Notes:

Disclaimer: This is not mine. See first chapters for details.

Rating: PG13+

Other: This story is AU. Readers Replies at the bottom.

Chapter 4: The MLF

            Wolverine.

            That name slung Logan's mind back through the years. Yes, that had been his first stage name, a different stage, to be sure, but a stage none the less.

            Before Spitfire, before Rabid, before Feral, before all those handlers and their names, he had been Wolverine, Weapon X.

            Todd let out a range of curses that would have made his mother faint.

            'Yo' got Wolverine!' he gasped between swear words, 'they been searchin' for him for ages an' yo' found him! An' yo' weren't even looking!'

            'Oh,' said Kurt, puzzlement etched in his fur, 'um… so… who is he again?'

            Todd slapped his forehead, 'God, yo' are back-water! Don't tell me yo' never heard of Wolverine!'

            'Um… the name does sound familiar but…'

            'Wolverine! The first of the Weapon-X mutants! The first to escape! The one who could take a gun shot to the head and get up the next mornin' wit nothing but a headache!'

            'Oh… that Wolverine!... Oh Scheisse… I found Wolverine…'

            'See what I mean? Shall we tell the bosses?'

            'I think- Augh!-'

            Kurt clutched his head in pain, as did Forge and Todd. Logan looked round in confusion, keeping his claws out. What the hell was happening? As suddenly as it had started, the pain seemed to dissipate and the three mutants righted themselves.

            'I think,' finished Kurt, 'that they already know. Damn, did he have to be so loud!'

            'Yeah, he must be well excited,' sighed Todd, 'come on, let's do as he says before he blows a blood vessel or something.'

            'Hold on, hold on,' interrupted Logan, 'I've been tugged and lugged around for long enough, and I want to know what the hell is going on. Who are you, what is this place, and what are you planning to do with me?'

            The two boys and Forge looked at one another, and back at Logan, now standing legs spread, arms crossed, and his demeanor showing no sign of weakness.

            'We're the Mutant Liberation Front,' replied Kurt at last, 'I'm surprised you hadn't worked it out already, it's not as if the clues weren't there.'

            Logan frowned, yes, he had heard of them, heard of them though the ripped up newspapers left as rubbish on the floor, heard of them from the gossip of the guards and soft murmurings of the arena crowds, and the brief, fleeting glimpses of TV's. He hadn't guessed that they were his rescuers, though, that would have required hard thought, difficult when in large amounts of pain. It would have also needed him to trawl through his memories, an unpleasant experience. Indeed, for the last few years he had survived, remained sane, by purposefully not remembering things, but taking each day as it came, by dealing with each nightmare at a time, then putting it aside, ready for the next day's hell.

            The Mutant Liberation Front, a terrorist organization of rouge mutants. At first a mere annoyance to human authorities, it was now growing into a menace as each successful raid and attack rescued more mutants, swelling their ranks. It was led by a triad, their names… here Logan had to concentrate to remember… their names were Magneto, the founder, Psy, and Tempest. The latter of these had died fairly recently, in spectacular fashion, setting the MLF back a few steps, but it had more than recovered since then, and was now more of a menace than ever.

            Now he thought of it, it made perfect sense that they had been his rescuers, but the entire event was odd none-the-less. To his knowledge the MLF usually concentrated its efforts on larger, more spectacular projects, things which would attract human attention. His rescue wouldn't cause a whisper in the press. Then again, judging from the previous conversations in the sewers, Kurt had been acting alone, a private rescue run, as it was.

So now the important question was what their leaders wanted him for, other than the obvious.

            "I'm not a performing monkey."

            Those words came back to him, rang in his head, the truest he had ever said. Sure, he owed these guys a lot, and sure they stood for some good things, but at the end of the day he was free now. His days as a fighter, as an animal, were over, he wouldn't let anyone use him again. Ever.

            'As to where we are,' continued the elf, interrupting Logan's train of thought, 'well, we're at home base, Asteroid M, more information than that will have to wait until you see the boss's. That do you?'

            Wolverine nodded, 'then let's go meet them,' he grunted.

            'I'll come wit' you,' said Todd, 'I wanna see how this works out. You comin' too, Forge?'

