Chapter 11: Dead Dreams
Logan parked his bike in the garage and sat there for a moment in the darkness. He felt numb, empty.
Another day of searching, and he hadn't been able to figure out where Sabretooth had hidden Jubilee. He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread that time was running out for her.
He got off the bike and took the helmet off. He stared at for a long time, tears blurring his vision so that he hardly saw the three silver slashes on its side. Jubilee had made this for him; he was determined that it wouldn't be the last gift he'd get from her. Somehow or another, he'd find her. And when he did, Creed was going to pay. His lips thinned out into a grim line. After he went in, got warmed up, and had a cup of coffee, he would hit the road again, looking for her.
He walked in the kitchen door, wearily, and sat down at the kitchen table. Jean was standing at the sink, pouring herself a cup of coffee, and when she heard him come in she turned. "Logan…" she trailed off as she looked at him.
He looked terrible. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked—and smelled—like he hadn't had a bath in days. "Logan," she said gently, putting a cup of black coffee in front of him, "You're not doing yourself any good by wearing yourself out looking for her."
He looked up at her with bleary eyes. "I gotta keep lookin', Jean," he said. "Wherever Creed's holed up, he's gotta know I ain't stoppin' till I fin' her. 'F he knows I ain't gonna stop, maybe he'll give up an' let her go."
"I'm not saying you should stop, Logan," Jean said, putting her coffee down. "I'm just saying you need to rest. Get some sleep, at least. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I really don't think you're going to find her until Sabretooth's good and ready to tell us where she is."
Xavier came into the kitchen just then, and looked at Jean. Has he gotten any sleep over the last few days? He asked her.
Doesn't look like it, Jean answered him grimly.
Would you…? he didn't have to finish. Jean nodded and closed her eyes as Logan stared despondently into his coffee. Remy came in from the back door just in time to sweep the coffee out from under his head as Logan's face hit the table, fast asleep.
"Nicely done," he said. "Was wonderin' myself when de homme goin' to git some sleep."
Jean telekinetically lifted Logan's body from the chair he was sitting on, and carried him into the informal sitting room just off the kitchen. Lowering him gently onto the couch there, she pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over him. As quietly as possible, she tiptoed from the room, switching off the light behind her.
She rejoined Xavier and Remy in the kitchen as Rogue and Scott came in the back door. She didn't need to ask; the look on their faces was the same as it had been for the last week. They hadn't found any trace of her.
"I just don't think we're going to find her until Sabretooth's ready to let us know where she is," Scott slid into the chair Logan had just vacated with a sigh. "Wherever she is, he has her hidden well."
* * *
Sabretooth smashed the length of chain into the battered, bleeding body hanging in front of him. Jubilee twisted in agony, tears streaming down her face. Another high-pitched wail erupted from her throat before she sagged limply in the handcuffs again. He repeated the motion, and she whimpered again.
He studied the hanging girl thoughtfully. When he'd torn the lid off her crate this evening, she'd just fallen out without a sound. She hadn't fought to escape him, she hadn't screamed at him. In fact, she hadn't really screamed at all. There hadn't been a single intelligible word from her over the last two days, just a thin, high-pitched wail coming from the back of her throat when he hurt her. She hadn't struggled at all, hadn't cursed him, hadn't begged him. Hadn't spoken at all.
He'd finally broken her.
A sneer curled one lip. Now was the time to give her back to the runt. She was no use to Logan now; if he still wanted to get between her legs she'd be nothing but a blank-eyed vegetable. He lowered the frail's arms, released her hands from the handcuffs.
He shoved a blanket at her. She stared at it blankly, trying to figure out what it was and what she was supposed to do with it. Sabretooth ripped it out of her hands and threw it over her shoulders. She just stood there, staring straight ahead of her at nothing, and didn't say a word. He grabbed one wrist and dragged her outside, to where a battered, beat-up old Jeep sat under a heavy tarp. He pulled the tarp off, watched the snow hit the ground, then grabbed her arm and pulled her by main force into the side seat. He went around, got into the driver's side, and turned the key. He'd found this old jeep in a junkyard; it wasn't the most reliable, but he could use it to get to Xavier's place. He wouldn't need it after that.
