MAL86 - Glad that fight scene came off, took a bit to get all the pieces working :) . Thank you for reading and reviewing, it means allot :)

(Taking a break from the battle 'outside' to see how Logan's doing in his fight inside his soul and mind. There a brief bit at the end that was inspired by a scene from Wolverine vol. 1 # 21, were he's fighting a being called Spore, created by the Deviants in pre-history, burned into the ground by the Celestials, had had been revived by a drug the dictator of Terra Verde along with a Nazi cyborg scientist called Geist was using (unaware the drug was Spore) to create the country's own super-solders, experimenting on less than willing patients. They all died, as the ravaging of Spore killed them before it could emerge. With Logan it found I host that could survive the inital infection, and was trying to absorb him, he became his healing factor and cut it out of himself. So that inspired the last bit of this battle :) . Besides that, I hope you enjoy the story :) ).

Chapter 19

Like a raging wildfire, Logan tore into the midst of the massive demonic merged legion as it surged against him, tentacles, claws, jaws, pincers, stingers, taloned legs and other less identifiable things struck out at him, as he hack, ripped, slashed, stabbed, sliced and parried in a furious blaze of blinding golden fury. Continuous clashes of golden lightning thundering across his mind-scape as it meet the chaotic dripping, shifting, twisting mass that surged like a tsunami at him, searing through all it struck. The fire within him burned with a white-hot intensity, so like his berserker fury, and flowed as one with it, as he howled shredding through through the demonic mass trying to consume him, but it was stronger, deeper, and more enduring. This fire warmed, sustained and guarded his mind, bringing clarity and focus, cleansing the darkness trying to possess it. It didn't burn but like his healing factor, revived, renewed and strengthened him, all fears, doubts, hates, all avenues of spiritual attack into his mind falling away in it's light, the darkness as nothing before it.

It was as though his entire being was alight, overflowing with the golden power surging through him, his astral body shining with blinding brilliance. His eyes piercing into the demonic darkness before him, his will unshakable. He had became one with the golden fire within, as it blazed out through his claws in a searing white-hot golden fire, guiding and empowering every strike, every movement, every attack and defence unerringly precise and deadly, anticipating every attack against him. His was a beautiful but lethal dance, moving fluidly from one position to the next, from one attack to the next, dodging, leaping, weaving and rolling throughout the battlefield of his mind, never stopping, never hesitating, exulting and roaring in his strength. His form blazed forth with intense golden brilliance, as Logan attacked at impossible speed. As the mass kept surging at him, snapping, slashing, attempting to tear, impale, consume and absorb him, his blazing claws met it all in blinding arcs of contentious golden lightning striking deep into the monstrous mass. Their massed cries howling in agony as Logan become an onrushing inferno of fury incinerating all darkness before it. Demonic limbs, jaws, heads, twisted and inhuman creatures it formed into, flew apart, torn, hacked and burned, falling to ash behind him. Clashing claws met blasts of socerous hell-fire rolling to consume his spirit. Golden psionic energy flaring brilliantly against infernal forces, bursting the hellish torrents apart in a thunder-clap psionic power, snuffing out the hell-fire and blasting back the pulsating, morphing and shifting mass.

The combined forces of the mass horde, and of the demonic werewolf of the Logans, multiple wolf-headed blood-tentacles surged from it to strike him, tried to surround and overwhelm him he cut through them, but Logan wasn't one. He was everyone one of his selves, all linked together, multiple versions of himself throughout his life, all blazing with furious golden light, a radiant phalanx of flame pushing back the demonic darkness. Every attack on one was met by another of him, moving in perfect synchronisation, and each was not just a part, like the last time, they were all him, scything through demonic mass invading his mind and soul, as though cutting through weeds. And above and with him, Rose soared, an angel of glorious light, radiant like the Sun, soaring at incredible speeds above, diving, wheeling and striking. Her crackling blades and wings hacking, slashing and shredding through snapping claws, talons, tentacles, pincers, and monstrous forms appearing out of pulsating, boiling, amorphous mass in furious clashes of blinding golden power, each strike like blazing golden lightning gouging paths through the swirling unholy mass. Her shining wings clashing together releasing explosive blasts of psionic force, throwing the shifting horde back, burnt and withering in unquenchable fire, that only strengthened and invigorated Logan.

