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Covenant: Part Three
In 1934, at the Isle of Sombra, off the coast of Morocco, Logan leads the Dreaming Maiden into a cave. As he does, the Maiden asks him where they are. Logan calls her “Aleena” and tells her that she’ll be safe there. But, she has to listen to him. She brought them down on her, the people who let him off the chain, and they’ll come for her again, unless she stops. When Aleena looks at him with a quizzed look on her face and asks “stop,” Logan tells her dreaming. What she can do, it scares them. There’s something about her dreams, something they won’t talk about, at least not to him, but you can tell, they’re afraid. They think she’s dangerous.
Aleena wraps her arms around Logan from behind and asks him if he thinks she’s dangerous. When Logan tells her no, she asks him if she scares him. Turning to face her, Logan exclaims “hell yes.” But if she stays there, if she stops dreaming, they won’t find her. And he’ll come back for her when it’s safe. As Logan begins to leave the cave, Aleena starts to cry. As she does, her tears begin to crystallize and cover her entire body. Stopping in his tracks, Logan turns around and says wait, something’s wrong. He wasn’t there for this. The crystallization would’ve taken years. He never saw…
Just then, a bright light engulfs the room and Logan begins to change from being in his casual clothes to his Wolverine costume. After Logan remarks that he’s dreaming, Aleena asks him is he. Is he certain that the life he knows is not a dream? Is he certain this is not real? And if this is a dream, why would he ever want to wake? Seeing Aleena wearing a skimpy outfit, lounging on a couch, Logan says to her that she reached out to them. She put the Covenant at each other’s throats. She knew they’d come looking for her if she didn’t keep quiet. Why didn’t… Aleena tells him that she waited so long, waited for him to return. She tried not to dream. But when she does not dream, she does not live. She was dead…inside and out. Only through dreams would her blood flow, her heart beat. She grew bored. And she grew angry. At that moment, Aleena’s eyes begin to glow brightly.
In New York City at a donut shop, Melita Garner tells the hologram of Vanessa Baker that she tries to keep the talk of elder deities to a minimum until after she’s had coffee. Vanessa replies that she understands. It’s a great deal to digest. The members of the Covenant hold vastly different ideologies. But they came together nonetheless to serve mankind. Each and every one of them believed he or she was best suited to lead the world through the darkness… with a gentle hand, or a conquering iron grip. They put ego, pride, and ambition aside to work in unison. Melita asks against what, a god? Vanessa replies not quite, worse. They have called it by different names. The Drifting Chaos, the Coming Shadow, the Creeping Ghost, and most succinctly… Doom.
Dunking her donut into her coffee, Melita asks about the Dreaming Maiden. Vanessa states that she is one of his progeny. Although she doubts she’s aware of her heritage, or her purpose. Under her breath, Melita says “good for her.” Vanessa continues that the Covenant came apart at the seams long ago. Each of them believed they knew how to best avert disaster. It tore them apart. Melita sarcastically remarks so much for putting ego aside, huh? She then asks now what. Some creepy crawler, this Dreaming Maiden, wakes up and it brings them all together like one big happy family. Vanessa replies again, not quite. As Melita pulls out her cell phone, Vanessa asks her who she’s calling. Melita tells her she’s the detective. Her guess is she’s already done a background check on her, or at least snooped through her contacts. She’s probably deduced who she’s calling. Logan’s in danger, because of her friends. So she’s calling on some friends of her own.
In a darkened pit, in an unknown location, Elsa Bloodstone tells Wolverine to wake up. As he does, Elsa informs him that he was making some disgusting noises. And then he was making some different, even more disgusting noises. When Wolverine tells her he was dreaming, Elsa replies that she guessed as much. She doesn’t need details. Logan then asks if anything interesting happened while he was out. Elsa says nothing other than some unpleasant clanking from up above. Robot sentries, she’s guessing. Not that they need much guarding.
Investigating his surroundings, Logan points out there are no doors and the walls are reinforced several feet thick. Even if he could cut through them, the walls are electrified. Voltage would cook him from the inside out. Elsa adds that they are in an oubliette. Prisoners are tossed in there to be forgotten. Logan remarks that Jefferson Chambers doesn’t want to forget them. He wants to gloat. Elsa states that he sounds dreadful. She’d enjoy pulling his spleen out through his nostrils. Logan tells her that the line forms to the left. Chambers is batnuts crazy. He spent his entire life exploring one alien world, one strange dimension, after another. He prolonged his life through steam technology and extraterrestrial DNA. Last he heard, he was vacationing in the Microverse, studying under a particularly nasty scientist named Baron.
Just then, Logan pops his claws and tells Elsa to be quiet. When Elsa replies that she didn’t say anything, Logan tells her to stop breathing so loudly. He then tells her to get ready. They’re about to have company. Someone’s there. Elsa says that’s bloody well terrific but they don’t even know where “here” is.
As Seraph’s Angels – Cassie Lathrop, Lynx, Melita Garner, and Seraph approach their destination in a flying car, Melita points out that it’s a floating castle. Can’t say that’s something she sees every day. Seraph tells her to trust her, you’ll get used to it. Seraph then tells the driver, Cassie, to take them in nice and tight and to hold it steady. Cassie tells her to smile when she says that. This thing handles like a floating tank. Power steering doesn’t do a bit of good with this kind of turbulence. Seraph tells her that the next time they steal a S.H.I.E.L.D. hover car, she’ll make sure she has time for driver’s lessons.
Just then, Seraph fires a grappling hook into the base of the floating castle. Making sure it’s secure, Seraph tells them that they need to get in there and get this over with. She then tells Melita that maybe she should stay in the car. This might be a little dicey. Putting her gloves on, Melita tells Seraph that she asked her to be a part of her “Angels.” An angel’s gotta fly sometime. Smiling, Seraph tells Melita that she’s got brass. She can see why Logan likes her. With that, Seraph, Lynx, and Melita Garner shimmy up the rope up to the floating castle. As they do, Cassie yells at them from the hover car to get where they’re going fast. It’s getting choppy out there. Using a laser to slice a hole in the base of the floating castle, Seraph reminds her that perfection takes time. Turning towards the hologram of Vanessa Baker, Melita asks her if she’s sure this is gonna get them inside. Vanessa replies that she’s quite certain, unless of course, they fall to their death.
Once inside the floating castle, Vanessa tells them to head this way. They can access the prison a little farther down the corridor. Seraph points out that she knows a lot about this place. Vanessa answers that she saw a detailed floor plan once, for five seconds. Handing Melita a gun, Seraph asks Vanessa why doesn’t she tell them what kind of opposition they’re gonna run into. Vanessa replies that she dare says they’re about to find out. Just then, a number of Jefferson Chamber’s robots descend on them. Turning to Melita, Seraph asks her if she knows how to use the gun. Readying it, Melita answers just like she showed her. With that, Seraph, Lynx, and Melita lash out at the robots.
Inside the deep pit, Logan sniffs the air. When Elsa asks what it is, Logan says Melita. He then wonders what the hell she is doing there. His memories of her are shot but something about this feels… familiar. Just then, the grate cover is removed, a rope is dropped down into the hole, and a female voice tells Logan to shake a leg. Some of them have better things to do than save his sorry ass. And they could use those claws of his. Logan recognizes the voice to belong to Seraph and he knows he’ never gonna hear the end of this.
Up on the surface, Seraph tells Logan that she brought some party favors, something to help keep his bits and pieces from being snagged on some robo-skewer. Seraph then tosses Logan one of his outfits and adds that none of them want to see him naked any more. The design’s a little out of date but he changes outfits more frequently than a runway model. Putting on his first costume, Logan asks hasn’t she heard? He’s the best there is at what he does. Why shouldn’t he look his best while doing it? As they make their way down the hall, Elsa asks if they’re a team of Wolverine’s former lovers. Seraph answers that if she keeps spending time with him, they’ll save her a spot on the roster. Elsa replies “ugh, no thank you.”
Just then, Logan tells them to pipe down. Upon seeing another group of robots, this time they all look like Wolverine, Logan exclaims dammit, Chambers. He probably thinks this is funny. When he finds him, though, there’s not a joke in the world that will save his ass. Lashing out at the robots, Logan tells the ladies that he’ll hold them off – go. Leading her group to the exits, Seraph says they heard the man. Melita stops and calls out to Logan but Seraph tells her that they got him out of the cell. He can handle himself from there. He’ll catch up. Continuing to engage the robots in battle, Logan remarks that Chambers, or one of his automated factories, pieced these knock-offs together quickly. They’ve got claws and speed and a killer instinct. But they ain’t the real deal. They ain’t him. After defeating the robots, Logan starts to walk away from the wreckage. When he hears them starting to reform, Logan says “aw, c’mon,” and proceeds to leap out one of the windows.
As Logan plummets through the sky, he eventually lands on the hood of the hover car Cassie is driving. When he does, Logan smiles at her and tells her thanks. Guess this time he fell for her. Shooting him a dirty look, Cassie turns the wheel suddenly, which causes Logan to fly off the hood of the car and onto the ground below. While Logan starts to pick himself up off of the ground, Vanessa Baker tells him that he has to admit, he deserved that. Looking up at the floating castle, Vanessa says that she takes it the Dreaming Maiden is not in the castle. Logan tells her no, but she told him where to find her. She told him in his dreams, in his nightmares.


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Covenant: Part Four: Conclusion
As he makes his way through the Gray Island swampland in Louisiana, Logan recalls that, when you’ve been around as long as he has, when you’ve run with the Avengers and the X-Men and X-Force among others, you grow accustomed to traveling in strange circles. But leading a group comprised mostly of his pissed-off ex-girlfriends (Seraph, Melita Garner, Lynx and Cassie Lathrop) through a haunted swamp is still downright unsettling.
While they continue to make their way through the swamp, Seraph asks Logan why there are there. When Logan asks if she wants a simple explanation, Seraph quips that if there was anything simple about this, she wouldn’t be asking. Logan answers fair enough and says they’re there because he double-crossed a group of extremely powerful, extremely ruthless people.