            The druggie shook his head, 'got twitches,' he muttered, 'need my juice, need my Rave, see you later, sorry 'bout the collar, didn't have no choice but to make it, never choice, no choice.'

            Still muttering he stumbled out of the room, his footsteps clanking noisily down the hallway, going the opposite direction to which the two boys were now leading Logan.

            Down hard, mettle corridors they strode, each one more or less similar to the last, each lit by dim, flickering lights. Other people walked these corridors too, other members of the MLF. There was no real binding factor to them, most wore the same black clothes as Kurt and Todd, but a few were dressed in civvies. Some had physical mutations, but many did not, some bore obvious scars upon their skin, where as others showed their scars in their dead, cold eyes. Male and female, black, white, yellow, blue, green, a shifting mass of colors, a sea of homo-superior. The age range was the only thing that provided any linking factor, as most of the mutants appeared to be around Kurt's age or lower, there were very few of Logan or Forge's age.

            Most of them ignored the trio, though a few spared him casual glances of interest, he got the impression that the arrival of new mutants was not an unusual event. Yet more evidence of the MLF's growing strength. 

            So absorbed was Logan in observing the passing inhabitance, he almost missed the one member that took real interest in him.

            'Up to your old tricks again Wagner?'

            Kurt gave a sigh and actually scowled at the sound of that voice. It came from another mutant of Kurt's age, also with a physical mutation. He was covered, from head to foot, in bone spikes, a sort of carapace. His hard lips were twisted into a sneer, his eyes glinted with a strange, savage cruelty, which reminded Logan of the look Goldo or Chug wore when on a particular vicious beating session. Needless to say, he found himself disliking the boy from step one.

            'Hello Spyke,' drawled Kurt, 'what can I do for you today then?'

            'Do something? For me? Fuzz-butt, when the Bosses see that you brought another weakling home, with a zero body-count, I'd guess, they'll have to so shucked up on chores that you won't be able to do anything else for a year!' 

            'That's what yo' think, spiny,' put in Todd, 'but this guy-'

            'Clapp! Todd,' put in Kurt, holding a three fingered hand out, 'you don't need to defend me, I'm proud of what I did.'

            'Really,' asked Spyke, his smirk widening, 'well then, maybe you're punishment will be all the harder. Maybe the bosses will turn you over to me for punishment. I hope so, I know a few tricks I'd love to try out on your fuzzy hide.'

            'Then maybe we can bond later,' returned Kurt, his voice calm and level, 'but in the meantime I'm wanted in the main council chamber. So unless you want to be joining me in punishment I'd let us go.'

            Spyke glowered and stepped aside, allowing them to move past.

            'Dick,' commented Todd when they were away from the spiny boy, 'why didn't yo' tell him yo' found Wolverine?'

            'Are you kidding?' replied Kurt 'there are no cameras in that hallway, and when I tell him who this guy is, I want to see the look on his face. Again, and again and again…'

            Todd chuckled at this, but Logan was less pleased

            'I'm not a trophy,' he growled.

            'Ja, I know, and I don't mean to treat you that way, but let a guy have a bit of credit, OK? Spyke's been on my back since day one, I need to keep things even between us somehow.'

            Logan felt the rare tug of a smile twisting his lips, yes, this is how it should be.     Teenagers, kids, with their own little politics, not hate, not revenge, but little, petty things, mild versions of the extremes adults oft felt. It was good to see innocence, even this tiny amount.

            When they reached the doors of the main council chamber Todd was forced to depart.

            'The Boss's only want to talk to the newbie and Kurt,' growled the guard, a huge boy with a Mohican, 'sorry Todd, you ain't invited.'

            'Ahhh, no fair!' wined the Toad, 'I helped bring him back. Come on Freddy, lemme in!'

            'Sorry,' the guard, Freddy, replied, 'but orders are orders, maybe they'll wanna see you if you wait around?'

            'Nah,' sighed Todd, 'I guess I got things I better be getting' on with. See you guys later, OK? An' I want a full report, right? Yo' owe me for that chocolate, 'member?'

            'Sure Todd,' chuckled Kurt, 'see you around!'

