"LOGAN!" Elektra cried as she saw the fallen body of the man she loved and she raced to his side. She did not care that the sticky liquid she knelt in was his blood, only she was at his side. His breathing was light and ragged, his heart beat was thumping against his chest and she could see the veins in his body reacting to the damage and his healing factor was trying to do it's work, yet without blood to keep it going, she knew it was all in vain. She tore a piece of his shirt and bound the wounded arm, then she lifted his head, and spoke gently in to his ear, hoping to elicit some kind of response from him.

"Logan, can you hear me? It's Elektra?" No answer in any form came from the X-Man and Elektra could see from the amount of blood on the floor that he was very close to death. "God, no," she whispered, and she lifted his body. He was heavy, but the adrenaline was pumping through her veins in shock and horror at what she could lose, this close to finding him again* and she hoped she wasn't too late.

"Gateway!" she cried out. "We need help. Take us to the X-Men!" Nothing happened. "PLEASE!" she shouted and suddenly a portal opened in the warehouse and she pulled Logan through, taking him to where she hoped that his friends, his family, would be able to save him. She failed to notice his hand lying a few feet away and left it as she dragged the heavy form through the opening. The transfer was as instantaneous as stepping off the kerb from pavement to road and she did not know where she was, other than there was a medical bay directly ahead of them.

"HELP ME!" she cried, looking at the place, the foreign surroundings and wondered where the hell she was. This was not the Xavier Institute and she helped Logan on to the bed, the blood still falling from the open wound.

Suddenly a portal formed and a young woman came through it.

"Who are you and what..." then she saw Logan and stopped her eyes going wide at what she'd seen before her. "Not again..."

Outside, Victor Creed was taking a walk around the compound.

There was one place here, that he'd found that was special, where he could smell the dried blood of Logan, and the cold sweat of Jubilation Lee, who had helped him hide from his foes.

The Reavers had owned this place, until the X-Men had shown up. Then the Reavers had returned forcing the X-Men to flee through the Siege Perilous, where they were nearly lost forever, which was when the captured and crucified Logan, simply because they could and in revenge for the attacks and injuries he had inflicted on them over the years. The Reavers then reclaimed their base of operations until an encounter with sentinels. Creed could smell the burnt flesh fused with molten metal when he got close enough to the part where the Reavers had been cooked where they stood.

However it was this issue that prompted Creed to investigate the complex further. The problem with that was that when they X-Men had come here not too long ago, the Reavers had returned. Their scents still haunted the place and yet the places where they had been flash-fried still had the scents of the people who had been killed. It made very little sense to Creed, but since the X-Men weren't asking any questions, he wasn't going to raise it with them, but Creed knew there were very few people who could reconstruct the Reavers so perfectly. The X-Men lives could be in danger, but then again they already were, and they were even less aware of than whoever restored the Reavers

For now the restraints that kept his claws in check were malfunctioning, and now he was biding his time, knowing that he could get free whenever he wanted to. Then he heard a voice shout 'help me' in the distance, staring his tracking abilities. He knew it was from within the complex somewhere and he looked up and around. It had not been the voice of one of the X-Men and he didn't recognise the voice. Then Quicksilver's voice came over the communications points of the base.

"X-Men to the medical bay! We have an intruder."

Sabretooth smiled. If it was the same intruder that just shouted 'help me', then there wasn't going to be much of a fight, but it would be interesting to see all the same.

By the time Creed got down to the medical bay, the rest X-Men had assembled. The sterile air neutralised any foreign agents, masking their scents but as he entered the room, he could see the face of the man who'd arrived. By the looks of concern and the blood on the floor he knew that Wolverine was in a bad way and his first temptation was to finish the job that had been started, but he knew he'd never get close enough to Logan to do it. Then he saw what had happened to him.

"Ain't that a cryin' shame," he said as he saw the handless and inert form on the medical bed. The arm had been bound and the bleeding stopped as much as possible but he'd lost a lot of blood.

"Back off, Creed," snapped Quicksilver. "If you've nothing constructive to say, then go."

"You called, I came," growled Sabretooth.

"That's enough," snapped Rogue. "I expect this type o' thing from Creed, but not you, Pietro."

Pietro glared at Creed, Rogue's word's stinging him. He had no real answer to her.

"Creed, I suggest," said Joseph, "that given the history between you and Logan, that you stay away from the main part of the compound."