Shanghai, 1935… Logan enters the headquarters of the Covenant. When he is asked if it’s done, if the girl is dead, Logan tells them that’s right. And even though the members of the Covenant should have died years ago, they managed to come back for their due. Wyatt Crowley, Vanessa Baker and Jefferson Chambers – a magician, a detective, and a mad scientist. The Menace, Murderous Lion and Ulysses Bloodstone – a vigilante, a warlord and a monster hunter. And him – a hired killer with too much blood on his hands. When Murderous Lion asked how he killed her, Logan told them he did the job. Only, he didn’t do the job so he told them a lie he knew wouldn’t last. Putting his arm on Logan’s shoulder, the Menace says that they realize this was an unpleasant task, but believe them, it was necessary. If there had been any other way… Vanessa cuts in and replies yes. If there had been any other way, she’s sure someone might have pursued such an option. They were prepared to offer him more work, he could see it in their eyes. They had others they wanted him to kill.
But he walked away. He didn’t have the taste for it. And he wanted to be far away if and when they ever found out he hadn’t killed the Dreaming Maiden. Seraph proceeds to ask Logan what is it with him and women. When is he going to learn that, every time he unzips his pants, he gets himself into a world of trouble? Elsa adds only this time he put the entire bloody world at risk. Logan tells Elsa to can it. Enraged, Elsa angrily tells Logan that she read her father’s journals. The Dreaming Maiden is a herald, a harbinger, a damn beacon. She’s not just dreaming, you git. Stepping in between them, Melita says maybe they should all just take a breath here. Cutting her off, Elsa angrily says no. Because that creature isn’t just dreaming, she’s calling out to someone. She’s summoning something much, much worse. Logan replies that there’s a lot of ways to make a situation worse. Keep talking about things you don’t understand and she’ll find out firsthand.
Reaching an abandoned river boat, Logan informs his crew that she’s in there. She’s dreaming again, telling him where to find her. He’ll go in first, try to get her out nice and quiet. Like that ever works. When Seraph asks how they will know if he needs backup, Logan answers she’ll know because she knows her.
Once aboard the river boat, Logan takes out three local guards. After defeating with them with relative ease, Logan remarks that, while she was telling him where to find her, the least she coulda done was tell him the best route to avoid the guards.
A short time later, Logan enters a room that houses the statue of the Dreaming Maiden. Sniffing the air, Logan calls out and says that he hopes they didn’t think they were gonna surprise him. Why don’t they come out? Let’s get this over with. Just then, Wyatt Crowley, Jefferson Chambers emerge from the shadows flanked by Chamber’s robots and additional guards. Crowley tells Logan to walk away lit’l man. Thar’s things ‘appening ‘ere that he can’t possibly understand. And trying to stop them now, that would be a mortal sin.
Chambers adds that Logan tricked them all those years ago. He convinced the Maiden to simply stop dreaming. He asked her to go against everything she was ever meant to be. She’s safe there with them now. No one there intends to hurt her. Crowley says that they can’t say th’ same for him. He shouldn’t haf come there, not alone. Logan replies that it doesn’t matter if they plan on hurting her or not. The lady doesn’t want to stay with them. His guess is the both of them are all-too-familiar with that notion. And as for him being alone… not hardly.
Just then, Seraph and her crew burst into the room, guns blazing. As a gigantic battle begins to commence, Crowley slams his fists into Logan, driving him to the ground. While he does, he tells him that she wuz always meant to dream. Deny her that, and those dreams become nightmares. Stabbing Crowley in the arm with his claws, Logan remarks that he always struck him as a reasonable sort, despite his bloodline. There doesn’t need to be any more blood between them. But if he stands back up, he’ll end him.
Nearby, Seraph states that this is one favor Logan will never be able to repay. When one of the guards pushes by Cassie and heads towards Melita, Cassie tells her to look out. Melita responds by slamming the guard’s head into the wall as the hologram of Vanessa Baker looks on approvingly.
When Logan makes his way towards Chambers, Chambers remarks that it’s unfortunate they’re at odds there. It was, after all, he who gave them the idea of using the Maiden’s dreams against the drifting chaos. It was he who taught her to lie. Doesn’t he see? They can use her dreams. They can use her to trick the drifting chaos, to send it away. They can repel the end times. As Logan jams his claws into Chambers armor and hacks away at it, Logan tells him that the world can go on forever, Chambers just won’t be there to enjoy it. Falling to his knees, Chambers stammers n-no… no… Still work to be done… n-not finished…
Just then, Chambers disappears into thin air, much to Logan’s surprise. Vanessa tells him that he didn’t think killing someone as old as Chambers would be simple, did he. He may not have a healing factor, but he compensates with numerous fail-safes. Somewhere, he’s probably already having his decaying flesh outfitted with new hardware. Holding his open wounds, Crowley tells Logan they w-were right. Turnin’ th’ Maiden’s dreams against the chaos… It was whut they shoulda done so long ago. But, widdout their guidance, widdout them controlling the dreams, and engine of entropy and destruction like none other will be drawn to them like a moth t’ the flame. Logan replies maybe so. Once they find a safe place for her, they’ll figure it out. Crowley replies that the Covenant could keep her safe. Clenching his fist, Logan angrily states that the last time he checked, the Covenant was at each other’s…
At that moment, Logan senses someone else. The scent’s different, the body is new, but he knows the outfit. He knows the weapons – the Menace. Emerging from the shadows, the Menace fires their weapons. Logan tells everyone to get down and moves towards the Menace’s gunfire. He’s fast but he’ll never clear the distance in time to… Once he is hit with gunfire, Logan hits the ground.
When he wakes up, he finds himself in a white area. Waking him up gently, the Maiden tells him he promised he’d return. He swore that, if she stopped dreaming, if she was patient, he’d come back for her. She waited so long. And only now, at the end, has she come back for her. Logan replies that he thought he was doing right by her. The Covenant… they wanted her dead because of what her dreams might bring. And they were scared of anyone, anything, that could reach into their minds the way she could. He knew if she ever started dreaming again, they’d come for her. The Maiden tells him he hoped they would forget in time. But it was he who…
Logan replies “for a while, yeah.” He couldn’t remember her even if he wanted but then he could remember. He just didn’t want to because he didn’t know how to help her. He knew this day would come when she couldn’t be silent any longer. And what are her options now? She did something to them, the Covenant. She reached into their heads. The Dreaming Maiden states that she showed them just enough to turn them against one another. They wanted to save the world, or prove something, or kill her, only to satisfy their own lusts. She promised them that which they desired. Logan then tells Aleena that he should’ve been there for her. He shouldn’t have been afraid of what she was. All those kids he hoped to teach, to guide in the use of their powers, it ain’t right that he abandoned… her.
Just then, Logan sits up. When he does, Melita has her hand over her mouth and starts to stammer. With her head hung down, Vanessa remarks that it happened so fast. There was nothing they could do. As Logan makes his way over to the beheaded statue of the Dreaming Maiden, Elsa tells him that, no matter what he says, she still thinks she was a threat. The world’s safer now with her gone. But she’s sorry for what he’s lost. Leaning down to pick up the Dreaming Maiden’s head, Logan asks Vanessa what Aleena promised her.
At the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, Logan and Melita sit in an office. After Logan asks where they were, Melita tells him that they don’t have to do this. Not after all that’s happened. Maybe they need some time. Logan replies that he wants to do this. His memories were ripped from him. He doesn’t even know all the things that he’s forgotten. But he knows he’s forgotten her. And he knows that he wants to remember. Meanwhile, out in the garden, the statue of the Dreaming Maiden now resides.
In a castle somewhere in the Alps, Vanessa Baker tells the other members of the Covenant – Murderous Lion, Wyatt Crowley, Elsa Bloodstone, Jefferson Chambers and the Menace that she’s pleased that they could all join her there. She thinks it is safe to assume that they all realize that there is still a significant task before them. Now that this period of disquiet between them has passed… let’s get back down to business.


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X of Swords, Chapter 3
Wolverine a.k.a. Logan thinks to himself that, for most, “been to Hell and back” is just an expression. But he knows from first-hand experience, this place is the best there is at punishment – by mining the pain already inside you, by accounting for what you owe. Hell is where the past catches up with you – and Wolverine is here because the past has caught up to Krakoa – and now, they are all due for a reckoning.
Wolverine stares up at a large tree which Krakoa has appeared to him as. 'You're the only one whose voice really matters' Wolverine tells Krakoa. 'Even when the kings and queens of the Quiet Council are blowing hot air for hours on end' Wolverine adds. 'Isn't that right, bub? You wanted the External Gate open. That means you wanted war'. Wolverine reminds Krakoa that this was place was supposed to be a fresh start for all of them, yet here Krakoa is, dragging them back in time. 'This ain't the first fight I went into blind. But losing's never been my policy' Wolverine declares. 'Especially now. Because I think we got something here worth fighting for. I really do' Wolverine adds. Wolverine turns and walks away from Krakoa, while announcing that he is going to find the Muramasa blade, and is going to make some #$%& bleed. 'And I'm gonna win' he boasts, while warning Krakoa that he is not going to trust Krakoa.
Wolverine walks through a clearing while recalling Polaris speaking in riddles – there was one which he thought was obviously referring to him. “A soul lost, an edge gained”. He knows that he has three days to secure the Muramasa Blade so that he can take his place in the tournament of swords and settle what amounts to a multidimensional feud over land rights. This dredges up some of his best and worst memories. He remembers Itsu, his wife whom he lost. He thought he had lost his son, Daken, and channeled that loss and rage  into steel – Muramasa. The greatest swordsmith the world has ever known – forged him a blade so that he could kill them all. Muramasa put Logan through the refiner's fire by taking his shattered soul and hammering it into the metal itself – and he wielded it like an angry god.
Wolverine arrives at the Quarry on Krakoa, thinking that part of him is gone to history, just like the blade itself, which was destroyed – and Muramasa, who has gone missing. 'Why you so busy fighting nothing?' Wolverine calls out to Keniuchio Harada the Silver Samurai, who is in the Quarry, training with his sword. 'I am not fighting nothing. I am fighting the future' the Silver Samurai explains, turning to Wolverine. He adds that if he anticipates every slash and feint and thrust today, he will not be surprised by tomorrow. 'Does that mean you're not surprised by me coming here?' Wolverine asks. 'I am not surprised by you' the Silver Samurai responds. He points his sword towards Wolverine, 'You want to know how to find Muramasa' he remarks. 'And you don't want to tell me because you're pissed' Wolverine replies, before dropping down into the Quarry. He walks towards the Silver Samurai. 'Because if there's a dimension shaker of a sword fight, Silver Samurai should be the one to get the call' Wolverine remarks. 'So I guess I'm gonna have to earn your help... by beating it out of you!' Wolverine snarls as he leaps towards the Silver Samurai, claws at the ready.
