Wolverine completed his silent prayer and dropped a little snow over the edge of the cliff in remembrance of Silverback, and looked over it to be sure that the monster was indeed dead. His one-time brother was nowhere to be seen.
"Musta been washed downstream," he muttered. His thoughts were tortured. Silverback had not been his true brother, of course, but Logan still felt like he'd lost a family member. Besides, at that last instant, it had seemed that, well, something had shown in the eyes of Silverback. Pity? Compassion? Shame? Had he repented at the last minute, but then been too defiant to go through with it, letting himself die instead? Or had Logan just imagined it?
His thoughts drifted back to himself. He was back to square one again, just as he had been since he became Weapon X. He knew nothing about his origin past that experience. Besides, with his healing factor, who knew how long he'd been alive! All was as blank as the snow. One thing was certain, however: he could go on no longer knowing nothing. He needed to learn about his past.
Wiping the thoughts from his mind, he brushed off the snow from his pants and stood up, prepared to go back and rejoin the X-Men, wherever they were. He also sheathed his claws. "No point in keeping 'em out right now, anyway," he mumbled. He turned to head back, but was stopped by a gleeful voice.
"Now, now, you might want to put those back out, Wolvie!"
He did. "Who's that?" he shouted.
"Just a friend, little Logan!" shouted the silly voice. "Now, let's play!"
A gigantic ring of fire encircled him around his waist, giving him just enough room to stand still. "Pyro," he said in realization. He turned around slowly, careful to not touch the inferno around him. Sure enough, sitting on the hillside, was a howling Pyro, laughing like he'd heard the funniest joke in the world, equipped as always with his flamethrowers and fuel packs.
Seeing that Logan had noticed him, he cried out, "Peek-a-boo, wolf-man! Do you like your hoola-hoop?"
"About as much as I like you, scumbag!" he hollered back.
Pyro pretended to be slapped. "Ooh, good one, Wolvie! You're gonna make me cry!"
"You could use a good washing," he said.
Pyro cackled. "Wow, if only I had your sense of humor, Log'. Unfortunately, most people consider mine a little sick!"
On the last word, he brought the circle in around Logan totally, sending the flames straight through the stomach, and then vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Wolverine winced, but then rolled his eyes at his opponent. "Healing factor, bub!" Sure enough, his stomach returned to normal.
Pyro looked panicked for a moment, but then put on his confident grin once again. He shot out flames again and enwreathed Wolverine with another fire ring.
Suddenly, Wolverine felt…uncomfortable? Anxious? Afraid?
Fear! He had laughed in its face more times than he could count; why feel it now. Could he be going soft after fighting and killing Silverback? What was wrong with him?
No, that was impossible. He had been totally ready to slice Pyro into shish-ca-bob. He wasn't scared of the mutant himself, but maybe his power? The fire? That was it, all right. It was the embers, the all-consuming and all-destroying embers of fire that he feared. The blazing inferno that Pyro had but to shoot and manipulate. The heat, and color, and intensity was what he feared.
But it made no sense! He had never been scared of fire in his life. He had actually loved it when he lived in Canada's freezing temperatures. Why be troubled now? How could he possibly be scared of something he had never feared before? It was like the thought had been…planted!!!
"Mesmero!!!" he roared. Despite the fear that beat in his heart and head, he leapt through the flames and let them heal as he ran towards his enemy. "Playtime's over, bub!" he cried. Charging forward like a wild boar, he football tackled the mutant into the hill, then jumped back.
Pyro leaped up, rubbing his ribs tenderly, as though they were broken. "Playtime may be over," he whispered, the glee vanished with anger, "but I've still got a toy for little Wolverine to play with!"
He shot out his flame and before him appeared a dragon! A flaming, fire-skinned dragon! It was created totally of fire, with huge wings and a snout that shot out smoke. Its eyes were flames like its skin, and the claws were lava picks.
It soared down on evil wings and snorted smoke at Wolverine. He coughed and tried to breathe, but could see nothing. Leaping away from the smoke, he had little time to catch his breath before the dragon hurtled down to catch its prey. Wolverine rolled to the side in the nick of time, gasping for much-wanted air.
He got up and tried to run back over to Pyro, but the flame-dragon plunged towards him, and he was forced to give up and dodge. He was afraid that evern he might die if touched with fire that hot.
His fear was not helping things either. Every time the dragon flew down, he felt like running off the cliff and joining Silverback in the cold, quiet river. Wait! That had to be the answer!
The dragon swooped down yet again, breathing fire from its furnace mouth, with Logan jumping away in the nick of time. Logan advanced towards the cliff, with the dragon following close behind, snapping at his heels with teeth of lava.
The dragon had to follow Logan, it seemed. It was going for him no matter what.
Logan therefore dived off the cliff, and the dragon followed. Snatching at the rocky edge before he hurtled to the water, Logan saved himself, but the slower dragon wasn't so lucky. It plunged into the river, thinking it had finally caught its prey.
Logan did not get up immediately, sure that Pyro's curiosity would lead him to see where Logan had gone.
Sure enough, he could hear the again-cackling voice. "So little Logan finally kicked the bucket, eh? And I'm thinking he dented it from the way that river's boiling!"
Logan flipped himself over and high kicked Pyro in the face. The astonished villain had no time to react before Logan grabbed him by the collar. Wolverine lifted him high and threw him down to rest with his dragon.
Jumping back, he barely missed the column of flame that Pyro shot up. He listened for the splash, and could hear agonizing screams. He wished it hadn't had to end like that.
But Magneto wanted a war, and there had to be casualties, he convinced himself. He didn't really regret Pyro's death though. What he really regretted was that Silverback had to share his grave.