Like I was when my powers first appeared, not sure if your human or wolf. We need to find her!"

Tori nods, "Alright, but first we you need to get some food and get cleaned up."

Rahne nods.

"I'd like to help." Sektor says softly, "Tori...p-please."

Wherever the plane has landed Logan walks off into the wilderness, there is heavy snow fall.

"Did you get into the cockpit?" Kitty asks from the ramp exit of the X-Jet.

"Yeah. But something's jamming the transmitter way out here. I couldn't reach the institute." Kurt notes.

"Looks like we're on our own then."

The scientist from the vision is watching Logan walk through the woods on one monitor and Mystique on another, "Excellent. You see, that chip in their brains is still active after all these years. Oh, I did such good work in those days." he chuckles darkly, "and yet, through sheer force of will, they've managed to subdue it... until now."

"Why now?" Sabertooth wonders as another figure in armor stands beside him.

"Oh...I suppose they just got too comfortable, let their guards down. Certain news footage did the rest. Isn't that right, bigfoot?"

"Don't call me that."

"Tell you what, why don't you two greet our old colleagues?"

Outside Sabertooth ambushes ..."Wolverine!"

Logan unsheathes his claws and growls, "Sabertooth. I thought something stunk about this forest!"

The two fight, rolling along the snow as they fall down a hill. While elsewhere the armored figure fires on Mystique, who dodges the attack at the last moment, "Maverick? Where is your master!"

"Ah good, you remember, they maybe you will come along peacefully." The armored man says holstering his guns as he approaches Mystique.

"Fat chance!" Mystique charges Maverick.

Elsewhere Logan gets the upper hand over Sabertooth, "All right, fuzz bub, playtime's over! Now I want some answers!"

From the lab the scientist smiles as he adjusts a dial on his console, "You'll get your answers, Wolverine, but you'll wish you hadn't."

Logan and Mystique's hold their heads in pain, giving their opponents the opportunity to know them out.

"Welcome home." Sabertooth and Maverick smirk.

Rahne, in wolf form, sniffs the air before shifting up to human form, Tori is knelt by the ground.

"She went this way."

"That seems to match with the track marks, a wolf was through here recently, alone, no pack."

"Thermal sensors show a pattern goes thing this area," Sektor explains.

"Alright we are in agreement, let's keep moving."

Rahne pauses, "Wait." shifting down to wolf form and howling.

A short distance off Kat shivers as she hears Rahne howl, Nala stand up as she examines some tracks, "Got any scents Kat, looks like there was a animal that went through here, one that doesn't fit normal migratory patterns and don't the X-Men have a animal shapeshifter?"

Kat pauses a moment, "Rogue's scent is in the area, judging by the scent she hasn't bathed in days."

"It's something let's move on."

Back to Tori, Rahne and Sektor, "Do you have to keep howling," Tori wonders as other wolves howl back, Rahne shifting back to human. "The other wolves tell me there is a female who has been moving from pack to pack, but any wolves she come in contact with fall into sleep for a long time."

"That's our girl, she must be close enough to a wolf thanks to your power to be able to imprint off of them." Tori muses.

"Did they give you any leads onto where she is?" Sektor wonders.

Rahne shifts back to wolf and runs off.

"I'll take that as a yes," Tori says running off.

A short distance off a wolf stops by the river, bending over, licking up some of the cool water, her ears twitch as wolves howl, a mournful long howl answering as a brown wolf comes over a hill, she gets ready to bolt. The brown wolf starts to growl and bark. The other wolf pauses and starts to respond as Tori, Sektor, Nala, and Kat come over the hill.

"Rogue?" Nala wonders.

"That's her, and the X-Men." Kat hisses.

Rogue gets ready to bolt.

"Wait," Tori starts "Give Rahne some time. Or she's going to..."

Rogue runs, Rahne pursues after barking. Rogue runs scarred as Rahne comes up behind her, pulling ahead and coming to a stop, barking. Rogue skids to a stop, shivering. Slowly Rahne shifts to her hybrid form, "Rrrogue, now you trrrry."