Logan's claws clang against Silver Samurai's blade as the Silver Samurai remarks that Wolverine has no respect or discipline. 'It should have been me!' he declares. Wolverine leaps over the Silver Samurai, 'Maybe you're right. But it wasn't' he replies. Landing on the Silver Samurai's back, Wolverine points out that there is no reshuffling the deck, and shoves his blades into the Samurai's neck. 'Tell me!' Logan shouts, to which blood spurts upwards and the Silver Samurai claims that he only knows rumors.
Meanwhile, on Arakko, under a brown sky, at the Tower of Broken Will, two large winged beasts fly across the broken, ruined terrain, circling the large tower. The Tower of Broken Will was the first watchtower to fall in the second great war. Riding the two beasts are two of the First Horsemen of Apocalypse – Pestilence, who is a woman wrapped in bandages with a large red globe covering her head, and War, a woman with a fiery face. The two Horsemen are deposited on the tower, and as they approach an entrance, Pestilence asks 'How long has he been in the pit?' to which War reports that it has been one hundred years and a season – not long enough.
The two First Horsemen pass two guards at the entrance, and descend down a flight of stairs, as Pestilence asks 'To break him? No... not long enough'. War states that if it were her choice, he would remain there until the oceans dried up and the stars burned out. But, here they are, humbled. 'He will not be humbled' Pestilence states. 'Then we will humble him' War responds. Pestilence declares that he will not help them, so War tells her that she will make him beg for their help. They carry on down the stairs, towards a dark pit, which War remarks was beyond mercy for him, and that he will not escape it lightly. 'The slayer of my husband does not deserve freedom, unless it finally brings him the death he deserves' War snarls, telling her companion that they are fooling themselves if they think they are here for a warrior – for there will be no warrior in the pit, as time will have broken him, starvation will have thinned him and boredom will have feebled him.
'Ah, old friends!' a voice calls out from within the pit, as War and Pestilence stand on the edge of the pit. Down in the pit, a gray-skinned man with a hood over his head, and chains around his wrists sits on a large cushion. Candles light the pit, books and papers are stacked in front of him. Food is laid out on either side of him, and a guitar-like instrument sits nearby. Holding a goblet, he looks up at the Horsemen and tells them that he assumes they have come seeking favor. 'You've been in a hole for a hundred years... you should be the one seeking our favor' one of the Horsemen replies. The man removes his cowl and stares up at the edge of the pit, his eyes glowing as he replies 'And yet I am not. There is one beauty who sings me songs. There is another who brings me bread. Some bring me books. Others, wine. Or gold and pretty things. I do not mind such companionship. It pleases me. You see, I'm quite comfortable here. I want for nothing' the man responds, before asking War what it is that she wants.
'You were sentenced here to suffer!' War shrieks angrily. 'The citizens of Arakko wouldn't allow it, I'm afraid. You know how they love me so' the man replies. He stands up as War exclaims 'You killed my husband – robbed me of my love and my child of his father'. But the man with gray skin explains that it is not his fault that her husband demanded to fight him for his so-called honor. War raises her flaming blade, while Pestilence holds her back. 'Tell me. Was I supposed to lose to my inferior just to please you?' the man asks, adding that he may be a tenderhearted poet, but that he is also a killing machine. He asks War if she remembers what he told her when she put him in this hole. 'I said that you would come back here one day and beg for my help. Arakko needs her champion' he recalls, before smirking as he asks again whether War is here for a favor – because it won't be easy to convince him to leave this cosy little vacation.
Pestilence steps forward and informs the man that they bring an offering of death, and reveals that the time of reckoning is upon them, for they are at war with Krakoa. 'The witch of Otherworld has drawn her cards and chosen her ten swords. She named you, Solem' Pestilence reveals. Solem smiles and announces that he assumes he will fight Krakoa's greatest warrior then, as nothing else will do. War tells him that they know nothing of the rules or their opponents, but she hopes that it is so. 'And though I will accept nothing but our triumph, I pray for your loss' she declares. One of the Horsemen tells Solem that he will need a sword, to which Solem reports that he already has a dagger, and reaches down to the ground, where he pulls a blade with a slight curve, and several jagged points, a red stone with a pentagram star positioned on the handle. Solem explains that War gave it to him a century ago and states that he hopes it isn't rusty. 'What was it that you said?' he wonders, before remembering: “I offer you this gift, so that you might kill yourself in despair with the blade of the man you killed”.
'Here it is. Sorry I didn't off myself with it' Solem jokes, calling the sword a Hellblade and explaining that he didn't want to damn himself. 'Hell is so uncomfortable, after all' he adds. 'Also... that despair you mentioned? Never felt a drop of it'. But Pestilence explains that the cards require a sword – a blade called Muramasa. Solem asks what a Muramasa is and where he finds it, but Pestilence admits that they have no idea. Solem asks how long he has, and Pestilence informs him that he has three days. Wide-eyed, War asks Solem if he accepts this noble calling, or whether he will wallow forever in his selfish comfort. 'Oh, I accept' Solem replies, breaking the chains around his wrists with ease, he then leaps up out over the pit and lands on the other side of War and Pestilence. 'This sounds like a most delicious assignment' Solem remarks, pulling the shackles from his wrists, he tells the Horsemen that he will see them in the arena.
Then:Tokoyo, where Wolverine thinks to himself that the process of making a sword in Japan is an art – as is every negotiation. He approaches guards outside a nightclub, and throws one of them into the club, while telling himself that a katana blade is like a business deal, it can take several weeks to finish. But he doesn't have that kind of time, and confronts a crime lord from the Yakuza called Kiyoshi Sato.
Logan continues to break down the doors that need breaking, arriving at a temple, which he walked quietly through, reading some scrolls and helped by the temple staff. He is here for information – new and old. The translation of one scroll reads “The Hand of the Demon”.
Logan asks for favors of friends and enemies – new and old, including his former lover, Mariko Yashida the Scarlet Samurai. They spend time together, walking over a river and sharing tea. Because when you are up against an enemy that could destroy your whole world – the old wounds don't matter so much anymore.
Logan's quest takes him to a mountain, where he follows the narrow path up the side of the mountain under a dark and stormy sky. He thinks that the future trumps history, and the future of mutantkind depends on him tracking down Muramasa. From what he has learned, the mutants are not the only ones in trouble – something dark had come for Muramasa. As the rain pours down, lightning crackles in the sky. Logan climbs higher up the moutain, up a narrow staircase towards a temple built into the mountain. More lightning crackles, and ninjas wearing dark clothing begin to emerge from the shadows. The something that has come for Muramasa has been buried for a long time.
Now:Wolverine is in Hell. Lakes of lava spread out as far as the eye can see.
Then:Wolverine arrives at the temple on Mount Haku and pushes the front door open.
Now:Adamantium claws connected to an adamantium-laced skeleton burst through the lake of lava.
Then:Wolverine steps into the temple, which is shrouded in darkness inside.
Now:'Sometimes, when lightning flashes and thunder follows, folks wonder about the speed of light' Logan thinks to himself as his skull bobs up above the surface of the lava.
Then:Wolverine comes to room that is lit by several small fires – some sort of blacksmith-type equipment placed on a stand, while he tells himself that he is always thinking about the speed of dark.
Now:'If it finds the right moment, it can spread fast and strong' Wolverine thinks to himself as he pulls his skeletal form up onto land.
Then:According to Logan, this was that right moment – while the ninjas stormed the temple, running in from the rain.
There was a breach between Arakko and Krakoa – a breach between Earth and Hell. All the boundaries were getting torn up – and in this mess of shadows and light, past and present, death had come calling for them all.
'Muramasa' Logan utters, as he discovers the swords-master tied up to a pentagram scrawled across the ground.
Now:Logan's skeleton crawls up onto the shore of the lake of lava, where a withered figure carrying a hammer stands before him – it's Muramasa – and he utters 'Save me, Logan-san'.


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X of Swords, Chapter 16
The Holy Republic of Fae, located on Otherworld, where Illyana Rasputin a.k.a. Magik walks up a staircase in what appears to be some sort of dungeon. 'Hi!' she calls out to a guard. 'This seems to be the killing place. But I guess I'm looking for the other killing place?' she asks. She holds up a tarot card and informs the guard that the card is supposed to tell her what to do – but the directions are trash. 'I'm a little upside down' Illyana admits as the guard motions for her to walk through an opening. 'I figure I'll just figure it out as I go... and stab whoever needs stabbing' Illyana utters as she finds herself upside down, landing on the Floating Kingdom of Roma Regina, where she appears to be in an arena. 'Hello, Reginas!' Magik smiles, waving at them, before asking if she is pronouncing that correctly.
Suddenly, the green and red beast on the opposing team of Swordbearers appears. 'Pogg Ur-Pogg is the more fit! Your sole chance is to forfeit!' the creature exclaims. 'Fat chance, dino!' Magik retorts as she spins around and asks 'It's Hog, right?' But the creature snaps its crocodile-like jaw shut and replies 'Pogg! Pogg Ur-Pogg!' Magik asks him if he is sure, and points out that it is hogs that get butchered. She raises her Soulsword and it clangs against Pogg's sword, as Pogg Ur-Pogg boasts that what he beats, he eats. 'You are adversary – and confectionary!' he warns Magik. Suddenly, 'Stay your swords!' Saturnyne calls out from where she stands on a podium in the center of the arena. 'This is a contest of arms!' Saturnyne explains as she uses magicks to tear the swords from Magik and Pogg.
Magik and Pogg Ur-Pogg walk over to the altar and stand on either side of it as Saturnyne tells them to clasp hands, keep their shoulders square and elbows in the pocket. 'Pin to win' she states. 'Arm wrestling? Seriously?' Magik asks. Pogg's massive hand completely engulfs Magik's hand, as Magik asks why she can't just stab him. 'This is a fixed contenst. It involves no skill. It's like seeing who can take the bigger $#%&!!' Magik snaps. 'Pogg Ur-Pogg will tear baby arm from its socket, and then keep it in his pocket' the creature utters. Citizens of Roma Regina watch from the arena sidelines as Saturyne raises a hand and utters 'On the count of three, two -' but before she can finish, 'Won!' Pogg Ur-Pogg shouts as he slams Magik's hand down onto the altar, shattering part of it. 'Pogg won, won, won!' the creature cries out as he steps down onto the grass, waving his four hands in the air.
