Author's Note: Thank you everyone who read the first story. After a few requests I decided to go forward with a sequel. As always I appreciate everyone's input and hope you enjoy this one as well. Thanks again!

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Fury radiated through the moment claiming the night and slicing through the sky with the violent, crimson colored blast into the clouds. Shivers reverberated through Logan when the sky exploded cutting through the winds and the rains. The end was coming, a voice inside his head taunted, warning him of what he would have to do. It was the one time in his life he would've given anything to be anywhere else, but he'd chosen his path. Everything had lead up to this moment, to this time when he'd gone past the point of no return. He'd ignored the warnings and now destiny was forcing him to make a decision-one he knew he wouldn't be able to live with regardless of the outcome.

"He'll evolve into something more and when he does they're going to use him to destroy all of us…"

Mystique's warning rang through Logan's head again, taking him back to a time and place when he wouldn't believe in such words. He couldn't anticipate things spinning as out of control as they'd become, yet with the reality of their madness stealing away the one thing that mattered most, Logan feared for the outcome. He no longer had a choice, could no longer sit idle and pretend this would solve itself. Madness had engulfed them all taking his happiness and twisting it into a perverse, warped reality where only pain and suffering would follow. Feeling the clouds overhead opening up, Logan could no longer ignore the rain beating down on his skin like tiny razor blades, expanding the dark moment into something beyond his wildest nightmare. The brutal storm was in full effect, explosions and violence surrounding him, but even in all his training he hadn't been prepared for this. With everything inside of him he knew that this was the last thing he wanted, the last place where he wanted to be now that he stood firm between Scott and the darkness that threatened to consume him forever.

"Get out of my way you son of a bitch!" Scott's rough voice snarled in warning, his face twisted with uncharacteristic rage. The lightening overhead stole the softness from Scott's features, replacing it with a harsh, aggressive warp into madness. Scott approached Logan, his lips curving in a downward scowl, his voice cracked with anger, "Move!"

"No," Logan refused to budge, knowing in his heart that what was expected of him was the one thing he feared he wouldn't be able to do. Logan had never been uncertain, never questioning action, but with the love of his life standing before him lost inside of himself, Logan knew there would be no other way to change things. He couldn't walk away, yet he wasn't sure he could follow through on his promise to do right by the world around him. Selfishly he wished for a miracle, for something that would take him back to where they'd began with one another-to those few precious moments when Logan's responses would decide everything. If he could only return to that place when they'd both been less bitter, less jaded by the world around them, then perhaps things would change. However, wishing and hoping were no longer an option leading to resolution. Standing up taller, Logan stretched his arms out, allowing his adamantium claws to slide out of his hands in a defensive stance not backing down in the moment when everything inside of him bristled with awareness. Things had been pushed past the limit, gone too far well beyond the point of no return.

"You don't have a choice!" Scott's voice cracked with the overhead lightening. The shadows of the night were surrounding his face, cloaking it in madness when Scott lunged forward seizing Logan roughly by his collar of his shirt. "You can stop me from getting to him! Get out of my way!"

"No!" Logan snapped again, doing his best to stay in control of his instincts, but with Scott's hands squeezing at his neck, the animal revealed itself, pushing Scott back across the wet pavement in a futile attempt to end things without blood and destruction. Scott skidded across the ground, his hands scraping along the grooves beneath him, but almost as soon as the cuts revealed themselves, they disappeared returning to the smooth skin Logan had found himself appreciating more often than not. A heavy gasp fell from Scott's parted lips, surprise registering through his body, but soon it was replaced with a venomous rage, his face twisting with anger behind the visor he wore. Logan could see the beginnings of the red glow behind the visor, radiating from the edges when Scott let out a loud wail of anger.

