Return of Weapon X

Chapter 2

'He couldn’t focus on anything. Nothing made sense to him.

Pain...

His mind was hurting.

His body was hurting, constantly aching.

Why?

Why…

Pain!

What have they done to me!'

Logan's eyes snapped open and his claws out. That wasn't good; it felt too close to an animalistic state of panic. But where did that come from? What exactly was done to him in order to get that reaction out of him and so quickly? And more importantly, who did this to him?

He wasn't born with adamantium claws.

Snarling slightly he forced himself to stand up and get off of the ground where he slept leaning against his motorcycle hidden from the road. Glaring at the ground he had to will himself just to calm down enough to slide his claws from view. Not to mention he had to get his breathing in control. This wasn’t good. He had to get a hold of himself, the last thing he needed or wanted was to snap. But then again, where better? He wasn’t around anyone and there was no one to annoy him which would only bring his anger onto them. Like it did with Summers and Hank.

Growling quietly to himself he decided on what he was going to do, pushing his bike further into the woods and out of view. Sure that no one would stumble on it by accident and that it was close enough to the road for him to leave later on, Logan took off deeper into the woods. Letting himself go as his inner animal howled in glee. He left his shirt and shoes behind as well. So all he felt underneath his feet was the ground.

It was exhilarating. And dangerous.

'Erase his memories…'

Logan wasn’t sure where any of this was coming from, all he knew was that he hated that voice and it sounded familiar. Too familiar. Snarling angrily he pushed himself harder as he weaved through trees and bushes uncaring whether or not branches hit him or if he stepped on rocks or anything sharp. He had to out run this, he had to kill something! Anything! Almost like a blessing he caught the scent of a bear, the scent wasn’t even an hour old, but it was starting to fade. That will do.

Logan tracked it down, it wasn’t hard. He knew how to track animals down better than most. Hell, he was your go too guy when you wanted something found. For the most part, but not when it came to his memories. His own god damn memories! Those were more elusive then good beer in a cheap bar! Baring his teeth he quickly approached it from its left. It was grazing, alone. No cubs in sight or in the general area. It was obviously either male or without any cubs. Not that it would have stopped Logan now.

No, now he wasn’t really fighting and killing as a man would, with the reasoning a man would need. If they needed a reason at all.

No now it was his mutant namesake. The animal. The Wolverine.

A roar ripped out of his throat, primitive and far from human. It startled the bear, but didn’t scare it away. With a roar of its own and standing on its back legs to look bigger it swiped at Wolverine who had speed on his side and dodged. The bear looking bigger than he is done nothing but stir him on even more. Letting a grim, but cruel smile slide onto his features Wolverine attacked again with a snarl catching the bear at the side, but getting caught by the bear as it gone down on all four.

For the moment Wolverine was pinned on the ground and being gnawed on. That wouldn’t do. Growling he ripped himself from its mouth causing more pain and more rage to come to the surface as he attacked again with fierceness only the bear could match. The fight between a natural animal and an unnatural animal continued, frightening the surrounding animals and birds out of the area.

It didn’t last long once the boiling rage took hold of Wolverine. And the bear was nothing more than food for scavengers. He didn’t feel any regret. It was either the bear or several people who made the foolish mistake of crossing his path. He had to wash the blood off, he couldn’t go anywhere smelling and looking like he rolled in blood. That would bring more trouble then its worth. Shaking his head, forcing the last remnants of the Wolverine away, back into his mind like a horrible shadow it was he continued towards a stream he caught sight of a couple miles back.

~_~ Next Section ~_~

Professor Xavier sat beside a healing Scott who was now allowed out of the infirmary as well as Hank. But Hank would no doubt stick around; he was rather fond of the laboratories down here.

“I’m glad he’s gone…” Scott managed though bitterness and a tint of betrayed trust clearly heard in his voice. Logan wasn’t an X-Man for long, only for a year including his escape to search for memories after the whole thing with Magneto and the Brotherhood. So far, Magneto was still jailed in his plastic prison. So far. Scott hoped he would stay there; he didn’t want or need more trouble the man could cause.

“Scott…” Professor Xavier started, sounding both understanding and diplomatic. He couldn’t blame Scott for the feelings he was emitting though. The man could easily be diagnosed with post traumatic syndrome. He will have to get a proper therapist in here that could help Scott and Hank should they need it. Or even if they don’t, he’d rather be safe then sorry. He didn’t want any pro-longing harm come to his X-Men. That would be detrimental to every goal the X-Men have.

“He’s not trustworthy, he proved that much already! He attacked me, tried to kill me and attacked Hank when he tried to help me. I’m thankful that Hank decided to join not too long after Logan went to Alkali Lake.” Scott fumed, this wasn’t really his nature to be outspoken like this about someone. Especially someone the Professor chosen because he trusted and believed in the man’s choices. But with Logan, he couldn’t help, but question and wonder if his fellow mutant was either an animal or a man. Sometimes he swore you couldn’t tell the two apart with the grouchy moods that could end with a brawl. Damn. He hated this situation.

“You also have to understand, Logan is under a lot of strain from…” Professor Xavier said after a few minutes, he let Scott come down a little first before he tried to make his point. He was worried, would this mean there would be no choice in keeping the feral as an X-Man? There was no one else who would fit his credentials as both a hero and a killer. And even Professor Xavier understood the need for such actions even though he didn’t like taking such actions.

It didn’t help that his first choice didn’t end so well.