Score:Arakko 3 – Krakoa 1
Meanwhile, on Blightspoke, a tarot card representing strength, and featuring Wolverine trapped in a headlock by the Summoner lies in the sand of what resembles a lunar landscape, with stars and other cosmic objects hovering above. 'I can feel you watching, witch. Where are you?' Wolverine a.k.a. Logan calls out. 'I am everywhere, Wolverine. And you... you are nowhere' Saturnyne's voice radiates around. Wolverine looks up into the starry sky above, as Saturnyne explains that Blightspoke is the realm of collapsed realities. Large objects can be seen covered in the sand of this wasteland, including the corpse of Galactus. 'You're everywhere. I'm nowhere. You already know I don't like your bull$#%& game. Well, I don't like bull$#%& riddles either' Wolverine snarls. 'You want to fight? Then bring on the damn -' Wolverine begins, before a white arm reaches up through the sand and pulls Logan down through the sand, Wolverine clings onto his Muramasa blade, while Saturnyne tells him that he thinks it is the Summoner he is fighting to the death, but really, it's actually Blightspoke.
Wolverine and the Summoner find themselves in a frosted landscape, where their swords clang together, before they appear in some shattered forms, then are attacked by strange insect-like creatures which attack them with some strange energy, before reality changes around them again, and they float among asteroids, with Saturnyne and Mad Jim Jaspers appearing before them.
Saturnyne asks 'How long can two unbreakable figures survive in these broken domains, as the ruined wheel of Blightspoke turns?' Reality continues to warp around them, as Wolverine appears as a literal wolverine, while the Summoner is transformed into a snake. Then, Wolverine and the Summoner appear as one, before they are both small, battling among tall flowers.
In another warp, Wolverine skewers the Summoner, before their bodies begin to deteriorate as they fight each other. They appear as cube-like versions of themselves, and then in strange glowing jumpsuits. They resemble primitive images on a wall, then battle in gumballs, on a chessboard, in water and the Summoner is transformed into a strange creature, wrapping tentacles around Wolverine.
Finally, Wolverine hurls his Muramasa blade through the Summoner's head, causing the Summoner to drop his own sword, then stumble forward, with the Muramasa blade still stuck in his head – before he drops to the ground.
'All right, witch. I won. Now get me the hell out of this carnival' Wolverine calls out. Saturnyne's voice can be heard as she reminds Wolverine that she said it was a fight to the death – and Summoner fought to the death. 'You gotta be #$%& kidding me' Wolverine snarls before Saturnyne announces that the point goes to Arakko.
Score:Arakko 4 – Krakoa 1
Later, in a bar with floor-to-ceiling shelves of bottles of alcohol, Saturnyne sits at the bar, drinking. She remarks 'After all that fighting and losing, you must have a terrible thirst. So for this next challenge, let's raise a glass, instead of a sword and drink' Saturnyne suggests, while Mad Jim Jaspers can be seen on a ladder, reaching for bottle from one of the top shelves. 'I lost? By winning? You're saying I survived that reality thresher for nothing?' Wolverine asks, looking up at Saturnyne. He then turns to Storm, who sits opposite him, and tells her that this is beyond bull$#%&. 'What are we even doing here?' he asks her. Storm looks at a tarot card – the Page of Cups, which depicts her and Logan falling in what looks to be a pool of blood. 'We're here to drown our sorrows, Logan' Storm points out. Me versus you? But we're on the same team' Logan replies. Storm tells him that it doesn't matter, they came up, so they have to battle. 'Oh, she's right all right. And – lucky you – you get to sample some of the finest, rarest liquor in all the worlds!' Mad Jim Jaspers grins as he holds up the bottle he retrieved from the stop shelf.
Mad Jim Jaspers pours the drink into a glass, and grins as he tells Logan and Storm that this vintage of Blightness is bloody magnificent, that it is one of the most exquisite things they will ever put in their mouths. 'Seriously? A drinking contest?' Logan asks. Storm smiles as she Logan that she knows drinking is usually a solitary sport for him, and tells him that he shouldn't feel afraid of a little competition. Storm begins to drink the vintage of Blightness while Wolverine looks at it with some concern. 'Just trying to wrap my head around this. No matter which one of us loses, Krakoa wins?' Wolverine asks. Storm pours herself a second glass while Wolverine drinks his first. Storm tells him 'Guess it's a gimme' before remarking that the drink tastes like fire and nectar all at once. 'Tastes more like bull$#%& to me' Wolverine responds.
Mad Jim Jaspers steps out of the bar into a rain-soaked street. He walks down a dark alley, where a pair of glowing eyes stares out at him through the darkness. It's the Horseman called Death, who holds up a glowing scarab beetle, and gives it to the grinning Jaspers.
Back inside, Wolverine tells Storm that this might earn them another point on the board, but asks what they lose in turn. Storm pours herself a third glass and tells Logan that she plans on enjoying this sideline moment, wiping the floor with him. 'But if you're paranoid, don't drink' Storm tells her friend. Wolverine informs Storm that he tried cheating the rules, but it didn't turn out. 'Besides. I can't not drink' Logan declares. Storm adds that in the Crooked Market, there is always a cost – and it is just a matter of time until they figure out what is owed.
Score:Arakko 4 – Krakoa 2
Storm tells Logan that she feels funny, a little empty. 'A little tickly around the edges too?' Wolverine smiles.
At the Starlight Citadel, Saturnyne sits on a throne, with Shogo the dragon nestled nearby. Solem and War stand opposite each other in a rocky arena, which Saturnyne looks down on and tells them that they were all born of the same place and they all share the same blood. 'So, no matter your nation, you are all enemies and you are all lovers'.
'Or maybe that's just you. Making me tickly' Wolverine tells Storm. 'Watch your mouth, you dirty old flirt, or I'll tell Jean' Storm warns Wolverine.
Saturnyne points out that when Krakoa fights Arakko, so does it fight itself. Solem has his sword ready, while War's flaming sword is turned towards the ground. 'Solem... War... I don't believe it will be a problem, convincing you to tear each other apart' Saturnyne tells the warriors.
'You're drunk' Wolverine grins at Storm. 'No, you're drunk' Storm replies as they clink their glasses together.
Solem raises his blade to eye level and grins as he declares that this is all very exciting. 'A bereaved widow is offered the opportunity to avenge her lost husband' Solem exclaims.
'I won' Wolverine tells Storm as he leans in closer towards her. 'No, I won' Storm smiles as her face moves closer to Wolverine. 'Maybe we won?' Wolverine grins.
Solem tells War that he is sorry to say he has other plans. 'Saturnyne, my love?' he calls out, while War frowns. 'Bring me my boy' Solem exclaims.
And at the bar, as Storm attempts to kiss Wolverine, Wolverine suddenly vanishes.
'Wha-?' Wolverine calls out as he finds himself transported to the arena, his sword dropping to the ground. Wolverine rubs his head and explains that he has temporal whiplash and a bad case of the dizzies, before announcing that he has two questions: 'The hell am I doing here? And why am I hammered? I can't possibly be hammered!' Solem apologizes for interrupting Wolverine's latest bender, and points his sword at him as he tells Wolverine that the time has come to pay his debt. 'What was in that hooch? What's happening to me?' Wolverine asks. 'What's happening indeed? You're trying to cheat the chess game, Solem?' War asks. Solem stands on the edge of the cliff of the arena and explains that he and Wolverine have an outstanding agreement. 'He asked for a sword, and I gave it to him, and together we massacred a sulfurous mob of demons. It was good fun'.
Solem declares that the price was this – Wolverine owes him a fight. He then leaps off the edge of the arena and tells War that he knows she is keen on revenge, and that he did kill her husband a century ago. 'But if I'm not mistaken... Wolverine here just killed your son'. Solem lands on the back of a red dragon and flies back up over the arena, fire trailing behind the dragon. 'Is this true?' War asks, turning to Wolverine. 'Summoner? You're Summoner's old lady? $#%&' Wolverine mutters. Saturnyne smirks and tells Wolverine and War to take their blades – and that the first to sever an appendage wins. Wolverine burps and realizes that his healing factor has “$#%& the bed” as he puts it.
'If I've lost my son... then you'll lose your head!' an enraged War shrieks as she raises her flaming sword and leaps towards Wolverine, who asks 'Can I get my head straight before you cut it off? Just give me a minute!' But War doesn't hold back, and her blade slices down across Wolverine's arm. Saturnyne warns Wolverine that he has gotten reckless, what with his healing factor and the resurrection protocols. 'This is what it feels like to play for keeps' Saturnyne explains as she strokes Shogo the dragon's face. Wolverine boasts that he has drunken boxed more times than he can count, and raises his blade as War brings her blade around to strike again. Wolverine admits that he has never tried swordfighting on more than a few splashes of sake, though. He uses his blade to block War's, but War then kicks Wolverine to the ground. 'What was in that bottle? Saturnyne, what did we drink?' Wolverine calls out.
Saturnyne warns Wolverine that just as there is a cost to everything at the Crooked Market, there is a cost to trying to kill her. 'I wonder how your friend will fare?' Saturnyne asks as she rides on the back of Shogo who flies down towards the arena. 'Storm...' Wolverine utters as, while War holds him to the ground and presses her flaming sword to his neck. 'In turn you'll each pay your own price' Saturnyne remarks, while War is confused as to why her blade cannot pierce Wolverine's neck and cut it his head from his body. 'Your head... it should be mine' she gasps. 'Adamantium spine says &%!* you!' Wolverine snarls as he pops his claws – and then slices off War's left hand.
War screams, while Saturnyne, hovering over the arena on Shogo's back, announces that the point goes to Solem. Lightning crackles in the sky, while War drops to her knees, clutching her severed arm, as Wolverine stumbles about, War's flaming sword still stuck in his body. 'Would somebody pull this $%#& sword off my neck?' he asks.