Rising up off the ground, Scott waved his hand in the air wildly, causing Logan's body to fly across the pavement, slamming into the door that Logan had been standing in front of. The rain continued to pour down upon them, severing any sign of life beyond the both of them, the dark cloud of madness keeping them from where they once were with one another. Behind the visor Scott's eyes were darkening, the red burning brighter, deeper then Logan had imagined. His skin began to bubble with rage darkening with madness when he took a thunderous step forward.

"The only way you're going to stop me is to kill me. You can't keep me away from him," Scott screeched, his voice foreign and devoid of any of the human emotion that had previously guided his conscience. Now standing before Scott, seeing him wild with animosity, Logan found himself surrounded by the beast, by the monster himself and it was only a matter of time before Scott's madness brought about their destruction. The prophesy was about to be fulfilled unless…

"Not going to happen. You have to fight this Scott. There has to be another way," Logan insisted plainly, his fears mounting with each passing second. He felt his claws still out beyond his flesh threatening to end things with the same brute force he'd been used to dealing with danger in the past. Only unlike before the threat began with Scott, with the man Logan would risk anything and everything to protect. His loyalty had him divided, his heart begging for something more, for another way to stop this. Killing Scott would undoubtedly be the end of him, yet with the future on the line, Scott was leaving him out of options. Now keeping his eyes focused on Scott through the bitter winds that surrounded them, Logan realized Scott wasn't about to give Logan the luxury of letting go without a fight.

"This will only end in death," Scott mouthed sharply, his hand rising up to touch the side of his visor in warning when Logan raised his claws in the air ready for battle, "mine or yours. There's no turning back. There isn't any other way."

XXXXX

A Few Weeks Earlier

Logan entered the garage doing his best to keep the noise level down to a minimum. While he'd intended on making his way down here earlier, to simply blow off some steam, Logan couldn't help, but find himself distracted by obligation. In between catching up with the students and working through some of the Danger Room programs Logan had found himself far more distracted then he'd intended for the day. Scott had been tied up late with staff meetings, outlining his courses for the new semester. That in itself had only given Logan more time to be immersed in his thoughts, in his rage now that he was surrounded by thoughts of Victor. Unable to shake the memory that still played out in his mind time and time again in watching Victor try to destroy Scott back at the nuclear plant, Logan couldn't help, but tense up knowing that things were far from over. Victor had escaped, had been able to take advantage of the moment in walking away when Scott had been buried under the rubble. He'd known only too well that Logan wouldn't walk away from Scott, wouldn't turn his back on the man he loved in his time of need. It had been a vulnerability for Logan, rendering him unable to continue to battle the brother who had tormented him through the years before his memories were taken. Still in thinking about Scott's recovery, Logan had known he'd made the right decision. Saving Scott was everything to him and he wouldn't have changed it for the world.

"He wouldn't have been here without you," Logan could hear Hank's words of encouragement shortly after Scott's miraculous recovery. While everything still was up in the air, the twist surrounding Scott's return to life still very much a mystery for them, Logan couldn't help, but want to focus on the relief that carried over him in knowing Scott was still alive. That was what was important regardless of the questions that had arisen after the fact.

"He's fine," Logan had confided in Hank, "and that's all that matters to me. Knowing that he's going to be alright…"

"It appears he's beyond alright," Hank noted in reference to Scott's medical charts, "Stronger then ever, yet…"

"What?" Logan had questioned sensing the hesitation in his friend's tone.

"Something about this feels off Logan," Hank divulged quietly, "You and I both know that things like this very seldom happen without any kind of outside interference."

"Interference," Logan had repeated wearily, "Such as?"

"What exactly was going down on that island Logan?" Hank couldn't help, but ask worriedly. "I know that when Scott and Charles returned, they'd both been subjected to experiments."

"Scott couldn't have been there long enough for them to have been able to…," Logan paused thinking about the brief window of time he and Scott had been separated from one another. "Victor wouldn't have…"

"Victor?" Hank repeated giving him another look.

