By Starway Man
Author's Notes:
Symbols: The < > signs denote thoughts, and the // signs denote visions/memories.
Continuity: This story is initially set in seasons 5/2 of BTVS/Angel, sometime after 'Into The Woods' for BTVS and 'Reunion' for Angel.
Warnings: There are plenty of TV series and movie spoilers present. And it's my first attempt at X-Men fan fiction, so please, cut me some slack on that.
***
"Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward."
(Professor Charles Francis Xavier, X-MEN: THE MOVIE)
"Damn it! You know what? I'm sick of this crap. I'm sick of being the guy who eats insects and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment, it's over. I'm finished being everybody's butt-monkey!"
(Alexander Lavelle Harris, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)
"Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them."
(Oscar Wilde, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST)
***
12,500 years B.C.
Approximately three months before the birth, the radiation hit planet Earth.
It was not exactly an historic event, in terms of its cosmic significance. Because throughout its four billion years of history, the globe had been hit by much worse - such as the meteor that had caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years previously.
And in any case, the thick ozone layer usually screened out the worst of the rays, keeping safe the life on the world's surface.
But sometimes, even radiation from outer space...can have itself a real good day.
The primitive felt something invisible hit her out of the skies that morning, but the mother-to-be didn't have the brains to understand it. All she knew was that when the birth eventually took place, something was wrong.
Her newborn daughter was different.
Because she was the first. The first true Homo sapiens, the species of modern man. The people that would one day, despite the odds against them, eventually inherit the earth.
***
Sunnydale, California. January, 2001
Every TV station in the country was showing it live.
The official opening of the Mutant Investigation Agency, the MIA, straight from the heart of Washington.
It was a combination of U.S. civil and military forces, created to deal with what in the last few years, more and more Americans were regarding as a dangerous problem:
The existence of mutants.
All over the planet, more and more human children were being born with an added twist to their genetic code. An extra piece of active DNA, buried within their chromosomes.
This 'X-factor' allowed them to perform extraordinary feats - shapeshifting, flight, telekinesis, telepathy and more - when their powers emerged under stress, puberty or other similar circumstances.
To any disinterested observer, they were simply the next step in human evolution. The progression of Homo sapiens to Homo superior.
But all too often, these 'mutants' were feared and despised by the normal humans of the world. And now that they were growing up, many in governments all over the planet wanted to get rid of them, out of worry they would try to take over the globe one day.
It was no wonder, then, that most of the mutants tried to either hide or run from the persecution.
These days it was the number one discussion topic everywhere, and something that Buffy Anne Summers, the Chosen One and the vampire Slayer, could easily have done without in her life right now.
It was hard enough killing evil things like vamps and demons in this ever-changing world, without having to worry about accidentally slaying a mutant by mistake.
The twenty-year-old blonde girl sat watching the TV broadcast, along with her friends and family, on the couch in her family home. Her best girl friend Willow Rosenberg, who was holding the hand of her girlfriend Tara Maclay, sat on her right.
On her left sat her best guy friend, Alexander Lavelle Harris, whom everyone simply called Xander. And he was tightly gripping the hand of his own girlfriend, whose name was Anya.
The British Watcher for the vampire Slayer was also there, looking grim. The middle-aged Rupert Giles, who was like a surrogate father to her as well as the combination nanny/drill sergeant that the job required, sat next to Buffy's mother Joyce.
As was Buffy's so-called fourteen-year-old 'sister', Dawn. Previously an ancient form of energy known as the Key, now molded into human flesh and magically integrated into the mortal world, she had been sent to the Slayer for her own protection.
"Hey, Buffy," Dawn said suddenly, her eyes still glued to the set and watching the opening ceremony, "do you think this is gonna be a good thing or a bad thing for us? I mean, in terms of the Slayage?"
Joyce looked at her 'daughter', feeling worried. "Dawn..." she started.
Buffy shrugged. "I dunno. Probably won't make too big a difference - I mean slaying vamps and demons at night, will still be a total suck-fest."
Tara stammered, "I-I think the new agency will make a big difference t-to the mutants, myself."
Giles nodded and said slowly, "Well, it's probably all for the best. After what happened in New York with that conference of world leaders last year, I-I suppose they had to do something."
"But Giles!" exclaimed Willow. "That was just a bunch of terrorists!"
"Doesn't matter," said Anya suddenly. "They're gonna be going after all the mutants now, everywhere, I bet. And they'll probably be even worse about it than the Initiative was with demons and vamps."