Rogue looks confused, and slowly her form starts to grow, taking a hybrid form.

Rahne shifts to human form as the four come up silently behind, Rogue slowly shifts to a human form but she still has the fur and claws from Sabertooth.

"Rogue let's go home." Rahne moves closer as Tori tosses a blanket over to them, Rogue tense and growls, shifting to hybrid form.

"Rogue! Rogue! It's ok their friends. Packmates."

"F-Frrriend?" Rogue growls shifting back down to human as Rahne wraps her in a blanket.

Sektor turns to Nala and Kat, "Don't make this harder then it needs to be. Rogue has spent over a week in the forest, imprinting of the wild wolves. Her mind is a mess of animal instincts and memories. You know only one man has any hope of fixing her."

"Your not taking Rogue anywhere," Kat hisses, "She's one of us."

Nala sighs bowing her head as she takes a firm grip of Kat's arm, "Their right and you know it."

Kat hisses, "But we can't just let the..."

Nala tightens her grip making Kat wince, "Yes. We. Can."

"This isn't over X-Men." Kat hisses as she is dragged off."

Rahne holds Rogue close, "Come on Rogue, let's go home."

"H-Home?"

Tear start to roll down Rahne eyes, "I am so sorry Rogue."

"Rrrahne."

"You've aged remarkably well, Logan, Raven, if at all. Your recuperative powers have served you well. Now it's time they served me, especially since your enhancements represent quite the financial investment." The scientists, now several years older looks cockily at Mystique and Logan who are secured to lab beds.

Logan groans, "Who... who ordered it?"

Mystique laughs, "You forgot that as well Logan?"

"Your adamantium skeleton, you still haven't figured that out by now." The scientists smirked, "Looks like our contingency worked better then expected." then turns as Sabertooth and Maverick enter, "Ah...bigfoot."

Sabertooth growls, "Are we ready for training?"

"We are. Yes. And I see our test subjects are in position as well." The scientists says looking to the monitors where Kitty and Kurt are searching the woods.

"Eh...uhh... no!" Logan howls as the chip is cranked up again.

Mystique growls, "And now the humans will take away our free will to make us perfect weapons, isn't that right Maverick."

Maverick say nothing as Mystique howls as her own chip is turned up.

"It's time to resume project Weapon X - your development as the ultimate mutant slayers."

Over to Kitty and Kurt.

"Man, it's like he just dropped out of sight somewhere," Kitty grouses.

"Well, he's back." Kurt says point to the top of a hill.

"Mr. Logan! Over here!"

"Uh-oh. He's brought a friend!" Kurt exclaims as Logan stands with Sabertooth, Mystique, and Maverick.

"Sabertooth and Mystique? But they're like mortal enemies!"

"Yeah—ours!" Kurt says breaking into a run, "Faster! They're gaining on us!"

Logan and Sabertooth pounces Kitty pinning her, "Aah!"

"Kitty!" Kurt exclaims as Maverick and Mystique corner him, "Kitty phase!"

Kitty phases free, shivers as she phases through the two, "Mr. Logan, it's me! what's the matter with you?"

Logan strains strains, "Kitty..."

"I know you're not yourself, but at least you recognize me. we've, uh... we've always been friends."

Logan growls.

"Ok...maybe not friends, but close enough."

Logan struggle against the chip, howling in pain and Kurt ports free, but Logan's chip's power is increased again."

Kitty runs, he follows. Out to the very edge of a high cliff.

Kurt whispers, "Kitty! Kitty!"

Sabertooth smiles sadistically, "Meow!"

Kurt climbs a near tree, "Aaahhhh! Oh, right. I forgot that cats could climb!" until they both fall from the tree, "Later, dude." Kurt porting as they fall.

Logan is standing on the cliff as h shoves her over, regaining control for just a moment. "Kitty... no. Noooooo!"