"No skin off my nose," he muttered and looked at Logan. "See ya around, runt," he said and headed off away from the base, leaving the X-Men to keep watch over their fallen comrade and the woman who had more than likely saved his life.

"C'mon," said Rogue, placing a hand on her shoulder, "let's go get somethin' to eat." Elektra nodded, she hadn't said a word since she called out for help.

"May I join you?" asked Pietro, a tad subdued at letting Creed get to him, and more than a touch embarrassed at being called down by Rogue.

"Sure," said Rogue, and she smiled at him. Pietro nodded, knowing that it was forgotten now.

"I'll keep an eye on Victor," said Blink and she vanished as well. That left Pyro, Joseph, Warren and Betsy.

"Not sure what we can do for him," said Pyro. "Guess he met his match this time."

"We can pray," said Joseph. "Come," he said, a thoughtful look in his eye as if there were something else he could do. Pyro nodded, leaving Psylocke and Archangel.

"Betsy?" asked Warren.

"I'm staying," she said. "He'd do no less for me. He's done no less for me."

"We both did," he reminded her, looking at her face, the mark of the Crimson Dawn displayed prominently on her Asian features.

"I know," she replied, her hand slipping in to his, "but Logan and I share something special. There's a bond..."

"Yeah," said Angel, suddenly annoyed. "I've heard that one before as well." With that he turned and left, and Betsy cursed, knowing she had phrased it wrongly.

As Warren flew, he remembered his first proper encounter with Wolverine, the first night after the battle with Krakoa and the assembling of the second generation of X-Men. He and Logan had fought about Jean Grey, because there was something special between them ands he could see it in Jean's eyes. He'd reacted mostly out of loyalty to Cyclops, but also jealousy, as there was a time when he had feelings for Jean as well, but she'd felt only friendship for him. Logan had known her a few hours and she felt more for Wolverine than she did for him.

He'd come to realise Logan's value later on, and though they weren't exactly friends, they had become allies and they did respect each other. It was just that even after all this time it still hurt.

Joseph had been exploring the base of wonders since they arrived and he was forced to admit that Donald Pierce, though an evil and twisted man, was also a cybernetics genius. His creations were technological marvels, of a type beyond those he had seen designed by Xavier, though Charles had a much more noble intent in mind when he had created Cerebro and the Z'Noxx chamber, with which he had for a time been able to neutralise Rogue's powers, allowing her to touch him.

However it was while he had been looking through things he had come across Pierce's labs, his own private area where he designed and created his toys and he had come across the a file on the computer systems. He had decided to ensure that none of the devices left in this place would be reactivated against the X-Men, or if they were that they could be stopped with a minimum of fuss. The Reavers were many things, and thorough was one of them.

However it was not that which interested him and he accessed the computer's using his magnetic powers to bypass the security protocols. He smiled as he opened the file - ALB-W162. He opened the file and quickly read the schematics of what the file detailed and he knew this was what he was after. The details were very precise and he knew that his idea could be achieved, if the materials were available.

He looked around the labs and he nodded as he saw the items required. The metals and circuitry he needed were all here and he would be able to build what he needed. Time was odd the essence and he began straight away as he gave a chuckle at the irony.

Donald Pierce would save Logan's life.

In the medical bay, Psylocke touched Logan's fevered brow, watching his body strain as the healing factor went in to overload at the damage that had been done to it. While it was not as widespread as when Magneto had ripped the adamantium from his bones, it was the lack of blood in his body that made it more serious and they were all hoping there was enough within him to do the job. At the moment, his healing factor was keeping him alive, but it wasn't doing much more than that, but hope wasn't lost yet.

Betsy knew first hand the level of power within the healing factor, and that given sufficient energy it would regenerate him from a single cell if needed. She had been there watching as it had done exactly that. She had been trapped in a living death herself, her body made of steel that had been twisted and torn by the alien known as Horde. She was not dead as those present had thought, but trapped in a living death.

She had watched as Logan fought to get to the object known as the Crystal of Ultimate Vision, but Horde killed him in the process, a drop of his blood touching the crystal and granting him sufficient power to regenerate, using the genetic code within the blood. But the crystal was gone and now Logan was reliant on himself to win the fight.

