*snickt*
"I know that scent..." grumbled Logan as he made his way to the door. Scott paused, turning to follow him, but decided against it. Jean and the Professor still might have need of him and the others. Thus, Logan went alone, as he marched into the elevator and made his way back to the surface, arms crossed as he waited. State-of-the-art equipment and the elevators still took nearly ten minutes between levels. What a world.
Mesmero. He sniffed again. And Mirage, no less. So, he was using her to get to the X-Men. Tricky bastard. Logan popped the claws on his other hand, determined to rip the circus freak to shreds the instant he found him. Since he caught his scent he must've been closer by now. Probably realized that Xavier and Jean were breaking apart his little mind-games and had moved in to take control. Big mistake.
Three very big, sharp adamantium claw mistakes.
The door slid open, and Wolverine's eyes opened wide.
This wasn't the Institute's hallways, with the smooth, beige walls and various collections of art statues and paintings. These were dank, iron walls, coated in a thin lay of moisture and slime. The air was unnaturally cold, and the little light was pale, giving no illusion of warmth. These were not the halls of the Institute. These were the hallways of... the installation in the Canadian Wilderness. Where the Weapon X program had been run.
Wolverine stepped forward, slowly, cautiously.
"I don't scare that easily," he remarked to no one in particular, knowing Mirage and possibly Mesmero could hear him. They were trying to stop him from reaching them.
Wonderful news, animal, came the telepathic voice of Mesmero. Because of Professor X's mental shield (still in place after many months) Mesmero could do nothing more than speak to him, but Mirage had no such restriction. Especially because her powers focused on the subconscious mind, not the conscious one. The harder to crack, the sweeter the snack.
"I ain't a nut," replied Logan, making his way forward despite his every instinct to run. It was all real, his senses told him. He was back in the Weapon X compound. The sight he saw in the main lab (the foyer as far as he could reason) only confirmed what his senses told him.
"Ah good... welcome home, Wolverine," stated Colonel Wraith, grinning wickedly, his green goggles glinting in the eerie light. "We've been expecting you," he added, indicating the shadowy figure behind him. The gigantic figure stepped into view, grinning as well, his sharp canine's visible. Sabertooth.
Instinctively Wolverine raised his fists, but his claws were gone as if they had never been. Sabertooth made his way over to him, grinning evilly, holding up his hand, and upon his sharp claws glinted the unmistakable metal adamantium. "Now I can finish you off!" roared Sabertooth, slashing at Logan, who ducked and rolled away from the much larger opponent, diving for Colonel Wraith, who stepped aside and behind the glass containment tube in the center of the room. Sabertooth lunged at Wolverine, but Wolverine ducked again, dodging underneath his guard and slamming his shoulder into the larger man's gut. Sabertooth didn't even flinch. Wolverine was grabbed and tossed aside like so much refuse, slamming into a table full of beakers, letting them scatter all over the floor, glass shards flying everywhere.
Several sank into his forearm, painfully... painfully... pain...
The pain distracted Logan, allowing his senses time to adjust, and when Sabertooth next lunged at him he artfully grabbed the behemoth by the neck and slammed him into the wall behind him, holding his fist up against the brute's face. His arm was a full foot away, and if his claws had been out, they'd right now be pressed against Sabertooth's throat. If it really was Sabertooth. Logan's scent told him otherwise.
"Drop it... or I skewer you," he growled angrily. Slowly, reluctantly, the false reality faded, and Wolverine was left holding Mesmero by his purple robes, his claws pressed against the tattoed fools throat. Nearby, Colonel Wraith faded as well, replaced by a dark-haired native american with a vacant gaze. The overturned table and shattered vials had been only a broken end table. Wolverine could feel splinters in his arm, but his healing factor was already pushing them out, even as the wound sealed over.
"Now let her go," he demanded, giving Mesmero a rough shake. Mesmero growled, sending a psionic blast at Wolverine, but he just pressed the tips of his adamantium claws closer, breaking the skin and drawing a faint line of blood. Finally, the mindbender gave in.