Rose and he were united, her presence filling him, and they moved and attacked in perfect synchronisation, just as their waltz had been. Every blast she made, he was already surging into the gap, or striking from behind, his claws falling upon the reeling horde. Everywhere he was hard-pressed or under threat she was there, a blinding fury of defending wings and blazing blades, and every time Rose was at vulnerable or seemed isolated during a dive, blast or attack Logan was already darting and leaping in, countering and striking the massed infernal horde before any blow could land.

Often she picked one of him up to soar into sky with her, to be launched into the mass of the demonic chaos from a clashing burst of power, slamming home with thunderous impact into demonic mass reeling from her blast to rip through it in a blinding flurry of burning claws, burning a path through the shifting horde like a thunder-strike from the heavens. Only for Rose to sweep in with another clashing golden blast, shoot free, taking him with her and repeat the psionic blast/fastball special combo all over again. Attacking. defending and moving in perfect unison as she soared and he charged across the battlefield, linking and chaining attacks together, they drove the dark mass before them, the infernal, pulsating and morphing horde withered before the blinding flame that was Rose and himself, as dry grass before an onrushing forest fire.

Logan knew that was source that fuelled the power that surged irrepressibly through his mind and body, the bond between Rose and himself, the power existed within and between them, forged and grown from the love that had united them all this time. The Phoenix had responded to it's strength once, it's eternal fire bonding and uniting with it, answering Rose's cry, rending it unbreakable, bonding them together forever. It's fire giving life, intentionally or otherwise, to the power weaving through the love that bond them together, and over all the time Rose remained linked to the Entity, it's fire forged and tempered the power within their bond, as as it lay nascent between them. Once he had joined Rose in spirit, and their were united, the power of their union had awakened and blazed forth, and shaken the infernal realms themselves with it's strength and passion, shaping them into the indestructible warrior samurai with claws of burning irresistible fury tearing and breaking through all opposing powers and the brilliant warrior angel besides with with blades and wings of overwhelming force. They were two parts of a whole, the power the Phoenix had forged and energised, that had allowed Rose to be with him all those many decades, helping him, that had blazed to life once they were together. And once Logan had returned, when he had attempted to use that power instinctively, his claws had just heated instead, using the energy in his healing factor. Only once the power between them, of their bond had stirred, had awakened and called, and Logan had arrived had it reawakened in this world, as the golden psionic power they now wielded.

The heart of that fire was their unshakable love for each other, their union with each other. That was what flowed through him, the psionic power was one and the same with it, the power was them, their love, and their union. Rose was the heart of his power, and he was the heart of hers, and just as she was with him in this battle Logan sensed her battle outside the real world alongside his friends and family, and he was with her there even as she was here, strengthening her, empowering her.

And before that blazing tempest the demonic forces Ogun sent were breaking and reeling, each step forcing them back tearing back more aspects of himself, and he could see his mind and soul reforming, a countless kaleidoscope of aspects, thoughts, images, people, places, all the many connections, thoughts, memories, experiences that make up a soul. And with each one reclaimed the stronger he and Rose became, another self appearing within his phalanx.

Then, the burning wave of fire Rose and he had become cast back the demonic wave and broke it, the mass retreating, liquid tendrils fleeing the burning wrath tearing and incinerating all else, howling to congeal and form into a singular towering shifting figure struggling to keep Logan and Rose at bay and maintain it's foothold in his mind. Claws, talons, tentacles, razor teeth, eyes, horns, scales, flesh, scorpion tails, spider legs, human limbs, wings, faces forming and vanishing throughout the amorphous chaotic dark creature as the demonic mass contrasted it's collective power. The werewolf that was Thomas and Dog fell behind it, fear written on their face as they retreated back, their blood-coils snapping defensively before them.

