Changes Chapter 17

Many hours later, Ororo was taking the elevator on her way to the basement again. She had spent the whole day on Jean's side, most of the time with Scott, but the Professor had sent both away. He wanted them to eat and sleep, before they, too, would become sick. Since Storm couldn't find any sleep, she walked down the corridor towards the lab again. She still felt lucky that Hank and the Professor had both helped her to calm Scott down, who'd been furious after Logan had left. She, too, was more than mad and disappointed because of his departure and had sworn that if she ever met him again, she'd make sure that his healing factor wouldn't keep up fixing the damage she'd cause. Storm couldn't believe that she's been so wrong…he'd really left Jean alone…

Angrily, she walked through the giant double door which led her to the lab. Storm knew that no one else was here besides her and Jean, of course. Hank wanted to check on Jean on the next morning again, while the Professor was doing check ups mentally. Just as she'd walked in, Ororo froze and looked into the direction of where Jean laid. Slowly, she came closer. "I thought…"

"What? That the son of a bitch left?", Logan asked and looked up at her.

"Yeah…we thought you took off…", she explained, still being confused.

He snorted. "You don't know me…"

"Then why did you go?", Storm asked and stopped next to him.

Logan turned his head and looked at Jean again. His hand still holding hers. "I'd to work off my rage. So if you hear about a half destroyed wood in the news, it wasn't a hurricane…"

She smiled vaguely. "It was because of Scott, wasn't it?"

"Mostly", he grunted.

Storm looked at the monitors which supervised Jean's vitals. "How long are you already sitting here?"

"Dunno…" He got up and took the already warm cloth from Jean's forehead. Ororo watched him as he dipped it into cold water and put it back to her forehead. Even if he would never admit it, she could see the fear in his eyes. Instinctively, she put a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll make it! All three of them will…"

"I hope so…", Logan said barely audible.

"Hank thinks it's a worse version of the flu", she explained. "And combined with her pregnancy and the stress she had…"

He shook his head. "It's not a virus…"

Storm frowned. "How do you know?"

"Take a look at her eyes." He nodded towards them. "She's battling her, I think…"

She did as he said and cautiously opened Jean's eyes. Immediately, Ororo gasped. "It wasn't like that a few hours ago…", she said while she looked at the orange glowing left and the pitch black and red glowing right eye. "Should I get Xavier?"

He shook his head again. "He was here before. She's blocking him."

Storm sighed. "But we've to do something… I mean…" Feeling totally lost, she shook her head and looked around the room. "How could that have happened anyway?"

Logan snorted again. "Ask Scooter boy! He brought her back."

"You think it was his fault?", she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it was him who made her freak out again, wasn't it? He destroyed the whole results we achieved completely, so it was easy for her to take over again…"

Storm thought about his words for a moment. She had to admit that he got a standpoint…

"You don't have to stay, 'Ro", he said after a while and looked at her.

"I'm fine, Logan. It's you who shouldn't overwork his healing factor again."

"Nope!", he gave back and shook his head. "If Magneto attacks us it is you who must be ready. I can't fight him without kissing the ground again."

"Fine… But if you get too tired…"

"Yeah, yeah!", he waved her off.

Storm shook her head. "You're incorrigible!"

Week past and Jean's constitution didn't change for good. While Logan left her only to shower or eat something, the Professor had called Moira, since Hank couldn't help anymore. But even Moira couldn't do much. The medicine she gave Jean against the fever didn't help, it only made it worse.

One day, Moira came into the lab, just to find Logan sleeping in his chair. Just as she came closer, he jumped and looked at her in confusion.

"You know, Logan", she said while checking the monitors. "You should really go to bed and sleep for a few hours." He only snorted and ran a hand through his face. "I mean it!", Moira said warningly. "Your body needs sleep, otherwise I can put up a bed right next to her…"

"Any changes?", Logan asked to change the subject.

"No…unfortunately not." She sighed. "Honestly…I don't know what to with her anymore…" She looked at him completely seriously. "Logan…I already said it to Charles…"

"What?", he asked narrowing his eyes. Still his heart began to beat triple rhythms. Fear was taking over…

"Her vitals are getting worse day after day…", Moira explained calmly. "I doubt…I doubt she'll make it…"

"She will…", Logan gave back, looking at Jean again.

