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"Erase his memory," Stryker mumbled softly in Dr. Cornelius’s ear as he turned back around to view his glorious accomplishment, Experiment X.He was so relieved that the adamantium bonding experiment had been a success on Logan and those billion dollars had not gone to waste. If the experiment had failed, General Munson, his biggest funder, would not only never fund any of his experiments again but also turn all of Washington against him.
Though, it didn't matter now because the procedure had worked and Stryker had just made medical history.Mutant medical history.
Did he really think I would just give him adamantium and then send him on his merry way? Stryker thought to himself, staring down at water tank that contained Logan.
The poor fool has no idea what I really have planned for him.
Logan’s life was never going to be the same after this. Stryker was going to make Logan into the perfect living weapon, a killing machine but first he needed to get rid of Logan's ability to think for himself.All of a sudden, Logan's heart rate and vital signs started beeping rapidly on the computer screens as Logan’s body began violently twisting and turning inside the tank. Stryker glanced at Dr. Cornelius for an explanation but got no response since the doctor seemed to be just as confused.
Those shiny new adamantium claws then burst out of his knuckles, blood mixing with the murky water.
"I think he heard you," Stryker heard Agent Zero whisper behind him.Stryker paled as he remembered Logan had heightened senses and probably did hear him but before Stryker could even give the command to have him sedated, Logan busted out of the tank and roared so loudly, it felt like it shook the entire room. Logan didn't even look human anymore as every single vein seemed to be bulging out of his body and his eyes appeared wild with unadulterated rage.Agent Zero quickly pulled out two guns from his holsters and fired a couple of shots at Logan's head. The bullets hit him squarely in the forehead but had absolutely no effect on Logan and only angered him further as he snarled, angrily, lips curling over his teeth at Zero. His new adamantium skull was seen for a split second where the bullets had hit him before the wounds quickly healed up."Lock the room down!" Stryker yelled at the nearest solider. He couldn't have Logan escaping, he was a billion dollar investment and not to mention, he was literally the most dangerous mutant alive right now.
Ripping out all of the needles and tubes out of his muscular body, Logan jumped out the tank and stabbed his claws into anyone who dared to get in his way. Agent Zero also continued to shoot at Logan but the bullet just
bounced off his body, hitting poor saps, who were standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of the medical staff tried stabbing Logan with sedation shots but they all were on the ground bleeding before they could even attempt to stab him.Stryker had never seen Logan fight like this before and wasn’t able to move or tear his eyes away from the bloody scene. The mutant was terrifying, yet so amazing to watch and Stryker silently promised to himself the next time he saw Logan fight like this, he would be fighting for him, not against him.The sound of metal doors slamming shut after Logan slipped through them broke Stryker out of his awed trance. He almost went into a cursing fit, seeing red and began to physically shake in anger before basically barking at Agent Zero.
“Make sure he does not leave this building!”I should have known he was fuckin’ lying! Logan furiously thought as he ran down a long dark hallway. He honestly had no idea where he was going, he just wanted to get the fuck out of here and was willingly to kill anyone who tried to stop him.
Shit, he’d make his own exit if he had to.
Obviously, Logan was extremely angry but he also felt like a complete idiot. How could he trust Stryker? He should have known better than this! He was just so angry of what his brother Victor had done, he hadn’t even thought about Stryker having ulterior motives. But it was crystal clear now what Stryker actually wanted and swore he was going to kill Stryker after he killed Victor first!Skidding to a stop, Logan leaned against a cold wall when he thought no one was on his tail for the moment. He put his ear against the wall and heard what sounded like a powerful waterfall on the other side.This was his way out!Sticking his claws into the wall, Logan tried slashing an opening for him to escape through when a grenade suddenly came swirling through the air right at him. It ended up blowing up right in front of him since he couldn't jump out of the way in time with his claws still being stuck in the wall.
Howling, he fell backwards and panicked for a second, feeling a strange sensation on his face. The blast had literally blown his face off and when he retracted his claws to feel his face, he felt a metal instead of bone.What did Stryker do to me?!Even though his face was quickly healing back, he wasn't able to see or smell at the moment and so he was not able to notice a group of guards quickly approaching him. Trying to push himself up in a standing position again, he let out a bellow of pain when someone hit him over the head with an electric prod. It didn't knock him out but it did shock the hell out of him since his new adamantium skeleton was now metal and the electricity flowed more easily through his body, intensifying the pain. The guards then slammed Logan face first to the ground as the others continued to shock him and attempted to bind his arms behind his back.
Gritting his teeth, Logan roared like a wild animal and managed to knock the group of guards off him. He then slashed around violently, not caring who or what his claws ripped through. Bullets did nothing and no one could get close enough to Logan to electrocute him again.
It soon grew eerily silent in the long hallway.Face completely healed now, Logan went back to his original plan and stuck his claws back into the wall, ripping it apart. His bone claws would have never been able to cut through a solid metal wall but his new adamantium claws slid through the wall like it was butter.
