Age of Wolverine
What if...
...Magneto stayed loyal to his long time friend, Charles Xavier, and helped to form and train the X-men? And there were still those who saw human domination of the earth as a threat to all mutants? What is one of those was a gifted warrior and leader, known by the name Wolverine...
Logan studied the map tacked to the wall across from him. Pins marked the location of forces, friends, enemies, and traitors. He'd rather have used the computers, but they'd only arrived last night, and the old fashioned way worked well enough to fight hundreds of wars. His could survive without monstrous computer screens. He had his laptop at one elbow, a pad and pen at the other.
In another era, he'd have sat upon a throne, possibly of skulls. That would have been so very uncomfortable. He much preferred the now. Nine ergonomic, high backed chairs surrounded an oval shaped conference table. His black polo shirt strained against his movements, tailored to fit his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A complex watch was around his left wrist; sunglasses were in the open collar of his shirt. He wore a short, square cut beard. He could have blending into a corporate boardroom as a power broker, or into a low barroom full of cowboys, lumberjacks and oilfield roughnecks. His age was indeterminate- he could have been a hard living 30 or a well maintained 50, but maybe he was as ageless and eternal as the sky.
There was a subtle throat clearing. "Sire, you had asked to see me?"
"Yes, Destiny. I'm sorry about the sudden relocation, were you able to move your library?" His seer was someone he treated with kid gloves. She had foreseen the possible futures- angering her might cause her to leave something out, and he didn't like having bad intelligence.
"Yes. And the quarters for Mystique and I are quite suitable, thank you." A few hundred years ago, she'd have worn robes and had a pet owl. She was instead dressed in a crisply tailored suit. In this sanctuary, she did not hide her eyes. Her special vision was respected among them. "If you've summoned me, I foresee a question in my future."
He smiled. Destiny's sense of humor was dry, mostly irony. "Yes. With Xavier dead, what price to the morale of the X-Men?"
The blind woman reached into her jacket, taking out a deck of cards marked in braille. She laid them out, according to the patterns of the Tarot. Running her fingers over them, she hissed. "They will retreat into their cave, but only to regroup. Already Magneto is planning to-"
Logan's feet left the floor as his chair snapped back. "DAMN YOU TOAD!" Reaching for the back of his chair, he grabbed the little thief by the front of his tunic, throwing the kid aside. He glared at his court jester. "How many times have I told you not to do that?" The last time there had been special demolitions charges on the table. Soviet surplus, just little ones. Sure, they were designed to be abused by infantrymen, but even a small nuke was nothing to screw around near.
"I'm sorry, Master." The froglike mutant cowered pitifully before him. He'd seen what happened to others who'd angered his lord and master. He bowed his head to the worn carpeting, sniveling. "I just wanted to see."
"Then you stand up on your feet like a person! And ask permission before you peek. Destiny, do you have a potion that requires the eyes of a toad?" The flare of anger was hot within Logan, but it wasn't entirely truthful. The little runt needed manners; they'd finally convinced him that soap and hot water on a regular basis wouldn't kill him. A proper upbringing would have given him that.
"No, my Lord. But I'm sure things will change." She had the unnerving habit of finding someone she was talking to, looking into their eyes with her blind ones. They found Toad's- her annoyance was heartfelt. "Run away, little fool, because I know that Remy has a recipe for frog legs!"
Remy, an interesting case. He'd recruited the thief for his mutant abilities and found a liaison with an underworld that stretched from to all points east of the Mississippi. But Destiny saw potential with the cards- a seer that could go into the field was certainly something that could improve their abilities. Although perhaps it was his attraction to Destiny and Mystique's foundling, Rogue, rather than any true ability that led to the attention. Logan knew he'd have to be careful with those two- ambitious, powerful and intelligent, they were one of his best teams. If they wanted his throne, they could potentially succeed. They had sworn loyalty to him, but he'd broken oaths himself.
He'd told them they could one day have all of the South as their province when he ruled North America. But if they could have it all... The way to ensure their loyalty was with loyalty. Rogue and Remy were honorable, they wanted to protect mutants like themselves and the best way was to beat the normals. Rogue's two mothers were possibly a different story, but they would hold follow him so long as he was strong.
