It was cold, colder than she'd ever thought late fall could possibly be as she was marched into the frigid, impersonal looking building from the jeep that she had arrived in. Shivering at the cold she glanced uneasily at the pair of guards that flanked her, there had been a third but he'd made the mistake of touching her and she'd zapped him. The other two hadn't been particularly pleased with that result but it wasn't like they had a choice. Now she was being marched into this building where the stench of death and suffering reached her, making her gag harshly.
"Whatcha got there Dickens?" the cold, impersonal tone from another guard had her shuddering and hiding even more of her face with her long brown hair.
"New Mutie. Hands off this one though, unless you wanna die."
"Why?"
"Killed Henderson without a thought, he touched her and next thing we know he's lying on the ground deader than hell."
"What's this one here for?"
"Docs are going to look her over then decide. Since she's an auction purchase, figure she can be used for something."
"Yeah well, you'd better get her down into the lowest levels. Oh and you two are on guard duty for 458 25 243, and he's in a fine mood," the guard laughed and let them pass.
Following the pair down the corridor she stared at the floors cold, grey, lifeless cement, her steps heavy as they hustled her along to a staircase. After a brief conversation with the guard here that mirrored the one from before they roughly shoved her through a heavy steel door and started down stairs.
Hitting the bottom of the stairwell they hustled her through the last door, turning off an electric force field before pushing her inside. Staring in horror at the men who glanced up in while lab coats she swallowed and stood frozen as they approached. With the roaring in her ears she couldn't hear what they were saying, but she didn't care. As long as she didn't know what was coming she wouldn't be even more terrified. Feeling the prick of a needle she winced but didn't move, her ears were still ringing.
“Chip's installed." the distant tone didn't even faze her as she stood there watching the men with the long coats on.
"Proceed then."
Shuddering in fear and revulsion she was stripped impersonally and forced to endure a cold, high powered shower before she was hit in the chest with a strong smelling white powder. Standing there naked, covered from head to toe in powder she blinked, pushing the need to cry aside even as the guards appeared again and after dropping an impersonal blue cover over her they started pushing her toward a heavy metal door that she didn't want to go through.
Starting to struggle she screamed at the sudden and blinding pain that hit her in the back of the head a moment before the world went dark and she slumped into their grasps. She didn't see the doors open or the row of holding cells that flanked the hallway, many of them empty and unused, one or two had a body in it but for the most part, they were spartan and lacking any but the most common items.
Dropping to the floor in a boneless heap she lay there as the door to her new home was closed and locked even as a low rumbling growl echoed up the hallway and feet scurried away. The minute the door to the lab was closed the rumbling deepened, growing angrier and more intense as the lights flickered and went out.
The smell of the new one bothered him, it was unfamiliar, and reeked of fear, anger, and loathing as well as that stuff they put on to keep the bugs down. Sitting in his cage he growled, his hazel eyes fixed on the door to his cell burning with rage and disgust. He didn't like it when they brought new ones in, they always tried to stick them in with him at some point.
Growling as he realized he'd killed the last two without hesitation he fairly vibrated with fury, it didn't matter that they were female, or that he'd been beaten to a pulp both times. Nope, he wasn't about to share what was so sparse in attendance anyway with anyone, not even a female.
Time drifted slowly for both of them, the growling slowly stopped at night as he become accustomed to the smell of the new one, and his finely attuned hearing picked up on the soft, accented tones as she sat and talked, talked about everything and nothing, babbling on about nothing in particular in an attempt to keep sane.
It was hard to say who or what changed, what created the need for acceptance but it happened on the night after the female was brought back from the pain filled room. She was moving slowly, her body ached from the tests they'd run and her ears burning with humiliation at the examinations she'd endured.
It was only as they passed her usual cell that she become concerned. Nobody went past that cell, the cage that growled was at the end of the corridor and everyone who went in there was usually brought right back out, dead and bleeding. Struggling she whimpered, pulling on her arms as she tried to get back to her cell.
"Come on girl, we ain't throwing you in just yet. Maybe tomorrow or the next day.." the guards laughed at her feeble attempts to get away even as they opened another door and threw her in so she collapse on the floor and glanced up sharply. There were two males in the room and they both eyed her carefully, flares of interest in their eyes and she scrambled back against the door, her heart pounding, her mouth dry.
Screaming out in her mind she hovered in the corner, hoping they'd ignore her even as they began to circle, their gazes never leaving her body. Backing further against the cement wall she huddled there, tears falling and her breath coming out in gasps as she huddled there. Something told her it would be useless to scream, useless to fight but she couldn't submit, wouldn't give in without a struggle.
Catching the now familiar scent of the female, the male in the next cage growled low in his throat. She was close, closer than ever before and fear was coming off her in waves. Catching the scent of the males in the next room he snarled, the sound reverberating within the hallway; the pain men had put her in with the pair next to him and he didn't like that. Much like everything in this hell on earth, he had come to consider her his and he slammed a shoulder into the steel wall in anger.
Growling and snarling he paced the confines of his cage tensing and whirling to face the threat when a metallic door opened he growled at the guard that stood there. Like a tidal wave of fury he stood there snarling, his claws coming out and going in quickly, his body tensed, ready to spring even as he geared up to slam back into the wall.
"What's your problem, huh asshole?" the guard didn't look comfortable; in fact the smell of his fear was so strong it nearly overpowered that of the female. With a snarl at the guard the cell's occupant slammed into the wall again and growled.
"I see," the guard eyed 458 25 243 for a moment then shrugged, what difference did it make. The sooner they put her in with him, the sooner they'd know if the experiment had been successful. From the look of the poor, wild sonuvabitch it would be more successful than just tossing the females in with him.
"Hey George what's shaking down there?"
"Logan here's got possessive as hell," the guard called back closing the door and locking it before picking up his nightstick and moving to the other door. "Wants the female away from these two."
