Devlin breathed harshly strapped down on a hospital bed. Logan looked down at the stitched up wound in his chest, Beast and Storm could barely close the wound and holes within the vital organs. He was alive but he didn't heal, none of his wounds were clotting. The boy could only lay there in pain… it broke Logan's heart.
'how is... never mind it is foolish to even ask that… regardless the man had been very insightful after our… little chat.' Logan turned his head noticing the wolf standing by the door. He had just finished interrogating the man who killed Devlin…. Well interrogating was not the right word… he was more… slowly… eating him.
"You know I think the Greek gods did something like that before… but your not an eagle." the wolf smiled at that and licked his chops; splatters of blood still shown on his fur.
'I asked the professor to stay out of the room… I'm pretty sure what I did was not illegal seeing as I am a wolf… then again he didn't die… he is limbless but he didn't die…' Logan held out his hand stopping the wolf from reviling more then he really wanted to hear.
"You don't have to explain to me mutt, honestly I would have done worse, well maybe not… eat the guy… you have no idea where he has been… ugh." Logan visibly shook in disgust.
'How do you know such an… there are no words to describe him other then idiot.' Logan chuckled and nodded remembering said idiot.
"I met him while working for shield, he defected after he was diagnose with cancer… among other things… you really should not have ate him mutt." Crest paled not noticeably with his black fur.
'What ever, my brother has eaten worse. And speaking of which the professor has agreed to assist in searching for the remnants we need… as for the vessel itself… we will need to find a worthy avatar to hold his power.' Logan looked lost.
"Just how is Chuck going to help us? He cant do much with dead stuff." Professor Xavier chose that time to enter the room.
"Actually I have been researching the matter for years. From my research I have found a mental realm I believe closely resembles what Crest has described to me. It is possible that this plane of existence is where Devlin had traversed. I have been taught how to enter this realm from a friend of mine who will be assisting us in our venture." Logan looked up confused.
"Just how many people do we need for this? Aren't we just looking for a body? From what the pup told me this snake thing is bigger then the mansion I'm sure it wont be to hard to find." Crest scoffed.
'The Azure Depths are as vast as the ocean and not only that; they are also dangerous! Other beasts born of madness swim within the darkest depths. My brother was the only one holding them away from the souls of the dead. With them loose in the depths all souls are in danger of being devoured and lost for eternity. I have only ventured in the depths once and I hated it… know that every second you are within is a new second to the end of your existence.' Logan smirked and unsheathed his claws.
"Then let's get this over with… just who is this friend of yours Chuck?" Xavier smiled.
"The one you have met a mere few hours ago." Logan paled when knew who the Xavier was speaking of.
"Oh come on! Not her!" Xavier chuckled knowing just how much Logan disliked the woman.
"Yes miss Edea Kramer."
/X-Men\\\\\\\\\
Logan, Crest, and Charles waited outside the institute for Edea to arrive. That woman lived not to far from the institute and was eager to assist the professor in anyway possible. They all looked up at the sound of the gates opening and a car speeding into the grounds. A long stretch limo zoomed across the grassy lawn in speeds seemingly impossible for the size of the vehicle. The limo slammed to a halt a few feet from the men startling all but the professor. A young man about Scott's age stood out of the driver's seat and walked to open the passenger's door. The boy had short brown hair and a frightening scar across his face. The boy opened the car door and held his hand out to the woman inside. The woman had long black hair and strikingly golden eyes. When she was safely out of the car Logan eyed both the woman with disdain and the boy with amusement.
"Nice driving bub." 'He might be worse then Kitty…' The boy smirked and turned to look at the woman.
"Learned it from mom." The woman playfully smacked the boy's shoulder.
"You got your driving skills from your father… Laguna really disappoints me sometimes." she turned to see the professor and smiled brightly. "Charles… I got your message and I am here to repay my debt."
"I am very grateful to you but you owed me nothing." the woman smiled knowingly but when her gaze turned to the wolf she gasped in shock.