'You cannot cast us out,' the voices howled from the mass, 'the spell still holds you, and you cannot break free, this fight back means nothing. We will hold and spread forth again, to every part of your mind and your body, eventually we will wear you down, consume you by slow attrition if necessary. This power will fade and we will take you piece by piece, until your soul and body are ours forever.'

Logan grinned savagely at them from his countless faces, Rose a burning sun above him, 'I can hear the fear in your voice demons, I can smell it thick on you. You don't have that much time, an' you know you're already beaten. As for what's left of you, you're nothin' now but a small malignant tumour, an' now it's time to welcome you into surgery!'

And Logan leapt at the swirling and shifting figure from all directions at once, all his selves tearing into it with crackling bursts of golden fire from every direction as Rose swooped and dived with blurring speed at the pulsating mass, crackling blades and wings ripping and burning away the demonic horde like golden lightning raining down upon it. 'An' as with any disease an' tumour we'll keep cuttin' and burnin' until we burn you out. Fore you can grow an' spread, we keep burnin' and operatin' until you're out an' gone! Radiotherapy's in session, bub!'

The merged demonic legion howled as intense golden lightning seared into it from all directions at blinding speed, a white-hot inferno of pure unquenchable fire overcoming and banishing it's own hell-fire like a candle blown out before a hurricane. The raging golden fire ripped into and disintegrating it into the nothing it really was, like insubstantial phantoms of the night fleeing and vanishing before the glory of the dawning Sunrise.

As the rest of him and Rose tore the remaining infernal monstrous mass to nothing Logan leapt down to face the demonic werewolf of the merged Thomas and Dog, bringing his claws before him, shinning before him with searing intensity, 'looks like we got unfinished business, care to try bringin' the beat down on me again now I'm no longer a scrawny little kid, our are you the bunch of pathetic weasel cowards I take you for?'

With fearful rage, the voice of Thomas cried out, 'I'll show you, you whiny runt!' and holding forth it's clawed hands and roaring a storm of wolf-head blood-coils came flying from the demonic werewolf's mouth and wounds, snapping at him with howling blood-rage. Logan brought his claws together with a mighty clash of golden psionic power, sending a shock-wave of golden lightning erupting outwards, blasting all before it. The wolf-heads shrieked, burst into flames and shattered into dust, the merged werewolf of Thomas and Dog sent flying back with a cry of agony as the shock-wave struck it with a crack of golden light, and crashed to the floor, it's decayed and matted fur smoking.

Roaring a battle-cry, Logan leapt at them, as the demonic werewolf jumped to it's feet, slashing a burning talon at Logan, which he easily ducked. Then in a flurry of cuts like blurring arcs of lightning that struck the demonic undead werewolf in a rapid chain of searing golden cracks of light, he took it's right taloned arm, then it's left, then Logan took it's legs, all vanishing into dust behind him. With a cry of rage the merged figure of Thomas and Dog fell down before him, red eyes glaring at him with hate and fear, growling with impotent fury.

'I'll be waiting for you outside boy,' Thomas spat at him, 'you little victory here means nothing, your still trapped in our power.'

Logan grinned fiercely at him, 'don't worry, this spell ain't gonna hold me for long, you'll all be meeting my friends right soon, and we can have this meetin' again in the real world. For now, we can have a little trip down memory lane, as I kick you out of my mind and soul,' and Logan knifed downwards with his claws, stabbing into the very same six parallel scars that marked where he had stabbed Thomas all those years ago. With a burst of shining golden light, his claws struck home, sinking deep and he lifted the limbless torso up before him as the werewolf howled in agony, the golden psionic energy from his claws pouring into it, burning it out from the inside, golden searing light bursting out from it's wounds, tears in it's fur, it's eyes and ears, the body smoking as it howled.

