Logan couldn’t stop the enraged snarl from leaving his lips when he realized the men were almost on top of Elizaveta’s hiding place. He moved so fast they didn’t even have time to try to defend themselves and he was only vaguely aware of the fact that even as his claws severed the neck of the larger man, almost beheading him, Max’s clawed fingers were tearing into the throat of the other man. The twin arcs of blood crossed paths and pattered down on the forest floor with an incongruously soothing sound like warm rain on dried leaves.
His chest heaving, Logan exchanged a quick glance with Max before they both turned toward Elizaveta’s slumped form. Max reached her a fraction of a moment sooner and pulled her limp body from beneath the concealing evergreen bough. His clawed hand pierced the skin of her forearm in his haste. Muttering a vile curse that would have earned him a smack in the head from Logan at any other time, he dropped the girl’s arm but remained crouched next to her protectively.
Taking just a quick moment to grasp Max’s arm reassuringly, Logan turned his attention to the girl. He didn’t bother checking for a heartbeat; he could hear Elizaveta’s heart clear enough despite the thundering of his own pulse in his ears. Touching his fingers lightly to the girl’s pale cheek, he was only slightly alarmed at how cold and clammy her skin felt. He had seen the symptoms of shock and the results of overexertion in Xavier’s students often enough to recognize it now.
“She’ll be fine,” he growled to Max. “Start back to the cabin with her and then sit tight. Tell Todd to call the professor if he hasn’t already.”
Max nodded, already gathering the younger mutant into his arms. “That way,” he growled back, nodding toward the east. “They took Miss Rogue that way. But you need to hurry. I can still smell the exhaust from the engine, but it’s fading fast.”
Without wasting time on a response, Logan turned and ran, making no effort to conceal his movement through the trees.
* * *
“Where’s Logan?” Xavier asked again, his tone sharp.
“I don’t know,” Todd moaned, cradling his head in his hands. He couldn’t meet the older man’s eyes even with the filter of the computer screen between them. Rachel rubbed his shoulder soothingly.
“It’s been hours already,” the professor fretted. “If he’d found her he would have contacted us already. I don’t know what to make of the continued silence.”
“He might just be waiting for the right chance to infiltrate,” Max growled, his arm curled protectively around a still pale Elizaveta as she clung to his side.
“But wouldn’t he have called for backup? And why can’t I get even a hint of a read on his whereabouts? No, I fear there must be something wrong.”
Elizaveta gasped and turned her face into Max’s ribs.
“What is it, my dear?” Hank’s voice came in a tinny rumble from the computer’s speakers.
“H-He’s on his way back,” she stammered, her face screwed up in pain.
“With Rogue?” Xavier’s voice was hopeful.
“No. Alone. He’s not the same.” They could all hear the tears in the girl’s voice.
“What do you mean not the same?” Again, the professor’s voice was sharp, and Elizaveta’s silent tears turn into pained sobs.
“What are you doing?” Max growled threateningly. “If you’re poking around in her head, I’ll slice you up the next time I see you.”
“H-he’s not!” Elizaveta cried. “I just tried to see more and I can’t. All I know is that Mr. Logan will be here soon and h-he’s hurt somehow. He’s fine physically, but he just looks…broken.” The last whimpered word was met with the heavy sound of a footstep on the porch.
Max growled and whirled toward the door, squinting against the bright lights of the kitchen and trying to make out the form seen through the screen door. He stopped growling when he recognized Logan, but he didn’t leave his protective stance in front of Elizaveta.
“Is it Logan?” The professor’s voice was urgent. “I…I can sense a presence, but I can’t read its identity or even…even basic intentions.”
“It’s Logan,” Max said quietly, but he didn’t turn toward the computer to answer. He saw the slow, deliberate way Logan’s hand lifted for the door latch, and everything in the man’s posture screamed at Max that it wasn’t the man he knew. But the scent was unmistakable.
As Logan pushed through the door, Todd rushed toward him. He was stopped by Max’s muscled arm against his chest. “Don’t,” the teen said sharply.
Throwing a confused look down the length of the restraining arm, Todd said, “What? Why? It’s Logan.”
“Logan?” the professor questioned urgently. “Rogue? What about Rogue?”
At first there was only silence from the man. Eventually a quiet mutter filled the room. “They took her. Couldn’t get to her in time. Helicopter. They had a damn helicopter waiting. She could be anywhere by now.”
“Why didn’t you try follow them?” Todd accused. “Couldn’t you have tracked her somehow? Can’t…can’t you smell stuff like that?”
“How could I?” Logan returned quietly. “I can’t fly. There’s no way I could have tracked a helicopter from the ground.”
“So that’s it? You just gave up and came crawling back here?” Todd asked bitterly.
“No. Oh, no.” Logan said, his voice low. “I’m not giving up. I’ll find them. And when I find them, I’ll find her. I just came back for some information.”
“Information? From whom?” Todd’s confusion was evident.
“From her,” Logan answered, finally lifting his head. His were dark and hollow, holding the promise of death as he fixed them on Elizaveta.