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[Assistant]
Origins & Endings: Chapter 3
Wolverine has made it to the entrance of Department K. As he walks towards it, he notices that his brain feels swollen and bruised, like it has been stretched to the point of tearing. He knows that’s probably because of all those many memories of his passing through. However, Logan knows for sure that he hates the Department, and the memories. He snikts his claws out. He remembers that for so long, he wanted his memories back, wanting to know what his life was like before the adamantium. It finally happened. Today, Logan agrees with the old saying “be careful what you wish for… you just might get it.”
Logan is about to use his claws to open the door, but notices he doesn’t have to. He can simply push it open. As he does, a painful memory of him being operated upon by the Weapon X Program returns. He lies on an operating table, and angrily demands to know what has been done to him.
Logan enters the base, but starts to feel a little uncomfortable, and finds it hard to breathe. He notices that everything that used to be there is gone and covered up with other things. But the smell of blood is still here. It’s rotting. Logan believes it’s like the smells are decomposing under a few coats of lead-based paint, and layers of hastily poured concrete. He notices a wall, and stares at it. Logan snikts his claws open, and other memories return.
He hears scientists screaming, as the adamantium claws reveal themselves for the very first time. They freak out by the amount of blood coming out of Logan’s arm due to the claws’ unsheathing and people begging for help. Logan stares at the claws, and walks out of his holding tank. He notices a scientist lying dead on the floor.
Wolverine angrily slashes through the wall. He feels guilt. He wants to try clear away all of the gutter. He wants to strip it down. He knows there’s something behind it. Logan keeps slashing, until he eventually finds a door with claw marks on it.
Logan remembers how he originally cut himself through the door, back when he was a prisoner of Weapon X. He overheard the Professor crying for help to Dr. Hines and Cornelius, without getting a response. Logan remembers how furious he looked that day.
Wolverine finds some stairs. He decides to descend them, and does so. He feels like walking into his own grave. After making it to the final step, he finds a laboratory, with lots of dead bodies lying around! Logan realizes that these were the people who tortured him, and burned away the man and leaving only the animal. These people isolated the bad thing he got inside himself. The distilled it. They were boiling it down to its essence so that they could forge the animal into a living weapon. And it worked. Both times.
Logan remembers the painful experiment he underwent upon receiving the claws. He notices another tank with the same material poured into it. He starts to remember another unpleasant memory.
Wolverine was tied up against a tree. His Samurai master, Muramasa, ordered his followers to stop doing it, as he believed it was enough. The other Samurai’s agreed, and cut Logan’s bounds loose. He fell down into the ice-cold snow. The Samurai asked their master where to take Logan, but he didn’t care, believing that the process which he has begun will take years to complete. Muramasa suspects that once he has finished, and if Logan’s mind will still be full by that time, he is confident Lgoan will find him. The Samurai’s started dragging Logan away. On that moment, he fainted. After waking up a few moments later, Logan found all of the Samurai dead!
He tried to reach out to a sword to protect himself, but someone kicked him. Logan started fighting the man, but he was much stronger and defeated Logan. Ninjas fell out of the sky and started attacking the stranger. Logan began losing consciousness again, but could still hear the battle noises of the ninjas being killed. He tried to have a better look at the stranger, and could see he wore some military outfit. After Logan saw that even Maramusa had been killed, he fainted again.
Wolverine stares at the dead bodies in the lab. He doesn’t like it but, since he needed proof, he’s glad that at least he found some. He knew that the Silver Samurai wasn’t lying to him, but reminds himself that doesn’t necessarily mean much. The way Logan remembers it is that he escaped this hellhole because the dead people here got careless. They were so focused on turning him into a dumb animal that he actually had a dumb brain. Logan searches through one of the bodies’ clothes. He realizes that apparently, he was wrong. It turns out that he got some help. Logan leaves the Department.
Avengers Tower…
Tony Stark is working on his Iron Man suit. The phone rings. Tony walks towards it, but suddenly starts to panic. He remembers that the phone hasn’t rung since a very long time ago. He even has trouble remembering the exact time. Cap interferes, and takes the phone out of Tony’s hands. It’s Logan. He says hi to Cap, mentioning that he had been meaning to call him to talk about old times. Cap agrees, thinking they should probably talk about that.
Logan wants to talk, but not right now. He’s too busy. Instead, he wants to hear from Cap if he wouldn’t have any ideas where to find his old pal, Bucky. Logan claims he’s got some questions to ask him.
Elsewhere, at an unknown location…
The Winter Soldier has entered a lab, which stores Wolverine’s Weapon X file. He sets off the alarm…


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[Assistant]
Origins and Endings: part 4
SHIELD’s Field Office, at an unknown location…
Dum-Dum Dugan has a headache. One of the SHIELD soldiers enters his office, reminding his boss that the Pentagon has requested a private conference. Dugan already figured the Pentagon would do that, and orders the soldier to inform the Pentagon he’ll be online in two minutes. The soldier doesn’t understand that, as he thought they had agreed to full disclosure with all concerned parties. Dugan smirks at hearing that, and taps the soldier on his shoulder, as he needed to hear that. Dugan walks towards a private room, and opens the communication screen after checking clearance. He reveals that one can’t do much better, when it comes to security, when you are dealing with good old Fort Leavenworth.
United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas…
Several inmates gather around their communication screen in their cell, and don’t think this is funny. They are being treated like prisoners! Dugan claims that they are being treated like guests, and reminds the inmates that they are in their cells for their own protection. The inmates demand to know, if that’s true, why their belts and shoes have been taken away from them. It’s not like they are going to hang themselves, or something. Dugan wants them to understand that this wasn’t his idea, and defends that this is a standard procedure.
The inmates don’t care about that, and want to hear what’s going on with Wolverine, as they heard he torched a Canadian military base. Dugan corrects that Logan torched what was under the military base! The inmates panic. They have had it. Their leader threatens he’s going to get a pre-emptive strike through. Dugan orders them not to do such a thing. He mentions that he’s shutting down all communication from now on, for the inmates own protection. The inmates defend Dugan can’t do that, but he promises that, in the meantime, he’ll see what he can do about the gentlemen getting their belts back. He shuts down.
Suddenly, Dugan quickly takes out his gun, thinking he heard a noise behind him. He looks around, and finds out he’s alone. He whispers something, and leaves. He thinks that the inmates are lucky to be safely under lock and key.
Meanwhile, in Belgrade, Serbia…
Wolverine has gotten hold of some smugglers operating out of Montreal, and convinced them it was in their best interest to get him across the Atlantic in a hurry. They said they would take him as far as Yugoslavia, and Logan said in return that was just fine. Before he left Canada, he made sure word got out who he was looking for: Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier. Logan and the Soldier go way back. Barnes also used to be Captain America’s partner during World War II, until he got mind-wiped and reprogrammed by the Reds and turned into a hatchet man. He did a lot of work for his ex-handler in the Eastern European black market in the past few years, which is why Logan made the moves he did.
Logan knows that Bucky knows he’s there. He notices a saloon, and hopes he can get a drink before the mess begins. But on that moment, he gets shot! Someone has a clear lock on Logan, but he manages to hide in a nearby alley. His head rings like a church bell, and his neck is already stiff with whiplash. Blood keeps getting in his eyes, and he can’t see. And he feels angry about not getting that drink.
His adversary gets another lock on Logan, and starts shooting at him again. Logan tries to escape, and notices a building. Logan claims that he just came here looking for some information, but after being shot at, he feels ready for some payback. He notices a lock, and slashes it open using his claws. He enters a huge hangar, but there’s nothing there except for a printing machine and some old boxes.
Wolverine knows that he’s half-blind, due to the bullets he caught, and now, between the smell of the ink and the noise of the presses, his nose and ears are also practically useless. Logan is impressed by the way Bucky set things up like this. Bucky sneaks up on Logan, and sticks a blade through his back!
Logan notices that Bucky covered up his entire face in ink to hide his scent. Logan is in horrible pain, and Bucky also handcuffs Logan. Looks like his enemy has the upper hand. The Winter Soldier says something to Logan, but he can’t hear a word of it due to the pain, and also because he is gone. The beast in him is starting to rise up. Logan only hopes he won’t kill the guy.
Logan growls and starts fighting the Winter Soldier, even though his hands are still cuffed. The Samurai agrees to do it Logan’s way, and kicks him down. The Soldier knows that what he’s about to do won’t kill Logan, but is content that he’ll at least come pretty close. Logan still screams in pain, and the Soldier pulls out the blade out of his chest! He holds it towards Logan’s throat, defending he’s only trying to buy some time and that he’s got his own problems to deal with. On that moment, Logan bites into the Soldier’s arm!
Winter Soldier is in pain and furious. He starts kicking and punching Logan several times, but Logan still survives. He gets up and, almost out of breath, shouts he wants to have the upper hand now and kicks the Winter Soldier down. He angrily snikts out his claws and tears his handcuffs apart.
Suddenly, a blonde woman arrives in the building, and shouts at Logan not to kill the Soldier. Just like that, Logan is back to himself. He takes a closer look at the woman, who then shoots him in the chest!  The Soldier thought he told the woman to stay on the roof. The woman confirms, but she heard noises and screaming, and thought she’d come down here to make sure the Soldier was still alive, so she could receive her money. The Soldier angrily reminds the woman that, if she keeps doing what she’s told not to do, she won’t get paid at all. He tries to get closer to her, but she defends herself with her gun and orders the Soldier not to come any closer.