Score:Arakko 5 – Krakoa 2


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What They Did in the Shadows
Mykines:The Hellfire Gala:10:04 PM:The Security Biome from which Sage contacts all members of X-Force, requesting immediate response:Combat plan, she announces. Wolverine and Domino reply waiting for orders. Announcing he hopes he misheard her, X-Force leader Beast, currently mingling with the guests, responds.
Kid Omega, who is standing at the entrance, smirks it’s about time something interesting happened.
Sage explains there is a terrorist cell loose at the gala. The Terra Verdean ambassadors have gone rogue.
11:01 pm:An elderly couple, the wife gently drags the drunk husband away and they go in the direction of the restrooms. In the restroom, he ignores the men strewn on the ground and the one man groaning “help.” When he washes his hands, a green arm shoots from the water and grabs his throat. The telefloronic creature takes him first and then the other men in the restroom, until Wolverine attacks, announcing the restroom is closed for service.
Beast walks through the party, while Sage informs him that she is scanning for all geo-trackers associated with the Terra Verdeans. They appear to have gone dark. Ambassador Gabriela Gomez last pinged near the western edge of the dancefloor.
Beast sees her dancing and then steer her partner near the curtains, where she disappears with him. Beast warns everyone via comm that no one may die tonight. Also, no one can know what is happening, he orders as he gives chase to Gomez. He finds her about to infect her partner with her telefloronic tentacles. He tackles her, while trying to calm her. Gomez hisses that he used them. He programmed them as allies in his cause! Krakoa stole their country and identity right from under them. She accuses him of being the worst kind of colonialist.
Beast assures a shocked bystander that everything is alright. She’s had too much to drink. That’s all. The man gets ready to flee. Kid Omega quickly changes his memory.
Elsewhere, battling the telefloronic being Wolverine remarks he thought Terra Verde and Krakoa had made their peace. The creature replies he doesn’t know if he is mocking him or if he actually doesn’t know what Krakoa has done to them. Clawing him, Wolverine asks what he is talking about. Terra Verde signed the treaty, didn’t they? The other being replies they had no choice - the telefloronics were compromised. Krakoa programmed them as their allies. And then, just a few minutes ago, the programming failed. After months of being shackled inside his own body, he woke up in control. He might have come here as a political prisoner. He slams Wolverine into the wall. But he is acting here as a revolutionary!
11:20 pm:Fifty kilometers south of the Hellfire Gala:Christian Frost is steering a yacht carrying the Shi’ar logic diamonds, musing that right now all hell is breaking loose at the Gala. Behind him, a voice tells him to scream all he wants. No one will hear him.
Soon, Christian floats unconscious or dead in the ocean and the stranger takes control of the yacht, announcing they won’t even notice Christian is missing until the next day. By which time he will be long gone.
On Mykenes, Domino battles the telefloronics while Beast warns her that she cannot let the ambassadors leave. If word gets out what happened here, they will have a diplomatic conflagration on their hands.
Domino burns one of her two foes with her Krakoan tech glove. The creature grabs and threatens her, only to be in turn threatened by Deadpool and his very big gun. Domino asks where he got that. She’d be amazed what he can fit up his butt, is his reply. Is his genius plan to kill them both? she demands. Why not, she was super mean to him earlier, he retorts. She points out that makes about as much sense as what Terra Verde is doing here. One minute they are allies, the next enemies. What do they all want?
One of the telefloronics fires at Deadpool. He adds they have a symbiotic relationship with the cities of Terra Verde. That’s what they want of Krakoa: A mutually beneficent relationship!
Elsewhere, Beast carries the unconscious ambassador Gomez into Sage’s control center, announcing they can fix this. They can fix her by rebooting the telefloronic system. Sage forbids it. This was a mistake! They should rectify it, not make it worse. Beast demands to know if she is behind all this. She tells him not to be a bastard, which convinces him even more of his suspicion. How would anyone else access their system or know the biocoding? Don’t think he hasn’t noticed her tiny sighs and stubborn silences. Sage slaps him. She announces that he is going to fix it. Now get the #*&% out of her office!
1.07 AM:After the terraforming of Mars at the bar:Logan talks to one of the Terra Verdeans. He knows a bit about losing control… about someone else staking a claim to his mind and body. What was done to them isn’t right. Tonight, they were supposed to change some minds… he didn’t think it was going to be his own.
That moment, Deadpool, supported by Domino, enters the bar, happily announcing himself an honorary member of X-Force.


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First Blood
Warbird has seen a lot in her short life, but even she is mesmerized at the sight of Captain America as he engages in battle with some of the Avengers mansion training room robots. Years ago, after decades in suspended animation, Cap awoke to a new world and, while the world around Steve Rogers undoubtedly changed, his strength and spirit were still in dire need. Today, he is still a soldier, leading the Avengers in the fight to make the world a safer place.
Watching him distracts Carol long enough for another robot to grab her from behind and carry her straight through one of the walls. However, Carol, though a little shocked, manages to blast the robot back through the wall and clamber out through a swirl of dust. That’ll teach her for not keeping her head in the game, she thinks. Cap suddenly cries out for her, telling her that he’s pinned to the ground and he needs her to shoot the robot which is preparing to land a punch. She prepares to fire a blast of energy but warns Cap that he’s too close and she might just as easily hit him. He orders her to shoot, so she aims and fires, only to see her shot go over both their bodies.
“Time for plan B!” says Cap, and he slams his fist down onto his shield which flips up towards his assailant. The robot is momentarily caught off balance, as it blocks the shield’s path. This allows Cap to free himself, using a two-footed kick to the torso. He follows up with a swipe of his fist, which tears through the robot’s armor and disables it.
With their opponents down for the count, Cap pick up his shield, as Carol floats to the ground. She can’t believe it: he didn’t need her help after all. “Of course,” says Cap, adding that this was a training exercise designed to test her. She asks if she failed and he counters by asking if she made the shot. Carol says that’s a crock; the shot was impossible and Cap knows it. He tells Carol that is was only impossible because she believed it was. He points out that she was in the Air Force and should know that victory takes confidence and discipline; the will to succeed.
Carol replies sarcastically that he’s caught her out, she doesn’t actually want to succeed, but Cap asks her not to be so flip. All he’s saying is that she needs to stop selling herself short. If he didn’t think she had the right stuff, he’d never have let her become an Avenger in the first place and certainly wouldn’t have let her nearly take his head off.
Carol begins to apologize, but their attention is caught by a call from the Avengers’ butler, Jarvis, whose face appears on the monitor. He says he’s sorry to interrupt, but Captain America’s presence is required in the infirmary. They have a rather weary visitor who claims to be an associate of the X-Men.
Soon, both Cap and Warbird join Jarvis, who is placing a bandage around the forehead of the former X-Man known as Forge. Jarvis explains that he found him like this on the stoop. Forge says he’s glad Cap is here because they don’t have much time. He explains that, as Cap knows, much of the X-Men’s technology was a gift from the alien race known as the Shi’ar. However, there’s more that he is unaware of.
(The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, earlier)
Beast and Forge have called Professor Xavier to a lab, as they have something they wish to show him. Hank explains that, while he was performing a routine diagnostic of their communications systems, he stumbled across something out of place and, considering Forge’s uncanny aptitude for creating technologies, he invited him over as a consultant. What they found was a computer chip, but not an ordinary chip, even under Shi’ar technological standards. Forge continues to point out that they’re not quite sure how or why, but this processor chip appears to have mutated. It is now absorbing massive amounts of energy, making a Pentium look like an abacus and it just keeps getting stronger.
Forge adds that, even with Henry’s smarts and his knack, they can’t seem to pinpoint the source. They even sent word to the Shi’ar, but their royal technicians claim they’ve never encountered such a phenomenon. “A mutant computer chip?” exclaims Charles, “What will be next, I wonder? A sentient toaster that fires ruby red eyebeams?” Hank suggests that the Avengers take a look at it, as they also boast an impressive array of diagnostic equipment. He’d like Forge to take this ‘uberchip’ to Avengers mansion and see what they can turn up, with his permission, of course. Charles agrees that, by all means, they should know what they’re dealing with.
Forge is warned that he should be discreet and to watch for anyone tailing him. Charles, meanwhile, calls S.H.I.E.L.D and other government agencies to see if they have any information that may be useful. As Forge heads away from the mansion, he is ambushed by a group of mercenaries calling themselves ‘the Contingency.’ They are Condor, Killdeer, Kite and Shrike and they’re all carrying weapons. They warn Forge to stop and hand over the suitcase he’s carrying, firing at his feet to prompt his decision. Before he can answer, Condor pistol-whips him and Kite uses a laser cutting tool to snap the chain holding the suitcase to Forge’s wrist. He says that, if their intel on the case is good, they’ll be instant billionaires. As they depart, Forge tries to warn them that the chip is dangerous but Shrike smacks him and leaves him unconscious on the track.
(The present)
Forge explains to Cap that he was only out for a minute but, by the time he recovered, they were gone and so was the chip. Warbird reminds Cap that she’s had plenty of experience with the Shi’ar before; even her powers are fuelled by energies from their galaxy. Their technology, combined with the raw power that Forge describes, might not only be a world-changer, but they could be talking about a world destroyer!
Forge gets unsteadily to his feet and informs them that, in the event that something like this happened, he built a tracker that can home in on the chip’s unique signature and left it with Xavier. Jarvis was kind enough to let Forge use the phone and so he’s already explained everything to him. He’s sent one of the X-Men after it. Cap asks if one is enough, but Forge says that pretty much everyone is away on a mutant peace mission; besides, the guy who’s gone after it is the best there is at what he does.
(The sewers under New York City)
Wolverine makes his way in a determined fashion, through the sewers underneath New York City, a place all too familiar to him and his fellow X-Men. During his long life, he has witnessed the unthinkable acts performed by men using technology, having adamantium grafted to his skeleton being just one of those acts. They wanted to create the ultimate weapon, a superhuman monster they could control, but they could never tame Wolverine’s ferocious, feral mind. As a member of the X-Men, he has learned to repress his vicious temper, but he’ll never forget the agony technology can inflict while under the influence of evil. Carrying the chip’s tracker in his hand, he emerges from a tunnel into a junction but, despite the tracker telling him he’s almost on top of the chip, he hasn’t yet smelled a single body passing through there. Something ain’t right.
