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“Welcome back Weapon X.”

“Cornelius” Wolverine grunted at the bespectacled bald man standing on the other side of the metal cage.
“Ah…so you remember me” Dr. Cornelius grinned at him, his glasses reflecting the yellow corridor lights, shrouding his eyes from the captive Wolverine. “Good. This time I need a mind as well as a body. But don’t worry yourself too much. Your primitive animal brain will serve the purpose.”
“CORNELIUS” Wolverine yelled, fisting his hands and he willed his claws to come out, forgetting that his mutation was being negated by the collar around his neck.

The scientist just laughed at actions. “Wolverine….wolverine…wolverine. How can you forget that I created you and hence know you better than you know yourself. Do you think I’d bring you back and not take the adequate precautions to contain my favorite experiment…..my favorite lab rat.”
“I’m going ta kill ya” Wolverine threatened Cornelius.
“Sure….I am shaking in my boots.” Cornelius mocked him, “You didn’t learn anything did you? The last time you were with me, you said the same things and even after twenty years of running wild, you still haven’t learnt anything. Well what can you expect from a mindless animal like you.”
Wolverine’s anger was increasing with instance of being called an animal. He did not remember his first time with Weapon X, but he was sure that he didn’t like the fuckers even then. And the next time he got out, he was going to kill each and every one of them.

“What happened Wol-ve-rine” Cornelius dragged the name out grating him even further. “Trying to remember old times” he chuckled. “Don’t trouble your puny brain James Howlett.”
Wolverine snapped his head at the use of an unfamiliar name. Cornelius called him James Howlett – James…not Logan.
“What happened James” Cornelius continued to mock him. He had his pet back and was more than happy to play with him before he got what he needed and then clean his mental slate once again. “Nice to hear your real name huh.”
“My name is Logan” Wolverine grunted menacingly.
“Logan” Cornelius laughed out aloud. “Sure….Logan, whatever you say. I just thought that maybe you would like to finally learn the one thing you have been searching for ever since you broke out from our Alkali Lake base.”

At the mention of Alkali Lake, Logan grew silent. He remembered the place where they had lost Jean. If Cornelius knew about Alkali Lake, then maybe he was telling the truth after all.
Seeing Wolverine’s facial expressions change, Cornelius grin grew wider, “Just remembered Alkali Lake did we,” he stepped closer to the Adamantium cage. “Well don’t get any bright ideas here. Just remember one thing….I am NOT William Stryker. He was a fool. He mixed his personal emotions with science….and those screw up everything…..every time.”

----

“Well” Cornelius seemed almost jolly. “Let get onto the real reasons for recapturing you.”
“What reason…?” snarled Wolverine. “You just wanted your precious *experiment* back.”
“That I did” Cornelius said, “But that wasn’t the only reason for the attack on your precious ‘school for the gifted’. Gifted my foot. You all are nothing but animals and should be treated as such.” he spat out, before lightening up. “This time I have a better plan….something which even will like *participating* in.”

Logan furrowed his brows at Cornelius’s words. He had grown silent, hoping that *baldy* would let something out. Something that would give him a chance to plan his escape.
“What plan?” Logan asked warily.
“Not so soon my boy….or should I say my sir” chuckled Cornelius. “But calling you sir, would mean that you human and that is something neither you nor any of your so called friends are.”

‘Friends’ at the mention of his teammates, Wolverine rose to his feet, his muscles straining to support his the hundred pounds of metal coating his bones. With his healing factor turned off, his muscles weren’t able to heal from the wear and tear caused by the metal alloy. Soon his body would start feeling the effects of Adamantium poisoning. “Who else have you got here?” he demanded.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” scoffed Cornelius.

Pressing his commlink, he spoke into it. “Come in.”

----

A couple of minutes later, the door at the far end of the corridor opened and another familiar face stepped through the shadows, followed by at least dozen armored soldiers, each of them carrying a weapon that looked like an electrical prod.

“Wraith” Wolverine was surprised that he knew the name of the man coming towards him.
“Ah…so the animal remembers me,” the man called Wraith stepped closer to him, revealing a severely disfigured face. He was missing his left eye and that side of his face had three scars…of three straight slashes….his claw slashes.
“Looks like you remember me too” Wolverine grinned menacingly and pointed towards the scars. “That my work? Looks good on you,” he stated seemingly pleased with himself. “The next time I'll do the other side too.”

“Next time” Wraith spat out. “There won’t be a next time.”
Turning to Cornelius, Wraith nodded his head. “Now?” he asked.
“Yes” Cornelius responded. “The others?” he asked in return.
“All locked and loaded.”
“Very good”
Raising a hand towards Wolverine, he said. “Gentlemen, he’s all yours. Enjoy yourselves….as much as you want. He’ll recover.”
“I intend to” Wraith rubbed his hands in expectantly. “You can bet on that.”

----

Walking away from the cage, Cornelius gave one parting remark. “Remember to give our pet at least hundred and fourteen presents….”

“….One for each year of his pathetic existence.”