A/N: Beginning of the end(s) coming up. Have fun.
Logan screamed. He'd cared about his pride in the beginning, but then the pain had gotten too extreme. He was aware of the others screaming for Scott to stop this, but the awareness was far away.
Scott watched as Magneto tugged on Wolverine's bones with his power. Somehow, Scott felt a little queasy, even though this was what he'd wanted. He'd wanted to hear Logan scream. Why did it upset him so?
His face and body gave no sign of the conflict within.
"All right, Magneto," Scott said. "'Nuff for one day, doncha think? I think the X-Men are about to do something stupid, and I'm a man of my word."
"Naturally," Magneto sighed, "but I was just starting to enjoy myself." He let go of Wolverine's bones, which he'd been pulling on, causing much stress and pain in Wolverine's body. "Shall I?"
"No, I'll do it," Scott said. He pulled Logan to his feet and led him to a room.
The X-Men were hard pressed not to jump him.
Once in the room, Scott took off Logan's shirt, which was soaked with sweat. He carefully stroked Logan's forehead with a cool cloth, whispering softly to him. Logan weakly tried to pull away, but, for now, Scott was stronger. After a time, Scott left him there, feeling a little better.
The other X-Men wandered in eventually, angrily talking about what Scott had done to Logan. Logan looked at them blearily. "Hey guys," he said.
"Hey Logan," Jena said. "How are you?"
"Fine, Jeannie, you?"
"Fine. That bastard will pay," she promised him.
"I think he is."
The X-Men stared at him in shock, before breaking into random babble.
"What are you crazy?"
"He's become remorseless!"
"He's evil!"
"He's a sadistic bastard!"
"Guys!" Logan said. "He hates himself for what he's doing to me."
"Why do you say that?" Storm demanded. "He really seemed to be enjoying it from where I was standing."
"He came back with me," Logan told them. "He smelled real sad. He took care of me, partly why I'm in such good condition right now. I couldn't hear all of what he was whispering, but some of it was like, 'I'm so sorry, Logan, I love you.' I smelled tears."
More angry babble broke out.
"So?"
"It's just to fuck with our heads!"
"He WANTS you to think that!"
"He's messed up, man. . ."
"Guys! I'm serious. I think we can save him."
"I don't," Jean stated. "He's become sadistic and cruel. He ENJOYED what happened to you."
"To all appearances, yes, but appearances can be deceiving."
"He's a bastard!" Rogue shouted. "Just LOOK at what he let Magneto do, sugah! If he cared, he wouldn't!"
"He's not evil."
"I have to side with Logan," Storm interjected.
"Yeah, totally," Kitty put in. "He was always the sweetest thing."
"Good is not so easily destroyed," Storm continued. "He is misguided right now, in need of his true friends. We have done wrong by him; pushed him away, pushed him too hard, expected to much. He is young. He more than surpassed our expectations at the expense, perhaps, of his sanity and well being. This is our fault, and we must work to rectify it."
"Okay fine," Jean said. "How do you propose we do so?"
"Talk to him," Storm said firmly. "You will refrain from any violence."
"But what happens when he comes for Wolverine again?" Spyke demanded. "Do we just let him?"
"We have no choice," Storm replied.
"I can deal," Logan said.
"But what are we supposed to say?" Nightcrawler asked.
"Whatever makes sense. Think about it. He's hurting. What would you want said if you were in his position?" Storm turned and sighed. "Get some rest. I have a feeling we'll need it."
Logan screamed. He'd cared about his pride in the beginning, but then the pain had gotten too extreme. He was aware of the others screaming for Scott to stop this, but the awareness was far away.
Scott watched as Magneto tugged on Wolverine's bones with his power. Somehow, Scott felt a little queasy, even though this was what he'd wanted. He'd wanted to hear Logan scream. Why did it upset him so?
His face and body gave no sign of the conflict within.
"All right, Magneto," Scott said. "'Nuff for one day, doncha think? I think the X-Men are about to do something stupid, and I'm a man of my word."
"Naturally," Magneto sighed, "but I was just starting to enjoy myself." He let go of Wolverine's bones, which he'd been pulling on, causing much stress and pain in Wolverine's body. "Shall I?"
"No, I'll do it," Scott said. He pulled Logan to his feet and led him to a room.
The X-Men were hard pressed not to jump him.
Once in the room, Scott took off Logan's shirt, which was soaked with sweat. He carefully stroked Logan's forehead with a cool cloth, whispering softly to him. Logan weakly tried to pull away, but, for now, Scott was stronger. After a time, Scott left him there, feeling a little better.
The other X-Men wandered in eventually, angrily talking about what Scott had done to Logan. Logan looked at them blearily. "Hey guys," he said.
"Hey Logan," Jena said. "How are you?"
"Fine, Jeannie, you?"
"Fine. That bastard will pay," she promised him.
"I think he is."
The X-Men stared at him in shock, before breaking into random babble.
"What are you crazy?"
"He's become remorseless!"
"He's evil!"
"He's a sadistic bastard!"
"Guys!" Logan said. "He hates himself for what he's doing to me."
"Why do you say that?" Storm demanded. "He really seemed to be enjoying it from where I was standing."
"He came back with me," Logan told them. "He smelled real sad. He took care of me, partly why I'm in such good condition right now. I couldn't hear all of what he was whispering, but some of it was like, 'I'm so sorry, Logan, I love you.' I smelled tears."
More angry babble broke out.
"So?"
"It's just to fuck with our heads!"
"He WANTS you to think that!"
"He's messed up, man. . ."
"Guys! I'm serious. I think we can save him."
"I don't," Jean stated. "He's become sadistic and cruel. He ENJOYED what happened to you."
"To all appearances, yes, but appearances can be deceiving."
"He's a bastard!" Rogue shouted. "Just LOOK at what he let Magneto do, sugah! If he cared, he wouldn't!"
"He's not evil."
"I have to side with Logan," Storm interjected.
"Yeah, totally," Kitty put in. "He was always the sweetest thing."
"Good is not so easily destroyed," Storm continued. "He is misguided right now, in need of his true friends. We have done wrong by him; pushed him away, pushed him too hard, expected to much. He is young. He more than surpassed our expectations at the expense, perhaps, of his sanity and well being. This is our fault, and we must work to rectify it."
"Okay fine," Jean said. "How do you propose we do so?"
"Talk to him," Storm said firmly. "You will refrain from any violence."
"But what happens when he comes for Wolverine again?" Spyke demanded. "Do we just let him?"
"We have no choice," Storm replied.
"I can deal," Logan said.
"But what are we supposed to say?" Nightcrawler asked.
"Whatever makes sense. Think about it. He's hurting. What would you want said if you were in his position?" Storm turned and sighed. "Get some rest. I have a feeling we'll need it."