Sniktbezerker: I hope you are enjoying this then. Looking forward to your next review!

Tamazi: You'll find out what happens very soon..

Oddisee: Well, you know where to come next time to need another dose of Wolverine! Hehe.

Chapter 10

There was a lowering late afternoon sun in the sky that shone a bright wash of bronze over the woodlands surrounding the grounds of Xavier's mansion. These woods spread far down the narrow winding roads that led to the haven and went deeper as they stretched. Together, Scott and Storm had been scouring the area around where Logan's bike was found, searching for any vital clues. There were none in the foliage itself. On the road still lay pieces of ripped metal and the glass of Logan's backlight whilst behind there were black tyre tracks in the road as though a car had being suddenly powered to a high speed.

Storm pressed deeper through the trees, holding her flashlamp over her head to scour the ground ahead of her. The sun still shone a glowing sunlight inside the canopy, but at best, the light was weak. Scott quietly turned and followed after her, the only sounds made being the crunching of their feet upon the woodland flooring. Twigs snapped and leaves rustled. They continued to walk, wading through thick bushes and venturing around large tree trunks.

But suddenly Storm stopped still with a gasp. Blackened trees leant long dead branches over a scorched lump of misshaped metal. Only vaguely could the object be identified. The crumpled remains of the helicopter were burnt black. Although now there was no fire, the stench of the burning was still in the air. Footprints and splatters of blood marked the soft earth, decorating the ground around it.

"Do you think this has something to do with Logan?" asked Scott quietly as the pair trod slowly towards the devastated scene.

"It would have been on the news.. that looks like an Army helicopter. Surely that would have been on the news." Storm looked nervously upon him.

Scott held his flashlight over the skids of footprints in the dirt below. They were deeply buried into the earth. The walk of a heavy man. "Not if it was secret." He walked to the crashed helicopter, shining his light inside the open space of where the door once was. "Oh my God!" he quickly jumped back, looking pale.

"What is it?" cried Storm, instinctively stepping away also.

"There are people inside," whispered Scott, turning his head away, "And something tells me they died before they landed."

Storm looked slowly to the helicopter before edging carefully towards it, peering inside. A hand flew to her nose as she gagged a little. Scott was right. These people hadn't died in the fire. All of them had died from head wounds. Well, call it a head wound, but it looked more like their entire skulls had been caved it. It was more prominent after the horrendous flames. "Oh my goodness," said Storm quietly, backing away. She looked quickly to Scott, "Do you think this could be Logan? Has somebody taken him?"

"It looks like they failed though.." said Scott quietly, frowning upon the carnage of the helicopter.

"But the car tracks in the road, the car has gone. Maybe they took him in the car?"

Scott licked his lips slowly, going thoughtful for a moment, "That's possible.. but it doesn't tell us where he is now." He turned his eyes upon Storm, "We need to tell the Professor."

The Professor looked worried. It was disconcerting to see him like this. The Professor was now slowly piecing things together, things his logic and intelligence took care of rather than his telepathic powers. Scott and Storm were stood to one side of the room whilst Kurt sat on a chair with his knees brought up to his chest. His tail waved slowly beside him as he watched Charles with a careful gaze. Scott and Storm had told Charles exactly what they had seen out in the woods, and expressed their ideas on what could have possibly happened. Charles had nodded slowly to both of them before falling in a quiet thought as he sagely looked over the top of his clasped hands.

"There is something inside telling me that Logan is still alive," said Charles, breaking the silence. The words spoken seemed to have an elevating effect on everybody.

"Well, that's good then isn't it?" asked Kurt quietly, leaning forward in his seat. Kurt frowned slowly, "Professor, why do you look so – "

The doorbell rang in the distance. Storm turned with a nod to the room and walked towards the office door. As she pulled it open, she saw a student walk by. It was Artie. "Hey Ms. Munroe," said the boy with a grin, "I'll get the door if you like, I'll send them to Professor's office."

Storm smiled slowly, "Alright then, thank you Artie," and she stepped back into the room to continue the meeting.

Artie sharply ran on down the corridor, being brought out into the square foyer that was the entrance hall to the mansion. A large fireplace sat crackling in the centre at the back of the room, and a pair of staircases swooped up from the entrance at either side of the fireplace. Artie ran quietly over the long rug on the floor before he reached the front door. He pulled back the latch before turning the doorknob and pulling open the door.

