Unchained Instinct ( Complete)

Chapter 25


Fog clouded Logan’s mind, dense and full of foreboding. But the light of consciousness seeped back into his brain, little by little awareness coming back to him.

He tried to move, but something held him immobile, something thick and hard and cold wrapped around his wrists, pulling them up towards the ceiling.

Opening his eyes, Logan waited out the nausea and the dizziness of drugs, felt them emptying from his system. A room, dimly lit greeted his gaze, twenty feet by twenty at most, its original purpose unknown to him. Then he remembered the factory. Thick steel walls. A good ten miles from anywhere with ghost stories to keep people away.

Logan jerked against his restraints, testing their strength and found them worthy of holding him, at least for the moment. He tried to move his feet and found them similarly bound. He stood barefoot on cold concrete floor and let out a low growl, cursing his own gullibility.

“Mystique!” he snarled. “Where are you, ya sick bitch?!”

No answer came.

What did she intend? To leave him here, bound and helpless until he died of starvation or chewed his own arm off to get loose?

No. That wasn’t Mystique. She’d be back. She’d want satisfaction. She’d want to see him suffer for what she considered an affront to her on a personal level.

Logan’s mind had cleared and the nausea had left him with nothing more than a cold feeling in his gut. He jerked again against his bindings, thick heavy chains rising up into the darkness above.

He let his claws out, but the cuffs, encompassing half his hands as well as his wrists gave him no maneuverability, making his claws all but useless in his current position.

Mystique had thought this out real good, planning for his imprisonment. What else she had in mind, Logan didn’t want to imagine. He’d learn soon enough anyway.

A distant sound caught Logan’s hearing, the clanging of metal doors. Then footsteps outside his prison door and the working of a lock.

Logan let out a held breath, his eyes seeing clearly now in the dimness. The door opened and a brilliant light went on, blinding Logan. He let out a snarl and squeezed his eyes shut.

Footsteps came closer and Logan felt a presence. He sniffed the air, but it wasn’t Mystique he smelled, the scent so natural to him that for a moment he didn’t know what to make of it.

“So yer awake, huh? Figures ya wouldn’t stay down long.”

Logan opened his eyes, his mind fending off the confusion of his own reflection standing before him.

A smile crossed his replica’s face and a laugh came out not at all like his.

“You should see your face, Logan. You’d think you’d seen a ghost.”

The transformation began and Mystique’s Logan persona morphed into her own natural blue skinned, red-tressed self. Her hand rose and with gentle restraint, she stroked his face.

Logan twisted away and let out a snarl.

Mystique reached, gripping a handful of hair and jerked Logan’s head still. “What’s the matter, Logan? Not interested in playing?”

“Playin’?” Logan tried to jerk free from her grip, but Mystique held on, her teeth gritted together and a sneer marred her beauty. “Ya think this is some kinda game, lady?”

“Not a game, animal,” Mystique snarled back, her face inches from Logan’s. “Not at all. Punishment. Retribution. That’s what this is. For what you did to my son. For what you’ve been doing to him.”

Again, Logan tried to jerk free from Mystique’s grip and again, he failed. “Kurt don’t need you to babysit him. He’s an adult. He’s made his decision. We love each other. Why can’t you get that through that thick skull of yers?”

“He’s a child and you took him. You raped him!” Mystique shook with her rage, her yellow eyes flashing a fire as hot as lava.

Logan let out a huff of a breath. “So ya know. But do ya really know? That the elf and me were tortured by Bolivar Trask, beaten and nearly drowned. Shocked and frozen and fried. And did ya bother findin’ out I was drugged when I did that ta him...as if I’d hurt him any other way?”

A smile came to Mystique, a smug, know-it-all kinda smile. “I’ve read it all in Miss Cassandra Martin’s finely detailed case notes.”

“Cassie,” Logan said, the breath going out of him. “What’dya do to her?!”