Destiny stroked the cards with her fingers. "Magneto... he plans to rise again. He consults with his political allies. They may pledge mundane troops to him, but it will take time. Already, public faces point the blame for our latest incident to unnamed others. If he gets what he seeks, then he shall undo all that we have accomplished when he declares the existence of mutants to the world."
He sighed, his brow knitting under the weight of a crown he didn't wear yet. "If they are disorganized, then perhaps now is the time to strike, Destiny."
She smiled coldly, laying out more cards. The milky-grey eyes twinkled. "Yes, my Lord, striking now will remove Xavier's children from the board as an organized force. But it must be soon, with the suddenness of the viper's fang."
"Then we will need cannon fodder." His fingers pressed to the earpeice he wore. It didn't have much range, but it had a lot of encryption. Every so often he'd half heard a whisper from it, but he'd not consciously heard the messages not for him. "Pietro, Wanda, could you come to the war room please? Quickly. Break. All senior staff to the war room in five minutes for conference. Logan out."
He nodded with the acknowledgments, unaware of his reaction. He'd led the Brotherhood of Mutants well these past years, he and his mate. Their daughters would grow up safe and unafraid, part of the leadership of a brave new world. A world they were making. Most of those here wanted to create a world were the mutants ruled and were protected from the common, normal humans. They agreed with his vision. But the first two just wanted to piss off their old man. And their personal life was... disturbing. He would deal with his courier and sorceress first.
There was a gust of wind as a green and red object streaked into the room. It resolved into two forms, one being carried by the other. The Red Witch kissed Quicksilver's cheek as she hoped down. Pietro blurred towards the map on the wall, studying it for a second, seeing how their forces were arrayed. "So, got a job for us, Bossman?"
Wanda at least had the sense to bow politely. "How may we serve, Lord Wolverine?"
"Go to the Morlocks. Tell Evan we will call for his people very soon. They should prepare for an assault on the Xavier Institute. And if they are very good, I will return Caliban to them."
"But... Caliban likes it here. He doesn't want to go back to the sewers."
Logan smirked. The finder had been easy enough to recruit. Real food, money, and if he accidentally broke the occasional hooker, no one minded so long as they didn't find leftovers in weird places. Give the man cash, fresh fruit and his own refrigerator and he was happy. "You don't tell them that. Let them think he is my hostage. And remind Evan that Storm is still out there- but be sublte. Ask Spyke how his scars feel."
Wanda smiled. That lightening strike hadn't been from Evan's aunt, but from her spell. "Yes, my Lord."
"Once you have completed that, find where Trask is building his latest toy. I want to borrow it from him when we move."
Peitro giggled. He like Trask's robots, too slow to hit him, too weak to survive his sister, but they could pound on the X-geeks. "Anything else sir? A pizza from Lombardi's? Something from Katz's Deli? Broadway tickets?"
"Don't get cute with me, boy!" Logan's fist banged down on the table top. Unlike with Toad, Logan's frustration with Quicksilver was quite real. "If you think I will suffer fools patiently, ask Creed." The ability to heal almost any wound included severed limbs. But when you'd been cut down to a torso that fit in a small metal trunk, there was no room to grow. Things broke and twisted freakishly. Sabertooth's moaning and banging in the steel prison unnerved those transporting him during this last relocation.
Wanda placed a hand over her brother's lips as she lowered her head. "We beg your forgiveness, Lord Wolverine. Pietro meant nothing by it. I shall discipline him for his outburst."
"Very well, I shall take his wit in the spirit it was intended." Yes, those two were a dagger aimed at the small of his back. He'd have to deal with them harshly one day soon. With luck, their own father would have to do it in battle. It would be delicious, seeing him slay his own children, the killers of his oldest friend. It would destroy Magneto. "Go now."
This time they both bowed. As they left, they paused in the doorway to let Rogue pass. She was now safe to touch, after Jean Grey had been consumed. It had been life altering for her. But she was still more than able to suck the life out of someone with a touch.