"It's still a miracle to me that the embryos are still alive…", she added barely audible, but still he had heard it.

"Well, they're my kids in the end…"

Moira smiled vaguely and walked towards the door again. "Since I've no doubt that you are not coming to dinner again…"

"Yeah, I'll eat something later!", he waved her off.

"Okay, but don't forget it! I'll come back in an hour."

Logan waited until he couldn't hear her anymore and even a bit longer, since he felt dead drunk because of his lack of sleep. His heightened senses weren't working so well either and his healing factor was already doing overtime. He let his head sink into his hands and took a deep breath, before he ran his hands through his hair. With his eyes fixed on Jean he took one hand of hers into his, while he gently rested the other on her now bigger belly. "I beg you, Jean", he said barely audible and with a desperate undertone. "Beat that bitch. You have to beat her!" Logan paused for a moment and shook his head, while looking down. "I can't lose you again, Jeannie. I need you. The three of you…" He closed his eyes and fought against the tears. "Please, Jeannie…"

"Now…that's what I call a surprise…"

Logan jerked around as he heard the well known voice behind him. His eyes widened.

"She really has marvelous powers, hasn't she?", Magneto asked while he stepped closer, his eye's fixed on Logan.

He, on the contrary, looked behind him for a brief moment, before he faced the man in front of him again. His brain was searching for a solution, but he couldn't find one. He had no chance against the leader of the brotherhood, which meant that not only he was in danger, but also Jean and his unborn children… Instinctively, he popped his claws as he took notice of Mystique, Juggernaut and Pyro who were standing right behind their leader.

"You never learn, do you?", Magneto asked pejorative and raised his hand which caused Logan to froze immediately.

"You won't get her!", Logan grunted and narrowed his eyes. His heart was racing, while he left the ground. He cursed himself for being so careless before. His only hope was that someone had heard them enter or that at least the Professor would have taken notice of it…

Magneto smiled devilishly. "I'm not interested in her", he said. "Not yet…"

Logan breathed heavily. In moments like these he cursed his adamantium skeleton. "Well, no matter what, it wouldn't make any difference now, would it?", he thought sarcastically and tried with all his strength to move.

"You're the first in my list!", his opposite hissed and moved him towards the opposite wall. "I still must show my appreciation…" Logan watched magneto's sinister smile fade immediately. With a simple move of his arm, he sent him through the opposite wall. Groaning, Logan clenched his teeth as he felt the stars dancing in front of him and as the pain of his dislocated right shoulder rushed through his entire, which made him retch for a brief moment. Slowly, Logan tried to get up, ignoring the blinking lights he saw in front of him. Just as he finally stood again, he smashed again against the wall, just to crash into the ceiling and the floor only seconds later. Dazed, he tasted the blood in his mouth and felt the thick liquid running down his face. When Logan raised his head, Magneto was standing in front of him, looking down at him merciless and pinning him down to the cold floor again. "I'll teach you loyalty to your own kind!", he hissed and sent Logan from the left wall to the right and back.

Logan groaned loudly when Magneto tore his bones apart, fighting constantly against the upcoming blackness. "Let's see if you're really indestructible…", he heard Magneto say from very far away. Again he crashed against the wall. Heavily breathing, Logan slowly looked up when he felt three needles in his back. His eyes widened when he met Mystique's sinister smile and recognized the objects in her hands immediately. Soon, he felt his heart racing even more when his body began to change.

"I doubt you're so lucky this time", Magneto smiled and nodded towards Pyro.

Despite his mad playing circulation and his violently shaking bodies, Logan got up to his feet as fast as he could and stepped back. His eyes were fixed in his opposite who moved smirking into position.

"Barbeque anyone?", the boy said and threw a huge flame towards Logan who barely managed to jump aside. The sweat was running down his face, mixing with the bleeding open wounds, but Logan knew he wasn't sweating because of the exertion. It was mortal fear which ate him up inside…and even if he tried to stay calm, his heart rate and breathing rhythms couldn't betray anyone. Every inch of his body hurt like hell, most parts already felt numb, but he couldn't give in to the animal in him. That part of him told him to run, but he couldn't… Not only because of Jean and the kids, he wouldn't come far anyway…

Logan yelled loudly as a huge flame hit him right in the chest, burning his clothes away and eating his skin, leaving back torn flesh. He began to breathe irregularly, fighting harder against the blackness and his brain which wanted to shut down. Logan fell down to his knew shaking. "Son of a bitch…", he cursed and was lifted up into the air again.

