Notes: This one's quite mature… not too bad, but you have been warned.

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

Rating: PG13+

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

Chapter 12: The Containment Cells

            Logan was sure a mistake had been made when, in the distance, he heard the sound of many booted feet. The platoon of solders had obviously found a way round, or through, the adamantium door which had blocked their path.

            He told this to Kurt, who hugged Pryde closer to his bosom.

            'What do we do?' he asked, 'how long before they find us?'

            Logan shrugged, 'they're a way away yet, but they'll probably know where we're headed to, and probably catch up with us soon if we stay here, how far away are the hold cells?'

            'Not far,' said Kurt, 'only a few more turns.'

            A few more turns later Logan's frown had only increased, the creases in his brow turning into deep fissures. He put a finger on his mouth, signaling Kurt to be as quiet as possible.

            'There are solders up ahead, too,' he whispered, 'I can hear them.'

            Kurt opened his mouth to say something, but another sound took his words away. A brief, terrified scream pierced the air, and accompanying it was a single, blazing gun shot, which silenced the cry with a dreadful finality.

            For a moment Logan was puzzled, surely this wasn't any reinforcements, but his bemusement did not last long, Kurt had figured it out, and his face was a picture of horror.

            'Scheisse,' he rasped, 'that's coming from the Containment Cells. They're killing the prisoners!'

            'Put the baby down!' balked Logan, this was no time for hesitation, 'we're going in!'

            'But-'

            'Elf, you want to bring you kid into a firefight?'

            The question was rhetorical, and Kurt quickly but tenderly placed Pryde down on the cold floor.

            'I promise I'll be back soon!' he whispered to her hoarsely, before bounding off on all fours towards the Containment Cells, Logan hot on his tail.

            They charged in head first, barely taking time to assess the situation. There were about ten guards, each heavily armed, each in the process of removing a naked prisoner from their cell. Several bodies, the corpses of other prisoners, lay on the floor. Two more, a blonde, teenage girl and a brown headed boy of about twelve, had already been taken from there cell and stood with guns to their heads.

            What caught Logan's attention the most, however, was two men skulking at the back of the crowd. One was young, about Kurt's age, wearing simple coveralls and an inhibitor collar. He had two white forelocks in his brown hair, which gave him a passing resemblance to Rogue. The other was a dark headed man in a rich, tailored suit. Logan recognized him from the hologram in the meeting's chamber, it was Greydon Creed himself.

            What happened next occurred very, very quickly. The guards saw the two intruders and opened fire, both at them and the two prisoners they held. The blonde girl, however, took the opportunity to struggle against her guard, pushing his gun upwards, and saving herself. The twelve year old boy, though he also took the opportunity to escape death, was less lucky. For although he struggled, and by that managed to distract a few guards who would have otherwise been on target and shot the charging Wolverine, his flailing was for naught, the shot still found his chest. He fell to the ground in a quickly growing puddle of blood and the guard, his killer, turned his full attention onto the rampaging Wolverine.

            Wolverine returned the favor. His charge had been fast and brutal, straight into the ranks of the guards he had run, heedless of their firepower. He had taken several shots for his pains, one on his arm and another on his leg. Yet these would heal quickly enough, and he was skilled in ignoring pain and injury. He would have taken more, had it not been for both the boy's actions and a rather unconventional charge by Kurt. The elf had run not across the floor, but on the ceiling, catching the guards by surprise and withdrawing half the firepower from Wolverine. So he slammed into the solders, claws setting to work, gun forgotten at his side.

            The shooter of the boy died first, his face ripped cleanly off, the adamantium claws piercing eye sockets and slamming into his brain.

            The guard next to him also felt the taste of Wolverine's claws as his other fist smashed into his chest.

            The blonde girl, meanwhile, had somehow managed to wrestle the gun from her captor and had turned it against him, the laser burning a gruesome hole in his neck, blood spurting out in a crimson fountain, she was lucky the other guards were too distracted with Kurt and Logan to take account of her. Probably a big mistake on their part.