The Soldier orders the woman to go to the hotel two blocks down from, and move over to room three. He promises that, in the desk, she’ll find an ATM card with access to an old KGB operative fund, with the pin code being 4698. She can take as much money as she likes. The woman promises she’ll only take the money they agreed to. The Soldier wants her to take more, at least enough money so that she’ll never have to do this kind of work again. And once she has the money, the Soldier wants her to leave and hide somewhere. He promises that men will try to find her, and most likely Wolverine will be one of them.
The woman doesn’t understand that, as she shot Wolverine and now he’s dead. The Soldier is confident that won’t be for long. Now, he wants the woman out of there. She wants to know if the Soldier will come after her. He won’t, and defends that the woman wouldn’t want him to, because she would see him as a monster if she knew what he did to Logan. The woman claims she doesn’t see the Soldier as a monster.
The Winter Soldier asks the woman if she knows why Wolverine came after him. When she says she doesn’t, he replies that it’s because he murdered Wolverine’s wife… and unborn baby!


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[Assistant]
Origins and Endings: part 5
Beneath the streets of Belgrade, Serbia…
The Winter Soldier has dragged himself and Wolverine down to the Serbian sewers for protection. The Soldier mentions to Wolverine that he knows Logan can hear him and, since they don’t have much time left, he decides to spill it all. The Soldier remembers everything now and, since Logan is there, he assumes that he remembers everything as well. The Soldiers also realizes he can’t make up for what happened, and can only apologize for doing it. So, he does that. The Soldier is sorry for killing Logan’s wife. Wolverine, sitting next to the Soldier, just glares at him without saying a word. He remembers his wife’s name… Itsu.
Years ago…
Wolverine remembers that he loved Itsu the moment he first laid eyes upon her. But that’s not the reason why he headed towards the Jasmine Falls back then. As Logan meets up with Itsu on a beautiful grass field, the two smile at each other. On that moment, Bando Suboro and his partners meet up with Logan, and recognize him. They want to know why he’s here. Logan respectfully bows for the Samurai masters, and claims that he’s here seeking redemption. Suboro wants to know how Logan knows his name. Logan explains that his sensei, Master Ogun, had told him to seek Suboro out here when he was ready for it. Suboro asks Logan if he’s ready for it now, which he confirms. Suboro and his partners tell Logan to get up, as he doesn’t need to bow for them anymore. Instead, Suboro and his partners bow to Logan, which surprises Logan greatly.
Logan, Suboro and his partners head towards a village. Suboro explains to Logan that the men of this village were all ninjas once. However, he taught them a better way, and they all live happily now and even have children. They guide Logan towards a grass hill, where they tell him he shall live. Logan takes a look around, and goes to relax on the grass. But, Suboro angrily immediately tells Logan to get back up, as he’s not a dog. He’s a man, and they don’t need to sleep on the ground. Suboro mentions to Logan that this hill will be his home, but first he’ll have to build one on it.
Wolverine remembers how he started building his new home, and didn’t quit until it was finished, and even worked at nights. He recalls that for his entire life, he has only known destruction, but there, on that hill, he learned that he could create something with his bare hands.
Later, as the house was finished, Logan invited Itsu in it and they made love. They spent some time together, and Itsu confessed that she was pregnant. Logan was happy about it. Today, Logan remembers how he, after four years of training, took Itsu as his wife. Shortly afterward, she honored him by carrying his child. Logan was the happiest man alive that day. Because from that day on, he really was a man. When Logan told the news to Suboro, he insisted they celebrated the good news.
The ceremony they had in the village was ages old. It was a test of worthiness, strength and honor. Logan remembers how scared and nervous he was on that moment. He wasn’t scared because of Itsu’s sake, but for himself. Now retired ninjas attacked Logan in a circle, and attacked him one by one and in groups. They didn’t let up. Any one of these men could have killed him with a single blow. And yet, Logan remembers how he never struck back. He kept himself in check. He realized that was the nature of the ceremony: it wasn’t really a fight, but a dance.
Suddenly, during the ceremony, an explosion takes place in the mountains nearby. Logan panics and sniks his claws open, accidentally hurting one of the villagers. Logan tries to apologize for it, but Itsu looks away from him. Suboro explains that Muramasa is responsible for the explosion. Logan doesn’t know who that is. Suboro explains that Muramasa is a madman, but that doesn’t mean he’s without power. People even spread rumors that the guy is immortal.
Logan doesn’t understand what that has to do with anything. Suboro further explains that in all things, there must be a balance, just like how he heals the broken souls of men who were once nothing but weapons, showing them the way of creation. Muramasa uses men’s souls to create greater and more terrible weapons, which are only capable of destruction. Suboro is certain that Logan will one day meet up with Muramasa, as that will be his final test. Suboro takes off, telling Logan to pray that he won’t fail that test… again.
Logan recalls how he, that same night, went out to stand on a mountain to think things over. He had dishonored his family and clan. He wasn’t worthy of raising his own child, as that was a task better left to the other, more honorable men of the village. He had failed Itsu, the woman he loved. Logan would leave Jasmine Falls, to return only when he was worthy of blessings heaped upon him. But, Logan couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Itsu. He believed the reason for that was because he was weak. As Logan headed back home, he suddenly smelled the taste of blood half a mile out! It was Itsu’s blood! Once Logan got back home, he found Itsu… dead! He screamed in pain.
Present day…
Wolverine confesses that until today, he didn’t know that the Winter Soldier was responsible for his wife’s death. The Soldier wants to know, if that’s true, why Logan came after him. Logan wants to know if the Soldier was responsible for that explosion on the mountain as well. The Soldier denies that. He reveals that he had been watching for three days, hunkered down in a cave overlooking the village. When the Soldier heard the explosion, he thought he had been spotted. Logan believes that the Soldier killed Itsu to draw him out, and to get him to chase the Soldier.
The Soldier confirms that. He admits that, once he had accomplished his first objective, his orders were to let Logan spot him, string him around and lead him back to Madripoor. But, Logan didn’t chase him. Instead, he disappeared into the mountains. Logan explains that he had spent the last five years trying to become a better man, until he smelled blood. And that was when he realized he could never become a better man. Because after all, he wasn’t a man. Logan remembers that, once he made it to the top of the mountain, he was welcomed by Muramasa and his men.
Years ago…
Muramasa claimed that he had waited for this moment, as he wanted Logan to come to him in the way he truly was and not as a fake image. Logan only wanted one thing: to kill Muramasa and his men! It was on that night that he embraced vengeance. Muramasa promised he would help Logan achieve that goal. He wanted to take what’s inside Logan and purify it, making it stronger and harder. Next, Muramasa plans to transform that certain thing into a mighty blade, greater than any the world has ever seen and against which no man or beast that walks the Earth can stand. Even Logan himself would fall against its might. It will be Muramasa’s masterwork.
Present day…
Winter Soldier wants to know what a Muramasa is. Logan explains that Muramasa is a person, and he wants to know what the Soldier knows about that man. The Soldier claims he never heard of him. Logan reminds the Soldier that he had ambushed him a few days after he left the village, so wants to know how the Soldier could have found him. The Soldier confesses he didn’t tracked Logan over a few days… it was over the course of a couple of months.
Years ago…
The Soldier reveals that he was hiding behind a nearby hill, and had been holding his position just like he had been ordered to do. He was waiting for the right moment. Then, he heard footsteps. Logan was twenty feet away from him and completely incapacitated, and was carried away by Muramasa and his men. So, the Soldier made his move, not caring about his orders.
Present day…
Logan wants to know how long the Soldier waited for extraction. The Soldier reveals that Logan got picked up eight hours later, and he himself headed west and eventually hooked up with a unit operating in central China. When Logan wants to know if the Soldier was the only operator in the area, or if somebody had been send to shadow him, the Soldier is certain that wasn’t the case. Logan is ready to take off now, as that’s all he needed to know. He stops, promising the Soldier that the two of them aren’t done yet. The Soldier realizes that, but also that the two of them have other things to do first. Wolverine admits that the Soldier told him lots of things he didn’t even know about. He figures he has to return the favor. He leaves a stunned Soldier behind, and heads towards the train station.
Some time later…
Logan admits that he isn’t sure why he told Bucky what he told him, either if it was to get back at him or to help him out. But, he guesses that doesn’t matter. It’s too late now, anyway. He has dug up some old “acquaintances” and got them to work up some new passports, VISAS and all the other things he needs. Logan realizes those items won’t hold up under thorough inspection, but they’re good enough to get him through China. Logan also dug up his old brown/orange uniform. As he gets aboard a train, Logan believes that with all the blood that is about to be spilled, so he needs a change of clothes. There is only one thing left to get.
Later, at Jasmine Hill…
Wolverine made it back to the mountain he disappeared on years ago. He climbs it again, and angrily calls out to Muramasa, mentioning that he has returned to reclaim what’s his. Muramasa reveals himself, and wants Logan to tell him what he has come to claim. With a serious tone in his voice, Logan adds that he has come for revenge. Muramasa takes out a shining sword, tosses it to Logan, and tells him to wield it like an angry god!


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The Package
“When two elephants fight in the grass… the grass suffers.”
- Old Liberian Saying
The free Republic of Zwartheid, Africa. Just before nightfall…
High above a lone helicopter, which moves over the African jungle, Wolverine approaches a city, lying in the middle of the forest. Speaking to the pilot, Logan regards the area, saying that it looks like there’s trouble there, all right. Below them, are flames and rising smoke.
When Logan wants to know how much time they’ve got, the pilot – in actuality the Black Panther – explains that the rebels will reach the city within forty minutes. Logan sighs, since that isn’t that long. The Panther wants Logan to remember that, when he lands, he has to go straight to the central government building, where he’ll pick up the package. At all costs, Logan must get it out of this country. Logan smiles that he knows the drill, and tells the Panther to just drop him as close as possible. The Panther thanks Logan for doing this to him, and that only a man of his experience could pull this off. Logan wants the Panther to thank him when this job is over, because he has never done a thing like this before.
