Chapter 128 - Prompt 1 (1/2)

Title: Wolverine:Pain and Redemption

Type: Marvel/DC Crossover

Synopsis:

There is no worse pain than that which is self inflicted and this time James Logan Howlett knows it won't go away, it won't pass by like all the rest in his long life. It eats at him from the inside, haunts his dreams and sends nightmares to him every waking second. He wanted to die, he thought he had...But redemption comes for even those at their lowest, even when then don't want it.

The question is...Will he accept it?

Date Written: November 2019

Date Edited: January 2020

Plan for prompt: This is one of the prompts that I was planning to pick up and start after I finished Spider-Man: Duty and Loss. I think this can be seen in the same type of naming sense, and when I do finish Spider-man, this is still one of the highest on the list to possible continue.

Inspiration: 'The Feral Mutant' over on Fanfic, sadly it is an incomplete novel.

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Prologue: Last Hurrah

Logan Froze. He froze as the smile of victory started to crumble. If he had been concentrating on the area around him he would have noticed the last body fall to the ground behind him, as well as the red stained fishbowl that clattered to the ground.

Standing over the now dead body, the blue form of Mystique looked on in sorrow as she took in the mansion she stood in. With red splattered on the walls and corpses littering the ground, it would make any weaker person vomit.

She said nothing as she watched the man she had come to love slowly lose himself. Even if she were to say something, Logan wouldn't be able to hear her. At that moment he was staring at the person across from him, the one he had currently skewered.

What was once a smirk of victory as he took out his last enemy, Omega Red, turned to one of dread and pain, as the grey and scarred face turned into that of a barely 21 year old girl. The brown and white hair shook for a second as Rogue let out a cough of blood.

Small drops of blood traveled down Logan's face as it splashed on him and he took in a shuddering breath. As if finally noticing that he wasn't being controlled anymore, Rogue spoke as blood filled her lungs. ”Logan...you're finally back.”

She gave a weak smile as the strength in her arms started to fail her. As her body started to go limp, Logan's claws retracted as he gripped her body. His head moved around slowly, as he looked at the dying and dead enemies he had defeated….the members of his new family.

After everything that had happened to him over the years, losing his wife, son, memories, finally getting them back, finding a place that he belonged at....he had destroyed it, with his own hands. He gripped Rogue tighter as he started to call her name, hoping that it wasn't too late but knowing that he had pierced her heart. He had gone for the kill.

”Rogue.” His voice came out in a quiver, something that hadn't happened in a long time. Her eyes had closed as her breathing became weak. He shook her as Mystique walked up behind him. Deep down she was starting to feel the pain as she watched her daughter slowly die.

After catching wind of what was going to happen from Magneto, it had taken her a while to slip away and make her way here. But in the end she was too late. Tears started to prick at her eyes as a short sob let out, but Logan was too out of it to notice.

”Rogue, Rogue, ROGUE, please…please leave me something god, anything, something please. Don't take them all.” Logan's body shook like a wounded animal as he watched the life continue to leave her. His mind was in shambles as he clutched her tight; burying his head in her hair.

Finally having broken contact with her eyes he caught the true sight of his destruction. Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Gambit, Jubilee, the younger students, Storm, the bodies continued on an on as his head swiveled around the room, the guilt threatening to crush him.

He finally couldn't take it anymore as he screw shut his eyes and let out his tears, he had only cried a few times in his life, he honestly could count the amount of times on his hand. But this one hurt deeper than all the rest, this one he knew he would never get past…and as he cried he changed his fate forever. The shaking of his body caused a slight shift in Rogues' still in his arms. Her pale face shifted to the side as he clutched onto her and the side of her cheek slowly touched Logan's skin.

He wasn't sure what it was for a second as he felt the suction force that slowly started to invade him, it had been a long time since he had felt it. But after a few seconds his crying stopped as he pulled back in surprise.

The slightly warmer tint in Rogue's cheeks was all he needed to know to make a final decision. He wasn't sure how it was happening, Rogue had gained full control of her powers over 2 years ago and since then had never accidentally absorbed another person's life force.

But now, at this time, it was a god send. Logan's eyes hardened as he finally noticed the person next to him. Turning to look at Mystique, no words were spoken as his eyes conveyed all that had to be said. She felt her body go weak as she knew the person she loved, the person she had known for so many years, would finally die.

A small content smile seemed to final break over his face as he looked up at her. ”Hey Rae…” Mystique…Raven Darkholme held in a sob at the nick name. ”I know we haven't always seen eye to eye. But promise me…” He stopped as he reached down and gently caressed Rogues cheek.

She had been like a daughter to him, one of the first he connected with before the others, with his amnesia at the time and gruff personality none really got close to him back then. 'Just like Jubilee'. A shudder of pain went down his spine once more as more life force was sucked from him, more of his healing factor. But he wouldn't stop, he wouldn't let her down...not now.

He had lived long enough…he had done more than enough. He knew he was going to hell, if he were being honest, he thought it would be a nice vacation, a nice way to repent for….for this. Looking back up from Rogue as she started to regain color…regain life, he starred right into Mystique's eyes.

”Promise me you'll protect her.” Mystique didn't say a word as she slowly got down on her knees next to her daughter and the one she loved. She looked between them for a second before finally placing a hand on his shoulder.