* Disclaimer in part one *
Previous Parts can be found at www.autumnpenguins.com *********
Victor's Lab Present Day..
Logan woke to the unfamiliar feel of Marie curled up to him. In sleep he had shifted himself so he was laying half on top of her with his arms curled around her protectively. His head was on her chest and he spent a few moments listening to the beating of her heart. He didn't understand why she hadn't yet left him. All he was was a broken man with memories of a terrifying childhood from over 100 years ago. It didn't add up. She was young and wonderful, she didn't deserve to be tied down by him and his baggage. He resolved to let her go just as soon as they got out of here. Marie stirred beneath him and Logan realized he should start at least physically trying to let her go. He loosened his grip on her and she unconsciously responded by trying to draw him closer to her. Logan gave up the fight and chastised himself for lacking the strength to push her away. A knock on the door jarred Logan from his thoughts and he turned towards the noise. "Yeah?" he asked softly, trying not to wake Marie. "There's a phone out here on the table. I figured you might want to call that professor of yours. There's food on the table for you and your girl," Victor stated. "Uh, thanks," Logan replied awkwardly. "Yeah, there's a number on there to reach me when you're ready to start again." Logan grunted in reply and turned his attention back to Marie. She woke and noticed the sad, haunted look in his eyes had increased by ten fold since this all began.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Marie asked while she began rubbing his shoulder.
"I dunno." Logan got up and retrieved the tray Vic had so kindly left outside. He handed the phone to Marie who called the mansion and Logan started fixing the bagels with cream cheese. He would have liked a more manly condiment like Tabasco, but he was too hungry to complain at this point. Marie wound up her conversation just as Logan finished with the food.
"So?" he asked.
"Well, the professor almost had a heart attack when he heard who we were with, but I assured him everything was all right. I made him promise not to tell the X-Men who we were with. Scott'd have the Blackbird out on our trail in no time." The southern girl grinned. Logan nodded stiffly and settled back onto the bed. He made no effort to move towards Marie like he normally did whenever she was nearby. She frowned and slid over by him.
"Don't." Was all he said before jumping up.
"Don't what?" she asked, clearly puzzled.
"Don't get close to me Marie. You'll just get hurt."
Marie sighed. She had expected Logan to try and push her away. He'd insist it was for her own good. When this was over, and he still tried to do the same thing, she'd have to crack him over the head with a bat and beat it into his metal-laced skull that she was with him for the long haul. For now she'd just humour him.
"Come on Logan, Victor's probably waiting in the lab." Was all she said before leaving the room.
Without a word, Logan followed her into the lab, toward his past. Victor had finished setting up the hospital bed and gestured for him to get on it. Logan did, and prepared for the slight sting of the needle that Victor slid into his arm. Ten seconds later, Logan was unconscious and Victor sat down at the table across from Marie. "How's he doing Rogue?" She sighed, "He's trying to push me away from him. Damn stubborn Canadian," A thoughtful look crossed her face, "or I guess he's a damn stubborn Englishman. Just doesn't have the same ring to it." Victor chuckled silently and laid his hand on top of Marie's in a comforting gesture. "You ready to hear more memories yet?" he gently inquired. She shook her head positively and Victor began. " Nicolas, was pretty fuckin' pissed off at the assholes that ran the Institute. So Nicolas, being Nicolas decided to do something about it................ February 1890
Children's Institute
London, England Nicolas had spent the last few months learning how to use his claws. He'd discovered that intense anger unleashed the deadly weapons that he now possessed. Adapting to them was, however, a bit of a challenge. The nine- inch blades were more than a little cumbersome and Nicolas had nicked himself more times than he cared to count. His remarkable healing ability apparently took care of that. Time after time, the boy's wounds would heal themselves and his skin would smooth over the area as if nothing had been there at all. Victor was not as lucky. The child endured beatings and rapes far more frequently than Nicolas. The guards seemed to get some sick pleasure out of beating the youngest and smallest of their charges. It pissed Nicolas off to a point that he had been planning an escape for Victor and himself as soon as possible. Nicolas had become quite adept at using shadows and corners to conceal his whereabouts as he followed the guards on their excursions. Occasionally the guards would wake everyone in the dormitory up and take one or two boys out of the room. They would then force the remaining children to watch the killing of innocence that was such an aphrodisiac to the hellish staff. One such night, as the men entered the room and took the kids out into the hall, Nicolas hid behind the doorway, waiting for the right moment to grab the guard who took Victor. Sure enough, the man dragged the sobbing boy out of the room and was about to enter the hallway. Nicolas whirled to the back of the guard and grabbed him by the back of the neck. Startled, the guard released Victor, and Nicolas slammed him into the wall.
"Tell your friend to let go of that kid." The boy commanded.
"Or you'll do what?" The guy sneered.
*Snikt* "I'm not going to tell you again, asshole."
"Craig, let 'em go," the guard stammered.
"Victor, get your things, we're leaving." Nicolas told the boy in a soft tone before turning back to the man he held captive.
"Where's Donaldson?" he barked out.
"He-he's not here tonight, he's off."
"Where does he live?" the young man questioned.
"1013 Broad Street. Why?"
"That's none of you're fucking business. Vic and I are leaving. Try to stop us, and I swear I will kill you." he hissed in a defiant tone.
Nicolas released the guard and grabbed the stuffed knapsack he'd left near the bathroom in the hallway and loped off to find Victor. Later that night....... "Nicolas, where are we going to go?" Victor asked.
"To take care of business, Vic. We're going to take care of business." Nicolas stated darkly.
The pair made their way down the empty streets of London until they'd made it to the lower east end. Once there the two slipped into a darkened alley on Broad Street......