"The geeks'll have your ass on the table if you cause them a problem," the second guard a small, pudgy little man with beady eyes, and a strong lust for sex drawled walking up and holding another stick as they opened the door to see the pair inside pulling at the cover on the female. With matching shakes of their heads they waded in, pulling the girl from the room and holding her in the hall even as they closed the door.
Both men jumped at the heavy weight that slammed into the wall again, making the other two men suddenly retreat as far away as possible and huddle against the wall in fear even as the sound of metal on metal grated over everyone’s ears. With a shared glance the two guards eyed the girl who glared back at them, shivering and hunched over to hide her nudity.
"Come on honey, looks like you get to keep ol' Logan quiet," the shorter guard drawled running an appreciative eye over her naked body. "Lucky bastard."
"Joe you know the rules. Can't touch her, she's part of the program," George said as he opened the door to Logan's cell and brandished the cattle prod in his hand. "Hurry the fuck up Joe; let’s get her in there so I can go finish my movie."
With a rough shove Joe sent the girl stumbling into the cage and hitting the floor face first. Moaning softly she shook her head, the dizziness washing over her as she lay there. Sliding her palms under her she pushed her body up and glanced around, the cell was empty except for a dripping plastic pipe in one corner, a toilet, and a pile of blankets in another corner. The walls of the cell were marked by claws and she shuddered as she turned her head to stare into the intense hazel gaze of her new cell mate.
Swallowing she backed away from him, her heart pounding even as she glanced at the door that was closed but the slit in the top was open and two pairs of eyes stared at them with interest. Whimpering she scurried into a corner and huddled there, her legs drawn up to her chest, her arms around them to make herself as small as possible.
Flinching when her cell mate reached for her, she jumped when he poked her with a finger then grunted and turned to face the door, the low, angry growl echoing in the room. The sharp slam of the window had her jumping and she glanced at it before turning her attention back to the man who was sitting with his back to her.
With a shaky sigh she leaned her head against the wall and wished she was back home, if she could remember where home was. The new chip they'd put in her neck seemed to make her mind fuzzy as well as limit her mutation so that she could touch and be touched but it did little to help stop the memories of those who had touched her without thought.
Closing her eyes she sighed, letting the tears fall and just sat there waiting for him to kill her, waiting for the death that was promised. She wasn't stupid; she'd seen the two females that had been brought in over the course of her confinement and seen the way they'd been carted back out. Long angry cuts from neck to waist revealed the fury of the man they had been put in with and she knew she would be next.
Jerking when she felt something warm touch her bare skin her eyes flew open and she stared into the possessive gaze of the man before her. Inching closer to the wall she tried to hide the tremble in her body. Flinching with each slow, studying caress from his long fingers she watched him as he frowned and traced over her features, tugging none too gently on her hair before he grunted and picked her up to carry her to the pile of bedding in the opposite corner.
"Stay," the single word was grunted and he curled up with his back to her, leaving her facing the wall in confusion, as he snuggled down to sleep facing the door.
Sighing shakily she could feel the hysterical giggle as it seemed to want to escape and clapped a hand over her mouth. Curling into a ball she bit her hand hard enough to draw blood even as she rocked back and forth, giggling into the covers on the floor in near madness.
Even this small thing would be denied her, she would not have the mercy of death and she wondered why he hadn't killed her. What did he have in store for her when her guard slipped and she finally lost what was left of her friggin' mind? Feeling him shift she struggled to contain her laughter, struggled to lie still only to jump when he moved so he had her pinned against the wall with his body, a body that was giving off enough heat for her to feel comfortable in the cold room.
'Great, I get to be smothered to death,' she thought and closed her eyes, shaking her head sadly. Even as she lay there listening to his breathing even out and he was sleeping she just couldn't relax and it scared her. All she wanted was to die, to curl up and disappear without a thought rather than live in this hell.
"So where is she?" the doctor in the room stared at two guards angrily. "I think I was rather specific in where I wanted her to go."
"Well we did put her in with 67 and 69 but 43 blew a gasket, started trying to come through the wall and.."
"He what?"
"Started slamming up against the wall and growling even worse than he usually does. Hell he was even raking those claws of his on the walls something fierce. Figured it was safer to throw her in with him then not. He quieted down right away, or as quiet as he will ever be."
"Interesting. 43 is very instinctual, very territorial if he perceived her as his, that would explain his reaction. However, he's never really been tolerant of females before so I have to wonder why now. Even the females on that cell block aren’t treated to any tolerance; he’s killed more than one of them."
"I don't know but with their mutations, the offspring would be highly prized.."
"You know you might be right," the doctor drawled. "I will follow up on this, until then you two can get to work cleaning the lab. We've got a bunch of new subjects coming in tomorrow."
"Yes sir," with a salute the pair hurried off, just glad they weren't being tossed into 43's cell.
Sitting leaning back in his chair, the doctor stared out the window at the freshly fallen snow. With toxic skin and uncharted regenerative powers combined, the offspring would prove to be invaluable.
He knew headquarters frowned quite strongly on publicly breeding these freaks but if it could make money, and he was certain it would, then he wasn’t going to pussy foot around it. With a nod he sighed, he would quietly continue with the breeding program and let nature take its course, with any luck in nine months they would have the first of a long line of perfect soldiers.
***********************************************************************
Unsure how much time had passed since she had been thrown into this cage, the young girl stayed out of the tall man’s way as much as was possible. She watched the door open and guards come and go, sometimes taking the man other times just making life miserable.
She endured the endless taunts from the guards, endured the innuendos, the vulgar remarks aimed at her and hoped for death. She didn’t protest when he touched her, when she’d wake to find his hands on her, an erection pressed into her back. Perhaps it was her sense of self-preservation, or maybe it was just that she was tired of it all. She didn’t know, didn’t really care so she endured it, without questioning why he didn’t take her.
The man himself, 43 as she heard the guards call him, proved to be a rather domineering cell mate. Seldom was there any extra portions of food, what she didn’t eat right away he would take. Often she found herself pushed up against the wall to sleep, her body pressed between the cold slab of the wall, and the warm length of man that lay between her and the door.