Danielle Moonstar blinked her eyes once, twice, and finally a sense of life returned to them as she looked around in confusion. "Wha...? What happened? How did I end up here?" she asked. Then she caught sight of Logan and Mesmero.
"You!" she shouted, pointing directly at Mesmero. Her eyes flashed angrily, and Mesmero sank back against the wall fearfully. Suddenly their was a flash, and his world went dark.
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Mesmero floated in a dark void, all around were shadows. But no sign of Logan or Danielle, thankfully. He was safe at last. Now he could return and find a new plan to elminate those cursed X-Men...
"MESMERO!" came a dark, dangerous voice. Mesmero instantly felt his entire body go numb. He knew that voice as well as he knew his own. It did not so much yell so much as project itself, and he could feel the anger and hatred laced into each and every syllable.
Slowly he turned around, and there, floating in the void, was his lord and master, the dread Apocalypse. And he didn't look pleased.
"YOU SNIVLING, USELESS FOOL!" stated Apocalypse, his body growing until he towered over Mesmero, his hand now big enough to crush the cowering Mindbender in a single move now. "YOU HAVE FAILED ME!"
"No, my lord Apocalypse," said Mesmero, dropping to his knees. "Please, I beg of you... allow me another chance... I..."
"IN THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST THERE ARE NO SECOND CHANCES," replied Apocalypse, holding out his hand towards Mesmero. "AND YOU HAVE FAILED ME FOR THE LAST TIME!!"
Apocalypse's fingers clenched, and Mesmero found himself drawn through the air towards his dread master, try as he did to escape. His body was engulfed by glowing energy, the same that surrounded by Magneto, and he screamed as his body was torn to pieces...
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Mesmero bolted off screaming, running for all he was worth, not even bothering to open the glass pain windows as he leapt straight through them. The glass shattered everywhere, but it didn't slow the tattooed mutant as he ran across the Institute grounds and off into the night. Danielle and Logan watched him go.
"Aren't you going to go after him?" asked Danielle.
"Nah, I'll track him down later... right now I got bigger concerns... like the students," he replied, making his way back up the stairs. The elevator opened, and there stood the X-Men, in full battle uniforms, awake and ready to go. Even Xavier and Hank had joined them. Understandably, they were a little embarassed to find their problem had already been taken care of.
"Mesmero is gone?" asked Jean quietly. The long night and all its work was taking its toll on Xavier, but she too was very tired from her working saving the others.
"Yup... Danielle gave him a taste of his own medicine," replied Logan with a smirk. "Now if you all will excuse me, its late... and way past your bedtimes," he added, as he made his way to his own room and fell asleep on his bed, not even bothering to change. Exhausted, he drifted off to sleep, which was thankfully free of nightmares.
"Alright you guys heard Logan! Everybody to bed," said Scott, once more in his leader-mode. Grumbling, most of the students complied with his request, as well as the adults who'd been up all night working to save them. And thus, the Institute fell back into a quiet, peaceful slumber. Danielle boarded up with Kitty for the night, said she could return home in the morning.
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Morning finally rose on the Xavier Institute, as the students therein climbed out of bed and resumed their normal morning activities. Logan, Hank, and the Professor had elected to sleep in, but Ororo was up early, making her world famous pancakes for the students to enjoy.
Jamie was with her, also up early, his many duplicates running back and forth to get her the ingredients she needed and helping to set up the table with plates and utensils. He was glad to be with her, though anyone would've done. After last night's dream he was almost afraid to go to bed alone, but thankfully Ororo had understood and offered him a place in her own room, curled up on the floor. She was such a nice lady.
They weren't the only two that had slept in the same room to find comfort, however. After the strange dreams, it seemed like most of those present had sought out someone else. Jean and Scott had fallen asleep on the couch in the foyer, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders. Kurt hadn't even fallen asleep yet. He was outside at his private, personal church, talking to God. It helped to ease his soul over the disturbing images he'd seen.