Logan jumps out of the helicopter, opening his parachute. A quick glide later, he lands in an empty street, watched from the buildings by its citizens. Removing the parachute, Logan reminds himself that it’s only half a mile and half an hour until the rebels get there. He thinks he’d better move, or else the package will never make it out safely.
Making his way toward the president’s mansion, Logan sneaks by soldiers on guard. He takes a look at their guns, and remarks to himself that they are armed for bear. He thinks that, when the rebels arrive, there will be a bloodbath – which means that he’d better be gone before that starts. He climbs over a wall, and remembers what the Panther instructed him: Logan has to find President Mayamba. He’ll hand him the package.
Wolverine makes it to the government house, but finds President Mayamba dead. He was poisoned, not two hours ago, the woman tells him. He was a great man, she says. Still in haste, Logan asks her for the package, which the woman hands over: a baby girl! When Logan asks the woman what she is going to do, she simply tells Logan to go. Her place is there. Logan stares a little at the woman for a moment, seemingly almost uncertain what to do. Without another word, he takes the baby and straps it into a front-load baby sling. His arms now free, Logan unsheathes his claws and runs out the way he came in. Running at full speed, he jumps over the spiked fence and for the border.
As he sprints to safety, Logan is lost in thought about the status of the nation of Zwartheid, which the United Nations ranks last in quality of life. The average life expectancy around these parts is thirty-six years. The Panther gave Logan the short version on the flight in. Basically, the country’s natural mineral wealth has made it the western nations’ killing ground for more than a century now. President Mayamba actually managed to bring the warring tribes together and stabilize the region.
He was much loved, until he was driven out in a coup ten years ago. The next decade was an unholy nightmare. There were civil wars, in which thousands of children enlisted as soldiers. Whole villagers where all the adult men had one or more limbs amputated to break their spirit. Women and teenage girls got raped and deliberately infected with HIV. Entire tribes were wiped out by malaria, AIDS and genocide. Then, six months ago, Mayamba came back. He was on his way to restoring peace to the region. He even got the warlords and the diamond merchants talking. That all changed when a vicious general named Lago took exception. Mayamba’s hope for peace is dead now. Unless, someday, his daughter can pick up where he left off.
Back to his current situation, Logan thinks that insects around these parts are deadly. The heat is no picnic either. Logan keeps running, until he thinks he’s getting near to the edge of the town. He hopes he can get clear before Lago’s forces storm the place.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, as Logan is spotted by the rebels. At first, Logan is ready for a fight, but then he remembers the importance of the baby he has to rescue, so he decides to hold back – for now. He holds his hands into the air, and walks over to the rebels, lying that he isn’t armed. He asks if anyone of the soldiers speak English. One of them does, and asks the “American” what he wants. Logan corrects that he’s not American, but Canadian and explains that he’s just doing someone a favor.
When the soldier wants to know who the baby is, Logan’s countenance becomes stern, and he states that the baby belongs to a friend of his and that he’s taking her to her mother. Quickly, he tries to change the subject by offering the soldiers some cigarettes. However, the lead soldier replies that he hopes Logan doesn’t take this the wrong way, but they want to know why he, as a white man, is playing messenger boy for a black baby.
Logan thinks to himself that the soldier is talking tough, but he thinks he can get through him. An American would be dead by now. Still, he wants to try a gamble. Logan smiles that there are two different ways to which he can answer that question. He states that the difference is in whether the soldiers are working for Lago or Mayamba. After a moment of consideration, the officer accepts the cigarettes and tells his men to let Logan pass. They do as told and, as the officer takes a cigarette in his mouth, Logan continues his voyage.
Sometime later, after leaving the city, Wolverine realizes that he got lucky. He found a patriot who saw something in his eyes. But, he realizes he won’t get that lucky twice. Though he’s out of the city now, it’s still eighty miles to the border. And this terrain is murder on his senses. The smells are overwhelming him, and the high grass and thick jungle in every direction he can see isn’t helping much. Logan hates open grounds like these. Lago’s army could be anywhere without him knowing it until it’s too late. The baby starts to cry, because the grass itches her. Logan uses his claws to cut his way through the grass field, and tells the baby to be quiet.
As he proceeds, Logan curses the Panther, thinking that his country could conquer this whole joint in just a matter of days. However, the Panther has replies that they do not interfere with their sovereign neighbors, claiming that it is every Wakandan chief’s solemn vow. So, the Panther called the Avengers to do his dirty work and, like an idiot, Logan volunteered for the mission. He had figured “what the hell?” He has seen a lot of places in his life, but he has never been to the worst country on Earth befo….
Suddenly, someone fires an automatic weapon and, with a groan, Logan gets hit! Spotting a solider in the field, Logan realizes there could be more hiding, but still he advances. As he uses his right arm and hand to protect the baby, Logan snikts his claws out of the other. Two shots from another sniper hit him and he thinks that he hates being right all the time.
Wolverine has only one advantage here: his speed. That isn’t enough though, as he needs an equalizer. After he kills the first soldier, Logan takes his gun and moves the baby sling to his back. He then pops up out of the grass and uses the rifle to shoot the other soldiers! Four soldiers are dead now, five including the man at his feet. Logan looks in front of him, and notices that the jungle is only fifty feet away from him. With a little luck, he can make it there safely. However, more soldiers arrive on the battlefield, driving a jeep, a troops transport and a tank. Unsheathing his claws again, ready for action, he thinks that luck, she ain’t his date tonight.
Even as the soldiers from the transport open fire, Wolverine continues running toward them. Arriving at the vehicle, he uses his claws to slice open the tires, causing it to list and fall on it’s side in an explosion. Logan then makes his way toward the jeep and leaps toward it. Quickly tossing he driver off, Logan drives off, telling himself that he’s got to keep moving.
An explosion behind the jeep draws Logan attention to a helicopter above. Almost instinctively, Logan knows that in the helicopter sits Lago! Logan uses rocket launcher from the truck, and barely misses Lago’s helicopter. No time for another shot, Logan drives on, into the forest. It doesn’t matter, though, he thinks. The country belongs to Lago, at least for now. Logan’s job is to make sure that won’t stay this way.
A few moments later, Logan surprisingly enough finds an abandoned road – “road” being a relative term in these parts. There’s no sign of Lago forces, which can mean two things: either they decided that he and the baby aren’t worth the trouble, or the soldiers are waiting for them to come out of the other side of this forest. He thinks this is the old mining road the Panther told him about. It was used back before this area was tapped out. If so, it will lead Logan to a small village near the border. Which is a mixed blessing, because there’s a good chance Lago will set up an ambush there. However, Wolverine jokes to the baby that they aren’t so easy to ambush.
On that very moment, Logan’s jeep drives into a pit and tips over violently. Propelled into the air, Wolverine somersaults while clutching the baby to his chest and lands on his feet in a crouched position. Seeing the baby reach out to a nest of ants near where they are crouched, Logan jokes to the baby that, if she’s ever going to rule this country, she has to learn that black ants bad. Sit still in this place, he tells her, and you’re meat for the hunters.
Logan decides to run through the jungle again. He doesn’t know how far or how long he runs. This jungle is hotter than the city was, and at night deadlier as well. Once, Logan thinks he feels a bullet whiz by his ear, but it might have been one of those giant mosquitoes. Somewhere along the line, the baby passes out. Logan reminds himself that he has to get her out of there, as a place like this will eat a little thing like the baby alive.
Emerging from the jungle into a clearing, Logan sees soldiers waiting for him, carrying machetes, handguns and automatic rifles. Regarding them, he recalls what the Panther told him. Whole villages, where all the adult men had one or more limbs amputated. And even after all that, the men are still pressed into service, forced to fight for the very men who maimed and tortured them.
Calling out to these soldiers, Logan tries to explain that he doesn’t want to fight them, and that the border he is heading to is just a couple of miles past their village. One way or another, he’s going across, so they should stop for a minute and ask themselves… is this worth it?
The soldiers don’t listen to what Logan says and open fire. Logan is hit, though he again twists his body to protect the infant. Still standing, he unsheathes his claws and gives them a last chance. This doesn’t have to happen, he tells them. When he soldiers attack, he replies with force and claws.
During the battle, a knife grazes the baby, causing her to bleed. Logan wants to call up the berserker in him. He wants the world to go red, and the killing to become a second nature. But he knows he can’t do that. Logan realizes that, for as long as he’s got the baby to worry about, he has to stay in control of his body.
A few moments later, Wolverine has killed all of the soldiers and continues his voyage yet again. Moving past a few huts, Logan curses the guns. This whole part of the world is filled with them. Pistols, AK’s, Kalashnikov’s and even rocket launchers. It’s a miracle anyone lives past…
Suddenly, Logan gets hit by a host of arrows! There are thousands of them, piercing through his skin – his legs – couple of vital organs, he thinks. The archers are keeping their distance. They must have seen what Logan did to those villagers. But Logan still doesn’t give up. He can’t. He can’t take this battle to the enemy. Because if one arrow gets through, even one, the baby is finished. Even though Logan continues to get hit by the arrows, he starts crawling over the floor, and does the best he can to protect the baby, still clutched to his chest. After a while, Logan can see the Samaya River, which is the border he was trying to get to. But, as the arrows are still coming, Logan realizes he’ll never make it there at this rate.
Two child soldiers approach Wolverine, thinking he is an American, and ask him if he can take their picture. Logan wants to kill them, but holds back, realizing he can’t kill kids. Lago arrives, and tells Logan to hand him over the package. He promises Logan that, if he does that, no more blood will be spilled today. Logan doesn’t know what to say. He looks at the child soldiers again, and realizes they don’t have a childhood, and barely a life to speak of. It’s probably too late for them. But the baby still got a chance.