It was quite clear very early on in her arrival in the cell that her cell mate wouldn’t tolerate anyone else touching her, one of the guards had found that out the hard way when he’d come to take her to the lab.
43 had nearly taken his head off, jerking her back against his warmth before shoving her into the corner and snarling, growling at the guards who had retreated quickly in terror.
Unsure how long she’d been there but figuring it had to be at least a couple of months, cause she’d had her cycle a couple of times, she grew rather used to her cell mate’s violent mood swings.
The first time she’d been in his cell during the start of her cycle she’d been terrified, she had only been in the cell a couple of weeks, and they were still working out a pecking order.
She’d been sitting in her customary spot next to the water when he’d growled low, his hazel eyes staring at her even as he flared his nostrils, searching for a scent. She’d shivered when he rose and padded toward her, scooting back until she was pressed up against the wall as he hunkered down in front of her.
She hadn’t even squeaked when he leaned over and sniffed her before sitting back on his heels and growling a little more. When she tried to move he growled, slamming a fist into the wall next to her head and she had remained motionless even as the door opened and two guards stepped in.
Gasping as 43 rose suddenly his claws coming out and a low, angry growl coming from his throat she hunkered back into the shadows and watched. Both guards had paled and glanced at each other before using the long sticks that caused pain to incapacitate 43, and then they drug her out and down the hallway, ignoring the red streaks on her legs from her cycle.
That day she’d endured several invasive experiments and the implantation of something in her abdomen. Although she didn’t know what it was she sure didn’t like it, somehow she knew it wasn’t supposed to be there. Of course her cell mate had liked it even less and with a quick, ruthless shift of a claw had taken it back out despite her gasp of pain. She’d found a hard hand clamped down on her mouth, his weight on her body and within seconds the small circular object had been crushed in his grasp, leaving her with a small wound on her abdomen.
Now though she could feel the familiar burn in her body that signaled the onset of another time of ‘fertility’ as the guards laughingly called it. Huddled into a corner she eyed her cell mate, as was usual he was up pacing, his body tense and his growls low and continuous.
“Stop!” she cried suddenly and he turned to stare at her in amazement.
“Stop?”
“Pacing, stop growling. I can’t help it..” she flushed as she pulled at the ratty cover she wore, from experience she knew that tomorrow would be the day she would start to bleed and she longed for the privacy that she was denied. A glance at the water brought a slight sigh of relief; at least she could and would be clean even if she had to wash away the red with cold water.
Flinching when he knelt before her she kept her eyes averted as he tilted his head, studying her intently until she started to squirm. “Ya got a number?”
Gaping at the man she swallowed, “You can talk?”
“Course,” he smirked at her. “I ain’t completely an animal.”
“No of course not,” she sighed. “No number, not yet anyway. They’ve been calling me Rogue but y’can call me Marie.”
Grunting he turned and started pacing in the confines of the cage, his instincts pushing at him to just claim what he could clearly smell. Cracking his neck, he was barely aware of the growing growl that seemed to climb out of him with familiar ease. It had been years since he’d spoken any but the crudest form of language and to suddenly speak so clearly was more than unsettling, it was dangerous.
Tensing as he heard the familiar tread of booted feet he growled, damn couldn’t they just leave them alone? How many more ‘tests’ and experiments would they need to run before they realized that they weren’t animals?
“Glad to see you two getting along so well,” the voice was feminine and set both of them on edge as the door opened further to admit a tall, stately looking woman with short blonde hair and green eyes.
Marie noted the way the woman’s eyes seemed to fall on 43 with undisguised longing and lust before drifting over to her with hard intent. Growling softly she stared at the woman and moved away from her as she came closer into the room.
“Just gonna take some blood. See if our little couple has produced an offspring yet,” the woman smiled coldly at Marie who glared back at her, growling softly even as 43 bristled.
Tensing at the woman’s words Marie started to pull, struggling to keep the woman from poking her with that fucking needle only to have the woman move, pinning her to the wall with an arm across her throat. Dark eyes cast at 43 showed him surrounded by guards, armed with cattle prods and one even had a gun.
Trying not to hiss and growl at the woman for taking her blood, Marie hunkered onto the floor as the men and woman left, closing and locking the door quickly. Dropping her head into her lap, Marie tried to stem the tears that started to fall. God, please just kill me, she thought even as she felt 43 come over to her and kneel next to her.
“You okay?”
“Kill me please,” Marie begged, “Please. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“I can’t,” Logan whispered softly, his tone gruff. “They’d just bring you back and throw you in with someone else.”
Glancing up at him sharply Marie sighed and nodded. He was right and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
So it began the rounds of blood work each month, the curses and increased torment for 43 each month when the tests came back as negative. After nearly a year, the doctors stood in the lab and stared at each other as Rogue was paraded in and strapped onto a table.
“You sure this is gonna work?” one of them asked the others.
“Oh yeah. He’s territorial, if he smells someone else’s touch on her, he’s gonna go ballistic and that’s just what we want. Alright bring in our test subject.”
The door opened and a young male was paraded in, his eyes dull and lifeless, his body moving under the pressure from the man who was pushing him along.
Swallowing harshly Marie tried not to scream as he was moved closer to her and the table she was on was tilted. They were going to do it, they were going to use her to get a super mutant, one they could control..
From their cell 43 heard her screams, and the growls grew in volume and ferocity until the other mutants on the block were all screaming with terror. Using his claws he nearly had the door shredded when it was jerked open and Marie was shoved roughly into the cell, her body covered in a strong smelling liquid that made 43's blood boil.
Growling at the guards, he snarled as they slammed the door and hurried away. Turning away from the door he hurried to where she lay curled onto the floor, her breath coming in gasping sobs.
“Marie?” he rumbled, his face pressed close to her. Grimacing at the stench of another man’s essence he growled low, his hands running over her body.