He was almost OUT.Light peaked through his man-made hole and just one more slice through the wall would provide enough space for Logan to slip out of but Logan abruptly stopped when he heard Agent Zero yell down the hallway:"Hey Logan!"He then felt multiple bullets hit him in the back but something was wrong, these bullets were different, they actually hurt and knocked the breath out of him. Gritting his teeth, Logan readied himself to rip Zero to shreds. He had never liked the guy so killing him would be a pleasure.Spinning around, Logan jump towards him ready to slice him apart but at the same moment Zero pointed his gun right at Logan's forehead and fired.However, when this particular bullet struck Logan, it didn’t bounce off his head like all the others. It knocked him over flat on his back, rendering him unconscious.
Agent Zero only smirked as he lazily walked up to Logan's body before pointing the gun at Logan's forehead again and fired another of shots. Logan's body jerked from the impacts but otherwise he didn't move and was out cold."Wrap him up, boys," Agent Zero ordered as more guards arrived at the bloody scene. Casually, he spun the gun around into his holster like he was a cowboy.It wasn't the gun itself that was so effective putting Logan down, it was because of the adamantium bullets in the chambers.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
In a leisurely manner Stryker walked up to the operating table where Logan was now held down by reinforced adamantium restraints around his neck, wrists, mid-section and ankles. He was also being fed a crazy amount of sedation through IVs that it could literally put out a herd of elephants. Stryker was taking no chances after watching Logan be reduced to swiss cheese by the gunfire and grenades but carried on slashing a hole into the wall as if they were annoying gnats. He is truly an amazing specimen, Stryker grimly acknowledged. Mutants were an abomination but at least he was going to have this particularly powerful one under his control.Logan's eyelids were twitched erratically, looking like he wanted to wake up from a terrible nightmare. His entire body was completely littered with wires, tubes and prods as Dr. Cornelius was finished jamming the last metal prod into his temples. Logan could probably pick up radio waves now as well since all the metal prods looked like antennas extending from his head now. He was no longer nude either as it was very distracting to the staff and had been fitted in black boxers briefs now.Carol Frost quickly cleaned up the table of the subject’ blood, feeling anxious to get started on the reprogramming. Carol was a plain looking woman with her blonde hair and blue eyes as she wore no makeup and wore a very businesslike hair bun. She could be attractive if she tried but she felt no need because she was a woman of science, not of fashion.There were a few other medical staff members in the bitter gray laboratory helping out and an ungodly amount of guards standing near the exits just in case anything went wrong again. Stryker had sent Agent Zero away on assignment since he knew he would probably be a distraction by saying unnecessary remarks as they did their work on Logan and he definitely didn’t need that extra irritation."Doctor, are we almost ready to start the re-programming?" Stryker asked, touching the top of Logan's knuckles eager to see his new adamantium claws up close and personal.
"Yes sir, we can start momentarily," Dr. Cornelius responded, handing Carol the extra prods he didn't use. He then took off his surgeon gloves, which were covered in Logan’s blood and washed his hands before sighing.This was going to be a very long night of work for him anyways.Dr. Abraham Cornelius was an older man in his late fifties and had been blackmailed into doing this Weapon X experiment. Dr. Cornelius's son had been dying, which like any father couldn't bear to lose their only child so he illegally started conducting experiments on him to save his life. However, the government didn't see it that way and arrested him but Stryker had come to rescue in his hour of need. His help came with a price though and Dr. Cornelius did not want to go to jail so he picked the obvious choice Stryker offered him.Personally, Dr. Cornelius didn't know anything about Logan other than what he had been told about his abilities and wanted to keep it that way. He never got involved with his patients (except his son) but couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor bastard because it sounded like Logan had gotten tricked into this procedure just like he was tricked into performing it.
"Very good, Doctor, decrease the sedation," Stryker ordered, putting his hands behind his back. "I want to talk to him one last time before we get started."Dr. Cornelius nodded and began to decrease the flow of sedative until Logan's eyes slowly started to flutter open. It took a moment for him to become aware of what was happening but as soon as he did, his dark eyes settled on Stryker.
"You fuckin' double-crosser!""You're the one who ran," Stryker simply stated, knowing that would set him off.And he was right because Logan began violently struggling against his restraints as a bunch of curse words came spurting out of his mouth:"Whadda the fuck do ya mean, I ran! I heard what ya were gonna fuckin' to do me, you motherless piece of shit! You know what I bet you're glad that Kayla got fuckin' murdered so you could take this opportunity to take advantage of me! You sick fuck! I fuckin' swear on my grave after I kill Victor, I'm gonna gut you next!"The angry mutant continued to thrash around until Dr. Cornelius increased the sedatives as he was messing up all the wires, tubes, and prods they had just put in him.