Seemingly broken, Wolverine appears to comply. However, he says that he won’t throw her to him like a rag doll. They’ll do this like civilized men. He gets up, and begins to hand the baby to Lago. Lago’s fine with that, but reminds Logan not to be deceived by the absence of his other forces. They are busy in the city right now, enforcing the new order. These children are Lago’s best soldiers, and they are excellent shots. Lago knows that Logan sees him as a monster, but Lago defends that Logan has no idea of the forces that are at work there. The people of Zwartheid had nothing, as the western corporations treated them like modern-day slaves. That changed until he came along.
Wolverine approaches Lago, holding out the baby. However, once he’s close enough, Logan sinks his claws into Lago. As Lago’s soldiers cock their weapons at him, Logan is unphased. He reminds them about what their now-dead leader said a moment ago: no more blood has to be spilled today. It’s up to them. After a moment of consideration, the young soldiers turn and leave.
With arrows still sticking out of his back, Logan continues his trip. He believes that maybe someday, the baby can come back to this country and make it all right. Until then, Logan guesses that the elephants are just going to keep on fighting with bows, arrows, guns and knives, hammers, axes and just plain bare bleeding fists. They are going to fight with everything and everyone they can find. And the suffering of the grass will continue for another bloody day.


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Vendetta
People call him Wolverine. He is the best there is at what he does. And that certain thing is “taking care” of low-life thugs. And right now, Wolverine is doing exactly that.
Swinging his claws with deadly intent, Wolverine makes short work of a horde of men, all decked out in Medieval chain mail, as if they were Christian knights of centuries past. These “Sunday school rejects,” as Logan thinks of them, are in the employ of the Crusader, who has just hijacked a federal treasury C-130 and plans to use the cash to finance the simultaneous bombings of hero HQs. It was a pretty good plan, Logan thinks, until it hit a snag: him. And now, that snag hits back.
As Wolverine makes his way into the cockpit, he is met by the Crusader, who quotes to Logan that, in God, he will praise his word and put his trust. He won’t fear what flesh can do unto him. Logan smirks that the day is still young. His sword already drawn, the Crusader starts fighting Logan, sword against claws. As he does so, the Crusader continues to quote that he will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen such as they have not heard. Logan, calling the Crusader by his name, Artie, mocks him that he isn’t much of talk, and his talk isn’t even all that original. Logan jokes that anybody can quote scripture. “Eye for eye” for example, Logan adds while slicing the Crusader through his face.
Lunging up to the pilot’s seat, the Crusader orders his pilot to crash this plane into the heathens right now! He quotes to behold how his anger and fury shall be poured out upon this place. Upon man and upon beast and upon the trees of the field. And upon the ground, he concludes, it shall be burn and shall not be quenched. Hearing Logan thinks that at some point, he really needs to read some of this religious stuff. He wants to find out how books that were written a thousand years ago have got something to say about crashing planes.
Logan pushes both the Crusader and the pilot aside, telling them to hold back, promising that the crash will hurt them a lot more than it will hurt him. Logan pulls back on the yoke as hard as he can, hoping it might be enough to keep him from landing in the cornfield below him. Well, not exactly “land”, because he didn’t exactly learn that in the Army. The plane lands in the cornfield though, and Logan jokes to Artie that this is his lucky day, because he gets to meet his maker. But Logan does find it a shame about the cornfield though, because he loves corn. Once the plane is down, it explodes, completely setting the cornfield ablaze!
Wolverine wakes up three hours later and scares the living daylight out of a FAA body-hauler. Logan knows it’s a story that the guy will be telling his grandkids. Recovering quickly from his wounds, is given an FAA jacket to wear over his tattered costume, as well as the name of the closest bar.
Walking there shortly thereafter, Logan is the only customer at the bar. He asks the waitress for a beer, but she wants to see three dollars first. Logan shows that he only has a hundred with him. The waitress can’t change that much, so Logan tells her to keep refilling the glasses until they reach the amount. When the waitress remarks to Logan that it’s a little early to be knocking them back, Logan disagrees, replying that he earned it after putting in a day’s work.
Suddenly, Logan’s Avengers’ signal on his jacket goes off. The waitress believes that since Logan has a pocket beeper, he must be a doctor of some kind and asks what kind. Logan takes a look at his Avengers’ signal, and declares that he is a surgeon. The waitress jokes that they really keep Logan busy. Logan admits that, and claims that it feels like he’s in ten places at once sometimes.
On that moment, Logan’s X-Men signal also goes off! Realizing that something terrible must have happened, Logan then noticed the television and asks the waitress to turn up the volume. She does so, and on the news, Logan sees a huge explosion that has taken place in a city. He asks for a phone to use.
Doomstadt, Latveria…
Two mysterious men, covered in the night shadows, walk through the Latverian streets. One explains to the other that operations are underway and that plans are being made. The second man asks the first if he has the recording, which the first confirms. Addressing the second man with “my liege,” he warns that the images are disturbing. However, the superior already knew. Better than anyone, he says, he knows.
After they enter a house, the superior views images leading to the Stamford disaster. He remarks at the point of the video when Namorita tried to take down Nitro and asks his aide who he is. The aid answers that he is Nitro, but the boss clarifies that he meant Nitro’s real name. The aide replies that it is as Robert Hunter, adding that the villain escaped from confinement two months ago. Interestingly enough, Nitro gained some notoriety for his connection to Captain Mar-Vell’s death. The boss, watching the screen with steely eyes, repeats the name of “Hunter” and declares that it would be ironic, were irony not already dead.
Stamford, Connecticut…
Wolverine is helping his fellow X-Men, Avengers and some other heroes with the relief work of the now completely destroyed neighborhood of Stamford. While trying to clear the area, Logan remarks to himself that nobody has said anything for over three hours now. He thinks it’s the best thing the super-heroes can do now to keep their lunches down. He notices that Rachel doesn’t quite manage to do that.
Logan overhears a conversation between Iron Man and Captain America. Tony has just received word that the police have a lead on Nitro. Word is the villain sneaked out of town in the back of a pick-up truck. Hearing this, Logan ponders that the first words spoken are those of punishment. Logan also notices that the Sentinels are still following him and the other X-Men around, even though they agreed to help on this federal emergency. When he points this out, the pilot inside the Sentinel replies that they’re just doing their jobs.
Port Washington, New York…
A mother walks to her backyard and watches her children play in the yard by the swimming pool. She’s on the phone with her friend Carol. She explains that her daughter Lily has soccer practice on Thursday. She’s doesn’t have piano lessons on that day, but still has homework to do and has to see her math tutor.
Their conversation is interrupted when the mother gets another call and she clicks over to it. Taking in the information from the new party, she asks if it is confirmed, and by whom. Having heard enough, she goes over to the swimming pool, and tells her husband to come up. Surfacing for the first time in awhile, Paul comes to the edge of the pool, where his wife explains to him that she just spoke to the Operations Directorate. They’ve got to get on a plane.
New York City, New York…
A day has passed. Logan sits in a Japanese restaurant, lost in thought at the sushi bar. He silently recalls that there has been no sign of Nitro and he’s getting the feeling that nobody is looking for him. People seem to be more interested in debating about the super-human registration act. Logan believes that smoke is rising.
The restaurant owner, Ishiguro-San, approaches with Logan. Logan greets his old friend in Japanese and compliments him on the unagi, which is delicious as always. With a pained countenance, Ishiguro wishes to Logan for anything but to ask him of this… When Logan tells him that he can ask anything, Ishiguro informs him that this is most uncomfortable… He explains that the customers… unfortunately, heroes are… out of favor, given recent events.
Logan looks up, and notices all of the other customers staring at him, and he realizes what’s going on. Logan can’t hear another word Ishiguro is telling to him, and he doesn’t need to hear it either. Ishiguro doesn’t even have to ask him to use the backdoor. Once he is outside, however, Logan finds members of the kitchen staff waiting for them, brandishing knives and a pair of nun chucks. One, speaking for the others, tells Logan, in Japanese, that his kind isn’t welcome here anymore. Logan sure hopes the thug isn’t meaning to Canadians not being welcome. He also hopes that Ishiguro isn’t involved in this.
Logan asks the thugs if they’re sure they want to do this. He knows that they think they do, seeing that they all carry knives. But, Logan tells them, they’d have to be pretty crazy if they want to fight with a former soldier of the Canadian Army, a former secret agent, a former SHIELD agent and a current X-Man and Avenger like him. Plus, Logan adds, he also has that adamantium skeleton and claws. Logan snikts out his claws, and the thugs all drop their weapons and take off quietly.
Logan calls men stupid. He also realizes that anger makes people stupid. And the people sure are angry nowadays. He can feel smoke rising.
Later, 6:36 PM, The Baxter Building…
Lots of heroes have gathered at the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. Wolverine is among them. He overhears the Falcon defending that the masks are a tradition, and that they can’t just let people strip their rights away. Yellowjacket believes Sam is kidding, because they are lucky people have tolerated them for as long as they have. He doesn’t see why they should be above the law. Wolverine defends that’s because the world isn’t so nice outside of this ivory tower. The Thing disagrees with Logan, asking him if Johnny would be in the hospital if idiots like him were trying to give people like the real heroes a bad name.
A little later, Wolverine meets up with Stark separate from the rest. Tony explains that SHIELD told him they’re running point on the Nitro manhunt, but they haven’t exactly sharing their intel with him. Logan doesn’t believe SHIELD is going to catch the villain. It has been days now and, if SHIELD wanted to catch Nitro, he would have been caught by now. Guy’s is in the wind now. He reminds Tony that the villain killed hundreds, and kids were among them, and SHIELD still let Nitro go. Tony asks Logan to let it go, because they have enough problems already without one of them going on a vendetta. Tony takes off, and Logan sarcastically agrees with Stark.