Mystique released her hold and walked away a few feet then turned to offer him a contrite expression. “Alas, the poor girl wasn’t very cooperative. I had to...persuade her to tell me what I wanted to know.”

“If you hurt her, I’ll tear you to pieces!”

Mystique cocked an eyebrow. “Really. In your current position, I don’t see how that’s going to happen.”

With a frustrated snarl, Logan jerked against his restraints, straining with all his strength. But Mystique had done her homework, knew his strengths and weaknesses and had planned accordingly.

She watched him with amusement until his rage ran down and left him breathing hard.

“There now,” she said in a motherly tone. “Did that make you feel better?”

Logan raised his gaze to hers and saw a slight spark of fear light in her gold eyes. “Gettin’ my hands around yer scrawny neck and squeezin’ until yer eyes pop out is what’ll make me feel better, bitch.”

She stared with trepidation, perhaps gaging how far she should push him. Then another smile came and Logan knew Mystique had banished her fear for the pleasure of hurting him.

“How was my rendition of you, Logan?” she said, strolling closer and running a hand down his body and back up to rest on his chest. “Good enough?”

“Not even close.”

“Oh but you’re wrong. Kurt never ever doubted that I was you. Nor Charles or the Summers boy.”

“What’dya do, Mystique?” Logan asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer, but needing to know.

She cocked her head, coyly, a little smirk tugging at her mouth. “Oh...I think Kurt’s feelings for you may have...waned a bit.”

“What’dya do ta him?!”

“Nothing more than a backhanded tap. I’m sure he’ll get over it once his misguided love for you turns to hatred.”

“NO! You keep yer hands offa him!”

“Hopefully, harsh words and a hard hand will convey enough to set things in motion. I really don’t wish to have to take things much further with Kurt. After all, he is my son.”

“You lowlife scum---”

Mystique struck, an open handed slap that stung, but nothing more. Logan scarcely reacted, just turned his gaze back to hers as if nothing had happened. “Ya feel better?” he asked, mocking her words.

Again, Mystique grabbed Logan by the hair and jerked his head back. “No,” she sneered in his face. “I’ll feel better when I’ve hurt you over and over again...until you beg me to slit your throat and let the blood drain from your body.”

“Fine, bitch. Bring it on. I can take anything you can dish out.”

A different expression crossed Mystique’s face. “You think so, Logan?” Mystique’s tone had gone ominous. “You think you’re invulnerable?”

Logan didn’t answer and something deep inside him set off a warning signal that everything he knew about Mystique only scratched the surface of what she was capable of doing.

“Well, we shall see, won’t we?” Mystique continued in the face of Logan’s silence. She stared a moment longer then turned and strolled over to a table in one corner, its contents covered with a cloth. “You know, Logan,” Mystique said conversationally, turning to face him with a slender blade in her hand. “I’ve always thought you had a nice body, quite handsome actually. Not at all matching the mediocrity of your face.”

Logan eyed the blade. Was this the best Mystique could do? Cutting him?

“Awe, yer breakin’ my heart,” Logan shot back, dripping sarcasm.

She came towards him, fingering the blade with an expert touch and Logan refused to look at the knife, refused to give her even a hint of apprehension. He let a bored expression settle on his face, but he watched her closely for her next move.

“Don’t feel too bad, Logan,” Mystique cooed, caressing his cheek with the flat of the blade. “A handsome body more than makes up for a dull face.”

Gripping the collar of Logan’s tee-shirt, Mystique sliced the cloth with ease all the way to the hem.

Logan felt the kiss of the blade down his chest and stomach, blood welling from the long slender wound. But moments later, the wound began to close, knitting together and healing as if nothing had ever happened. She walked behind him, slitting the sleeves and pulling the ruined shirt from his back.

“Oh my yes,” she whispered into his ear. “A very fine body.”

“Yeah, Kurt thinks so too,” Logan said in a smug tone.

