Chapter Four
His Promise
Part One
They strapped themselves into their respective seats. Storm and Scott were at the controls with Logan and Rogue behind them. In the third – and final row – were Bobby and Nightcrawler. Logan glanced over at Rogue, flashing her an excited grin and winking. She in turn gave him a tight smile before peeking over at her ex-boyfriend. She nodded curtly then, peered around her shoulder at Kurt. The German bowed his head slightly. "Never thought you'd be here, uh, Kurt?"
"No, never," his thick accent soothing. This was his first true mission; finally completing the training courses with admirable skills.
Logan smirked, peering back teasingly. He never imagined himself here either. The Wolverine, Canadian cage fighter who roamed the country in his beat-up truck, wasn't a team player. He didn't care about anyone but himself. Logan glanced at the faces of the X-men, his eyes landing on Rogue last. But now I do.
Sensing him, Rogue glanced over, grinning. "So how will it be this time, Logan? Kill first. Ask questions later? Or slowly torture the answers out of your prey…and then slice them up?"
"I don't know," he retorted smugly. "I was thinking we could wait until you were PMSing and then send you in on your own."
Rogue's mouth fell open and she growled. "That's crude, Logan! I can't believe you just said that!" She looked at Storm for womanly support. "Did you hear what he said to me, Storm? That was such a chauvinistic remark. Men like to think they know what they're talking about, but they don't have a clue. I would like to see them last one month as a woman."
Scott chuckled from in front of her. "Not all men are discriminatory, Rogue. Jean made sure I understood." His joviality evaporated away, his face crumbling with the memory of his love. "When a man is grumpy people shrug it off and say 'it's a guy thing to be testy.' So why do women need an excuse?" Scott sighed, fingering the necklace of Jean's he grew into the habit of wearing. "She loved having that conversation."
A reverent silence fell between the six members, reflecting on their lost comrade. Logan squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the pain of his first loss. For fifteen years he had isolated himself – not allowing anything to touch him. Then he had met Rogue, which led him to the X-men…to Jean. He had never experienced death the way he did when she died.
He glanced at Rogue, her head bowed and her eyes misty. I hope I never have to experience it again, he thought sorrowfully. What would he do if the sacrifice for fighting evil ever required another life? What if the price was the sweet girl sitting quietly beside him? Never, his mind growled. On a cold train, I promised to take care of her. I'll keep that promise until the day I die: even if my death is her life. And he meant it.
Part Two
They crept into the warehouse, Wolverine leading the way with his nose sniffing the foul air. "Why is it we end up at warehouses a lot," he questioned with amused perplexity, shaking his head with an 'I-don't-understand' expression plastering his handsome features. "Why do the bad guys always seem to own them?"
Rogue could imagine Scott rolling his eyes under his red visors. "I don't know, Logan," he sighed. "Why don't you ask them?"
Logan glanced behind a pile of crates. "I would like to have a fight in a zoo – just for the change in scenery."
"The zoo?" Bobby exclaimed.
Storm glared at them all. "Do you mind keeping it down?"
"I like zhe zoo," Nightcrawler interjected.
Storm snapped her attention to the blue creature. "Quiet," she hissed.
Rogue stifled a giggle and whispered: "Wolverine's just missing his home."
Logan grunted. "You want to make this personal, kid?" He examined the interior and set-up of the large building with trained eyes. Something was gnawing at his gut, but he couldn't put his finger on it. What didn't fit in the scenario?
Rogue strolled over to a pile of wooden crates, peering around them and shrugging. "Nothing seems out of place," she announced to the rest of them. "Didn't the professor say this place was well guarded? I haven't seen a signal sign of that."
Bobby agreed, adding: "I don't think the disc is here."
Logan's eyes narrowed, his ears twitching with the strain of trying to pick out the slightest noise. The kids were right: there didn't appear to be any security. And the disc wouldn't just be sitting out. Xavier had explained that on the disc was a compiled list of names of other mutants; mutants the government was experimenting on – and secretly so since the mutants were criminals: most of whom were locked up for life for exaggerated or even faked crimes.
A shrill shriek yanked their attention to the right. Imprisoned in Sabertooth's grip, Rogue thrashed around, her fear coming off in waves. Wolverine's blood boiled and his claws sprang out, rushing across the room like a mad man. Logan didn't even wonder how it was the man was still alive. His fall off the Statue of Liberty should've killed anyone.
