Author's Notes: Ok, so due to major slacking on my part, and unforeseen circumstances (Hospitals REALLY suck) this chapter is unbeta'd and pretty shitty. My heart just wasn't in it this week, and for that, my sincerest apologies. I'll do better next week, promise! Really… even tho I said that for the past three weeks… but, you're still reading right? 'Is unspoken thoughts'
-Flashback-
-"Nasty boys? Sure ya don't mean Ugly Bastards?" Rogue quipped before looking at Logan. "What do you think sugar?"
Logan grimaced slightly before pulling himself up on his knees, "Well, they definitely ain't my taste darlin'. Sure are ugly though."
A new voice drew the fallen X-Men's gaze toward the door, "Maybe I can fix that for you." The woman now standing next to Sinister nearly purred the words, her cat like eyes fixating on Logan.
"Looks like it's gonna be a party darlin', you up for it?"
Logan helped Rogue to her feet, being careful not to touch any of her exposed skin.
With a smile, she replied, "RSVP'd and everything sugar."
Whatever fear she'd been feeling up until that point was replaced with the surge of adrenaline coursing through her. Her body ached in anticipation of the fight, her formidable skills hidden deep within the confines of muscle memory. It was an easy shift from scared girl; into confident fighter- her mother had always called her a scrapper. She still had the scars from bygone matches against the boys she'd grown up playing with, her fight or flight instinct had diminished even more once she had absorbed Logan. Logan was a predator in every sense of the word, and the man loved a good fight… the woman was no different.
"As enjoyable as this has been, I have other patients to attend to," Sinister turned to the feline woman, "I leave this matter in your capable talons Lupa. The Wolverine is expendable, you may play with him if you like, but I want the girl alive. I'm sure Leash will be more than happy to assist you. Come Ruckus, we're finished here."
The one he'd called Lupa nodded in understanding as he exited the room with Ruckus, and a girl not much older than Marie herself, took their place against the two X-Men.
Logan looked to Marie as silent communication passed between the two. He would take the lead in this fight, and she would observe if for some reason he failed. He was determined not to.
The two combatants began to circle, both sizing the other up.
"Your boss is making this too easy, I'm not exactly the type that don't hit women," he growled while sniffing the air.
Lupa was less than intimidated by the display, and gave him a ferine smile.
"Wolverines are such fierce little beasts. Quite aggressive creatures," her wild yellow eyes flashed, "I always wondered what it would be like to try and tame one."
"Guess this is your lucky day then darlin'."
With teeth bared, Logan launched himself at the bestial woman, who easily side stepped. She moved as if she could read his mind, drawing him in, only to move again at the last possible moment. Their fight had become a dance- painfully orchestrated as each punch failed to connect; each kick was met with empty space. Marie observed, looking for weakness, while keeping the one they'd called Leash in her peripheral vision. There was something off about the way Logan had started moving. His body seemed slower than usual, each movement taking more energy to propel the next, almost as if there was another war being waged inside of him. Lupa seemed to enjoy herself immensely, looking every bit like a cat toying with a mouse.
Leash sat in the corner of the room enjoying the show, watching for any movement from Rogue. Seeing the determined shift of her body, she laughed. Marie's eyes snapped up to glare at the other girl.
"Your silly beast man doesn't stand a chance against Lupa you know. She's playing with him as it is." Giggling she continued, "Then again, I could end this whole thing now."
"Oh really now? And how would you do that sugar?"
The girl obviously liked to talk, and if they weren't enemies, she would remind her of Jubilee. She forced herself to stifle a laugh. The major difference between this girl and Jubilee however, was that Jubes only pretended to be vapid. If she could get her talking, any information would be a help. They had no idea what they were going up against; enemies with big mouths were generally their own downfall. 'That's how it always worked in the comics anyway,' she thought. 'Evil villain gives monologue about how they're going to take over the world, and how their plan is so brilliant, and how they can't be stopped, blah blah blah."
"Because I can make you do whatever I want. It's my power," Leash began to gloat.