Snarling in frustration, Logan felt his body get extremely heavy and couldn't even find the strength to flinch when Carol came over to reapply the loose wiring he had pulled out.Stryker shook his head and tutted before getting uncomfortably close to his face. "Logan…I didn't take advantage of your tragedy, I made it happen."Logan's facial expression fell as he eyes widened in realization. "…you had Victor kill her?"Stryker raised an eyebrow, smugly. "Yes and no…" He then nodded his head at a guard near the exit, who opened the door and revealed Kayla Silverfox on the other side.
A chill went down Logan’s back.
The person who stood there looked like Kayla with her beautiful dark flowing hair and entrancing eyes and they even smelled like her but Logan couldn't believe this. Kayla had died in his arms….her blood had been everywhere….Stryker began walking around the table like a predator circling a prey and told him in a matter-of-fact voice, "You know, I have learned that nothing motivates the men of your family like… revenge.""Who are you?" Logan asked the woman in a strained voice. This had to be a cruel fucked up trick, an hallucination or something.
"Oh she's real, old friend," Stryker informed him, smiling a little too widely.Logan searched Kayla's eyes, hoping to see a sign she had been forced into this but she didn't show any kind of emotion as she gazed back at him.
"Did you really think we just let you walk away?" Stryker sneered, callously. "You're a dangerous man, Logan. We like to keep an eye on dangerous men."Shaking his head, Logan stared up at the ceiling and closed his eyes tight still hoping he'd wake up from this fucking nightmare."Tell him about the day you died," Stryker ordered Kayla, who flinched a little (but Logan didn’t see that).Kayla blinked then said in an unfamiliar monotone voice, "They gave me a shot of hydrochlorothiazide, which can reduce your heart rate so low it appears you flat-lined."Logan audibly gasped, trying to remember how he found her but he had been so blinded by anger and grief, he didn't even bother to investigate her body.How could she do this to him?Why would she do this to him??"Don't be angry with her," Stryker retorted in a condescending voice. "She's a real credit to your species.""What?!""Kayla's mutation is tactohypnosis. She can influence people as long as she touches them, quite a useful tool in a seduction," Stryker said softly. "It was never real, my friend."For a moment, no one said anything as Logan tried to steady his breathing. His initial anger and shock he had been feeling was quickly shifting into sadness, a sadness he had never felt so strongly before.
"It was real for me."
He always thought it was too good to be true when Kayla came into his life and fuck, his instincts had been right.They were always right.Tears had start to form in Kayla’s eyes and she looked like she wanted to say something but Stryker gave her a threatening look, stopping her in her place."That story you told about a man who gets flowers for the moon, I had it backwards," Logan recalled, coldly. "I thought you were the moon and I was yer Wolverine."A teardrop rolled down Kayla’s face.
"But yer the trickster, aren't you?" Logan sneered, voice cracking a bit. "I'm just the fool who got played. The worst part of it is, I've should have known." He paused to swallow hard. "But I ignored my instincts. I ignored what I really am…but that won't ever happen again." He gave one last look at Kayla, showing her how much she had hurt him in his eyes before he looked away.Tears were now freely flowing down Kayla's face as she yearned to say. It had been real for her too but Stryker still had her sister and she promised she would do anything to get her back home.
"You know, having your memories erased doesn't have to be a bad thing," Stryker suggested. "You'll forget every horrible thing in your life…Kayla, your brother, all the wars…You can start over.”Kayla made a distressed sound like she wasn’t able to control herself anymore so Stryker quickly signaled a guard to usher her out of the lab. He had told her not to get emotionally involved with him so any pain she was feeling was her fault. Though, Stryker's was pleased that Logan didn't seem to care when Kayla left the room as he continued staring at nothing.The man was obviously heartbroken, which was exactly what Stryker wanted.
It was easier to manipulate broken men.Stryker bent down to his level and softly whispered into Logan's ear, "That's why it's not natural for a person to live as long as you or Victor. Look at all these years has done to Victor, he has turned into a cold blood killer or in your case, you feel guilty for every bad thing you have ever done. You're so angry and depressed that you can't even live a normal life. You need this, Logan. You need all these decades of pain and suffering gone so you can live again."Logan said nothing but had to admit what Stryker was saying to him was hitting home, hard. He was sick of having nightmares every night or not being able to shake away awful memories that would randomly pop up in his mind. Any good deeds he performed seemed to be always outweighed by something awful he had committed in the past."What…will happen to me after you erase my memories?""You will serve your country, fight for what's right, protect the innocent…you'll have a purpose in your life again, old friend," Stryker reassured him, patting his shoulder in a comforting manner.
He almost had him."Whatever," Logan finally mumbled after a moment of silence as he closed his eyes. He didn't care what happened to him anymore since he honestly couldn't find anything to live for.The only person he had ever loved hadn’t even been real.
"Sir, we are ready to begin," Dr. Cornelius nervously announced, not sure if he should talk yet. He had chosen to ignore that whole scene that took place right in front of him but still found it incredibly cruel what Stryker had done to the subject.
