Wicked Game

(*everything seems to be working today, so here's the rest of the chapter. enjoy*)

disclaimer: don't own the x-men, just having fun =)

note: I had a lot of fun with this chappie, Logan/Scott dialogues are always just that - fun.

All mistakes are mine...

... and fb, comments, a friendly word; anything's welcome (except flames of course) =)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As much as he loved going on motorcycle trips, this wasn’t something Logan enjoyed at all. It was just a means to get from one place to another as quickly as possible, and since he didn’t know how to maneuver the X-jet – when the hell was Ororo gonna let him learn that anyway? – he had to take the bike. At least he’d bought his own now; though sometimes just to spite Scott he still borrowed his motorcycle. All for the sheer fun of it, mocking Scott was one thing he did enjoy at all times, well almost.

Pretty sure the rest of the team was following him by now, Logan actually sent them a thought, thinking backup would be a good thing. Fighting and killing Stryker and Magneto while at the same time getting Rogue out of whatever hellhole she had been taken to, Alkali or no Alkali, even he couldn’t pull off something like that. At lest, he had no intention of taking unnecessary risks when it came to saving Rogue, as he intended to free her without getting her hurt in the process. Being torn between the nearly profound and ferocious need to slaughter his two archenemies, and to save the young woman who’d stolen his heart, just seemed to fuel his anger. Did he kill first, or did he get her out of the mess before that?

Just then, Logan noticed that the road had been closed off up ahead, a couple of massive cut down trees blocked the way. Just what he needed, he thought angrily as he pulled up by the side of the road and turned off the engine. It wasn’t that there was no way around the fallen trees, it was just that the whole process of dragging the motorcycle off road slowed him down, and if there was one thing he didn’t have a lot of, it was time.

Then there was something about it all that made Logan uneasy, he sniffed the air for potential threats hiding out in the surrounding woods but there was nothing alert. Trouble was there was no sound either, it was almost too quiet. Strange, he thought wearily, while keeping his senses ready for anything. He frowned and thought about unsheathing the claws for a moment but decided that it wasn’t necessary. Still … there was something … wrong … he could vaguely recognize a faint smell of … something swamp like? As he slowly walked towards the roadblock, traces of another smell reached his nostrils. He frowned even harder the closer he got, not really sure what to make of it … Me? … It was his own scent he’d detected and …

Logan stopped dead in his tracks for a second before closing the gap between him and the barrier in three long strides. No. No. He felt his heart race as he approached the trees and the scent underneath his own grew stronger. He didn’t want to get any closer but he had to. He had to know, and couldn’t stop himself from doing it. Something was horribly wrong, he knew it, Wolverine knew it, and he felt it stick to the back of his mouth, a taste of something foul. No …

Beneath that scent that was him was the flowery one that was her. Her. Rogue’s scent. Something flickered. No, no, no … NO! He could smell her, but the scent was far too weak for him to be comfortable with what he was going to find. Logan shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

The moment he reached the trees he knew why, on the other side he found a box with a nametag attached to it, addressing the package to him. Logan picked it up, and felt like he was slowly being strangled. He could easily pick up on Rogue’s familiar scent, and as he opened the box it flooded toward him. Not wanting to peak inside, he had to force himself to. His hands were trembling and his vision was getting blurred, all he could do was feel her presence. Rogue’s presence. Suddenly, killing Stryker and Magneto didn’t seem enough to him; it wasn’t enough to avenge Rogue. It was never going to be enough. He had feared that what he would find in the box would be something that would give him nightmares, worse than any bad dream he’d ever had, including those he that concerned his past and the experiments done to him in the lab at Alkali Lake.
Because he could smell her blood.

The cell phone rang and nearly made him drop the box.

“Yeah?” he answered angrily.

“Logan, this is Charles.”

“Look … this isn’t a very … good time …”

“She’s not there, Logan, she’s not up at Alkali Lake”, Charles said.

“Rogue? You’ve found her?”

“No, not yet, but we know where she is.”

“Where, where the hell is she?” Logan, demanded. He felt his pulse speed up again.

