SURVIVOR

Defense Exhibit X: Wolverine

My name is Matutran and I am a Watcher. For a time period beyond your comprehension that has been my station. But it is my time spent litigating on your behalf before the Galactic Council for your continued existence that should interest you most. Yours, humanity's fate was fixed self destruction was upon you. I was chosen to petition the Galactic Council to aid you. They would have to be convinced. It would be the testimonies of those whom you refer to as heroes that would be pivotal. Your reputation is poor throughout reality. I would have you judged by the best amongst you the heroes you have produced. This is how those events unfolded.

The Galactic Council's Hearing on The Humanity Proposal.

Council member 55: Why does the Mighty Matutran speak on the behalf of such wasteful beings. For only one such as yourself could have this great council convene for such utter nonsense. It has been decided long ago upon the extinction of the mortals their roles their space will be filled by beings of greater significance.

Matutran: That great council must never come to pass please bear witness to their trials and tribulations before final judgment is rendered.

Council member 98: How do you presume we do this?

Matutran: Through experience. Humanity is beset by evil and it is true most of it crafted by their own hands. Through experience great council you will come to overstand that humanity possess a light that must not expire. I present the life experiences of James Howelett. Defense exhibit x Wolverine. He is one of the truly noble souls produced by humanity. He is one of humanity's heroes that exemplify the light they possess. I have selected four of his most significant struggles for you all to experience. Watch what I have watched experience what the man known as Wolverine has experienced. For within these struggles you will see how the light of humanity rages against its darkness.

A giant 3D holographic image displays images of Wolverine's life and the council feels and hears all the thoughts that accompany them. And it is Wolverine that narrates the scenes of his life which are displayed before all in attendance.

Scene 1 Location: Vietnam a Vietcong heroin plantation. When: 1968 during the Vietnam War. Wolverine is a part of the Weapon X program. He is a part of Team X. With him is Victor Creed aka Sabretooth. He is Wolverine's greatest antagonist. They are each other's reflection. For more than a hundred years they have shaped the course of each other's lives. And for nearly as often as they have been enemies they have been comrades. During this period Sabretooth is team leader. He is older and more formidable and a psychopathic mass murderer. The teams transportation is provided by Johnny Wraith. He can teleport them to and from their exit points. Wraith has worked with both Sabretooth and Wolverine for team's telepath is Juan Santi aka Tripmine. He provides cover, recon and communications. He is a sadist. Not having someone to properly train him in his abilities has proven costly. Juan has been unable to let go of the madness he has exposed himself to. The team's muscle and clean up man is Landon Jones aka Nails. He possesses enhanced strength, bulletproof skin, and he never gets tired. He is named Nails because he is the final nail in the coffin. This is war and war is big business. Team X's mission is to kill every Vietcong soldier. Secure the poppy fields and prepare the slave labor force for new management.