"Be well, old friend," she said and reached in to his mind, to see if there was anything she could do to help. Darkness filled her as she went in, trying to reactivate their long dormant psionic bond and she recoiled, trying to break the connection. She was not in Logan's mind, but in a presence within Logan's mind.

"Hello, Elisabeth," said the voice. "Do not think that I have forgotten you and what you did to me. As soon as I am done with Logan, you are next - Psylocke!" Elisabeth wrenched herself free of Logan's mind, sweat pouring down her face.

"It can't have been," she said. She could swear she heard the voice of the Shadow King, but he was dead. Jean had killed him once and for all. Psylocke slipped in to the shadows and went to find Elektra. She had spent a long time psi-blind because of the Shadow King, and if he was back then the X-Men were in grave danger.

"Psylocke?" asked Quicksilver as he saw her arrive. "What's the matter?"

"The Shadow King," she said and Elektra looked up.

"We know," said Rogue. "Elektra's just been telling us what's happened. We all heard about the problems Logan's been having with Captain America an' Elektra's been fillin' in the gaps."

"Apparently," said Pietro, "Farouk has been using Logan for many years, but for what reason, we don't know."

"I can't believe none of us picked that up - Charles, Jean, myself."

"There are blocks within Logan's mind that nobody has been able to psychically find out if they were true or false," said Rogue. "Ah've touched the man, sugah, Ah know as much as Ah remember..." She stopped speaking.

"What is it?" asked Quicksilver.

"Ah think Ah can help him," said Rogue. "We have to get down to the medical bay."

"Betsy..." said Pietro, and they linked hands and stepped through the shadows.

In Pierce's lab, Joseph was quickly putting together the device, modifying it as best he could so that it would suit Logan's needs. He could feel Psylocke calling him, her voice in his head saying he was needed in the medical labs. He grimaced as he gave acknowledgement. His mother needed his help, he would go. He just hoped he could control the items in the room well enough to finish construction.

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Quicksilver.

"Nope," replied Rogue, as she lay down on the bed, which was then moved closer to Logan. "But we have to try." She looked at Elektra who nodded at her. She could see the fear in the young woman's eyes, as well as the love and the tenderness that she felt towards Logan. Rogue held back a sigh, thinking that was what she'd had with Gambit, and that was what she could have with Pietro.

"Joseph's on his way," said Psylocke. "Are you ready?"

"Yup," said Rogue and rolled her sleeve up as Quicksilver ran about the room getting the medical equipment ready. Joseph was her 'son' from a universe where time had changed, part of the crystal wave effect they had seen, the first time she'd truly kissed Remy. In that world she had been Magneto's wife, a strange twist on how things might have been here, as for a time she and Magnus were together, and that was something that she certainly didn't want to get in to.

She could see the smile on Betsy's face.

"Don't go there, sugah," she whispered and if Pietro heard he made no indication.

"I'm here," said Joseph, walking in to the room. "What do you need me to do?"

"Insert this IV in to my arm. My skin's about as invulnerable as it gets but you should be able to magnetically push it in."

"Is your blood type compatible with Logan's?" asked Joseph.

"It will be," said Rogue. The theory behind this was simple - when Rogue touched someone she took on their powers, their memories, their characteristics and their physical attributes. It was that last part they were counting on, that Rogue's blood would be altered enough to provide Logan what he needed to keep his healing factor going. With the healing properties of the blood he would get from Rogue, they were hoping it would be enough. It was a high-risk procedure, but they had very little choice, if Logan wasn't going to be a long-term guest.

"I'll be in your mind," said Elisabeth. "I'll keep you as safe as I can from the Shadow King, if he arrives. I've taken him once."

"Yes, but at a cost," said Warren, entering. "I'm here for you, though."

"Thanks, love," she said and the butterfly effect appeared around her head as she entered Rogue's mind. "I'm ready." Rogue nodded and touched the back of Logan's hand. Betsy watched, examining the changes within her psyche as her powers began to transfer Logan's persona on top of her own. There was some kind of psionic buffering zone that Betsy could detect that kept the two minds separate, but the zone was not as strong as it could have been and Betsy touched it, reinforcing it with her mind, keeping Rogue focused on the job at hand.

She felt a sharp shot of pain as the IV was inserted and the process began. In the distance she could sense the touch of the Shadow King, behind the buffering zone. Logan's very personality was being corrupted, perverted by the Shadow King, she could sense it and while she was in Rogue's mind she was protected from it. The Shadow King seemed to be working on several different things at once, as he was not as focused on them as he could have been, and with three personas to fight it would have been difficult to keep control.