“The cabins. They brought her there instead of –“

“I already knew that”, he said while staring at the clothes Rogue had been wearing when he’d left her asleep in his room earlier that morning. There were traces of blood and dirt on them. He pressed the t-shirt to his face and inhaled her scent. He was going to kill everyone that had laid a hand on her.

“Logan? Can you hear me? Logan?”

Rogue was not at Alkali Lake, and she was not dead. Not dead.

“Logan, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here …”

“Don’t go anywhere. The jet’s on its way to pick you up.”

“What about Rogue?” he growled, unable to suppress Wolverine any longer.

“Jean and Storm are on their way to help her.”

Logan grunted, and mumbled a goodbye to the Professor and hung up. Waiting impatiently for the X-jet to arrive he walked back to the motorcycle and shoved the ‘surprise’ gift in his rucksack.

So, Rogue was being held captive up at the cabins, but why the hell so close to the mansion? And why the phony note? Grinding his teeth, Logan kept pacing back and forth. Where was the jet? When the hell had Cyke and Kurt planned on showing up? Next year? Logan snorted at the thought of Scott coming to pick him up, and continued the ranting and cursing with his conscience because Scott had better be –

Distant sounds announced the jet was approaching. About fuckin’ time, he thought.

Stalking toward the X-jet, Logan set an angry face – he intended to give Scott a lesson on a few things. Logan knew perfectly well why that ridiculously uptight son of a bitch had volunteered to pick him up. Well, don’t mess with me, or it’ll be the last fuckin’ thing you’ll ever do, Scotty boy.

Kurt and Scott waited patiently for Logan to get the bike on board before they could take off again. Logan hadn’t so much as uttered a ‘thank you’ to them for picking him up, and he wasn’t about to either as he reasoned it was uncalled for as this wasn’t some kind of pleasure trip. Not bothering to fasten the seatbelt, Logan tried to ignore the other two, Scott’s glaring at him and Kurt’s worried looks that darted between his two colleagues. Logan could feel Scott being annoyed at the silence.

“Would you mind?” Scott finally said, motioning for Logan to buckle up.

“Yes I would mind”, Logan simply answered.

Scott sighed irritably. “Fine, have it your way then.”

“Oh, I intend to have it exactly my way, don’t think I won’t.”

“Really? And what is that?”

“You tell me, Scotty, since you seem to be so god damn clever”, Logan said challengingly.

“You know, you are so lucky we even decided to pick you up in the first place. Being an asshole won’t get you anywhere, Logan”, Scott snapped.

“And being you does?” he replied, while trying to suppress a laugh.

“You can’t have it both ways.”

Logan frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Jeannie and Rogue, or are you gonna deny it?” Scott said sweetly.

“What about them?”

Scott shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Fucking both of them won’t make you boyfriend of the year, that’s what I’m talking about.”

Logan stared at him. “What the hell …”

Scott raised his eyebrows in an overly surprised manner. “Ooops, I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud?”

Logan made a sound in his throat and eyed him ferociously.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Logan, you really thought I wasn’t going to find out? Well guess again”, Scott said angrily

“Who told you?” Logan growled.

“A little bird you may say.”

“Who?” Logan inquired.

“You actually think you’re in a position to ask that? You lost that right the moment you decided to cheat on Jean, and take advantage of Rogue, so don’t give me some crap explanation about –“

Scott was effectively silenced by Logan trying to strangle him. He leaned into Scott.

“You really believe I give a shit about what you think? What I do and don’t is my business and mine alone, so stay out of it”, he growled as he squeezed Scott’s neck a little harder. “Stay the fuck out of it. And where do you get off, pretending to be so damn righteous? Don’t you think I’ve seen you hanging, practically drooling, all over two certain young students, huh? Or do the names Jubilee and Kitty mean nothing to you? Maybe you even have the hots for Rogue as well? I mean, are you honestly gonna tell me you don’t wanna fuck them, and if you could, both at the same time?”

Logan released Scott carelessly and returned to his seat, avoiding both Scott’s and Kurt’s eyes. He had more important things to consider than fighting Cyke, however tempting that was.

“Now … please can ze two of you zettle this later?” Kurt exclaimed as he tried to get his teammates to pay attention.

Unfortunately, Logan had gotten Scott all fired up, and there was no way in hell he was about to let that bastard get away so easily.

