The Moon and The Wolverine
It has been six years… since he split ways with Major Stryker and his team. He had been expecting that they'd come after him, but they must have better things to do than track him down. Logan just stands outside the door of his log cabin perched up high on a mountain in the Canadian Rockies. He breathes deeply of the sweet, clean air which is brisk against his topless torso. Then she appears…
"Breakfast is ready." The dark haired beauty says with a smile before turning back inside. Logan quickly follows her. He eats well and gets ready for work though she does her best to try and distract him. Soon she is driving him to the worksite where he is working for a logging company.
"I'll see ya around six." Logan says confirming the time that she'll be back to pick him up. She agrees and Logan shoulders his axe and carries his chainsaw as he starts to walk away.
"And where do you think you are going?" Kayla says questioning Logan's sudden exit. He turns to regard her then.
"To work." Logan answers slightly puzzled.
"Not without kissing me good-bye." Kayla then says with a smile as she eyes him with her bright blue eyes. Logan sighs and walks back to her. He can hear his fellow loggers all heckle him as he kisses Kayla. He smiles though after her soft lips part from his. She is his and that bunch can all be jealous for all he cares. He has her.
"I'll see you later." Kayla says suggestively and gets into the elcamino and drives off. Logan gives a quick wave and walks to his fellow loggers. They start their day and work the side of the mountain. It is hard and dangerous work, but the pay is good and it is honest work too. Logan works harder and longer than anyone else since he is unique and his healing factor doesn't allow him to get tired. The day wears on and soon the sun gets low and as six comes around, a military jeep pulls up. Logan doesn't have to turn around to see the owner of the cologne that reaches his nose. It belongs to Stryker.
"Who in the hell are these guys?" The logger next to Logan says as he watches two men step out of the jeep.
"Smells like government." Logan replies with a frown and grabs his axe and chainsaw then starts walking towards Stryker. "What do you want, Major?" Logan asks as he puffs on his cigar which then gets shot down to barely a half inch from his lips. Zero keeps the gun trained on Logan for a moment and the two men stare each other down.
"It's Colonel now. You remember Agent Zero, of course. I must say I was quite surprised to find you out here, Logan." Colonel Stryker says greeting with a warm friendly smile.
"Clean livin'… that's what I'm into now." Logan says as his hazel eyes dart between the two men.
"Do you miss killing?" Zero asks as his dark eyes narrow upon Logan.
"Right about now I am." Logan replies and tenses as he and the Asian man glare at one another again.
"Enough." Stryker says then shows Logan a newspaper from New York. There's a picture of Bradley on the front page seated at some carnival attraction with a light bulb and looking very unhappy. "Bradley was murdered nearly a week ago, Wade went missing a month before, and Victor's gone missing too… someone is hunting us down, Logan." Stryker then says. Logan frowns as he looks up at the Colonel.
"So you want to drag me back in, huh? Is that it?" Logan then says. "Well, my answer is no, Bub. Now get outta my way and never come back." Logan says and pushes past Stryker.
"Your country needs you, Logan!" Stryker shouts at him.
"I'm Canadian!" Logan retorts without looking back as he starts walking down one of the roads leading from the work site and tries to leave his past behind him. Kayla picks him up about three miles down the road. She is concerned and lets Logan drive them home.
"What's wrong?" She asks and touches his cheek to comfort him. Logan sighs.
"My Past is catching up with me." Logan starts. "A man came to see me today. A military man I used to work for."
"What did he want?" Kayla then asks curious.
"He wanted my skills… because I'm best at what I do… and what I do isn't very nice." Logan answers and frowns as he looks at the road.
"Are you going back?" She then asks.
"No." Logan says seriously. He then stops the car as the bridge is blocked by two trucks and the drivers are chatting with one another. Logan waits a minute then loses patience and hunks the horn.
"Hey, Bub! Could you let us pass!" Logan yells out his window. The two men ignore him. Logan huffs. "That's it."
"Stay in the car… please." Kayla pleads with her bright blue eyes. Logan has a moment to consider it but decides he is getting out.
"I'm just going to talk, nothing more." Logan says to reassure her as he steps out of the car and walks up to the men. "Could you please just move your truck so we can pass?" Logan asks nicely. The man standing between the trucks gives Logan a glare.
"We're trying to have a conversation here." The man says gruffly. Logan is starting to lose patience.
"Please, we've got groceries in the back and it's been a long day… and I just need to get home." Logan says as nicely as he can through nearly gritted teeth.
"Look, buddy… I'll move when I feel like it."
"I'm not your buddy, Friend." Logan says mockingly.
"Well, I'm not your friend, guy." The man says and swings on Logan who catches the fist in his left hand. Logan just really wants to slide his bone claws out and catch this guy right in the balls.