Jubilee stared ahead of her, eyes focused on nothing. She wasn't Jubilee anymore; she was just a bundle of nerves screaming in pain. As the cold seeped into her bare feet and icy hands, numbing them and taking away the pain, she began to slowly notice that she wasn't in the warehouse anymore. Her eyes blinked.
Sabretooth was driving, thinking about how Logan would react, and not really paying much attention to how fast he was going when the sound of sirens started up behind him. He looked in the cracked rear-view mirror, and cursed. There was a police car behind him, flashing its lights. He stepped on the pedal, swearing as the engine responded sluggishly and the near-bald tires skidded on the icy pavement. The police car gained a few more feet. He'd have to lose the cop before heading up the road to Xavier's mansion.
He sped through two intersections, and just as he was about to go through the third a pickup truck appeared out of the swirling gray snow ahead, and he had to twist the wheel hard to avoid it. He barely got a glimpse of the driver of the truck, but the passenger's unusual hairstyle was a dead giveaway. It was Logan and his Cajun friend.
Logan stared for one shocked moment as he recognized the driver of the spluttering Jeep, and growled, "Remy! It's Creed! And he's got Jubes with him!" As Remy revved his engine and followed the police car and the Jeep, Logan stared hard through the windshield, trying to figure out why Jubilee sat so still under the threadbare blanket she wore.
* * *
Sabretooth cursed again when he saw the bridge ahead of him. It said closed due to bad weather. Snow was starting to fall; even through his thick fur he could feel the cold. As soon as his tires hit the edge of the bridge, the Jeep went skidding. He twisted the wheel hard, but the Jeep didn't stop until he well over the bridge. Then one of the tires blew out, dumping him and Jubilee out into the snow.
Behind him, the police car stopped, and so did Remy's truck. They both got out, and Logan growled, "Stay here, Cajun. Creed's mine." He stalked toward Sabretooth as the big mutant grabbed Jubilee's blanket-covered form, and the blank blue eyes blinked again confusedly as she was swung around to face Logan. She knew him…
Sabretooth held a claw over Jubilee's unprotected throat. "Stay away from me, runt," he snarled. "Or I swear I'll kill her!"
Logan didn't even hear Creed's shout. His eyes were fixed on Jubilee, and a cold, cold rage filled him as his eyes traveled Jubilee's shivering body from the bare, bruised feet, the thin legs covered with welts and sores, to the raw, skinned flesh between her thighs. "Jubilee!" he screamed when he saw the blank, empty look in her eyes. There was no recognition in them when she looked at him. "Jubilee, come on, darlin', It's me, it's Logan! Come on, ya can get away from Creed! Come on! Jubes, please! I love ya!"
Jubilee blinked again as the words penetrated the thick fog of pain in her head. She was so tempted to slip back down, deep into herself, away from the pain of her body, but the voice wouldn't let her. It filtered into her head, insistent, until she finally identified it. "Logan?" she whispered, raising her head. Recognition flickered in her eyes. "Logan? Oh, god, I hurt, please help me…" and she started to struggle, twisting in Creed's grip.
She took him completely by surprise. As she twisted in his grip, fighting him, his hand fell away from her throat, and an extra spurt of strength got her away from Creed. Logan caught her as she fell to the ground, sobbing, and clutched her in his arms. She was alive!
"Jubes, Jubes, I love ya, yer okay, I'll never let ya go again," but Creed was racing forward, furious, and Remy yanked Jubilee back as Logan turned to face Sabretooth.
Remy brought a thicker, warmer blanket and a thermos of hot coffee from the truck and knelt beside Jubilee. She wrapped her cold, shaking hands around its warmth and drank as Remy tucked the blanket around her, shaking in anger himself as he looked at Jubilee's battered body. They all knew Sabretooth was brutal, but Remy'd never dreamed he was capable of this. Although Xavier's voice ran through his head, saying "X-Men don't kill," a tiny voice away in the back of his head irrationally hoped Logan would finish him off this time. Jubilee ignored him, turning instead to watch Sabretooth and Logan clash in the middle of the icy bridge.