"Is it possible?" Edea kneel down and creased the wolf's cheek in awe at the beast. "You are the brother of Abaddon are you not?"
'Yes…' The woman seemed over joyed to hear this; the boy however was unimpressed.
"You're shorter then what I expected." Edea turned to glare at her son.
"Show respect Squall! This being is the son of our goddess!" the boy sighed and bowed and spoke in a sarcastic tone.
"Oh great one I am honored by your fuzziness." Edea smacked the boy upside his head who chuckled amused by his mother's anger.
"What am I going to do with you?" she sighed and turned to the men with a determined look in her eyes. "Now on to business. Why do you wish to enter the depths?" the wolf sighed and spoke calmly.
'To find the body of my brother… he has fallen.' the woman paled and nearly fainted to the ground.
"Mom!" Squall caught her before she could fall; she steadied herself and spoke gravely making sure the men were listening.
"If… if he is truly gone then I know where in the depths his remnants should be… there is only one being who would wish to be near it… the one who has out ran the serpent for centuries within the domain of Dagon. The shadow king." she turned her gaze to Charles who glared in anger seemingly knowing who the woman spoke of.
"Amahl Farouk..."
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Logan sat within the center of a circle of candles in the back of the institute. Next to him were two other circles with Charles and Edea's boy Squall, each of then were positioned in a triangle shape with Edea herself standing in the middle. The woman chanted in an odd language the clawed man did not recognize. Her hands gracefully flew in motions until three balls of black-blue fire similar to Devlin's that circled each of the men rotating around them slowly, Edea then spoke in words full of power.
"into darkness the soul will fade
the toll of the heart is to be paid
to safeguard the soul in flames the body will wait
now into the abyss
the serpent awaits,"
Logan gasped, the moment the words left her mouth the fire ball circling him stopped and rushed at him setting him ablaze. The fire agonizingly burned through his skin all the way to his adamantium skeleton. When he though that he was nothing but ashes was when the pain stopped and was replaced with something more comforting; it was as if he was being immersed in cool water. He opened his eyes to see miles of dark blue water.
'Blorphph!' the gruff man tried his best to hold his breath but started loosing focus when Charles swam close to him kicking his once unused legs.
"Breathe Logan, the water here is only an illusion… or so I hypothesize." Logan feeling annoyed took a breath.
"You could have warned me before we came here Chuck! And what's with the legs? Have you been faking?" Charles smiled brightly and kicked swimming in joy.
"The laws of this place allow us to exist in the way we were meant to be. In layman's terms it means.."
"It means your are a soul." Logan turned to see an inverted squall. It was as if he was wearing a headdress of a lion with five long red horns, a pear of clawed feathered wings on his back and two extra black arms that moved on their own. "When someone dies their soul is sent to this place the Azure Depths, once here they take the form that best represents their soul."
"Then what's with the extra limbs bub?" Squall sighed and crossed his normal arms and placed the other larger arms on his waist.
"mom's little way of keeping me safe..." he said annoyed. "its what she calls 'Junction' she fuzed her pet's soul into mine to make me stronger. It also let's me speak with mom in the living world, she says to go.. uh…. This way." he said pointing down deeper into the water. Logan shrugged and just started to swim down taking the lead. They swam for what felt like hours when they began seeing something different. All around them swam small glowing fish seemingly frightened.. but not of the three. They all swam around the three as if they were hiding among them.
"What's with the fish?" Logan ask as one coaled around his neck shaking like a leaf. It was long like a snake and dark blue with bioluminescent lines and eyes that made it look rather odd yet beautiful. Normally the fish would be annoying to Logan but strangely he felt nothing.
"They're the keepers. Former powerful souls of people that feed on residual negative emotion. You'll feel numb for a bit but you'll be fine; if anything you'll feel happy… why they are acting weird like this I don… mom says it's a warning, we're getting close, get ready we're getting closer to the domain of Dagon, I hope you can defend yourselves because this is going to suck."
"What is a Dagon anyway?" asked Logan still confused by this entire process.
