Disclaimer: Marvel's, not mine.
Thanks to Star-of-Chaos, DemonicGambit, ishandahalf, DazzlinShorty, fudgebrowne, GreenFairyGirl88, Totally Obsessed47, Kitsu LeBeau, Antonia, TheRealMai, xpoisonedxangelx, and silky black for reviewing!
Here's a couple quick questions: (The rest I can't really answer...)
GreenFairyGirl88: Uh, no, Logan made it over there for reasons that probably won't be explained. The mutants rejected from Xavier are usually killed before they make it anywhere else.
Antonia: Logan's reasons for being at Moira's lab won't really be explained, suffice to say she took him in. It's not a key bit of information for the story though.
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The first two sections of this chapter are flashbacks.
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Anna lifted the light window frame up slowly. Squeezing her tiny frame under and through she landed with a nearly inaudible grace onto the carpet below. As she raised herself up from her squatting position, her back straightening carefully, eyes watchful, she felt the cold, sharp metal graze against her neck.
"Yer good Anna. But not even you can sneak past my nose," the gruff voice grunted from behind her.
Anna gave a small chuckle, but no real enthusiasm stood behind it. She felt Logan remove the claw and rotate to face her.
"Why'd ya come in the window darlin'? Yer welcome in this mansion too." Logan crossed his arms, backing up a bit, giving her space to answer. It bothered him that her eyes watched the floor in uncertainty. It wasn't like her. But then again, nothing had been since she had met her last target.
"Ah don't belong here anymore Logan. Ah-Ah'm quitting."
She heard Logan let out a loud, guttural laugh, which finally caused her to look up.
"What the blazes is so funny!? Ya don't think Ah can do it?" Anna began to inch closer in her anger.
"It ain't that I don't believe in ya kid. It's that you and I both know what they'll do to ya when ya tell them you're quitting."
Anna got right in Logan's face, her expression grim.
"Why do ya think Ah had ta sneak in the window?" She whispered it quietly, hauntingly, watching Logan's eyebrows rise.
Before he could respond in words, an optic blast came shooting through Logan's door, smacking the man in the back, catapulting him into the wall.
His healing powers immediately kicked in as he shook his head, shaking the dust from his hair. He watched Scott enter, his jaw set firmly like always, emotionless.
Several of the other X-Men followed behind him, all with their eyes on Anna. She dodged Scott's first optic blast, her eyes frantic. But Jean stepped up beside him then, her hand extended, palm forward towards Anna.
Anna felt her body go stiff under Jean's hold as Scott fired another optic blast, hitting her directly in the chest. Her body fell to the floor, and she could hear Logan's claws extend as he snarled towards the crowd before him.
He ran for Scott first, anger blinding his technique in more ways than one. But it wasn't Jean's telekinetic hold that reached him. What touched him now seeped into his metal bones. He felt his body slam back against the wall as Eric entered the room, Betsy Braddock behind him, a sly grin on her face as she stroked her psi-knife in one hand.
Anna moved to get up, her invulnerability kicking in. While the team was distracted with Logan she charged forward, one bare finger grazing Scott's neck, knocking him out cold. The thump of his body brought the others back to their original target.
Jean tried to hold Anna back, but she pushed forward with her unnatural strength, inching closer and closer to Jean, moving her pink telekinetic bubble.
"Why're ya doing this Red!?" Logan cried from the background, still under Eric's hold.
Jean's concentration snapped at Logan's plea, her eyes briefly catching his, remorse written all over her features.
Anna took the moment to punch her square in the jaw. As she watched Jean's body go down, she received a swift round house kick to the jaw, setting her back a few steps. She rubbed the area, impressed with the strength of Betsy's kick.
The two women began a sparring match, trading kicks for punches, punches for blocks. Anna's super strength seemed worthless against the ninja, as she blocked every attack. She continued backing Betsy back up against the window, but the woman was clever.
Sensing her environment closing in on her, Betsy used Anna's own momentum against her, flipping over her shoulder. She landed pressed right up against Anna's back, and in a matter of seconds she jammed her psi-knife into the woman's head.
Both women screamed. Anna's hands flew to her head, her body flung forward by Betsy's weight. She could hear Logan yelling in the background, but everything seemed so muffled. She felt her arm rise up as her body flung forward. The shattering of the window's glass brought time back to her, as she felt the shards bury themselves into her arm. She could feel the black mist invade her mind as she began to lose consciousness. Her body continued to fall forward, down the four stories to the ground below.