"Enough! Stop it both of you. You're acting like children." Kayla says as she steps in-between them and places a hand on their shoulders. She then looks at the man. "Please move your truck so we can pass." She says and he gets this look on face like he's puzzled then nods his head and gets into his truck. Kayla and Logan turn away and head for their vehicle as the truck moves.
"That was impressive. How'd you do that?" Logan then asks.
"I have the power of persuasion." Kayla says as she opens the passenger side door. Logan raises an eyebrow.
"Oh, really? And have you used this power of yours on me?" Logan then asks.
"You didn't stay in the car." She says with a smile and slides in. Logan huffs a chuckle and gets in as well. They head home and once there, Kayla makes Logan a steak dinner. After they are done eating, Kayla clears the table.
"There's an old story about the Moon… and her lover." Kayla starts.
"And do you tell this story to your kids, Teach?" Logan retorts with a warm smile.
"It's an old myth." Kayla answers and levels a hard, yet playful glare at Logan.
"Oh, so it's a true story then?" Logan then mocks lightly.
"In the Spirit World dwelt the Moon and her lover… Kuekuatsheu." Kayla starts and she slinks her way from the kitchen to the living room area. "They were happy together…" She continues as she straddles Logan's lap. "But the Trickster… Fox… wanted the Moon for himself, so he told Kuekuatsheu that she wanted him to pick flowers for her. Fox told him the way to Earth and that he would find the most beautiful flowers there in a meadow. So Kuekuatsheu did as he was told and left the Spirit World to seek flowers here on Earth…" Kayla says then gets a sad look in her blue eyes as she continues, "But when he tried to return, the way was closed… for what he didn't know was that once you leave the Spirit World you can never return. So Kuekuatsheu mourns his lost love. He can look up into the night sky every night to see her there, but he can never return to her." Kayla finishes as she leans back then draws closely to Logan once more.
"Damn. Coocoo-chachoo got screwed." Logan says with a smirk.
"Kuekuatsheu… it means… the Wolverine." Kayla says seriously and their lips meet in a tender passion.
Logan sleeps and his dreams are fitful. All the fighting. All the killing. All the dying. He has watched many a friend and lover die, whether by the hand of another or by Time. Sooner or later, he loses everyone close to him. Logan shoots up out of his sleep with his arms ready and bone claws slashing at the sheets. He looks around then it hits him… he looks over to his right to see if…
"Bad dream?" Kayla says as she comes into the bedroom from the bathroom wrapped in a red blanket. Logan just looks so relieved. "Was it the wars?" She then asks. He had told her the truth about himself… how he heals quickly and ages very slowly. She accepted him and stuck with him. "Which one?"
"It was all of them." Logan says as his breath calms though his body is still slick with sweat. Kayla lays a hand upon his chest and Logan notices the three scratch marks upon her forearm. He gives her a pained look.
"Let's get some rest." She says simply with a smile to show him it's nothing to worry about. Logan easily complies and lays upon his back. Kayla nestles into his left side and rubs his chest. Logan just sighs.
"I'm sorry." He whispers to her about the scratches.
"Don't worry about it." She says and swirls her fingers through his chest hair. Logan soon falls asleep once more and this time he dreams of Kayla and him out under the moon.
The next day dawns, Logan gets dropped off at work while Kayla goes to teach at the local elementary school. Logan works hard and as they move along the mountain, he gets an odd feeling. He chalks it up to Stryker's visit yesterday which unnerved him a bit to be sure. He can't help but wonder… Could Victor be the one hunting down the old team? Victor and Wade never got along… Bradley would've been an ease mark… but could Victor be foolish enough to come after him now?
That's when Logan smells it… blood. He moves away from the tree they had been working on as the other guys stop for the day since it's getting late. Logan then discovers a severed head of an animal… a wolverine, frozen in a snarl. He picks up another scent… a familiar scent and Logan follows it. He sees bloody claw marks on some trees… it's Victor's calling card. Logan drops his stuff and runs through the forest following the scent.
He stops as he comes upon Kayla's car on the dirt road leading up to the worksite. It's off and there's long claw marks running up the hood on the driver's side. The wind shifts and Logan smells blood… lots of blood. He darts in the direction it is coming from. That's when he sees…
"Kayla?" Logan says her name in a near whisper as he stops a dozen or so feet from her laying on the forest floor… covered in blood. Her blood. The scent overwhelms him and he looks at her through bleary eyes as the tears start to fall. He falls to his knees beside the woman he had fallen so swiftly in love with just two months ago. Something inside Logan snaps and he gets up, leaving Kayla's body and he tracks the familiar scent of his brother.
Victor Creed sits in a make-shift bar scratching a smiley face into the counter top with his long claws. He is smirking quite satisfied with himself as he sits and waits.
"You're not from around here are you?" The bartender asks as he looks nervously at Victor who only smiles wider.
"What gave me away?" Victor then asks as he notices the fear start to cross the man's face. "Do you have insurance on this place?" Victor then asks.
"No. Why?" The bartender asks confused.
