Disclaimer: Unfortunately for mine self, I do not own the aforementioned "X-Men", though I would greatly desire to do so. They belong to an inventive gentleman named "Stan Lee." I claim no thing, except for the lady Thorn. I also Do Not own the song "My Goddess"…it belongs to the Exies. Thank thee verra much.

Author's Note: I SAW X2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S WICKED!!!! ::Ahem:: Well, like I said, go see it. Nightcrawler was awesome, but in my story Kurt will be based more heavily on the comic book character, 'cause he was even cooler.  I used the song "My Goddess" for this scene simply because I created the whole thing while I was listening to it, so I thought "Hey, give credit where credit is due." I hope you like this chapter…it's one of my favorites.

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Thorn strode briskly through the halls of the mansion, her former bad mood evaporated. Her talk with Jean had been surprisingly painless, if a little strained.  Plus, she had almost enjoyed the Danger Room. She was a little tired from her exercise and had acquired a few war wounds besides, but she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She wanted action.

Still reveling in her good humor, Thorn almost missed a sudden murmur of sound coming along the corridor. She paused to consider it, recognizing it as a human voice, one surprisingly familiar, but one she couldn't place. She followed it, adjusting her direction accordingly, and it grew louder, no longer a murmur, but a speech. Thorn's path led her straight to a door marked 'Gymnasium' and, even before she peered inside, she recognized the voice.

Thorn leaned silently against the doorframe, fitting her long lanky frame to the shape of the wood. She raised an eyebrow wryly as she watched the kids and the speaker, only noticed by a few of the students.

"…I'm gonna teach you how to defend yourselves, and I'm gonna do it my way. This stuff can save your life, and if you're going to be an X-Man, one day it probably will." The speaker let his eyes stray over the kids, all of which were giving him apprehensive looks.

"Today, I'll be showing you some examples of what you'll learn this year." The man paused, a somewhat intimidating grin on his face "Any volunteers?"

An awkward silence fell.

Wolverine tried to keep from smiling. He had these kids terrified.

"I'll be glad to volunteer," A cynical voice called, causing Logan to turn with surprise.

Logan had heard Thorn enter, but had been so busy with his students; he figured she was just a late kid, one that he could deal with later. He cursed inwardly, mostly at her and that infuriating smell. It confused him, being human, and yet plant at the same time.

She walked toward him with long confident strides, removing her jacket and tossing it casually onto the floor. The kids backed out of her way obligingly as she stepped onto the mat, cracking her knuckles and neck, along with other various body parts.

"Nice to see you again," She said as way of a greeting, that strange half-smile ghosting her lips.

"Always a pleasure," Logan agreed, returning the smile.

He sized her up, taking in her lean, muscled form and the even, smooth way she moved. She did the same to him.

_Short, but strong,_ She noticed _Moves well…definitely an experienced fighter. _

They bowed politely to each other before beginning to circle their opponent with wary steps. Logan, aware that he was supposed to be teaching this class, kept up a running commentary.

"If you're not sure of your enemies' technique, if possible, don't make the first move," Logan said, eyeing Thorn and silently adding _Unless you see a vulnerable spot_. At the same time, he lunged at her.

Thorn sidestepped him neatly and delivered a punishing blow to his side. She finished his point for him. "And if you have to initiate the fight, make sure they're not baiting you first."

Logan grunted in pain, but only seconds later, straightened up as if nothing had happened. Thorn kept her face neutral, but was thinking urgently, wondering how he had recovered so quickly from her punch. Her mind moved a mile a minute, recalling their first meeting and the claws she'd seen come from his knuckles. She'd assumed that was his power, but she also remembered the fact that he'd had no marks from his incident with the snowy rose.

He had a healing power.

 Dammit.

This could complicate things a bit. Thorn quickly adjusted her plan of attack. _'Kay, I'll have to hit him fast and hard. Can't force him down or wear him down, so I'll just have to get him off his feet, No biggie, right?_

Yeah. Right.

Neither of the adults were even thinking about teaching now and the silence was quickly filled when someone flipped the radio on. An edgy rock beat filled the air, rolling over the students and passing unheeded by the combatants.

"I was knee deep…In a sick love…

I was cross-eyed…One of your drugs….

Skitzo savior...Mad messiah…

Fatal worship… you inspire…"

They were still circling each other as Thorn pulled back her arm, obviously readying herself to throw a punch. Logan moved to block her and was completely thrown when she stopped and, at the last minute, reversed her body weight to deliver a left kick to his gut.

"I don't believe in you now…I've seen too much…

I don't believe in you now…My goddess…"

Logan doubled over, straightening up in time to receive a cuff underneath his ribcage. He strategically backed away, trying to allow himself time to recover, but to no avail.

Thorn gave a follow-up kick to his right side, but he was ready. He caught her foot before it could connect with his abdomen and twisted it, trying to throw her to the ground. Thorn followed through with the momentum of the twist and twirled herself sideways in the air, bringing her left foot up to kick him in the face.