"It's a long story," Logan had simply stated, returning to the same abrasiveness that he'd carried with him on most occasions instead of submitting to the simple pleasantries that most around him would engage in. Conversation wouldn't make what happened any clearer for any of them. Scott was fine. That was all that mattered.

"But how long will he continue to be alright Logan?" he could hear an inner voice gnaw at him drawing him from the moment of content, taking his thoughts to a darker place, back to the fear he'd felt in having Victor try to rip Scott out of his life all over again.

"To hell with it," Logan decided marching into the garage determined to get some air and clear his head. Heading over to Scott's motorcycle, he hopped onto it, knowing only too well Scott wouldn't be happy with his evening retreat, but it didn't matter. Scott could deal with his staff meeting while Logan worked through some of his torment, some of his fears in hoping to banish the concern for what Victor's lingering presence would mean for his life and future.

Immersed in his thoughts, Logan left the school, driving until the sun went down completely. He wasn't sure where he was headed or what he wanted to do, but when he found himself at an old, familiar haunt, hearing the sounds of loud music booming through the night, he'd decided this was the place. The other motorcycles around the bar rivaled the one that Scott had, each indicating a far different type of rider when the clashing of heavy metal and smoke boomed from the bar. Yes, it was certainly a place where Scott wouldn't blend, but Logan on the other hand, well he was certain that he'd be able to move in without question, without the same curiosities that had surrounded him in other such places.

Upon entering the bar Logan's suspicions had been proven accurate when he moved through the crowd, taking in the laughter and drunken catcalls to the women who were dancing up on stage, flaunting themselves off with next to nothing on. Yes, this place would certainly be a hideaway indeed, Logan decided moving over to the bar to signal the bartender. The man met him with a neutral expression, simply nodded when Logan ordered his beer, prepared to lose himself to a night of mindless drinking. Yes, the atmosphere was one that everyone back at the school would've frowned upon, but he didn't care. Tonight he needed a breather away from the children, away from their curriculum and from the school that he'd been so devoted to. Even Scott had been overwhelmed by the stress of the upcoming semester as of late, so much so that everything else seemed to be sidelined in the process including their quest to seek out the truth in Scott's condition. Yes, it had been a priority, but Scott was also working to fit in, doing double duty to hide his new powers from everyone around him.

"Same old story, different scenario," Logan had thought to himself remembering the many times he'd attempted to coax Scott into telling the truth. Scott was hesitant, still fearful of what his new powers could mean, but being at the school meant putting up a false front, putting others above the search for the truth and in doing so Scott was assimilating to what they'd expected. It was enough to drive Logan crazy as he took the first taste of his beer. Things were progressing as they always had…well, with a few minor changes.

Looking down to the ring on his finger, Logan couldn't help, but smile. That was the one thing that Scott had insisted upon not changing when they'd decided to stay at the school. It was in their return that Scott had grown more secure in their relationship, sharing it with those around them in a rather uncharacteristic move of the man Logan had once deemed unable to be honest with his true feelings. Now, however, Scott had no problem letting the world know he and Logan were together. He didn't have issue with the small public displays of affection between them and for the first time Logan finally felt as if he'd found something worth holding onto. Tracing the ring on his finger, Logan's grin expanded, undoubtedly making him look like a blubbering fool, but he didn't care. Having Scott in his life was worth all the silly things someone might say about his softer side. Yes, it was very unlike the Wolverine they'd grown to know, but it was the part of Logan that had given him the most joy and happiness.

"Hey sugar," a curvaceous blonde dipped down from on top of the bar, pulling him from his thoughts. He raised his head up to see her sashaying in front of him, grinding in his face in her sparkling, white lingerie. In an instant, she was on her knees, her long, blonde hair surrounding her smooth shoulders when her lips parted in a full silvery white colored smirk, "you looking for a date tonight?"

"No thanks," Logan shook his head, reaching for his drink again and taking a long sip.