There was a silence, as everyone thought of the now-disassembled military unit that had been in Sunnydale, conducting experiments on captured vampires and demons. And of one Riley Finn, who had been one of its leaders.
A man who was also Buffy's ex-boyfriend, whom she had recently broken up with.
As everyone stared at Buffy, who pretended not to notice, Xander nudged Anya subtly. "Sweetheart, I think you can help by making this a quiet time," he told her, as the TV droned on.
***
Los Angeles, California. January, 2001
At that very moment in the Hyperion hotel in downtown LA, another group of people was also watching the same TV broadcast.
Cordelia Chase - a young woman who had gone to school with Xander, Buffy and Willow, and received prophetic visions about people in danger. Wesley Wyndam-Pryce - an Englishman, who was a former rogue demon hunter and ex-Watcher. And Charles Gunn, a black man who was a freelance vampire killer.
All of them were or had been employees of the Angel Investigations detective agency. Which was rather ironic...as the Irish-born Angel, once known as the Scourge of Europe, was a 248-year-old vampire.
Granted, one cursed with a human soul, and now on the side of the good guys.
"I must admit," Wesley said in his British accent, staring at the birth of the MIA on TV, "that I never expected this to happen. At least, not so soon."
"Come on, Wesley," Cordelia replied at once. "It was, like, inevitable! Mutants are bad news. Have you seen the pictures? Some of them look almost as gross and yucky as a few of the demons we've killed!"
Gunn shrugged. "What's the Dark Avenger think about all this?" he asked, referring to Angel.
"Nothing much, one way or the other," the tall, dark-haired souled vampire said, entering the room.
"Angel!" said Cordelia, getting up off her chair. "You're back!"
"Yeah," he replied. "I am. Now somebody switch off the idiot box, we need to talk."
***
Westchester, New York. Five minutes later
At the Academy for Gifted Children run by Professor Charles Xavier, another group of people switched off their TV set, after witnessing the conclusion of the opening ceremony. These people were known, in private, as the X-Men.
All of them were mutants, and all of them were there for a common purpose. To both safeguard their own people, and try to bring about a peaceful co-existence with the rest of the human race.
The one man and three women sat around in the mansion looking at themselves, wondering what was going to happen now.
Cyclops, also known as Scott Summers, was the first to speak. "I think we're in trouble," the man in his thirties said, his black visor preventing fiery red laser beams from shooting out of his eye sockets in frustration.
His companion Storm, otherwise called Ororo Munroe, raised her white-haired head. A native of Kenya in her mid-twenties, her abilities had manifested themselves as control of the wind and the rain, and all the other elements of the weather in general.
"Yeah. And I think that's an understatement," she replied, the anger in her eyes evident.
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Dr. Jean Grey offered. A strong, good-looking woman also in her early thirties, she had the power of telekinesis or TK - the ability to move things with her mind alone - as well as a lesser telepathic ability.
"Ah don't believe that for a moment," replied the last member of their party in a Southern twang, an eighteen-year-old girl known as Rogue.
Formerly a native of Mississippi named Marie, her mutant power was like that of a conductor - anyone she came into physical contact with, she absorbed their strengths and abilities, for a time.
"I must agree," a new voice said, and all of them turned around to see Professor Charles Francis Xavier enter the room.
An incredibly strong telepath from the age of fifteen, the old man was easily the most powerful mutant in the room.
Even stuck in a wheelchair, he still cut a very impressive figure. His bald head gleamed, and his eyes bored into each and every one of his students as he surveyed the room. "What I've learned so far, is less than encouraging," he finished up.
"Which is?" asked Storm.
"The political groups backing this agency are...less than tolerant in their attitudes towards mutants," Xavier replied calmly. "Many of the people comprising them, and many of the people in the MIA themselves, have called for total mutant registration world-wide."
"What else?" Jean asked, knowing there was more.
Professor Xavier paused. "Well, in addition, there are those associated with this agency who...submit the names of mutants who have publicly identified themselves, onto the black lists and so on."
"Great," groaned Cyclops, "Just what we needed. A bunch of racists, who are now able to legally harass our people."
"Ah don't think it's gonna stop there," Rogue said uncomfortably, as everyone looked at her. "Ah'm gettin' the feeling the worst is still yet to come."
She had no idea how right she was.
***
MIA Building, Washington DC. Six hours later
As Agent Craig Downer made his way into the Director's office, he told himself that he had nothing to fear.