The blade sank deep into Logan’s side, metal scraping metal as the knife slid along adamantium infused bone. Logan sucked in a deep breath, gritting his teeth against the pain. A hand gripped his hair and dragged his head back. He felt the blade sliding back out, scraping against bone again.

“You will not mock me, Logan,” Mystique hissed in his ear. “You are in no position to amuse yourself by taunting me with my son’s indiscretions.”

Blood ran down Logan’s side, soaking into his jeans. Slowly, the flow eased then stopped altogether. He let out a snarl and tried to free himself from the metal cuffs again.

“Everything you do to me, Mystique, hurts Kurt,” Logan said, trying to find something that might thaw this woman’s ice hard heart. “You really want to hurt him?”

“Not really,” she said, strolling around him and letting the blade trail over his bare skin. “But sometimes one must suffer when one refuses to see the truth. And this isn’t about hurting Kurt. If everything goes well, he’ll never know that I punished you. He’ll only think that you got bored with him, finally showed your true nature and disappeared.”

“Yer not gonna get away with this. Kurt’ll figure it out. He’s not stupid. And Charles sure ain’t stupid enough to think I’d walk away with no explanation.”

“It’s amazing what people will believe. I’ll make them believe it...as you, of course.”

Logan let out a snarl, his frustration and rage getting the better of him. He jerked and thrashed and growled until blood ran down his arms from the torn flesh of his wrists.

“It seems if I say the right words, you’ll punish yourself,” Mystique said. “How amusing.”

Logan dragged in a heavy breath. “Ya think I haven’t been punished? Ya think I haven’t dreamed enough nightmares, Mystique? Ya think I haven’t tortured myself with the memories of what was done ta Kurt...by Trask...by Sabertooth...by me? Not a day don’t pass that I don’t mentally beat myself up for what happened to that kid. And dammit! I fell in love with him, maybe just so I could torture myself for the rest of my life with Kurt right beside me, reminding me every day of what he was put through because I couldn’t stop any of it. Ain’t that punishment enough?!”

Mystique stared at him, her yellow eyes unreadable. Logan tried to see Kurt’s eyes in her gaze, but where Mystique’s gaze was hard and filled with animosity, Kurt’s was full of compassion and love.

“If that was enough suffering to satisfy me, Logan. You wouldn’t be here now.”

Logan narrowed his eyes, light finally dawning. “This has got nothin’ to do with Kurt, does it, Mystique? There’s no love lost between us and according to what you told the elf, you know my past better than I do. What did I do ta ya way back when to make you hate me so much? Did I foil some big plans of yours? Ignore your advances? Did I kill somebody you cared about? Or is this about screwing up your plans with Apocalypse to create some mutant paradise? Hey, I know, it’s all the above...right? Just a whole lot of shit accumulating until you’re about ready to bust and Kurt being your kid and the two of us gettin’ together creates a perfect reason to finally take out all your grudges against me.”

A smile slowly spread across Mystique’s face. “Well, I’m so glad we’re on the same page, Logan. And you’ve proven to be much brighter than you’re given credit for. Yes, indeed, I have more grudges against you than you could possibly recall even if you did still have your memory intact. I won’t bother going into them right now...accept for your confounded interference with Apocalypse. He would have created a world for all mutants to live free of human domination, free of human fears and prejudices.”

“Give it a rest, sister,” Logan shot back. “Apocalypse wouldn’t have been no better than Hitler, killin’ off anybody he thought was weak, not carin’ one little bit if millions died to create your little mutant paradise.”

Mystique raised her chin, her eyes flashing with anger. “Well, at least now I’m certain where Kurt has learned to believe such drivel.”

“He tell ya the same thing?” Logan said. “Ya ever think maybe there’s somethin’ to the Doc’s philosophy?”

