Happy Birthday Wolverine

Wolverine, probably the most enigmatic of the X-men, his life is lost to him. He knows he's old, older then all of the people he knows but his life seemed so short. He knows little of his life before the Weapon X project and he knows nothing of his time with the project even though he knows he was there for quite a while.

The scientists did a number on his mind so well that he doesn't even remember his birthday, he remembers its in late May and has always celebrated it on the 25th, his birthdays aren't like most he hasn't had a happy one in over a hundred years and that's why he's here tonight.

His cycle roared down the road, he sniffed the air through his helmet which stopped a lot of smells but with Wolverines enhanced senses he could still see the world more vivid then most and it was with these senses that he had found his prey for the night…Sabertooth.

Wolverine skidded to a halt in a lay-by that was bordered by the woods, he removed his helmet and took a long deep breath to take in all the smells of the world, his breath clouded into mist in the air as he breathed out but he didn't notice the cold through his thick leather jacket.

There was a rustle in the trees as the tall figure known to Wolverine as Sabertooth leapt from the upper canopy of a tree with a snarl and landed about a hundred yards from Wolverine, the two eyed each other with a snarl as they always did, every year on Wolverines birthday they seemed to find one another, some times they fought and sometimes they just talked, Wolverine was prepared for both eventualities as he watched Sabertooth carefully.

"Happy birthday runt, sorry I didn't bring you a gift" grinned Sabertooth as he growled low in his throat as he stood to his full height dwarfing Logan.

"That's okay I've already had enough presents from you to last a life time" growled Wolverine as his memories of this sick anniversary swam into his mind.

…

Logan was in love, her name was Silver Fox, she was the daughter of a Native American chief that Logan had stayed with for a short time. The two fell in love almost on sight and now were off to start a new life. Logan was about forty but because of his mutant gift had the appearance of a much younger man.

They were travelling from Canada while the west was still wild to a prospecting town, the gold rush was on and Logan had bought some land where the two planned to homestead and raise a family.

The two rode into the town on horseback, it was much like so many other towns which were scattered throughout the unforgiving terrain.

"They're all staring Logan" said Silver Fox as she hung her head, it was still frowned upon for a white to mix with the 'red skins'.

"Let 'em darlin', hold your head up" smiled Logan as his hand rubbed hers to comfort her. Logan watched every face that they passed carefully, he had spent a lot of time in the wild before he ran into the tribe that Silver Fox belonged too and he had trouble losing some of those instincts.

His nostrils flared and his head flew upwards as he caught a scent on the air, he wasn't sure what the scent was but it set the hairs on the back of his head on end. The scent was like the hormones of every brutal creature he had ever smelt.

His eyes looked where his nose told him but he could see no animal, no bears, no mountain lions and no Wolverines all he could see was a large blonde haired burly man standing outside the local bar/inn leaning on the wooden bar that was used for tying horses too, the man twisted his face into a half smile half growl as if he was challenging Logan. Logan wanted to accept but didn't for the sake of his new life.

"I think he should introduce ourselves to the sheriff of the town first Logan" said Silver Fox as she steered her horse to it's left before throwing herself to the floor and tying the horse off. Silver Fox was a hunter in her tribe and she wore clothes much like a man which got her many a strange look in 'civilised society', her hair lay down by her shoulders in braids with two feathers in her hair, she was Logan's equal and it's one of the reasons they loved one another.

Logan followed suit as he tied his horse up Fox glanced around the main square of the town where people still stood staring. Logan held her hand in a comforting motion and smiled before he kissed her and led her towards the sheriff's door.

"You must be the new Homesteaders" smiled the sheriff as he held his hand out "I'm Sheriff Parker, Jonah Parker."

"This is Silver Fox and I'm Logan, just down from Canada and hoping to make a fresh start" smiled Logan as he shook his hand back, the sheriff couldn't believe the strength of Logan's grip.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both and I hope you'll be very happy here and maybe I'll see you in the bar later for a drink" smiled the sheriff.

"Thankin' you sheriff but I think we just want to get settled first" said Logan with a nod and another handshake before he turned to leave. His eyes narrowed and his nostril flared again as he caught eye contact with the same man from the bar, the man still stood snaring and snarling at the two through the sheriff's windows.