"You may begin, Doctor," Stryker answered, sounding a bit too happy for anyone’s taste. Stryker had never seen Logan look so pathetic before and for some reason it just made him feel like a million bucks. It actually wasn't necessary for Stryker to reveal all this information to Logan because he could have just erased his memory and re-programmed him before he even woke up. But Stryker relished at the accomplishment he was able to bring Logan to such a low point without any mutant powers himself.
Now that’s real power.
Everyone in the lab jumped when Logan let out a death defying scream that filled up the entire room after Dr. Cornelius sent the first electric current sent into Logan’s brain.It was not only a scream of pain but it was also a scream of utterly sorrow and loss.Logan couldn't escape the pain.It was everywhere, physically, mentally and even felt like it was searing into his DNA.
Something was gnawing at his brain, a desperate hungry animal trying to devour it before a sheet of blackness tried to claim him. Usually, he would try to fight it off but this time he didn't want to.
There was no point.
What would he be fighting for?
For Kayla?
For Victor?
For himself?
For anyone?
No…there was nothing or no one to keep him fighting.Memories began flashing rapidly through his head as he let his mind slip away into the black abyss.
"We're brothers Jimmy, you realize that? And brothers protect each other!" a fourteen year old Victor told him before morphing into Kayla and embracing him.
"I love you, my Wolverine.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"How long is this going to take?" Stryker asked, impatiently as he tapped his fingers on the computer stand. Glancing down at his watch, he noticed it was five minutes past nine o'clock pm, meaning he had been working for about fourteen hours straight.“It’s been three hours, why hasn’t his memory been completely erased yet?”Dr. Cornelius continued to stare at the computer screen, actively avoiding Stryker's eyes. "Well Sir, you told me that he is over a hundred years old, right? And if that is true that means he has more memories than an average human being…so I’m not sure, sir.”At that moment, the subject named Logan jerked violently against his restraints, letting out a pained moan. No one flinched anymore at his sudden movements as he would do that every five to ten minutes. Along with all the wires, tubes and prods littering his body, a metal saucer-like dome had also been fitted on his head to maximize the power surging into his brain.
Stryker heaved a sigh, looking at his watch again like he had some place to be (a bed). “The reprogramming will start tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen.” Deciding he was done for the night at least. “But I am trusting you, Doctor, to finish wiping his memory tonight before heading to bed yourself.”"Yes, sir," Dr. Cornelius answered, hiding his displeasure at being forced to stay up all the whole flipping night. The subject’s mind was one of the most complicated brains he had ever seen and when Stryker said “erase his memory” he knew Stryker just meant personal memories, not hard-wired functioning like walking, eating, breathing. Dr. Cornelius was also tired and had done way more work than Stryker had done all day, not that he would ever voice that."Good work today, gentlemen. We accomplished the impossible and by no time we will have our perfect weapon," Stryker pronounced with finality before exiting the room as other minor staff members followed him out.
Dr. Cornelius' face dropped into a sour frown as soon as the metal doors closed. Only four guards, Carol Frost, Dr. Cornelius and Logan remained in the cold laboratory but the Doctor felt like he could relax a bit since he would not have the Colonel breathing down his neck. Wiping his brow, he grabbed for his water bottle on a desk behind him and let out a tense breath.
This was going to take literally all night.
"Sir," Carol Frost suddenly voiced, which startled Dr. Cornelius because frankly he had forgotten she was even there."Do you think it was cruel what Stryker did to him?"The question caught Dr. Cornelius off guard but tried to keep his composure. "Miss Frost, I rather not think about it. It's none of our business.""I know, sir," Carol nodded. "I just thought it was highly unprofessional, that's all.”"True but it did quiet the subject down. He would probably be still struggling with all his might and then we would never get any work done."Carol Frost blinked then looked at the trembling subject on the lab table. "I did not think about that, valid point, sir."Dr. Cornelius peaked a quick glance at her,
wondering if this was her showing compassion towards the subject. He didn’t know anything about Carol other than what had been on her resume but tried to give her helpful advice.
"Miss Frost, I highly advise you to disconnect any feelings you have towards him, it's very unprofessional.""I don't have any feelings towards him!" Carol snapped, frigidly like this wasn’t the first time she had been accused of such a thing."I meant do not pity him," Dr. Cornelius corrected himself, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. He never particularly liked working with women but it was human to feel.
"Oh, yes of course.”"It will be worth it as soon as this is all over," Dr. Cornelius mumbled. "We won't have to be scared anymore.""What do you mean?""Well, he's a mutant. They are not like us, Miss Frost. The powers these mutants possess can turn them into power-hungry killers. They are extremely dangerous and that is why they need to be controlled or they would wreak havoc on the world. If we can control Mr. Logan and his great powers, we might be able to defend ourselves against them.""Is that what Colonel Stryker told you or do you actually believe that, sir?"Jaw locking tight, Dr. Cornelius blankly stared at her with no real answer. Actually, that was exactly what Stryker had told him and he just accepted that reason because he didn't want to believe he was hurting an innocent man."Miss Frost, we're here to work so don't pity them or him, there's no point," Dr. Cornelius growled, ending the subject for good. He would not let himself think about the poor bastard on the operating table nor should she if she was smart and valued her life.