            'See ya, kid!' grunted Logan, as the boy hopped away down the corridor.

            When he had gone the guard tapped in a code on a key pad by the door, and ushered the two mutants in to the room beyond it. As soon as they had entered, the door swished closed behind them.

            Logan's eyes flitted around the room, taking in the bright lights that lit it, the large, steel table that sat at its center, the various computers which decorated the walls, and the two men who stood in front of them. Both of them exuded power and charisma, they dominated the large chamber. Magneto and Psy.

            The former of these was a tall, somewhat gangly man, with a crown of silver hair. His eyes were ice blue, blazing with an inner, cold, fire. His garbs were black and red, his jaw-line strong, everything about him spoke of an inner majesty, a king in bandit's garb.

            The second was more subtle, and yet it was his appearance which held Logan's attention, for he seemed familiar, like an old school friend, or a half remembered, distant relative.

            His costume was yellow and black, and he was somewhat shorter and stockier than his accomplice, but no less magnificent. His head was bare of even the slightest strand of hair, which accentuated his rounder face, and noble brow. His lips set in a straight line of concentration, and his eyes…

            Those orbs were dark, not the dark of coloration, for the iris was pale hazel, no; theirs was the darkness of a pit, the darkness of an abyss, ready to swallow up all who looked in them. Cold and hard as lumps of coal or jet, but hiding a strange, fierce flame also, vicious, somewhat cruel. Unquenchable.

            Logan knew this man, though it had been many years since they had met, and much change had occurred since then. Yes, he could put a name to him, not a code name, not a title, but a real name, an identity.

            'Long time no see, Chuck,' he said.

            Charles Xavier did not smile at this, but merely glanced at his companion.

            'Is this him?' murmured Magneto.

            Xavier frowned, 'it seems to be,' he replied, 'but I will do a deep scan, just to make sure. We cannot risk any mistakes at this delicate junction.'

            'Hold on,' snapped Logan, 'I don't want any deep scan, my thoughts are my own and I ain't-'

            'You have no choice in the matter,' said Xavier, and, with but a thought, his mind rammed into Logan's.

            He screamed, his head on fire, trying to fight Psy's probes desperately, but to little avail. He looked desperately to Kurt, but the elf just shrugged helplessly, his eyes giving all the apology needed, there was nothing he could do.

            Deeper and deeper the pain went, pushing through conscious thinking, into subconscious, into recall, short term then long, until it reached the target. Memories, recollections Logan had put aside long ago in the arena, back into the beginning, back in time, back into the concrete bunkers, adimantium bars, cruel guards, and the other stuff that made up his darkest nightmares.

            Then he remembered, he remembered well and fully, and came to comprehend why he was hailed as the first of the 'three.

Reader's Replies.

Hi guys! Not so many of you this time, so I'm not afraid of giving full replies (: But I would like to see more reviews anyway…

One small note, read the chapter before you read your replies, I may mention things in this chapter that will give the game away.

Telle: Sorry, there's gonna be quite a few cliffhangers here. Hope you can hang on!

Eileen: Hi again! So glad you like the details and Kurt/Todd interaction, that was my favorite scene in this chapter too… though I like the Forge insane part as well… but then I like writing insane people… wonder what that says about me?

Saya-Sato: Sorry if Kurt is a little OC… I mean, he didn't appear terribly OC when I wrote it but… All I can say is this, bare three things in mind. 1: This story is mainly written from Logan's perspective, not his. 2: This is AU, Kurt has grown up a little different to Evo-Verse, so he might act a little bit oddly… 2: This is more of a plot driven story than character. I CAN do better characterization, see "Forgiveness" "Shattered Mirror" and "Screwed Up and Thrown Away," for some of my better characterization attempts. OK? I hope it gets better, anyway. Please stick with it, I value all feedback, including criticism.

Skiltch: Glad to see you around! Well, know you know which of it is… it's BOTH! Bwa ha ha! Confused? Don't worry, more will be resolved soon.

Gyuumajo: I'm glad you're still enjoying his! Glad to see Todd's fanclub is running strong as well. I love Todd! I hope this update lived up to your expectations too, please review?

And with those words… smell ya later!