"I wouldn't go messing with him Mr Logan" said Sheriff Parker with a nod at the man "set up a home a few months ago, Canadian like you. He says his name is Victor Creed but I swear he's the devil, more animal then man you see. I saw him kill a deer with his bare hands in the woods, he was crouching over the body and I swear he was going to eat it right then till he saw me. I swear to the lord I heard him growl at me before he hauled up the poor animal and carried it away."

"He stays away from me and I'll stay away from him" nodded Logan as he left with Fox.

The two saddled up and rode north a little to their new home.

Months passed…

In the months since the two came to the town they had pretty much kept themselves to themselves, they had crops growing, some livestock and Logan had been lucky enough to find enough gold to keep them comfortable for a while.

The two were quite happy and cosy, they would go hunting and fishing whenever they needed it but at times Logan would seem to Fox that he was a million miles away, he would often stare at the tree line in mid conversation and ignore what she said when he caught Creed's scent on the wind but he would never tell her that.

Logan and Fox had ridden to town one day to get a few extra supplies they needed when they got cornered by Sheriff Parker.

"Logan, fox where have you too been hiding all these months" smiled the Sheriff warmly.

"We've been quite busy" smiled Fox back as she packed her horses saddle.

"I bet you have" said the Parker with a wink "Today though my friends is my birthday and so I insist you come into the bar with me and get a drink."

"We really should be going" said Logan as he finished packing his saddle and hauled himself up onto the horses back.

"Now as the Sheriff I insist or you'll be spending the rest of the day behind bars" joked Parker as he looked up at Logan, Logan and Fox laughed before giving each other a glance and smiling.

"Okay Parker but it'll have to be quick" said Logan as he jumped off his horse and the three began to walk towards the bar.

The doors swung open and they were immediately hit with the smell of cigars and booze, music was playing from the corner as an old man tinkled the ivory's of a piano.

"Parker come and sit down…you brought the two hermits too" laughed an old man, he was called Chubby, he was pleasant enough and often joked with Logan when they ran into one another in the woods.

The drinks flowed as a group of people pulled up chairs and wished Parker a happy birthday, everyone was having a good time until someone yelled.

"Look just give me more!" growled Creed as he grabbed the barman with one hand and a bottle of whiskey with the other, Logan hadn't noticed him or his scent because of all the drink and the smoke in the bar but now he was focused on nothing but Creed.

"Now Creed that's enough of that" said Parker as he got from his seat and walked towards the large man "We've had enough of your trouble recently and today is my birthday so why don't you…"

Parker never got to finish his suggestion as Creed stepped sideways ad caught him with a vicious back hand sending him flying into the air before he crashed through a table. Logan didn't even realised he had moved but seconds later he had Creed pinned to the floor holding a knife to his throat, the animal nature within each man roared uncontrollably in this fight for dominance but Logan managed to pull himself away as Fox spoke.

"Parker is fine…come one Logan it's time to go" she lectured as she pulled gently on his arm, he backed away always keeping his eyes on Creed and the knife outstretch towards him, Creed simply watched with a snarl on his face.

Months passed again

Logan was tending to the sheep in the far fields near his home when he finally decided to call it a day, it was late may and it was his birthday although he couldn't remember the date. He climbed on his horse and slowly began to ride home, he couldn't wait to see Fox, the two were still so in love that they couldn't wait to see one another and their hearts screamed when they were apart. They had even talked of starting a family because so far everything on the homestead seemed to be going great.

Logan swung the door to the cabin open and the scent instantly hit his nostrils, Creed had been there. The cabin stunk of him and it had been trashed, the chairs and the table were broken as had the table, blood was smeared on the walls and lying in the centre of the room was Silver Fox.

Logan skidded to the floor and held her body close to his, he ripped off his shirt and tied it around the wound to stop the bleeding but it didn't work, he picked Fox from the floor and began carrying her to the horses when she spoke.

"Logan…" gasped Fox as she held her hand to his face.

"No don't speak fox, save your strength" said Logan as he prepared to hoist her onto the horse and ride to the town to see the doctor.

"I couldn't stop him…I'm sorry" she gasped again as she fought for air "I love you…good bye" she gasped again as her body went limp.

"No! Fox! No!" yelled Logan as he shook her body but she didn't respond, he took her back inside and put her on the bed before feeling the pulse in her neck and her wrist, they weren't moving Fox had died.

