Chapter 3
Claws, Metal, and Sarcasm, Oh My!
"Who are you anyways? Since you're in the crime fighting biz you have an alias don't ya?" He asked while we walked down the street. "To tell the truth, I seriously haven't thought of a name yet." It was the truth. Since I had won the battle I felt I could share a little information with him now. I was, after all, going to the school. "So you fight criminals in a costume-" "Duds. I call em' my duds." I interrupted. He shook his head at me. "Crazy Utahan. So you're 'duds' and you don't even have a name for yourself?" "Nope. And you're the crazy Canadian so don't even go there." He was silent then, chastened for a moment. "What's your real name then?" he plowed on, almost seeming hungry for information. "You can call me Mack. That's what I am to everyone else." "Mack? Like the semi truck?" he said teasingly. "No. Mack as in me." I growled. 'Although I could probably hit you as hard as a semi truck.' I thought, laughing at the mental picture. We arrived at the park. "Ready?" I asked. "You bet, kid." We stood at opposite sides of the field. Him at the further side and me at the opposite. "Ready, Set, GO!" I called out. He came charging at me and I ran to meet him. I was disappointed when he kept his claws sheathed. He struck a punch at the left but I ducked before he came into contact, sensing his movements with the earth instinct inside me. I knew about his adamantium bones and claws. I knew if he got in a punch he could break something vital. But I also knew he was pulling his punches, I wasn't some untrained dummy who was four years old. "Why're you pulling your punches? 'Fraid I'll get hurt?" I said, right as I flipped over his head and kicked him squarely in the back. "Yep." "Don't be." I stood still as he whirled around to face me. "Cut me." I said fearlessly. "Are you nuts?" "No, just scratch me and I'll show you what I can do." He looked at me for a moment and then popped one of his claws, grazing my arm, tearing the fabric. "Happy now?" "Just look." He stared at the wound and found it was covered in metal. "What happened?" "I covered it with what your claws are made of. Adamantium." "That's your power? Covering stuff with metals?" "No. I wouldn't be much of a blip if I only did that, would I? Try looking behind you." "What?" he looked back and I pulled back my fist. "There's nothing-" I hit him squarely in the jaw and he flew backwards. He looked up confused. "Why didn't your hand break?" "I cover things with metals, remember?" He smiled grimly, jumped up, and popped the rest of his claws. "Ready now?" I felt the Wolverine wake up inside him and challenge me. I laughed at the beast because how could he hurt what had trained him? I was Mother Earth, I was a warrior and a creator. The little Wolverine was no match for my soul. "Bring it on." I said softly and threateningly. The Wolverine's hair stood on end at my dangerous words, but did not back down. An hour later of pulled punches and no luck, Logan finally jumped at me with his claws full on and found the 'little kid' smiling deviously. The Wolverine saw the threat and tried stopped in it's foolish tracks, but that didn't help Logan none. His expression changed from confidence and rage to fear, but that didn't stop his launch. I covered the air in front of me with adamantium at the last possible second and jumped back. THUMM! I winced. That had to hurt. It didn't do too good with my hearing either. "You okay Wolvie?" Groann "Nice moves kid, you beat me for the time being. Lets go." I rolled my eyes and the adamantium disappeared, letting me see a crumpled Logan at my feet. I could feel my heightened instincts growl a final warning to the defeated Wolverine before retreating back into myself. "Great. Do I need to grab anything?" "No, someone'll be back for it." Logan said, and got back up on his feet. His nose was broken and his face looked a little mushed but he quickly set his nose back and the bruises were going away already. "Great, now everyone will know where I live." "You can trust us kid. You mind dropping your mask so I know who beat me?" His hurt ego demanded he saw who had made the damage. "Sure. I don't think you'll be that happy though." I pulled off the mask covering my face and shook my red hair out. "You probably didn't think a 16 year old girl would beat you in a duel huh?" He looked shocked. "Uh, Logan? Maybe I should have left the mask on..." He just stood there, staring at my face and looking at my, already fading, dark green eyes. "Logan? Are you okay?" (While my training of martial arts were helpful, so were my classes of Hungarian, Japanese, Chinese, and many other languages. I am speaking Hungarian here.) He seemed to snap out of it. "What? Huh? Oh, let's get to the Quinjet. It's parked about 5 blocks from here. Hope you like walking." he said, disorientated by my almost familiar face. 'She looks so much like Jean, but she's not her. She has Jean's hair, but that's about it. And her demeanor is different, it carries her up to the top of the food chain and hints that she's a predator. Her eyes...her eyes are just plain scary.' he thought, taking a glance at my now off white irises. Logan shivered involuntary and set his face in a rough facial expression. "Sure I do, but I think it would be better if I just flew you there instead, because of your injuries and all." I said, taking another poke at his ego. "And how're you gonna do that, Ms. Adamantium? And what injuries?" I glared at him and watched his surprised face as he was picked up by a windstorm. I let another one pick me up. "Your hurt ego and damaged brain. Lead the way Wolvie." I said smiling.