Oddisee: But Charles is aware Logan is not himself. Whilst Charles may see it this way, if the other X-Men will let him back is a different matter, even if they know it isn't his fault.

TricaLee: They have messed him up badly. Don't forget, they control him with the drug and have wiped some of his memories.

Fanfiction Fanatic: Thank you!

Dory Shotgun: He seemed to certainly realise there was something wrong. He had enough sense to know what he was doing was not right and ran before he could do anymore damage.

Tamazi: Lol, very intense! Thanks!

Blix: It's scary to think how easily he could have killed her. She knew it. It's no wonder she was so distressed.

Chapter 12

Scott gently lowered Rogue out of his arms as they reached the Infirmary for she had quickly struggled for movement upon entering. As soon as her feet met the cool surface she scrambled towards where Jubilee sat on the floor, staring unfocusedly as she shivered every now and then. Flecks of blood marked her face, hands trembling in her lap. There was a look of sheer terror etched into her face.

The infirmary was packed with injured students, each bloodied. Some were laid in a terrified silence. Some of those silences would be for eternity. Whispers of terrorised sobs hushed through the air, cries of pain sounding occasionally. There wasn't enough beds for all the injured, so some were subjected to lying on makeshift beds on the floor, lined along the walls of the infirmary and out into the corridor. Those lucky to have not received injury stood in poignant silences beside wounded friends.

"Jubilee.." whispered Rogue fearfully, sinking upon her knees in front of her friend. Her gloved hands clasped the shoulders of Jubilee, squeezing gently for attention.

Slowly, Jubilee raised her head, casting watery eyes upon Rogue. The sparkle had gone from them, and the usual cheerful smile had been eradicated, "I thought he'd found you," murmured Jubilee slowly before she leant forward and pulled Rogue into a tight hug, "I thought Wolverine had found you."

"He did," whispered Rogue softly, "He found me."

A shaken looking Storm quickly turned to Rogue upon hearing this, "But you are unhurt," she said softly. Charles too turned in his chair, wheeling towards Rogue and the others.

"I found her in the kitchen," said Scott softly, wiping the smears of blood from his face, "There had been some destruction. Logan had definitely been in there."

"He did," said Rogue softly again, "He came in there. He was going to stab me.. then.. he stopped and ran away." Rogue stood up slowly, eyes squinting with burning tears that threatened to spill again, "Professor, what's wrong with him?"

Charles sighed quietly, watching Storm walk by him to tend to other mutants before his eyes went back upon Rogue, "I'm not completely sure. Wherever he has been these past few days, it has dramatically changed him. His brainwaves are completely erratic."

"He's lost it," said Jubilee numbly, "Face it. He's insane." She made a small shiver.

"No, I don't think that is the case," murmured Charles softly, "This is all too familiar. I have sensed this before.." he looked up slowly, "Logan was this way after Stryker's experiment." A quiet sigh came from him, "He is no longer Logan. He is Wolverine. He is Weapon X. And this time, it has not failed."

Bare bulbs swung slowly from the ceiling as the doors were burst open and Drayson swept into the dingy laboratory. Lorna quickly looked round upon seeing his entry and stood up. There was a look of pure glee across his face and he rubbed his hands together animatedly. Lorna had a questioning look upon her face as Drayson strode up to her and made a rough chuckle.

"He's back!" he said in a hoarse voice, "And he has done his work. You can smell it!"

As Drayson spun away from her, still smirking wildly, Lorna's head bowed and she covered her eyes with a hand.

"We'll need to issue him with some more of Stryker's drug, he still remembers who he is." At the continuation, Lorna quickly composed herself and pretended to look attentive to Drayson's words. "But soon, I'm going to remove all of his memories," he made a sinister chuckle, "The Wolverine will never remember those X-Men again." Lorna had never seen him look so excited. His eyes sparkled and he bounced on the balls of his feet. Drayson turned back towards the doors and Lorna blinked, stepping forward.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got a lot to prepare," said Drayson breathlessly, grinning widely before he disappeared through the doors.

The cell was in blackness. The walls were at their coldest and the air was unsatisfying. The floor was dank and dirty against his cheek, but he had no choice but to lay against it. He felt too weak to sit up. Logan lay on his front in his cell, his hands shackled tightly behind his back, sharp adamantium cuffs replaced over his knuckles. His head felt faint, and he was unsure of his surroundings. He remembered coming back here, something inside had told him to. And upon arrival, he had been bound up again and injected with the controlling drug. Then he was thrown into the cell and had not moved since. But he could not recall the events of that day.