In that moment, in his mind, the psionic energy pouring from his claws in the merged figure of Thomas and Dog, Logan felt a connection with the dark mind of the being before him as his power pierced into it. He saw an image of Thomas Logan in his old cabin, beating a small, scrawny boy in tattered clothing, his belt, fists and hard booted feet raining blows upon him, as the boy cried out, begging his father to stop, 'this is all you're fault, you weak, pathetic, useless mutt. Nothin' but an accident weighin' me down, you're the reason everythin' fails!' Eyes going wide for a moment Logan followed the connection, and the next moment he was there before the cabin that had existed on the old Howlett grounds, the snow thick about them.

Bursting the cabin door open before him with a kick, Logan rushed in, as Thomas turned growling towards him, eyes wide in astonishment, 'Wha… ' just as Logan grasped the arm raising his belt like a whip with a steel vice-like grip. 'The only one who's a useless piece of shit here is you, Thomas,' Logan growled, slamming a thunderous blow home into his stomach, Thomas gasping in pain, the breath knocked from his body, and dropped to the floor before Logan gripped him by the shoulders, lifting him up and head-butted him with a resounding wet crack, the old groundskeeper's nose breaking in a burst of blood, Thomas wheezing in pain, stunned. Then Logan hurled him back through the broken door, shattering it, sending Thomas crashing into the ground outside, where he lay crumpled and groaning in the cold snow.

Turning back Logan knelt before Dog, as the boy looked up at him bitterly, 'well, what are you waiting for, get on with it, laugh at me, hurt me, just like he does.'

'I'm not here for that Dog,' Logan replied to the child before him gently, 'I think we've all been hurt enough, you, Rose an' me.'

'But I killed your dog Callie, I enjoyed it. I helped Pa attack your house, was part of your father's death, an' I blamed it on you an' Rose. I came after you, tried to kill you, and it was cause of that Rose died,' Dog replied.

'Yeah,' Logan replied, 'you became a right little piece of shit all right. You hurt an' killed people who shouldn't have died, but we, an' that crowd all bear responsibility for Rose's death, we all got lost in our rage, and because we gave into that, that terrible accident happened. But I've done terrible things as well Dog, because of the manipulation of others, but that blood is still on my hands. All you did to me, I can see it now, it wasn't because of me, or my family, it was because of him,' Logan spat at the figure lying outside. 'He turned the boy you were into a reflection of himself, he beat an' tormented you, made you feel like nothin' and even after he was dead, the terror of him drove you. Made you hate me because I wasn't beaten like him, an' driven by a need to somehow please him out of fear, so he wouldn't beat you, even though he was dead an' gone.'

'But listen Dog,' Logan continued, 'he took from both of us, his tore my family apart long before his attack, he took my mother from me, then he murdered my father. He beat you, hurt you, humiliated you and terrorised you until he'd turn you against Rose an' me. He bullied until you were a dog on his leash, joining him on his murderous attack, that was driven by nothin' but his own pathetic jealousy and inferiority. Because ultimately Ma chose my Pa an' not him, cause he ultimately a pathetic loser. An' he couldn't accept that, cause he's a weak bastard, so he made you his little scapegoat, a little kid an' excuse for his own uselessness an' failures. But all that was always his fault, not yours. An' once you were different Dog. I remember, Rose, you an' me were friends despite our families and their issues, remember. Once you saved my life without thinkin', that's who you are deep down, it's who you could be. The way to deal with the hurt you caused, is to face it and resolve to not stay the wild an' vicious animal you were. You can be a man Dog, the man you should have been.'

Holding out his hand Logan said, 'so the decision Dog is are you gonna be his punchin' bag, excuse an' lapdog for the rest of your life, an' then on into hell like that? Or are you gonna join Rose an' me, help kick his ass, an' claim the life back he stole from you? What's it's gonna be Dog, you gonna live in his shadow, or be your own man?'