"Now come on," she shifted on the countertop kicking her long legs over it in a smooth slide. The pointed tip of her white stiletto planted firmly over Logan's thigh, making no impact on him despite it's secure press into his skin through his jeans. She arched her head back, thrusting her chest forward in an attempt to capture his attention with her full cleavage, "you wouldn't have come all this way without purpose and reason. Surely, you're looking for a good time and I'm the one who could readily make that available to you."

"As tempting as I'm sure that offer is to most," Logan nodded to his hand surrounding the beer bottle. He raised it up into the glow of the multicolored lights, displaying his ring proudly, "I'm taken."

"Most men who come here are sugar," she slurred, her words cool and tempting when she reached out across the bar to touch the side of his face. The moment her white, gloved fingertips made contact with his skin, Logan felt an eerie moment of familiarity overtake him. Her eyes beckoned his, silently pleading for him to join her in one of the back rooms, but before she could verbalize the offer to him once again, he spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"I have to go," Logan jerked back, breaking the connection between them. He staggered off of the stool, pushing past the bar where the other dancers were on stage collecting their tips from desperate patrons, all eager to capture their attention. Weaving through the crowd, Logan's eyes honed in on someone who was suddenly of great interest-to a small, mild mannered looking man who was about to give him the answers he'd been seeking out.

"I trust you've got my room ready," the man spoke up in a nasal tone. His dark glasses covered his beady eyes, a dark hat covering the top of his head as if to shield the others from recognizing him before he'd gotten settled in at the place, but Logan could recognize him anywhere. After their last encounter, Logan was now more eager than ever to say hello.

"Of course sir," one of the waitresses had flirted playfully, guiding him to the back of the bar, into one of the rooms beyond the curtain. Logan hesitated, looking around the bar and knowing that he wouldn't be able to get inside undetected unless he seemed interested in…

"Oh hell," Logan reached into his pocket, stepping forward when the waitress who had taken the new arrival in the back emerged. Approaching her with an overwhelmingly flirty smile, Logan flashed his money in the air, waving it at her suggestively, "Tell me something beautiful. Is there any way you can make room for me back there?"

"For someone like you," her brown eyes widened with eager approval. She reached out accept the bill from his hand. She swiped it from his fingers, sliding it into her cleavage before curling her finger for him to get in closer to her. He obliged leaning down to hear her whisper flirtingly, "I would've done it for free."

"In that case," Logan tipped his head to the side, sensing her arousal carrying over her in the moment. While he hadn't been in the least bit interested, she was, which would further serve to push his mission along further, "lead the way."

"Let me finish up with my table," she breathed heavily, her pupils dilating with want, "and then we can…"

"Where can I wait?" Logan questioned dropping his head down closer to her, his mouth hovering just above her skin, sensing her pulse pounding wildly beneath the surface.

"I'll take you there," she whispered in a throaty gasp, her lips parting, tongue wetting the bottom lip. She stood up straighter curling her finger at him and motioning for him to follow, "This way."

"Excellent," Logan smirked lecherously, doing his best to fit into the mold of what this kind of place could offer. Across the bar, he could see the blonde who had propositioned him earlier eyeing him with heavy disapproval, but right now neither she nor the waitress were of interest to him. Still with the weight of her eyes upon him, Logan blew her a kiss across the bar serving to further enrage her once she shoved another guy who'd approached her at the bar aside. Laughing to himself Logan followed the waitress into the room beyond the curtain knowing only too well that time was of the essence.

"If you step in over there and get yourself settled in the chair," the woman's hand lingered over the solid, steady press of Logan's shoulder, dropping down around his bicep, "I'll be in there shortly."

"I'll be waiting," Logan promised moving forward to enter the room before him. He tipped his head back over his shoulder, seeing the waitress rush off to finish with her table. Once the curtain closed behind her, Logan switched directions, using his sense of smell to locate his intended target. It didn't take long for him to discover the portly man in one of the rooms near the back of the hallway, closer to the rear exit. Knowing his arrival would undoubtedly surprise the man, Logan stood up taller in an attempt to come off as more intimidating.