Previous Parts can be found at www.autumnpenguins.com *********
Victor's Lab Present Day..
Logan woke to the unfamiliar feel of Marie curled up to him. In sleep he had shifted himself so he was laying half on top of her with his arms curled around her protectively. His head was on her chest and he spent a few moments listening to the beating of her heart. He didn't understand why she hadn't yet left him. All he was was a broken man with memories of a terrifying childhood from over 100 years ago. It didn't add up. She was young and wonderful, she didn't deserve to be tied down by him and his baggage. He resolved to let her go just as soon as they got out of here. Marie stirred beneath him and Logan realized he should start at least physically trying to let her go. He loosened his grip on her and she unconsciously responded by trying to draw him closer to her. Logan gave up the fight and chastised himself for lacking the strength to push her away. A knock on the door jarred Logan from his thoughts and he turned towards the noise. "Yeah?" he asked softly, trying not to wake Marie. "There's a phone out here on the table. I figured you might want to call that professor of yours. There's food on the table for you and your girl," Victor stated. "Uh, thanks," Logan replied awkwardly. "Yeah, there's a number on there to reach me when you're ready to start again." Logan grunted in reply and turned his attention back to Marie. She woke and noticed the sad, haunted look in his eyes had increased by ten fold since this all began.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Marie asked while she began rubbing his shoulder.
"I dunno." Logan got up and retrieved the tray Vic had so kindly left outside. He handed the phone to Marie who called the mansion and Logan started fixing the bagels with cream cheese. He would have liked a more manly condiment like Tabasco, but he was too hungry to complain at this point. Marie wound up her conversation just as Logan finished with the food.
"So?" he asked.
"Well, the professor almost had a heart attack when he heard who we were with, but I assured him everything was all right. I made him promise not to tell the X-Men who we were with. Scott'd have the Blackbird out on our trail in no time." The southern girl grinned. Logan nodded stiffly and settled back onto the bed. He made no effort to move towards Marie like he normally did whenever she was nearby. She frowned and slid over by him.
"Don't." Was all he said before jumping up.
"Don't what?" she asked, clearly puzzled.
"Don't get close to me Marie. You'll just get hurt."
Marie sighed. She had expected Logan to try and push her away. He'd insist it was for her own good. When this was over, and he still tried to do the same thing, she'd have to crack him over the head with a bat and beat it into his metal-laced skull that she was with him for the long haul. For now she'd just humour him.
"Come on Logan, Victor's probably waiting in the lab." Was all she said before leaving the room.
Without a word, Logan followed her into the lab, toward his past. Victor had finished setting up the hospital bed and gestured for him to get on it. Logan did, and prepared for the slight sting of the needle that Victor slid into his arm. Ten seconds later, Logan was unconscious and Victor sat down at the table across from Marie. "How's he doing Rogue?" She sighed, "He's trying to push me away from him. Damn stubborn Canadian," A thoughtful look crossed her face, "or I guess he's a damn stubborn Englishman. Just doesn't have the same ring to it." Victor chuckled silently and laid his hand on top of Marie's in a comforting gesture. "You ready to hear more memories yet?" he gently inquired. She shook her head positively and Victor began. " Nicolas, was pretty fuckin' pissed off at the assholes that ran the Institute. So Nicolas, being Nicolas decided to do something about it................ February 1890
Children's Institute
London, England Nicolas had spent the last few months learning how to use his claws. He'd discovered that intense anger unleashed the deadly weapons that he now possessed. Adapting to them was, however, a bit of a challenge. The nine- inch blades were more than a little cumbersome and Nicolas had nicked himself more times than he cared to count. His remarkable healing ability apparently took care of that. Time after time, the boy's wounds would heal themselves and his skin would smooth over the area as if nothing had been there at all. Victor was not as lucky. The child endured beatings and rapes far more frequently than Nicolas. The guards seemed to get some sick pleasure out of beating the youngest and smallest of their charges. It pissed Nicolas off to a point that he had been planning an escape for Victor and himself as soon as possible. Nicolas had become quite adept at using shadows and corners to conceal his whereabouts as he followed the guards on their excursions. Occasionally the guards would wake everyone in the dormitory up and take one or two boys out of the room. They would then force the remaining children to watch the killing of innocence that was such an aphrodisiac to the hellish staff. One such night, as the men entered the room and took the kids out into the hall, Nicolas hid behind the doorway, waiting for the right moment to grab the guard who took Victor. Sure enough, the man dragged the sobbing boy out of the room and was about to enter the hallway. Nicolas whirled to the back of the guard and grabbed him by the back of the neck. Startled, the guard released Victor, and Nicolas slammed him into the wall.
"Tell your friend to let go of that kid." The boy commanded.
"Or you'll do what?" The guy sneered.
*Snikt* "I'm not going to tell you again, asshole."
"Craig, let 'em go," the guard stammered.
"Victor, get your things, we're leaving." Nicolas told the boy in a soft tone before turning back to the man he held captive.
"Where's Donaldson?" he barked out.
"He-he's not here tonight, he's off."
"Where does he live?" the young man questioned.
"1013 Broad Street. Why?"
"That's none of you're fucking business. Vic and I are leaving. Try to stop us, and I swear I will kill you." he hissed in a defiant tone.
Nicolas released the guard and grabbed the stuffed knapsack he'd left near the bathroom in the hallway and loped off to find Victor. Later that night....... "Nicolas, where are we going to go?" Victor asked.
"To take care of business, Vic. We're going to take care of business." Nicolas stated darkly.
The pair made their way down the empty streets of London until they'd made it to the lower east end. Once there the two slipped into a darkened alley on Broad Street......