The child looked back at him out of a blackened and bloody face with uncertain and fearful eyes, and then a glint of determination rose into them and his hand shot out and grasped Logan's, 'I'm with you, runt,' he chuckled painfully as Logan pulled Dog up. Golden light flowed from Logan's hand into the hurt boy, and for a moment the boy blazed in warm golden light, and as it faded a man stood before Logan, in hurter grab, with a fur cloak, wild long hair and with sideburns and a moustache, but his triple parallel scars were gone.

Dog reached up his hand to his face and said wonderingly, 'their gone, the scars.'

Logan grinned up at him, 'guess that means it's a new start for all of us. That mark was for the shadow of Thomas you were, not the person you really are, guess the power of Rose an' me healed that, at least here.'

Outside they could here Thomas struggling up, growling fiercely, 'it's time for you to go, runt,' Dog replied, 'I got some 'words' to have with dear old Pa. Gonna take this body back, I'm through with him using me.'

'All right,' Logan said, 'see you on the other side Dog, I'll be there soon.'

As Logan faded out, Dog turned to him, 'an' by the way, the name's Tom. I was named after that ol' bastard out there, but he always said I was nothin' but a useless an' worthless dog, not worth his name, so called me his Dog. Well I don't want Thomas, but I ain't his Dog no more, so it's Tom.'

'Okay,' Logan replied nodding, and grinned at him 'Rose an' I will see you soon Tom.'

'Same to you Jim.' Tom returned with a tight smile, before turning to face his father.

'Think you can stand up to me,' Logan heard Thomas cry as he faded out back into his mind, 'I'll tan your hide you useless piece of shit!'

'Not anymore Pa,' he heard Tom growl, 'I'm not your dog to beat, an' I'm not afraid of you no more, you ol' bastard, I'm takin' my life back!' and leapt at him, before it faded and Logan was back, the torso of the demonic werewolf bursting into dust before him in an explosion of brilliant golden energy,

Logan turned and saw what remained of the demonic mass burst apart is a blinding blast of golden fire, the ash scattering to vanish to nothing, like smoke blow away before a strong wind. All his selves came back into himself, and Logan looked up to Rose. For a moment they just looked into each other's eyes, blue cobalt staring into emerald green, wordless communicating love between them, and Logan felt she was and his friends were close. Kitty, Kurt and another close to him, but one that he'd never met. Logan's eyebrow rose, but he decided he'd deal with whatever that was later, as he looked above him.

Above and all around him in the glowing light of the astral space within his mind, everything was coming back together, rebuilding and renewing. Shattered fragments re-uniting together, closing and healing, just as his healing factor healed his flesh. And them with a blast of golden light that radiated outwards throughout his mindscape in a searing, blinding light. It filled him with it's warming heat and radiance, all spiritual and psychic damage was restored in it's healing light, casting out any remnant infernal presence, and as it faded Logan felt himself whole and united once again.

He felt himself rising upwards, a light glowing ahead, and had almost reached it when a dark metal slammed in front of the light, as Ogun's demonic red face floated in front of the gate. 'Not so easy, Logan-san. You with your lady might have defeated our first attack, but with this spell I'll still lock you within your mind, and eventually we'll wear you down. Enjoy winning this battle, the war will be mine.'

Logan grinned up at him, glowing claws flashing before him, 'you say that Ogun, but you're the one runnin' out of time, not me. You're about to get some visitors, includin' someone you remembers you well. An' if you think this barrier of yours is gonna hold me for long, you got another thing coming. We're gonna be meetin' again real soon, my old master,' and with that Logan jumped at the with a roar tearing into it with claws, cutting deep gouges into the metal.

Grinning savagely, Logan looked into the hell-fire eyes of Ogun and continued, 'real soon, Ogun,' and with an ear-splitting battle-cry that reverberated through the mindscape continued to tear into thick gate before, in a blinding fury of furious golden fire, the sharp sound of rending metal filling the astral air, as the head of Ogun looked on, fear beginning to appear in his eyes.