"Dagon was a monster that was born from madness, he made millions of monsters within the Azure Depths, they are evil crazy and worse they are immortal to everything except Abaddon. We can damage them and slow then down but they regenerate anything we hurt. If we get into a fight with one we run. Got it!?" Logan growled not liking taking orders from Squall or his mother but swam down regardless. Soon the fish became more and more irritated until they all swam off all together except the long snake like fish coiled around Logan like a necklace. He pulled at the fish as gently as he could but it swam down to his arm and coiled again.
"What's with you Bub?" He pulled at again only for it the coil around his waist and hiss like it was daring him to peel it off again. "Fine! But don't expect me to protect you from the monsters."
"New friend Logan?" asked Charles amused. Logan growled and the long fish hissed at the bold man and coiled harder on Logan's waist, who smiled down at the fish patting it's slick head affectionately.
"I'm Starting to like ya Bub." the fish seemed to smile and purr-hiss at the man. The three continued swimming when a loud booming sound echoed through the waters the fish frightened swam it's way underneath Logan's shirt.
"We're getting close, be careful the physics in the domain can get weird." said Squall a little nervous.
"How w… never mind." Logan stared confused at a wall. The wall appeared like looking at the surface of a pool from within the water. "Do… Do we just go in?"
"Yep, Just brace yourself, you may not have a body but if can still feel pain… just to let you know you can loose limb after limb and even your head and you will be fine once you are back in your body… but if you get eaten your screwed… so stay away from any mouths." Squall swam into the surface of the water and vanished into the other side. Carefully Charles did the same leaving Logan alone with the long snake like fish.
"Look's like this is your stop Bub, I'm not sure you can breath out of water." the fish gave an odd look but swam a few feet away from Logan looking back longingly like a pet dog leaving it's master. Logan sighed feeling like he just smacked the thing across it's face. "Dam it… I'm getting soft." bracing himself Logan charged into the wall, once he broke through he fell a few feet until he landed on a soft slightly damp surface. Looking down Logan notice he was standing on a cavern floor. All around him were glowing red moss and a horrible stench that he knew well... The smell of death.
'Don't… leave..' Logan jumped when he heard it, a voice familiar but different at the same time. It startled Logan enough that he tried to unsheathe his claws… yet.
"How!?" he stared at his palm and rubbed his wrists and knuckles confused. He flexed his wrist and nothing worked to make the claws appear. "The Hell is going on!?"
'Different… world…' hearing the voice again Logan looked up to see the long fish floating in the air as if he was flying.
"D...Did you just say something?" the small fish nuzzled his cheek and flew around his arm.
'Missed… you… Logan..' Logan's eyes widened when he finally recognized the voice.
"P...Pup?" the fish rose it's serpent like head and licked the gruff man's chin.
'Missed… you…' Logan stared stunned and even more confused, the fish tilted it's head and let out a small sorrow full cry. 'I'm… sorry!'
"No.. no pup, it's not your fault. I promise I'll get you back to normal." the long fish stared for a moment and nodded determined.
'Then.. I'll help... it's… bad here… no… claws… you'll get hurt…' the serpent placed it's head gently on Logan's arm and sunk into his skin like a needle just without pain in-fact it felt pleasant like getting the limb dipped in warm oil. Once he was completely inside his arm began to glow, lines of light emitted on the skin until they reached his palm, the hand vanished and a large jagged blade appeared with the engraving of a wolf bearing it's fangs on the blade and the edge of the blade radiated a small blue line of fire. Logan lifted his new limb in awe.
"Pup…."
"Logan?" Charles stood along with Squall staring at Logan's bladed arm.
"You can junction!?" Shouted Squall amazed. "With what soul!? You realize you cant fuse with another soul that doesn't emotionally love you right? If not it could be fetal otherwise right?"
"Well what about you and that 'thing' Bub!?" Shouted Logan feeling angry that he questioned his love for Devlin.
