Revenge

His door was ajar, so she glanced in. The light from the hall spilled across his sleeping form. Raven watched him. His breathing was slow and regular, far different from the panicked rasping sounds he'd been making earlier in the week. He was finally sleeping soundly. Raven turned away, closing the door quietly behind her. She hadn't lingered long enough to detect the smell of blood and sex on him, though if she had, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. After all, he had a thing for prostitutes, and he liked it rough, and it wasn't really any of her business. She padded down the hall, entering her own room. Erik was lying in her bed, half-asleep. She slid into place beside him, smiling faintly as his arms automatically wrapped around her.

He opened his eyes groggily, aware that something was very wrong. He sat up, his claws slicing through his bonds. He looked down at the quickly fading rope-burn on his inner wrist and sniffed the air. There was a thick wet odor coming fromt the hallway, a marshy sort of smell. He stood up and opened the door, detecting a faint smell of blood and sweat mixed in with the swamp-like odor. He wracked his brain - this was someone he knew, someone he'd smelled before. He came to his senses quickly as the scent led him to Ororo's room. He pushed the door open, nearly impaling it with his claws, and almost screamed. Ororo was lying on her back, her wrisoundound to the headboard. Her slip had been torn open, revealing bruised, bloody thighs. Tears were streaming down her face as he untied her, gently pulling the tape off her mouth and lifting her into his arms. "I'm gonna find him," he whispered, "and I'm gonna kill him."

He stirred slightly. He'd heard Raven close the door over the dull patter of rain on the window. He snuggled back against the pillow, a vague sense of relief flooding him as a dreamless sleeprtoortook him. The nightmares were over.