A late transfer into the MIA, this agent had an excellent record. It was one reason why the Director of the agency had granted him a personal interview.
As he came in, Agent Downer saw that the Director was sitting at his desk, looking over reports. He couldn't see the man's face clearly, for some reason - it was as if it was covered in darkness. And that definitely gave him the creeps.
"Agent Downer," the Director's voice was soft, cold and full of steel barbs.
"Sir," the agent replied nervously.
"Don't bother to sit down. Your assignment is in a small town in southern California, north of Los Angeles. Name of...Sunnydale."
He pushed a folder towards the other man. "Everything you need to know about the suspected mutant, including contingency plans, is in there. Her name is Buffy Summers. The file on her indicates that she may be dangerous. So deal with the situation."
The agent picked up the file, and left without a word. Examining its contents, he saw a picture of a very human-looking girl. Reading the file later, he found it very difficult to believe that she was not just some delinquent blonde bimbo, typical of southern California.
***
Sunnydale, California. A few days later
After sunset that night Buffy went out on patrol for vampires, and the Slayer was in a bad mood. Willow and Xander, her faithful Slayerettes, could sense this and so the usual banter between the three friends was oddly absent tonight.
Eventually, though, Willow couldn't take the silence anymore. "Buffy?" the red-haired computer hacker and amateur witch said timidly.
"Yeah, Will?"
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Buffy hemmed and hawed for a while, until Xander got sick of it and summed it up in one word: "Riley."
The Slayer threw him a dark look and the dark-haired young man cringed, but then Buffy shrugged and admitted he was right. "Yeah."
"You're still not over him leaving you?" asked Willow, feeling sorry for her best friend. She knew the pain of such a thing from first-hand experience, even though she was with Tara now.
"It's even worse than when I broke up with Angel," Buffy said looking down, unable to meet their eyes.
Xander shook his head, unable to believe he was going to say this, but Buffy was his friend and the 19-year-old boy cared for her a lot. "Maybe you should just pick up the phone and give Deadboy a call," he said suddenly.
At the shocked stares from Buffy and Willow, Xander asked them, "What?"
"Xander, you - you hate Angel!" Buffy stammered, as she thought briefly about her vampire ex-boyfriend, who had left her over 18 months before.
"Especially the guts part!" Willow added.
Xander rolled his eyes. "Okay...yeah, right. But you need somethin' to snap you outta this, Buff. And I figure as long as you two don't get pelvic again, and like cause the end of the world, it could be just what you need."
He then shrugged. "Not that I care, but it could also be just what he needs, too."
Buffy was about to ask just what that last part was supposed to mean, when all of a sudden they were surrounded by vampires and fighting for their lives.
The Slayer brought out her stake, and started killing her enemies - the wooden Mr. Pointy penetrating their hearts, and making them explode into dust. The Wicca apprentice used a spell she had been working on, that made the vampires burst into flames, and destroying them that way.
But Xander was the weak one, the powerless one, the Zeppo. Just a normal human. And so the vampires almost immediately overcame his efforts, and dragged him away.
As the vamps ran off, Buffy cursed and started to follow them, Willow chasing right behind her.
And as they ran, Agent Craig Downer stepped out from behind a row of trees and looked on after them.
The agent from the MIA had watched the battle, but hadn't been able to understand what had happened. < A mutant gang fight? > he thought to himself. < But then, what sort of mutants explode into dust? >
He shook his head, deciding that the bad light had probably been playing tricks on his eyes. So he just followed after them, keeping a safe distance.
***
Xander woke up from a stinging slap to his face, and found himself being held by two strong, hulking male vampires. He saw the face of a blonde female vamp right in front of him, and then suddenly wished that he was still unconscious.
"Harmony," he said her name carefully.
The vampire, who was about the same age as he was, sneered and returned the greeting. "Hello, Xanderrrrr..." she drew out his name.
"Uh, don't suppose you've brought me here so that I could, say...ask you out to dinner and a movie?" the young man wisecracked.
Harmony grew furious in an instant. When she'd been human, she had gone to the same high school as Xander and the rest of his friends, and she'd despised him for his looks and manners.
But now that she was a vampire, she hated him even more...because he was a friend of the vampire Slayer.
She hit him again, and put on her game face. "Guess again," she hissed through her fangs.
Xander appeared to think about it. "It couldn't be...you want a rematch on our hair-pulling contest?"