“Please, please just kill me 43, make this go away..” Marie gasped as she struggled to get the warm stickiness off her pale skin. The light catching the tag she’d been given a few minutes earlier, and reflecting it easily.
Using the towel she kept for her monthly bleeding, 43 quickly washed her down, his hands tracing over her checking for injuries in the process. “Did he..?”
Nodding Marie shuddered, the other mutant hadn’t attempted to get inside her, instead the doctors had used some sort of drug to encourage him sexually and then with the added stimulant of a warm hand on his member, he had erupted over her. Marking her, making her feel dirty and she cried softly even as 43 cleaned her with the wet towel before he started drying her with his hands, his tongue working on imparting his scent on her skin.
Letting him clean her, Marie ignored the niggling voice in her mind that said this was wrong, that she should be struggling. It was better 43 did this than any of the guards, they wouldn’t be so nice, and she was tired. Too tired to protest when his hands dipped between her legs, washing her intimately.
“Sleep Marie,” 43's soft whisper drew a shudder and she closed her eyes. They would have their breeding program or they would die, there was no other way.
“They’ll be back soon. Those bad men want their offspring,” she whispered painfully.
A low growl was her only answer and Marie knew that 43 was only too aware of this. He would help her, protect her as best he could but even he couldn’t prevent them using drugs to force them into breeding.
“43?”
“What?” the low growl brought a shaky smile to her face.
With a sigh she snuggled deeper into his grasp, “I’d rather it be you.”
The low rumbling growl was the only answer as she slid into a troubled sleep. Long after she’d succumbed to exhaustion 43 lay awake, tense, on guard, turning her words over and over in his head until he knew she was right. He couldn’t protect her unless he took her. Once she was his in every sense of the word they wouldn’t be tossing her to some other sonuvabitch like a piece of bait.
Despite what they thought, he wasn’t an animal. Sure he acted like one, but deep down in the deepest reaches of his soul 43 was a man with a name, an identity - one that may have disappeared into the endless blackness of eternity - but an identity none the less. As much as he hated to admit it, the years in this hell hadn’t really changed him that much; all it had done was make him more aware of survival.
For both him and Marie to survive, they had to make choices, changes that perhaps weren’t that pleasant but there were things they could do to help solve the problems. Closing his eyes he sighed, pushing aside his thoughts and letting the animal take control again. It was survival of the fittest and he would be damned if they would take away his female!
The next morning bright and early the lights were flipped on and the sound of booted feet treading on cold cement echoed into the cells as three guards moved down the hall, preceded by the woman doctor.
Jerking open the cell door for 43 and 44, she stepped inside and noted the way the big, hairy animal stood growling warningly between her and the girl. With a derisive laugh she glanced at the guards who moved in with the cattle prods to get him out of the way.
Hitting him repeatedly with them until he was on the ground lying moaning, she nodded and they drug him out and down the hall. Today they would put the finishing touches on his implants, and she was going to give their girl a shot.
“Fucking freaks, figure you’re so good don’t you?” she snarled as she grabbed the girl and pinned her to the ground with a knee in the middle of her back. Taking the needle out of her pocket she uncapped it and jabbed it into the girl’s hip, ignoring the hiss of pain even as she rose smoothly to her feet and headed back out into the hallway.
The slam of the door echoed in the cell and Marie shuddered, curling into a ball and sliding across the floor toward the bedding. Curling up there she ignored the tears that fell silently, rocking back and forth even as the sound of sharp screams of pain, and angry growls echoed through the complex.
Covering her ears she wondered why they were hurting 43, why couldn’t they just kill them all. Curled up tightly she waited, and waited for them to bring him back even as she felt her body start to throb. An ache beginning to build even as her body temperature rose and she shivered at the friction of her cover on her sensitive nipples.
Moaning softly she shifted, trying to find a comfortable position even as the sound of others moving around, the heady scent of the men reaching her drove her a little crazy.
Growling softly as the men walked past without paying her any attention she felt her eyes roll back in her head as she cupped herself, trying desperately to ease the ache that filled her body.
When the door opened and a male guard stepped in she snarled dangerously, hunched into a position to spring at him even as he moved to the side and 43 was drug back in, tossed on the floor without a thought to the injuries that covered his body.
“Nighty night children,” the guards laughed even as she continued to growl a warning to them.
Only after the metal door was slammed, the clicking of the lock turning, and the retreating footsteps did she move from her position. Half crawling across the floor she knelt next to 43 and nuzzled at him with her nose, a whimper coming from within.
Rubbing against him she noted the cuts and fading bruises that covered his body, and started a low rumbling in her chest that resembled a purr even as he started to stir. Not moving away from him when he shifted, rolling over she followed him, tracing her hands over his chiseled muscles and rubbing her face on his body, a small, satisfied smile tripping across her face.
Growling as the pain faded and the strong smell of desire reached him, 43 shifted, pulling back slightly to stare at the female above him. Some little part of him that was thinking clearly told him this was a bad idea, but the voice was drowned out by the roar of his instincts, instincts that said to mate.
Rolling quickly he pinned her to the floor beneath his heavy weight, his hands on either side of her head as he nuzzled at her throat, his warm body pressed intimately against hers.
He could feel the thundering of her pulse, hear the pounding of her heart and the smell of her need was so strong he could nearly taste it. Hearing the whimpers from her beneath him he shifted, wedging himself between her thighs, a low growl issuing from his throat even as he bent his head and bit her shoulder roughly as he thrust into her.
The whimper from her lips only increased his need for her, the desire to mark her with his scent, his essence intense to the point of near madness and he moved harder, faster even as she arched into him.
Licking away the salty residue on her face, he nuzzled into her hair and nipped at her throat, laying claim to her in as much a psychological as physical sense. That neither of them was thinking clearly never registered, that there was more than just this quick, violent mating didn’t occur to either of their drugged minds. Instead they focused on the dictates of the hormones, the desire that fired their blood with uncanny passion.