"Wolverine?"

Suddenly, Artie couldn't stand upright no more. Nor could he think straight, nor string words together. The instant he opened the door, three very sharp blades had been thrusted forward, and he was now impaled upon these three claws. Slowly, they were pulled out of him and he dropped forward to collapse with a sickening slump on the wooden floor. A pool of dark crimson spread from his chest.

Through the open doorway walked the Wolverine, head turning slowly as he glared around the entrance. He sniffed twice before he set off in a fast paced walk, bloodied claws hung by his sides. He turned sharply around the first corridor, coming face to face with two female students as they walked down the corridor chatting to each other. Without a word, he raised his claws and brought them down with a horrific slash. The other girl screamed as she dropped her books and span round to run. Her friend was on the floor in an unnatural slump. The girl who tried to run away did not get far. The Wolverine took a few quick steps before he grabbed her by the hair; she let out a shriek of pain before she felt the tug on her hair no longer as she was stabbed in the back of the head.

"Oh my God!" came a distance voice as a group of student came down the stairs to see the two girls laying dead in the corridor. Wolverine spun around to narrow his eyes at them before he let out a thunderous growl and leapt at them.

Scott turned his head slowly, a frown developing over his face. He was sure he had just heard somebody scream, "What..?" He raised a hand to silence Storm for a moment before he walked closer to the door, trying hard to hear. He opened the door and stepped out cautiously into the corridor. Kurt and Storm followed, their expressions changing as they too heard distant cries and shouting.

A louder scream came, and Scott spun round to see a few student running frantically around the corner, disappearing from sight as if in some mad bid to put distance between themselves and something else. Charles rolled gracefully out of his office and into the corridor beside his three X-Men, deep frown occurring at the screams and running students. Slowly, his brow relaxed as an alarmed expression came over his face as his mind managed to pick up the senses, "It's Logan, he's back," he murmured in a soft voice.

"So why is everyone screaming?" asked Kurt quietly, looking down to Charles.

Scott narrowed his hidden eyes as the running students had disappeared for now, "Maybe it's his way with people," he muttered dryly.

But just then, at the end of the corridor, a body came flying into view as it spiralled through the air like a lump of rag and smacked with a dull crack on the wooden panelled walls of the distant end of the X-Men's corridor. The body slid slowly off the wall before flopping backwards onto the carpet with a sickening sound. It had hit the wall at an impact as though it had been forcefully thrown, as easily as a mere human throwing a stuffed toy. The body now lay on the floor in a bloody heap, and the triple slashes across its body shone all too sinisterly through the patch of sunlight from the corridor window.

"My God.."

"No, it can't be," said Storm quickly. She jumped to defence, speaking what everyone and regretfully herself was thinking. Although she was quick to find herself in denial, "That's not Logan's doing."

"We'll see," said Scott in a low voice. His face had gone horribly rigid and his fists were clenched tight. He walked forward in a stiff way, moving quickly. The others followed him slowly as Scott stepped gingerly over the fallen body and looked around the corner to see a path of horrific destruction. Claws had slashed paintings on the walls; ornaments were now in pieces on the bloodied carpets. And more chillingly, dead bodies were slumped on the floor in scattered places, stains of blood slid down some walls and stab marks wounded the walls where complete impaling had occurred.

Footsteps came from the distance of the corridor and immediately Scott braced himself. But it wasn't Logan. It was Rogue, who looked terrified at the evidence of annihilation around her, "Cyclops! What's happening?" she cried, wide eyes staring at him as she panted for breath. She spun her head to stare at the dead bodies on the floor, her hair flying skyward in her fast motions. She made a choked gasp as she recognised one from her Maths class and staggered back with a breathless sob. She recognised the claw marks. She recognised the styles the deaths had been given. She just didn't want to admit the cause of this terror.

But Scott spun her back round to face him, firmly grasping her shoulders as he watched her terrified face with his strained one, "Rogue, go and secure yourself in the library. Take any students you find with you. We shall deal with this. Please, do not go looking for Logan."

But Rogue made another sob, shaking her head desperately as she clung onto his arms, "No! Scott!" she cried with a heave of breath, "This is not Logan, it can't be!"

Charles watched her solemnly, shaking his head, "He's not the Logan we remember."

What has Drayson done to our Logan!