"Yes, sir," Carol replied, coolly as she averted her eyes back to Logan, who had finally become quiet.
Next Day
William Stryker was feeling good this morning, even if he had accidentally cut himself from shaving earlier. He felt well rested now and was still basking in the success of yesterday’s experiments. The afterglow was evident in his steps he took as he made his way down the long hallways of Alkali lake base with two guards trailing behind him.
Coffee in hand and sipping it a bit periodically, he was feeling beyond optimistic about today and turning Logan into Weapon X. All Logan’s memories had been erased (apparently took another three hours to complete last night), which no longer made him a person to Stryker. He was basically a new blank slate to work with and Stryker couldn’t wait to mold him into everything he wanted him to be.
Like a newborn baby.
However, Stryker’s mood instantly shifted when he saw a certain someone turn into the hallway, stomping towards him.Victor Creed.Stryker took a deep breath, trying his damndest to hide his annoyance because honestly, he had no desire to deal with him right now. Conversing with the hulking mutant was like walking in a field of landmines (even casually) and not to mention, Stryker was planning double crossing him soon too so he had to be extra careful what he said to Victor.
The two guards behind Stryker tensed up, fingering their triggers but Stryker gave Victor a fake warm smile like they were old buddies.“Good morning, Victor, I assumed you heard the adamantium bonding process was successful?”“I want to see him,” Victor immediately huffed out, skipping pleasantries entirely. He looked agitated and surprisingly had dark circles under his eyes like he hadn’t slept the whole night.Stryker wondered if this was Victor worrying about his brother, which he almost found endearing for a second but then quickly remembered this was Victor and Logan. The word 'endearing' was the antonym of these brothers.Victor was a special kind of creature, grant it, he was one of Stryker’s best agents and always got the job done but he caused soooooo much collateral damage. Power-hungry and literally having a taste for blood, Victor was getting harder to control as the years went by but the promise of also bonding adamantium to his skeleton was Stryker’s only bargaining chip right now.
Somehow, Stryker had convinced Victor to perform this procedure on Logan first since bone claws being coated with adamantium was more plausible than coating Victor’s claws. Of course, they both knew Logan would never agree to such a procedure so they hatched the plan of ‘killing’ Kayla to ‘motivate’ Logan. Everything had worked out perfectly like they planned but after that their plans differed because Victor was under the impression that he was going to be involved with reprogramming Logan. No way in hell would Stryker allow that to happen on his watch, he didn’t need two Victor Creeds nor did the world for that matter. Stryker knew deep down Victor just wanted his little brother back because ever since Logan left Team X six years ago, Victor was never the same. Missing his brother was probably the most human trait Victor had ever displayed and technically, they would end up together because Stryker was planning to do the same thing (the adamantium bonding procedure, memory erasing and reprogramming) to Victor if all went well with Weapon X.
So hopefully in the next two years or even less, both Logan and Victor would be under his control entirely and totally….“I’m sorry Victor, the procedure is still ongoing,” Stryker calmly explained. “And your presence could trigger an emotional response from him.”Victor seemed to accept that answer as he didn’t press the request to see Logan and just continued to inquire about the procedure. “But it worked? No complications or side effects?
“Yes and no serious complications we have come across yet,” Stryker replied, only slightly twisting the truth. “The only thing we are monitoring and most concerned about right now is the blood flow through his bones. During the bonding process we had to ensure that the adamantium did not ooze into any of the canals where arteries, veins, and nerves travel through the bone tissue but so far so good. He is stable and recovering.”“Does he look the same?”Stryker thought that was an odd question coming from Victor but answered it anyway with a smile. “Other than new shiny metal claws, he looks like the same old Logan.”Victor actually smiled back even if it was eerie as fuck, showing off his sharp canines. “Good and then you can do me next?”“It should be perfected by the time we perform the procedure on you,” Stryker promised. "We are just smoothing out the kinks and I will let you know when we begin the memory wiping process but that could take a week.“And you’re only wiping memories in the last ten years?” Victor confirmed, earnestly. The years including Kayla and quitting Team X.“Yes,” Stryker lied right through his teeth. “But for now I need you to visit another old team mate of ours, do you remember a certain merc with a mouth?A bloodthirsty grin spread across Victor's face.Trying to hold back tears, a determined Kayla marched through the never end hallways of the facility, trying to locate Stryker. He hadn’t been in his office and one guard had let it slip, he was heading towards the laboratories to continue his work on Logan. She honestly couldn’t bare to see Logan again, especially strapped down on the operating table but she wanted her sister released NOW.The guilt of betraying Logan was eating her alive but Stryker still had her sister and she promised she would do anything to get her back home safely.
