Work Text:
As Charles looked across his desk he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride seeing how well his first three students had turned out. Jean, Storm and Scott had been with him for years now. They had come to him a little broken from all the hate they had endured but now? They were strong, compassionate people who had eagerly followed him and helped with his dream of peaceful coexistence with non mutants. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'm sure Logan is fine though. You know he likes to get away, that once in awhile he needs to be on his own." They had come to him letting him know some of the students were worried about Logan. He could understand their worry, Logan had never been away for more than a couple weeks at a time before. Now it had been almost four months.
"Yes Charles, we know that" Storm replied to him "and we told the students as much but it did little to soothe their worry." Her and Jean had been worried for a lit bit about him themselves. The man could be difficult to deal with at times but he was family to her. She hadnt cared for his gruff, oftentimes rude manner but after observing him for a few weeks and seeing how he was around the children she realized a lot of the way he presented himself was an act, to protect himself from being hurt. He had proven on numerous cases to be an honest and fiercely loyal friend. "Its just that he's never been gone this long before and with no word from him. It's....concerning to Jean and I as well."
Scotts expression soured at her words, not liking that they were worried about that animal, especially Jean but he kept quiet. He knew voicing his opinion would do him no favors here.
"When is the last time you heard from him Professor?" Jean inquired. She had tried to reach out several times to Logan with her telepathy but got nothing. That wasnt that strange but added with the amount of time he had been gone and that no one else had heard from him made her a little worried. Before he would check in, just to let everyone know he was well. "Maybe you could use Cerebro? You dont have to actually contact him, just sense his presence? Then we could settle the students nerves."
"I haven't spoken with him since the second week. Yes Jean, I think that is an excellent idea. Would you all like to accompany me down there?" He felt a little foolish and embarrassed. Here he was, the most powerful telepath on earth and he had not picked up on everyone's unease at Logan being gone for so long. With Logan's healing ability and skills he normally didn't worry to much about the man. He felt a sudden flush of shame at that thought. Logan may be practically indestructible but he still could be hurt or killed and he had feelings too, just like everyone. He was just better at hiding them. Now that they brought it up to him he was starting to worry some himself.
Jean looked to Storm and Storm nodded her head. "Yes professor, we'd like that. Thank you for this. It will definitely help to put the students minds at ease." She left out it would help alleviate her and Storm's worries as well.
"Yeah, then I could quit hearing everyone moan and groan about missing that beast" Scott said earning glares from the two women and a frown from the professor. "What? It's not like he can't take care of himself. You'd have to be a real animal to take him down." The guy was garbage, less than that as far as he was concerned. A danger to anyone near him.
"Scott, that's enough." Charles and everyone else had to constantly deal with Scotts dislike of the man. "He's a part of this school, team and family. Now lets get down there." As he headed to the door he felt a slight pressure against his mind. He looked over at Jean this was a new sensation to him. [No professor. I felt that too and was about to ask you the same] As he continued to the door he heard and felt a voice in his head 'HELP ME!' He cried out, grabbing his head with both hands and nearly fell out of his wheelchair. Jean cried out as well, slumping to the floor.
"Jean!" Scott yelled in a panic, rushing to her side as Storm rushed to Xaviers. He didnt know what was happening but with the professor reacting like Jean he figured it was some kind of pyschic attack but who had the power to do this to them? They were the two most powerful telepaths on earth.
After a few seconds Jean was ok, albeit leaning a little on Scott to help maintain her balance and the professor was ok or not physically hurt at least.
"Goddess!!!" Exclaimed Storm, fear and worry for her friends clear on her face. "Charles, what was that? What happened?" When he raised his head and his eyes met hers she gasped, he had tears streaming down his face and that truly terrified her. In all the time she knew him, all the trials they faced together she had never seen him cry, ever. She glanced to Jean and saw tears in her eyes as well. "Charles!" She said a little more forcefully, trying to bring his mind in focus.
Kitty came bursting in at that moment in complete panic "Professor..." and stopped, stunned at what she was seeing, the professor and Jean crying. "Professor, somethings happened, all the telepaths and Rogue just collasped! Whats going on?"
Jean and the Professor answered at the same time "Logan."
"What? He doesnt have that ability and if he did why would he attack you guys?" Kitty was confused, this made no sense. Wolverine would never hurt them.
Charles answered her "No he doesn't and he wasn't attacking" he took a breath as tears continued to fall down his face. "He was crying out for help" and with that he broke down. The pain, fear, hopelessness and despair he felt in Logans call overwhelming him. He had never felt anything like it. He didnt want to think of what could have made the strongest man he ever knew cry out like that. "Kitty, phase me to the lower levels, NOW! The rest of you check on the students then meet me there."
*****
As Charles left Cerebro he saw them waiting anxiously outside the doors. Jean, Storm, Rogue, Kitty and Scott. They all wore worried expressions, even Scott but Charles did a quick read and saw Scott had no concern for Logan, none. His concern was for Jean. If he wasnt so devastated he'd be angry with the young man.
