Year: 1965

Location: Long Binh, Vietnam


Logan, along with Victor had focused their attention to the entrance of the door as it opened. In an instant, they had wondered as to what would become of them. Just then a man in a traditional higher class military outfit with specks of white in his hair entered the cell but was cautious to stay at the entrance, albeit the handcuffed mutants.

"The warden tells me that your sentence was carried out by a firing squad at 1000 hours. How'd that go?" said the unfamiliar voice.

"It tickled," Logan replied nonchalantly.

Logan had turned to his brother who was playing with a white mouse on his shoulders and shook his head slightly while returning his gaze back to the man. There wasn't a very good feeling emitting from the man as he removed his shades to look at them. It felt more as if he was inspecting them.

The unknown man had spoke up again, "My name is Major William Stryker. You boys tired of running? Tired of denying your true nature? Tired of wars?"

Now it was Victor's turn to speak, "Why do you care?"

"Oh, I care. I care because I know how valuable you are. I'm putting together a special team, with special privileges. So tell me, after defending this country for 150 years and 4 wars, how would you like to really serve your country?"

Victor's expression held a hint of curiousness as he smirked. He nodded to the man known as Major William Stryker while on the other hand, Logan wasn't too sure of what the man had to offer. All he wanted to do was escape and go back to Mara. He sighed. He had no choice but to go along with his brother.

Stryker smiled triumphantly as his plan to recruit the two powerful mutants had been successful.

"Where do you think you're going little brother?" Victor questioned Logan.

"None of your goddamn business," Logan said gritting his teeth.

Victor had approached him menacingly as he accused Logan with a dangerous voice, "You're going to see that pathetic human woman aren't you?"

Logan hadn't replied, thus ignoring him and started walking away. Victor hadn't gone after him.

"You better be back tomorrow at sunrise!" Logan had heard him shout.

2 days before

This was the last day of Mara's volunteer nursing services in Long Binh,Vietnam and still, no signs of Logan. More and more wounded had been sent in the day before and this had taken such an emotional toll on Mara and the rest of the nurses. She had spent most of her time writing letters for the patients and could not find it in herself to help this one man who couldn't talk because he had been shot in the jaw and head. Gladly, Sally had taken over for her while she took a break to walk around the hospital visiting other recovering men and for three straight days, the Red Cross 'Donut Dolly' volunteers had to stay overnight at the hospital for the ongoing monsoon weather. They had provided the soldiers with kool-aid and games to help take the men's mind off war. What a great way to leave Vietnam with the picture of smiling soldiers.

She hated herself for getting in too deep with Logan. Maybe what Victor said was right. Maybe Logan just loved seducing nurses and leaving them to pine and long for him. Maybe Logan wasn't right for her. Afterall, already 4 months had passed and not a single visit or letter. 'Where is he?' was the question that was constantly plagued her mind.

At eight-o clock in the evening, trucks were sent to the evacuation hospital to transport some of the volunteer American nurses from the year before to the Ton Son Nhut Air Base. Then from the air base, a plane would be taken back to the United States.

Logan arrived to the evacuation hospital hoping to find Mara but instead left disappointed to find out that she had already left. He was angry and frustrated and it was entirely his brother's fault. If he hadn't attacked that woman none of this would have ever happened. He would have gone back to her sooner and she wouldn't have left so soon. Why did he always have to pay the consequences of his brother's wrong doings?

Leaving the hospital to get back to the area where Stryker had told them to stay he suddenly stopped his tracks in the forest. He started to contemplate on whether he should or shouldn't leave his brother and go after Mara. Victor could surely handle himself, afterall he's the eldest. Just then,he then remembered Stryker who was the reason they were out of the cell.

'Ah screw him,' Logan thought.

He would be taking a big chance for her and this chance was worth taking. The only downside was where exactly she was in New Jersey. He would have to make amends with Mara's friend Sally who was still in the hospital. Maybe she would have her address.

Running back to the hospital, he located Sally who looked very frightened and angry to see him.

"Hi Sally," he greeted her. "I know we didn't get along very well the first time I met you and I hope things could be different. So how about we introduce ourselves one more time?" he asked, giving her a polite smile.

Suddenly her expression changed into a scowl as she lunged at him, her small hands trying to cause damage to his chest. "You horrible horrible monster!" His eyes widened in surprise but let her do that for he felt he deserved it. She calmed herself down and glared at him.

"Do you have any idea how angry I feel because of you? You made my best friend isolate herself from everyone here and a few weeks ever since you've left, she hasn't been herself! You monster! How could you just leave her like that?"

"That's why I came here! I'm going to go find her in New Jersey. Sally, you have no idea how guilty I feel but believe me when I tell you this, it wasn't my fault for coming back so late-"

"But you're a strong m-mutant-You can just kill someone easily and just-"

"She told you?"he asked surprisingly.

"I- I found out accidentally," she confessed.

"Well, you were bound to know one way or another. So please, Sally, I need her address so I can tell her everything," Logan pleaded.

She nodded and smiled. "That's so sweet. I wish it were like that with me and Victor. You know, then we'll all go out on a double date! How fun would that be?"

Logan smiled hesitantly. "That would be…fantastic!"

She could sense his unenthused tone and rolled her eyes while getting a journal from her purse. She took out a pen and started to write Mara's address onto the empty blank sheet of paper and then handed it back to Logan and placed it in his jean pocket.

"Thank-you," Logan said.

Just then, the last person he expected to see was blocking the entrance of the hospital.

"Leaving so soon little brother?" Victor said.

"V—V..Victor?" Sally stuttered and was frozen on spot.

Victor walked to her and licked his lips and violently grabbed her hair while slamming his lips down to hers. It sickened Logan to see his brother dominate the powerless girl so easily.

"Mm—"Sally struggled. He cut off her circulation for a few seconds.

"Victor, stop it," Logan said gravely. "VICTOR!"

He heard Sally gasp for breath as he let her go.

"You're nothing to me," Victor said to Sally while looking at her straight in the eyes.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she told him, "You bastard. You downright evil monster!" She wiped the few tears that dropped and flipped her hair at Victor while turning to Logan. "Hmmph!"

"Logan, I'll see you around," was her last words before she walked away.

"See Logan? Me and you aren't that different! We're both monsters!" Victor laughed.

Logan became startled as a man with a cowboy outfit teleported into the room. "Would you guys mind hurrying it up a bit? Stryker's getting impatient." And with that, the man disappeared.