'Professor Xavier sat across a man who spent his first few minutes here eating the raw steak and carving a happy face into the wooden table. He knew who the mutant was, and he knew that it wouldn’t sit well with his students at first to have such a man from their past in their midst. But who better to get the deeds done that needed to be done as well as bettering himself and the world around him? Perhaps his goals were a little farfetched and not realistic, but he had to try. 

“Mr. Creed…” Professor Xavier started when he was interrupted by a cold firm correction from his current guest, 

“Sabretooth.”

Odd mutant name, dangerous and threatening. Purposely done no doubt for that reason alone. Most do.

“Very well. Sabretooth, I’m here to make a proposition.” Professor Xavier calmly stated, not letting himself be disturbed by the fact that his guest was eating the meat raw and uncaring whether or not the blood from the steak ran down his chin or dripped from his claws. 

“Oh? An’ wha’ would that be?” Sabretooth mockingly said, Professor Xavier wanted to frown at the tone of the man’s voice, but kept his face schooled.

“To join my cause, to become one of the first X-Men.” Professor Xavier calmly explained without missing a beat, almost like he was used to such uncouth behavior at a table. 

“Team X, X-Men. Wow, seems like I’m getting’ all the invitations to club X. What for? What’s in this for me.” Sabretooth taunted with a sneer, despite the taunting tone there was no humor in the man’s eyes at the moment. And he got straight to the point, something Professor Xavier could come to respect.

“Well, to answer your first question. What for. By joining you will be doing something great, something that would no doubt change the very future everyone shares at some point or another. As for what’s in it for you, you get to better yourself and learn how to utilize your mutation to its fullest extent and then push yourself further.” Professor Xavier calmly explained as he folded his hands on his lap and waited for an answer. It was going to be either yes or no. 

Silence accompanied by a cold calculating expression directed his way. He couldn’t help, but note how the light seemed to reflect in Sabretooth’s eyes, it reminded him of a cat. And the cold calculating look did more to remind him of such, it made him think that the man was trying to figure out if he wanted to kill him or play with him like a cat would to a lowly mouse. The man obviously had a superiority complex. But he could work with that.

“If you don’t, that’s quite fine. I have another choice, perhaps you’ve met him. He was after all, for a time, a part of Team X.” Professor Xavier calmly said after he got no answer right away. Seven times out of ten this was a good way of getting an answer. He pushed a folder over to the man who looked at it with a mixture of curiosity and disinterest. 

That got a reaction. A negative one that was filled with both hatred and killing intent. Something else, buried deep underneath the rage. Hurt? He couldn’t be too sure without taking a deeper look. And that stood against what Professor Xavier believed in.'

Professor Xavier was torn from his memory when Scott exclaimed,

“From what? What could have caused his reaction?!”

That was to be expected. Folding his hands in his lap he eyed his chosen replacement when he has to retire from his line of work. He already groomed the man to be a fine leader, and he knew that Scott would lead people properly and truly. He trusted in that fact.

“Nightmares. Memories, his own mutation for example. He has more on is plate than we give him credit for.” Professor Xavier calmly provided as reasons, they would no doubt sound weak in Scott’s ears though. That was to be expected though and proven when a muttered, “Doubtful…” reached his mind when Scott chose not to say anything at all. Verbally anyway.

~_~ Next Section ~_~

He couldn’t believe it, he couldn’t believe that he was allowed to restart this program after such a failure and lose of resources the first time around. But then again, Colonel Stryker wasn’t complaining. He discovered so many different things about mutants, things that only led him to firmly believe that they should be either controlled or eradicated. The ones that will get controlled will be weapons, he already had a list of them made and running about freely.

Or at least, most of them. X-23 was one of the few remaining survivors of the weapons alive. She was still young, unfortunately not to be used against Weapon X yet, but soon. He couldn’t help, but muse on the fact that they would be such good killing partners when he conditions Weapon X again. It was only by luck that they got Weapon X back after the fool tore down the Island with his aggravating psychotic brother. Weapon X was tracked down to Japan with his memories coming back at an alarming rate.

The adamantium bullets didn’t erase his memories, not permanently. Pity. But it did give them clues on what next. And they took those measures when they dragged him to Alkali Lake where they took a man and broke him down into nothing more than a hairy growling savage. After that, when the memories were as good as gone this time for good, they took an animal and made him into a weapon.

An improved and more controlled mutant killer.

The experiments they did on him helped further other experiments and saved the lives of the highest paying clients who needed new organs.

“And I have unlimited resources?” Colonel Stryker hummed, playing the bored look perfectly as he looked out a window. Ignoring the shapeshifter’s eyes on his back. He had his ways of finding out what the senator was, though it wasn’t easy. That’s for sure. Colonel Stryker was rather proud of his abilities in finding things out.

“Yes. Just make sure you don’t screw up this time and it ends up on national news. I can’t be cleaning up after you like the Canadian Government had to twenty years ago with Alkali Lake. And let’s not forget about that incident where you were holding mutant children.” President McKenna spoke, his words were grim like he knew he was doing wrong, but unable to do anything else. He was defeated by this lowly Colonel who had a deep seeded hatred for some reason.

“Thank you Mr. President, you won’t regret this.” Colonel Stryker couldn’t help, but say. He wasn’t a cruel man by nature, but he had his moments. And with victories like this one. Why not?

“Just go.” President McKenna said firmly, angrily. He hated every minute of this; the man’s presence was like poison that brought on suffering. It didn’t help when he knew the man’s record in the military and secret operations. They should have never let the man put together Team X. Those poor souls.

“Very well. Have a good day gentlemen.” Colonel Stryker said as he proudly left the room. This situation was too good to be true.