She phases up through the ground behind him. He turns quickly and pops his claws out at her. As Kurt ports beside her grabbing her, "We're popping outta here."

"No-wait! I'm reaching him." kitty says removing Wolverine's mask.

"No!"

"It's me; Kitty. Remember? Half-pint? Please...try. We had breakfast together just this morning... kinda. Look, whatever they did to you, you're fighting it. You can win. Don't give up! Do you really wanna hurt me, Mr. Logan?"

Logan drops to the ground and Kitty hugs him, "Forget someone?"

Mystique appears behind Kitty and Kurt knocking them out with a hand tranquilizer.

"We settle things now Summers," Avalanche leads the Brotherhood in the face off behind the school.

With Avalanche was Quicksilver and Man-Eater opposite them were the X-Men: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Toad, Blob, and Angela.

"Aren't you missing a few hoods Lance."

"This is all we need, Quicksilver go!"

"On it." Speeding through Quicksilver is able to hammer Toad without being touched as Avalanche keep them off their feet.

"Just lay down and and give up and no body dies."

"Stop talking and take them down Man-Eater!" Avalanche growls as Cyclops fires a optic blast and Marvel Girl knocks him off his feet.

"This isn't like a stove top I don't have power lev–" Man-Eater is caught off guard as Blob body checks her sending her flying.

As she rolls and skids her eyes flash a wide arc of power spreading over the battlefield, tearing through the X-Men, their bodies starting to fall apart.

"Holy..." Quicksilver gasps as he grabs Avalanche and Man-Eater, "We're out of here."

"No! No! No!" Marvel Girl screams as Angela grabs her suddenly.

"Hold them together."

"I c-can't!"

"Just do it!"

Marvel Girl groans as she levitates the boys bringing them closer as she tries to hold them together. Angela running over, "I need them closer!"

Marvel Girl nods, bringing Cyclops Toad and Blob close enough for Angela to put her hands. Angela grunts as she focuses, "Come on! Come On!" The disintegration starts to slow, as Marvel Girl collapses.

"Angela what are you doing?"

Angela's breathing was getting slower and more labored, "Shut up, just shut up, I need to focus."

The disintegration continues to slow, but the boys forms start to shift, hips expanding, waist contracting. Angela collapses.

"Done."

Marvel Girl moved to Angela who collapsed into her arm, her voice was weak, "I-I'll fix t-them...but you can't tell anyone."

"W-Why? H-How?"

Angela's strength was recovering as Marvel Girl helped her to her feet leading her some distance off. "Have you ever wanted something so much you put all your energy into it."

Marvel Girl nods.

"I-I wanted to see the girls, I wanted to be a fly on the wall in their changing room. Yes I'm a pervert, can you blame me I was a teenage boy."

"C-Chris?" Jean almost yells, "You're Chris."

Angela nods, "So I focused and focused and focused, until I got a way in. Until I found 'Angela'," she smirks, "She wasn't the prettiest or even very girly. She looked like me in drag all told."

Marvel Girl picked up the thread, "but you got better."

Angela nodded, "That's why I didn't want you guys taking me here," she looked down, "I'm not a mutant. I'm just a guy who wanted to look at naked girls way to much."

"But Angela joined the sports team?"

"At first I just used Angela to set Chris up with dates but guys kept hitting on her as she got prettier, and the girls wanted to do things with me. At first it was just a way to get in good, talk up Chris and eventually she just...got a life of her own."

"And Chris' bone spikes and armor?"

"Instinct, I thought I was going to get pummeled. My body just took the strongest part of me and expanded it. I've been noticing ever since Angela stabilized that Chris felt...easier to do...something...once the bone armor came it just became as natural as changing forms."

Marvel Girl looked back toward the woods, "Their going to wake up soon, you need to change them back."

Angela shook her head, "I altered their their heart rate, they wont wake up for 8 hours, I should recover enough before then to changed them back. P-Please I'll fix them you just have to promise me not to tell."