Kayla hadn’t meant to fall in love with Logan, she really did try to disconnect her feelings and focus on just getting her sister back. Though, the more she got to know him, the harder it became to stay disconnected. He was definitely rough around the edges in the beginning but had turned into such a caring, kind and warm-hearted lover. She almost wished Logan was like his cold-hearted brother because it would have made job much easier.The point was she had done her job so why Stryker hadn't he released her sister yet?
What else did she have to do?
Deep down Kayla knew Stryker was lying and was just keeping her on the hook so she had to ‘persuade’ him but only if she could get close enough to him.
However, Kayla abruptly bumped into something really hard when she turned into a new hallway and almost lost balance but was able to stay on her feet."Watch where yer goin', little fox," Kayla heard a familiar voice sneered. Looking up, she saw the cruel face of Victor Creed, glaring down at her. Logan stood at 6’2” (yeah fuck comic accurate height fight me idc) and had always dwarfed her but Victor stood at 6’8’ making Kayla feel even smaller than she was.She backed up and quickly wiped her face of any tears. He always seemed to show up when she was at her weakest.Victor wrinkled his nose at her, wondering what she was blubbering about now. If it weren’t for her powers, he was pretty sure Logan would have never fallen for her. Sure, she was a fine piece of ass but other than that Victor saw nothing worth wild in her.
“Can I speak with you in private…um off base?" Kayla ended up blurting out, not sure where she was going with this. Victor was probably the last person in the world that would help her but she had an a strange urge to discuss Stryker's treatment of Logan to him. He hadn’t seen how cruel he was to Logan in the lab and Kayla had a feeling he wouldn’t particularly like that even if he was in on the plans.Victor raised an eyebrow at her request but didn’t say no and followed her.Curiosity wouldn’t kill this cat.
"I hope Weapon X didn't give you two any trouble last night," Stryker causally commented as he stared at Logan through the observation glass.
After his memory had been thoroughly erased, Logan had been brought into a small cell for the night. He sat up against a wall, eyes closed still littered with wires, tubes and prods. Two guards and a lab technician were also now in the cell, surrounding Logan as they waited for instructions from Stryker.The observation room was completely packed with Stryker, Dr. Cornelius, Carol and a few medical staff and lab technicians. They all were doing different jobs as they got ready to reprogram Logan."No, of course not," Dr. Cornelius answered, checking Logan's condition. He just personally didn't get any sleeping last night, which was troubling to him. "Everything went according to plan.""So all his memories are completely erased now, right?" Stryker smiled, excitedly like he was enjoying ruining Logan's life"Well If I've calibrated it correctly, yes all his personal memories are erased but I left alone the intact hard-wired functioning like walking and talking, you know all that good stuff.""Thank god, I didn't want to be the one to potty train him," a lab technician joked in the back.A few of the staff members snickered with him, which Stryker elected to ignore before asking, "And you said he is able to talk too?""Yes sir." Dr. Cornelius nodded."He knows more than one language," Stryker mentioned. "Would he still know all of them?""Oh really?" Dr. Cornelius replied, a little surprised. Carol looked a little stunned too.Cornelius would have never guessed Logan would know any language other than English. Logan looked like a dumb ignorant redneck to Dr. Cornelius so he assumed Logan was uneducated. He had underestimated Logan's intelligence, greatly. "Uh well…like I said I did not touch that part of his brain so that should be still intact.""His main purpose is not for talking anyways," Stryker waved off. "Make sure when we reprogram him, he will not speak unless spoken to. I did not want any kind of back-talk, opinions, or hesitation from him.""Yes sir, of course.""Good, have the guards bring him into the main lab so we can begin," Stryker commanded.
The two guards lifted Logan up by his arms and held him up as the lab technician pulled out certain wires and tubes out of him. The guards seemed to be struggling holding him up since Logan was a lot heavier than they thought he would be. The adamantium had significantly increased Logan's weight.After Stryker instructed his staff on what they needed for the procedure, he turned around and walked towards the door when he suddenly heard a loud "SNKIT " and a faint yell.Stryker and everybody else quickly looked over and saw that Logan's claws were buried inside the young lab technician's chest. The two guards that were holding him let go of him, looking beyond shocked and terrified. They tried to pull their weapons out but Logan pulled his bloody claws out and shoved a pair of claws into each one of their chests. Logan then roared loudly and twisted his claws around in the guards chest, making them yell out in pain.He absolutely had no remorse in his eyes, he looked like a rabid animal on the hunt to kill anything in its path."What is happening?" Stryker yelled at Dr. Cornelius. "Why is he awake?!"Dr. Cornelius checked the controls wildly. "Uh I don't know! He should be out cold! Something's wrong! He's fighting it!"Logan let another loud savage roar as he unexpectedly threw both of the guard's bodies at the glass window. They hit the window so hard it made a few cracks in it. In the cell, the glass was blacked out but Logan's wild dark eyes looked into the window like he knew they were in there."Gas him now!" Stryker ordered then noticed Logan now seemed to be staring right at him through the window, sending a chill up Stryker's spine.Logan crouched down like he was about to leap into the glass window when a cyclone of yellow gas blasted into his face from nozzles hidden in the walls, the floor, even the ceiling of the cell. The gas filled up the chamber quickly but yet Logan still managed to come up to the glass as he coughed and wheezed. He lifted an arm back and stuck a pair of claws in the window, the glass cracked more.Some of the gas began to slip through the cracks into the observation room."Increase it now!" Stryker yelled, backing away towards the exit."But—"Now!"Dr. Cornelius reluctantly pushed the button, afraid the gas was going to start coming into the room because of the cracks. The gas began rapidly coming out more into the cell and it finally got to Logan as he began to cough more, which eventually turned into choking. His claws slipped out of the window and he fell down on his knees, clutching his heaving chest.It was horrendous to watch."Oh my god," Carol whispered in the background, covering her mouth and nose.
