Logan is just taking a piss up against the wall when he hears the unmistakable sound of a gunshot.
He doesn't know where he is - he just woke up on the side of the road with no shoes on, oddly - and so he zips up carefully and jogs around the corner, alert.
There. A figure moving overhead, doing some parkour shit on the roof. Logan doesn't bother looking for the body, but tracks the shooter from below. He doesn't have the physique for all that jumping and swinging shit, but he is fast enough, and he's got this guy in his sights now.
Who knew you were a vigilante, the more snide part of his brain says. Shut it, he thinks back, and then gets a bright idea. Still running, he takes his cellphone from his pocket, which he thankfully didn't lose with his shoes, and hits speed-dial. Charles answers after several long rings.
"What?" he asks grumpily. The prof's manners tended to lapse in early mornings.
"Sniper just took out a civilian. Not sure of my location, can you track me and then him?"
Charles yawns down the line. "I'll just go warm up Cerebro. Try not to get killed in the meantime."
Logan hangs up, and spies a fire escape stairs. He flings himself up it, and he's on the roof before long. The shooter is just ahead of him.
"Hey!" he yells, afraid he's going to regret this, but does it anyway. "Stop!"
Surprisingly, the guy does stop, and turns slowly to face Logan. He's got long lank brown hair, and looks half-dead, but Logan's not really looking at that. He's staring at the guy's arm, which is metallic.
The guy pulls out his gun and shoots Logan point blank, without even the preamble or cutting comment Logan has come to expect from these kind of guys.
"Jesus!" Logan yells, staggering back from the force of the shot, which got him in the forearm, but it's nothing that hasn't happened to him before. The bullet pops back out again after a moment, and he can feel the torn muscle reconnecting, the veins and skin healing like it never happened.
The guy doesn't look impressed or scared. He just looks- empty somehow.
Logan, Charles' voice finally says in his head, I can't do anything. His mind is ruined. He's been tortured, wiped. There's nothing there but smoke and shadows.
Logan has never really appreciated the professor's more lyrical side, and this time is no different. This really is not the time for imagery. He sidesteps the next shot just before it comes, and lets his claws come out.
Ring up your boyfriend then. This guy's got a metal arm, surely Magneto can work with that.
The shooter cocks his head at the claws, and then he's moving forward, bringing that metal arm down on Logan. Logan brings his claws up reflexively, and then the guy scowls and grabs his right claw - what the hell is he doing, no-one grabs Wolverine's claws - and squeezes. There's a horrible, jarring sound of metal twisting and bending and Logan yells and the guy squeezes harder.
I'll call Erik, Charles says in his head, sounding worried, but Logan really isn't listening right now. He swipes out with his free hand, but the shooter just twists his body slightly, still holding the claw. Logan can actually feel it twisting out of shape, bending under the pressure and he struggles but he can't get it out of this guy's grip.
"Who the hell are you?" he grunts, and the guy says nothing but pulls at the claw and Logan tips off-balance and then the guy kicks him in the chest, still pulling his arm forward and Logan hasn't been thrashed this badly in years and he yells and the guy just stares at him like he's nothing and then shoves him roughly and Logan falls back.
The guy just walks away then, flipping onto the next roof without even looking back, like he's not even bothered whether Logan follows him or not. Which he does not intend on doing, but still.
Think Magneto will be able to straighten out my claw? he thinks, looking at the now uselessly bent-of-shape hunk of metal coming out of his hand and he hears Charles chuckle in his head.
If you ask him nicely.
Logan and Magneto have had their disagreements in the past, some more violent than others, and he's not looking forward to this conversation.
Shit like this is exactly why I'm not a vigilante, he thinks.
Your shoes are in a dumpster two blocks down, Charles tells him. That's your reward for being a good citizen.
Logan hobbles down from the roof and starts walking towards the bin with his shoes in it. He doesn't have a clue who the guy was, but he doesn't give a rat's ass either. Let Charles and Magneto deal with it. He needs a beer after this ordeal.