Or maybe he just wanted to them to help Wolverine; he obviously had plans for him.

"Betsy?" came a gruff voice and behind the barrier, Psylocke could see the astral form of Logan. It was faint as it did not belong here, but it provided an interesting insight in to the way that Rogue's powers worked.

"Logan," she replied, the delight in her voice evident. "You're awake!"

"What's goin' on?" he asked. "I don't feel right." Psylocke explained what had happened, the extent of his injuries and the process they were performing. "So we're in Rogue's mind right now?"

"Yes," said Betsy. "I'm protecting her from Farouk, should he make a move."

"Brave thing to do, Elisabeth," Logan growled. "Yer riskin' a lot."

"You braved the Crimson Dawn for me, you trusted me when others wouldn't. You've risked more than enough for all of us over the years."

"We're family," said Logan. "An' it needed doin'."

"As does this. Your injuries are more than physical. What has Farouk done to you?"

"Long story, Bets," said Logan. "Guess we've got as long as this takes." Psylocke nodded and smiled. The man they all knew was alive and well and with luck his body would recover in time.

Back in the medical bay, Joseph was watching Rogue intently. She'd said nothing as yet, and he was focusing on the task at hand in Pierce's lab. The last piece fell in to place and he smiled.

"I'll be right back," he said to Pietro, who nodded, and he went to get the device. It was a template of Logan's missing hand, using the design of Albert, Logan's robotic duplicate who'd' been designed by Pierce as a decoy for Logan. The construct was frighteningly realistic, fitting the dimensions of Logan perfectly. Joseph had made some alterations to it so that it was bigger than a normal hand, but it would be able to fit in place of his missing hand until it grew back.

If it did.

The extent of his healing powers in that respect had never been tested to that kind of limit.

He checked to make sure the false hand would work well enough and he picked it up. As long as the procedure with Rogue worked, then the hand would be useful. If it did not, then he was not sure. It was touch and go.

When he got back, Rogue was sitting up, the IV had been removed and she was resting. Warren was keeping an eye on her. She was looking tired, but then again she had just given Logan a lot of blood so it was to be expected.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, her Southern accent replaced with Logan's gruff Canadian tone. "Just have to fight the urge for a cigar."

Elektra was talking with Psylocke and Quicksilver was checking the readouts.

"I think it worked," he said after a moment. "His vitals seem to be going back up faster than they were, so that's got to be a good sign. That said," he paused as he came back over to the group, "I'm not a doctor."

"Pietro," said Joseph. "A moment please," and he told him what they'd done.

"Good thinking," he replied. "When he wakes up we'll ask him." Joseph nodded. Now it was time to let both Logan and Rogue rest. Each had some recovering to do.

Hours passed, and eventually Logan awoke, agreeing to the temporary prosthetic which they fitted to him. While it was being done he looked at Rogue.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem, sugah," she said, giving him a smile and that was all that needed to be said between them. Once the hand had been fitted, Joseph and Quicksilver helped her out of the bay so that Logan and Elektra could talk.

"Hey," she said, holding his hand.

"Hey," he replied. "'Lektra, I'm so sorry."

"I know," she said. "I know what was there, I saw you, I was there."

"What do you mean?" he said, not sure what she was on about.

"Rest, my love," she said and kissed him on the forehead. "We'll talk later."

"Elektra?" he asked as she let go of his hand and she looked at him. "I love you."

"And I love you." She smiled and Logan closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

The complex was quiet that night. There were no more incidents, no Gene Nation assaults or anything and while the X-Men and their guests slept, Creed slowly crept in to the medical bay. The sterile environment masked his scent so he knew Logan wouldn't wake up.

"Heya stumpy," he said, his voice ultra low to prevent Logan from being awoken. "Yer safe fer the moment, but as soon as you lose the family, yer mine. It's been a long time in comin', but this time I'll finish you once and fer all. Sleep well, runt." Then he turned and left the room.

On the medical bed, Logan's eyes opened, his pupils small but he'd heard every word. Or rather someone had heard the voice through him.

"Yes," the words formed on Logan's lips. "Rest, my friend. Then the hunt will begin."

Far, far away the Shadow King laughed.

Next issue: Wolverine versus Sabretooth! Nuff said!