In Fear of Three Little Words

Awww, Marie, thanks for reviewing so often. You give me such encouragement. I've been so dead tired the last few evenings and I've pulled something in my back at work. Yesterday was mostly a blur of pain killers and muscle relaxers. Not much writing got done and I'm starting to catch up with myself in this story. I hope readers are "enjoying" the story. Though admiting to enjoying someone being tortured and raped might be a bit of a touchy subject.


Chapter 40


“We think we’ve picked up both Creed’s and Logan’s trail,” Fury stated, leaning over a map he spread out on the table.

Charles leaned forward, following the line of Fury’s finger, tracing a trail that existed on no map.

“How soon do you think your people can catch up with them?”

“Hmmm. Hard to say. Creed had a good four, maybe five hours head start on Logan and it looks like Logan’s on foot while Creed had a cross-country vehicle of some kind. Motorcycle maybe or four wheeler. They’re headed deep into upstate forest and mountains. Logan’s heading for a trap and his little blue boyfriend is the bait.”

Charles’ teeth gritted together, but he kept his voice calm. “His name is Kurt Wagner. He’s a very bright and talented young man. One who willingly faced the overwhelming might of Apocalypse along with his fellow team mates. I’d appreciate it if you’d show him some respect, Agent Fury.”

Fury’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth quirked in irritation, but he nodded in understanding. “My apologies.”

Ororo’s hand came to rest on Charles’ shouldeHe lHe looked up at her and she gave him the slightest of smiles.

“The Blackbird is on standby,” she said to fill the uneasy void. “Ready for takeoff as soon as we have a location.”

“How long?” Charles asked, glancing again at Fury.

Fury shook his head. “Hard to venture a guess right now. There’s a lot of wilderness out there, Professor. Any help from you would be appreciated.”

“We’ve been trying, but Cerebro has its limitations. Jean is currently scanning. Sabertooth has always been a difficult one to pinpoint. So much of his mutation is an intricate part of him, unlike most of my students who direct their powers at will. Logan is almost as difficult.”

“What about...Kurt?”

Charles shook his head. “If Kurt was able to use his powers he wouldn’t be missing. Trask contained him once before with that metal collar. Or drugs may be enough to keep Kurt from using his powers. If he isn’t able to teleport, we aren’t likely to locate him with Cerebro.”

Fury took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Damn.ay. ay. All we can do is keep tracking Logan and hope he’s on the right track...and that we get to him and the kid before it’s too late.”

“Logan won’t go down easily. I’m not even certain Logan can be killed,” Charles stated.

Fury turned a look on Charles that made his blood run cold. “There are worse things than death, Professor. I’ve seen strong men pray for death. Can you imagine Trask having Logan in his hands, a man who won’t die? A skeleton impossible to shatter...constantly healing even as the worst tortures are inflicted on him?”

“Oh dear god,” Ororo said. “What a horrible thought.”

“That’s how Trask sees Logan,” Fury said. “One long continuous experiment. Trask would think that an apt revenge. And your boy, Kurt, I don’t know what Trask has in mind for him. Maybe he is just bait or maybe there’s something more he wants out of the kid. You said before Trask has threatened Kurt’s life. Maybe he has in mind to just hand the kid over to Sabertooth to play with. The note said as much. Either way, it doesn’t look good for Logan or Kurt.”

“Do you think none of this has crossed my mind, Agent Fury?” Charles asked. “Or do you think me too refined to think in such grizzly terms?”

“I don’t know, Professor. But I thought you ought to know how I’m seeing it. I know Trask. He’s a sociopath. He has no empathy, particularly for mutants. I don’t know why he’s wired the way he is, but there’s something seriously wrong with his brain. And it’s too bad. He’s a brilliant man.”

“I know brilliant men...and women who use that brilliance for all the wrong reasons,” Charles replied.

“I won’t argue with you there,” Fury said, readying to leave. “I need to check in with my teams. Let me know if you come up with something.”

“And you do the same,” Charles replied to Fury’s retreating back.

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

Kurt lay curled up, arms wrapped around himself. His body ached and his head was full of fog, the residue of a drugged sleep. Lying on his side, he stared despondently at the stone wall. He was afraid to think, afraid to hope or dream of rescue. His fear for Logan was a vice squeezing his heart till he thought it might burst.

He licked his dry lips and tasted blood. Nausea rolled through his stomach, his constant companion now. Kurt fought down a retch and swallowed back bile.

Blood slowly seeped from his rectum, a constant reminder of Sabertooth’s brutality and that it wasn’t over. Any time it could happen again and would. It had already happened too many times to count.

As if conjured by his thoughts, Kurt heard footsteps echoing down the long hallway, heavy steps that he’d learned in such a short time to associate with his chief tormentor.

A shaking took hold of him and Kurt’s breath went ragged.

The door opened and Sabertooth stood there, smiling that malicious smile, showing sharp fangs. Kurt shoved up to sit, slowly pushing back till his shackles stopped his retreat.

He waited for Sabertooth’s advance but instead, the man leaned against the metal door and crossed his arms.

“Guess what day it is, kid.”

Kurt just stared, uncomprehending.

“It’s Christmas. Happy Holidays.” Sabertooth laughed as if he’d made the greatest joke.

Christmas. Only two days had passed since he’d been taken in the mall parking lot. Only two days of continuous torture that seemed like eternity. He thought for a moment of the plans he and Logan had made. He thought of the evening now gone by when he and his fellow residents at the Institute would have exchanged gifts and enjoyed Christmas goodies and Ororo’s special wassail. Well, he’d certainly ruined everyone’s holiday, hadn’t he?

Kurt bent his head and fought back tears.