Suddenly, trails of mist swirl around him, strangely talking to him in a female voice, as they coil around his body. She asks if he’s looking for something and warns him to turn back now, or he’ll find is a shallow grave. Wolverine slashes at the mist with his claws to no avail and says, “You threatenin’ me? You serious?” The mist replies that she’s quite serious and she will show him just how serious she is. “Come fight me Wolverine,” she taunts, as the mist directs itself to a spot nearby. “Come fight, Rapture!” The mist evolves into a woman, who smiles at Logan, her arms outstretched as if to welcome an attack.
Wolverine responds as only he can, leaping towards her with his claws extended. He doesn’t care what her name is; she’s gonna give him what he came for and then she‘s gonna bleed. His primary attack fails, as Rapture avoids contact and watches Wolverine land head first in the murky water below. She taunts him, asking if something is wrong. “Finding your senses aren’t as razor-sharp as usual?” The rest of the Contingency then arrive nearby and Killdeer asks Kite what’s going on. He replies that Rapture’s going toe-to-toe with Wolverine and so Killdeer commands them to lock ‘n’ load. As they know what they’re up against, they should use the right magazines.
(Avengers Mansion)
Captain America calls S.H.I.E.L.D and uses his clearance code, alpha-gamma-twenty, to confirm his identity. He asks for Agent Sharon Carter and Sharon’s face appears on the big screen in front of him. She asks what he wants and Cap asks knowingly if she’s having security issues. Sharon says she doesn’t know what he means but he tells her she knows exactly what he means; “A compromised communication from Charles Xavier?” She asks how he knows, but then admits that they’ve had a few back-door breaches on their comm-net lately and yes, the latest one was earlier today. She adds that this is an internal matter and she can assure him that they’ve located the cracks in their systems. Cap replies that he’s not a child and doesn’t need her assurances. He needs her to tell him about something called ‘the Contingency.’
Sharon hesitates before providing the information, but reluctantly gives him what he wants. She informs him that the Contingency was a black ops project developed here at S.H.I.E.L.D. They are souped-up assassins, basically, but recently they went rogue. They are led by a woman codenamed Rapture, a woman of moral ambiguity which made her perfect for the role. What’s worse is that she’s a low-level telepath and can anticipate her opponent’s next move. Plus, she’s equipped with an experimental neuro-net exoskeleton, which they were still developing when she swiped it. The suit makes her next to impossible to track or detect. In addition, it augments her strength by about a factor of ten.
Cap asks if the Contingency are now freelance mercs, but Sharon replies that Rapture would never work for anyone else. She imagines they’re in it for themselves. But, Cap asks, she said they were assassins. Who were their targets supposed to be and what were they a contingency for? Sharon apologizes, but she cannot give him that information and says she’s very busy right now and signs off, though it pains her to keep information from Cap, who she’s known for many years now.
Warbird and Forge appear and Carol asks if he found anything out. Some, he says, but they’re not telling him the whole story. Forge suggests that maybe they can get it first hand and shows Cap a new tracking device he’s cobbled together. However, as he no longer has the chip’s energy signature, he’s had to build it to recognize Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton. He just hopes Cap didn’t need that telephone in the foyer! “MacGyver’ a punk,” grins Carol.
Cap tells them that their course is set then. He tells Forge that, no offense, he’s helped immensely, but he thinks that it’s best if he sits this one out, gets some rest and let Professor Xavier know that he and Warbird don’t intend to let that chip rest in the hands of a group of petty thugs. He tells Carol that they should get to work; as tough as Wolverine is, he suspects he could do with some help.
(The sewers under New York City)
Rapture joins Wolverine in the water and moves back a fraction to avoid being slashed by a two-armed attack. She gets in close to Wolverine and uses her augmented strength to smack Wolverine several yards back into the water. He comes at her again, but her telepathy allows her to duck and dive whenever he’s about to strike.
However, the madder Wolverine becomes, the more difficult it is to read his mind and he manages to land a telling punch, sending Rapture arching backwards into the drink. Once she’s down, he moves closer and tells her to hand over the chip or he’s gonna have to stop playing nice. “We’d like to see you try, tough guy,” says Killdeer, and Wolverine turns to find himself faced with the remaining four members of the Contingency. He says he was wondering when they would show themselves.
Rapture recovers and asks if he’s ready to die now. He’s feeling confident, as bullets have little effect on him, and tells them to get this over with. All four begin blasting him. “With pleasure,” says Killdeer. Cap and Warbird hear the shots from elsewhere in the tunnels and dash towards where the sounds came from. Cap says that they shouldn’t be too worried, as he’s seen Wolverine take a fragment grenade in the belly and get right back up. Carol says she’s seen worse but, still, they’d better move it.
They round a corner and stop in their tracks, looking aghast as they see Wolverine’s body slumped face down in the water, his jacket riddled with bullet holes. “Cap,” says Carol, “Shouldn’t he be getting up?”


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Seeds of Destruction
Wolverine is pulled from the murky waters by Captain America. Warbird asks if he’s okay and Captain America replies that he’s still alive, but something’s wrong. His healing factor isn’t working for some reason. In fact, his pulse is dropping. A voice from behind startles the two Avengers and they turn to see the Contingency standing before them. Rapture stands, surrounded by her four colleagues, and she laughs, as she orders them to fire at will. They are more than happy to oblige. Cap quickly grabs the deceptively heavy Wolverine and drags him into an access tunnel, taking Warbird with him. He surmises that the woman must be Rapture and the four others the rest of Project: Contingency.
Rapture obviously recognizes Captain America and knows he’s no pushover. Killdeer is eager to ice ‘em, but Rapture orders them to scatter. She tells him that they shouldn’t have announced their presence so early. They’re expecting them now. She orders them to split up and regroup at the agreed rendezvous point and they go their separate ways. Warbird is ready to use her flight speed to follow them but Cap grabs her by the collar and holds her back. He tells her that the Contingency are trained assassins. They can’t just go running after them half-cocked. They have to have a plan. Plus, they have a man down to consider.
“You call this down?” Wolverine says as he rises unsteadily to his feet. He tries to staunch his bleeding stomach with his right arm, the blood seeping through his X-Men jacket, which is riddled with bullet holes. “Just gotta, nng, shove my guts back into place,” he adds, as he grimaces with the pain. Cap says he doesn’t understand. Shouldn’t his mutant healing factor be kicking in by now? Wolverine tells him it should, but it ain’t. Cap wants to get him to a hospital, but Wolverine asks him to back off, before again falling to the ground in agony. Cap helps him to his feet and says that he can be brave some other time. He needs help, and he needs it now.
Logan is stubborn to the last, and replies that there ain’t no time. He presumes Cap knows what the Contingency has, and that the computer chip is too powerful. There’s no telling how many lives they might destroy with it. Cap ponders for a moment and Logan adds that he knows he’s right. Cap doesn’t like risking Wolverine’s health, but knows he has little choice but to acquiesce. Wolverine and the two Avengers head through the sewer tunnel, ankle deep in water. Logan tells Cap that he’s as stubborn as he was when he met him fifty years earlier. Cap reminds him that he did spend most of the intervening time in suspended animation up by the Arctic Circle. “What’s your excuse?” Warbird, walking behind them, smirks at Cap’s deadpan response.
Shortly, they arrive in an open area with several tunnels leading off in different directions. Cap points out that, since Wolverine doesn’t appear to have his animal tracking senses available to him, he proposes they split up. He adds that, although Rapture is their leader, they don’t know which of them has the chip. This makes them all primary targets. He reminds his comrades to be careful. From what he understands, Rapture, in her exoskeleton, could be right behind them and they wouldn’t even know.
Wolverine, still holding his bleeding stomach, heads off down a dry tunnel, moaning to himself about Cap’s patronizing attitude. He knows no one, suit or not, can sneak up on him. As he speaks, a swirling mist behind him materializes into the form of Rapture, who offers a nefarious smile.
(S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters)
Agent Colborn catches up with Sharon Carter and informs her that he’s noticed a huge spike in traffic in the last hour on the classified files. The traffic is for Project: Contingency, and they’re all from authorized S.H.I.E.L.D personnel, but he thought she’d want to know, seeing how they’re heading up the project. Carter replies that she doesn’t care what he has to do; “Lose those files, Colborn. We can’t afford to have any more eyeballs on this one”
Meanwhile, below ground, Warbird manages to catch up with Kite and Condor. She uses her super strength to destroy the ground beneath them, which causes a large piece of concrete to trap Kite. She heads straight for the muscular Condor, who warns her to back off. “Ain’t right to fight a woman!” he says. He fires as she approaches, but his weapon’s blasts simply bounce of Warbird’s skin. “A chivalrous creep. Well, ain’t that sweet,” she replies. As she sends him spinning to the floor with a perfect left hook, she tells him that Forge said they were cheesy. As she concentrates on landing another blow, she is unaware that Kite has managed to free himself. He says it was a big mistake ignoring him. He may look like a big wuss, but he can still pack a punch.
He reaches out and attaches a small glowing device to Carol’s back which sends her ape. Kite and Condor then make their way down one of the tunnels to safety as Warbird convulses violently. Kite reminds Condor that his motor disruptor has a limited charge, and they should hurry.
Elsewhere, Captain America catches up with Killdeer and Shrike. Killdeer carries two weapons in his hands. They appear to be some kind of electrically charged rods and he confidently tells Shrike to stand down. He wants to take full credit for dropping this one. Cap makes his first move, telling Killdeer he’s welcome to try or, if he likes, he’ll make it easy on him. Killdeer’s weapons are deflected by Cap’s shield, which opens the window for Cap to land a telling punch on Killdeer’s chin. He tells his opponent to give him the chip, or tell him who has it. Killdeer says he can go straight to hell. “Fine; the hard way then,” replies Cap as he sweeps Killdeer’s legs from under him.
He isn’t finished yet and he turns to Cap, telling him that the last person to patronize him was his old man. He ain’t around no more, and asks Cap if he’d like to meet him. He stands and uses his weapons to try and electrocute Cap, but Cap’s fighting skills are second to none and he uses his shield to deflect blow after blow. Killdeer taunts Cap, saying he’s a relic. He says that, back when Cap had to fight, there wasn’t nobody knew how. He was Army Special Forces, the best in unarmed combat; best in hand-to-hand. There wasn’t a single soldier who could touch him and he’s ten times the man Cap is. Cap, having avoided every attempt Killdeer has made to catch him, grabs him by the wrist and replies that he does have ten times the mouth! He brings one of Killdeer’s weapons down to meet the other one and the result is a powerful electric shock, which shakes Killdeer to the core. Cap finishes him off by smashing him in the face with his shield.