"Here goes nothing," Logan mouthed to himself opening up the door and finding the shorter, chubby man before Logan with his back turned away from him clad only in a discolored beige towel. It was enough to make Logan cringe when he closed the door behind him, locking it without hesitation. Unable to hold back on the disgusted laughter that overtook him, Logan issued a scrutinizing brow at the man before him, "I see that working for the devil has paid you very well Bert."

The man tensed upon recognition of Logan's voice. He started to shake involuntarily, worry spiraling out from his body to invade Logan's senses when he stepped forward with a firm, intimidating movement, "I'm sure your employers would love to see how you're frivolously wasting their money."

"How…how did you find me?" the man gulped down fearfully. He backed up into the wall, eyes filled with terror behind his dark glasses.

"I told you I'd be back," Logan dropped his arms down to his sides, claws extending and causing Bert to whimper with fear.

"Look…I…I told you back at the plant…I…I had nothing to do with what happened to your friend. I wasn't the one that had taken him. I was just the janitor and…" Bert shook like a leaf before Logan.

"A reason in itself that you were spared that day," Logan approached him, claws out in front of Bert's face, "but you didn't really believe that I would simply leave it at that. I told you I'd be back for information."

"I can't give you anything more then I already have," Bert stammered worriedly, "Thanks to you and your friends the plant was taken down to the ground all over again. They're going to have to start up from the bottom if they even think they're going to be able to recover that place. It's in ruins and we're all out of a job…"

"Yet you're dropping a small fortune on a place like this?" Logan motioned to their surroundings.

"It's called severance pay," Burt spat out nervously, "it was all that I have left when…"

"I don't buy it," Logan's claws slid in closer to Bert, causing the balding man to press back against the wall, fearful for his fate.

"Look, I told you I had nothing to do with what was happening to your friend. I just swept the floors and turned the other cheek when I was told to do so. I wasn't part of their experiments and…." Bert pleaded desperately, "I didn't want to know about what they were doing or…"

"Who were they?" Logan questioned harshly, keeping his claws millimeters away from Bert's throat.

"I don't know," Bert replied shakily.

"Like hell," Logan lunged forward bringing his claws of his other hand dangerously close to Bert's throat.

"I don't know," Bert squealed with fear, "I just was there long enough to do my job and move on. All I knew was that someone named Stryker was running the show."

"Stryker's dead. Try again," Logan warned with a snarl, his impatience growing in the moment.

"He might be dead, but the people who followed him and believed in his work still carry on with it. That's what they were doing when you arrived. It's what they've been working with for a while now. They've been experimenting and…"

"What about Victor? Where is he?" Logan demanded an answer from the smaller man.

"I haven't seen him since that night you arrived," Bert bit back on the tears that were forming in his eyes. "He and I weren't really close, so…"

"You knew where to find him that night," Logan noted thinking back to when he and Mystique had raided the compound in search of Scott and Magneto.

"That's because he threatened to rip my head off. I tried to avoid him at all cost," Bert explained desperately, "Although…"

"Yes?" Logan raised a curious brow.

"Last I'd heard he went underground. He set off for Canada," Bert rambled on nervously, "He wasn't exactly the kind to make friends, but rumor had it he went up north to regroup, to get prepared for…"

"For what?" Logan questioned sensing the man's hesitation beneath him.

"For war," Bert blurted out worriedly, "What else would a monster like him have in mind?"

Logan paused thinking about how many times in the past people would've said the same thing about him, would've called him a monster for his crimes, yet in standing before Bert with claws extended, threatening the burly man without hesitation, Logan could feel the same primitive force guiding him on. It was part of the beast he fought to suppress, but with the threat of Victor in the air, still keeping Logan fearing what might be lurking in the shadows, Logan knew he had no choice, but to push the envelope.