"Charles?" Asked Storm, leaving the rest of her question unasked. She feared to hear his answer. Jean had shown her in her mind what Charles and she had felt in Logan's plea for help and it terrified her. She couldn't imagine what must have happened for Logan to cry out for help like that. The emotions in his cry had buckled her knees.
"Where is he!?" Rogue cried. When she felt it she knew right away who it was, she didnt know how he did it but that didn't matter. Logan needed her, them and now. As Kitty hugged her she went on "We have to help him!!!" She had absorbed Logan before so she was aware of the pain he'd suffered but this was different, he wasnt just in physical pain, the mental anguish was unlike anything she'd ever felt.
Jean was silent, unable to speak. Logan had never been in so much pain as he was when he cried out for them, not even when Magneto had ripped the adamantium from his body. She was having a hard time thinking about anything else beside the pain Logan had been feeling. It made her feel sick.
"Everyone needs to calm down" interjected Scott, clearly annoyed at the concern over that loser. "So what mess has he gotten himself into this time that he needs our help with? Seriously Professor, he's not worth the effort."
They all turned to him, outrage and disbelief on their faces.
"You shut your mouth you bastard!" Rogue screamed, taking a glove off and leaping at him but Kitty and Storm were quicker, grabbing her arms to keep her from Scott. "He's ten times the man you'll ever be you insecure prick!"
Scott smiled smugly "See Professor, look at the effect he has on the students here. Where ever he is you should just leave him there. Its his mess and we're better off without him."
Jean gasped, then turned to Scott and smacked him right in the face, rage evident on her face "How dare you! He's saved all of our lives numerous times, jumping in front of us to take a blow that would've killed us! How many times has he saved your sorry ass Scott?" Jean was infuriated and disgusted by him "Everyone here, yourself included knows how much he doesnt like you and you know what? Every time your lifes been on the line he's put that aside, to save you. How many times has he ended up nearly dead, in the medlab because he saved you, all of us?"
Scott rubbed his cheek, shocked that Jean struck him "You slapped me? Over that piece of filth?" He was angry now "He's worth less than the muck I wipe off my boots before coming inside the mansion."
"Scott, I'm only going to say this once" Storm warned in a low, dangerous voice. The lights in the hallway started to flicker. She had had enough of him and his bad mouthing of Logan, especially under these circumstances. Her eyes began to turn a milky white, her and everyone else's hair starting to stand from the electric charge she was gathering into herself, she was struggling to maintain control "If you say one more bad thing about Logan, no, just one more word period, I will make you regret ever being born."
"Scott, leave now" commanded the Professor "You are not needed here."
Scott looked to the Professor shocked "But professor..."
"No!" Charles yelled. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself "I have heard enough from you. You've made your thoughts and feelings very clear on Logan. Since you're not concerned about him you are no longer needed here."
Scott just huffed and looked to Jean "You coming?" He was over this Logan business.
"Did I smack you too hard?" Jean answered him with venom in her voice. She had never felt like this toward him, the urge to do more than smack him was growing every second she was near him "Did I damage the few brain cells you have? I'm not going anywhere. Logan needs us."
Storm, eyes still white and her body trembling with the effort it took her to hold her power in looked over at him "You heard her and Charles. Leave now or you may not get the chance to do so again."
Scott sensed her seriousness and decided he should leave "Come find me when you're done here Jean, worrying about that..." He never got to finish the words as he was suddenly lifted from the ground and flung twenty feet down the hallway.
"I warned you Scott" Storm said as she glided towards him. "I gave you every chance but you just couldn't help yourself, could you? And now you're going to pay for your mouth."
Scott looked up at her, fear making it impossible to speak. Storm was always in control, she never lashed out like this. Just another by product of having that savage around.
"Storm, no" called Charles calmly, though the fool boy, and thats what he was cause a man wouldnt act this way, had it coming. "I think he's finally taken the hint" Charles watched as Scott got up and ran down the hallway.
"Did you find him?" Pleaded Rogue, desperate to get to Logan, to help him. "The pain he's in....Professor, please tell me you know where he is" she sobbed, barely holding it together.
"I know Rogue, I know" Charles told her with sympathy in his words. He knew exactly how she was feeling "I know his location."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, he needs us" Kitty said shakily. She didnt know exactly what was going on but by the looks of Jean, Rogue and the Professor she knew it was bad.
"We are Kitty. I just need to explain something to you all before you go get him" Xavier answered his young student. "I was not able to sense his mind at all but I reached out to some friends in the intelligence community and they found him for us."
"What do you mean you couldn't sense his mind Professor?" Jean asked softly, afraid of the answer she was going to get. Even with his strong mental blocks keeping them out the Professor had always been able to sense his presence but now that he couldn't even do that, it made her fear the worst had happened. Tears falling freely down her face she had to know, so she asked "Is....is he....is he gone?"
