Canadian Rocky Mountains
The scream of a hawk broke the silence of the cold Canadian afternoon. The scream echoed off the nearby mountains and sent a small flock of songbirds take to the sky. The wolf the hawk was following looked up at. The hawk landed on a large tree branch. It watched the wolf turn and look at it again. It called again at the wolf.
The wolf shook its head. Stupid hawk, it thought,. Never leaves me alone. How am I supposed to find her with it yelling at me all the time. The wolf broke into a run continuing its hunt. It hoped the hawk didn't follow it. The hawk called again, but it didn't follow.
A new scent caught the wolf off guard. The scent was familiar, but something the wolf hadn't smelt in years. The wolf stopped and starting turning next in a slow circle. He was close. If she found him, he'd be in trouble. He might be able to fight, but she had always been able to sneak up on him. The wolf had to find him before she did.
Snowflakes hit the wolf's head. Grand, just what it didn't need. The wolf looked up at the sky again this time noticing the clouds. There was a blizzard coming. And that was bad news for the source of the smell.
Logan had had to leave the motorcycle hidden along the side of the road. He'd hide it in a bush, then had began his trek to his destination on foot. That had been two days ago. He was close now. Three weeks ago he'd left the Xavier Mansion to find the answers to his past. Now he was closer than he had ever thought possible. The installation was just over the next hill.
He'd found an outcropping of rocks to build his shelter from the blizzard from. He knew Canadian blizzards could last for days, but he wasn't concerned. He'd lived through them before. Now would be no different.
The howl of a wolf made him raise his head from the sleeping bag. A pack was out hunting. Logan wasn't concerned. If the pack tried to hunt him it would have another thing coming. He settled back down into his sleeping bag.
A half hour later, Logan was awakened by another wolf howl. This time the wolf was joined by others. And the whole group was close. The sleepiness was gone in an instant and he was on his feet. In the moonlight he could see them. There were at least ten in his field of vision, but his nose told him there were more nearby. Two of the wolves started towards him. He popped his claws.
The wolf on the right jumped at him. Logan slashed it across the muzzle, puncturing an eye. Blood drenched the snow as the wolf collapsed in pain. Logan looked around for the other wolf that had advanced. He found it as it jumped over a nearby log and right for his throat. He punctured the skin of the wolf's chest. It hung there for a second before he retracted his claws and let it drop to the ground. The other wolves snarled at him, but then turned and ran off.
Logan stepped out into the falling snow after them. The two that had attacked him had probably been the alpha's. Without them, the pack would split up. Leaving him with several small packs to deal with instead of the one large pack that had controlled the area. Oh, well, they wouldn't be attacking him again tonight.
He turned to step back under the shelter. The first wolf who had attacked him was standing there, staring at him with its one good eye. He stepped back slightly, ready for the wolf to jump at him again. Suddenly he felt claw and teeth in his back. It knocked him down. He extended the claws of his right hand and slid them into the wolf's side. It fell off him.
Logan stood again this time to find the one-eyed wolf laying in a puddle of blood with another wolf standing over it. The new wolf didn't growl at him, just walked past him. Logan watched as it laid down just outside of the shelter. That was infesting. He'd never had a guard before.
Hours later the sun came up. The wolf raised its head as the man walked past it. It stood up ready to follow him. He turned slightly, as if he was unsure about the wolf still. Over head the hawk called. The wolf rolled its eyes at it looked up at pesky bird. Not again, it thought. The man looked up at the hawk too, then back at the wolf. He shook his head and started walking away. The wolf had to think fast. It knew she was nearby, ready to pounce on him. Time to distract the man.
Logan crested the hill and looked down at the military installation. There was a strange sensation that surged through him. Maybe finally he would get some answer. He felt something tug on his pant leg. He looked down to see the wolf trying to pull him away. He'd been surprised to find the wolf still laying outside when he'd woken up. It hadn't tried to kill him while he's slept. Not that he had thought it would when he'd fallen asleep. Now as he tried to wave the wolf away, he a strange scent caught his attention. The wolf let go and snarled. Logan glanced down at it. He defiantly didn't like this. He surveyed the terrain between them and the installation. There was a woman in a cape standing near the only visible entrance.
"Tigera," a female voice said.
Logan looked down at the wolf. "Did you say that?"
The wolf took off towards the woman. Logan stood there for a moment then started after it. By the time he reached the bottom, the women had pushed back her hood revealing her hair to be colored with a tiger's fur. She stood over the wolf.
"Honestly, Animalia, do you think you are going to be able to stop me," the woman asked as she kicked at the wolf.
The wolf jumped out of the way. "I've got to try."
Yep, the wolf was defiantly talking.