Luke Cage approaches Logan. Logan warns Cage that he isn’t in the mood, but Luke only replies that he could tell. Luke wants to know what Logan meant when he said that the world isn’t so nice as they think it is. Logan explains that it means that the world has problems and giving out drivers’ licenses isn’t going to help much. Luke understands that, though he isn’t so sure he sees the harm. He thinks it’s like Logan said: they are already registering to drive around, so he doesn’t see the difference when some of the heroes can fly.
Logan defends the difference is that there is registration and there is registration. He reveals that a few years back, he had some friends in Germany. “Had” being the strong word in that sentence. And registration didn’t work out too well for them. Luke believes that there is some difference between the US government and the Nazis. Logan agrees with that: the US government should know better.
Luke wants to know if Logan is really going to compare the heroes to German Jews. Logan defends that the only thing he knows is that there is a Sentinel camped out on the front lawn of Xavier’s, and that Xavier isn’t there to sell girl scout cookies. When Luke remarks that the Sentinel is there for the X-Men’s protection, Logan asks Luke what his opinion would be if that Sentinel on the front lawn was a burning cross. When Luke is taken aback at this, Logan presses, angrily stating that that’s what a Sentinel means to mutants: a burning cross, a symbol of oppression. Of bigotry. Logan takes off to get a beer.
Some time later, at Westchester, New York…
Wolverine is in full argument with both Emma and Scott. He wants to hear one good reason why he shouldn’t fulfill his plan. Angry, Emma replies that she can give Logan two reasons: it’s not their fight and, even if it were, she believes that Logan can’t take out Nitro on his own. Logan believes otherwise. And, he wants Emma to explain to him, if this isn’t their fight, whose is it?
Emma defends that Stamford could make things even worse for mutants than it already is. Logan reminds Emma that mutants are super-humans. Scott explains that what Emma means is that mutants could easily end up taking all of the blame. Logan believes that’s all the more reason for a mutant to put Nitro under a new category. Scott begins to retort, but Logan interrupts, telling Scott that he doesn’t know if he is agreeing with Emma for real or if it is because he is sleeping with her. When Scott angrily replies that’s out of line, Logan jokes that Scott should be used to getting replies like that from him by now. With this, he storms out, over the protests of the incensed Emma.
Later, at the remains of Stamford, Connecticut…
Logan takes a look at the destroyed section of Stamford. He remarks to himself that the level-9 containment force SHIELD set up has done a pretty good job of preserving the scene. There’s plenty of old scents hanging in the air, too. Young scents, too. The scents are trampled over by rescuers and workers and bureaucrats, but the scents are still there. Logan concentrates. He focuses and breathes. He tries to draw the scents out.
He recalls that, before coming out to Stamford, he visited Nitro’s former cell at the raft, the hyper-maximum security prison. Until breaking out of the Raft a couple of months ago, Nitro spend years in that room. And the room holds Nitro’s scent pretty well. Logan finds some tracks of the truck Nitro escaped with in the dirt. The truck has a particular scent too. It smells like gas, motor oil and engine coolant. Plus, it leaves treads, which he now examines.


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Revenge
Before setting out on revenge, first dig two graves - old Chinese proverb
Before setting out on revenge, first dig ten graves. Saves time later - James Howlett
(Stockton, California, 12.05am PST)
Wolverine may be the best at what he does, but what he does best became illegal five minutes ago. Mind you, what’s legal or not has never stopped him much before. Logan is wading his way through a bar full of bikers in familiar fashion. Moments ago, he found the red pickup truck in which Nitro caught a lift out of Stamford outside this bar, which is bad news for those inside.
Logan nails the driver against the wall and has his fist ready to hit hard. The driver knows he’s beaten but still insists he’s done nothing wrong. Logan reminds him about the guy he gave a lift to: big guy, white hair, purple dorky costume. Cockily, the driver replies that the purple guy paid cash. What about him? Logan tells him he’s got stones, before popping a claw and asking if he wants to keep it that way. Of course he gives Logan the location: a cabin in Big Sur.
Logan returns to his bike. He knows that there’s nothing in Big Sur but bears ‘n birds. There’s no chance of collateral damage. He climbs on, figuring he can make it in three hours by breaking a few speed limits, but before he starts the engine, he sniffs something familiar.
Moments later, Iron Man flies by, and Logan leaps at him from the roof of a nearby building. “What brings you to Stockton buddy?” he asks, as Iron Man drops to the ground. “Those repulsor boots ‘a yours, burnin’ ozone, might as well put up a billboard.” Iron Man says he wasn’t hiding from him. Logan replies that it’s a good thing, ‘cause he knows how much he hates havin’ his intelligence insulted.
They both stand up, and Iron Man reminds him that he told him to stay away from Nitro. Logan can’t remember when it was said that he took his orders from him now. Iron Man continues to point out that, as one of the 198 mutants-at-large, Logan is already de facto registered under the S.R.A. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. has put him in charge of all registered heroes…
Logan replies that it doesn’t make him his lapdog. He tries to bluff, adding that Nitro’s not in Stockton anyway. He’s just taking some time off. Iron Man removes his helmet and asks Logan not to insult his intelligence. Emergency rooms between New York and Stockton have been working overtime of late. He might as well put up a billboard. They’re one more Stamford away from the government locking all of them up and, as he’s already said, they can’t afford a loose cannon with a vendetta.
Logan inadvertently mentions that Nitro’s been hiding in Big Sur, and then asks what happens when they get him. What kind of punishment do they hand out these days for vaporizing 60 kids? “Whereas you would just kill him,” replies Stark. “As many times as I can,” snarls Logan. Stark asks if he really has to give him the ‘this is how we’re different from them’ speech. Logan tells him he’s not different. That’s why he was invited to join his little boy-scout jamboree; because there are some things that need doing that he doesn’t wanna do.
Stark asks if, by killing him, that brings those 60 kids back? Logan says that’s not what it’s about. Stark asks what it is about, then. Prevention? Incarceration takes care of that. It also takes care of punishment. So what’s it about? You want to kill Nitro? Do you even know why?
(Daytona Beach, Florida)
Paul and his wife are watching a black surfer with dreadlocks gliding through a tunnel. He returns to the beach where three other surfers confront him. A blond guy is angry that the man dropped in on him but, before any of them can lay a finger on him, the man takes out all three in one swift move, leaving them unconscious in the sand. Paul and his wife know that they’ve got their man.
(California)
Logan isn’t going to let Stark’s team try and get Nitro without him, so he joins the squad on board their craft as it heads for the coastal region. It gives Logan a chance to check out the new unit that S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cooked up to take down unregistered heroes. ‘Superhuman Restraint Unit’ they call it, though Logan has a different name for them. They’re packing enough hardware to take out the guy who took out a town, or at least that’s the plan.
Their boss, Abrams, gets them ready, as down below in a small wooden cabin, Nitro drinks a coffee and reads the newspaper headlines about the S.R.A being passed. He hears the S.H.I.E.L.D. craft approaching and heads outside into the woods. Abrams gives the word for his men to spread out, and they abseil to the ground, with Logan leaping onto the cabin roof instead.
Soon, Nitro is surrounded by the soldiers, and his eyes begin to glow. A second later, the forest is an inferno. Wolverine is caught in the blast along with everyone else. The only good news, as his flesh is burned away leaving only an adamantium skeleton without the muscle to support it, is that after the first five hundred degrees, you don’t feel a thing.
Nitro remains at the center of the inferno as the flames die down. He whips out his mobile phone and calls someone. He informs that that the cabin they hooked him up with needs replacing. He takes out a couple of small red pills from a jar, as he adds that the good news is that the shortest of the X-Men looks like he’s gone the way of all flesh. For those with a scorecard, he adds, he’s now taken down Captain Marvel (sort of), the New Warriors and now the world’s best argument for male body-waxing. It’s his idea of a hat-trick.
The man he is speaking with is driving his BMW through Washington. He reminds Nitro that this isn’t a game. People are bound to notice that someone who’s both an X-Man and an Avenger is missing. The bottom line is that Nitro is too dangerous to be associated with, and the man severs his contact with him.
(Stockton)
The driver of the red pickup that Logan beat on earlier now faces the surfer. He tells Paul that he’s already told them everything he knows. Paul replies that they appreciate that, but his wife adds, “It’s just that Janus doesn’t like you people very much.” He asks if she means blue-collar guys, but as Janus twists and breaks the man’s neck, she replies, “No. Humans.”
(Big Sur)
Nitro returns to his yellow van, angry that he’s been dissed by his benefactor. He notices a familiar reflection in the window and, as he turns, he finds an adamantium-filled fist being smashed into his jaw. Three claws emerge one by one from Wolverine’s hand. “My idea of a hat trick,” he says, as Nitro looks up at his unexpected assailant.


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Justice
Politics makes strange bedfellows - Charles Dudley Warner
Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out - Sir Francis Bacon
(Big Sur, California, 8:22am PST)
Wolverine slashes at Nitro’s face with his claws extended. Nitro’s lip bursts open with a spray of blood and he falls backwards, with a helping kick from the Canadian. Nitro has killed over six hundred people in the town of Stamford, as well as the New Warriors and an entire S.H.I.E.L.D. unit. Wolverine would be dead too if not for his mutant healing factor. He doesn’t feel he has to pussyfoot around here. In fact, he’s enjoying himself.