"Griever was made to be a junction by my mother for her use, since she is my mom she loves me regardless, no matter how annoying she is.. now if you junction with a soul you don't even know you will be taken over by it and stay like you are completely." Squall glared under the lion mask and in all of his arms four powerful shining blades formed ready for attack. He stood in-front of the gruff altered man aiming the blades at him. "Now that we are in Dagon's monster full pit you could have taken a soul into you that is going to end up turning you into a monster… so you tell me now, who's soul did you junction!?"
"You little punk!" Logan was livid to say the least. "After Everything you and your mom put us through you think I'm a fucking traitor!?"
"That was an accident!" Squall lunged at the man who blocked his attack with a swipe of his arm blade.
"Like hell it was!" Logan pushed the inexperienced fighter back easily shattering the glowing blades with a wave of fire the launched with the stroke of the sword. The two glared down at each-other, Squall summoned a pear of spears while Logan readied his wolf sword.
"ENOUTH!" a wall of purple energy suddenly rose between the two raging men stopping their battle before it could get worse. To their left stood and exasperated Charles. He stood tall and proud between the two, it was odd for Logan seeing him like this. "You will both put your petty differences aside and work on our primary objective." he spoke so calmly that Squall just sighed and let his spears disperse and continued deeper into the cave.
"Fine… but if he turns then he's your problem." Logan growled letting the flame around the sword simmer down with his emotions.
"Dam kid..." He turned to Charles. "If he joins the institute I quit."
"No you won't." said Charles as if there was no question to it.
"What makes you think I won't?" Charles' smiled slyly.
"Mr. Mercer of course." Logan blushed at that and stared at the sword that was now his hand. He felt the blade pulse as if Devlin himself heard the conversation and blushed in the cute way he did when ever he was embarrassed but happy at the same time. The flame along the blade seemed to flare larger along the edge. "I'm guessing that the soul you junction with happened to be Devlin's… I take this is a good sign. There is hope for the boy yet. Let's go." the two walked into the cavern until they saw a horrid sight. All over the walls of the cave were hundreds of bodies strum about in as if torn from limb by limb and left to rot. Squall stood there in the middle of it bent over coughing up his dinner. Logan looked closer at the scraps of body parts, squinting his eyes he noticed something that made him want to hurl along with Squall.
"Holy crap! The.. they're… moving!"
"AGHHHH!" deep within the cavern a scream followed by a deep guttural roar sounded shaking the bodies making them twitch as if they knew something was coming… something big. The three men couldn't prepare themselves for what came next. The red mossy substance on the walls glowed so bright that everything in the cavern was fully visible and how they wished it wasn't. At the far end of the cave was a large gaping mouth filled with a row upon row of jagged teeth. Within the mouth were thin writhing tentacles that were pulling in the body of a naked blotted man into the dark maw. "PLEASE! HELP ME!"
"Hold on!" Logan rushed for the man only to watch as he was jerked into the mouth as it closed down tearing into him like a blender sending the parts flying into the cave. Logan paled along with the other two men as the maw twisted in on itself until it was a writhing mass of long thick arms that all twisted like a mop rushing at the men growling and roaring with the sound of lions drowning. Logan was in total astonishment, this being was nothing he had ever seen before, he couldn't move couldn't breath. For the first time in years he was frozen in total fear. The beast rose in-front of the man shifting once again into a spiked ball of black bloody fangs that threatened to pierce him and join his body to the endless carnage of the cave. Logan felt his blood run cold as the beast was inches from running him through.
'NO!' the terrifying beast roared in pain as a wave of fire engulfed it burning the writhing missed place parts. Logan broke from his shock and saw that the wolf sword pierced the beast before it could tear him apart. Logan acted immediately and pulled the blade from within the beast and roared slashing the blade into it's flesh.
'RRRAAAAGHGH!' the beast moaned in pain as it burned and slowly stopped it's movement until it was nothing but a pile of ashes. Logan keeled down as the beast died and faded away. He turned his head to see both Squall and Charles on their knees as well, not able to handle what they just seen. Logan shook his head and bit his lip. He turned his head to the end of the cave where the beast once guarded, a small purple light glowed in the distance. To him it was a glimmer of hope.