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Remy groggily opened his bedroom door, brushing a hand through his hair as he began to walk down the hall in only his boxers. But the commotion in front of him opened his eyes immediately, nearly freezing him in place.
Logan's claws were extended, as he stood surrounded by Scott, Betsy and Kurt. Remy slowly began to walk the few feet towards them, catching sight of Eric making his way up the stairs.
When Logan saw Eric he let out a loud growl, crouching lower to the ground as if ready to pounce.
"Where is she?"
Eric gave him a thoughtful look, raising a hand to his chin. "I had a feeling that healing power of yours would get in the way." His cold blue eyes fought against Logan's glare.
"I ain't stupid, I know you got that medicine injected in me!" Logan spat to his side in disgust. The movement gave him view of Remy, and he paused slightly, surprised to see the man. "What's he doing here?" Logan breathed quietly.
"Anna's been gone three days Logan. We believe she may have some form of amnesia. Either that or she's dead." Eric said plainly, his voice emotionless.
At Eric's last words Logan charged forward, only to face the glow of Betsy's pink psi-blade, inches from his eyes. Logan smirked at her, a vengeful glint covering his eyes.
"I think I owe ya something girl," Logan growled tightly. His claws entered her stomach, catching her unaware. She had underestimated his ability to surprise. He watched her eyes go wide, a tiny drop of blood leaking from her mouth. Logan continued to meet her gaze as he dragged her backwards, using her as a shield against the others.
Remy watched the man crawl closer and closer to the window, dragging Betsy's limp body with the claws he had extended in her stomach. He ran forward then, knowing Logan's attention was directed on Eric and the body in his arms.
Remy slid forward, kicking the man's lower calves. As Logan dropped down from the blow, Remy reached one arm out to charge Logan's shirt, catching glimpse of a silver chain, swinging around Logan's neck. Betsy's body sunk lower as Logan caught himself before he fell completely, the claws partially loosening their grip inside her. Logan met Remy's eyes in a look Remy couldn't place before he released Betsy from his grasp. Remy leaned forward, catching her body in his arms as the clothes on Logan's skin blew up from his kinetic charge.
The explosion was light, but it was enough to knock Logan out the window. Remy supposed that was what the man had wanted anyway. A voice in the back of his mind questioned why Logan had not attacked him, but rather had looked on him with eyes that seemed to know him.
Throwing the thought away Remy glanced down to the woman in his arms. He hadn't known her well, but he liked her attitude, her spunk, her ability to throw caution to the wind. She looked at him now with a sad smile, her eyes working hard to stay strong in her final moments. Remy could sense the team joining around him, but he could not leave her dying eyes. The action seemed disrespectful.
She began to spurt up blood with a haggard cough and Remy tried to rub a comforting hand through her hair. He saw Hank's large arms reach down, scoop her up.
Betsy moaned at the move, her eyes tightening. But frantically she looked towards Remy. "Tell him I love him," she whispered. Her words were heard only by him, as he watched her be taken away, the rest of the team following close behind.
Remy sat there on his knees, unable to move. Everything had moved so fast. There was not even a second to grieve in this mansion. Love and time was swept away, pushed aside in favor of power and duty.
He took a deep breath, thinking silently about his dying wife, while briefly he wondered who the him was that Betsy had referred to. Remy looked to his palms, blood stained and shaking, and quietly he closed his eyes.
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Present time...
Remy skidded to a stop in front of the control room door, pressing harshly on the outside button, squeezing his way through the tiny gap that began to open the sliding doors.
He watched Moira turn around in surprise, her eyes hardened, possibly angry with the interruption.
"I-I got an idea," Remy stuttered, excited with the thought, stopping to catch his breath. "We just gotta use Logan."
Moira's eyebrows arched up in confusion. "Logan? Who's that?"
Remy swallowed, searching her expression for sarcasm. When he didn't find it he continued. "Logan is de man you got locked away down de hall. Y'got him labeled as Wolverine."
Moira nodded in understanding. "Y'know that man then?" When Remy nodded, Moira crossed her arms. "He's a tough man, a little crazy. What makes ye think he can help?"
Remy's eyes turned cold, their color losing luster. "He was an X-Man once. Close friend o'Rogue's. He'll help her. He's got a healing factor. All she's gotta do is absorb it."