Logan stumbled outside into the yard and dropped to his knees in the mud and screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as his voice turned into an animalistic howl, the horses whinnied and tried to get away but couldn't and he continued to howl.

A giant gust of wind swept past Logan carrying the scent of blood to Logan blood and Creed. Logan sniffed the air as something inside himself snapped and he gave in to his animal side totally. Logan took off running into the woods towards the scent growling in the bottom of his throat.

…

Creed sat crouched over a watering hole washing the blood from his hands and lapping at the water, he loved the taste of the blood but not as much as he loved the killing, his head shot back as he caught a scent on the air but he didn't catch it soon enough as something hit him from behind driving him into the water.

Logan was going absolutely crazy, he bit and clawed at Creed's flesh before he pulled the knife from the inside of his waist band. Logan slammed the knife into Creed's back repeatedly and kept ripping away at the flesh while Creed screamed in pain.

Creed fought through the pain and swung round hitting Logan with the back of his hand much like he had done to Parker driving him through the air and knocking the knife from his hands. Creed leapt fifteen feet in the air and came down on the body of Logan hard cracking his ribs, his teeth and claws shredded Logan's skin. Creed reeled back one more time ready for the final blow but Logan surged forward and forced his hands into Creed's eyes.

Instincts took over and all humanity was forgotten as the two men totally gave into their beast sides, Logan leapt onto Creed's back and began to choke the larger Canadian. Creed thought fast as he flipped Logan over his head so the smaller Canadian sat before him, Creed forced his full weight onto the shoulders of Logan before grabbing his head in his hands.

One swift movement and a hideous crack rang throughout the forest, the body of Logan keeled over in front of Creed, his neck snapped. Creed growled at the little shape before he walked away vanishing in the thick green.

Logan is not however so easily killed, his neck healed in a few hours and he found himself lying in a pool of blood in the forest as the full moon shone high above him. Wolverine stumbled to his feet and shook his head to shake off the drowsiness before he began the journey home.

When he cleared the forest line and was within vision of his home tears formed in his eyes, the cabin where Foxes body lay had been reduced to a smouldering cinder. The people of the town stood by as if looking for any signs of the two who lived there. Logan sunk his head low and turned back into the forest, he had lost everything.

…

Since then the two had always found each other, sometimes Wolverine won, sometimes Sabertooth won and sometimes it was a draw but neither had been able to finally finish the other off.

"I haven't brought you a gift but I got a question…how's Fox?" grinned the monster, Logan launched himself forwards but creed launched himself into the air, for once Creed wasn't just going on instinct he had planned this confrontation and it was showing as he crashed down on Wolverine pinning him to the floor with his superior strength and weight.

"Get off me so we can do this right" growled Logan as he fought to get free but couldn't.

"I haven't come to fight this time runt…I got a proposition" snarled Sabertooth.

"What proposition could you have for me bub" growled Logan as he struggled.

"We've been recruited…Weapon X wants us for a job" smiled Sabertooth.

"What?" yelled Logan as the thoughts of what Weapon X had done to him over the years (or at least the very few things he could remember) filtered into his brain, he struggled but still couldn't budge Sabertooth.

"They've got a very serious offer for us to go back for a one off mission" grinned Sabertooth as he sniffed at Logan.

"They don't have anything to offer me that would make me consider letting any of them within a hundred yards without killing them let alone anything that would be worth me working for them" growled Logan.

"So you wont do it as a favour to me" laughed Sabertooth "how about this, a life, a memory."

"What are you talking about?" asked Logan as he stopped struggling and stared at Sabertooth snarling.

"They're willing to give you full disclosure, all your files, everything they know about you which I'm assured is pretty much everything since your birth" grinned the beast "apparently once that jogs your memory the chip in your brain will be shut down and all the memories will just come flooding back."

Wolverine thought for a second, before closing his eyes, that was everything he had ever wanted since the day he escaped Weapon X and now it was being offered to him "The answer is still…GO TO HELL!" yelled Logan as he began to struggle again.

"They thought you might say that" smiled Sabertooth "If you wont do it for your buddy Creed and you wont do it for yourself how about this" said Creed as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out something.

He held the photo in front of Logan, it was of Logan in a check shirt posing with a woman a little boy and a baby girl "Taken just before you were drafted into Weapon X…If you wont do it for yourself what about the lives of your family."

To Be Continued…