"Hello, Wolverine," the woman, Tigera the wolf had called her, looked at him. "Nice to see you again, though I have to admit, I didn't think I ever would. But you're still as cute as ever."
"Oh, for heaven's sake," the wolf stepped in front of Logan. "Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?" Tigera sneered. "Don't you think it's obvious. Someone has to keep the two of you from trashing the Project's property."
"Last I heard," the wolf said. "You'd gone independent."
"Well, I still have some loyalty to my creators."
The wolf seemed to laugh. "You don't know what that word means."
"Really," the woman's voice went deadly soft. "At least I'm not hiding."
Logan looked down at the wolf to see it changing. It was mutant in disguise. He stepped back, as a woman stood from where the wolf had just been.
"I wasn't hiding," the woman said. "Just trying to survive."
"I hate to break up the reunion," Logan finally said something. "But would someone like to explain what's going on?"
The woman in front turned her black haired head slightly. She had gray cat eyes.
Logan narrowed his eyes slightly. She was familiar.
Tigera smiled. "Well, I'll let her explain." She then disappeared.
The woman turned all the way around. The hawk called again. "Would you just leave me alone!" the woman screamed at the bird.
"Bad day?" Logan asked.
"Bad fifteen years, Logan," the woman smiled and sighed. "You don't remember me, do you?"
"Should I?"
The woman nodded.
"Then nope."
"My name is Cor, Diana Cor."
"Or Animalia?"
"That too."
"So are you going to explain?"
"It'll take a while."
"I have time."
Cor seemed to think about it for a moment, the she nodded. "Maybe I should show you instead."
She headed towards the entrance. She tapped on the door frame and a box seemed to pop out at eye level. She reached around her neck and took of a tag like Logan's. She slid the tag into the top of the box. A laser ran over her eye. There was a click. Cor turned Logan, then stared at him expectantly.
Logan suddenly knew what she expected him to do. He was to repeat the process with his own tag. The problem was that his tag was back in Westchester with Rogue.
"I don't have mine," He said.
"Alright," Cor said. "I'll have to tell you then."
"I could..."
"Wouldn't work," Cor headed back up the hill. "Come on, I'll explain on the way back to the outcropping."
Tigera appeared not far from where Animalia was explaining things to Wolverine. They would be sorry they had found each other. However, it made Tigera's life a whole lot easier. She and her partner could pick them both off together. She turned to her small plane. Time to return to where he was healing.
The scream of a hawk broke the silence of the cold Canadian afternoon. The scream echoed off the nearby mountains and sent a small flock of songbirds take to the sky. The wolf the hawk was following looked up at. The hawk landed on a large tree branch. It watched the wolf turn and look at it again. It called again at the wolf.
The wolf shook its head. Stupid hawk, it thought,. Never leaves me alone. How am I supposed to find her with it yelling at me all the time. The wolf broke into a run continuing its hunt. It hoped the hawk didn't follow it. The hawk called again, but it didn't follow.
A new scent caught the wolf off guard. The scent was familiar, but something the wolf hadn't smelt in years. The wolf stopped and starting turning next in a slow circle. He was close. If she found him, he'd be in trouble. He might be able to fight, but she had always been able to sneak up on him. The wolf had to find him before she did.
Snowflakes hit the wolf's head. Grand, just what it didn't need. The wolf looked up at the sky again this time noticing the clouds. There was a blizzard coming. And that was bad news for the source of the smell.
Logan had had to leave the motorcycle hidden along the side of the road. He'd hide it in a bush, then had began his trek to his destination on foot. That had been two days ago. He was close now. Three weeks ago he'd left the Xavier Mansion to find the answers to his past. Now he was closer than he had ever thought possible. The installation was just over the next hill.
He'd found an outcropping of rocks to build his shelter from the blizzard from. He knew Canadian blizzards could last for days, but he wasn't concerned. He'd lived through them before. Now would be no different.
The howl of a wolf made him raise his head from the sleeping bag. A pack was out hunting. Logan wasn't concerned. If the pack tried to hunt him it would have another thing coming. He settled back down into his sleeping bag.
A half hour later, Logan was awakened by another wolf howl. This time the wolf was joined by others. And the whole group was close. The sleepiness was gone in an instant and he was on his feet. In the moonlight he could see them. There were at least ten in his field of vision, but his nose told him there were more nearby. Two of the wolves started towards him. He popped his claws.
The wolf on the right jumped at him. Logan slashed it across the muzzle, puncturing an eye. Blood drenched the snow as the wolf collapsed in pain. Logan looked around for the other wolf that had advanced. He found it as it jumped over a nearby log and right for his throat. He punctured the skin of the wolf's chest. It hung there for a second before he retracted his claws and let it drop to the ground. The other wolves snarled at him, but then turned and ran off.