Logan's mouth gaped open, and green bile erupted from the back of his throat. He finally gagged like a beached shark and then hit the floor face down in his own vomit but his convulsing arms and legs swiftly tossed him onto his back. As he slipped into unconsciousness, his claws slowly retracted into his flesh.No one said anything as they stared at Logan in horror until Stryker finally suddenly whispered, "You can turn the gas off now.""Yes… of course," Dr. Cornelius replied in a very quiet voice.Stryker let out a nervous laugh as wiped his brow, not wanting to admit to himself that he saw his entire life flash by.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kayla anxiously picked at her nail bed as she looked around the near-empty bar, waiting for Victor to arrive. She had driven to a location far away enough from base that none of Stryker's cronies would be hanging out in. But there was always a possibility someone could be listening so she made sure to touch the bartender and the two other patrons to keep away and mind their own business.What am I doing? Kayla thought to herself, biting into her chapped bottom lip. She was absolutely terrified of Victor even more so than Stryker, who would at least grant her a quick death for her betrayal. Victor, on the other hand, had made it clear to Kayla he would take days killing her if she ever revealed anything to Logan.
Paling at that thought, Kayla told herself she had to stay strong because otherwise Victor would take advantage of her weakened state. She hadn’t decided if Victor actually cared about Logan as a brother or if he viewed his little brother as a mere possession for his use. But one thing she did know was that Victor didn’t like when other people played with his toys.The chilling cold Canadian air abruptly swept through the bar when the entrance was dramatically slammed open. Kayla’s heart skipped a beat, knowing it was Victor because along with the cold, Victor seemed to carry an air of fear with him wherever he went, which was hitting Kayla hard at the moment. Kayla continued looking straight ahead at a faded hockey post on the wall until Victor’s massive frame came into view. He sat down across from her at the booth, eyes gleaming in sadistic delight as always.Before she could open her mouth, the bartender appeared out of nowhere to take Victor’s order. Kayla had just gotten a glass of water that was still sitting in the same place where the bartender had left it earlier."Afternoon, what can I get you, sir?""Go away," Victor quickly answered, eyes never leaving Kayla’s. Interlocking his fingers together, he put his folded hands on the table to show off his long and deadly claws.The bartender made the smart choice and decided not to make a comment about how rude Victor was before just walking away, slightly peeved.
"Is this the reason why you wanted t' meet up?” Victor began conversationally like they were talking about the weather. “You wanna go fer a round two?" His smile then became much more devious before he snaked a clawed hand underneath the table and grabbed her thigh. “But I can't promise you'll come back from the dead like last time, darlin'."“You are never to touch me again!” Kayla snapped, grabbing his hand and using all her power on him. If he was stupid enough to touch her then she would take the opportunity and use him to get her sister back and free Logan. This hadn’t been the original plan but she could roll with the punches.Though, something was wrong, usually when she touched a person their eyes would become docile, waiting for her instructions but Victor just had hate in his blue-green eyes.
"Yer little mind tricks don't work on me," Victor hissed dangerously, grinning ear to ear. He re-adjusted his grip so his claws dug through her pants into her skin to the point where blood started running down her leg. "So I can touch ya as much as I want, sweethart."Kayla gasped in pain, eyes flickering over to the bartender who looked away, minding his own business as she had instructed him but a realization suddenly came over her like a tidal wave.
That means—
"Wait… if my powers don't work on you…then that means it doesn't work on…" Letting go of Victor’s hand, Kayla sat back with tears in her eyes and smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks.
Victor instantly let go of her in disgust like she had a disease. “That doesn’t mean anything, Jimmy has always been weaker than me, especially when it came to the fairer sex.”Kayla didn’t bother to reply because honestly, she was so damn happy right now. Logan had actually loved her with his own free will, he actually loved her! She had never been sure with past loves even when she wasn’t using her powers because it was hard to control sometimes. If Victor wasn’t here right now, she probably would have started sobbing out of happiness.