Instinctively, Logan let go of her, and she plummeted downward, barely managing to catch herself. Lying sideways, her hands and right foot supporting her, she swept her left leg behind his ankles in a wide arc that caused his knees to buckle. Logan crumpled to the floor.

Thorn held herself evenly in a crouch before pushing herself to her feet. She brushed her hands off as she looked down at him. "Somehow, I was expecting more of a fight." She stated calmly.

The kids were cheering now, amazed to see a woman who could beat the legendary Wolverine.

"You were countin…on a free fall…

You laid your bet…I would lose all…"

Logan shoved himself to his feet and bowed fiercely again. He wasn't going to stop now.

"I don't believe in you now…I've seen too much…

I don't believe in you now…My goddess…"

Thorn felt suddenly very nervous. This was what she was dreading: a rematch. She would tire much more quickly than he would and he, unfortunately for her, could heal.

Great. Peachy frikkin' keen.

They stared at each other for a moment, emerald meeting ice. Then, at the same moment, they leaped forward, their fists flying. The kids could barely tell what was going on, since the adults' hands flew so fast. Fist met arm as they blocked each other, though they occasionally found their target in a face or a stomach.

Suddenly, Logan punched her across the face so hard she stumbled backwards and almost lost her footing. She spun herself sideways to avoid his next blow, trying to regain her balance.

Still careening, she threw a somewhat sloppy chop at his neck, using the side of her hand to try and pinch his nerve. It was a good trick, but Wolverine had seen every trick in the book.

Catching the hand, he braced his other hand against her shoulder, and using this as a pivot point, flipped her backwards over his shoulder. She twisted in midair, but not enough.

All the breath left Thorn's body in a rush of air as she smacked into the mat. She hadn't managed to twist her body all the way around, so she landed awkwardly and painfully on her side.

The students burst into cheers again, obviously hoping to be on the good side of the winner, and their teacher lapped it up, enjoying the attention perhaps a little too much. Thorn pushed herself up and leaned on her elbows, glaring at him.

Wolverine turned to her and offered a hand. "Sorry about that darlin'," He said with an infuriating smile.

Thorn glared at him "Don't 'darlin' me, you overgrown weasel," She said heatedly. In one smooth movement she grabbed the proffered hand and yanked, hard, kicking him behind the knee at the same time. Caught off-guard, he fell forward onto his face.

By the time Wolverine had flipped himself over, Thorn was already up and striding away, grabbing her discarded jacket and shrugging it on effortlessly. She stopped briefly to murmur to Rogue, and then she was gone. Logan could swear though, that she paused for an instant, turned, and winked. She winked

The song faded out, its last words marking themselves in Logan's brain.

"I've seen too much…I don't believe in you…

My goddess…My goddess…"

Logan pushed himself to his feet, and glanced around at the kids. They were quiet, but he knew they were probably laughing their asses off silently. One of Rogue's friends, some kid with a name like Joy, or Joyful or some hippie crap like that, raised her hand nervously.

"What?" He asked a little harshly.

"So we're…" She raised an eyebrow, "Gonna learn how to do that?"

"You wish." He said critically "I'll be lucky if you learn how to throw a punch properly." He glanced at the clock at the wall. "Looks like this class is over…you guys can leave." There was a pause "At least until Monday."

A slight groan came from the students. Wolverine watched them leave, cracking his neck reflectively.

Thorn was more than he had anticipated. One thing was certain…he could expect a lot from her.

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So…whaddya think? I'm gonna kind of label this an AU, since it's like an alternate X2. Woww…add a few more initials and we can make alphabet soup. Oh, and here's a shout-out to all my reviewers!!!

Maci Silverwulf~   Professor Logan…Art teacher. I thought that was hilarious. That and "Well, they've actually discovered that males carry the X gene, so I guess it's his fault."  Funny stuff, right there. Thanx so much for reading! Trust me, I'll keep writing.

Faith~ I guess you'll hafta wait to learn about her parents. Insert evil giggle I love being mysterious…

Pyromaniac~ Don't let bad reviews get you down! Oh, and could someone explain to me what a flame is exactly? Yes, I know I'm stupid, don't rub it in.

Crazy4lordofring~ I love you girl! I swear, everyone better thank her, 'cause she's the main reason I'm still posting…persistent little bugger. Yes, the painting was genuine, and I DESPISE tests.

Rayne~ Thank you! I'm glad you like Thorn too!

LauraLee~ Thanks for the help…I'll try that!

Victoria Wolf~ I updated!!!!! Spontaneous acts of appreciation would be appropriate

Webster~ I'm sorry about the swearing, I just think it's fitting for those types of characters. Wolverine doesn't go around saying "daggumit"…you know what I mean?

Amy P. and Virtuous Healer~ You aren't replying, but I love you guys anyway!!! Thank you for going to see X2 with me (not that you needed a lot of persuasion, or anything).

Wellll…that's it for now. Coming soon…Remembering the Past