Since beginning the fight, Logan has learned something important. At first, he figured he could get in quick and take Nitro down before he blew himself up. Then, he noticed that Nitro’s hair didn’t catch fire, and his shirt remained untouched by the heat and flame. The kicker was his cell phone. There’s no way that should survive a blast unless there’s some kind of safety zone around him that’s not affected by his power. Like the safest place is in the eye of the hurricane. This means that Logan can beat on Nitro all afternoon as long as he stays close. ‘It’s gonna be a lovely day.’
Watching Nitro’s downfall from a hiding place in the nearby forest is Paul, his wife and a powerful surfer named Janus. Paul’s wife contacts their employer and informs him that they’ve established visual contact with the target, only there’s a third party involved. Their employer asks if he’s an enemy or an ally. Enemy, most definitely, she replies. The man informs her that they should use that to their advantage. He is en route to their location, and he suggests that if this ‘third party’ threatens to interfere with their objective, they can kill him.
Meanwhile, Wolverine has Nitro by his shirt collar. The villain is badly beaten up, and he asks Logan if he’s gonna kill him. Logan replies that he should, for what he’s done. Nitro reminds him that he’s one of the good guys, but Logan replies by asking if he’s been reading the papers lately. All the good guys work for the government now. Everybody else is just breaking the law. But, to answer his question, Logan says that he’s not gonna kill him - he’s gonna beat on him for a few hours, then he might move on to the cutting. If he’s no longer breathing by sunset, well, that’s not really his problem. Nitro believes him.
“What if I gave you somebody else? Another name? The name of somebody else who killed over 600 people?” Logan pauses, and Nitro asks him if he ever stopped to wonder how he did that. It’s not like he ever had that kind of power before.
Logan drops him to the ground and gives him ten seconds to spill the beans. Nitro holds his hands out. In his palm are three small blue pills, which he explains are Mutant Growth Hormone pills. It makes a human more than human, and for guys like them, it’s like steroids for powers. Logan can smell the stink of fear on his opponent, but what he doesn’t smell is him lying. He offers Nitro the opportunity to continue but warns that, if he hears one word he doesn’t like, he’s gonna get a real good look at his small intestine.
Just as Nitro is about to name his mystery benefactor, Wolverine is surprised by a voice from behind him. Before he can respond, Janus grabs him around the waist and tries to take him down. Wolverine responds with a solid punch to the face, and he asks Janus to excuse him, but he was having a conversation. He has no idea who Janus is, but explanations can wait. A few hard shots are swapped between the two men before Wolverine snikts his claws. Janus grabs a multi-faced dagger from his belt and they go at each other again. Wolverine realizes that the guy knows how to use his blade, but he’s no slouch, either.
A female voice calls for them to stop, and he turns to see Paul and his wife, with Nitro lying underneath them. She informs Wolverine that they have no quarrel with him; it’s the longhaired one they want. Wolverine cannot allow that to happen, and Paul’s wife says that it’s a pity, as he doesn’t look like he’s got much fight left in him. Logan knows that she’s right, particularly since the black guy hits like a truck. He’s definitely dealing with powers here.
Janus runs in and grabs him around the waist once again, continuing the fight. Nitro, meanwhile, turns to Paul and tells him that he’s making a big mistake. He prepares to explode himself, but Paul hits him with some kind of taser, knocking the wind out of him. Still, Nitro manages to resist more, and the two separate battles rage on. Logan wonders what these people want with Nitro.
(elsewhere)
Nitro’s benefactor is at work and speaking with a colleague named Henry. He mentions that there’s been some fallout from Stamford, and asks Henry if there have been any problems from the dragon lady since he’s been gone. Henry replies that it’s nothing he couldn’t handle. He asks what the fallout was. The benefactor explains that one of their rainmakers went off the reservation - the idiot who blew himself up on national television. Henry asks what he did this time, and the man replies that it doesn’t matter. He cut him loose: Scorched Earth, but he might want to toss his cell phone. Henry seems worried, but the man asks him not to wimp out on him. He shouldn’t worry. This won’t get traced back to them.
Meanwhile, Wolverine has put Janus down, but Paul’s wife asks if Nitro is worth giving his life for. Wolverine thrusts three claws through Janus’ shoulder, and tells her he hasn’t given up anything yet. He and the mass-murderer made themselves a bargain. Nitro has recovered sufficiently to grab Janus’ dagger, and he locks his arm around Logan’s neck, holding the blade to his face. He tells Logan that it looks like everybody here wants a little payback. Why should he be any different?
“This is the man you’d protect?” Paul’s wife asks. Logan quips that it’s not like he’s not reconsidering. She informs Logan that they only want to see justice done. “Justice for Stamford?” queries Logan. Nitro reminds him that he’s there and, if it’s alright with him, he’s gonna move on to the cutting. Wolverine throws him nonchalantly over his shoulder before asking everyone to calm down a second, including ‘Janice.’
With everyone stationary, Logan asks Janus how he got his strength boost. MGH? Radiation? Super-soldier formula? Janus angrily replies that their strength is their birthright. It comes from their home, which is not Stamford. It’s not even his country. It’s not even his world. Janus reaches inside his pocket and brings out a small facemask, which he places over his mouth. He then slowly transforms, changing color from brown to blue. He explains that this ‘Nitro’ murdered a member of the royal family.
The penny drops, and Logan realizes that they’re from Atlantis, there to seek revenge for Namorita’s death. Paul’s wife explains that they’re members of the royal guard. Logan asks on whose orders. A familiar voice replies, “Really, Wolverine… do you even have to ask?” Standing nearby with his arms folded is Prince Namor - the Sub-Mariner.


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Vengeance
The King (shall) take revenge for an affront to his very person. The right to punish, therefore, is an aspect of the sovereign’s right to make war on his enemies - Michael Foucault
Wolverine and the Sub-Mariner waste no time in laying into each other. Namor has come for Nitro, and intends to see him brought to Atlantean justice for the murder at Stamford of his cousin, Namorita. Wolverine fought Namor a couple of years back, but he wasn’t in his right mind at the time and doesn’t remember any of it. He’s pretty sure he kicked his @$*, though.
Namor punches Logan hard, but he brings the Atlantean down with a kick to the legs, before grabbing a pair of trousers and a S.H.I.E.L.D. shirt to cover his modesty. He understands that the three Atlantean sleeper agents were just following orders, but Namor is a king, and he expected better of him. Namor slams his elbow into Wolverine’s back, and replies that so did he. He tells Wolverine that he has a reputation for murder. How does he do that, exactly? Bore people to death? Logan picks himself up and replies that it’s something like that, ‘cept it’s gore people to death. He thrusts his claws through Namor’s shoulders and he drops to the ground.
Janus rushes to his liege’s assistance, but Wolverine grabs him by the throat and removes his facemask and air supply, making it difficult for him to breathe in his normal blue state. He then hurls the device at Paul and it sticks into his neck. He looks at Paul’s wife, who is still holding her dagger at Nitro’s sorry throat. Logan asks who else is bored. Namor then appears behind him and delivers a thunderous blow to his head. Logan lies dazed on the ground, bordering on unconsciousness. The last thing he hears is the Sub-Mariner offering him a piece of advice. Next time he wants to eviscerate someone, try hitting the major organs.
(later)
Logan doesn’t know how long he was unconscious, but it was long enough for Namor and his buddies to get out of Dodge. Fortunately, Atlanteans have a very specific scent, like sushi dipped in motor oil. They shouldn’t be too hard to track. He heads off in search of them in order to retrieve Nitro, but finds his progress halted at the water’s edge. This is a problem, and he needs to make a phone call.
It doesn’t take too long for Iron Man to show up. Logan informs him about the sleeper agents; Atlanteans who can appear human - another problem for Tony Stark. Stark suggests that Logan wanted justice for Stamford and now Nitro’s getting it in spades. Atlanteans punish their criminals by taking their skin off in strips. Logan wishes it were that simple. Nitro was yoked on Mutant Growth Hormone when he did Stamford. Someone supplied it. He also gave Nitro his word. Stark asks Logan what he needs him for. Logan replies that he can’t breathe underwater.
Soon, Logan dons Iron Man’s armor and descends into the Pacific Ocean. Stark wasn’t keen on lending him the armor, but Logan pointed out that, if there are three Atlantean sleepers, there are probably more, all over the country - an infection. He travels thirty-five nautical miles downwards until he reaches his destination: the Atlantean province of New Pangea. It has a population of nearly a million, but other than that there is little information available. Logan sets down amongst the people and asks to be taken to their leader. He’s always wanted to say that.
He is led to Namor, who immediately tells Logan, thinking he is the real Iron Man, to return to the surface. Transgression on Atlantean soil is an act of war. Logan responds by asking what he calls kidnapping a ‘surface dweller’ to an Atlantean city. “Water pollution,” comes the deadpan response. Namor tells Iron Man that Wolverine made clear his intent to grant Nitro asylum. Logan says he wished to grant asylum, not immunity. And this wouldn’t be for free, either. Nitro has information to trade - the name of the idiots who set him loose on Stamford. Namor replies that he’ll kill them too, but Logan says it’s not that simple. A bargain was struck. Namor might not like it, but there it is.
Namor replies that it was a bargain where a mass murderer’s life is spared, by Wolverine no less. He’d have expected him to have less mercy. He also expected Iron Man to have more sense and to keep Wolverine on a tighter leash. “So that’s a no,” replies Logan. Namor asks him not to posture. He knows any attempt to take Nitro by force won’t work. So, if he needs to be persuaded, then he should persuade him. Why should he release his cousin’s murderer to the tender mercies of the surface world’s justice? He asks for one good reason.