Several of the vampires snickered at that, until Harmony's glares stopped them. "Stupid Xander Harris thinks he's soooo smart..." she said, almost to herself. "Y'know, I went to a lot of trouble to bring you here. So how smart are you really, Xander?" she asked.
He shrugged. "You tell me," the young man replied fearfully.
"Okay, I'll make you a deal," Harmony said, grinning horribly. "You be smart enough to avoid getting two red-hot railroad spikes shoved through your palms, and I'll let you go. If not, you're tonight's dinner."
With that she gestured, and the two spikes were brought forth. Xander struggled, and started yelling as the burning implements touched his outstretched hands with a sizzling noise.
Now, Xander Harris had been through a lot in his short life. He had fought vampires, been possessed by demons, and almost had his head torn off by a giant preying mantis bug lady.
But nothing, NOTHING could have prepared him for the agony of being tortured like this.
Xander's screams echoed throughout the vamp nest, and it was music to the undead creatures' ears. Then suddenly, one of the vampires holding the boy noticed that the open holes in his palms...were vanishing.
In a moment Xander's hands were healed, and now also had claws. "What the hell?" the minion said in confusion, letting go.
That was its first mistake.
The second was not ducking fast enough, as Xander started slashing at the vamps in blind anger, and huge gashes appeared on its face. And then on Harmony's features, as the blonde vamp was unable to move away from her intended victim on time.
All she could do was scream and clutch at her head, as Xander's claws tore her left eye out.
The teen himself wasn't thinking clearly; he was still moving completely on instinct, because of the pain. So when Xander jumped upward and started flying through the air like a bird-of-prey, he had no idea what he was doing.
Neither did the vampires - all they could do was gape, as he crashed through a hole in the roof and vanished into the night.
***
Agent Downer looked on in astonishment, as Xander flew out and then crash-landed down into the trees, not far away from him. He was the only witness, as the other vamp minions had successfully thrown Buffy and Willow off the trail.
He took out his cell phone, and made a quick call. "Code Blue," the MIA man said hurriedly, "Suspected male mutant. Put Plan Delta into effect."
***
Xander made his way back to the center of town, on his way home. He constantly looked at his hands, wondering what was going on.
Because he was reasonably sure that he had just flown through the air like Superman, and his hands were looking like the claws of a bird. Like an eagle, a falcon...or a hawk.
He stopped for a moment, and concentrated. And suddenly, his hands were back to normal.
< What's all this supposed to mean? > he thought to himself, as he started walking again. < Am I dreaming? No way. So what's happening to me? How did I just do what I did? >
If he had been able to calm down, the answer might have been able to present itself to him. But even knowing about mutants, his brain couldn't - or perhaps wouldn't - make the connection.
Suddenly, he saw Buffy, Willow and Giles across the street. "Guys!" he yelled.
They turned to look at him, and all yelled back in relief, "Xander!" as the traffic whizzed past.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, I escaped from the..." he suddenly realized some of the other pedestrians were staring at him, "evil people!"
The threesome started to cross the street, eager to join him. But suddenly, a black van without license plates stopped in front of Xander, the door slid open and masked men in black reached out and grabbed the Slayerette.
They pulled him into the van, which then roared off just as Buffy, Willow and Giles finished crossing the street.
"XANDER!!" shouted Willow.
The van turned the corner, and a few seconds later there was a huge, fiery explosion. Running towards it, fighting off the paralysis of shock, the three friends saw the flaming remains of the van, not far from the intersection.
"NO!!!" screamed both girls in tears and anguish, unable to understand what had happened, but knowing that their Xander-shaped friend was dead and gone.
***
Unknown location, Nevada. Three months later
Ethan Rayne was not a happy camper.
The middle-aged British-born magician had been in this high-security U.S. military facility for nearly a year, and so far he had hated every second of it. The tests, the interrogations, the boredom...
He thought to himself, < Bloody Slayer!! If it weren't for her and that damned boyfriend she had, I wouldn't be in this mess. Being studied like some bug under a microscope and all! >
Ethan couldn't help briefly chuckling, though, as he thought back on what had happened. He had been sent here for 'rehabilitation' after turning his old friend Ripper - otherwise known as Rupert Giles, Buffy's Watcher - into a demon, for a short period of time.
Of course, it had only been a joke of sorts, but then some people had absolutely no sense of humor.
Suddenly he heard a conversation between two approaching guards outside, and stopped pacing around in his cell to listen to them...
"I hate these transfers, you know."
