The crowd was going when the fourth band came on stage at the local bar, which was in New York City. The bar was called Gold. It was a place where people could go and hear death metal bands perform. Since this type of genre wasn't played much on the radio waves, it was the only way they could get heard. A small group stood near the stage, watching and listening to the current band, which had a female singer. She was pounding it hard as she spoke the lyrics deep and strong, and getting everyone around into it. A man in the crowd stood a ways back, listening. He was also taking the patrons in, watching as some of them drank their beers and trying to talk over all the hard guitars and bass. He noticed a young woman looking his way; she was over at one of the pool tables, checking him out. When she saw him look at her, she decided to walk over with beer in hand.
"This your first time up here?" she asked him, seeing that he looked more punkish then metal, with the Mohawk and all.
"Yeah." He told her, still looking towards the stage, where the female was jumping up and down to the music while screaming into the mic.
"You got a girlfriend?" she asked while touching his shoulder. He looked down to her, as she had to be five four.
"Not at the moment." He informed her as he slowly pushed her hand away.
"Oh, too bad." She told him. " 'cause you're kinda cute." She added, trying to get close.
"I think you may have had one too many beers." He told her as he once again had to push her away. The band finished up and he took the opportunity to walk away. "If you'll excuse me." He told her as he started to make his way back to the front.
As he made his way to the front, a female who was near the stage, talking to the singer, he noticed. She was familiar, very familiar. He knew who it was, but he never thought he would see her again, not to mention in a place like this. He began to walk to her, like he was in a trance. She wore a Goth like dress.
"Kim?" he asked as he touched her shoulder. She turned around and was taken back.
"Daken?" she said. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. It had been almost two years since they seen each other. She hugged him, which took him back a bit, as he thought she still hated him for what he did.
"Just trying to get away." He told her as he let her hug him. She saw what she did and quickly backed away, embarrassed. The singer who was next to her, saw. "Oh, this is Nikki. Nikki this is Daken." She quickly said, introducing each other. They both waved to each other. He then took Kim by her arm.
"Can we talk?" he asked her as he slowly pulled her away.
"Sure." She said as he dragged her outside.
"What's happened to you?" he asked her, seeing a total new woman. Kim wasn't herself. She no longer had blonde hair, but black. And she was so gothed out, she could have been Satan's daughter, but he still knew it was Kim Briggs, the one he fell in love with two years ago.
"After I killed my father, I was lost. Almost insane. Until Nikki found me. We met here, actually. She helped me control the feelings I felt with music. And in return, I've supported her band." Kim told him. "What about you? You still killing people for money?" she asked.
"I'm an Avenger now." He told her. "I have a place to stay and everything."
"You mean, the one Norman Osborn runs?" she asked him.
"That would be the one." He said as he glanced to the ground before looking at her.
"Then that means….you're Wolverine."
"Don't remind me." He told her. He saw it in her eyes and answered before she could say anything. "Yes, Wolverine is my father."
"That's what I thought, when I saw the claws. But wasn't sure." She told him.
"I'm sure you got a boyfriend and…." He began to say as she cut him off.
"Actually, I don't have a boyfriend." She told him, now trying not to look at him. But she found herself looking him in his eyes instead. "I couldn't be with anyone else. I….." she started. "I kept finding myself…..thinking of you."
"Really?" he said, surprised.
"Daken, I know you killed my boyfriend, at the time, and I understand why now. Nikki explained it to me. And….I forgive you." She told him.
"This, Nikki, is she your new Trish?"
"Yes. Trish moved. She's living over in California now. We don't talk much anymore. Almost been a year now."
"I'm sorry." He told her.
"Daken, have you…..been thinking about….me?" she asked him.
"Not recently. But I did. When you left me behind." He told her.
"I'm sorry." She said to him. He laughed and she was confused.
"It's ok. All in the past now." He told her. "How about we start new?"
"That sounds good." She said with a smile. He then began to take a small piece of paper out of his jeans pocket.
"You got a pen?" he asked her.
"No. But I can run in and get one. One sec." she told him as she ran. A few moments later she came out, pen in hand. She gave it to him. He wrote down a number that she could get him at. His cell phone number. He gave it to her and smiled.
"Call me. Don't be afraid to call me, either. If I don't answer my phone right away, then I'm saving the world. Which I hate at times." He told her with a laugh. She smiled as she looked at the small piece of paper.
"Thanks." She said to him. "You want to go back in and listen to the last two bands play?" she asked him.
"Sure." He said to her as he followed her back into the bar.