Logan replies that he’ll give him six. He snikts his claws through the armor’s gauntlets and Namor realizes that it isn’t Stark after all. He orders Janus to attack, but despite the unwieldiness of the armor, Logan takes Janus out in one solid elbow to the back of the neck.
He then attacks Namor, only for Paul’s wife, Amir, to attack him with a blade. Logan turns and grabs her head in his gauntlets. He warns Namor to give him Nitro, or his secretary is going to get some repulsor rays in stereo. Amir asks him to do it. He can kill her, her husband and their children, but the murderer of her princess will never go free. Namor asks why this murderer is worth his word. Logan slips the armor’s facemask back. “He’s not,” Logan replies, “But it don’t change the fact it’s still my word.”
Namor calls Logan arrogant, and tell him that his honor is at best hypocrisy and at worst a delusion. Logan replies that Nitro has information he wants and that Namor should want it too. Amir explains that they’re already getting it. Her husband, Politus, is extracting it right now. A concerned Logan asks Namor to take him to Nitro, right now.
The three of them head to where Nitro is being questioned by Politus, but Amir screams when she sees Nitro standing over her dying husband with a blood-covered dagger in his hand. He asks what a guy’s gotta do to get a ticket outta this burg. Amir rushes to her husband. He is weak, but manages to utter the word Stamford and the name Walter Declun. As he passes away, Amir tries to go for Nitro, but Wolverine holds her back. He’s got this. He snikts his claws once again and slices Nitro’s right hand off. He yells out in pain, and Wolverine tells him there’ll be no more bargains, no more reprieves and no more victims.
Logan stands inches away from Nitro with his claws at the ready, but he recalls Namor talking about his honor, Stark asking why he would want to kill Nitro, and his fellow X-Men reminding him that it’s not their fight. The words echo in his head, and he makes a decision to allow Nitro to live. It isn’t his place to kill him, he states, it’s theirs. He looks at Namor, Janus and Amir. He informs Nitro that he guesses he’ll soon be wishing he did kill him; probably the only thing they’ll ever have in common.
(some time later)
Wolverine is sitting in a bar when Namor enters. He asks Namor if he’s come to give him Nitro’s ashes. Namor replies that, for the foreseeable future, Nitro will be staying in New Pangea as their ‘guest.’ “Quite a show of restraint,” replies Logan. Namor feels it’s much like his own. Logan explains that it wasn’t restraint. He just realized that Namor was right, and he was just being arrogant.
Namor informs him that, before Nitro escaped, Politus extracted the information he’s looking for. His dying words to Amir revealed the identity of Nitro’s benefactor. It is an individual named Walter Declun, a man he knows from his days in corporate America. In Atlantean terms, he would be called a Peshach. It translates roughly into English as meaning an immoral person. His sources tell him that these days, Declun is the CEO in charge of Damage Control, Inc.


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Payback
“If I count up their percentages, I know they’re getting rich, but they haven’t taken everything - those paybacks are a &*$%”  - Billy Joel
(present)
Wolverine is in combat with some guards dressed in Mandroid armor. He’s the best at what he does, and this is what he’s doing today.
(one week ago, New York City)
Wolverine arrives at the headquarters of Damage Control, located in the Flatiron Building on Fifth Avenue. Some clients are waiting their turn as the receptionist fends off callers. Wolverine is in his costume, which surprises the clients, but doesn’t faze the receptionist. He demands to see Walter Declun, but is told to go home, call his secretary and make an appointment, like everyone else who’s not fashion-impaired. She informs Logan that she’s not impressed by the costume. She’s the woman who once told the Punisher he could take a number. Logan leans in and replies, “Darlin’… do I look like the Punisher to you?”
Twenty seconds later, he is in the boardroom. A white-haired woman appears and Logan reiterates his request to see Walter Declun. She replies that she wants a zero-calorie chocolate cake and a Maserati. What he’ll get is her and five minutes. Logan tells her to get Declun in the office right now. She isn’t one to be bullied. When Logan asks who she is, she explains that she’s Ann-Marie Hoag, the president of Damage Control. Declun’s the CEO. She wonders what he wants to talk to him about.
Logan tosses her a small pill bottle. He tells her that it’s MGH or Mutant Growth Hormone. It gives humans powers. Ann-Marie is familiar with them, having seen a piece on 60 Minutes. She asks what this has to do with Declun. Logan replies that he gave MGH to the guy who blew up Stamford, and her company got the clean-up contract. Ann-Marie is shocked. She replies that the recession hit them hard. She had to take the company public to raise capital. Declun and his investors bought a controlling share of the stock, and muscled his way onto the board. From there, he took the CEO spot. She knew he was an ass, but never suspected…
Walter Declun arrives and orders her to stop talking, right now. Wolverine reminds him that it’s a free country, but Declun replies that it’s not a country; it’s a company - his company, and Logan is trespassing. He adds that S.H.I.E.L.D.’s response time to a 911 call is two minutes. He called two minutes ago. Logan grins and accepts that he must leave, but as his closing shot he warns Declun that he’s gonna have some fun taking him down. Unseen by Declun is a small device left by Logan under a table.
(Dallas, Texas)
Later, Wolverine avoids the security guards and retrieves the device, taking it to Forge in Dallas to see what he can find out about Damage Control. Logan knows that this is bigger than Declun, as his president lady said he had people backing his plays It wouldn’t make sense to cut off the head if the body can still live. You’ve got to cut the whole monster into pieces, then burn it to ash.
Forge tells him that it’s a data-miner. It’s similar to the tech the NSA uses in its domestic wire-tapping program. It scans computers, looks for key phrases in data and e-mails, etc. Logan says he doesn’t want a science lesson. He planted the device and recovered it. Now what? Forge connects it to his computer and has a look to see what they’ve learned. He explains that over breakfast he wrote an A.I. program to cull through and interpret the data.
He looks at the screen and tells Logan that he’s right. This isn’t pretty. He starts from the beginning, explaining that super-hero fights super-villain and a big mess is made. Damage Control gets paid to clean up the mess. What he’s seeing on screen, from Damage Control’s own records, is Damage Control doing everything they can to increase the number of superhuman fights. The more fights there are, the more money Damage Control gets. This explains why they were hooking Nitro up with MGH. The Registration Act is the motherlode for them. In addition to cleaning up after the battles, they get paid for superhuman registration, evaluation, training and so on. Forge adds that he saw this kind of thing in ‘Nam, the first Gulf War and Iraq, too. Where there’s war, there are profiteers. Logan doesn’t think there will be for long.
Forge asks if Emma and Scott know about what he’s doing. They’re not gonna be happy. Logan says they’re not gonna know, asking Forge to just tell him what to hit. Forge reckons it’s not that simple. He’s going up against a corporation; an artificial person. Logan replies that he’s gone up against enough Sentinels, Doombots and LMD’s to know you kill an artificial person the same way you kill a real one. You cut on it ‘til there’s nothin’ left. All he needs to know is where and how deep.
(New York City, Pier 46)
Forge directs Logan to New York City’s Pier 46, where he discovers a garage holding Damage Control equipment.
(Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands)
Logan then visits the Royal Bank Financial Group, where he takes out security, slicing the security guard’s pistol in three, before heading straight to the manager. Logan grabs the manager by the collar, lifting him clean off the ground. He explains to Logan that the company’s assets are secured by insurance, and their holdings are backed up by electronic records stored on servers… off-site. Logan puts him down, but leads him to the walk-in safe. He asks in which one of the safety deposit boxes Damage Control keeps their money.
(later, the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Westchester)
Emma Frost isn’t happy with Logan, and threatens to psychically remove all his potty training. Logan points to his head and asks her to take her best shot. He has level 9 psi-shields installed, courtesy of Charles Xavier himself. A furious Emma replies that seeing how she’s a level 10, they shouldn’t be much of a problem, though their removal might reduce him to the mental equivalent of a three-year old, thus giving him a heretofore undeveloped maturity!
Scott asks her to calm down. He then reminds Logan that he remembers specifically telling him not to become involved in the human’s mess. Instead, he not only ignored him, but he violated fourteen different state laws, six federal laws and the sovereignty of Grand Cayman. He’s still headmaster of the school and, as long as Logan’s affiliated with it, he’s going to answer to him. What does he have to say for himself?
Logan pauses, before asking Emma if Scott knows that he used to team up with Iron Man… so to speak. Emma looks stunned, and Logan informs her that, when Rogue swiped her powers, she took her memories, too. He then tells them both that he remembers being given his orders, but he also remembers telling them where to stick them. And, if he had listened to them, Nitro would still be at large and nobody would have known Damage Control was profiteering, all on account of them being scared of offending the humans. He thought the whole idea of dressing up in spandex was about getting involved. Emma and Scott look suitably embarrassed.
(Damage Control)
Wolverine is causing Damage Control some damage of his own. Walter Declun and Henry are discussing a possible change of logo away from the Bulldog image. Walter is then informed by another employee that it’s happening again; this time it’s the Westhaven Mutual Fund. They’ve liquidated their holdings - over 36% of Damage Control’s stock. Declun finds this impossible to believe. Joel Begleiter manages that fund. He’s always been loyal to them. That’s why WMF holds so much D.C. stock. He’d never cut and run like this, unless he wasn’t given a choice. He wants Larry in acquisitions and Amy in public relations on the phone immediately.
A new report comments on Damage Control’s remarkable public display of confidence. Walter Declun has announced the five-point-three million dollar purchase of Roxxon’s Long Island offices, for the site of their new corporate headquarters. This sizeable investment, it continues, comes hot on the heels of a bad couple of weeks for Damage Control. Wall Street’s confidence has been shaken by a spate of costly accidents and a negative restating of profits. Mr. Declun refused to comment on what was behind Damage Control’s recent reversal of fortune after three years of record growth.