However, Victor had enough of this bullshit and snapped: "This better not be the reason why you dragged me out here or–"Please Victor, no it's about Stryker!” Kayla desperately pleaded. “He’s not letting my sister go, please I have done everything he wanted me to do!”Victor straightened up, glaring at her with cold contempt. “I think you have mistaken me for someone who gives a shit.”“You can trust a man like that? Who goes back on his word? A man enjoys torturing your brother?!”“You don’t fuckin’ understand. He’s making Jimmy better and stronger.”“Stryker hates us! He hates mutants! He’s only using Logan for his own gain and he’s using you too! Have you even seen Logan yet? And the state he’s in!?”Victor hesitated at that last question.“Stryker made me break his heart! Break him down so he will be easier to manipulate. They were trying to erase his memory the last time I saw him—Kayla didn’t get to finish her sentence when Victor abruptly stood up and snatched Kayla by the arm before dragging her out of the bar with him.
No one stopped them."What are you doing!" Kayla gritted through her teeth, trying to pry herself out of his grip. She winced, feeling his claws dig through her long black-sleeved shirt into her skin.Victor didn't let go of her until they were outside and behind the bar where he slammed her against the wall. It was piercingly cold, especially without her coat now that was left behind at the booth. Light snow had also begun to fall, coating both of them in a thin layer.
“You’re mistaken,” Victor snarled, towering over her threatheningly. “They haven’t begun the memory erasing process.”“So you want your brother’s memory erased!” Kayla asked in disbelief but honestly wasn’t surpised either.
“Parts of it,” Victor shrugged, casually. “It’s sweet of you pretend that you still care about him but yet part in this has ended. I suggest ya kindly fuck off before ya get yerself hurt, little frail.”“You never said if you have seen him yet,” Kayla quickly pointed out. “Stryker is going to betray you—With no warning he suddenly snatched her by the throat, pinning her against the wall as his claws lengthened. “I’m gettin’ real sick of the sound of yer voice.”“Why would I make this up?” Kayla gritted through her teeth, not even fighting against the chokehold. “Just see for yourself! Go see Logan and if everything is going according to ‘your plans’ then you can gut me or whatever you want to do to me.”Victor sadistically grinned at her offer before letting her go and crudely inspecting her figure up and down again. He usually didn’t like Logan’s sloppy seconds but he’d love to hear her scream and squirm."I have to visit an old friend first but don't worry afterwards I’ll go visit your ‘ex’ and then we can have a grand ol’ time together, promise,” Victor winked, sinisterly. Dramatically, he spun around and headed back to his luxury car, not sparing her a second glance.Rubbing her sore throat, Kayla tried to look on the bright side, she had managed to convince Victor to at least check out what Stryker was doing. Stryker was too fucking cocky and Victor wasn’t stupid so hopefully, he would discover Stryker's deception…and maybe it could all end in a happy ending….Kayla watched him zoom off way past the speed limit and couldn't help but mumble, "Thank you.""Doctor, do you mind explaining what the hell that was about?" Stryker asked, referring to what happened earlier with Logan's suddenly violent outburst. It had left everybody a little shaken up and Stryker was so glad they were able to control the situation and overcome Logan or they could’ve been at the end of his claws too.Dr. Cornelius, Stryker, and Carol Frost were the only ones left in the control room as they tried to figure out what went wrong. Stryker had Logan moved to another room to be hosed off since he was kind of disgusted. Chemicals, throw up, blood, and three days of filth covered Logan and honestly, Stryker didn't want to be working around him while he stunk up the whole room."The subject is still aggressive despite ego eradication," Dr. Cornelius answered as he viewed on the computer screens of how Logan vitals were when he had the outburst."Why?""We aren't sure. Chemical reactions have been ruled out. No metal poisoning is present, no schizoid chemical imbalances we can detect," he listed off."Maybe it has to do with pain," Carol quietly pointed out.Both men faced her, eyebrows raised for further explanation.Carol’s cheeks turned pink, hating being the center of attention but continued with her hypothesis. "What if the subject is experiencing a kind of recognition—a memory if you will—of the pain experienced during the bonding process?""Hmm…I would agree with that but…" Dr. Cornelius thought skeptically. "But we erased his memory after the adamantium bonding process so that couldn't be the reason." He turned away from the screen, looking back at Stryker and sighed: "Whatever the cause is, his brutish impulses have been greatly exaggerated."“That could also be why...” Carol muttered low, pointing to the screen."What?" Stryker snapped before turning around back to the big screen. Dr. Cornelius had switched to the security footage to the camera in the shower room where they were washing Logan off. In live time it showed the guards laughing and playing around as they tormented Logan with a high-powered hose, type of water hose that had the ability to rip somebody's skin off as it was used to fight fires. Logan had been chained to the ground so all he could do was yell and struggle around in pain as they aimed the hose into his back.Stryker grinded his teeth even more infuriated. No wonder Logan was so aggravated! He needed to hire new staff that acted more professional.
“Excuse me.”