Unchained Instinct ( Complete)

Here we go, folks. Things are starting to get very "unfluffy."


Chapter 22


Mystique watched from high above, her bird persona sitting on a branch where she could watch not only the front entry of the mansion, but also the open garage doors where Logan worked, his head stuck under the hood of a car.

She watched Gambit drive up looking casual in fitted jeans and tee shirt, watched Kurt open the door and let Gambit in. Several minutes later, Gambit and Rogue came out, climbed into the sports car and drove away.

Mystique smiled to herself. Her plans were slipping into place nicely.

She had listened by night to conversations, waiting for the perfect moment to make her move and sooner than she had expected, everything was coming together as if the stars had aligned just for her.

Next, she saw Kurt appear in the garage, keys in hand. The girls, Kitty and Amara were with him as well as two of the boys, Roberto and Sam, all carrying suitcases. Logan looked up and straightened, each of the girls hugging him goodbye with handshakes for the boys.

Then Kurt wrapped his arms around Logan, the two kissing without even caring about the others standing nearby.

“I’ll be back in a while,” Kurt said with a lingering touch of Logan’s face.

“Be careful, elf and you kids have a good time visitin’ your parents,” was Logan’s reply, pulling Kurt close for another kiss.

How can you stand his touch, my son? How can you tolerate this man who violated you so horribly?

Brain washed. That had to be the answer and Logan would be punished. Oh yes, he would pay for his crimes just as Victor was...only with a twist.

Perfect. Rogue was out of the way. Kurt was out of the way. And there was Storm helping Charles into his Rolls Royce, heading for some important meeting somewhere with Storm chauffeuring.

The fewer X-Men she had to deal with the less trouble she’d have setting her plan in motion. She’d already seen Scott and Jean leaving for what appeared to be the day.

Everything was ready; place, purpose. Now, all she needed was her victim. And he stood in the garage watching Kurt’s SUV drive away.

Mystique watched another moment until Logan turned back to the car he was working on, oblivious to her presence.

She took to the air on dark wings, heading to her latest lair. Setting down outside the abandoned factory, Mystique morphed back into herself. Glancing around, she noted the details of her plan, clicking them off in her head one by one. The additions she’d needed hadn’t taken long to acquire and install, the location perfect for her clandestine purposes. Now she just needed to wait a few more minutes, just to make sure everyone was long gone from the mansion.

Impatient, Mystique pulled out a cell phone and let her body make it’s next transition. With a smile, she punched in the number and the line began to ring.

*******************

The phone rang once, twice, three time and Logan let out a groan.

Where was everybody?

He wiped his hands clean and strode over to the wall phone near the elevator door. “Xavier Institute. Who ya lookin’ for?”

“Logan! Oh gawd! Ah’m so glad Ah got you and not somebody else.”

“Rogue? What’s the matter?”

“That jerk up and left me in the middle of nowhere.”

Logan let out a growl. “I’ll kill that Cajun when I catch him. What happened? Where are you?”

“Ah don’t know what happened. Ah guess he found out Ah really couldn’t touch him and he lost interest fast. Got mad and just dumped me here.”

“Where, Rogue? I’ll come and get ya.”

“Oh Logan. Please don’t tell anybody. Ah’m so embarrassed.”

“Nobody needs to know nothin’,” Logan offered gently. The girl didn’t need any guff from him, but he was sorely tempted to say ‘I told ya so.’ “Now, where are you?”

“The old abandoned factory out on Miley Road.”

“What the he—?”

“Aw Logan. Please don’t ask. Ah feel like a complete idiot for thinkin’ that Cajun could be one of us.”

“Okay. Okay. I’m headin’ out on the bike. I should be there in ‘bout a half hour. Hang on. Logan’s comin’ to the rescue.”

“Thanks. Yer the best.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” The line clicked off and Logan let out a sigh. These kids still weren’t ready to take care of themselves.

He slammed the hood closed on the car he’d been working on and headed for his Norton, securing a second helmet onto the back. Kicking the starter, the motorcycle roared to life and Logan strapped his own helmet on. He shoved the bike off it’s stand and headed out the garage and down the long drive. The gate opened at his beckoning and Logan turned the bike towards Miley Road.

The late May afternoon was perfect, the sky as blue as sapphires, the air soft and warm to the touch. But Logan’s mind was on Rogue...and Gambit.

Buddy boy, you are in big trouble when I get a hold a you. I warned ya. Nobody treats my kids like that and gets away with it.

The curving road swung through newly planted fields, copse of trees obscuring the view around bends in the road. More than ten miles out, the road ended abruptly at the gates of the old smelting factory, abandoned back in the ‘70's and never reclaimed. Stories circulated about the place being haunted because of a terrible accident that killed nine guys. But there was no documentation...just wild stories made up by kids to scare each other.

Logan slowed and maneuvered through the broken down gate, his gaze searching for Rogue.

“Where the hell did ya go, kid?” he muttered.

He rode around a loading dock and there was Rogue sitting on the edge, her feet dangling.
She waved when she saw him and jumped down. Logan stopped the bike and climbed off, pulling his helmet off as he did so.

“Why didn’t ya wait at the gate?” he asked.

Rogue shrugged. “There was no place to sit. Ah knew ya’d find me with no trouble.”

He went to her and looked her over. “Ya okay?”

She looked out from under her eyelashes, looking contrite. “Ah’m fine. But Ah’m gonna kick that Gambit’s ass next time Ah see ‘im.”

Logan grinned. “That’s my girl. Come on. We’d better get you back home.” He turned and headed back towards the bike.

A sting of pain caught Logan between the shoulder blades, another lodging near the left kidney. He turned to find the source of the annoyance only to feel the same sting three more times hit him in the chest and stomach.

Rogue stood there with a dart rifle, aiming at him again. Logan tumbled sideways, trying to avoid another shot. Three missed, but as he rolled, he felt another dart strike him in the thigh.

Rolling up to his feet, Logan already felt the pull of the drugs, confusion and betrayal adding to the mix. He stumbled forward, trying to stay on his feet, but his vision blurred and darkened, blurred and cleared. He looked into eyes full of hatred and malevolence and a smile flashed across Rogue’s face, the kind of smile Rogue would never wear.

“There’s enough sedative in one of those darts to put down a bull moose, Logan.” Rogue’s form shifted, the southern drawl turning to smug triumph.

His legs gave way under him and Logan struggled against the drugs, pushing up to his knees.
“Mystique,” Logan choked out, even his throat going numb. The ground felt as if it had collapsed beneath him, his arms giving way.

“Six should keep you down for a while,” Mystique continued. “Though I’d be happy to shoot you again if it becomes necessary.”

“Where’s...Rogue?” Logan gasped out, hanging onto consciousness by a thread.

“Rogue? Out on a dinner date with the dashing Gambit. I’m certain she’s having a very good time.”

“You...bitch.” He heard her come closer, his head sagging to the ground. Just a little closer and maybe he could get a hold of her...choke the life out of her.

“You just don’t go down easily, do you, Logan?” He heard the snick of the rifle and at point blank range, Mystique shot him twice more. The pain was an explosion, the dart points ripping flesh and embedding deep into his back.

Mere darkness turned his thoughts to empty regrets and Logan sank into endless black of night.