“Charles is a dreamer and he’s creating dreamers at this silly little school of his.” She brought the knife up to Logan’s throat, putting the tip under his chin and lifting. “He’s even made a dreamer out of you, Logan. But I’m going to loose the beast inside of you again. I’m going to find all your inner demons and release them one by one, digging deep into all those little dark places inside, all those little dusty corners you hide your weaknesses. Pretty boys can’t be your only vice. You’ve put up all kinds of walls...with the help of Charles, trying to protect yourself from your true nature. You can’t hide forever from yourself, Logan. And you can’t hide from me.”

Lowering the knife, Mystique offered Logan another smile, this one sly and bordering sensual. She tucked the knife in the top of her boot and reached for Logan’s belt, taking her time unfastening the buckle and tugging the leather free and out of the loops.

Logan kept his breath even, fighting his futile desire to struggle when struggling had done him no good so far except to amuse the bitch.

Mystique ran her hand down Logan’s chest and stomach, fingers working the button and zipper of his jeans. Logan let out a warning growl when her fingers went lower, stroking his skin just above his cock.

With an amused chuckle, Mystique reached for the knife once again and put it to Logan jeans at the hip, slicing down one leg then moving to the opposite side, repeated the process. She ripped the rest of his clothing from him, leaving Logan naked before her.

“Well now, that’s so much better, don’t you think?” she said.

“Never knew how much you wanted me,” Logan smirked. “Ya should’ve said somethin’ sooner. Maybe I’da given you a mercy fuck outta the kindness of my heart.”

She stared at him then offered up a thin smile. “Amusing. I doubt you’ll be so smug when I’m finished with you.”

“Then let’s not waste anymore time. Bring it on, bitch.”

Mystique acknowledged his challenge with a nod of the head then backed away, not taking her gaze from Logan’s. A new transformation began. Her form grew taller and broader, claws sprouting from her suddenly massive fingertips. The hair stayed long, but turned a dirty blond and fangs grew from a sneering mouth. “What’cha think, Logan?” The voice boomed out in a deep growl.

Logan closed his eyes against the malicious grin of Sabertooth.

No. It’s not Sabertooth. It’s Mystique playin’ her games. Remember that. No matter what...remember that.

He opened his eyes again and Mystique strode towards him, her Sabertooth persona a perfect replica of Logan’s nemesis.

“That’s good,” Logan said. “That’s real good. Playin’ an ace right off the bat.”

“Seemed natural to me,” Mystique replied in Sabertooth’s deep growling tone. “Subtleties can come later. Now we’re goin’ for the obvious.”

“So watcha got in mind?” Logan asked conversationally.

Mystique got up into Logan’s face, clawed fingers gripping a handful of Logan’s hair. “Whatcha think, runt? Use your imagination.”

A sick feeling bottomed out in the pit of Logan’s stomach. He worked to keep his breath even and his gaze hard and unwavering. He’d give Mystique no satisfaction...not if he could help it.

“You’re one sick bitch, Mystique.”

A laugh came, harsh and loud and so like Sabertooth’s, the sound made Logan’s skin crawl.

“Ya know, your little blue boyfriend was a nice fuck,” Mystique/Sabertooth said, letting fangs brush along Logan’s throat,. “But I’ve always wanted a piece of you, Logan. Now I’m gonna take what I want and there’s nothin’ you can do about it.” Fangs sank into Logan’s neck, latching on and Logan felt a flow of blood run down to his shoulder. He let out a snarl of pain and rage, jerking to get away, but clawed hands held on, wrapping around him in an iron embrace.

The fangs pulled out of his flesh and a tongue licked out, cleaning the easing blood flow from his neck.

“Hmmm. You taste pretty good,” Mystique/Sabertooth growled. A big hand ran down Logan’s body, roughly caressing and squeezing his buttocks.

Logan let out another snarl. “Get offa me!”

“Not gonna happen, runt. We’re gonna do some dancin’ here...just like I danced with your little elf.”

