A/N: Sorry for the delay in uploading something new. I've been pouting over the lack of continuation to the Impact episode in "No Good Deed," but I've stopped that now am an writing things as I want them to be.

A reminder that this chapter, as will the whole series contains characters known only in the comic verse – not yet introduced to the Evolution series. I am not incorporating any of the plots from the comics though as they do not suit my needs. I am simply putting in characters I like and manipulating them as I please. *maniacal, mad scientist like laughter fills the room*

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Impatience

Pulling his motorcycle off the road, Logan brought the machine to a full stop and raised his nose to the wind to search for any lingering trace of Marie. It had been about ten miles since he'd caught a trace of her passing in this direction, but the road forked at this point and his animal senses couldn't detect which way Mesmero had taken her.

Growling in frustration at that fact, he tore out his communication device and flipped it open.

"Anything?" he snarled into the mouthpiece.

"I'm sorry, Logan, Cerebro has been unable to detect any traces of Mesmero or Rogue in the area or anywhere since you notified me of the situation," Charles instantly responded to his friend's question. "I hate to say this, but it appears they've simply vanished."

"No one just vanishes, Charles, the worm's taking her to Apocalypse. I know and so do you. We have to get to Mexico."

"Logan, I understand your concern for the girl but we cannot be as foolish as Magnus was and simply rush into confrontation with a mutant as advanced and unknown as Apocalypse," Charles tried to reason. "Your presence is needed here with the team so that we can better prepare to face him when we know more. There's nothing else we can do for Rogue at this time."

With a roar of fury and impotence at the situation, the Wolverine threw the fragile little communicator to the pavement where it instantly shattered upon impact.

Shoulders slumping forward he tried to ignore the thoughts of failure and loss swirling in his brain. He tried to suppress the anger and growing desperation within him as the minutes Marie had been missing ticked slowly into hours.

Slowly he gained control over himself and the beast raging to get out, but the Wolverine remained just beneath the surface, ready to leap out in attack the moment it had the opportunity.

As rational as he was sure he was going to be in this situation, Logan again focused his every sense on the fork in the road and tried to find some clue of the direction Marie had been taken.

There was none.

He'd left her alone for five minutes and now she was gone.

Vanished into thin air, just as the Professor had said.

Staring down the road with cold determination settling into his dark brown eyes, he vowed that somehow he would find her again though.

The fact that he had to wait and retreat from the search for even and second laid heavily upon his shoulders along with his stupid error that had led to this current mess.

I never shoulda left her alone, he thought for no less that the thousandth time as with a defeated sigh he started his bike and turned it toward Bayville and away from wherever Rogue may now be.

Firmly shaking off the feelings of guilt, he focused on his driving and put the bike into its highest gear to race back to the mansion.

~*~*~

"I had begun to worry about you, my friend," Charles said as he greeted Logan in the foyer at the institute. "I was unable to reach your communicator."

"It got broke," the man snarled. "What's with all the company?"

"Ah, yes, I'd forgotten you'd be able to sense our new arrivals. We've had many people join us today to assist the X-Men however they can against En Sabah Nuhr."

"Which one parked their bike in my space?"

"That would probably be mine," said a young leather clad man who strolled into the foyer.

Logan's eyes locked on the white streak in the young man's otherwise brown hair and growled as the sight reminded him of Marie and her trademark streaks.

"Who tha hell are you?"

"Nate Grey," the man replied extending a hand to shake, "you must be the infamous Wolverine the students here have talked so much about."

The hand extended was ignored as Logan looked around the boy to stare at Charles with an arched brow.

"Nate is one of quite a few guests we have with us, Logan. As they're all here to help us as needed in this time, including in any mission we launch to help Rogue, I'd like to suggest you go against the grain and be hospitable toward him," the Professor stated.

"Move your bike, now," he growled. "If its not too much trouble for ya, kid."

Laughing at the man's attempt at courtesy, the newcomer simply turned on his heel and continued on to the kitchen where he'd been headed after leaving the rec. room and making his way into the foyer.

"That the kind of character you're welcoming in today?"

"He appears to be something of an enigma compared to the others, but yes, we've been graced with the presence of a few particularly unusual guests," Charles turned his wheelchair toward the rec. room. "I believe they're having a rather impromptu meet and greet session if you'd like to join in."

Momentarily curious about the strangers on his turf, Logan followed the Professor into the very crowded room where the team was gathered with a mix of unknowns and vaguely familiar faces.

And a few very familiar ones, as well.

"Welcome back, Porcupine," he growled with a half-smile at Evan who was in a group with Ray and the majority of strange faces.

The sight of Magneto's lackeys Colossus and Gambit had him growling and tensing slightly in preparation of battle.

"Relax, big guy," Remy said the second he noticed the evil eye he was getting. "We're not here as part of some scheme, we're here to help get the guy who took out Magneto and hopefully stop him from ending the world."

Seeing how the duo was settled among the team and seemed to be harmless, the Wolverine relaxed and looked down at Charles to begin the introductions if that's what he was there for.

"May I have everyone's attention please?" the Professor said over the various conversations in the room.

When he had their attention he called the new arrivals forward with a wave of his hand.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is Logan codenamed Wolverine. You missed meeting him this morning, so please make your introductions now."

For a moment no one moved, then two people stepped forward – one a female with unusual long, purple hair and the blonde male.