Slowly, Logan let out a shaky breath, turning his head slowly on the floor as he opened his eyes. His lifted his forehead up, shaking lightly to push wet strands of his fringe from his eyes. There was a strong stench of blood in the air. Not his own. It was oddly alluring, but at the same time, disgusting. He did not know why he liked it. Something inside told him to like it.

The door to his cell unlocked quietly and the bright light of the corridor outside spread whiteness into his room for a moment before the door was shut. Logan weakly turned his eyes to watch high heeled shoes quietly comes towards him. His initial response was to back away. And he did, rolling back a little and sitting up against the wall with curious eyes as he studied Lorna from afar. Slowly, his head lolled to the side to watch Lorna place a tray down in front of him bearing a plate of food and a glass of water. She balanced a gun in her lap, "If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be fed around here," she said softly, moving slowly as she crouched in front of him to watch his face through the dimness, only light being the glow from the slot on the large door. "You know.. you are a lot more human than I thought you would be."

Logan finally spoke, issuing a low grunt, as he remain sat against the wall, legs to the floor and bent either side in front of him around his tray, "Well, mutants are still humans y'know?"

"That I am becoming to realise.." said Lorna softly. There was an apprehensive pause, "I'm.. Lorna."

Logan watched her carefully before he looked down to the tray, the food looking immensely appetising; for some reason he felt as though he had been exerting himself. He cleared his throat in a low grunt, slowly raising his eyes back upon her, "Lorna.. Could you.. er.. undo these handcuffs? I'd really prefer to eat using my hands."

Lorna's hand tightened about the tranquilizer gun, "But what if it is a ploy – "

"I wouldn't attack you," said Logan wearily, "This isn't your fault. Besides, I want to eat."

Slowly and cautiously, Lorna leant forward and reached behind Logan, who turned to let her unlock the shackles he wore. It was an instant relief to feel the dull metal slip from his wrists and he quickly moved his hands forward to pick up the tray. Lorna flinched slightly as his hands came closer, watching his knuckles anxiously. But Logan did not move to attack her. He kept his word as he began to quickly shovel the food into his mouth with his fork. Lorna merely sat quietly; remaining crouched in front of him as she watched him eat his small meal with a slight interest. Her earlier words were becoming clearer to her. He was just a human; he wasn't a creature or an animal. Her feelings intensified simply by sitting him watching him eat, as any normal person would do, using cutlery, balancing the tray in his lap.

However, Logan had been eating for less than a minute when he dropped the fork to the plate with a clatter and stared down at his hands. Slowly he raised them, turning them round slowly as he watched his bloodied palms. He sniffed again slowly. That wasn't his blood. Yet somehow, it was familiar. But he did not know of anything but this cell.

Suddenly, a vision flashed through his mind. He was pinning a young woman down onto a worktop, next, he was slicing a boy across the face, and he threw a young girl into a wall. He made to stab the white streaked woman and her voice cried, and reverberated his name around his head. Lorna materialised into view, replacing the woman with odd white streaks. Logan made a choked gasp, the tray flying off his lap as he jerked to the side, bloodied hands sickening him.

Xavier.

X-Men.

Rogue.

It all came back.

His eyes widened and his blood turned into rivers of ice. He threw himself up with a terrified roar. He pushed up onto his knees, breaths heaving in his chest dramatically as the wounded bellow subsided. He looked around in alarm, head snapping side to side. He'd killed Xavier's children.. he'd killed the mutant children. He shuffled on his knees, desperate gasps in his throat.

Lorna had shot back in alarm, holding the gun upon him in her fright.

Logan turned his eyes upon her, feeling his limbs trembling. His voice came out raspy in his chest, weak and whispered, "Lorna.. What have I done?"

"Oh.. Wolverine it is not your fault.. But there is nothing you can do. Drayson will remove your memories."

"What?" cried Logan, sounding horrified, "No!" He began to back away from her, panicked breaths increasing.

Lorna stood up shakily, moving back towards him with the tranquilizer gun, "I'm sorry Logan.. I really am." She watched him gently for a moment before she raised the gun and pointed it at him, "I will be there with you.." The gun shot with a bang and Logan felt himself be thrown down by the force. The visions around him blurred slowly. He blinked sleepily as he felt the cuffs being tied upon him again. His lids fell shut as the click of heels faded away out of his cell, and the door banged shut with a loud snap of the lock.

Please review!