'There ya go, right on cue. Gotta love predictable villains.' This time Rogue didn't try to hide the smile.
Leash's eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't be smiling if I were you."
Marie's smile grew wider at the childish display of anger.
"Quit smiling!" She stomped her foot to accentuate her point.
Bursting into laughter, Marie met her eyes, "My my, is it someone's nap time? Maybe you need a time out. My little cousin used to do the same thing when she was in trouble." The thought brought a new wave of laughter on her, as Leash began to seethe.
Nearly black eyes focused on Rogue, and her world went still and gray.
"Not laughing NOW are you? Soon you'll be doing anything I tell you, even if I tell you to kill your friend. That's my power you see, I can draw your astral form out, and bind you to me. Neat huh? Don't bother trying to fight it, you're only gonna lose." Leash began giggling again.
When Leash attacked, she felt as if she were being separated from her body, and in a sense she was. The insipid laughter of the girl trying to wrench control of her mind away from her drove her determination .The voices in her head screamed at one another, some fighting over how to take control, some screaming at her to fight harder. None screamed as loudly as the Logan inside her head however, his voice telling her to let down the barriers the Professor had trained her to build to control the other personalities. Dropping the walls that kept them sealed in, the voices flooded outward. The myriad overpowered Leash's tenuous hold on Rogue's mind and the would be puppet master dropped to her knees. The release left Marie feeling as if she'd been slammed back inside her own body, and anger flared as she shook off the remnants of the other girl's power.
Taking advantage of Leash's weakened state, Rogue advanced.
"Not that easy, is it bitch?" Pulling back her fist she slammed it into the shocked face before her, and watched as the other woman crumpled to the floor and remained still.
Having taken her opponent out of the game, at least temporarily, Marie turned her attention back to Logan; and gasped.
Logan stood stock still, his eyes nearly closed as a deep rumbling purr resonated from his chest. Lupa stood stroking his neck and shoulders like one would pet a cat, a look of smug satisfaction written plainly across her face. She stepped back when Marie went running up to him and folded her arms across her chest, the smug look never leaving her face.
"Logan? Logan, c'mon. Snap out of it sugar," Rogue snapped her head to the side and demanded, "What did you DO to him you witch?"
Logan's lack of response made her manic as the temperature in the room began to drop.
"Tell me what you've done to him or so help me god I will freeze the blood in your veins." She ground the words out between gritted teeth as the walls iced over.
"You seem like a smart girl, so I'll assume you understand how pheromones work. Like your friend there, I have enhanced animal senses. I can also emit enough pheromones to influence, shall we say, bestial creatures. He's completely under my control, Wolverine is quite an animal."
"So help me god, if you don't let him go…"
"You'll do what little girl? What will you do that would risk your precious Logan? He's so handsome; it would be a shame to see what those claws of his could do to his face. I wonder if they could cut through his neck, or if it would just be incredibly painful. It would be easy enough to find out, shall we?"
Rogue watched as Logan lifted his arm, claws extended, and placed them to his own throat. His expression never changed, never wavered, as he placed the blades against his skin.
Sinister returned to the room as blood began to spill from the shallow cuts Logan inflicted upon himself.
"You can stop this you know," he taunted her as he walked behind him. Pulling a syringe from his coat, he raised it to Logan's throat. "I've had quite a while to study the amazing healing factor you both seem to share, and I've had plenty of time to come up with something to neutralize it. Should we test it?"
'No. No no no no no no. NO. I have to stop this. I have to STOP THIS!'
"NO!" The scream tore through her throat and the ice around the room began to dissipate.
'It wasn't supposed to happen this way; it wasn't supposed to BE like this,' she thought.
"There's a smart girl, wouldn't want anyone getting hurt would we?" Sinister's lips curled in the ugly facsimile of a triumphant grin as he motioned for the recently conscious Leash to advance. He never took his eyes off of Rogue, or his hands from the neck of the prone form in front of him. The helpless frustration and rage built inside of her, and she almost welcomed the effects of the drug when she felt the sting of the needle in her neck.
