The Chronicles of Ash
Chapter 1. The Uncanny Ash
"Alkali Lake Research Facility, what a waste of time." Wolverine thought to himself as he looked back upon the ruined science laboratory that Professor X. had sent him to investigate. "Xavier said this was were I could find answers to my past, but there's nothing but a dried up lake bed." Wolverine let out a breath into the cold Canadian wilderness before walking over the hill and leaving Alkali Lake behind him. Logan began to trudge loudly through the snow toward the trail were he had left Cyclops' "borrowed" motorcycle.
"Damn I wish that trail was closer." Logan thought to himself as he blazed his way through the evergreens. He stopped suddenly at a rustling in one of the nearby branches. Logan locked his gaze in that direction and sniffed the air a couple of times. The commotion stopped for an instant, only to reveal a squirrel climbing out from the foliage, Wolverine chuckled at his nerves. Due to the X-Men's recent battle with Magneto, Logan had been on his edge this whole trip. He shook his head slightly as he continued on his way. He had managed to walk a couple of yards when several snow covered branches swung to the sides, erupting in a flurry of snow and pine needles. Logan immediately jumped back and drew his claws. Upon landing, he saw the source of the commotion.
"Hey bub," he said menacingly as he shook the snow out of his hair and puffed his cigar. "You gotta problem?" The man, clad in hunting attire, turned at the sound of Logan's voice. The X-Man looking into the man's eyes to see that they were completely glazed white as if this was not a man, but a walking corpse. The "zombie" let out a load growl as it sprung at the hero. Logan easily stepped aside, grabbed the back of it's head and violently smashed it's cranium into a tree. Logan stepped back as his assailant crashed into the snow sending a small cloud of snow powder into the air.
"What the hell was that?" Logan asked himself as he looked at the unconscious hunter. Just then, more tree limbs burst forward and two more "zombies" emerged from the foliage.
"Alright," Logan said as he reared back and prepared to strike. "What the hell are you?" The two monsters answered with a loud howl as they sprinted toward the mutant. "Lucky me." Logan smirked slightly as he leapt over the first assailant allowing him to smash into a tree and swiftly dodging the second and stabbing him directly in the left kneecap with his right set of claws. The "zombies" leg immediately gave out and he crashed to the frozen ground. The fist attacker returned and grabbed Logan by his left arm.
"Let go bub." Logan said in a tone of voice that would intimidate any man. The monster just stared back blankly before opening it's mouth and thrusting it's head forward in an attempt to bite. Logan spun around, grabbed the monster by the shirt and drove it's head into the rock hard dirt. The other "zombie" had by now limped back and jumped on Logan's back. Just as Logan reached around to stab the attacker, a deafening shot rang out, exploding the monster's head. Thick, dark blood splattered all over the white snow as Logan turned to see a man holding a sawed off, double barrel shotgun and a chainsaw attached to his right wrist.
"Yo," the mysterious stranger said to the other "zombie". "Let's rock." He fired up the chainsaw and reeled back. The monster sprinted forward only to be slashed from shoulder to hip, falling into two pieces.
"Oh yeah." the man said in satisfaction.
"Who are you?" Logan asked as he pointed a set of Adamantium claws at the stranger.
"The name's Ash." he replied. "Don't worry hombre, I'm on your side."
"Prove it."
"Did I not just blow two of the bastards away, or was that the other guy with a wood cutting device for a hand?" Logan lowered his claws.
"Logan." he said.
"Well alright," Ash said. "Now that the pleasantries are over, do you mind tellin' me were I am." Logan swiftly pushed Ash aside and thrust his claws directly into the face of the very first "zombie" who, had awoken and snuck up on Ash.
"First," Logan said. "What are those damn things?"
"I like to call them "deadites". A dark entity forced itself into your world after being banished from mine. It made me come along for the ride which, I have to say, blows."
"Well how does your sorry ass get back."
"I'm not exactly sure." Ash said as he scratched the back of his neck. "But I do know that I first have to find the book."
"Book?"
"The Necronomicon Ex Mortis. The Book of the Dead. It's what caused all this walking dead crap. So, were are we."
"We're in the Northern half of Canada." Logan replied.
"So that explains the snow and the trees," Ash paused for a moment and looked at Logan. "And the man with metal claws."
"It's a long story." Logan said.
"Ah, and I'm sure it's riveting," Ash said sarcastically. "But I need to keep looking for the book." Ash turned away only to be swung back around looking face-to-face with Logan.
"Watch it bub. I gotta a feelin' your mouth has got you in trouble before."
"Hey, take it easy ruffles." Ash said. "I'm sorry, you don't need to get so pushy."
"That's better. Now lets find that book and get your ass off of my world."
"Sounds good to me." Ash said as he and Logan headed back towards Alkali Lake. "Is everyone on this world as charming as you?"