"I am Lady Elizabeth Braddock also known as Psylocke and this is my brother Brian who goes by Captain Britain in most circles," the female said in a very ladylike British tone.

"Warren Worthington called Angel for the obvious reason," stated another blonde man who stepped forward with a flutter of his white feathered wings.

"Remy LeBeau," Gambit called out with a careless wave from the couch he remained sitting at.

"Piotr Rasputin," Colossus said as he stepped forward to stand next to the other's who had completed introductions.

The older of a pair of mocha skinned females spoke up next, "I am Margali Sefton and this is my daughter Amanda. I've never been much for aliases, but Amanda often goes by Daytripper."

No one else seemed to be ready to speak up yet, so Logan took a moment to study the just identified girl.

"Aren't you tha elf's girlfriend?" he asked while noticing for the first time that Kurt was absent from this gathering.

Amanda said nothing in response to his question, she simply bit her lip and dropped her slightly upset gaze to the carpeting.

Finally a woman approached from the last group of unidentified newcomers. She wore a patch over one eye and worn old army fatigues. It was quite obvious she was a fighter and the leader of this group.

"We are the Morlocks," she began, "I am Callisto. With me are Caliban, Healer, Stall, Cybelle, Scaleface, Lucid and Plague. I believe they are the best suited among our ranks to assist you against Apocalypse."

"How ya figure that, lady?" Logan asked skeptically, moving to stand before Stall. "This one's just a child, for Pete's sake."

Before the man knew what had hit him, said child removed one of the gloves she wore and placed one of her bare oversized palms against his arm.

The touch instantly froze Logan as he was, smirking skeptically and waving a dismissive hand in Stall's direction.

~*~*~

"I do believe I warned you to be nice, Logan," Charles said as he failed to bite back a smile when his friend finally regained the use of his limbs.

"Ya coulda warned me some of them were sensitive," the man groaned as he stretched his tingling muscles. "What'd she do to me?"

"Its difficult to know for certain, considering the child seems unable to speak and communicate to us the specifics of her mutation, but it is quite obvious that she's able to completely immobilize a person for hours with only the slightest touch of her hand."

"And she did this to me, because … ?" Logan asked with an arched brow.

"I imagine it was because she felt offended by your tone when you called her a child."

Making a mental note to keep his mouth shut around that girl, he focused on something else from the meeting with the others.

"That Callisto mentioned that she 'chose those best suited for facing Apocalypse.' What's she mean by that?"

"It is her belief that he has some kind of invulnerability that only one with powers such as Caliban can weaken to allow Apocalypse to be defeated."

"And how would this Caliban do that?"

"From what I've gathered in the short time I've known him, Caliban is a highly advanced mutant capable of inflicting great mental damage on others. He assures me that he would be able to infect Apocalypse with a virus that weakens the mutant's powers to the point where he can be destroyed by normal means."

"Yeah, and I'll wave a magic wand and we'll all be nice normal humans," he said skeptically.

"Logan, for the first time since Apocalypse was freed I have hope again. I am not a foolish or fanciful person who'd pin that hope on something that can never happen," Charles said rather sternly. "These mutants who have joined the team today are not the novices we're used to. The Braddock twins had been operatives for Great Britain's branch of S.H.I.E.L.D. since their powers manifested a year ago. They're skilled warriors with excellent control of their mutations.

"Though we both disagree with his beliefs, Magneto trained Colossus and Gambit well. The Morlocks are rather unknown, but their powers are daunting. Each one of them has taken to life in the sewers because their mutations have proven to be too much for interaction with the human world. During their isolation they've learned to cope with those powers surprisingly well and now I can help them focus on controlling them for maximum effect. We have today a formidable opposition to whatever Apocalypse chooses to do next. Do not ridicule it again. Have faith in these people who are willing to sacrifice all to help us, Logan. They're the only chance you have of getting Rogue back."

Growling as that remark struck a nerve, Logan glared at his friend.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Be patient with us while we plan some kind of strategy. Train this new team to work together. Prepare with them for whatever is to come."

"And Rogue?"

"We'll have to assume that Mesmero has taken her and what remains of Mystique to Apocalypse. Working from that assumption, we find some way to penetrate the shield he's erected around that temple. Once we have that and some kind of battle plan in place to defeat him, we'll make our move."

"That could take forever," he snarled.

"With so many of us focused on this matter, I'm hoping we can come up with something in a few days."

"It's still too long, Charles. You don't know how fragile she is after all this. She's so close to the edge whatever they've planned for her may destroy her. The longer we take, the less time Rogue's got."

"Your impatience is understandable, Wolverine, but also unacceptable in this situation. Your emotions are too involved in the matter and if you persist in wasting our time arguing this same point over and over rather than trying to help us grow stronger, you will not be included in our plans," the Professor said grimly. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Logan snarled before stalking furiously from the infirmary he'd been taken to.

Though his rational side understood and agreed with Charles' reprimand, his animal instincts continued to cry out for action and revenge.

Aimlessly, he stalked the institute's hallways arguing the two sides. His wandering footsteps ground to a halt outside the closed door of Marie's bedroom. With a growl rumbling softly through his chest and pressed his forehead against the wooden panel.

We'll find ya, darlin'. I swear ta God, somehow we'll find you.