“Hey, don’t cry, little boy,” Sabertooth said. “I’m going to bring you back a present in a little while. I’m going out to get Logan.”

“No,” Kurt whispered, shaking his head.

“Oh yeah. Logan’s just about in position. Now, I just gotta go reel him in.”

“He won’t be so easily caught,” Kurt said, raising his chin in defiance. “And he will make you pay for what you’ve done to me.”

“You just keep foolin’ yourself, kid.” Sabertooth pushed away from the door. “Logan’s going to be in such a rage, he’s not going to realize the trap until it’s too late.” Sabertooth stood over Kurt now, staring down with his big hands on his hips. “Cause when he smells you all over me, he’s going to loss his mind. He won’t be thinkin’ straight. Now, we going to make this nice and easy this time around, pretty boy? Or you going to put up your pitiful little fight? It don’t make me no never mind.”

Kurt swallowed hard. His mind was trying to shut down on him and his body wanted nothing more than to lie down and never get back up again.

“Come on. Just turn over and I’ll go easy on ya. My little Christmas present to you.”

Sabertooth’s words sent a spark of anger flashing through Kurt’s brain, awakening an ember inside of him.

“Go to hell,” Kurt spat.

“Stupid kid.” Sabertooth raised a booted foot and placed it on Kurt’s exposed ankle.

Kurt gasped when pressure was applied, Sabertooth’s weight bearing down.

“Ya know,” Sabertooth said. “It wouldn’t take much for me to crush your ankle. Just a little more pressure.” And the additional pressure came, dragging a cry from Kurt.

“Stop! Please!”

Sabertooth leaned down. “So ya gonna turn over like a good little bitch and take what’s coming to ya?”

Kurt gritted his teeth against the pain and shook his head.

Sabertooth laughed, pressed a little harder then pulled back.

Kurt dodged a backhanded blow, but the next caught him on the cheekbone slamming him to the floor with a thud. Sabertooth took instant advantage, grabbing Kurt by the tail and flipping him over.

With waning strength, Kurt struggled, for to lay there and do nothing was too much injury to his already battered honor. Sabertooth shoved into Kurt with a knife-edged thrust.

Kurt clenched his teeth together and his muscles tightened against any sign of conceded defeat. Sabertooth’s words sent a chill of dread down Kurt’s spine and squeezed his heart till the pain in his chest almost equaled the pain of rape. Just when he thought this ordeal couldn’t get any worse, it somehow managed to do so.

What if Sabertooth was right? What if Logan was caught? Trask would use him against Logan and Kurt couldn’t stand the thought. Yet that appeared to be exactly what was about to happen.

“Ya know, I’ve...been thinkin’ about your little friends...like that pretty little Kitty,” Sabertooth grunted into Kurt’s ear. The assault had slowed and Kurt knew this wasn’t going to be easy or fast.

“Keep...your filthy...mind off of...Kitty,” Kurt hissed through gritted teeth

Sabertooth laughed and let his fangs slide along Kurt’s neck. Kurt stiffened in anticipation of a bite, but none came.

“Yeah, I bet she’s a virgin,” Sabertooth continued. “I’d like to pop her cherry. She’d certainly know she’d been popped when I got done with her.”

“Stop it!” Kurt panted out, his struggles increasing with his agitation.

“Or how about that red head, all legs and curves? Oh yeah,” Sabertooth growled. “That one would be fiesty, but I...bet I could tame her down some.”

“Shut up!”

But again, Sabertooth just laughed and tightened his grip against Kurt’s struggles. Sabertooth’s thrusts picked up, slamming hard into Kurt. He gasped against the pain and bit off a cry, trying to give Sabertooth as little satisfaction as possible.

“Then there’s that tall lean boy with the glasses,” Sabertooth said, slowing his thrusts again. “Dangerous, but that just might make the challenge all the more interesting. And I know that boy’s a virgin. His ass is so tight...you couldn’t pull a pin out of it. But I could loosen him up. He’d be a fine piece of ass to add to my list.”

“No!” Kurt screamed and with a burst of strength, he almost got free of Sabertooth’s hold.

But Sabertooth’s weight shifted and a growl came out of the man. A blow of a big fist caught Kurt at the temple and his vision darkened momentarily.

Light seeped back with a vengeance, nausea rolling through his stomach. Pain beat at Kurt’s body and excruciating agony of spirit tried desperately to break him again.

“Now, the one I can’t figure how...to handle...is that Rogue,” Sabertooth said almost conversationally, his thrusts starting to pick up again. “My oh my, what a pretty notch...she’d be on my belt...but she’s going to take some thinking on.”

“You...will...not...touch...her!” Kurt panted out, his strength waning again, seeping out of him.

Sabertooth sank his teeth into Kurt’s shoulder and came in a series of long hard thrusts. The man’s weight lay heavy on Kurt’s back, pressing him into the hard floor. He gasped for air and finally, Sabertooth stirred and pushed up off of him.

Kurt curled up into a ball, all his pains seeking a higher level of intensity. Hind rnd raged against Sabertooth’s threats and the impotence of his own anger.

Then Sabertooth was beside him again, reaching down and taking Kurt’s face into a tight clawed grip.

“I’ll give Logan your love. And don’t you worry your pretty blue head none. You’ll be seeing him soon enough and then you get to watch while I shred him into little pieces.”

Sabertooth shoved Kurt back to the floor and laughed all the way out the door.

“Oh please, Logan....” Sobs escaped finally, racking sobs of grief and loss and terror. “Please...please be careful.” But Kurt knew that Sabertooth was right. Logan would go insane when he smelled Kurt’s scent on Sabertooth...and the smell of Kurt’s blood.