Wolverine slammed his fists into Sabertooth's arms, his razor claws piercing into the hairy man's flesh. The giant roared and tossed Rogue aside. She flew a few feet before slamming into a metal shelf and crumbling to the concrete floor. She lay there, stunned. Sabertooth had been hiding in the murky shadows behind the pile of crates she had glanced behind. He had sprung at her the moment her back was turned, pinning her tiny body in his steel grip. Her crash landing did nothing to soothe her nerves.
Bobby was instantly at her side, checking her over. "Rogue, are you ok?"
"Yeah," she mumbled, hoisting her lower body up. She looked over at the others. Mystic and a small band of other members of the Brotherhood had dropped from the vents of the ceiling. "Bobby," she gasped, pointing at the raging battle. "You got to help them. I'll be fine."
Bobby hesitated before nodding and racing off, surging his power and tossing a sheet of ice at the nearest enemy.
Rogue dragged herself to her feet, wincing as her right leg protested sharply. She wouldn't do anyone any good if she couldn't stand properly. Grimacing, she straightened herself out and was about to step out into the fight when a pair of powerful arms snatched her around the waist, pinning her arms to her side. "I don't think so, baby."
Rogue squirmed, but to no prevail. She peeked over her shoulder and gasped. The man holding her wasn't a man at all. His face was contorted and gray. But it was the rest of him that shocked her the most. His body was solid rock. "Logan," she screeched, struggling harder against her captor. "Logan!"
Logan, hearing Rogue's cries, ducked a punch and then slammed his foot into his rival's groin. "Stay down, bub, or I'll be back to finish you off." He then glanced around him frantically for Rogue until he spotted her twenty yards away. Damn it, kid, not again. He sprinted over, crashing his fists into Rouge's assailant's side, but the man of rock only sidestepped him, throwing Rogue into his next strike.
It happened too quickly and Logan wasn't able to stop his claws from goring into Rogue's chest. She screamed from the pain.
Her attacker dropped her to the floor and disappeared into the sea of mutants. Logan – the raging desire to chase him down and shred him – fell to his knees, cradling Rogue tenderly in his arms. "Damn kid, today just ain't your lucky day." He unzipped the top of her leather uniform and carefully examined the three puncture wounds. They were blooding profoundly. Logan gripped his glove between his teeth and yanked it off.
"Logan," Rogue wheezed, shaking her head.
He ignored her, placing his hand above her breasts. "It's time to do your stuff, kid." He felt the tug, but pressed his hand more firmly against her bare skin. "This is the second time I've stabbed you. It's getting old."
She smiled weakly, recalling the time she had awoken him from a nightmare when they had first arrived at the mansion. "Why mess with tradition?" She could already feel her flesh closing up: his mutation flowing into her blood stream. "Great," she groaned. "Extra-sensitive hearing again."
Logan chuckled, withdrawing his hand from her body. He felt lightheaded and faint. "Come on, Scott's getting his ass kicked."
"How do you know?"
Logan shrugged and supplied feebly: "Tuition." He staggered to his feet, wobbling a little before collapsing. "Damn," he moaned. "You really know how to knock a man dead." Then all he saw was darkness.
End Chapter Four
Nuiserre: I think I'll be doing just that. They've got their intimate friendship, but most want me to expand it to romance. Thank you for your review! (What does 'Nuiserre' mean?) Reina: I appreciate the compliments. And I enjoy L/M pairings, too. Even though the age difference is vast, but he doesn't age normally. He could be in his sixties for all we know. So, does age in this relationship really matter? Nope. Sam: You've got your wish! And thank you for the kind reviews. Substantivo: I appreciate the understanding. I am in school; plus I work and have friends whose schedules are sporadic. So I never know when I'll find time. Synesthete: It is I who should be thanking you for reading it. Theparanoidone: I got your hint (and everyone else's). Lol. Kryptonite: Well, you got yourself that fourth chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for your review. (Are you a Superman fan? I'm only asking because of your name.). Vyktorya07: I'm thrilled you like this. And, I guess I needed to make it into a romance! It's what virtually everyone wanted.