Chapter 9: Wolverine

The tunnel was thick with the scent of the things. He doubted that one would even have to have a super sense of smell to detect it. It was a smell that Wolverine was quite familiar with. It was the smell of despair, and hopelessness. It was the smell of evil and insanity. It was the smell of death. Dark, and forbidding death.

He glanced around the tunnel. How far had he gone? Two miles? More? It didn't matter. The smell got stronger and stronger as he went on, blocking out all else. Until finally, there it was. The nest. The place was enough to give Apocalypse nightmares. The walls were lined with the bodies of the victims, their chests ripped open from the inside. He tensed. The things were all around him, but they were keeping their distance.

He passed one of the bodies and looked carefully at it. There was something different about this one, his chest was still intact. The man's eyes opened slowly.

"Kill me." the man pleaded hoarsely. "Please, kill me. Don't let me end up like the others."

Wolverine looked around the nest. From what little of it he'd seen, he could guess what this man's fate would be if he didn't die before that could happen. He extended the claws in his right hand and plunged them into the man's chest. Somehow, this pissed off the creatures who, until now, had been holding back. With a great screech, they attacked.

There were about ten of them in this group, and they looked like they might actually be able to give the old Canuckle Head a run for his money. He extended the claws on both hands and leapt at them.

Their claws and teeth ripped his skin almost as fast as he could heal. Almost. The claws of his right hand thrust into the chest of one, and began to burn. But even as the acid ate away at him, he healed.

Within ten minutes, it was over. He stood among the bodies of the dead aliens, letting the blood drip off him, so his healing factor could go to work full time. So much damage had been done however, that he was still weak. He stumbled over to the wall, and sat down to rest. He was so weak from loss of blood, that he did not see the egg that sat beside him. Only when it started to open did he notice it.

He pulled back, but was too late. The facehugger wrapped it's tail around his neck, and proceeded with it's business.

Next: Everybody!