Sabretooth crouched low, taking a 'ready' stance as Logan advanced. "So, ya gotcher woman back," Creed taunted. "Yer gonna find she ain't worth the effort no more, runt. I done wrecked her for ya. Ya know, I figure out whatcha liked 'bout her. She got the sweetest body o' anyone ya ever had. And she screams all nice an' loud, too."
Logan didn't waste words. He launched himself at Creed.
Sabretooth stumbled back in surprise; he wasn't used to being put on the defensive. Logan usually waited for Creed to make the first move. He dodged to the side, avoiding the first swipe with those deadly claws, then ducked to the other side as Logan, snarling, swiped at the big mutant with his other hand. The claws sliced off some of Creed's fur, but missed the skin.
"Ya never could take me on," Creed taunted as he and Logan circled each other again. "Never will, neither."
Logan ignored the words, concentrating instead on the body language of the opponent in front of him. He couldn't listen; if he did, his anger would get the better of him and he'd do something stupid. He needed to end this, now. Only one of them was going to walk away from this fight, and Logan was determined that it was going to be him. Jubilee'd been through enough pain; there was no way he'd put her through losing him, too. Not tonight.
He waited for an opportunity, and sprang. There! His claws raked Sabretooh's thigh as he slid past, and Sabretooth howled in pain. In almost the same instant, his own claws sliced into Logan's shoulder, making Logan howl in pain as five deep gashes cut into skin and muscle. He ignored the pain and the sting as it started to heal, growled in anger, and resumed his stalking. When he rushed again, he sprang into the air at the last minute and scored Creed's face with his claws.
Sabretooth roared with pain. "That's done it, ya made me mad!" he swore wildly at Logan. "No more pussyfooting around!"
Logan roared, sprang. Creed met him head-on. For a moment they grappled, Logan exerting all his strength to bring his claws to bear on Sabretooth's body. Sabretooth grabbed his wrists, tried to turn those deadly claws away from him. They strained for a while, each fighting the other's strength, until Sabretooth's arm wavered just a fraction.
It was all Logan needed. His claws drove deep into Sabretooth's midsection, burying themselves to the knuckle in flesh. The hot smell of Creed's blood enraged him, and he sank his other hand's claws into the big mutant's ribs. Creed howled and fell back limply in the snow.
Logan turned away from Creed's body and stumbled toward Jubilee. She dropped the thermos and blanket, and rushed into his arms. "Logan, oh, Logan, I was scared," she whispered. "Creed took me, and he did some awful things, and oh, Logan, I hurt…." She moaned as he crushed her body to him in a giant hug, disregarding her smell. "Logan," she whispered, "Moose, he was with me when Sabretooth broke into the garage, is he…?"
"He's fine, darlin'," Logan said, wrapping her tighter in his arms. "We got him to a hospital. Let's get you home now so we can get you looked at, huh?" She nodded, tears still staining her cheeks, and nodded. They started to head for the end of the bridge, and Scott's car.
"Look out!" Remy yelled suddenly, but it was too late. Sabretooth slammed into them, the force of the impact knocking Logan aside and pinning Jubilee under his considerable weight. His fist smashed into her stomach, and she screamed in agony. Logan heard bone crack in her body as Creed punched her again, and she screamed again, choking on blood.
Logan ran into Sabretooth, pushing him off Jubilee and sending both of them skidding across the bridge as She scrambled for the safety of Remy's arms. Logan ended up underneath Creed, and Creed started to punch his stomach. Logan's bones didn't break; they were, after all, covered with adamantium, but his internal organs had no such protection. Creed paused, raised his claws, bared them over Logan's midriff, and then slashed down through muscle and skin to bury his claws in Logan's stomach.
Logan howled in agony as his hands gripped Sabretooth's wrist, stopping him from delving any deeper into his body. He strained, trying to push the bigger mutant off him.
Jubilee stood, watching, screaming in anguish and horror as Logan's stomach was slashed open. "Logan!"
Remy reached for Jubilee. "P'tite! No!" But the girl was in motion, racing toward the two men, and she collided with Sabretooth amidships. Despite all the weight she had lost over the last week and her current starved state, she was still heavy enough and had still gathered enough speed to push him off Logan. Sabretooth grabbed her arms as his legs tried to find purchase on the icy pavement of the bridge, but it was too slick, and her attack had been too unexpected.
They fell over the side.