"Hi sis!" Both of the Maximoffs spoke in chorus. "Bye sis!"
"Ah ain't your sister, you misbegotten freaks!" Rogue truly disliked them. She was willing to drain them dry and add their powers to her own, but honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted those two in her head. The idea made her want to take her skin off and get it dry cleaned. They weren't her siblings. She was Mystique's foster daughter, but these two were no kin of hers.
"Hey, you should be nicer to me! I'm the fastest thing on two feet; it might be dangerous to piss me off Rogue."
"Ah'm sure yah sister knows all about how fast ya are."
"At least I can get touched without pretending to be someone else." Wanda's eyes flashed with anger. This had been brewing for months. A normal catfight with high school girls was usually either funny or vicious. With supervillianesses, it had a habit of being hard on property values.
"ENOUGH!" Logan came to his feet. The vein in his temple was throbbing, he could feel the start of a migraine. His claws were out. "I am not taking over this world to put up with your petty childish squabbles! Pietro, Wanda, I gave you orders. Add this to them- I'm sick of your shit, and it will end NOW!"
"Yes, Mi'Lord!" With a flash, they were gone. Green and red, black and white, these were the colors Logan had associated with Christmas. The association had killed his holiday spirit. That, and what they considered suitable holiday décor was macabre, even to his hardened heart. Their voices were clear in the hallway. "Bye Momma Mystie!"
"Rogue, I expect better of you. As does our Lord." Destiny had sat through the exchange. As quiet as she was, if she sat still, some people seemed to not be able to see her. Did they think that blindness equaled deafness- she didn't know.
"Ah'm sorry, Wolverine, Mom. They just... you know." She slumped for a second, then stood up straighter. "The generators check out, an' the fuel and water tanks. We lost some of the siege supplies from mice, but we can eat them to if we hafta."
Logan nodded, accepting the apology and her report.
Mystique was still glowering when she entered the room. That she hadn't drawn the heavy pistol at her side was a sign she was in reasonably good mood, or the ammunition situation was dire. She wasn't above wasting a round or two to drive away that annoyance. Yes, she'd married Magneto. He was charismatic. He was attractive. He was rich. He was soft. Her stepbrats liked to remind her of that mistake. But he wasn't willing to go far enough. She divorced him with a shotgun- fortunately he'd been fast enough to survive, but only barely. Mother and daughter made eye contact and they shared an eyeroll.
Logan stroked his beard- now that he thought about it, Destiny looked very happy with herself. His arsenal was fine. Her nod to him confirmed it. She didn't have to say anything if there wasn't need, it was acceptable- after what had happened, Mystique rarely spoke.
Toad wheeled in a coffee service, dragging an office chair behind him. He'd heard his master's bellow at the Terrible Twins- there was pretty good odds another chair had gone to the furniture Valhalla. They were just the right size to be used as projectiles when punctuation was needed. That the current one survived was a sign of two things. One, the anger management books were helping. Two, Toad could sit down. Not just his master's courtly fool, he was his Lord's valet. Gas, food, travel routes that didn't group them too close but kept the guerrillas close enough break roadblocks and jails if needed, these mechanics of the relocation had been his duties and he was tired. Toad needed a servant of his own. Or a clone.
Remy slipped into the conference room without a whisper. He took the chair next to Rogue's, and her hand. "Mon ami, 'der are no bugs or cam'ras to be found. All Ah foun' was some empty beer cans an signs of a camp fire- kids. Don't recommend usin' that spot for a fire from now on." From the size of the smile, you could guess the amount of explosives he'd left there in case someone did reuse it- more than enough.
Right behind him was the reason Wolverine never changed course. She could sooth his savagery with a touch, one often needed lest his temper take them someplace other than victory. She'd been called many things; Silver Fox was but one of her names. She had been born to live forever, but she had also undergone genetic therapy with Logan's healing factor. Logan stood, embracing her, whispering his name for her. "My Lady." She kissed him lightly. "My Lord."