Shaking his head at the grunts and whimpers coming from 43's cell the guard quickly lit a cigarette. The geeks had said that it was best to just leave them alone for a few days, the drugs they’d pumped into them would make them dangerous to anyone who stepped into that cell, however they hadn’t said anything about watching through the peep hole.
Sliding it open the guard frowned when he realized that he couldn’t see either of them, or hear them either and he swore. “Fuckin’ animals. Could at least give a man something to see,” he muttered angrily, slamming the door shut again before moving off down the corridor.
Curled up with Marie in his arms, 43 stared at the dark wall and growled. His body still throbbed with the need to mate, and the smell from the woman lying wrapped in his arms answered that requirement and yet he couldn’t bring himself to move, to take her again.
He knew what they had given him today in the light place; they’d pumped him so full of testosterone and pheromones that even if he hadn’t wanted to take her, he couldn’t have stopped himself.
Growling he nuzzled against her hair, nipping her gently even as he struggled to fall asleep. He hated the pain bringers, hated those who stayed in the light room, hated everyone and everything but the female wrapped in his arms. She didn’t hurt or torment, she even talked to him sometimes.
Feeling her shift, arch into him and the soft rhythmic purr start up again he snarled and shifted, rolling so once again she was under him before he set out to learn every inch of her body with his hands. They couldn’t turn him into a complete animal, he wouldn’t let them.
“Please,” the soft whisper as he smoothed his hands over her body, easing the pain and burning deep within her. Reacting to his touch she arched into each clumsy caress, her lip between her teeth with painful pressure as she traced her hands over his body. Her chest vibrated with the low purr she made as she touched him, when he moved to enter her she tensed at the memory of the brief startling pain but it faded as instinct took over and her body reacted, opening for him easily.
“Marie,” the soft chant echoed in her mind as she moved under him, with him until he groaned, roaring out his climax even as she fell over the edge herself.
Curling up on his chest she sighed, closing her eyes and falling into a light sleep. It wouldn’t take long before her body started burning again, but she was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Time seemed to inch by, measured by blood tests, visits from the guards, and couplings until neither of them was aware of anything but what was within the confines of their cage.
Growling as the sounds of celebrating reached them, 43 looked at his mate who was sleeping on the covers in the corner and unsheathed his claws. The men in the white coats had won, they had overcome their natural resistance to this situation and now his mate was pregnant with his cub.
It hadn’t taken two months for him to start smelling the change, hell he’d known about two weeks after their first mating. Of course the fact that she was pregnant could have been attributed to the fact that they’d mated about a thousand times that first week, and they hadn’t stopped just cause the drugs had wore off.
Maybe they had realized that mating was the only form of normalcy they had. Everyone had sex, men and women all over the world, free to come and go, with lives, families, futures, they all enjoyed sex, so why couldn’t a pair of mutants locked up in a forty by forty little metal box with no windows, a door that saw less and less use and only each other to cling to?
“43?” Marie whispered softly.
“Yeah?”
“You got a name?”
“Logan. My name’s Logan,” he replied softly his lips against her ear. “Code name Wolverine.”
“Why do you need a code name?”
“Experiment baby, they gave it to me when they gave me my claws,” he shrugged, pulling her closer to him. “Just like the name they gave you. It doesn’t make a lot of sense I know but it’s all I got.”
“You got me.”
“I know,” Logan replied softly his body tensing as they lay together in the darkness of their cage. With her pregnant things would undoubtedly change, the pain men would come and take her, tests would follow and she’d come back to him smelling of the bright room.
Longing for something more, something that wasn’t so harsh, he rested his head against her shoulder. There was no point in hoping for things that would never come. Those in the white coats would take her away, leaving him alone until next time and there wasn’t any way around it.
Jerking awake, sitting up with a snarl Logan eyed the opening door and noted that several of the pain men were standing there with the long sticks that hurt. Shifting he pushed Marie behind him, shielding her as best he could even as the guards entered their cell.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be freak,” one of the men drawled with a cold snicker. “We’ll bring her back later, honest.”
Snarling, growling Logan refused to budge even as the men flanked out. Hissing as one of them moved, striking him he struggled to keep his feet under him even as another grabbed Marie and started dragging her out of the room, one arm around her waist.
Struggling, screaming Marie tried to get away from her captors even as Logan lurched to his feet and the remainder of the men started striking Logan, beating him until he fell to the floor with a weak moan and was still blood oozing out into a puddle on the floor under him.
Screaming and scratching at the pain bringers, Marie struggled as they all but dragged her down the hall. The growling and snarling echoing along the corridor, setting the other subjects on edge and frustrating the guards.
Dragging her into the bright room, one of the guards struck her, knocking her for a loop before plopping her down onto the table and stalking off a short distance.
Despite the intense pain in her head, Marie struggled to remain awake. She didn’t trust any of these people, they’d hurt Logan and she couldn’t help but struggle even as one of the men in white coats approached her.
“What are we doing today?”
“Preliminary scan for mutation in the fetus,” another replied quickly as he checked his monitor. “Just take a sample of the embryonic fluid for testing.”
“Gotcha.”
Whimpering at the sudden and sharp pain in her abdomen, Marie tried desperately to focus her gaze. The man in the white coat hadn’t touched her yet, he was still readying his equipment and yet the pain was washing over her again and again.
Whimpering she moved in the bindings only to see the doctors suddenly converge upon her and start checking monitors and other equipment in a desperate attempt to figure out what was wrong.
“FUCK! We’re losing it!” one doctor hollered and suddenly she was being poked with needles as they attempted to save their experiment.
Slowly through the daze in her mind, she became aware of the reason for all the activity and slumped in her restraints. Her baby, her cub was gone and there wasn’t anything anyone could do to replace it.
“What the hell happened? She was fine yesterday; there were no abnormalities at all. She shouldn’t have aborted, not without just cause.”
“The guards weren’t exactly careful,” One of the doctors drawled. “Peterson struck her with the butt of his gun to quiet her down.”