"NO!" Logan cried out, and pushed himself weakly to his feet as Remy and the cop raced over to him. All three of them peered over the side.
Jubilee had fallen about ten feet over the edge, but had grabbed an iron girder under the bridge, one of the bridge supports, and was hanging on for dear life, crying with the pain in her shoulders. Sabretooth had grabbed on to her legs, and they hung there, almost a hundred feet above the river below.
Remy groaned. "Where's Jean or 'Ro when we need them?" he said, watching despairingly as Jubilee clung to the beam far below them. "What do we do?"
"Grab my legs," Logan said, and when Remy and the cop both had hold of him, he bent over the rail as far as he could, and extended a hand to the girl clinging to the steel beam. "Jubilee!" he called to her, pitching his voice to carry above the rising wind. "Grab my hand! Remy's got my legs, we can pull both of you up! Grab my hand!"
Jubilee sobbed as she adjusted her grip on the girder. "I can't, Logan, Creed's too heavy!" she cried. "If I let one of my hands go, we'll fall!"
Creed saw that hand extended to the frail, and a wolfish smile crossed his face. He sank his claws into the frail's legs and began to claw his way up her body. He could end this; He was going to grab Logan's hand, pull him down, then he'd let him fall into the frozen river below. Logan wouldn't survive that; his body smashing into the river ice from this height would kill him. He sank his talons into Jubilee's shoulders, causing the girl to scream again, and reached for Logan's hand.
Logan saw Sabretooth reach for his hand, and almost pulled it back, but thought better of it. Creed obviously wanted to live. If Creed grabbed his hand, and Jubilee grabbed his legs, he could pull both of them up, and they both would be safe. "Jubilee!" he screamed, his words getting lost in the wind, ""Grab Creed's legs and we'll pull both of you up!
Jubilee saw that hand extended, and saw Creed reach for it. Her arms were screaming at her with the weight placed on them, but she barely noticed as she saw the triumphant grin on Sabretooth's face. She could see, in one moment, what he was going to do. He was going to grab Logan's hand and yank him out of Remy's and the officer's grasp, then open his hand and let Logan fall onto the ice far below them. Logan would die; healing factor or not, Jubilee didn't think he'd survive the fall from this far up. She could save him…but she would have to let go. Sabretooth would fall with her; he was only saved from falling right now by her grip on the steel supports of the bridge.
She wept with anguish as she willed her numb fingers to let go. They were clenched so tightly around the steel beam that the metal edges were cutting into her fingers. She didn't want to die; but she couldn't see Logan die, either. It would tear her heart out. There was no one in her heart but him; and she knew there never would be. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears of pain, of anguish, and whispered, "I love you."
And then she let go.
"JUBILEE!!!! NO! NONONONONONO! OH GOD PLEASE NO!!!" Logan screamed as he watched helplessly as the woman he loved fell far, far below him.
Jubilee closed her eyes, Logan's scream echoing in her ears as she fell. She hoped he'd heard her; she hoped he would understand. There had been many women in his life; she wasn't the first, and she knew that with his indeterminately long lifespan, there would be more. She remembered something she'd seen on TV; someone talking about dying. They'd said there was a bright light in front of them. She felt her body hit the ice, felt agony like she'd never felt before slice into her brain from the back of her head. She didn't even have time to scream as she slipped away into soft, deep darkness. Her last thought, as icy water closed over her head, was wonder. Why wasn't there any light?
Sabretooth's body struck the ice first. The impact of his body, all that mass, cracked the ice around him in a spider pattern. When Jubilee's body struck the ice seconds later, the ice cracked into huge chunks and dumped both bodies into the icy river. Logan stared in helpless anguish as the water closed over Jubilee's head. She didn't come back up.
"NO!! NO! OH, GOD, NOOOO…" And Logan barely realized that Remy had pulled him up over the side as he collapsed on the icy pavement of the bridge, screaming Jubilee's name. Remy wept unashamedly, staring at the dark, swirling, freezing water that had swallowed up their enemy and their friend, and pressed his hand to his mouth in anguish and sympathy as Logan howled her name again and again in rage and loss and grief.
NOTE TO READERS!!! THIS IS NOT THE END!! READ THE LAST CHAPTER!!