Upon hearing those words a wail escaped Rogues mouth and she slumped to the floor "No, no, no! He can't be dead. He can't!!!" Kitty and Storm sunk to the floor beside her, wrapping their arms around her shaking form, trying to comfort her as well as each other.
"Oh, no. I'm so sorry Rogue! He is alive" Charles felt guilty for not making it clear at the start that Logan is alive. "I only wanted to warn you all to be careful. We dont know what his physical state is or his mental one. He may have regressed to his feral state."
"But Professor, the times that has happened before you have always been able to sense his presence" Storm was confused, not knowing what to think.
"Yes Storm and that is why I want you all to be careful. We dont know exactly what you will be walking into. My contacts told me the facility is empty except for Logan." Charles told her.
"Facility" Rogue said flatly, anger replacing her fear for the moment. "He was captured by someone? Someone did...put him in that kind of pain?"
"I'm afraid so Rogue. That is all I know. We'll learn more once we have him." Charles choked down a sob and continued "Now go, quickly please. Bring him home."
*****
They were all quiet in the Blackbird, the four women lost in their own thoughts and worry for Logan, while they approached their destination, where Logan was being held. Finally they had reached it, quicker than usual because Storm had pushed the plane to its limit.
"I just want to be clear with everyone here" Rogue started, putting her fear and worry down, rage replacing them "I am bringing him out of there, bringing him home. And I'll kill anyone who gets in my way." Nothing was going to stop her, nothing.
Storm walked over to her "I know child, I know" she looked over to Jean and Kitty and they both nodded their agreement. With a simmering fury she told Rogue "We are all agreed. We will bring him home and the Goddess have mercy on any who dare to stand in our way."
"Once we get in there, If anyone tries to stop us, don't hold back. You strike and strike hard, merciless, like Logan would. People who would do this deserve no mercy." Jean was usually the calm one, keeping others from going to far but this was different. "Whoever did this deserves to feel our wrath." And with that they all exited the plane.
"Jean, how close are we to his cell?" Storm spoke softly. They hadn't ran into any personnel yet and that made her afraid that they had got here to late. That Logan had already been moved to another location. The thought made her feel sick.
"According to the info the Professor gave us he should be right here, behind this door" Jean replied, feeling the same unease and worry that Storm was. The thought of him not being here, still being in their hands brought more tears to her eyes but she pushed it down, she could cry once he was home, safe.
"Well lets get him" Rogue said, ready to rip the door of the hinges.
Kitty placed a soft hand on Rogues arm, halting her movement towards the door. "Wait Rogue, hold on for a second. Jean, do you sense him in there?"
Jean reached out with her mind, probing for the familiar feel of Logans pysche "No but the professor couldn't sense him either so it doesnt mean he isnt in there." This whole situation didn't make sense, this close she should be able to feel him.
Storm was beginning to worry, fear threatening to take over "Kitty, do you mind?" She prayed to the Goddess that he was in there.
Kitty didnt even reply, just leaned forward and phased the top half of her body through the door. She quickly popped back out, turning away and vomiting.
"Kitty! What's wrong?" A panicked Rogue asked. Kitty's reaction was freaking her out, it felt like her heart might burst through her chest.
Kitty wiped her mouth and turned to them, barely able to speak "My god.....he....help him please!" And she turned back around, puking some more.
Rogue grabbed the door, ripped it off its hinges and threw it down the hallway "We are here....Jesus!" She had to turn away, the sight of him was horrific. He was laying on a table, arms out from his body, his legs spread and he had basically been dissected, the skin peeled away to reveal his insides. His eyes open, he just stared at the ceiling, not even moving as they entered the room.
"Logan!" Jean cried, running to his side. "What have they done to you?" She felt exactly the same as Kitty and Rogue but she knew she had to hold it together, to get him out of there and to help. "Logan? Can you hear me? Please, give us some sign." But he just laid there, oblivious to the events occurring around him.
"Jean, why isnt he healing?" Storm was sickened by what had been done to him. It was worse than she could have ever imagined. "Is he awake? His eyes are open."
"Because of this" Jean focused her TK and snapped the inhibitor collar from around his neck and removed the pins that was holding his skin back. "I....I dont know if he is awake. When I look in his mind....there is nothing there."
"God, he's not dead? Please tell me he's not dead!!!" Screamed Kitty as she walked back into the room.
"No, no he isn't. I can sense his heartbeat" Jean sighed in mild relief. "Look, there, as slow as it is his body is already healing."
"What do you mean there's nothing there" a hysterical Rogue asked. This couldn't be happening, not to him.
"I dont understand either Rogue" Jean told the other woman. She laid a hand on his cheek, caressing his face. "We must get him home, immediately. The Professor can help him, I'm sure of it." The truth was she didnt know if that was true or not, but they needed to get him home and she needed the other women focused to do that.