“Peterson we’ll talk later. Right now, let’s get her cleaned up and get her back to her cell. If we don’t 43's likely to come through the wall.”
The stench of chemicals, disinfectants, and latex tormented Marie as she struggled to get away from the prying hands. All she wanted was to get back to the darkness of her cave, to curl up and hide from this loss.
As soon as the men in white coats had her clean enough for their satisfaction they wrapped her in a cover and two of the guards moved to collect her. The walk to the cell was quieter than the one to the bright room, Marie hurried as fast as she could her mind on her mate. They’d hurt him, was he okay? Would he hate her for losing their cub? Thoughts tangled with fear raced through her head and she swallowed harshly as they jerked her to a halt before her cell door. The minute the door was opened at least partially she dived inside, snarling and hissing at them as they pulled the door closed.
“Fuckin’ mutant.”
Crawling across the floor she knelt beside Logan’s still prone figure and nuzzled against him. Purring and growling in confusion she sat there, her hands resting on his body until he began to stir.
The low pitiful groan that echoed in their small cell sent shivers along Marie’s spine until he rolled over and blinked groggily at her.
“Marie?” the soft whisper, barely more than a breath of sound had her nodding.
“They brought me back really soon,” Marie said softly, sadly. Her hands coming up to twist nervously at her stomach.
Sniffing Logan frowned; the stench of blood was strong, stronger than he had ever smelt it on her before, along with fear, shame, and something else. Something he was all too familiar with; sorrow. Nuzzling closer to her, he closed his eyes soundless as the realization that something had happened to their cub hit him.
“I’m sorry.”
Shaking his head, Logan pulled her closer to him. “No. No need, they did it, not you.”
Nodding, Marie let the tears come, let the sorrow filled wails fill the room and echo throughout the corridor. The men in white coats and the pain bringers had taken their cub and nothing would bring it back. Nothing!
With the loss of the first cub, Logan and Marie were left to their own devices for longer stretches of time. The guards and the men in the white coats knew they were mating, the general thought was that if they were left alone, another offspring would come in time and so they put food into the cell, cleaned it, and left them alone.
With mixed feelings Marie snuggled deeper into the darkness that was becoming her life. She spent hours sleeping and if she wasn’t sleeping she was mating with Logan, but deep in the recesses of her mind she couldn’t help but feel like there was more than this. That she wasn’t the only one that was living in hell, although each month that passed with the arrival of her cycle made her slide a little deeper into the depression that tainted her.
“Marie?” like the softest breeze the easy tone had her turning her head from where she lay staring at the wall to meet the concerned gaze of the man she lived with. Blinking at the sudden sting of tears she tried to hide her face, what could possibly come of wanting him? As soon as the men in white coats had their offspring they would separate them..
“Marie, listen to me. We won’t let them win baby. They can’t have it..”
“They took the last one,” Marie shot back softly, tonelessly.
“But they won’t take the next one. We’ll hide it from them.”
“If we don’t give them one, they’ll take me away from you.”
“I know,” Logan replied softly and pulled her against him. “Don’t leave me alone.”
“They haven’t taken...”
“I can feel you slipping away from me Marie,” Logan sighed softly and Marie knew what he meant.
Mentally she was slipping away, retreating into the darkness that had her soul and if she gave in he would follow her.
“I don’t know how to stay,” she admitted softly.
“Hang onto me,” Logan grunted then started growling as he lifted his head and turned toward the door. Shifting, balancing on the balls of his feet he unsheathed his claws and snarled as the door opened to reveal three men with the sticks.
Snarling Marie backed away from the men, hiding in the corner even as they moved further into the room and glanced at her. Swallowing she knew what was coming, another round of shots, another round of tests to see why she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Of course she knew they watched them couple, with so much at stake for them it wasn’t likely that they would prove to be pleasant and leave them alone.
Snarling a warning even as the men moved in and started driving Logan back, she shifted mental gears and went on the offensive instead of defensive.
“Come on darlin’, we won’t hurt you,” one of the guards laughed harshly. “At least not much. Just figure to help you out with your little problem.”
“Seein’ as how this animal ain’t exactly doing it for you, figured we would give you a little help,” a second guard laughed as the third grabbed for Marie, pulling her against him, his harsh grip shredding her top exposing her breasts despite her struggles. Pulling on the young woman the guard headed for the door, intent on having a little fun only to suddenly scream when her nails raked across his face. Reaching up to touch the blood he glared at the girl before him as she struggled to cover her nudity.
“You bitch!” he snarled and hit her with the stick, knocking her back several feet only to scream in agony when he found himself impaled on three adamantium claws.
“Fuck, get out of here!” one of the other two shouted and started back peddling for the door even as the third guard went sailing toward them, blood flying everywhere. Stumbling over themselves they shuddered at the low, feral growl that seemed to come from within the cell and struggled to grab the door even as the Wolverine started after them.
Slamming the door in his face they locked it quickly and backed away to look at the fallen man. His body was jerking with the final spasms of a man dying, blood oozing from the trio of cuts that ran from back to front.
The angry growl wasn’t letting up as the door to the lab flew open and several more guards and a doctor stepped through hurriedly.
“What the fuck is going on?” the doctor snarled moving down the hall.
“He went ballistic. Figured he was going to hurt her so...”
“Take this body topside,” the doctor growled. “And you two are now on guard duty upstairs. Your actions just set us back about a year! Her body is still recovering from the loss of the fetus, we knew it would be months before she would conceive again and now we have to start all over again with the hormone therapy!”
“But..but..”
“There are security cameras in this facility, and in this particular cell. We have it on tape what you were trying to do. Get now!” the doctor snarled. “I will not have this facility shut down because you couldn’t keep it in your pants. Now get the fuck outta my sight!”
Pausing the doctor looked up as the door seemed to vibrate on its hinges and rolled his eyes. “Would you sedate him before he breaks out?” he snarled to the nearest guard who immediately ran off to get a tranquillizer gun.
