Cadie wasn't in her room when he looked in after his shower. *Huh. Wonder where she's got to? She didn't come back up here, her scent's cold.* He tapped on the hallway's intercom, then thought better of it and closed the channel. *Don't get the place in an uproar yet,* he told himself. *She might have just gone for a walk.*

He quickly slipped back to the gym to see if he could pick up her trail from there. He hesitated for a moment when he had the scent. *Why would she go back toward the Danger Room?* Realization hit him and he sprinted down the corridor. *She didn't do good enough, so she's gonna try it again. And this time she don't have anybody watchin her back. If she uses Cyke's program she could get herself killed.*

He barreled into the control room and looked down. Cadie was there, but there was something different, something familiar about the way she was fighting. Pausing only long enough to be sure the safeties were engaged, he returned to watching her, fascinated. His eyes tracked every leap, every whirlwind movement,every strike. Her innate agility was allowing her to hold her own against her opponent, but he had a stamina she apparently lacked. She was starting to wear down, but still she continued.

She staggered under a heavy blow, going to her knees, but itdidn't even slow her down. She swept his legs out from under him and he crashed to the floor, but was up again before she had a chance to disable him completely.

Wolverine had recognized her opponent as soon as he'd seen him. *As if I could mistake him for anyone else. She set up a hologram to cover the robot. No big deal. But why Sabretooth?* He answered his own question, shaking his head. *Because if she can take him down, the others aren't a threat. He's bigger, stronger, and faster than the other Marauders. And I didn't think she was taking this seriously enough. Now I wonder if she's taking it _too_ serious.*

He watched her fight on, pushing herself past all limits, going on sheer willpower. He knew she wouldn't be able to take much more. Sabretooth was getting past her blocks more and more often. Then the inevitable happened. Sabretooth managed to get in a good strike with his claws and she stumbled backward, only to fall as she caught a heel on an outcropping. Sabretooth leapedat her.

"Freeze program!" he barked. She glared up into the booth, and the expression in her eyes shocked him cold. *Like lookin in a mirror, darlin. What did Sinister _do_ to you?*

She glared up into the booth, enraged that he would interfere with her workout. "D' y' mind?" she asked icily. He could hear the rage in every syllable. "Cougar was kinda in de middle o' somet'in here, homme."

"Yeah, I saw that," he said as he keyed open the microphone. "Looked like you were 'bout to get your butt kicked, too." *Why am I pushing her like this? Should be tryin to calm her down, not adding fuel to the fire.*

Her eyes narrowed as her rage grew. She could feel the last bits of her control slipping. "Want t' take his place, den? Cougar still wantin t' bust some heads. Yours'll do, if y' won' turn de program back on," she spat.

"Not on yer life, darlin," he said with a headshake. She watched him closely, still able to see every movement. "I'm comin down, but I don't want to fight. Understand?"

He moved away from the window before she could voice her answer, and only a moment later, opened the door and stepped inside. "Oh, de mighty Wolverine, he don' want t' fight, hehn?" she hissed as she dropped into a combative crouch. "Could it be he _scared_ o' de Cougar?" She crept closer, the feral glint in her eyes betraying her intentions.

He held his temper hard, forcing himself not to react to her taunt. He simply stood still and waited for her, watching her warily. He could feel a part of him wanting to answer her fury with his own, and he fought it.

She rose and placed a hand on his chest, flexing her fingers and puncturing his skin with her claws. He struggled to remain calm. "Cougar t'ink dat's it, mon ami," she purred as she drew one claw down his chest, then back up, watching the blood flow and then stop when his healing factor closed the gouge. He said nothing. "Cougar t'ink y' 'fraid o' her. Dat's a big laugh, mon ami. De mighty Wolverine, scared o' a _woman_." She continued to taunt him, continued to claw him, and he stood there, silent.

*She's got the blood lust, like me. Only she doesn't know how to fight it. Somehow I have to reach her, bring her out of this.* He could feel his own control slipping away and fought to keep it, knowing if he didn't, one of them might well end up dead. He concentrated, wanting to call Phoenix, only to have Cougar rip the side of his face when she slapped him. Her claws drew furrows down his cheek and his temper finally boiled over.

"Don't think so, darlin," he snarled as his claws extended. He leaped at her and she sidestepped, swiping at him again. He reversed his charge suddenly and opened a nasty wound in her side just as she connected again, viciously clawing his chest and leaving deep gouges in his skin.

They circled each other like wild animals, both getting the blood-scent, both growling and snarling at each other. Occasionally, one of them would dart forward and a new wound would appear on the other. Wolverine had the greater reach, but Cougar was a touch quicker, more agile. They seemed to be pretty evenly matched as they circled.

In the kitchen, Jean staggered and a hand went to her head as she cried out. "What's wrong?" Rogue asked as she leaped forward to keep the woman from falling. "Jean what is it?"

The redhead shook her head, as if to find her bearings, then looked Rogue right in the eye. "Logan and Cadie. We have to stop them!"

They ran for the Danger room together.