When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies
Don't you want somebody to love, don't you
Need somebody to love, wouldn't you
Love somebody to love, you better
Find somebody to love
When the garden flowers baby are dead, yes and
Your mind, your mind is so full of bread
Don't you want somebody to love, don't you
Need somebody to love, wouldn't you
Love somebody to love, you better
Find somebody to love
Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like his
Yeah, but in your head, baby,
I'm afraid you don't know where it is
Don't you want somebody to love, don't you
Need somebody to love, wouldn't you
Love somebody to love, you better
Find somebody to love
Tears are running down and down and down your breast
And your friends, baby
They treat you like a guest
Don't you want somebody to love, don't you
Need somebody to love, wouldn't you
Love somebody to love, you better
Find somebody to love
Undisclosed Location
Late 1960s
"I think you'll be very happy with our little unit, Ms. Logan," said General Chasen as he walked ahead of her down a plain metal hallway. They could have been in any government installation, anywhere in the world but Logan's enhanced senses told her they were deep underground.
"I guess we'll see," was all she said.
"You're working with four of our top men," said Chasen. "All exemplary service records like yours—on or off the record."
Logan wasn't surprised this new covert team Chasen was auditioning her for had at least one black-book agent among them. She just hoped he wasn't a psycho.
She scanned the room, her eyes going slowly from person to person as she tried to size up her new teammates.
Her eyes stopped on one for a moment. He was her type—other than the "just breathing" variety that she often found herself falling in with. He pulled his long black hair back in his hand, revealing his handsome features.
"Already got your sights set on the team pretty boy, eh frail?"
Logan jumped. No one could sneak up on her. She turned around slowly. "Who are you?"
The tall, blond man grinned. "They call me Sabretooth."
There was something unsettling about him, something Logan couldn't quite put her finger on. She wasn't sure if she should threaten his life or put a move on him. "They call me Wolverine."
"Aren't those little snarly things that run around the Canadian wilderness?"
Logan glared at him. "They can rip a man apart."
Sabretooth gave her a look that made her take a step back. "So can I, frail. So can I."
A week later they were called into a "team meeting" with Chasen and their field leader John Wraith. Logan could tell Wraith had taken great pains to appear one of them, but he gave off an obsequious air unique to what Logan and her cohorts in Korea had contemptuously called "company men." They were not to be trusted, just tolerated.
"Welcome to Team X," Wraith began. "This is a covert, top-secret black-bag group that will be carrying out highly sensitive missions vital to our nation's freedom. Because of this, you will all observe strict security procedures. This includes revealing no personal information to one another. You will use code names for communication. Please go around and introduce yourselves."
"What the fuck is this, first grade?" said Sabretooth sarcastically.
"Stow that talk or you'll be on a fast boat out of here," snarled Wraith, his handsome face suddenly contorting. Sabretooth looked like he was going to fight back for a moment, but then he sprawled back in his chair like an indolent lion.
"Sabretooth," he said, grinning at Logan, something he did whenever she was in view. It was really beginning to bother her.
"Silver Fox," said the handsome man Logan had noticed the first day.
The blond man next to Silver Fox shifted in his chair. He always seemed to have trouble sitting still. "Maverick," he said in a German-accented voice. Logan guessed he was a spy on loan from West Germany.
"Wolverine," she said quietly. Sabretooth snorted.
"Now that that's out of the way," said Wraith, "we will be running a training sim at 0600 tomorrow morning, then pairing you off into teams. Assignments are already backing up." He looked at Chasen, who nodded. "Team dismissed."
"I've never worked with a woman before."
Logan looked up at Silver Fox, who had caught up with her in the hall leading away from the meeting room. "There's a first time for everything, bub."
Silver Fox grinned at her. "So how does a pretty girl like you get mixed up in an operation like this?"
Logan returned the smile. "The guy in the cowboy hat said no personal information."
Silver Fox smirked. "I guess that means you'll tell me no if I ask you out for a drink?"
"Well…"
Logan stopped when she felt something hit her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Sabretooth, one arm draped around her and the other around Silver Fox, as if the three of them were old friends. She pulled away angrily. "What the hell do you want?"
"Just makin' sure the two of you weren't exchanging any personal information. Wouldn't want anything to compromise the team."
Silver Fox stepped away, glaring up at Sabretooth. "I don't believe we were having a conversation that concerned you."
Sabretooth smirked. "But all Team X business concerns me. You can't be having secrets with just one other teammate now—there's no 'I' in team." He walked away, laughing to himself.
Logan glared at Sabretooth's back. "I don't like working with him. He gives off this creepy homicidal vibe."
"Most people like us do," Silver Fox said.
Logan smiled at Silver Fox. "You don't."
"So what about that drink?"
She glanced around, making sure there was no one there to hear her. "What they don't know won't hurt them."
The sun was barely over the tops of the evergreens, but Logan relished the cool air flowing through her lungs as she ran at top speed through the forest. Loaded down with a gear belt and an M-16, any normal soldier would be hard pressed to keep up the flat-out sprint Logan was doing, but she enjoyed the feeling of her muscles burning and her heart pounding to keep up with her.
The training sim was a 6-mile obstacle course over rough, hilly terrain, complete with trap pits, a river crossing and simulated enemy fire. The hard rubber bullets stung, but Logan let them hit her—it was faster that dodging the gun turrets. She knew she had beaten Silver Fox and Maverick, having long since left their scents behind, but Sabretooth she wasn't sure about. He had slipped away into the trees as soon as the sounding gun had started.
She could see the finish line just ahead, Chasen and Wraith standing there ready to clock their times. She'd be there in just a few more seconds, putting her ahead of the rest of the team.