“You do realize you’re lucky that I care about Rogue, that I love her, that saving her means more to me than beating you up ever will?” Scott said through clenched teeth.

“You’re welcome to beat me up any day, Scott, but don’t ever threaten me again, or you’ll be able to write a fuckin’ essay on what this” – Logan unsheathed a claw and pointed it at Scott – “feels like up your ass.”

Scott gave a laugh. “Oh that’s mature, very mature and you’re beginning to sound like an old record by the way. How do you think Rogue will feel about you when I tell her what a poor excuse for a man you are? How can you use her like this, I mean, have you absolutely no idea what she’s been through since Liberty Island?”

“You’re jealous, aren’t ye?” Logan teased.

Scott frowned at him and snorted. “Don’t even go there.”

“But you are”, Logan continued.

“Listen, I won’t have you jumping Jean one day and Rogue the next. For their sake, stay the fuck away from them when all this is over. I was there, remember, when you left Rogue the first time, and then every other time after that. I watched her,” Scott said and shook his head, “me and not only me, I watched her diminish for god’s sake, Logan, and all because she kept waiting and pining for you to come home and declare your love for her. And what did you do all those times? Let me tell you something, my friend, you are just about the worst thing that could have ever happened to Rogue”, he finished slowly.

“Who the hell made you her daddy all of a sudden? Whatever issues we have between us, it is NO ONES BUSINESS BUT MINE AND HERS, do I fuckin’ make myself clear?” Logan had raised his voice to the point where he was almost screaming. His chest heaved with rage, why couldn’t they just leave him alone, why all this talk about him and her? Wasn’t it enough that Rogue had been taken from him? Just the thought of her dying, made his chest tight with angst and blurred his vision. Suddenly he could feel Kurt gently touching his arm, compassion and worry written in his bright yellow eyes.

Scott sighed irritably. “I am making it my business, you retarded ape. Who the hell do you think you are, walking around the school, behaving like an … like an animal, ravishing women any time of day, no matter if they’re already dating someone? You really need to see a shrink and talk about that twisted libido of yours.”

“Well, look who’s talking”, Logan retorted.

“I’m not the one fucking Jean AND Rogue, so back off and stop throwing stones.”

Logan pointed at Scott, and said coolly, “Don’t you think I know why you volunteered to pick me up? Newsflash for ye, bub, I couldn’t have cared less if was Sabretooth himself coming to give me a ride, just get us back home to the mansion, dickhead, so we can tend to more important matters. Okay?”

Scott turned his head slowly; he looked and probably felt murderous, Logan thought. “What is it about you that makes women even want to look twice at you? Please, for fucks sake enlighten me Logan, because you lack manners, sense of duty and obligation, not to mention your appearance … there’s not much left after that, so what is it?”

“I don’t know, maybe ‘cause I’ve been able to satisfy my women in ways you’ll never will, Scooter?” Logan mocked.

“Hey …” Kurt pleaded.

“You really are full of yourself, and I’ve just about had it, when we get back and Rogue’s been saved then you and I will settle this once and for all. Until then, just get the fuck out of my face,” Scott sneered.

“Fine, we’ll settle things in the Danger Room later.”

“Fine, we’ll see just how tough you are then, won’t we?”

“Yes, but I can tell you now, Cyke, you ain’t gonna keep that pretty model face of yours once I’m through with you.”

“And I’ll make sure you won’t be able to fuck ever again”, Scott snarled and raised a hand as if he was about to take of the shades and blast Logan into outer space.

“ENOUGH!!!” Kurt roared.

Logan and Scott glared at him. “Let go of my ear, Nightie”, Logan growled, while Scott stared at the other two with his mouth clamped shut.

Kurt sighed irritably. “If you can’t behave, remember I can teleport ze three of us outside the jet and then leave you there, and even you Logan, wouldn’t survive a fall like zat.”

“Too bad”, Scott mocked.

“Fuck you too”, Logan spat.

“Okay, settle zis shit after we’ve returned to ze school, not now. Zis is madness”, Kurt said warningly.

“Okay”, Logan finally said reluctantly.

“Whatever”, Scott snorted.

Kurt nodded. “Gut, gut, now let’s go and save Rogue.”