"But why, this is amazing, this is more then just some healing power, you can control the body, you can do to others what Mystique can do for herself."

"No one would look at me the same, none of the girls would trust me, all the boys would think I'm a freak. I'm not like that any more but no one would understand."

Marvel Girl's voice drops low, "Yes, most people don't really understand just what real power is."

Back in the lab Kurt and Kitty wake up on operating tables.

"You two will make great additions to Weapon X," the Scientists smirks as Sabertooth, Logan, Mystique and Maverick stand near by.

"Logan you have to wake up." Kitty pleads.

"Sprite now," Mystique suddenly says, "Take out the controls." as she spin kicks the Scientist. Maverick draws his gun as Kitty phases out of her bonds and Kurt ports free then over to Mystique, he stares down Maverick.

"Pull that trigger and you'll find yourself transported 2 miles into the woods."

Sabertooth moves to intercept, as the Scientist craws up to the controls, "I warned you! Ok!"

"I see the problem!" Kitty phases through the computer, shorting it out, Logan wavering as he recovers, "Whoo! It's about to get totally hot around here!"

"You caged the wrong animal, bub!" Logan growls as he lunges at Sabertooth and Mystique grabs Kurt 's arm, "Get me out of here, then you can go back and rescue your friends."

Kurt nods and ports on a hill 2 miles out, the facility smoking then exploding in the distance as Kurt reappears with Logan and Kitty, "Sabertooth and Maverick...I need to go back."

Mystique grabs his arm, "Got out on their own."

"You sure."

Mystique narrows her eyes, "Positive."

Logan grabs Mystique, roughly, "What do you know. What was Weapon X?"

Mystique brushes his hands off, "A project to genetically enhance mutants, to turn them into perfect killers. They gave you claws, they gave me the ability to change mass. Perfect assassins." Mystique moving closer to Logan, "No...you can never be the man I once loved. You're not James Logan, and perhaps...Raven Darkholme are gone...you still trust the humans...I know better."

Rogue leans on Sektor as they make their way back to the mansion, his steel body most resistant to her powers.

"Rogue I'm sorry, if I never attacked Sabertooth you would never have."

"Rrrahne," Rogue growls, "Not your fault. My fault."

"It's no one's fault," Toru interrupts, "things happen. We're just happy your home Rogue. And don't worry I'm sure Xavier can help clear all that wolf out of your head."

Rogue smiles, "Thanks Torrri."

Back at the Mansion Logan bolts up out of a sound sleep, Xavier by his side, "Relax, my friend. You're back at the institute. You're safe."

Logan exhales, "What about the kids? Where are they?"

"Both fine. Kitty's been in here every hour checking on you after the surgery. We removed the chip. Is there pain?"

"Yeah. But, uh... not from the wound. Someday, though, I'm gonna find out who had this done to me. that's a promise."

Outside the kitchen Kurt's has barred everyone from entry giving Kitty some peace.

"Hey, come on! I'm starving!" Everyone complains, even Scott, Tod, and Fred are back to normal.

"Just relax. Give her a minute. Nobody's gonna starve to death."

'So...like I said this morning, it's just been another normal day here at the Xavier Institute. Funny... I've been complaining about not having enough time alone, right? But I think I'd, like, miss bumping into everyone. It's just part of the deal when you're a part of a family.'

"So how long has it been," Jean sat out in the garden with Angela.

"Since I created Angela?"

Jean nods.

"A few years, I-I waited a few months after I figured it out to 'introduce' Angela to my folks."

"And the psychic static, you did that to keep anyone from finding out? What else can you do?"

"The what now?"

"You didn't know?"

Angela shakes her head.

"You could have so much untapped potential. The Professor needs to know. We can work with you in private."

"Can he keep it secret, I don't want this spreading to far."

Jean nods, "Don't worry...but one day it's going to come out."

Angela looks away, "I know."