Logan's Mercy (July 1998)

Logan and Isabella arrived last. The two soldiers were still sitting down but obviously they were in really poor shape. The other soldiers were already out looking for Natalya but there were so many tracks in the snow they assumed she had fled the camp. Nick, Phil and Tony all looked at Isabella.

"You're suit has the infrared vision but I'm not liking sending you out when we could be dealing with an attack. Our satellite has detected alot of activity in the area. Odd that considering we're in the bloody arctic circle! I'm not certain finding one woman is as important as securing the base camp," Tony said. "We have what we came for and the SSB does not," He said. "Log..." he began but noticed Logan was no longer among them. He just shrugged. They all knew how he felt about Natalya...aka Colleen. Well, he and Isabella did anyway.

It just wasn't about the humiliation of being played it was that he really liked her. For a moment. He should have known by how fit she was too. He didn't need to guess where she was, he knew and he stalked back to the Infirmary. Silently he folded the flap back and saw what she was doing. In an instant he leaped inside toward her and shoved her away from Steve.

Natalya had gotten what she needed. She secured the vial and was about to put it into her pocket when she suddenly heard something. She looked over just as Logan shoved her back away from Steve. She held onto the vial. She slipped the vial into her pocket and then attacked counter attacked. Natalya was well trained and far stronger and faster than even the best fighters in the world. Logan would know that it was due to the Super Soldier serum Tatiana had used to create her. Any other person would not have stood a chance against Logan, but Natalya was able to hold her own. However, Logan began to get the upper hand and in the blink of an eye she was on her back on the ground with Logan atop her. His three adamantium claws were out and just inches from her neck. However, she saw him hesitate and she looked at him.

"You're the best lover I've ever had," she told him honestly.

Logan wasn't about to give her a moment to sway him again. He had an angry look on his face and he was angry. Angry that she had tricked him. Angry that he was falling for her. Angry that she was so damn beautiful and that, even now, after knowing everything, that he wanted her.

"I know you'd try to complete your mission!" he growled. "That's all this was...just another mission!" He seethed. "Well, you're not leaving with his blood 'Natalya'" He said with more than a little disdain. She had hurt him and he wanted her to know it. "All of your lies won't help you now," He said in a rasp.

Natalya looked up at Logan. She could tell he was very angry and she needed to get out of here in one piece. "I'm not the only dangerous unknown thing in this camp," she told him. She saw his confused look. "I'll tell you what I know if you agree to let me leave and don't follow me."

Logan looked at her a moment in confusion. He was wary of another trick. But then he began to think about it. Where would she go? Out here? Nowhere. She was hundreds of miles from civilization. She'd freeze out there. He narrowed his eyes then shifted to search her. He felt an object in her pocket and plucked it out. He never took his eyes off of her. If she flinched she'd have his claws in her throat. He knew what it was when his fingers felt it. He jerked his arm and smashed it onto the wooden floor. It broke and Steve's blood leaked from it into the floorboards.

"Alright, but if your 'information' is useless then you won't be leaving this room alive," Logan threatened.

Natalya was not happy about losing the vial of Steve Rogers' DNA and she knew Tatiana wouldn't be either. However, at this point she just needed to get out of the camp and back to the SSB. She didn't take her eyes off of Logan. "That meek little scientist 'Gunther' is not as meek as he has lead you all to believe. I wasn't the one who broke out of that cell. He broke out first and then broke me out. He also said something about needing to complete his mission. At this point, he's the one you need to be focused on." Natalya would never say it out loud, but she didn't want the little baby Serena to get hurt. "Ok, I've held up my end of the deal. Will you hold up yours?"

Logan looked at her dubiously. "An easy claim to make. With cold steel at your throat I wouldn't put it past you to lie. You've done so well at that up to now. I let you in and you used me to get what you want," Logan said. Despite this though, despite everything he wanted all of this not to be true. He wanted her to be  the person he thought she was. And he wanted her. Her luscious, cherry red lips so sweet to taste. Her firm, round breasts pressed up against him as she ground her body into him as if making love to him wasn't close enough for her. Her smile could make his insides turn into jello. Now all he tasted was dust and all of the colors in the room were duller than they had been. He wanted to kill her just for that alone. But what did he really have to lose? She didn't get Steve's blood and she'll likely die out here. The decision on sparing her life had been made.

He eased back slightly and removed his hand from around her throat though he kept hold of the collar of her coat. His claws on his other hand were still out though as he shifted her up. His right hand was still drawn back to strike and as she sat up he looked into her dark eyes. She was afraid, for a moment. He shook his head slowly. A disappointed shake of his head and his claws retracted. She seemed to relax a little but then as quickly as he could he hit her in the cheek with his fist, hard. Not hard enough to break bones but certainly hard enough for her to remember the blow. A trickle of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth and he let go of her and took a step back.

Logan looked away from her as if looking at her was just too much right then. "Go..." he said in a soft, mournful rasp.

Natalya could smell and taste the blood as it trickled down from the corner of her mouth. She stood up and knew she needed to leave quickly, before Logan changed his mind and just killed her. Natalya wasn't afraid of much, but Logan's claws at her throat had frightened her for a moment. She didn't have what she came for, but she had her life and she swore to herself that she would make it up to Tatiana somehow.

Natalya left the bungalow and pulled the hood of her coat up around her face to conceal herself as she fled the camp. However, as she moved away she paused and looked back towards the Infirmary tent. Her gut suddenly felt like it was tightening and for a brief moment the memory of Logan's laugh filled her ears...his taste lingered on her lips...and his scent filled her nose. Natalya had taken many lovers, but she had never once thought about any of them again after she was finished with them. Logan had been a pawn...so why was she still thinking about him? She couldn't put a finger on what exactly she was feeling...but it unsettled her. She forced herself to turn away and she hurried away from the camp site and soon disappeared into the Arctic wilderness.