            'Retreat!' called Graydon Creed, backing away with several of the guards and tugging the other teenager with him, 'retreat!'

            'Elf!' screamed Logan above the screech of gunfire and screams of the guards, 'don't let them-'

            The rest of his order didn't come out as one guards flailing elbow caught him in the throat.

            Yet Kurt understood the unfinished instruction and, after knocking out the guard he had wrestled to the ground, he leapt to his feet and chased after Creed and the boy.

            Once again using the walls and ceiling, he quickly caught up with them, jumping down on them from above. He fell squarely on Creeds back, but the politician was lither than he looked, he let go of the other boy, who backed away from the scene, and after some struggling and rolling, forced the elf off his back.

            As soon as he hit the floor Kurt twisted and pounced at Creed again, only to be blocked by of Creed's guards. The guard pointed his laser at the Elf, but Kurt grabbed his arms, twisting them until it became a battle of strength as to which way the gun would point.

            Another moved to retrieve the white-locked boy, but was met by an infuriated Wolverine and a sudden realization of his own mortality. 

            A third soldier also made to grab the boy, but was held back by Creed 'no time!' he cried, running down the corridor again, 'retreat, retreat!'

            The remaining two guards followed him, whilst Kurt dealt with the one he was combating. Just as his own blue arms felt like they were weakening, he remembered his tail, he brought it up and wrapped its length around the guard's neck, then began to squeeze. The guard gagged, his grip on the gun failed, and before he knew it his own weapon was turned against him. Kurt bashed the butt on the weapon into the guard's forehead repeatedly until he fell down unconscious.

            But by this time Creed was well away, there was a hissing of a door closing behind them, and Logan guessed that, even if they ran after them straight away, they would not catch up before they were lost in the maze of twisting corridors.

            For a moment the two mutants just stood where they were, taking some time to rest, then they remembered that they were not alone.

            Logan turned towards the mysterious, white-lock boy, who stood silently, his eyes wide in fear, surprise and confusion, as if he just couldn't comprehend what had just happened, what was still happening.

            Logan caught a whiff of his scent and grinned, he'd smelt that only a few moments before, though it had been hard to distinguish over the smell of dry ice and cryogenic chemicals.

            It had been the scent he had detected in the X-man's empty maturation chamber.

            'You the X-man?' he asked, hoping his nostrils hadn't betrayed him and praying that for once, just for once, luck had smiled down on them.

            'Yes,' said the boy, his voice trembling and high, 'what's going on? Is it a game?'

            'No,' grunted Logan, 'this ain't any game. I want to talk to you, later, will you wait here?'

            'Of course,' replied the X-man, as if this was the most absurd of questions.

            -Right-, thought Logan, -despite how he looks, he's probably only a few months old, he's got a lot to learn about the world, and what he's learnt already was probably brainwashing-.

            Another voice reached Kurt and Logan's keen ears, they turned to see that it came from the blonde girl.

            She was bending over the body of the boy, one hand on his face, closing his dead, open eyes; she muttered something which sounded like 'sorry Jimmy,' before straightening up and regarding the pair a cold, uncompromising stare.

            'Who the hell are you guys?' she balked, 'did you come to rescue us?'

            'Sort of,' said Logan, taking time to look at her. She was indeed in her mid teens, though perhaps a little younger than Kurt. Her golden-blonde hair was short, cut to above her shoulders. She wore nothing but a barcode on one arm, a few scars, cuts, bruises, an old inhibitor collar and the scent of blood, fear, and old sex. Her sapphire eyes bore into Logan's, the rage and willpower in them striking him deep Those emotions had kept her sane in this hell, and now forced his own eyes to focus on her face and not other… more interesting areas on her anatomy on display.

            'Well, you didn't do a very good job of it, did you?' she sneered as she nudged the small pile of dead prisoners with her foot.

            There were about six of them, amongst their number was the red eyed boy, Summers, and a large, blue, ape like creature.

            'Hay elf,' called Logan, keeping his gaze fixed on the pile of corpses, 'is this guy related to you?'