Logan struggled, his mind losing sight of who this really was. Then his brain grasped the truth again.

“You bitch!! You low-life scumbag!”

Mystique laughed again, big booming laugh of pure amusement couched in a Sabertooth disguise. She released him and watched his near panic calm back to plain rage.

Slowly, with a lingering touch, Mystique circled behind him. Logan whipped his head around, trying to see what Mystique was doing, but her touch told him all he needed to know. Hands slid down his hips and thighs, claws digging in and cutting long gashes in Logan’s flesh. Again, fangs sank into Logan’s neck, dragging a snarl out of him.

Logan struggled, his nature unwilling to stand quietly and take this assault without resistance. Kurt had done the same. In spite of the knowledge he’d lose the battle, Kurt had struggled anyway...because he had to. Logan could do no less.

“Yeah, that’s what I like, Logan. Give me a fight. Your little boyfriend did.”

Logan felt his ass cheeks being spread and a huge cock pressing at his hole. Logan resisted the invasion of his body, knowing it would hurt more, but pain wasn’t a factor. Resistance was as necessary as breathing. A hard shove and the cock penetrated, working it’s way into his ass with a series of thrusts.

A clawed hand fondled his cock and balls before sweeping up his stomach and chest to his throat. Fingers tightened under his chin and forced Logan’s head back, holding him in a makeshift lock. The other arm wrapped around his waist in a vice of a grip.

“Time to dance, Logan,” Mystique/Sabertooth growled into his ear and began pumping into him.

Logan struggled for a breath, the grip on his throat tightening with his resistance. Mystique’s strength momentarily surprised Logan, but then memories streamed back to him of fights between them and he had to give her some due.

But this was different. This was no fair fight...no even battle of strengths and weaknesses, of brawn and brains. He knew Mystique was capable of some pretty low deeds, but he hadn’t quite believed she’d be capable of rape.

Believe it, he told himself, more put out by the humiliation of it than the pain. Pain was an annoyance. Humiliation ate at the soul.

Hot breath stirred Logan’s hair and fangs repeatedly ripped at the flesh of his neck and shoulder.

So this was what Kurt had experienced, this was the horror the elf had endured. So be it. Maybe he did deserve this punishment. Maybe the only way he’d pay for his weakness...of not being able to fend off the drug...was to live through the same assault Kurt had.

Logan continued to fight, trying to jerk free, trying to dislodge Mystique’s steel grip on him, but nothing fazed her. She seemed totally immersed in her Sabertooth persona and Logan couldn’t help but wonder about her ability to become male. Did she have all the physiological abilities as a man? Well, it seemed he was about to find out.

Mystique’s growls had increased, her thrusts harder and frenzied. Logan endured the assault with his teeth clenched and his muscles tight with revulsion and rage. She came hard, pounding into him deep without any concern for his pain.

Slowing then coming to a stop, Mystique sagged against him, weight heavy on his back and shoulders. Her breath tickled his ear and a sudden bite didn’t surprise Logan, another ripping of flesh.

She finally let loose of him, Mystique’s grip sliding away and body circling him and receding. Logan let his body relax, his aching arms reminding him of his position and his breath coming hard.

He looked up through a red haze to see Mystique shifting back to herself. Blood smeared her lips and her tongue came out, licking them as if savoring the taste of his blood. Her yellow gaze met his and a smile full of triumph spread across her face. Sauntering closer, Mystique slid her hands up Logan’s chest, fingers gripping his chin.

“Ya get a kick outta that, sister?” Logan asked in a tone of deadly calm. “Ya get a kick outta fuckin’ your son’s lover?”

Her smile turned languidly sensual. “Why yes, Logan. It’s always a pleasure to be the one to take a virgin.”

Logan gave a snort of a laugh and saw Mystique’s smile falter. “Yer a little late for that. Kurt already had that pleasure.”

She shoved back away from him and glared. “Liar! Who do you think you’re talking too? An imbecile? You’d never let Kurt take you.”