Moira's lips relaxed, one side raising up into a slight smirk. "Ay. I suppose that could work. If we can tame the beast that is."
Remy grinned broadly. In hope.
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Remy walked along side the chained Logan, watching the power suppresser glint against his neck.
"How'd y'get across an ocean mon ami?" Remy finally asked, his movements relaxed as he eyed every move the man made.
Logan smiled bitterly, a smile that would creep any other man out. The chains rattled against his wrists as his beady eyes concentrated forward.
"That's my secret Cajun. You'll never know that just like I'll never know why a woman like Anna fell for the likes o'you."
Remy looked down to his hands, rolling an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
"Fair enough old man," Remy replied. He could tell Logan's eyes were on him then, but he made no move to raise his face.
After a few seconds of silence, just moments from the lab doors, Logan spoke again.
"I'm gonna save her LeBeau. And then y'better never hurt her. Ever. She risked her entire life fer your pathetic hide. And ya didn't even know who the poor girl was."
Remy lifted his head up as they walked through the doors, his eyes scouring the room for the bed Rogue lay in. When he found her he felt his breath catch and hold, his eyes widen, unblinking.
"Y'save her Logan, and I'll make sure dat girl knows what she means t'me."
Maybe it was the look in Remy's eyes, or the fact that he didn't seem able to move from his position, but Logan felt a swell of trust and honesty from the man.
"Ya got yourself a deal," Logan replied quietly, a tone he had once reserved for his less spiteful days. For a woman, red as fire.
The two men walked to Rogue's bedside, watching her eyes blink open, as Moira walked to the nearby monitor, ready for the reaction of their experiment.
"Logan?"
"I'm here darlin'. Gonna get y'outta this mess." Logan smiled down at the girl he had always considered family. "Looks like I underestimated ya stripes. Ya got more guts than I imagined."
Rogue smiled up at Logan. But behind his happiness to see her, she read into his deeper sadness, one that went farther behind her situation.
His bare hand began to reach out for her face, its calloused, rough texture promising her a chance. She let it hit her cheek, rolling her head over to meet Remy's eyes as Logan collapsed to the ground. Remy instantly reached out for her wrist, clutching it tightly.
"Oh my," Moira whispered in the background, shock evident in her voice. Rogue and Remy turned in her direction. "The virus Xavier inserted in ya is being attacked by Logan's healin' ability." Moira turned to the couple, water welling in her eyes as she saw them wrapped in each other's arms. "It seems you're gonna be fine lass."
Rogue nodded, feeling the strength of Remy beside her. She turned around, letting her legs slip off the bed and tangle around his body as she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Thank ya Remy. For looking further than meh past."
"My heart wouldn't let me have it any other way chere," Remy muttered, resting his face in her hair.
Rogue turned her head sideways, towards Moira. "Where's Kitty?"
"She's...in another room. She won't last much longer though lass." Moira looked to the ground as if it were her fault. "I'm sorry."
Rogue jumped off the table, grabbing Remy's hand. Moira pointed behind the couple, understanding Rogue's intent. Remy walked to the other side of the bed and picked up Logan's knocked out form, placing him on Rogue's bed.
Then, together the two walked to where Moira had pointed. They pushed open a door, entering a small patient room, sterile and white.
Kitty lay crumpled on the floor, her form even harder to make out than the days previous.
"Kitty?"
The girl looked up, her eyes sad, worse off than usual, her hair ruffled around her shoulders, the details that made her human slowly dissolving. The two women made eye contact, Rogue recognizing Kitty's silent plea.
"We need ta get her back ta the mansion Remy."
"We can't go back dere chere. It would be suicide."
Rogue looked up to Remy. "Ya understand love Remy? Sometimes it pulls ya in the directions ya don't want it ta go. And ya have ta follow Remy. Ya have to. Or you'll never forgive yourself."
Remy watched Rogue pour her emotions into the words, her beautiful green eyes scrunching in pain. "I understand chere. We'll get Kitty back to Lance."
The ghostly girl sat up then, pulling together the last of her strength, just with the hope she might make it back to Lance.
"Ay. And I'll be coming with the three o'ya."
Rogue and Remy turned to the doorway, catching Moira's determined eye.
"It's been awhile since I've been back. This is somethin' I have to do." Moira met Rogue's eyes, a flood of past life floating across her face in persistence.
"I'll never forgive myself if I don't."