Tabitha and Amara had spent the night together as well. Tabitha had come to her former roommate and asked if she could join her, after all they'd been through. Thankfully, she'd agreed, and Tabitha spent the night in the warm embrace of covers and dark-skinned arms. Nothing happened, they'd just hugged, but it was enough to comfort Tabby.
After breakfast began the usual rush to find backpacks and homework before the next day which was, unfortunately, not a holiday. Jamie, Jubilee and Rahne, the youngest present, were pouring over their candy stashes from last night and trading (Jamie found he didn't like chocolate, said it was too sweet) and swapping bars and packs with one another. This would be, unfortunately, before Jubilee and Rahne took their respective trips home.
The phone was nonstop busy, as the students kept calling friends and family to make sure they were alright and such. Kitty in particular gave a heartfelt thanks to Lance, and Sam of course had to check on his little sister Paige and their family. About the only person who didn't call was Tabby, who would've been quite content if her dad was someone's girlfriend in jail. Ray also made no calls, but he decided that sometime soon he would have to speak to the Morlocks. Maybe Evan could help so they wouldn't rip him to pieces. He owed them an apology, he guessed.
Finally, all said and done, Logan woke, refreshed, his body rejuvenated after only a short few hours of sleep. He grabbed Jubilee, Rahne and Danielle to take them home as the others bid them farewell, and then they returned to their lives.
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Elsewhere, in Cairo.
Mesmero flinched again, glancing at the darkened corner of his tent, but thankfully it was nothing. Damnable noises, always distracting him from his work. What was that?! Oooh... just the wind...
"Curse those infernal X-Men. And Mirage as well. I will have my revenge on all of them... and prove myself to Apocalypse!" he gloated to himself. However, as he spoke, his eyes grew wide, and he watched fearfully as the tent shifted. He grabbed his power-staff, but thankfully all that emerged from the bottom was a little rat. Angry at his own fearful behavior he blasted the rat into pieces.
And so it went on, day after day, night after night. He could barely sleep, always something would distract and awaken him. And worse, when he did... his dread lord was always there to punish him in his dreams.
He would never be able to rest... until he destroyed the X-Men.
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Author's Notes:
Happy Halloween! Hope you all enjoyed my lastest story (not too sure I did though, seemed half-baked to me) and the many future stories to come. Kurt's private church was a small nod to Internutter, for info on it best read her stories. I rather like the idea.
Mannielf18: There ya go. Kurt saved, Mesmero defeated. Big happy ending.
Elrohirthewriter: He'll find a way.
Snitter in Rivendell: I agree totally, the rescues were way to easy. But in addition to not wanting another thirty chapter story, I wanted this done in time for Halloween. Next time I should focus on just one mutant, make it harder. That'd be a better idea, methinks.
Beenieweenie: Glad you like it, and I hope you liked the last bit most of all. If there's one thing I love its ironic justice.
Optic Red: I agree, Ghost of a Chance was good, but there was so much potential they failed to unlock. Still, that was creepy stuff the first time I watched it. I kept asking myself what the heck was going on.
Steven P.P: Yeah me too. Especially after Lance and Kitty got back together in Ascension, it was sweet. I hope my finale did not disappoint, but like I told Snitter I'm disappointed by the easy rescues too. Ah well.
Rogue14: *points to poor Mesmero* That evil enough for ya?
Zoken: Again I can't take credit for those two, they were inspired by the Son of Logan and Ororo. Still, I hope I wrote them well.
Todd fan: Now you can applaud for Danielle. Or did you not think she did quite a number on Mesmero? Hehe.
Scribbler: Sorry Scribbler, I know you're a New Recruits fan, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It would've made my story even more repetitive. But I hope you liked the cute scenes with them afterwards. I try not to ignore them.
Lupine Draconis: Wonderful. Always glad to know I have such devoted fans.
ManniElf18: Glad you liked it. I think those team bonds are what truly define the X-Men, so I tried to use that in my story. I hoped you liked the ending.
Elrohirthewriter: As you can see, she doesn't get a chance. Though if she had, methinks Lucas and Juggrenaut tag-teaming him, or all his dreams being destroy. Meh. Maybe another time.