"We got to keep going." he turned to the others and helped them to their feet when he did the limbs inside the cave started to burn in the same fire he used to kill the monster while a few others transformed into little glowing fish that rushed around Logan as if thanking him, then flew out back to the waters away from this nightmare of a cave. Quietly the three continued walking in the direction of the light hoping to not see another horror.
'Well well. I haven't seen you in ages, Charles.' Startled by the sudden voice the group fell as if the ground beneath them vanished sending them deep into a new cave system. This place was not as frightening, four purple fires burned within the large square shaped cave, on the bottom of the cave was a thin line of black water that seemed to reflect everything inside. Logan looked up to see that they seemed to have fallen from miles up, the cave went up for miles into darkness with no sight other then black. 'Welcome to my domain my dear friends.'
"Who's there!?" shouted Logan readying the blade to tear into whatever would come his way. The disembody voice laughed as something small and round fell from the endless ceiling. Landing softly on the ground before them. The thing uncoiled and started to grow into the form of a man with ink black skin and no face.
'I do believe one of you knows my name… is in that right, Charles?' Logan looked back to see the bald man glaring at the dark form in-front of them with anger he never witnessed before from the usually calm man.
"Amahl..." Charles growled out as a purple light emitted from his hands sparking with vengeance. The dark form opened it's mouth to show a row of shining white fangs that curled into a sick and demented smile.
'Oh, so you remember me I see…' the voice continued to speak but it seemed like it wasn't coming from the inky body. 'I oh so loved that body, it takes ever so long to make one you know… but the past is in the past, may I ask what you are doing in my little abode?'
"We're looking for Abbadon's body. We know he's dead." Said Squall, the inky body smiled wider if possible.
'Dead you say? That's funny, you think a god can die?' the inky body rose it's hand high and snapped it's fingers, the ground began to rattle and shake as a large round ball rose from the mirror like water. The ball seemed to be a translucent egg with a large infant serpent resting safely inside. 'such a pathetic form don't you think? A demon came to the realm of death and managed to place a curse on the godling.' the inky body smirked and squeezed his fist making the serpent inside writhe in pain. 'With him indisposed the way his is, I am now the ultimate power within the realm! All will bow to me! The new god of death!'
"You are no god Amahl. Release the serpent at once!" the inky form laughed at Charles and the egg lowered until it was closer to the smaller being who drooled just looking at it.
'...Never.' the being's mouth widened five times the size of it's body until it was just as big as the egg which it swallowed whole. 'You want this egg? Then take it!' the inky being began to grow and grow until it was the size of a building all while chanting 'I am the darkness! I am destruction I am the shadow king!' the huge being slammed it's hand down barley missing the group as the fell backwards into the thin water. 'You think you can stand against me!? I just consumed the death god! What do you think you can do!?'
"You are not the only one who is empowered in this realm Amahl!" Charles' eyes glowed with power as metal spartan like armor covered his body. A large sword and shield formed within his hands as he charged at the monstrous shadow. "I defeated you once and I will do it again!"
'You will fall into darkness Xavier!' the two to titanic beings fought slashing at each other without mercy. The battle was so intense that Logan and Squall could barley stop themselves from getting stepped on by the two feuding titans. The fight was going well for Xavier when he pinned the shadow to the wall of the cave by his sword. 'AGH!'
"It's over!" the shadow laughed chocking on it's thick black blood.
'You will never 'Cough' release the serpent from it's bonds. 'wheeze' the demon's spell will never be broken. You… have… failed…..' the shadowy being disintegrated into the reflective pool leaving the egg to drift in the pool safe and free. Xavier returned to his normal size and lift the egg setting it upright. Logan and Squall rushed to the egg and just stared helplessly.
"What do we do?" ask Logan, Charles and Squall seemed just as lost as he was.