"Time to fly!" With heavy steps, Juggernaut ran towards the paralyzed Logan and sent him backwards down the corridor.

Logan gasped for air after he finally landed on the floor again, trying desperately to fill his lungs… In moments liked this, on the contrary, he was grateful to have the adamantium skeleton. Slowly, he opened his eyes, just to close them again. His surroundings were moving, making him feel even more worse than he already was. The lack of sleep and food attracted attention. Suddenly, he lifted his head and retched, spilling blood to the floor. Heavily breathing and with one hand pressed on his stomach, Logan opened his eyes again. The sweat burned in them and made his view murky. The alarm bell was only meters away…if he could only get up… Taking deep breaths and ignoring the immense pain which rushed through his body and nearly caused him to fade, Logan stumbled towards it, feeling that his legs failed. While falling again, he yelled as he reached out his dislocated arm and hit the button. Only seconds later, the alarm set off.

"Fool!", Magneto said and raised him up again. "Do you really think I would have let you done this if it wasn't planned?" Logan's eyes widened and he coughed heavily again, spilling even more blood. "You little friends will run downstairs, while we finish you on the outside…"

Again Logan crashed into the wall and winced, as he moved. He knew his rips couldn't break…but still his left lung refused to take up air… He felt someone grapping his collar and soon he was pulled towards the emergency exit. The door closed as he heard the elevator door open…

On the outside, Magneto lifted him up again. "Painful, isn't it? If your abilities were taken away from you…"

"You don't need yours!", Logan hissed and gasped for air again.

His opposite smiled darkly. "You neither…anymore…" as he'd done it in the woods before, he sent the former mutant backwards through the trees.

Logan felt his flesh being torn open, felt the scratches and deeper wounds every collision left. He yelled in pain, when a branch went through his left lung. He knew the wet liquid which was covering his whole body by now, wasn't only sweat anymore. Suddenly, he passed out, as he hit a tree straight…

Magneto moved his hand as if he pulled in a fishing rod and made Logan fly backwards again. "That my brothers, is the way traitors are taken care of…", he said to the others. "You can come out now…" Out of the dark of the tress approached a huge man, his heavy steps reverberating from the ground.

"Wake him!", Magneto ordered Mystique who kicked Logan as long into the stomach until he was moving.

Logan groaned immediately, clenching his teeth and grimacing his face in pain as he moved. He felt his left lung filling with blood and making it nearly impossible for him to breathe, while his stomach was hard. He knew he had some seriously wounds from the inside and wondered if only one organ was still intact… He couldn't remember that he had ever felt pain like this before. Slowly, he rolled over onto his stomach and coughed heavily. He spilled blood and bile to the ground, changing the snows color…Barely breathing he looked up and his eyes widened. "No…"

Sabertooth grinned and grabbed his collar. "You're finished!", he hissed and punched him into the face.

Logan closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying desperately to fight back the darkness, but he knew he had no power left within him. Still he had to play for time. Hoping that the others would save his family…With all the strength the animal within him had left, he popped his claws…

"She's fine!", Moira said and joined the others again.

Storm and Cyclops still looked at the walls and the blood that covered them and the gound. "Where can they be?"

"Do you think he'd captured him?", Storm asked and looked at Scott.

"Dunno…"

"Anyway, we've to find him!", Charles said. "If Erik seeks revenge…" He shook his head. "I won't even imagine what he does to Logan right now…or what he did to him" He closed his eyes.

"Well, he can't kill him, can he…", Scott said dryly.

"He can…", Hank interrupted him.

"What?", Storm asked and turned around. Her heart stopped beating when she recognized the objects in his hands. "Oh no…"

Charles suddenly looked up. "It's a ploy…", he said loudly.

"Ploy?", Scott asked confused. "How?"

"The only way he could have gotten into the school were the emergency exits", the Professor explained. "Erik knows them. He wanted us to get down here, so that he could get away…"

"Then they still must be on the grounds…", Storm said barely audible and looked towards the only emergency exit on this floor.

"We've to go. Now!", Charles said and moved towards it.