Suddenly, Sabretooth strolled out of the woods right in front of her, walking as if he had all the time in the world. Logan ran past the finish line right after him, doubling over and trying to catch her breath.
"Moving a little slow there, runt?"
Logan glared up at him, wishing Chasen and Wraith were somewhere else so she could show Sabretooth just how frail she wasn't. "How'd you get here so quickly," she asked. "And without a mark on you?"
"Found a shortcut."
Wraith walked over to Sabretooth and Wolverine, handing them both a folder. "While the other boys take their sweet time getting down here, why don't you two suit up and go on your first mission."
"Why don't I just go on my own?" Sabretooth asked. "Better than bein' slowed down by female baggage."
Logan's eyes narrowed. "If anyone would be a liability it would be you, psycho."
Sabretooth just looked at her and laughed.
Wraith gave them both a stern look. "This is counterproductive. Suit up and move out before I fire you both and find someone who's more of a team player."
Sabretooth and Wolverine both continued to glare at each other, but said nothing.
Logan didn't know what time it was, or even what day, but it was pitch black when the Bell helicopter finally set down on the tiny pad outside the Team X compound. Logan stumbled off the chopper, fighting to keep her eyes open. She'd lost count of how many hours straight she'd been awake. Sabretooth followed her, letting his gear pack drop heavily on the tarmac.
"After a mission like that I could use a hot bath and a woman." Logan just rolled her eyes.
"Who were those people?"
"Who gives a flyin' fuck?"
"Guess you're right…that report was pretty sketchy. Nice how they forgot to mention the fifteen armed guards."
"They didn't forget, frail. It was a test." Logan looked back at him as the chopper lifted off. It blew his long blond hair around his face, almost obscuring it.
"I don't like tests."
"Well, get used to it." He walked past Logan, clapping a hand briefly on her shoulder. "Ya backed me up and ya didn't wimp out. Nice job."
"I'm not your backup!" Logan called after him. He turned and gave her a wink over his shoulder.
"Whatever ya say, frail."
Logan couldn't help but look around the room one more time to make sure there wasn't anyone there who might recognize them.
"Wolverine, I told you, this place is remote. No one's going to look for us here. Just relax."
"We could get in trouble with the big wigs for this one."
Silver Fox grinned. "And I thought you were the kind of girl who liked trouble."
"What gave you that idea?"
"Probably the fact that you're here in the first place."
Logan winked at him as she walked up to the bar. "You got Molson's in this place."
The bartender gave her a toothless grin. "Sure do, ma'am." He grabbed a bottle from behind the bar and popped it open, sliding it down to Logan.
"Thanks."
"And fer the gentleman?"
"Water."
Logan gave him a funny look. Who the hell went into a bar and ordered water?
"Yeah, we got that," the bartender said, his own look echoing Logan's.
Logan and Silver Fox went back to a booth, hidden from the other patrons in the bar. Not than any of them were paying them much attention anyway.
"So what's your real name?" Silver Fox asked.
"Doesn't that count as 'personal information?'" Logan said teasingly.
"I'll tell you mine."
"What is it?"
"Silver Fox."
Logan gave him a funny look. "That's your codename…"
"Yeah, I told them my real name was something else."
Logan smirked. "My name's Logan."
"Isn't that a boy's name."
"What's it to you?"
"Nothing, I guess. You have any name besides Logan."
"No. That's it. Take it or leave it."
Silver Fox reached over and stroked her cheek. "You make the name beautiful."
Logan smiled politely, but honestly she didn't want to be in that bar, drinking beer and making small talk. She didn't want the preliminaries—she wanted the main event. She'd been worked up ever since her mission with Sabretooth. She leaned forward across the booth, making sure Silver Fox could get a good look down her shirt. "I think I saw a hotel a few miles back up the road. Wanna go check it out."
Silver Fox raised an eyebrow. "Well, I…I'm not used to women being so forward."
Logan winked. "Does it bother you?"
"Um, no, I guess," he said, grabbing his wallet from his pocket to pay their tab. He threw the money table and took her hand, leading her out of the bar.
Logan wished the car could go faster the whole way to the hotel. She'd been locked up in that Team X compound for too long.
Silver Fox looked nervously around the small hotel room. He turned to Logan, trying to think of something romantic to say. "I…"
"Just shut up and kiss me," Logan said, pushing him onto the bed.
Silver Fox's eyes grew wide as he fell backwards, but he soon decided to just go with the flow.
After all, it promised to be an interesting night.
"And just where the hell have you been?" Logan turned to see Wraith standing behind her, arms crossed. She hated have a boss who was a teleporter. It made sneaking around ten times harder.
"Out," she said, deciding not to lie. Not totally, anyway.
"There are strict directives about leaving the compound, Wolverine. I'm afraid I'll have to call the general."
"Aw, don't get yer panties in a bunch, John," said Sabretooth's gravelly voice from behind her. "She was with me." Logan turned, her mouth opening.
Sabretooth was clad only in an undershirt and sweatpants, looking as if he'd spent the night rolling around in a hayloft. For all Logan knew he might have.
"What are you saying?" demanded Wraith.
"We were downstairs in the rec room playin' poker," said Sabretooth. "Ya know," he leaned in towards the shorter man. "Special poker." Logan felt heat creep up her cheeks and she opened her mouth to protest. Sabretooth's index talon poked her in the small of the back. "Shut up, runt," he muttered so only she could hear.
"Fine, but next time you don't check in by lights out you'll be disciplined, Wolverine." He turned and went into his office. Logan looked up a Sabretooth.
"Uh, thanks…" she started.
"Aw, Christ, don't get all sentimental," scoffed Sabretooth. "Now ya owe me. If I need ya to cover my ass some night ya better be there." He shuffled off barefoot towards the kitchen. Logan blinked tired eyes and went to her room to sleep.