Shrike, watching passively from nearby, stares at Cap with his goggles glowing green in the dimly lit sewer. Cap tells him that his partner couldn’t stop babbling and asks if he has anything to say. Shrike pulls out a pistol and points it straight at Cap. “No!”
At that moment, Wolverine and Rapture launch into round two. Wolverine swings, but Rapture ducks and asks why he’s even bothering to try and hit her when she can anticipate his every move. “Give up!” she taunts. Still in pain, Logan replies that he won’t until she gives him the chip. Rapture says that his pain-stricken grunt reminds her, “How are those bullet wounds?” She punches him in the stomach, which, instead of causing him great pain, has the opposite effect of getting him real mad. He pops his claws and heads straight for her but, just as she strikes with her fist, he leaps over her acrobatically, twisting in mid air. “But you didn’t think,” Rapture says. Landing neatly behind her, Wolverine swiftly uses his claws to rip the suit apart on her left side, cutting her flesh in the process. He growls at her and asks who says he has to think to fight.
Rapture looks down at the tear in her suit, which begins to glow and spark. The look on her face turns to horror, as she realizes her suit is going to explode. She is thrown against the wall, as the suit leaks energy uncontrollably, and shrieks in agony as her body begins to burn. Her eyes light up as she clutches herself. “You, you did this to me,” she screams as Wolverine looks on, wondering what the heck is happening to her. She says he killed her, but she’s taking him with her and she leaps towards him, as flames envelop her body.
Captain America, meanwhile, takes everything Shrike has to offer in his stride, or, more accurately, on his shield. Killdeer, rubbing the back of his neck, tells Shrike that this plan ain’t working. He pulls out a timing device linked to a small bomb and sets the timer to explode in thirty seconds. He then grabs his partner and tells him to fall back. Cap stands and heads after them but, as he reaches the bomb, it explodes, throwing Cap high into the air. Before he lands, however, Warbird appears and grabs him, asking if he’s okay. He’s a little shaken but fine, although his foes managed to escape him. Same here, replies Carol as she drops him to the ground. She admits that, although there may not be half a mind between them, they sure are slippery suckers. Cap thinks it’s time they stop underestimating them.
As they come to a rest, they both hear a howling sound from another tunnel nearby. Warbird asks if that was Wolverine. Cap replies that he used to hear screams like that all the time, during World War II. “It’s a death cry!”


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Heart of Darkness
(The sewers beneath New York City)
Wolverine has been left for dead once again by Rapture, leader of a group of renegade S.H.I.E.L.D mercenaries called Project: Contingency. Captain America and Warbird find him lying in a tunnel, barely alive. Cap tells Warbird that she needs to get him to a S.H.I.E.L.D facility right away. They may be the only ones with the resources to keep him alive. When Carol asks what he’s going to do meanwhile, Cap holds up the tracker that Wolverine had been using to locate the stolen Shi’ar computer chip. When he finds the chip, he’ll find the ones who did this to Wolverine. He’ll make sure the Contingency wish they’d never been born!
He sprints away, leaving Warbird to fly Logan to the surface and to the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D facility. This just happens to be their massive flying headquarters, hovering over New York City. Once aboard, Wolverine is carried away by two members of staff, to be checked over by the doctor. Carol asks Agent Sharon Carter if she can save him, but she replies that it’s always difficult with mutants. Carter enquires about the Contingency and the whereabouts of Captain America. Carol says she honestly doesn’t know where he is right now, but shame on anyone at S.H.I.E.L.D who had a hand in creating the Contingency.
(New York City)
Far below them, Captain America is giving chase. His limbs may be old, but he moves as swiftly as ever, as he dives for cover behind a parked car, while four members of the Contingency fire at him. They manage to keep him pinned down while Rapture heads to the roof to prep their escape with Kite. Before she departs, Killdeer asks whether she should be fixing the whopping wound on her side. She looks down. She thinks it’s odd, but she’s forgotten all about Wolverine’s cuts. She remembers a lot of blood, but maybe only her neuro-net suit was damaged.
Unfortunately for her, as she speaks, the suit expels a burst of energy which throws her to the ground, knocking the wind from her. Condor offers his hand and proposes she take the suit off before something worse happens. Rapture looks up at him, sweat dripping down her face. No, she cries, she needs the suit; it feeds her strength. She’s clearly a little concerned, but heads up the steps of the building, informing her crew that she’ll be fine. They should just worry about taking Captain America out.
Rapture shoves her fist through the two doors of the building behind them and takes a look around. Against a wall, she notices a woman cowering away from her. She has a small child in one arm and a baby, wearing a yellow jumpsuit, in the other. Rapture gives a particularly evil smile as she says hello to the woman.
(S.H.I.E.L.D flying headquarters)
Wolverine has been placed in a tank filled with a green liquid, lit from above and below. He breathes through a face mask as he hangs there, immobile, his chest strapped up with bandaging. He moves spasmodically. Warbird and Sharon Carter stand alongside the doc, watching him through an observation window as more members of his medical team operate equipment inside.
Carol asks the doc what he’s doing to Logan. He explains that these periodic electrical jolts, along with the anaesthetic fluid he’s floating in are the only things keeping Wolverine from going into cardiac arrest. What’s worse is that they still haven’t figured out why his advanced healing abilities haven’t kicked in yet. If they could figure out what caused his immune system to fail in the first place, then maybe they could find a way to jump-start it. They can only keep shocking him for so long. If they can’t come up with a solution soon, it’ll be the end of him.
(New York City)
Meanwhile, Captain America decides to make his move and jumps out from behind the parked car, which is now totalled. He carries his shield in front of him, as the Contingency maintains their attack, but he deflects their fire. Killdeer calls Kite on his two-way and asks for an update. Kite replies that they’re just about set up there, and so Killdeer orders Condor and Shrike to fall back. They can continue to lay down covering fire but, if they’re gonna make it out of there, they’ve got to keep the star-spangled jackhammer off their butts.
Once they’re gone, Cap moves quickly and dives headfirst through a window into an abandoned apartment inside the building. He makes his way to the stairwell, just in time to see Shrike and Killdeer making for the first floor. As he ascends the staircase, Kite laughs to himself, as Cap heads straight into the trap he’s prepared. Cap notices a small device attached to the wall with a flashing red light and, thinking quickly, he immediately covers his torso with his shield, just as the device explodes. The impact knocks him through the creaking banister, although he manages to grab hold of it to prevent himself falling. Although the blast doesn’t injure him too badly, the phosphorus flashbang temporarily blinds him. Despite this disability, he is determined that they won’t get away.
He gradually makes his way to the roof of the building. However, when he gets there, he finds that he is too late, as a small craft, an appropriated S.H.I.E.L.D hovercraft, takes off. He should have known, he thinks. As he watches it rise, a woman runs towards him shouting, “Maria!”  She is panicking and asks Cap to save her baby. When he grabs her and asks what’s happened, the woman points to the hovering craft. “They took my baby,” she cries. Cap looks over at the craft again and notices the figure of Rapture standing in the open doorway. She is holding the baby, arms outstretched over New York City.
As the baby cries for its mother, the look in Rapture’s eyes shows she is lost in her insanity. She smiles as she contacts Cap, using her limited telepathy. “Hello, Captain. You know I can read your thoughts. You still aren’t convinced that I’ll do whatever it takes to win. So watch this!” With that, she releases the baby Maria from her grasp and she begins to fall. Cap is astonished at her barbarity, but he instinctively begins to run towards the baby. Using his powerful leg muscles, he jumps from the building, catches the small baby in mid-air and lands on the opposite building, rolling over to protect her before coming to a stop.
The baby’s mother has her heart in her mouth, but Captain America stands up and calls over to her, informing her that Maria is okay. The woman cries tears of joy and thanks him profusely. The baby gnaws on Cap’s shield, evidently none the worse for the experience. Cap sees the craft disappearing into the distance and looks grim, as his targets make their escape.
(S.H.I.E.L.D flying headquarters)
Soon, Captain America is aboard the massive vessel and explains to Warbird and Agent Carter what happened. The hovercraft they stole moves pretty quickly and was out of range of his chip tracker in a couple of minutes. The doctor appears and pardons his interruption, but he believes he has found the source of Wolverine’s medical troubles. He produces an x-ray and explains that he was shot with magnetized bullets. They attached themselves to his adamantium skeleton and the attraction is too strong for his immune system to expel them. Also, the magnetic pulses prevent the wounds from healing around them. Whoever did this to Wolverine knew what they were up against. It appears someone designed the rounds expressly to use against him. Carol asks what the verdict is; is there anything he can do to save him? It doesn’t look good, the doctor replies, but there’s one chance.
The doctor explains that his team are jury-rigging several electro magnets from engineering. Their hope is that they are powerful enough to tear the bullets from Wolverine’s skeleton. Cap says he means no offense, but asks if that isn’t like performing brain surgery with a chainsaw? The doc replies that the description is fairly accurate. Unfortunately, they don’t have time to be delicate about this. If they don’t do this soon, Wolverine’s heart is going to explode.
He shows them into the observation room and tells them that they need to take cover, because, if this goes as planned, then it could get a little messy. He runs his fingers over a touch sensitive keyboard and the electro-magnets around Wolverine jump to life. Logan’s body convulses and shakes violently, as his skeleton is pulled this way and that. Carol can barely watch, as the magnets begin to carry out their task. Suddenly, the tank containing Wolverine shatters, as the bullets are ripped through his flesh and out of his body. The escaping water sweeps Wolverine across the floor, as Cap and Warbird rush inside the lab to help him.
Cap picks Logan up and asks if he’s all right. Wolverine opens his eyes and he says, through gritted teeth, “Get yer stinkin’ meatpaws offa me.” As he stands, he tells Cap that they’ve got to get a move on. Cap says that he is healing fast, but maybe he should take it easy for a while. Logan replies that he could hear everything he said when he was in the tank. The Contingency’s still loose and they’ve still got the Shi’ar chip. They have to get them before they do something stupid with it. All he asks is that Cap remembers one thing. He pops the claws on his left hand. “Rapture’s mine!”


