Logan sat in an upstairs lounge that was traditionally set aside for the "grown-ups." The sunlight streamed in through the open windows and a light breeze made the curtains stir gently. The room was comfortably furnished with understated but expensive furniture. There were bookshelves all around the room and they were crammed with all kinds of "literature."

He looked around and made a face. For the umpteenth time since the professor died he wondered what the hell he was sill doing here. This place was too tame. His kind of place involved beer and almost no light, or maybe a decent cabin in the mountains. This place…

A beer He thought. I need a beer and a nice friendly fistfight. A fight where the whole world won't go to hell if I lose or walk away.

He blew out an exasperated breath and scowled at the nearest bookshelf. He had to admit to himself that it really wasn't all that bad here. Despite being surrounded by kids all the time, he felt relaxed in the mansion. Safe. It was nice to have some place where he didn't have to worry about being cold or hungry or chased out once people figured out what he was.

The kids here weren't like the stereotypical school brats that he'd seen everywhere else, either. Like him, these kids knew what it was like to be different from everyone else. A lot of them had even been shunned by their own families. Even the ones that could easily pass for "normal," like Bobby.

His family had never really forgiven him for being a mutant, though they acted like nothing had changed. The poor kid had given up on going home and instead lived here at the mansion, teaching classes and helping the students learn to control and utilize their powers properly. He was a good kid, and didn't deserve the way the world looked at him.

BOOM!

THUD!

CRASH!

Logan was on his feet with claws extended before he even realized something was wrong. He could hear a familiar bellow of rage. He was barreling down the hall half a heart beat later.

CRASH!

The noise was coming from the wing where Warren's and Anna's rooms were. He flew around the corner and had to drop to the floor as something crashed through the wall to his right and smashed to bits as it went partially through the opposite wall.

He crouched cautiously, and peeked through the hole in the wall. Another enraged snarl preceded another piece of furniture through the wall and Wolverine got a glimpse of what was inside.

Sabretooth. Shit.

Sabretooth howled again and smashed something else. The sound of running snatched Logan's attention and he held up a hand to stop their approach. It also caught Sabretooth's attention, and he whirled toward the hole in the wall.

His glare found Wolverine and he lunged at him. "Where is she, Jimmy!" He snarled as he and Wolverine crashed through the other wall. Logan hit the floor and skidded across the rug with Sabretooth on top of him. They crashed up against a desk and Logan brought his knee up into his opponent's crotch.

The huge blonde man fell back, cradling his groin and then flew forward again, sailing over Wolverine's head and through the window. A huge gust of wind buffeted Wolverine, and sucked away his breath. He ducked, and turned his back to the gale.

When the howling wind abated, the sound of an enraged bellow was fading into the distance. Logan leapt to his feet. Storm's eyes were just clearing.

"Logan what…"

"Where's Anna?" he demanded, cutting her off.

Storm flinched in surprise at the intensity of his voice. "She went for a walk. What was Sabretooth doing in the…Logan! Where are you going?"

"He came looking for Anna!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran for the garage.

He tore through the mansion, and he noticed the eerie silence and utter lack of any sign of life. He absently approved. These children were smart enough to stay under cover until the all clear was sounded. After Striker had attacked the mansion, they had drilled even harder than before. Occasionally, the older students and X-team members put together obstacles to throw in the path of the younger students, to teach them how to think on their feet, in order to survive an attack on the school. The absence of any sound spoke louder than words that they were already long gone.

Logan rounded a corner and saw Piotr guarding the hallway, sheathed in his metal skin. His muscles bunched menacingly and for a split second, Logan was glad the kid was on his side.

"Keep sharp!" He bellowed as he ran through. "Keep everyone locked up! We don't know if he's gone yet!"

Piotr nodded and touched his communicator to pass on the orders.

Logan crashed through a door, and noticed the garage door was wide open. Normally he'd rip the kids a new one for being that careless, but this time it was a good thing. He threw his leg over Cyclops' motorcycle and had it moving before he was seated. As he passed through the opening, he slapped the emergency lock-down button. The doors slammed down behind him and sealed themselves. As he drove away he heard the other security doors seal up the mansion.

He sped down the road, keeping an eye out for Anna. She'd be helpless out here alone, and a psycho was looking for her. He squeezed a little more speed out of the bike and hurtled down the road.

As he reached the straight away, he saw her break through the trees and start back toward the mansion. He made a beeline for her and skidded to a stop beside her.

"Anna! Get on!"

She balked for a moment, but when she saw the look on his face she hurried over. As she swung her leg over, Logan sped off again, almost unseating her. She threw her arms around his chest and squawked in alarm.

"What's wrong?" She yelled over the roar of the engine and the wind.

Logan turned his head to the side to answer and was interrupted by a loud beeping. He slowed down a little and picked up the bike's cell. He listened for a while.