Three hours had passed and there had been no sign of the Book of the Dead. Even with Logan's heightened senses, nothing had turned up.
"So you're a mutant huh?" Ash said breaking the long silence. "Born with super powers. The only thing I was born with was the power to make beautiful women fall madly in love with me." Logan chuckled before he suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.
"We're not alone." Logan said softly.
"What is it?"
"Don't know." Logan said after sniffing the air again. "It smells familiar, but tainted." he smelled the air again. "Sabretooth."
"Sabretooth?" Ash asked again.
"Another mutant, extremely powerful, savage and a healing factor like mine."
"That's comforting." Just then a massive dark figure leapt from behind some trees and landed directly behind the two heroes. Logan and Ash turned just in time to be throw backwards by a massive swinging forearm. Logan slammed hard into a boulder while Ash landed in some snow covered shrubbery.
"Whoa." Ash said as he slowly stood up and fired up his chainsaw. In the full moon light, Ash could see the massive being. Inhumanly large muscles seemed to be stacked on top of each other topped of by a long, blonde, shaggy mane and very sharp teeth. The hulking creature turned at Ash allowing him to see, gripped in his powerful right hand, the Necronomicon.
"It's never easy." Ash said before leaping out of the bushes. Sabretooth stared Ash down with his glazed eyes.
"Hey, teen wolf." Ash said. "It's time for obedience training." Sabretooth let out a deafening howl and lunged at Ash. The sound of his chainsaw rattled across the snow covered wilderness as Ash revved up the two cycle engine.
"Sit!" Ash yelled as he swung the saw and caught Sabretooth in his right thigh, carving a large gash in the mutants leg. Sabretooth tumbled to the ground. Ash turned around and, to his disbelief, watched the gaping wound close by itself.
"I may be in trouble." Ash said to himself as Sabretooth got up to his feet still clutching the book. The beast bounded toward him as Ash could only reel back once more. Just as Sabretooth was almost on top of him, Logan leapt in and speared the attacker with his shoulder. Ash let out a sigh of relief as he saw Logan kneeling on Sabretooth's back and stabbing him repeatedly. After four or five swift thrusts, Logan grabbed Sabretooth by the hair, pulled his head up and stabbed him once more in the neck. The snow had been stained red with blood by the time Ash arrived. Wolverine reached back for another thrust, just as Sabretooth rolled over and swung his left arm around, knocking Logan to the ground. As Sabretooth got up Ash noticed once more that his wounds were already almost healed. The leviathan then lunged at the rising Logan. Just then, a load shot rang out that toppled the savage mutant and sent him crashing to the ground.
"Boom baby." Ash said pointing his shotgun at Sabretooth who was clutching his chest for an instant while blood poured over his hand. "Come get some." Sabretooth let out a roar and rushed toward him. Logan once again made the save by stabbing the raving beast in the side and swinging onto his back.
"Ash!" Logan yelled as he repeatedly stabbed the mutant. "The trees!"
"Trees?" Ash asked himself before a look of realization and confidence appeared on his face. "Trees." Ash madly swung his chainsaw at a nearby evergreen, cutting at the trunk for all he was worth. With a load creaking noise, the tree began to fall. Logan jumped off, allowing Sabretooth to turn and see the pine careening towards him. With a loud crash, Sabretooth was pinned under the heavy trunk.
"Hey." Ash said as he walked over to the unconscious mutant. "My bark is way more dangerous than my bite." he stepped on Sabretooth's wrist and pried the book from his grasp. Sabretooth opened his eyes and the fog immediately cleared. He looked around for an instant before rolling the tree off of his torso and fleeing into the forest. Logan watched as Sabretooth disappeared into the thick foliage. He turned to see a mysterious blue light illuminating from behind Ash. With the book now in his possession, Ash was going home.
"See ya 'round." Ash said as the breeze began to pick up.
"Yeah kid," Logan replied. "It's been fun." the blue light began to swirl and started to inhale snow.
"Oh, by the way," Ash said. "You might want to hold on to something." Logan sunk his claws into a nearby tree just as Ash was swept into the vortex. The wind immediately subsided as Logan gazed into the open patch of snow were Ash had been standing. He let go of the tree and continued toward his motorcycle. When Logan got to his bike, he sat down and started it. He looked once more into the forest and, for an instant, hoped his friend was safe. Logan put the bike into gear and headed back to the X-Men.
Ash landed in the middle on an iron platform with a loud thud. It hurt. He looked into his left hand. The book was gone again.
"Great," Ash said to himself as he stood up to see a huge city with flying cars all around him. "Oh crap." he said as his eyes locked with a being his height with long green hair, very long ears that reached out horizontally and an orange ferret on his right shoulder.
"Oh crap is right, flesh bag." the ferret said just before the being he was sitting on grabbed his gun and smashed it into Ash's face. Ash fell to the ground and looked around at the armed guards that surrounded him before blacking out.