Wolverine: (Narrating) This is a period of my life I was fighting for control of my mind. Under the control of Weapon X, I was a living weapon that killed anything they pointed me at. False memory implants, memory wipes and constant manipulation kept me off balance. Always fighting to survive kept me from breaking free. Still I rebelled and that didn't go unnoticed. Black ops like this is why I'm so valuable. That is why Vic is my handler, and he has to put a stop to it. This mission presents me with an opportunity. We're mutants and we're well trained. This is an operation where a small team that's able to neutralize the enemy while protecting the environment is vital. Vic is the man with the plan. In war, in hell he feels right at home, we all do. So this is what went down. Wraith brings us to the show and Trip sets the stage. Tripmine projects the illusion that the compound is under attack by American forces. It takes him just under ten minutes to enter 125 minds and the Vietcong begin killing each other. Vic's motto is everyone gets dirty, so Wraith has to collect his own guns from the enemy. He has to stay behind and watch over Trip. Vic didn't allow any weapons on this op. He doesn't want us getting soft with such luxuries. Besides Wraith's got a kill count of 20. If he doesn't kill at least 20 he gets a penalty. A penalty from Vic could leave you headless. Teleporting in to get some tools gives Wraith a chance to meet his quota. He has to be finish before Trip is done with his spell casting and be back on security detail for Tripmine. Makes sense because one is the transit the other the conductor. They ride the sidelines for the most part. Then me and Vic go in. It's a massacre and it gets worse when Nails comes in batting clean up. Vic tells Trip to pull out so he can focus on the merchandise. Also so the Vietcong will put up a better fight. Vic gives us four hours to kill all the soldiers. Trip has to calm down about seventy field workers we don't need them running, they belong to someone else now just like the dope. There are a lot of reasons why Vic is Weapon X's number one overseer. It doesn't take much for Vic to go to crazy town. As bad as a lineup Weapon X has everyone knows he will kill you on a whim. So you do what he says. But the only way out for me is through him. They've scrambled my head so bad I don't really know how old I am. I got decades I can't account for. But they don't mess with the skills. Vic and me go way back and he's better. He is the best at doing what we do. And he and Weapon X has me under their thumb. I hear the heartbeats of fifty three soldiers left. Vic has managed to put us in a bottle neck situation on purpose. We are in hallway with enemies in front and behind. The Vietcong think they got us. All they have to do is play firing squad. And they do, wave after wave. Hundreds of rounds get tossed at us. Vic is laughing his ass off.

Sabretooth: They got balls, they got spines. I'll add them to my collection. You got balls to Logan what you waiting on an invitation. Well you got one. Victor Creed, Sabretooth begins to rip to shreds the Vietcong. The soldiers' attack points are not only in front and behind Team X but from above as well. There is a floor directly above them where soldiers can fire from above. As Nails takes the rear Wolverine takes the front. Sabretooth climbs the walls taking heavy gunfire. He leaps into the gunfire and mauls the soldiers on the second floor. One begins to throw a grenade at him. Creed grabs the soldier's hand keeping him from throwing it. The grenade explosion engulfs them both. As his healing factor takes care of his wounds he sits perched on the railings looking down on Nails and Wolverine.

Sabretooth: Look at you go boy you're the best I've trained Logan. And you want to leave me. You belong to me boy and you always will. You think your better than me Logan. You got near a century of blood on your hands. You're a killing machine and I know where your on button is. He shots Wolverine in the head to drive him into a berserker rage. He then dives from the railing landing on top of Wolverine driving his head into the floor. He continues to knee Wolverine's right arm until he breaks it. He then grabs a M-16 and shots the arm off at the elbow. Wolverine jumps and flips behind Nails and grabs him by the arm. He swings Nails with such force and hits Sabretooth with Nails driving him through the cement wall of the hallway. As soon as the claws on his right arm grow back he pops them as the rest of the arm begins to regenerate.

These types of altercations happen often between Wolverine and Sabretooth. Sometimes Creed just loses it. And Wolverine is the only thing that stands between him and unsanctioned kills. But all of Team X take note that this time is different. Nails now more than ever knows that stopping those bloodbaths was just an excuse. Wolverine does this to learn how to kill Creed. Every time Wolverine and Sabretooth have battled it has ended with Wolverine receiving a savage beating. And its time to see how much Wolverine has learned from the last time. It was this battle that changed things. For now on if Sabretooth is going to beat Wolverine he would have to kill him.

Scene 2. Time: 1993 During the Morlock Mutant Massacre. Location: The sewers of New York city.

Wolverine: (Narrating) Mister Sinister wanted the mutants called the Morlocks who live in the sewers dead. He sent a team of mutant mercenaries known as the Marauders to do it. They are led by Sabretooth. I was a member of the X-Men and we were trying to save as many as we could. We were providing security for an exodus. It came down to me to stop Sabretooth from killing everyone in the triage area we set up for the wounded. Because of Weapon X we didn't remember much about each other then. But there are some things that stay with a person no matter what.