            Kurt regarded the blue man briefly, 'I don't think so… I hope not,' he whispered, 'but I *do* have a relation I should be getting back too.'

            With this he left, moving down the corridor to where he had left Pryde. For a second Logan wondered at his odd behavior, and then he remembered. Kurt had spent a year here, seeing those bodies, these prisoners; it was bringing back of lot of very, very nasty memories for him. It was a wonder he was putting up as well as he was.

            'You haven't answered my first question,' snapped the blonde girl, bringing Logan back into reality, 'who are you?'

            'The name's Logan,' he replied, 'the blue kid was Kurt, he spent some time here too. We're from the MLF.'

            'Well, my name's Tabitha Smith,' said the girl, a smile twisting her lips, 'or subject number 29130 if you prefer. You picked one hell of a time to come, what with Greydon Creed visiting. Did you come 'cos of that special project?'

            'You know about that?' asked Logan.

            Tabby shrugged, 'kind of, but only a little, other know more. I've not been here that long, compared to some of these wretches.'

            She threw her arms out, indicating the small cells which lined the walls, stretching out as far as Logan could see.

            Each cell had a force-field, and behind each force-field was a mutant. Some looked out alertly, watching what was happening, some crouched in corners, staring out with wide, frightened eyes. Others just lay on their bed, gazing up into the ceiling. Even from this distance Logan knew those ones were lost, broken again and again until there was nothing left to break.

            All of the prisoners were naked, though some had wrapped blankets around themselves, many bore the signs of abuse on their bare bodies, but they were all well fed.    It did not do to starve one's breeding stock.

            'So, what are you going to do now?' asked Tabitha, crossing her arms, more to show a posture of strength than to hide any nudity.

            'Not sure,' grunted Logan, wishing he had been better informed as to the plan, 'but letting the rest of your guys out will probably come next. The elf's got some gadget which opens locks.'

            'Well, why don't you ask him to use it?'

            'He ain't here, he's picking up his kid.'

            Tabby frowned, 'sure he's here,' she said, 'I can see his tail just peeking out from behind the door.'

            Logan turned and was surprised to see that she spoke true, Kurt's tail was just outside the door, why hadn't he come in?

            Logan strode towards the entrance, determined to have words with the elf.

He found him leaning against the wall, just by the door, with Pryde clasped to his chest. His eyes were closed and his breathing ragged, as if he was trying to contain some emotion.

            'You OK, Elf?' asked Logan, more than a little concerned.

            'Ja, ja,' replied Kurt, 'I'm fine, it's just… would you mind much if I stayed out here?'

            Logan raised a dark eyebrow, what was this about?

            'I'm gonna need you to help freeing the prisoners, I need to use that gadget on the locks,' he said.

            But Kurt shook his head, 'you've got one too, in your belt' he replied, 'and I can lend you mine, show you how to work them, they're pretty easy. Perhaps you can get that blonde girl to… to help you.'

            'Why won't you go in, Kurt?' asked Logan, using his proper name, signaling that he was sincere, and worried.

            'I…' began Kurt, pausing to swallow, his eyes still tightly shut, 'I spent a lot of time in there,' he whispered, 'a lot of… of really bad memories. Perhaps I'm a cowherd, but… I just don't want to go back in there, don't want to take my daughter in there…'

            Looking at Kurt then, Logan suddenly realized how young he was, not even an adult yet still clutching a babe, his babe, to his chest. An unwilling father before he even had chance to become a man. A young boy put through things no one should be put through. Yet he had come back to this place, to where he had faced such suffering, to save a child he never wished for, to face his fear, his past. He had done so in every way that counted now, there was no reason to push the point

            So Logan found himself unable to argue. Truth to tell, he himself did not wish to re-enter that room, lined as it was with the dead eyes of prisoners, broken until there was nothing left to break. But he had a job to do, he couldn't just leave them, they had to be freed before the soldiers behind them reached the Breeding Chamber or a massacre would surely take place. Still, with the help of Tabby, an extra lock-pick, and some instructions there was no real reason why Kurt needed to be dragged back into that nightmare room.