"Just shut up, and let's get it done."
"And who comes up with these names, anyway? Subject Nighthawk? Subject Wolverine? What is this, a zoo?"
"I told you to knock it off! Now open the damn door."
Ethan moved away from the door, and the two guards entered his cell. At the same time, they tossed Xander in, and the boy landed on the floor.
Ethan recognized him and was surprised to see the young man, but abstained from comment. His months here had taught him to watch everything carefully, before ever saying anything.
Xander looked drugged as he got up, and growled like an animal. He was dressed in army fatigues like the guards, and there was even a set of dogtags hanging from his neck.
Suddenly, from all ten fingers of his human-looking hands, big black metallic claws sprang out. Ethan jerked away in astonishment, but still kept his mouth shut.
The guards just instantly aimed their M-16 guns at him, and Xander seemed to calm down, moving back. Still growling, the claws retracted back into his fingers.
The men then grabbed Ethan, and hustled him out. Out of sheer perversity, the wizard tried to strike up a conversation with them, but quickly gave up when one of the guards punched him in the small of his back to keep him quiet.
Eventually they arrived at another cell, and after they opened the door they threw him in. However, this time the two soldiers did not enter themselves.
Ethan looked around, and saw his temporary cellmate; Subject Wolverine, also known simply as Logan.
And more importantly, a mutant who last year had become a member of Professor Xavier's group of X-Men.
Ethan suspected there must be something very dangerous about him for the guards not to enter, apart from his animal-like face. But he had no way of knowing that an unbreakable black metal alloy, known as adamantium, had replaced Logan's entire skeleton, from head to toe.
Or that his mutation was a truly incredible regenerative capability, that had allowed him to survive what had been done to him.
Or that the memories of his life before the operation had been stripped away, leaving only nightmares of pain.
"Subject Wolverine," one of the guards said roughly. "Front and center."
Logan looked at him, and raised his clenched right fist. Instantly, three black adamantium claws shot out from between his knuckles, much to Ethan's interest.
Then two of the claws retracted back underneath his skin, as Logan gave the two military grunts the finger.
Ethan just barely managed not to burst out laughing.
Just as the other guard growled at him to knock it off and get out, a siren started wailing. "Shit!" the guards cursed. The closest one slammed the door shut and locked it, leaving the two men inside.
"Hello," Ethan said, ignoring the noise, turning to Logan and holding out his hand. "I'm Ethan Rayne."
Logan retracted his final claw, and looked at him mistrustfully. "Logan," he replied, reluctantly shaking the Englishman's hand.
"Terribly pleased to meet you, old chap," Ethan replied, his diction betraying his foreign origins. But the really amazing thing was, that he actually meant every word. "Haven't had a decent conversation with anybody for nearly a year. How long have you, er, been here?"
"Just woke up," Logan said shortly. "Where are we?"
"Who knows?" Ethan shrugged. "The running joke is that this place is probably Area 51."
"Then we're in the States?"
"Oh yes," replied Ethan, somewhat confused. "Where did you think we were?"
"They took me in Canada," Logan replied, suddenly moving closer to the door.
Ethan barely had time to shrug, when the door was yanked open again from the outside. Logan shot out his claws from both hands again, when people wearing black uniforms tagged with a strange 'X' insignia burst in.
It was Storm, Cyclops and Jean Grey, and he'd never been so glad to see them in his life.
He resheathed his claws and said with a cocky grin, "Hey! Thanks for droppin' by. So what took you so long?"
The X-Men looked at each other, obviously unsure whether to hug him or try to knock his teeth out. Cyclops eventually shrugged and said, "Traffic was murder."
Logan then laughed, hugged the two women, and reluctantly shared a handshake with Scott, the team leader.
"Let's get out of here, the jet's waiting," the visored man said, "We tried to be subtle coming in, but they'll probably have reinforcements here any minute..."
"Er, sorry to interrupt this touching reunion," Ethan said quickly in his British accent, "but what about me? And the boy who's like you," he pointed at Logan.
The effect was immediate. Logan grabbed him and snarled, "What are you talking about? What boy who's like me?"
Ethan quickly freed himself and said, "Do steady on, old man," straightening his clothes. "Just before I was brought here, they stuck him in my old lodgings. Tell you what - I take you to him, in exchange for a ride on this jet of yours?"
The four mutants were suspicious, but Scott quickly settled the matter. "MOVE!" he ordered Ethan. "And if you're jerking us around, I promise you - you'll regret it."