Logan stepped out into the falling snow after them. The two that had attacked him had probably been the alpha's. Without them, the pack would split up. Leaving him with several small packs to deal with instead of the one large pack that had controlled the area. Oh, well, they wouldn't be attacking him again tonight.
He turned to step back under the shelter. The first wolf who had attacked him was standing there, staring at him with its one good eye. He stepped back slightly, ready for the wolf to jump at him again. Suddenly he felt claw and teeth in his back. It knocked him down. He extended the claws of his right hand and slid them into the wolf's side. It fell off him.
Logan stood again this time to find the one-eyed wolf laying in a puddle of blood with another wolf standing over it. The new wolf didn't growl at him, just walked past him. Logan watched as it laid down just outside of the shelter. That was infesting. He'd never had a guard before.
Hours later the sun came up. The wolf raised its head as the man walked past it. It stood up ready to follow him. He turned slightly, as if he was unsure about the wolf still. Over head the hawk called. The wolf rolled its eyes at it looked up at pesky bird. Not again, it thought. The man looked up at the hawk too, then back at the wolf. He shook his head and started walking away. The wolf had to think fast. It knew she was nearby, ready to pounce on him. Time to distract the man.
Logan crested the hill and looked down at the military installation. There was a strange sensation that surged through him. Maybe finally he would get some answer. He felt something tug on his pant leg. He looked down to see the wolf trying to pull him away. He'd been surprised to find the wolf still laying outside when he'd woken up. It hadn't tried to kill him while he's slept. Not that he had thought it would when he'd fallen asleep. Now as he tried to wave the wolf away, he a strange scent caught his attention. The wolf let go and snarled. Logan glanced down at it. He defiantly didn't like this. He surveyed the terrain between them and the installation. There was a woman in a cape standing near the only visible entrance.
"Tigera," a female voice said.
Logan looked down at the wolf. "Did you say that?"
The wolf took off towards the woman. Logan stood there for a moment then started after it. By the time he reached the bottom, the women had pushed back her hood revealing her hair to be colored with a tiger's fur. She stood over the wolf.
"Honestly, Animalia, do you think you are going to be able to stop me," the woman asked as she kicked at the wolf.
The wolf jumped out of the way. "I've got to try."
Yep, the wolf was defiantly talking.
"Hello, Wolverine," the woman, Tigera the wolf had called her, looked at him. "Nice to see you again, though I have to admit, I didn't think I ever would. But you're still as cute as ever."
"Oh, for heaven's sake," the wolf stepped in front of Logan. "Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?" Tigera sneered. "Don't you think it's obvious. Someone has to keep the two of you from trashing the Project's property."
"Last I heard," the wolf said. "You'd gone independent."
"Well, I still have some loyalty to my creators."
The wolf seemed to laugh. "You don't know what that word means."
"Really," the woman's voice went deadly soft. "At least I'm not hiding."
Logan looked down at the wolf to see it changing. It was mutant in disguise. He stepped back, as a woman stood from where the wolf had just been.
"I wasn't hiding," the woman said. "Just trying to survive."
"I hate to break up the reunion," Logan finally said something. "But would someone like to explain what's going on?"
The woman in front turned her black haired head slightly. She had gray cat eyes.
Logan narrowed his eyes slightly. She was familiar.
Tigera smiled. "Well, I'll let her explain." She then disappeared.
The woman turned all the way around. The hawk called again. "Would you just leave me alone!" the woman screamed at the bird.
"Bad day?" Logan asked.
"Bad fifteen years, Logan," the woman smiled and sighed. "You don't remember me, do you?"
"Should I?"
The woman nodded.
"Then nope."
"My name is Cor, Diana Cor."
"Or Animalia?"
"That too."
"So are you going to explain?"
"It'll take a while."
"I have time."
Cor seemed to think about it for a moment, the she nodded. "Maybe I should show you instead."
She headed towards the entrance. She tapped on the door frame and a box seemed to pop out at eye level. She reached around her neck and took of a tag like Logan's. She slid the tag into the top of the box. A laser ran over her eye. There was a click. Cor turned Logan, then stared at him expectantly.
Logan suddenly knew what she expected him to do. He was to repeat the process with his own tag. The problem was that his tag was back in Westchester with Rogue.
"I don't have mine," He said.
"Alright," Cor said. "I'll have to tell you then."
"I could..."
"Wouldn't work," Cor headed back up the hill. "Come on, I'll explain on the way back to the outcropping."
Tigera appeared not far from where Animalia was explaining things to Wolverine. They would be sorry they had found each other. However, it made Tigera's life a whole lot easier. She and her partner could pick them both off together. She turned to her small plane. Time to return to where he was healing.