They did what they did out of love for their own kind. They would be merciful on the humans when they ruled. They would be spoken of for centuries, in the same manner as Ghengis Khan or Alexander the Great or Napoleon.
There was a muted bang as the last of the inner circle joined them. Kurt Darkholme unwrapped himself from his two passengers, Laura and Katrina, the daughters of Lord and Lady Wolverine. He took a seat, careful to stain nothing with his greasy hands before being offered a towel by Toad. The motor pool was in good shape, they'd brought out all but the largest of the drones. All the vehicles were fueled, armed, and bedded down under visual and thermal camouflage nets.
The twins approached their father with a casualness only they could show. Laura was physically stronger, Kat the wiser, but to the eyes of a normal human the differences were infinitesimal. Kat pushed her hair back from her face. "Hi Daddy. The servers are set up, and the network will be 100% this evening. We have satellite links coming online within the hour, and the electronic defenses have already been tested on the landline. I think we smoked a hacker ranch in China." She giggled in a manner completely out of character with the claws she could unsheathe, or the compact submachine gun slung from her shoulder. Even painted pink, there was no hiding the lethality of the small weapon.
Laura was the taciturn one, only her Toady and bloodshed made her smile. "Sentries are posted and the basic boobytraps are out. I have teams fortifying fighting positions within the building and heavy weapons pits outside." Her claws were the match of her sister's, but she wore armour that she only needed to improve her viciousness, not to save her life, and a combat harness bristling with weapons. A string of scalps hung from her shoulder.
They had joined him at this hidden stronghold. A shadow company had bought this hotel years ago, in a poor town at the base of what had once been a ski resort. Time and the interstate had passed it by. He'd paid cash, and made sure that everyone had something better to think about than the mysterious owners of a hotel that never opened but was always maintained. They also hadn't seemed to notice when four jetcopters and a convoy of vans, SUVs and two trucks had come in the night.
His soldiers were around them, preparing for the battle they craved. Not just mutants, but mercenaries and the disaffected. Some were like the Maximoffs, fighting to feed their own madness. The promise of riches and positions of lesser power in the future called some. Others were drawn to their Lord's message, a new messiah for a coming dark age. Many of those believed that he would gift his most loyal human followers with an upgrade. It was whispered that there was a way to make them mutants. They were his most fanatical, they would die by the dozens to show their worthiness. He loved them for it.
Those in this room were not merely his soldiers. They was his commanders, his circle of advisers. Without them, over half a century of planning and fighting would be for naught. They'd been with him through blood, mud and fire, danced and sang with him in victory, and fled in the night when standing on shaky ground. Yes, some of them were ambitious enough for any ten men, but he could never rule without advisers and leaders he could trust.
Lord Wolverine beamed as he tapped his earpeice, tieing it into the loud speakers through out the complex. He faced the room, arms spread wide, expansive. "Welcome, my Brotherhood of Mutants. My friends! Today marks the beginning of the end of the old order. We have already slain traitors to mutantkind, and while they grow weaker, we grow stronger by the day. They think we are disorganized, that we are in retreat, but each of you has told me that we anything but. In five days time we will strike again at the X-men, and we will destroy them once and for all."
"A year from now, the humans shall know the true meaning of evolution!"
---Author's Notes:
I'm not sure if there will be more here. There may well be.
Who chose to stand with Lord Wolverine, and who followed the soft path preached by Professor X and Magneto? And why did Magnus stay with Charles, rather than taking the path of megalomania that we all know so well? I know I've got a lot of "what happened" in here, and if you think it was on purpose, yep.
And for those of us who haven't been around half of forever, Silver Fox was part of the Weapon X program, without her memories of having been Logan's lover in the early 20th century. After the first team scattered, she ended up as Madame Hydra on Earth-616 (the main Maverl'verse) for a time; it is unknown if the parallel for the Evo'verse has the same chain of events. If she and Logan are lovers again on this Earth, and Creed was part of the team until he pissed off Logan too many times, did anyone else from the Weapon X program survive and join Lord and Lady Wolverine?
And Laura and Kat are a bit older than we see them in the Evo'verse- around 20.