Ethan wordlessly agreed, and led them back to Xander's prison cell. Cyclops quickly blasted open the lock with his laser beam vision, and the five of them went inside.
Xander was still there, and still acting like a wild animal. He instantly charged them claws extended, but was thrown back by Jean's TK power, hitting the wall and collapsing unconscious.
"Why didn't you mention he'd be like this?" Ororo wanted to know.
Ethan shrugged again. "Oops," he said unconvincingly, "Must have slipped my mind."
The four mutants just stared at each other again, already regretting their promise to help this man.
As Jean and Logan grabbed Xander, they hurried out and headed for the jet. Suddenly though they became embroiled in a firefight, as the military reinforcements arrived on the scene.
Taking cover against the gunfire, the mutants fought against the soldiers, each with his or her own power - Cyclops blasted them with red fire from his eyes, a suddenly white-eyed Storm sent mini-hurricanes against them, and Jean hurled them away with her TK.
Logan was left holding Xander, and finally the group fought their way to the futuristic shiny black aircraft that the Professor had created, that was their ticket out of here.
Just then, Logan noticed that Ethan was no longer with them. "Where's the Brit?" he shouted over the roaring din of the MP-5 submachine guns.
"Too late, we can't stop now!" Scott yelled back at him. "Get in!"
Logan didn't hesitate, and as the mutants strapped in the jet took off and vanished into the sky, leaving the soldiers shooting helplessly after it.
***
Westchester, New York. A few hours later
At the X-Men mansion, there was a welcome-home party for Logan and his rescuers.
Logan wasn't comfortable with such things - they made him feel so...normal. As if he wasn't a mutant with a hole in his memory, that had woken up in a meadow 16 years before, all alone.
Except of course for his pain and nightmares.
As Logan turned around to go, he heard a soft voice call his name. A voice with a Southern accent. "Hello, Logan."
He turned back, with a smile on his face. "Hey, kid," he said to Rogue.
He took her arm and guided her to a couple of empty chairs, in a relatively quiet area of the big celebration.
As they sat down, Logan really looked at her for the first time. The streak of white hair in Marie's dark locks was still there, but she looked older and a heck of a lot more beautiful than the scared teenage runaway he had met the previous year.
It was a strange sensation to feel, in his opinion.
"These geeks been treating you okay?" he asked, holding her gloved hand in his.
"Yeah, Ah think so," she replied, twirling his dogtags around her neck with her other hand.
He took them, looking at the 'Wolverine' insignia, and then he looked at her. "You kept 'em safe," he said slowly.
"Sure did," Rogue replied. Then she looked at him closely. "Ah missed you, Logan."
Logan squirmed, feeling uncomfortable. "You wanna hear about my trip?" he quickly asked.
Marie grinned, and tossed her hair to one side. "Sure do, Logan," she replied softly, "Ah most surely do."
Logan couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. It was like her scent was driving him crazy or something. Trying to concentrate, he started to speak.
"Well, after I took off from this place on Visor Boy's motorbike last year, I made for Canada. Place called Alkali Lake, in the Canadian Rockies," he mused. "Took me awhile to get there, but then I wasn't in any tearing great hurry. Found that abandoned military compound the Professor told me about."
Marie knew there was more. "The nightmares came back," she stated, rather than asked.
"Yeah," Logan said reflectively. "Anyway, the bastards who made me what I am hadn't been there for a long time. But I found some clues in the debris. Followed up some leads. You remember that place in Alberta, where we first met? The hell-hole in British Columbia?"
She nodded.
"Believe it or not, that's where I ended up. I was an idiot, didn't watch my back carefully enough - and someone got me but good. And when I woke up, I was inside that place in Nevada."
"Ah know," Marie said to him. "Dr. Grey knew somethin' was wrong, and the Professor tracked y'all down with that Cerebro device. So, here we are."
"Yeah," Logan agreed. He desperately tried to think of a new topic. "Hey, have you heard anything about that new kid, the one that we brought back with us?"
"He's with Dr. Grey," she replied, sadly understanding his tactics.
"Think I'll go pay him a visit. I wanna be there when he wakes up - you remember what it was like for me, and I don't want him to go through all that. I'll see you later."
"Bye," she said as he left, staring after him.
A young man named Bobby, who was a fellow mutant and a good friend, came up to her. "Hey, Rogue," he said with a smile, "would you like to dance?"
Marie smiled back gratefully and accepted, following him to the dance floor.
***
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