Logan put on an uncaring expression, wanting her to believe him bored with her. “Believe what ya want. It don’t make me no difference. What happens between me and Kurt ain’t none of yer business anyway.”

A backhanded blow caught Logan in the mouth. “I’ve made it my business, you animal,” Mystique snarled in his face.

Logan turned a disgusted expression on his captor. “Who’s actin’ like the animal now, bitch? You think you get to rape me and then call me an animal? No way you get to do that.”

“Oh! You are so infuriating!”

“Good. I’m doin’ something right then.”

She struck him again, hard at the temple, but Logan hardly reacted, his lack of response seeming to madden Mystique further. She hit him again, busting his lip once more, but Logan just sneered at her.

“I’m going to wipe that look off your face, Logan. You’re going to pay for toying with me.”

“I’m just defendin’ myself the only way I’ve got right now. Live with it.”

Mystique got up in his face again. “Live with this, Logan. I’m going back to the mansion...as you, of course. And I’m not leaving until Kurt hates your guts...no matter what I have to do to accomplish that goal.”

Logan snarled and snapped at Mystique’s face, but she was too fast, jerking back away from his reach. Her smug smile had returned and she knew she’d hit a raw nerve.

“Leave him alone, Mystique! Kurt’s been hurt enough. You read it all in Cassie’s notes. Can’t you see the damage yer gonna do to him? Can’t you put his happiness before yer own desires for once? You can make up for everything you’ve ever done if you just let me loose and walk away. Ain’t it time you put Kurt first? Ain’t it time he mattered more than you?”

She cocked her head and gazed at him as if considering his words, but Logan sensed she had no intentions of letting him loose or putting Kurt’s happiness before her own.

“Lovely words, Logan. You almost made me reconsider.”

“No I didn’t. You don’t care nothin’ about nobody but yerself. You never will.”

“I don’t have time for your ramblings,” Mystique said. “It’s getting late and Kurt has lessons to learn.” She began to morph and Logan wanted to close his eyes, but something made him watch her change into a perfect facsimile of him.

Mystique’s eyes had turned dark and brooding and Logan felt sick in a way that was unfamiliar to him.

“Yer gonna pay for this, Mystique. Ya can’t think yer really gonna get away with this.” Logan heard desperation in his own voice, but the words came tumbling out of him, trying to find some way to dissuade Mystique from going to Kurt in the guise of Logan. “What’dya want? Ya want me ta beg? I’ll beg if it’ll keep you away from him. Do whatever ya want ta me, but leave the kid alone!”

She strolled closer, shaking her head as she came. “Ya just don’t get it, do ya?”

Logan listened closely, detecting nothing different from his own tone of voice, his own resonance and word choice and pronunciation. How would Kurt know it wasn’t him? How would Kurt even begin to doubt the reality before him?

Sweetheart, please. Ya gotta know I’d never hurt ya. I promised I’d never hurt ya again. Please remember that.

Mystique gripped Logan’s chin and shoved his head back, forcing him to meet his own gaze, plastered on another’s face.

“You don’t get it at all.”

“Oh, I...get it, lady. I understand you...too well.”

“Fine. It’s good you understand the situation. You will be punished over and over again until I think you’ve suffered enough to satisfy me. Kurt is young and resilient. He’s already proven how resilient he is. He’ll get over your betrayal soon enough and he’ll find someone worthy of his love.” Mystique released him and started to turn away. “Now, I have business elsewhere.”

“Mystique, don’t do this!”

She whirled on Logan, claws snicking out and driving into his stomach. He gasped and blood trickled from his mouth, more blood gushing out when she withdrew the claws.

“We’ll have some more fun when I return,”she said, fingers stroking Logan’s bent head.

Mystique’s presence receded and the light dimmed. The sound of metal clanking sealed Logan’s prison, leaving him alone with his pain and his impotent rage.