Love That Burns

seventeen

"Logan, you're going to break the steering wheel," Rogue said as she watched Logan's grip on it only tighten. He simply remained glaring at the road. "Cyclops is not going to be happy—"

"Don't care," he replied gruffly.

"We'll get her back, Logan."

"I should have fought harder. I should have went to her immediately."

"It's not your fault."

Logan seemed to not even hear Rogue. "If I had just been down there already, with her, I could have—"

"This is not going to help her."

"Did you know that man?"

"Stryker. His name is Stryker."

"I can't remember." Logan's grip tightened on the steering wheel.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Pyro wondered, acting like this situation was no big deal.

"Storm and Jean are in Boston," Logan explained. "We'll head that way."

"My parents live in Boston," Bobby offered.

"Good."

"We'll get her back, Logan," Rogue tried to comfort.

"We better."

~~~

There was still a collar around your neck when you woke. You tried to move to grab at it, but you were cuffed down by the wrists and ankles. Turning your head as much as you could to the side, you noticed that Scott was in a similar situation. Your stomach dropped. If Stryker had Scott, that meant he had Charles too. You couldn't let anymore of your family be hurt by Stryker. He had already taken too much from you.

"Ah! She's awake," Stryker stated as he entered the room. Your blood ran cold at his voice. "It's been far too long, Y/N."

"Not long enough," you grumbled.

"I know that we didn't end on the best note—"

"You shot James in the head! He lost all his memories!"

"He seemed to still find his way back to you. I guess that's true love for you." Stryker walked over to Scott, examining him.

"What do you want with him?"

"I need another mindless slave. Soon you'll be one too. Though, you're going to be more than a mindless slave. You'll help create the next generation of mutants—of weapons."

A group of people in lab coats entered the room, each going to a different location like it was rehearsed. Your cuffs suddenly became impossibly tighter, including the collar around your neck. An electric current began to flow through the collar, causing you to scream out in pain. Scott screamed out as well, the same thing happening to him.

Stryker's laugh echoed as he left the room.

~~~

When they arrived at Bobby's parents house, Logan decided he needed some form of alcohol. Something to try to wash what he was feeling down. The guilt. The regret. The terror. He had tried and failed to get in contact with Jean or Ororo, which was a whole other problem. Logan opened the fridge and sniffed around for the closest thing he could find to alcohol. Quickly grabbing it, he began chugging it. Suddenly, he stumbled back as a memory hit him.

He was in a warehouse. Stryker was there. You had been tossed over to Logan and he barely caught you. You whispered is name. His real name.

"I'm here, baby," he whispered, his face up against yours as he tried to force himself to believe that you were real. "I'm right here... I'm going to get you out of here. They aren't going to hurt you again."