(present)
Wolverine arrives at the former Roxxon offices on Long Island. When Walter Declun announced this last-minute purchase, he just had to pay a visit. It’d be a damn shame for Declun to go to all this trouble, and not have Logan go ahead and spring his trap. As he slips through the offices in near-darkness, he confronts several armored guards, greeting them by asking if he’s late. One replies that he’s right on time, calling him ‘shortie’ in the process. Logan tells him nobody ever called him short before and lived to tell about it. He leaps at the guy and slices his chest open through the armor. He quickly takes stock of his opponents. They have Mandroid armor, S.H.I.E.L.D. weaponry, Stark Industries tech and organic implants. He scratches that last one when he realizes it’s just the guy’s spleen.
As Wolverine is grabbed from behind, he thinks about where Damage Control is getting all this from. It seems they’ve been doing more than just hauling junk from battle sites. They’ve been salvaging it. It’s like throwing down with a flea market. He throws one guy over his shoulder and then narrowly avoids being caught with a saw blade fired from one of his assailant’s gauntlets. He recognizes it as having belonged to Whirlwind. Logan took him down six months ago.
Another guard grabs him around the neck and tells him that Whirlwind’s right arm sends its regards. He explains that they took one of his buzz saws and gave it a makeover. The only thing that can cut through adamantium, is adamantium. The blade begins cutting into Logan’s neck. “Heads up,” remarks the guard, “Heal from this shortie!”


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Payback part 2
“To declare that in the administration of criminal law the end justifies the means… would bring terrible retribution”  - Justice Louis D. Brandeis
Wolverine is in battle with armored guards working for Walter Declun, the CEO of Damage Control. They are wearing armor that contains weaponry salvaged from super-hero battle sites, and one of Whirlwind’s blades is now stuck in Wolverine’s throat. When one of the guard’s asks what the problem is, his colleague replies that the damn thing’s stuck. This must be why Whirlwind always got his ass handed to him. The blade is supposed to cut through the Thing’s hide. The other guard comments that he read how Wolverine’s bones have some kind of metal on them, but it doesn’t matter. His head’s hanging off by a thread. He’s done! They high-five each other, congratulating themselves for taking out the Wolverine.
They leave Wolverine in order to see how Eddie is doing. He’s lying on the floor with severe wounds to his chest. They ask if he’s okay but he can’t speak. He tries once again to communicate with them, but just cannot speak. “What’d you say, Eddie?” asks one, leaning over him. A voice from behind replies, “He said… watch out behind you.” It’s Janus, and he smashes one of them in the face with his fist. Amir helps Wolverine to his feet, whilst Janus keeps the guards occupied.
Logan asks Amir how long they’ve been following him. She says it’s since he left Westchester, as he requested. Logan appreciates the back up. Amir adds that he’s now considered an ally of the kingdom. Wolverine’s healing factor is kicking in nicely, and he opts to join Janus in beating the tar out of the two guards. He’s not usually the type of guy who needs backup, at least not for this kind of loser, but he likes to be prepared for the unexpected.
As he strikes, the skylight above them shatters and some cape killers descend using ropes, joined by Wolverine’s fellow Avenger, the Sentry, who orders Logan to stand down. Logan retracts his claws and tells the Sentry that he knows they haven’t known each other long, but he should know that he’s the kinda guy who stands up, not down. One of the cape killers speaks up. “You’re in violation of 6 USC § 558, a.k.a. ‘The Superhuman Registration Act,’ as well as Chapter 40, Article 120, Section 120 of the New York Penal cooooof!”
His sentence is cut short, as Wolverine delivers a solid punch to his rib cage. Logan apologizes for not hearing that last part. Could he repeat it? The Sentry grabs Logan by the neck and translates. He hurls Logan across the room, informing him that Tony Stark has made his entire file available to him. He knows that his healing factor may prevent him from killing him, but he still feels pain. No kidding, thinks Logan, as he comes to a stop on the floor. They call the guy the Sentry, but he hits like Galactus.
Logan snikts his claws and replies that he’s right, but he and pain are old friends. “Lemme introduce the two of ya.” He charges at the Sentry as Janus takes on the cape killers. The Sentry admits that he doesn’t want to do this, but he doesn’t see that he has any kind of choice. He has to stop all this ugly business, even if that means becoming part of it for a little while. As they struggle, he grabs hold of Wolverine’s adamantium blades in his fingers and begins to squeeze. Logan reels in pain, and the Sentry knows he’s really hurting him. He squeezes the blades together, and tells him he can’t be having a good time here. He’s pushing his claw-bones against his hands, and it sounds like he just tore one of his tendons. He then hurls Logan across the room again and Logan passes out from the pain.
(later)
Logan begins to come around. He is wearing a collar, but he’s otherwise okay. He asks his jailor if he gets his one phone call, or has that been suspended too? A door slides open and a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Herrick Goldman stands there. He picks up Logan and walks him through the complex, past someone being taken in the opposite direction. Logan thinks they’ve been keeping busy. No shortage of capes to pick up, right? Goldman places his gloved hand on a panel and the computer allows him access to the room. He delivers Wolverine to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill.
Logan calls her Maria, but she insists on being called Director Hill. When he then asks where his two Atlantean friends are being kept, she informs him that they have diplomatic immunity and therefore they were released. Logan figures that must be a disappointment to her; not being able to stick them in the gulag that Stark and Richards are building. Hill isn’t surprised to see that Logan has come down against registration. Logan replies that the only thing he was coming down against was a scumbag war profiteer. Hill informs him that Walter Declun is CEO of Damage Control, Inc., a board member of the New York Stock Exchange and a friend to the sitting president. He’s pressing federal charges. She’s not sure the Registration Act is Logan’s biggest concern.
Logan reminds her of the ‘war profiteer’ thing, but she tells him that Declun is protected. There’s nothing they can do about him, and she has enough on her plate as it is. “Yeah,” replies Logan. “Fascism’s time-consuming from what I’ve heard.” Hill thinks it’s almost funny how quick some people are to label sensible legislation as fascism. Logan responds by remarking that trading liberty for safety’s what’s passing for ‘sensible’ these days, because he seemed to think the motto of America used to be ‘Give me liberty or give me death.”
Hill offers Logan two options. One, he can play ball and get immunity for his past actions, or two, he can spend the rest of his natural life, which could be a while, in shackles. Logan fixes Maria Hill with a determined glare. He says he could slice through the shackles he sports, grab her sidearm and shoot his way outta there. Hill replies that the shackles aren’t a fashion statement - they are level 10 power nullifiers. Wolverine replies that it’s a mistake that most people make; to think that just because he has claws, they are the result of a genetic mutation, that they’re a super-power!
He then snikts his claws, destroying the shackles with ease. He then grabs Hill around the neck and grabs her sidearm. A couple of shots take out the window, and Logan then crashes through it, despite the fact that he’s on board a helicarrier and several thousand feet up in the air. As he falls, he knows that this might hurt, especially considering that the collar he wears nullifies his healing factor. He uses his claws to cut through it, as he has a feeling it might soon be needed.
(elsewhere)
Meanwhile, the Damage Control board is meeting with Walter Declun, with Maria Hoag leading the inquisition. She wants him voted off the board, but Declun argues that, since he came on board, the company has shown a record profit in the last three quarters. It’s also shown record gains on the stock exchange and is franchising into three major markets as they speak. Why the hell would the board ever vote to remove him? Maria replies that, even if he wasn’t the lowest form of human life she’s ever encountered, and she’s met the Red Skull, that lack of evolution is starting to impact on the company’s bottom line. Hasn’t he noticed that they’re hemorrhaging so much money and infrastructure, they’re once more flirting with bankruptcy? Declun replies that the problem was a short-term one that has since been ameliorated.
Maria is concerned that the company has shown its dirty laundry to the New York Times, S.H.I.E.L.D. and about five state and federal agencies. Declun says that’s what they have lawyers for. He isn’t exactly trying to win her over. He reminds Maria that her conscience was conspicuously absent over the past three years as he was turning Damage Control’s red ink into black. Where was her righteous indignation and grab for power then? Maria replies that she was waiting for the moment when he and his scumbag supporters started to adversely affect their bottom line, so she could gain the backing of their stockholders. Declun assures her that the only way she’ll remove him as CEO is over his cold dead body.
“Wolverine makes his appearance, having recovered from his fall. The board members rush for the exit, and Declun tells Logan that they’re probably running for a policeman. So, if his plan is to murder him in cold blood, he suggests he do it quick. Logan tells him that it wouldn’t be murder; it would be retribution. And, it wouldn’t be in cold blood, that’s for damn sure. The very last thing he’d dream of doing is doin’ it quick. Declun holds out a pill bottle containing some Mutant Growth Hormone. He assumes that Wolverine won’t mind if he evens things up a little. He swallows some pills and begins to groan as his system adapts to the changes. Logan snikts his claws, and the two men begin to fight.
Their struggle sends them crashing through a window and they fall several floors to the ground. He’d like to compare Declun to a rabid dog, but he’s more than that. He’s evil. He thought through his diabolical plan and carried it out. At the end of the day, he didn’t care about the lives that were lost. He strikes Declun over and over, using his elbows, his feet and his fists to pummel Declun into a stupor. As a shocked crowd watches, Wolverine stands over him with his claws at the ready. He doesn’t hesitate, and shoves his claws straight through Declun’s head, killing him instantly.
(later)
Wolverine returns to Stamford; the scene of Declun’s evil act. Standing with him is Miriam Sharpe, the mother of one of the children killed by Nitro. She asks Logan if he regrets any of the things he’s done since the disaster. Logan replies that maybe he should – but no… no he doesn’t.