"...Mother says he is still alive in there… but.. she doesn't know how to let it out." Squall sat crossed legged confused. Logan lift the wolf sword and placed the blunt side to his forehead.
"Come on pup… we need you." as if to answer the blade forced itself up pulling Logan's arm forcing him to stab the egg. "Pup!?" the egg became engulfed in flames, the shell peeled off the infant serpent letting it fall gently into the water. The snake wiggled in the water and started to slither upright. "Cute."
'Pleassse no patronizing, I fill sssslily assss it isss.' the serpent sighed, Logan felt sorry for the little thing. From the way Devlin praised the great snake and to see what it became now must be a real insult to him.
"My bad..." the serpent smiled and slithered up to him eyeing the blade with fascination.
'I owe you ssssso much, that little whelp would have ssssiphoned my power and thrown the depthssss into madnesss…. There isss nothing I can do to return Devlin to the living… i'm sssorry.' Logan paled and ran his hand down the blunt side of the sword.
"… Take me instead." the serpent eyed the man curiously.
'You would give your life for my brother?' Logan smiled genuinely.
"I'd give anything for him." the serpent beamed with joy.
'Then there iss a way! You musssst underssstand firssst that it issss impossssible for ssssomeone to be brought back more then thrice without damaging the ssssoul. However if you were to give a sssmall piece of your lifeforce to Devlin then it will be posssssible to bring him back… what do you ssssay? If you do thisss it may take your life… it isss your dissension.' Logan smiled knowing full well what he was about to do.
"I'll do anything for him… anything."
'Assss you wisssh.'
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Logan stood over Devlin's body, the boy was wheezing and his wound was still dripping blood. Logan pulled a small pearl from his pocket and held it to his heart, the moment it touched his chest Logan doubled over in pain, the small pearl began to glow a shine blue, the more it glowed the more it brought pain to Logan.
"AGHAG!" screeming in agony he waited for the pearl to stop only for it to continue for five long horrible minutes. Logan panted as the pearl finally separated from his chest falling to the ground along with Logan himself. He pant and gasped in pain as he tried to stand. He hesitantly picked up the pearl glaring at the menacingly innocent looking object. "Dam snake! This better work..."
Logan took a deep breath and placed the pearl on the wound he waited for a minute only for nothing to happen.
"Come on… please!" He repositioned the pear to no avail, even ripping open the wound and placing it inside much to Devlin's displeasure. "Sorry pup, the dam snake didn't give me great directions…" Logan pounded the table when nothing changed. "DAM IT!" he keeled down feeling like he failed his puppy. The one person in his life that brought him out of his depression was laying there lifeless and hurting. "Dam it..."
"You..." Logan stood up and looked over Devlin's body hopefully. The pearl was melting inside the wound effectively closing it. Devlin's eyes fluttered open and smiled happily at the gruff man. "You really shouldn't… swear so much…"
"Heh...heheheh Heheheaahe!" Logan laughed tears ran down his face as he pulled Devlin into a tight embrace.
"I Missed you too." Devlin smiled and kissed the older man's cheek. "I'm… super tired... Can we go to bed?" Logan smirked.
"I spent a day in hell to save you pup… we'll go to bed but we ain't sleeping." Devlin blushed at the predatory look in Logan's, before he could say anything Logan pressed his lips hard on the boy's who gasped allowing the man to dart his tongue into his mouth. Devlin's mind exploded! When Logan's tongue danced around his mouth he felt like he was dieing again only happily. When Logan parted the kiss Devlin was beat red. "...Pup?"
"!" Devlin couldn't answer, he could only faint in Logan's arms with a big goofy smile plastered on his face.
"…. Oops."
/X-men\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Sorry for the wait peoples
been having technical problems…
plus Vex has been trying to take over again and I only said yes if you guys want to see some of his work back, [Note he can get very dirty so if you say you want him back then expect this fic to go in the M ratings soon.]
also if you want any characters added to the fic just say who in the comments.
Happy 'after' Valentines day all!