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untitled
(S.H.I.E.L.D flying headquarters)
Carol Danvers, better known as the Avenger, Warbird, has just about seen it all. She’s gazed at superhuman monstrosities that shouldn’t be able to exist. She's toured underground lairs the size of Rhode Island. She’s witnessed interstellar wars in distant galaxies. During those times, she had no way of knowing that the fate of mankind might one day rest on her ability to think small.
She sits, immobile, attached to a S.H.I.E.L.D computer system through feed cables attached to her body. Captain America, Wolverine and Agent Sharon Carter watch a young S.H.I.E.L.D operative monitor the readout on several screens. Cap asks if it’s working and if they are any closer to finding the Contingency. The operative replies that it’s too soon to tell. Wolverine, standing behind him asks how exactly this is supposed to be working again.
The operative explains that they know that the stolen computer chip was developed by the alien Shi’ar. They also know that Warbird’s abilities are powered by energies from the Shi’ar star system. He says it’s a stretch, but there’s a chance that the mutant chip has been absorbing the same energy that powers Warbird. This means that, if she can feed a precise electron pulse into S.H.I.E.L.D’s computers, they should be able to use the energy signature to find the chip.
Cap places a hand on the man’s shoulder and says he’s impressed by his thinking. The man replies that it wasn’t his idea; it was Warbird’s. Cap appears a little surprised. A reading appears on the main screen and the operative gets a reading. Unfortunately, it’s too much and he warns Warbird to slow down before it blows. As the energy streams through her body, she stands and convulses before being thrown to the ground. All the feed cables are pulled out and Cap immediately goes to her assistance. She’s fine, but asks if he’s supposed to look blurry. The operative smiles and tells them that they got it; they got a fix.
Cap helps Carol to her feet and congratulates her on her idea. “Nothing to it, Cap,” she replies, “All it took was the will to succeed.” Wolverine approaches and asks if they’re done with the Hallmark moment. There are bad guys he wants to go after. Cap replies that they’re all going after the Contingency. That’s fine by Wolverine, but he reminds them that they should stay outta his way when it comes to Rapture. Cap tries to assert some authority. He acknowledges that she needs to pay for what she’s done, but this is no vendetta. They’ll recover the chip and let the courts bring Rapture to justice. “Are we clear?” he asks. Wolverine stands right in front of him. He doesn’t like being bossed around and asks him to tell him again and see what happens.
Sharon Carter steps in and tells them to stop it. The more time they spend posturing, the more Rapture gets to play with what is probably the most powerful computer component on the planet. She reminds Wolverine to think with his head. Cap, Warbird and Wolverine head off, and Cap says they should try and bring them in alive. He’s sure Wolverine wants to know as much as he does how the Contingency came to possess arms and gear specifically designed to take him down. Wolverine agrees and replies that he’s gonna find out who made the junk too, and make them pay. Sharon Carter overhears them and her head drops in shame.
(The Docks, New York City)
Rapture leads the Contingency to the docks for a liaison with several suited A.I.M troops. Rapture asks if they have a deal. A.I.M’s spokesperson says they’re always ready to deal when it comes to exotic technologies, so long as it can be used to the benefit of their clients. Rapture takes hold of a suitcase containing the six million dollars that A.I.M is prepared to pay. “I take it, then, that the terror industry is still bullish?” she asks with a smile. Quite, comes the reply and they ask for the chip. Rapture replies that a girl can go much further with both power and wealth, so she’s keeping the money.
A.I.M has been double-crossed and each of them quickly produces a weapon. Rapture takes the opportunity to run, telling her team mates that she’ll prepare their escape while they do their thing; killing everyone. Killdeer revels in this kind of action and lets loose with a volley of gunfire. Kite interrupts him, informing him that he’s picking up a strong mutant energy signature. “Incoming!” he yells, as a wall behind the A.I.M troops explodes in a blast of energy, courtesy of Warbird.
The three heroes enter, Wolverine with his claws drawn and Cap looking determined behind his shield. With a new threat arriving on the scene, the bad guys put their problems on the back burner and turn their attention to the new players. Condor goes John Woo on them, firing with both hands whilst Warbird takes out Kite, who has been a problem for them with his exploding gadgets. Cap heads straight after Shrike and takes him out with one punch. “Still got nothing to say? Fair enough,” he adds, “You can save it for your trial.”
The A.I.M troops are a little taken aback by the arrival of the Avengers. One turns on Killdeer and says they can’t believe that the Contingency brought the Avengers down on them. He takes aim at Killdeer, having felled him with a pistol whip, and tells him that he’s a whole new level of imbecile. He’s going to make Darwin proud. Before he can fire, though, Warbird swoops down behind him and blasts him in the back, throwing the gun from their hand. Condor tries to make a run for it but he isn’t getting away that easily. Cap throws his shield with his trademark precision and levels him before he reaches the exit. With hardly anyone left to deal with, Cap realizes that two combatants are nowhere to be seen and asks Warbird if she can guess which ones.
Outside, with New York City lit by a full moon, Wolverine confronts Rapture. He asks if she’s ready to end this. She replies that he’s a tough one to kill but, tonight, he’ll find she’s far tougher than he thinks. Before she finishes her sentence, however, her suit begins to play up again, sparking energy from the left side. This drops Rapture to her knees and she is clearly in pain. Wolverine prompts her to give up but Rapture refuses. She takes the mutant chip and says, “You want this, right? You want the chip?” She places it on the wall behind her and launches herself at Wolverine who responds in kind. “Come get it!” she cries.
Logan manages to land the first punch, catching Rapture full in the stomach with his fist. On a normal human being, this would be enough to leave them winded and debilitated, but Rapture isn’t ready to drop yet. She reacts by grabbing Wolverine by the hair and bringing her knee up to meet his face. He wipes his jaw with his gloved wrist and acknowledges her skill. She continues her offensive, knocking Logan backwards with a two-wristed push, a left cross and a right cross to follow.
As she fights, she taunts Wolverine telepathically. She’s the best. Any pain he’s endured today is nothing compared to that which is to come. He will suffer and then he will die! Her attack is relentless and Wolverine is unable to find the opportunity to find his rhythm. She leaves him on the ground with his head down. In his mind, she hears the words, “It’s over,” and confidently approaches him. She’s going to enjoy this, she thinks. As she gets within striking distance, Wolverine’s claws shoot out from his right wrist. “Lady, shut yer trap!” he says, as he thrusts the claws right into Rapture’s rib cage. She remains on her feet, but the claws have done their job. She staggers backwards towards the wall and barely gets a word out, before tumbling over the wall and into the water below.
Logan peers over the edge. It’s not like he’s never met a telepath before, he thinks. Captain America runs to him and asks where she is and what he’s done. He replies that he did what was needed. If it’s the chip he’s worried about, he has it. He hands the chip to Cap, as Warbird appears, having been underwater in search of Rapture. There’s no sign of her.
(The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning)
Wolverine has returned to the Institute and chats informally with Professor Xavier and Beast. Cyclops and Forge are also present, but taciturn, allowing Logan to explain what occurred. He tells Charles that they learned that the chip is pulling its power from the Shi’ar star system but, other than that, they don’t know much else. Warbird has been able to siphon most of the energy out like a cyst, so it isn’t any trouble for the moment. However, just holding the chip in his hands gave Logan the creeps.
Hank presumes that the Contingency also bothers him. Logan admits that they do. As much as he wants to underestimate them, they’re more than just high-tech thieves. They had custom-built hardware to shut him down, for good. He doesn’t know what their deal is, but he can guarantee that they haven’t seen the last of them.
(S.H.I.E.L.D detention center)
The four captured members of the Contingency are being held in a cell, stripped of their uniforms and weaponry. “I hear the food here is atrocious,” says a voice from above. They peer upwards and see Rapture, materialize in her mist form before them. She is still in pain from her wounds and Killdeer is surprised that she isn’t better yet. He asks her to get rid of her exo-suit, but she replies that she already has. As near as she can tell, when Wolverine’s adamantium claws tore into her suit, and her flesh, some kind of electrical reaction took place. This fused the suit’s abilities to her central nervous system. She can’t explain it, but she thinks that the Shi’ar chip was somehow involved. The suit’s power is now a part of her, but her body wasn’t made for it. She is in constant pain, constantly suffering.
Killdeer figures they should get outta there and figure out how to solve her problem, but she tells them that she can’t take them with her, not yet. However, she promises to return for them and, when she does, they’ll be ready for some well-deserved revenge. She returns to her mist form and departs, leaving her friends to face the wrath of S.H.I.E.L.D.
(S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters)
Sharon Carter makes her way through the quiet corridors. She enters her quarters and is shocked to find Captain America hiding in the shadows. He says hello, but this isn’t a friendly visit. He informs her that it took him longer to piece together than it should have, but he knows what she’s up to. She tries to feign ignorance, but Cap isn’t buying it.
He tells her that, by her own admission, the Contingency was a team of S.H.I.E.L.D assassins. They just happened to be carrying weapons uniquely suited to bring down Wolverine. He asked her before what they were a contingency for exactly. Now he knows. They were trained to kill known mutants and she was in charge of them. Sharon tries to defend her actions. She insists it wasn’t her. True, she was involved with the project, but only at the tail end. A different agent, Brent Jackson, developed the project. Cap interjects, and says she did nothing to stop it.
Sharon says it’s not that simple and he knows it. Her hands were tied. Suddenly, she switches from being defensive to aggressively standing up for her actions. She says it’s a legitimate question of national security. How do they know which are the good mutants? Do they just ask them, politely? Have them fill out a psych test? What if they change their minds? She tells Cap that they were never going to actively pursue mutants. It was just a contingency plan, that’s all. He should stop looking at her with his condemning, condescending eyes for once.
“Enough!” shouts Cap, tired of her hollow argument. He asks if she forgets who she’s talking to. He has lived through one holocaust, remember? He will never let America be party to another. He walks away from Sharon and adds that if he even hears whispered rumors about Project: Contingency resurfacing, let there be no doubt that he’ll do everything in his power to bring her and S.H.I.E.L.D crashing down.