Shuddering under the weight of three hundred pounds of pure enraged adamantium laced muscle the door seemed on the verge of giving in, and then suddenly it stopped. Rising to his feet, the doctor padded over to the door and opened the viewing window slowly, softly. Casting his gaze around he noted the girl sitting on the floor in the corner, the man next to her nuzzling into her hair, a low purring could be clearly heard and the doctor rubbed his head. Maybe they were bonded; it happened in the wild, hell even animals mated for life.
He wondered briefly if that was why 458 25 243 had such a problem with the other females that they had brought to him, he knew they weren’t his mate and thus not suitable for cohabiting with. With a shrug he turned back to the man approaching with the tranquillizers and shook his head, “It’s under control.”
Shaking their heads the men departed, leaving the battered door locked, tomorrow they’d switch them into a new cell, repair the door again, and install that new high powered electromagnetic shield so that even if he did destroy the door he wouldn’t be able to get out. They did not need him skewering half the staff, at least not until they had a means of bringing them back to life!
Rolling his head Logan paced the confines of their cell; Marie was sleeping soundly for once. The past few nights had been hard on her, nightmares and the sorrow keeping her awake.
He knew she needed a break from everything, needed to have a chance to heal but there wasn’t any way for him to provide that, other than when they were coupling. Glaring at the door as he heard familiar footsteps coming toward them, he moved to protect her, a low snarl building in his throat.
“Easy freak, we’re just moving you to a bit better accommodation,” the first guard said eying the tall dark man with open hostility. He hated the animal, hated working for this fucking lab but he couldn’t help it. Casting a glance to the curled figure resting in the blankets in one corner of the room he shifted his path that way only to freeze as the snarl was joined by the metallic ring of claws coming out.
“Damn this is going to be harder than we thought,” the other guard said. “ Best just dart him so we can get the hell outta here.”
The sharp pop before a stinging in his neck had Logan growling but the drug took effect nearly instantly and he slid to the ground in a boneless heap, his brain storing the scent of the guards easily.
Waking up he glanced around, a low growl coming out as he realized he was in another cage, one that had a barred window that showed several other mutants in cages on the other side. Rising drunkenly to his feet he glanced around, growling until he spotted Marie who was sitting curled into blankets a few feet away from him.
“Baby?”
“They were watching,” she whispered. “I was hoping you would wake up.”
Nodding he moved over to sit next to her, nuzzling into her warmth even as he smelled the familiar scent of two other males on her pale skin. Rubbing against her, he tried to block out any thoughts as to how it had gotten there, instead he focused on easing her worries.
“They didn’t touch me,” she whispered tearfully. “One of the men in white stood watching as they moved us. I thought they were going to hurt me but they didn’t other than to drag me in here.”
“I’ll get ‘em baby, I’ll get ‘em,” the vow was made easily, seriously and she shivered slightly. She didn’t want him to get hurt but part of her relished the idea of him hurting the guards, making them sorry that they ever touched her.
“Dinner time freaks.” the familiar rolling of wheels alerted them to the arrival of the cart that held their dinners.
Growling as the trays were slid into the room, Logan sat on edge as the cart was wheeled away, letting Marie eat in peace.
How long they sat there he didn’t know, but he did know that when the men came back with their long sticks he glanced uneasily at Marie.
“Well we’re done redecorating your cell boys and girls. Come on, back to it with you.” the guards drawled brandishing the clubs easily.
Glaring at them, Logan growled low, pulling his lips back over his teeth as they moved toward Marie. When she darted past them and hid behind him, he eased her toward the door, and out into the corridor. Spotting the familiar shape of their cage door he dragged her along with him until they were inside.
“Well that was easy.”
“Yeah, she must have a mellowing affect on him.”
Laughing the guards locked the door, turned on the shield and walked away.
Rolling over, Logan pulled Marie’s slight body closer to his and purred softly. It had been a long time since anyone had bothered to come into their cage. They would bring food and leave again, but they never took either of them away. None of the bad men even tried to touch either of them; they came in threes, left the food, and disappeared again.
Smelling her scent he hid the smile that graced his face, the soft scent of another cub on the way tickled his nose. Maybe this time those in the white coats wouldn’t take it away, wouldn’t hurt her, as long as he kept it a secret for as long as possible, maybe they could actually keep it.
Feeling her stirring he tightened his grip, his hands splayed across her belly as they lay there. Granted he longed for the cub but he would do whatever he had to to keep Marie with him.
“Logan?”
“Mmhmm,” Logan murmured.
“Its happening again isn’t it?”
“Yes baby.”
“They’ll take it away..”
“No they won’t. We’re going to hide it, make sure they don’t know,” Logan said softly.
“How?” Marie whispered both of them knew that the minute they figured out she was pregnant again, they would come back and the experiments would continue.
“I don’t know but we aren’t losing this one..” he whispered and closed his eyes. No, he wouldn’t let anything happen to this cub, even if that meant he had to die to protect them.
With the firm decision not to let anyone know about the new baby, Logan and Marie fell into a familiar, established rhythm. Each month about the same time Logan would start pacing, growling, doing whatever he felt was necessary to fool the guards and the men in white coats just a little longer, until suddenly it was no longer necessary.
**********************************************************************
The shaking of the floor woke Marie and she jerked into a sitting position. It was dark in the cell, and she reached out for Logan only to find him missing, “Logan?”
The soft growl was answer enough for her and she moved back out of the way.
Hearing the sudden screams and shouts outside their door, she moved deeper into the shadows as he moved to stand between her and the door.
Several loud blasts made both of them jump and Logan growl again. There were new smells, sounds that set him on edge and he feared these new ones would try to take her away from him.
The sudden spreading of the door a moment before it exploded inward had Logan leaping for cover even as the edge of the door caught him in the head, knocking him out.
Shrieking Marie backed further away into the corner her terrified gaze darting between Logan’s still form and the clean cut man in black that filled the doorway.