            'Well,' Logan sighed, 'you wait here then, keep an eye on the X-man, just teach me how to use those damn gadgets.'

            Danke shoen,' said Kurt gratefully, and he ran through the instructions quickly, all that was needed was to put the lock-pick on the lock, and turn the dial until the locking frequencies of the lock and lock-pick matched.

            'It should also work on the collars,' Kurt finished at last, 'they're all fairly old models, shouldn't have that electric shock thing yours did.'

            Logan nodded curtly, and strode away with both his and Kurt's lock-pick, eager to get the job done and get out.

            Tabby proved to be a quick study, luckily, and the lock-pick did indeed also work on collars. The next few minutes were spent desperately freeing the captives from both their cells and collars. Due to the lack of time they concentrated on those which were still alert and spirited, the ones whimpering in corners, and those with the dead eyes they left in their cells. Something in Logan told him that many of those would never leave, trapped as they were in their own, private hell.

            When about five other prisoners had been set free Logan knew it was time to depart.

            He pressed his own Lock-pick into Tabby's hands, but retained Kurt's.

            'We've gotta get going,' he balked, 'there are guards still behind us, and we should try to catch up with Creed and his goons. Can you manage things down here?'

            'Sure,' said Tabby, 'do you want some of us to come with you?'

            Logan shook his head, 'no,' he replied, 'better to have a small group, we'll be more maneuverable. But if those solders following us should reach here, I'd be grateful if you could do something to slow them down.'

            A wicked grin crossed Tabby's face, and an evil glint came into her eye. She lifted a fist and a glowing ball of energy appeared, as if by magic, besides her.

            'Be a pleasure,' she cooed, 'more than, in fact. I can't tell you how much we've   wanted to beat those fuckers into oblivion for what they did to us!'

            An evil smile crossed Logan's face at this. For the first time he actually felt a little sorry for the guards behind them.

Reader's Replies:

Scratch It Off: Wow, you're gonna draw a piccie! Ooh, Ooh, can I see it? Can I? PLEASE!!! Scan it and send it to me via my E-mail if you can! How's the two fingered typing thing going? When you've finished trying that one out, why not go round wearing red tinted glasses, or wearing gloves all day, or maybe in a wheel chair! Ooh, the possibilities. Let me know how your experiment goes, and what you think of this chapter, OK?

Gyuumajo: Here's more. Happy now?

Darcarc: OK, Mr Demon. Yeah, demons are allowed to hate humans all they want! Go you! Unless you just LOOK like a demon, like Kurt, then things are different again.

Ricter: The answer to how Xavier and Mags are will be answered soon. I'm glad you felt that way about Evan, it was a waste. It's all a waste. There is generally very little in the way of heroics in conflict. As for Kurt… we shall see… we shall see…

Sailor X1: Aw, shucks… sorry about Lance not having a big part in this, and the same goes for Kitty (for all of you which like her,) but in something like this I just couldn't afford to give everyone a major part, not without having it ramble on forever. I had problems finishing this, anything longer and I'm not sure… By the way, I know you're big into the Brotherhood, so why not try out Shattered Mirror, another story of mine, all about the boys and Wanda. It's not as plot driven as this but I think you might like it. Just a suggestion, and I apologize for the gratuitous advertising.

Scrawler: Glad that angst works! I like writing angst… even  though I don't let myself experience it much. I'm also glad you like the Kurt/Kitty angle, an obvious pairing, I know, but that's the way it works. Yeah, taking the baby along isn't the best idea in the world but hell, could YOU separate them?

Kiki5: Thanks for the complement about Cameos, I wanted to include as many of the main characters as possible, but that just wasn't feasible, so some of them are just mentioned. What did you think of the Cameo's in this chapter?

Trunksblue: Now, my dear, surely you must have realized by now, in this fic, no one is safe…

Next chapter... is the conclusion of this twisted tale! The Choice!

'Nuff said.