-Ok, you know the drill, Aya's mine but everyone else belongs to Stan Lee & Marvel! How I wish they were mine! And I'm sorry this chapter took so long, it was particularly difficult to write!

He stayed crouched, surveying the outer barbed-wired wall of Stryker's base. Aya was a few clicks away, their extraordinary hearing being their only means of communication. Cage stood only a few yards away, within eyesight. Logan had though long and hard about their assault last night while Aya slept soundly on his chest. They were ready for this. And even if they weren't, all of them were dying to tear down a few of Stryker's men for their own personal revenge. Cage motioned that it was his turn to move and Logan growled the signal to Aya.

Cage charged the wall, jumping and catching on the barbed wire at the top. He aptly leaped over the large coils and dropped to the other side soundlessly. Logan waited to hear the thumping contact of fist on flesh but heard nothing. There were no guards on the other side. What was Stryker playing at? Logan moved, knowing Aya was doing the same thing. He too leaped the wall and soundlessly gripped the barbed wire, stepping over the large coils and sliding down the wall. There was another inner wall, this one was lined with guards. Mutants, Logan was sure. For a man who hated all of mutant kind, Stryker sure kept a lot of them around. Aya crept up behind Cage and joined them. She motioned which guards each of them would take out. Logan's blood grew hot with rage at what they planned to do to his beloved mate. He unsheathed his claws and crept away from his team, ready to destroy something. Or someone.

The first guard. He was a tiny Asian man, with a machine gun. Logan came up behind him and slit his throat, carefully placing his body along the wall. He crept down to the next man, a stocky white guy with a crew cut. This time he wasn't so lucky. The man took notice and suddenly belched a stream of flames in Logan's direction. His plaid shirt caught fire and he ripped it off, leaving him in a slightly scorched undershirt. This time he was ready as the man belched again. Logan shoved his fist into the man's open mouth, slicing him through the back of the head. The man's limp body fell from the wall with a sickening thump. Suddenly, an alarm sounded.

"Great job Runt, ya set off the alarm. Ya were always bad at this sneakin' shit," Victor growled. Logan huffed, growling for Aya. She responded, and he could sense the anger in her response.

"Cage!" Logan howled, running forward as a man open fired on him. A bullet grazed his arm but he didn't stop charging, roaring as he cut the man down. He yelled for Cage again, finally seeing the giant of a man just down the wall, battling a few guards on his own. Logan sliced another man across the throat in a running leap, reaching Cage. "We have to find Aya."

"I know," Cage replied, grabbing a man and tossing him onto the barbed-wire fence a few feet away. They pushed and cut the last of the guards down.

"She's this way," Logan muttered. Her feral scent burned his nostrils. He knew she was reverting to her animalistic side; the same side that had pushed him over the edge. He just hoped he could call her back to sanity once this was all over. He and Cage ran down the wall, bodies ready for the next onslaught of guards. Aya was finishing with a small man. She pulled her face from his throat, she'd ripped it out with her teeth. Logan started at his mate. Her pupils were dilated and her fangs glistened with blood from her latest kill. He wasn't sure she'd even understand him. "Aya, we have to go." He reached his hand to her. She growled threateningly and snapped her bloody jaws at him. "Aya," he said, growling softly as he said it. Her pupils shrank and she dropped the bloody man. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Who set off the alarm?" she grumbled. There she was. Logan inwardly sighed, thankful she'd been able to maintain control. "We need ta go. Now." Cage nodded and the three of them jumped from the outer wall, landing in crouches on the grass. They charged the nearest door, an armored one with two gunmen at either side. Cage and Logan took them out. Logan could almost remember working as a team, killing and murdering. It made him sick to his stomach but he couldn't acknowledge the feelings now. He had to keep going. He had to destroy the ones who wanted his Aya back so badly. Suddenly, she screamed. He turned towards her. A bullet wound bled profusely from her abdomen. She leaped onto the man who'd shot her and broke his neck in a seamless gesture. His limp body fell to the ground and Aya took his gun, shooting the stunned guard still remaining. She spit on their bodies. Logan felt the familiar animal urges he couldn't fight last night. Why was she so hot?

"Whadder ya starin' at?" she growled. He shook his head. Cage looked between the two of them and rolled his eyes. In a strong, swift swing, he punched the door, bending the metal structure. He punched it again and it fell from its hinges in a loud clang. "Way ta be quiet," Aya scoffed. Cage swung his mighty fist but Logan caught the blow in the shoulder.

"Knock it off," he ordered. A growl emanated from Aya as they stared each other down. "We have ta go." He led the three of them into the fortress. The alarm was still blaring and Logan wished more than anything he had the power of invisibility.

"Ya never had the stomach fer killin'," Victor growled in his ear. He didn't retort because he knew it was true. The wars he dreamed about were always him fighting and murdering. He awoke from them in a cold sweat and sick to his stomach. They crept as silently as they could along the inner wall, coming to another door. Logan took care of this one, cutting the hinges with his claws and punching it down. They entered the hallway, a quiet one. No alarms were ringing; no guards were waiting for them. Had they walked into a trap? Aya gave a small yelp.

"I know where we are," she whispered, fear evident. Logan took her hand and squeezed it firmly.

"Lead the way," Cage murmured. She crept forward on tiptoes, guiding them down the hallways and deeper into danger. Finally, they reached a room, long, with an observation deck over a large tank. Cords and tubes were connected to the tank.

"Logan," Aya whispered. But he barely heard her. He knew this room, this place, that tank. He'd been in it. Memories flooded his mind as he saw and felt the piercing needles and boiling hot adamantium bond with his bones. Cage's hand on his shoulder pulled him from the painful reverie. "Logan, I know this room. Come on, this way," his mate whispered. They followed her down a small hallway to another room, similar to the one they'd just vacated. Instead of a tank in the center however, there was a surgical table with several carts full of medical equipment surrounding it. He felt a shudder pass through her.

"This is it, isn't it?" he asked. She nodded, silent tears traveling down her cheeks. She walked over to the surgical table and touched the stainless steel. Suddenly, footsteps on the observation deck made them pause. Logan let go of Aya and unsheathed his claws. Cage's muscles went taunt and he stood, ready for action. Aya went up on her toes and waited. They were ready for anything.

"My, my, my, I didn't expect to see you back so soon, Aya."

Ok, well almost anything.

Thanks to:

Kai-Qui, Carlypso, lilybelle101, invalid3, xXMelloxRebekahXx, , Mizeri, and kmcracerx for adding this to Story Alerts/Favorites!

PheonixRebornFromTheAshes- I'm glad you liked the flashback! I hope this chapter holds up too!

Carlypso- I'm glad you liked it! Keep R&R!

Gypsywitchbaby- As usual, thanks so much for the inspiration and letting me borrow Lupa! I'm definitely going to try and incorporate a reunion! Maybe on Prince Edwards Island?

Read The Feral and The Dreaming Animal by Gypsywitchbaby! And don't forget to review me too! Please & thank you!