"Alright," he said finally. "Call when it's safe to come back." And he hung up.

"What's going on?" She demanded.

"Sabretooth."

He felt her fingernails dig into his chest involuntarily. "Oh shit." She gasped, suddenly afraid.

"Exactly."

"So where're we going?"

Logan thought for a minute. An idea formed suddenly. It was absolutely brilliant. He grinned and glanced back at her.

"I need a beer."

The place was loud and crowded, but not smoky. The tables were fairly far apart and the lights were dimmed, but not as dark as bars normally are. Logan slid a ten across and picked up his beers. He glanced around a little suspiciously, but in truth he was feeling pretty damn good.

Anna sat at the table and looked around with a neutral expression. He smirked. She obviously didn't spent a lot of time in places like this. He sat down next to her and plunked one of the beers down in front of her.

She held a hand out in refusal. "That's ok, they're all yours."

He sat back and chugged the first beer all at once. He smacked his lips in appreciation and let out a good-sized burp. Anna snorted and applauded. He lifted his second beer and nodded graciously.

"So what happened?" She asked.

He took a smaller drink than the first and set the bottle down on the table. "Sabretooth broke into the mansion. I found him trashing your room. You can guess why."

He glanced up; her face was white and she looked like she was going to be sick.

"Was anyone hurt?" she asked quietly.

Logan took another drink and shook his head. "No. Storm and I chased him off. We don't know if he's gone-gone, or just waiting-gone."

She sat back, a little relieved but still worried. Logan sat back and took another drink. He closed his eyes and savored his beer. This is more like it.

"Say there little lady, ya wanna dance?"

Logan opened his eyes and glared at the kid standing in front of their table, leering at Anna.

"Beat it, bub. The lady's with me."

The kid didn't even look at him "She may have come in with you old man, but I think she's leavin' with me."

Logan grinned. Today was definitely his day. He was leaning forward so he could get up and initiate that friendly little fistfight he was hoping for, when Anna grabbed his arm and pulled him back. She leaned into him and whispered for him to follow her lead.

"Don't pay him no mind baby," She said loud enough for the kid to hear. She glanced up at the kid from under her eyelashes. "He ain't got nuthin' on you." Logan frowned, puzzled. She took his face in her hands and kissed him.

He was shocked at first, then pulled her over to sit in his lap. She giggled brainlessly against his lips. He slid one arm around her waist and tangled his other hand in her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Logan could sense the kid's stunned silence, but didn't think much of it. Things were suddenly getting good.

She backed off after a minute, leaving Logan's head spinning. "Holy Shit," he mumbled.

"Wow," she breathed. "That was even better than I thought it would be."

They both jumped when the cell phone beeped.

Anna slid off his lap and settled back into the seat. Logan took a deep breath and answered the phone, still staring at her. He vaguely noticed that the kid had disappeared.

"Yeah,"

He listened for a few minutes. "We're on our way." He clicked off the phone and tucked it into his jacket pocket

"He's gone for now. They want us back at the mansion and we'll decide what to do when we get there."

Anna nodded and they got up and headed for the door. Along the way, Logan spotted the kid they had chased off and he grinned. The kid scowled and flipped him the bird. Anna glanced back and saw the exchange. She took Logan by the hand and blew a kiss to the kid with the other. Laughing, they left the bar and headed back to the mansion.

The forest went silent as he passed, the very trees seemed to shrink back from his silent fury. He flew through the woods soundlessly, the trees flying past him in a blur.

James has her. He snarled angrily and ran harder. He lashed out at an unoffending tree, splintering it and sending it crashing down into its neighbors. James has her.

He burst from the trees into a clearing filled with low bushes and tall grass. He raised his face to the sky and howled. The sound swelled and echoed, shattering the serenity of the night. Flocks of birds burst from their roosts in the surrounding trees, squawking in alarm. At his feet, a terrified animal hurtled from its place of concealment and fled.

Without thought, the mutant known as Sabretooth leapt at the creature, landing on its back and snapping its spine. The animal screeched with pain and terror. He snatched at the pitiful thing, and with a powerful surge of his shoulders, he tore it in two.

It kicked feebly in his hands, its body not yet aware that it was dead. The smell of its blood filled his nostrils and strangely soothed him. He glanced at the tattered, bloody fur in his hands and cast it away from himself.

Revenge. That's what this was about. He remembered; Somehow James had regained his memory.

His heart faltered and his breathing slowed. This was James' way of getting back at him for that whore Striker had sent to control him. He had taken James' woman, and now James had taken his.

The man once known as Victor Creed stared into the night. A sensation he hadn't experienced in nearly twenty years crawled up his belly, clawed its way into his chest and fought to strangle him. Memories of pain and helpless frustration flashed with blinding clarity through his mind, sending uncomfortable bolts of…something… shuddering through him…

He ground his teeth together. He was going to need some backup on this one.