"I stay here and watch over Jean!", Moira said. "And make everything ready to treat Logan…" She watched the X-Men leave. "I hope it's not to late…", she added barely audible and looked towards Jean.

He knew it was over. From the minute he'd been cured, he'd known that his life was over…

Logan laid on the ground in front of a heavy breathing Sabertooth. He had his eyes closed and was barely breathing anymore. If he ever had the slightest chance of surviving before, his opposite had taken it away from him. Sabertooth had hit him so often that the majority of his body was torn open and the blood was really flowing out of his body. Logan felt his sensed getting foggy; he knew it was over… He didn't even react when Magneto came closer. With an easy movement of his hand, Logan was kneeling in front of him. His head bent forward and his arms hanging lifelessly down. "The last thing I'll tell you before I'll finish you is that you can be sure your treacherous friends will die the same painful death!", he hissed calmly. "And that the brood of your will call me father…"

Slowly, Logan raised his head as good as he could. He couldn't let that happen… Just as he was about to say something, more blood escaped his mouth and he winced as the pain jolted through his entire body. He thought he was torn apart…

Magneto raised his other hand. "Soon, the Phoenix will rise again and this disease which calls itself homo sapiens will be wiped off this planet…" He saw the X-Men approaching.

"Erik, stop!", Charles said mentally, but it was too late…

A silent scream escaped Logan, when an iron bar rushed right through the flesh of the left side of his neck and came out under his right rib. Like a doll, he dropped to the ground…

Storm and the others watched the Brotherhood leave. Heavily breathing they stopped next to Logan who didn't move.

"No…"m Storm whispered and fell down to her knees. Her eyes saw the great amount of blood which covered the snow everywhere. Her look wandered over the torn body of her friend. She was shaking heavily, her heart nearly breaking her chest, while her head was completely empty. "Logan…?", she said and shook him slightly.

Hank and Scott turned him around so that Logan was now lying on his back. "He's still alive…", Hank said surprised after he had put a hand on Logan's throat.

Scott just stood there and watched. Unable to move or say anything. He couldn't believe that even Magneto would attack another mutant that hard…

"We have to get him inside quickly!", Charles said without being able to look away. He only saw the blood flowing out of the dozen wounds…

Storm put a hand under Logan's head and raised it. Hot tears were running down her cheeks and dripped on his face.

He grimaced a bit and opened his eyes weakly without being able to see anything. "Jean…?", he said barely audible and Ororo immediately gasped for air, stroking his hair out of his face. Her breath and heart rate were already out of control and she thought she would collapse any minute. "You have to hold out", she whispered while crying. "Think about your kids, Logan… I still want to make fun of you while you change diapers…" She sobbed heavily and clung to him. "Please…"

"'Ro…we've to get him inside…", Hank said and bent down, his eyes fixed on Logan worriedly, since he hardly breathed anymore.

She swallowed and ran a hand over Logan's cheek. She looked into his empty eyes. "Do you understand? You can't die now… I promised her that you would never leave her… So don't make me break it…" Her voice failed her and she cried even heavier. She felt him moving a bit and opened her eyes again. "Logan…?", Storm asked and stopped breathing for a minute when she felt his finger wiping away her tears barely noticeable. She smiled at him. "Softie…" Suddenly his head dropped aside and his hand fell lifelessly to the ground. Storm's eyes widened in shock and she bent forward. "No...,Logan?", she asked almost hysterically and shook him slightly.

Hank bent forward and put his hand to Logan's throat again, only to remove it slowly…

Storm watched him shaking all over while tears were flowing unstable down her cheeks. Hank looked into her eyes, a deep sadness within him. "He's gone…"

"No!", she said and shook her head violently.

He put her hands into his. "He's gone, 'Ro…"

Charles closed his eyes and shook his head, while he clenched his fists. Next to him stood Scott who just looked down on Logan's body.

"He can't!", Ororo shouted suddenly and shook her head violently, while she looked at Hank with wide eyes. "You're lying!"

Hank swallowed and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry…"

"No!", she yelled again and clung to him while she cried loudly. "He told me he would never leave her… I promised her that he wouldn't…", she sobbed and Hank pulled her even closer. His face mirroring the pain he felt inside. "He can't do this to her…", she cried and buried her head in his shoulder. "He promised it…."

Even from the mansion, Storm's loud heartrendingly cried could be heard…