Rising she scrambled to the other side of the room, her body wracked by shudders as she hissed a warning at the new intruder. Fear made her scramble from him even as he knelt slowly next to her.
Scott Summers eyed the young woman carefully, she was obviously terrified of him, and for good reason if her appearance was anything to go by.
Her long dark hair was tangled and in desperate need of a wash, a thick military chain hung from around her neck with a tag and i.d. number on it clearly legible. What had once been scrubs hung off her body, stained with a multitude of things, most of which was blood and he realized that she had probably been wearing them for some time. Her whole body trembled fiercely as she hunkered there, her dark eyes wide and terror filled.
“Look I’m not going to hurt you,” Scott said softly, searching out for her. “Easy now.”
Jerking back when she swiped at him with her nails he swore softly and glanced around the small metal room. There was very little in it, walls that were scoured by deep gouges, a pile of worn old blankets in the corner, a source of water, and little else that anyone who was human could call personal effects.
With a sigh Scott glanced back at the girl, “Come on its okay. I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help.”
“Scott?” the soft feminine voice had both of them glancing at the newest addition to the room.
Growling low in her throat Marie eyed the red haired woman with disdain, she was a threat just as the man was.
“She’s terrified,” Scott replied softly, soothingly.
“Looks like she’s got a good reason for it.” Jean said softly as she eyed the room. “I can try..”
“Where’s Storm?” Scott interrupted suddenly, a desperate need to know that the other team member was safe and sound.
“Unlocking the last cage,” Jean replied softly. “She’ll be joining us in a few seconds.”
“Maybe you should go grab her, I’m gonna tranquillize the girl and then we can get the hell outta here.”
With a brief nod, Jean whirled to head out the door and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Wheeling she screamed a warning at Scott even as she threw up a hand to stop the attack of the man rising from the floor under the door, three foot long claws extending from each of his hands.
“Get outta here Jean,” Scott hollered raising a hand to his visor only to jerk around when he felt a sharp pain in his leg and noted the girl was glaring at him, one hand wrapped around his leg, her nails digging in hard enough to draw blood.
Ducking the man’s swing, he blinked when the girl didn’t so much as flinch at the claws that pierced the air above her head, only to have his thought process interrupted by being suddenly slammed up against the wall as the girl darted past him, slamming Jean into the doorjamb and disappearing.
Within moments of the arrival of the other man; the cell was quiet except for the beating of Scott’s heart and the quiet gasps from Jean. The small room had obviously been home to more than one occupant, and Scott felt rather stupid for not checking it out further before he tried to remove the girl.
Moving into the room Jean traced a hand over the gouges in the walls and spotted a rather crude looking drawing in one corner. Kneeling next to it she sighed, and glanced at her husband. “Scott what do you make of this?”
“Hard to tell, looks like a name maybe.”
“I don’t think so,” Jean stated tracing the lines and letters. “It’s not a name; there are no names in these places. Just numbers on tags. Its hard to tell..” she said running her hands over it carefully. “Baby!” she breathed and glanced at Scott. “It’s a marker Scott.”
“Dear God what were they doing here?”
“Breeding program,” Jean drawled coldly rising to her feet her heart breaking for the girl. “No wonder he just about took your head off. He probably thought you were after his mate.”
“She’s just a kid..”
“Scott,” Jean paused. “This is a lab, and we both know they wouldn’t have bothered to check on ages.”
“Fuckin’ labs,” Scott ground out, only too aware of the fact that he rarely lost his cool.
Standing next to Jean he stared at the crude cross and wondered just what had happened to the few mutants that were still alive around here.
Dragging Marie down the hall Logan ducked into an empty cage and pulled her in next to him, hiding in the darkness. Hearing her little mew of fear he pulled her tighter to him, rocking her gently.
Rumbling a bit he listened waited for the new ones to leave so they could retreat back to their cage. Running a hand through her hair soothingly he worked out the tangles and nuzzled her gently.
“I’m scared Logan. I don’t want to go,” Marie whispered softly, shakily her hands clenching around his biceps.
“No go,” he grunted tensing as a woman with white hair moved past the semi open door. The coppery smell of her sweat mixed with adrenaline made him snarl menacingly, all these new ones made him uneasy. And the male, he was going to get him for trying to touch her.
Curling up against him Marie closed her eyes and forced the tension from her body. She was safe in Logan’s arms and her exhaustion was pressing. Listening to the faint but familiar rumble in his chest helped ease the tension and she drifted off.
Moving slowly, giving himself a clear line of fire in case of trouble Logan hunkered there on his haunches, fury and fear racing through him. That man, he had been going to take her away, take his Marie away like he had a right to do that. Hadn’t any of them learned?
Glancing at the small form near him, Logan shifted his growl to a low comforting purr. The smell of fear and pain on her was strong but he didn’t worry about it. He knew she didn’t fear him, it was the new ones with their quiet voices and need to touch that bothered her.
Moving slowly, carefully he tucked her away further into the darkness and waited, watching as the trio herded the others from their cells and toward the door of the bright room. Knowing if they were found, they’d be pushed around like those who were rapidly disappearing, Logan sat hunkered down in the darkness of the empty cell. Every instinct told him to attack yet he couldn’t, wouldn’t leave his mate and cub alone. So instead he sat waiting, watching, tense and uneasy as the sounds of confusion and fear raced around them.
Waiting, listening until the last of the sounds faded he sniffed the air delicately and growled a low, content sound. They were gone; the new ones had left, taking the other mutants from the lab with them. Despite their departure, it was a long time before Logan could make himself relax - they were in a strange cell, in a building too quiet that reeked of death.
Sitting there patiently waiting for Marie to wake, Logan’s mind began to form plans, began to plot out how to make sure that his mate would never be hurt again. First things first though, he had to get them away from this place. Away from the stench that filled this building, from the lies and deceit that had kept them prisoner for so many months. As soon as she was awake, he was going to lead her to somewhere they would be safe. Somewhere very far away!
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