Matutran: Here great council we have a true glimpse into the souls of humanity. We have evil ready to strike the defenseless. We have a hero conflicted with his own darkness. And we have many lives that hang in the balance. Heroes are characterized by their abilities and the occasions that inspire them to overcome their weakness. This is a conflict where the light refuses to surrender to the darkness.

Sabretooth: This gig just keeps getting better. I hope you remember how much I want to kill you.

Wolverine: You read my mind. Wolverine pops his admantium claws.

Sabretooth: I knew you were going to go all Edward Scissorhands on me. He rips a chunk of cement out of the sewer wall and throws it at Wolverine's head. Wolverine headbutts it into two pieces.

Sabretooth: You've gotten slow.

Wolverine: You're getting an autopsy. He impales Sabretooth through both his palms. Creed is covered in the dried blood of his victims. Wolverine then impales Sabretooth through both knees. Wolverine shoves his right fist into Sabretooth's mouth and pops his claws. They come out of the back of Sabretooth's neck.

Wolverine: Shhh not a word, don't ruin it this been along time coming. With Sabretooth on his knees Wolverine punches and stabs him throughout his back, chest, arms and face. And as much as Wolverine wants this kill to savor it he cannot. If he stays here he can't help with the Morlock evacuation. Creed is not alone and the wounded need as much distance from them as possible. Stay and finish Sabretooth means someone else is going to die. Wolverine brings down part of the cement ceiling on top of Creed burying him. He then leaves to help his fellow X-Men.

Scene 3 Time: 1984. Location: Tokyo, Japan penthouse hotel suite at the Hilton.

Wolverine (Narrating) The Hand has found one of their greatest foes. Tian Xi of the Chaste. They have him cornered in a high rise penthouse hotel room. They have sent a team of Hand ninjas led by Sabretooth to kill him. Tian Xi is an old friend and he wanted me there when they came. And not for the reason I assumed. He never found a worthy student to pass on to his vast knowledge. So he choose me. For whoever killed him would receive all of his martial skill. I make it quick and painless. Sabretooth and company walk in just as I finish the deed. I hear my friend Xi's voice within me and he tells me not to use my claws. Not to use my rage. Use what he has given me. I pick up Xi's katana sword and I oblige him.

Matutran: Notice Great Council what has transpired here. Through the death of a friend our hero has come to recognize the power of reason. There was a reason his friend chose him to inherit these gifts. Up to this point rage has been Wolverine's foremost strength. His will to overcome. Now instinct gives way to thought, anger gives way to reason.

Sabretooth: I'll be waiting on the roof.

Wolverine: Not for long bub. Wolverine kills thirty members of the Hand in less than fifteen minutes.

Wolverine: We got a lot of history Creed. You really should have killed me when you had the chance. As Sabretooth charges him, Wolverine hits him with four poison darts. He flips over Sabretooth throwing four more darts in midair all finding there mark.

Wolverine: Your emotions have gotten the better of you old man. He dodges everyone of Sabretooth's attacks the poison has slowed him down considerably. He then cuts off Sabretooth's right arm at the elbow and impales him through the chest. He leaves the katana blade in Sabretooth's chest.

Wolverine: If your still down there when I get down there I'll put you out your misery. He then pushes Sabretooth off the top of the building's roof and he lands in a car.

Scene 4. Time 1901. Location: The frontier lands of Alberta, Canada.

Wolverine: Two days ago Creed beat me and threw me off a cliff. Before that he told me if I survived and made it back to my home before he got there he wouldn't kill everyone in my adopted tribe. When I got there everyone was dead. And Creed was still there. The beating he gave me pushed my healing factor to its limit. I was young. I asked him to kill me.

Sabretooth: I'm not killing you boy. You're the son I'll never have. Your beautiful. I'm going to put you to work.

Matutran: Heroes, above all else are survivors. No, James Howelett, call him Logan or Wolverine is not the greatest hero produced by humanity. He is their greatest survivor. He conquered not only the evil around him but within as well. And it is this moment that is the foundation of his strength.