"You'd better not be lying to me," Logan finally released the smaller man, watching him shuffle across the floor nervously. Once Bert was across the room, he brought a hand up over his neck, gulping down hard at the thought of what could've happened, "or else I'll be back."

"I'm not lying," Bert promised biting down on his words, "though maybe it's better that it's you instead of them."

"Them?" Logan arched a curious brow.

"The people that I worked for," Bert finally conceded after a moment of hesitation, "You're right. This isn't severance pay. This was something that I took when the building was on the verge of collapsing. They had a safe in the back room…a vault where their kept their resources, where they had their reserve, so in seeing the place about to fall to pieces, I took what I could get."

"Which was what exactly?" Logan eyed him with heavy scrutiny.

"A lot of it is gone, but this…" Bert motioned to his discarded clothing. He stepped forward reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small hard, black and silver substance Logan immediately recognized, "it seemed like it might be worth something. They had it locked up so tight that I felt it had to hold value."

"Where did you get this?" Logan questioned reaching for the rock in the man's hand.

"They had a bunch of it in storage. I was able to sell off most of it, but this, well I kept it for myself. Figured with what I got paid for the samples I had it might come in handy in the future," Bert shrugged his shoulders simply, "Had no clue what it was used for, but it must be pretty important given that I've heard they have a bounty on my head now.

"Then I strongly suggest you run," Logan looked to the material knowing only too well what it could become. Pushing it into his pocket he turned his back to Bert and moved towards the door, "and never stop running."

"What is it?" Bert asked worriedly.

"The key to your undoing if you keep telling people you had this," Logan reached for the door preparing to leave.

"Perhaps, but you know it turns out that Victor wanted it as well," Bert announced in a desperate attempt to recapture Logan's attention. "He was pretty adamant about getting into the vault when he was working for them…"

"Did you give him any of it?" Logan questioned worriedly, his thoughts weighing down upon him. "Does he have it?"

"No," Bert shook his head firmly, "I don't think so. I think he left before he could get access and…"

"Are you sure?" Logan reached out to seize Bert by the collar, "Who did you sell this to?"

"Private buyers," Bert shrugged, "Mostly museums and…"

"Museums don't pay this well," Logan frowned at the thought of what the janitor had gotten himself into.

"I don't care who has it. All I cared about was the money," Bert blurted out with a nervous shrug of his shoulders.

"That's enough for you to wind up dead," Logan felt an uneasy sensation overtake him, "We need to get you out of here. If anyone who knew you had this comes seeking you out…"

"No one is going to find me here," Bert replied simply, "I'm alright as long as I lay low and…"

"I found you, which means they can find you as well," Logan snarled defensively, knowing only too well that the people who were in possession of the material would be seeking out Bert's head for pawning it off to the highest bidder. Logan opened his mouth to say something more, to encourage Bert to come along with him, but there was a knock on the door. Standing up taller, Logan turned around to face the door wondering if those who had been seeking out Bert had followed him to the bar. Wondering if Victor was close behind, Logan found himself ready for battle, ready to engage in a fight, but when the clicking of the lock hit Logan's ears followed by the door opening to reveal an auburn haired woman on the other side Logan knew that Bert was safe for the moment.

"If you want to live, then you're going to have to…" Logan turned around to face Bert again only to discover the man had slipped out of the room's back door. Saying nothing to the woman who had just arrived, Logan raced after Bert, hoping to find him in the back parking lot, but just as what had happened the night back at the compound Bert had disappeared, slipping under Logan's radar without satisfying any of his questions. With a scowl, Logan reached into his pocket pulling out the adamantium he'd collected from Bert. Knowing that Victor wanted it meant trouble and if Logan didn't move in on him soon, there was no telling what could happen. Pushing it back into his pocket, Logan decided that perhaps now was time to bring the others into what was happening. Maybe together they could be able to take out Victor and end the nightmare once and for all.

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