For the record, the next few chapters will be very violent, so you might want to consider them PG-13. There's your warning.
Scott led their way through what he had mentally dubbed the 'robot room' into the next area. It seemed to be a long hallway, with five doors on each side and one at each end, including the one that Wolverine had sliced through. Each door was steel-plated, but these had buttons to press in order to go through. Obviously, Mesmero hadn't expected any intruders to get past the robot room.
Scott turned to Jean. "Which room is Silverback in, honey?"
Jean concentrated for a moment. "Silverback's in the third door from the right, but Nightcrawler and Angel are in the second from the left. Where do we go, Scott?"
Cyclops pondered this for a moment. "Warren and Kurt can take care of themselves fairly well. They're X-Men. Let's go get Silverback!" Wolverine's sigh of satisfaction was audible among them.
Scott walked over to the door and made a 'ssh' sign to the team. One the count of three, he pressed the button and stepped in.
"O my god," gasped Jean.
Silverback, in full wolf form was strapped up in rough leather and chained with steel bricks. He looked as though had been severely beaten, probably in order to get X-Men secrets. His fur was matted and was more gray now than black. He looked as though he had been in wolf form for days. Had he not had a healing factor, he would have surely died.
His teeth were sharper than ever, but red with blood. What Mesmero had made him do in order to eat was horrific to even consider. His eyes were bloodshot, as though he had not gotten any sleep since having arrived. His claws had the same sharp, bloody look as the teeth. His nose was skinned up. Overall, he was a total mess.
"Bro," said Wolverine weakly. "What did they do to you?"
Silverback tried to give a raspy answer, but spit up blood onto the floor. Wolverine backed up and looked away from his team for a minute. He turned his head back, and looked totally different. "I knew Mesmero was slimy, evil creep," he said softly. "But I never knew he was this bad. Torture!" He looked to Cyclops with determination and (was that water in his eyes?) announced strongly, "Let's go get those punks!"
Cyclops gave a weak smile and nodded. "I agree totally, Logan. But we need to get Silverback to the Blackbird and then go get Kurt and Warren before any revenge sprees begin. Now come on, help me pick him up."
They went to go lift the damaged Silverback, but their hands went right through him! A voice from behind them announced, "Sorry, boys, but you're not picking anyone up for now!"
Silverback leapt upon Cyclops with a snarl and raised his teeth to go into his skin. "Hey!" shouted Wolverine. He tackled his brother football-style before any damage cold be done. "What the heck are you doin', Greg?!?"
The werewolf before them stood to its full eight foot height. "What I'm being paid for, 'brother!'" He gave a slashing claw swipe at Logan and cut through the skin, only to watch it reappear as fast as it had left. Both gave an animalistic roar and Logan leapt upon his so-called brother, claws out. He dug his claws into the stomach savagely, but that healed as fast as he had. Silverback simply kicked him off with his hind legs.
In the background, Ororo began to focus on lightning. She felt a cold hand upon her shoulder. "No, Storm. We need to let Logan take this one alone."
"But, Cyclops---"
"No. We have a job to do, Ororo. There are still two X-Men being held hostage by the same guy that pulled this entire scheme off. They are the priority now. For once, let Logan do what needs to be done."
"But, Scott…he'll kill Silverback!!!"
Scott's eyes hardened. "I know." He turned and walked away, and the rest of the X-Men had no choice but to follow their leader.
Wolverine recovered quickly from being kicked and tackled Silverback again. The beast fell backwards, and Logan stabbed into his chest again and again and again. The healing factor just kept kicking in every time. Silverback swept his hand powerfully and knocked Logan backwards.
Logan's eyes were bloodshot now. He leapt upon Silverback and dug his claws into the monster's head. "How could you do that to me!?!! How could you do that?!?!?!" Silverback grabbed his attacker, allowing time for his skull to heal, and tossed him through the door and into the hallway. Logan ran at full speed and slashed the arms of his one-time brother, but again to no avail.
He kicked his brother in the shins and flipped backwards in time to avoid a slap. Silverback came racing into the hallway to get at him, and Logan unexpectedly grabbed him in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground. Fearing another kick, he cut off both legs. Before they could grow back, he punched Silverback across the mouth. "How could you!?!?!" he shouted again. "I actually thought you were my brother!!!"
Silverback took the distraction to flip him over his back and back out into the snow. With Storm no longer concentrating, it was lightly starting to lightly fall again. Silverback ran out to find his adversary, but could see no trace of the man called Wolverine.
Suddenly, he felt claws dig into his back and into the bones. He gave a cry of pain and threw Wolverine into a nearby hill. Silverback came chasing after him, and Logan started to run up the mountain. The farther he got, the farther Silverback lagged behind. Finally, he reached the top of the mountain, overlooking the mighty Himalayas. He had to be up thousands of feet!
He felt Silverback on his head, claws digging into his skull, and threw him to the ground, going along with him. They both hopped up again quickly, and Wolverine gave one mighty punch to the jaw. Silverback stumbled to the edge of the cliff and fell. His hand grabbed at the cliff's edge and held on by that one hand.
"Let me help you!" said Wolverine, forgetting the fight entirely even as his skull healed.
Silverback seemed to be fighting all instincts inside. "Never," he whispered. He let go of the cliff's side and fell to his death in the lake. He could not swim, and he drowned.
Logan then did something he had never done in his entire life. He prayed. For the brother he had never had, for the brother he had thought he had, and for himself, a loner once more.