"Oh, no reason… just that the shit's about to hit the fan." Victor then says and suddenly the large barn doors slide open.
"Victor!" Logan shouts angrily.
"Look here whatever is going on between you two… take it outside." The bartender says loudly. Logan's bone claws slide out and Victor smiles. The bar patrons all run away at the strange sight.
"You didn't have to kill her!" Logan shouts.
"Well, how else was I supposed to get your attention? You don't write. You don't call. It's almost like you never want to see me again." Victor says with a mock pout.
"Yeah, well now I want to kill ya, Bub." Logan says coolly. Victor snarls and charges on all fours as Logan shouts and runs forward. Victor leaps into the air and catches Logan, digging his claws into his little brother's chest. Logan groans in pain as they hit the ground and Victor removes his claws then clamps down again to grab Logan by his ribcage. He hoists him up and throws him at a pile of large logs. Lightning flashes and thunder splits the sky as it begins to rain upon the wood mill grounds.
Logan shakes his head as Victor grabs him and before he can stab the bigger blonde man with his bone claws… Logan goes flying once more. He hits another pile of logs and falls to his feet. Victor comes at him, but Logan is more ready now. He lets Victor swipe in with a clawed hand feels the long claws dig into his upper arm but Victor groans as he is stabbed in the chest by a set of bone claws.
Victor pulls back as he releases Logan's arm. They both take a moment to heal then Logan presses on slashing at Victor who ducks and dodges away. Victor then grabs Logan by the wrist.
"You're never going to beat me, Jimmy." Victor then says and tosses Logan into an on-coming semi truck's path. Logan is hit and rolls over the top along the load of logs and then falls face down in the mud. He groans in pain as he feels his bones pop back into place and heal. Victor strolls up to him as he is on the ground still healing.
"You just don't have it in you, little brother." Victor says and digs his claws into Logan's back, hoists him up and throws him at another stack of logs. Logan is dazed by the impact. "Maybe I should've raped her before I killed her… what do ya think about that, Jimmy?" Logan screams as he thrusts both claws up and catches Victor in the gut. Victor only smiles and grabs Logan by the throat. He then plants a foot on Logan's stomach and rolls backwards as he kicks Logan away to hit another pile of logs. Victor quickly leaps up on the pile and slashes at the straps. The heavy logs then tumble down and hit Logan squarely in the chest.
"You're spent, Jimmy." Victor says as he lifts two logs off Logan one at a time and tosses them to the side. Logan snarls and jumps up to slash at Victor. He catches his older brother across the stomach and Victor retreats backwards. Logan stumbles out and slips in the mud. He falls down upon the train tracks. Victor shakes his head.
"Such a waste." He then says and stomps on Logan's left set of bone claws, breaking them. Logan screams and rolls over as the rain washes the blood and mud off of him. He weeps for losing Kayla and his inability to avenge her death. Logan then passes out from the pain.
Logan's hazel eyes snap open and as he looks around, he notices that he is on the operating table of a hospital. The doctor and his assistants all look confused.
"Ease there, buddy. You were in a bar fight and banged up pretty bad." The doctor says as Logan gets off the table and looks at his ruined shirt.
"I'm fine now. Nothing to worry about." Logan then says and walks out. He still feels pretty raw about not being able to beat Victor. Then he goes through a door and comes face to face with Colonel Stryker.
"What now? Come to kick me while I'm down?" Logan snaps angrily.
"No, I heard over the scanners about your fight." Stryker then says and frowns. "I warned you though that someone is after the old team… someone with a vendetta."
"It's Victor." Logan says coldly. It hits him like a fist to the gut at what his brother has done to him. It's unforgivable!
"Victor?" Stryker asks confused.
"Yeah." Logan replies hotly. "And I'm going to kill him!" Logan adds then pushes past Stryker, but the Colonel reaches out and grabs Logan's arm. Logan reacts and slams Stryker into the wall.
"Don't touch me." Logan whispers coolly and his bone claws slide out and poke under Stryker's chin.
"He's already proven he can beat you, Logan…" Stryker says as he feels the claws prick at his skin.
"This isn't making me feel any better." Logan whispers hotly.
"You have to be stronger… and I can help you there." Stryker says and Logan relaxes a bit. "Remember that meteorite in Africa?"
"Yeah. What of it?" Logan then asks and lets his claws slide back into his arms.
"We found it… it's a rare metal unlike another and I can use it to make you indestructible… but first I will have to destroy you. Do you sound up for it, Soldier?" Stryker then asks. Logan thinks for a moment. This may be just what he needs.
"Okay, you do what you need to do to me with it… and then you point me in Victor's direction and you get the hell out of the way! And once he's dead… we are done! Understand that, Stryker? Done!" Logan then says angrily as he eyes Stryker who only smiles.
"That's a fair trade, but if you go after him… you may not like what you find." Stryker then says to caution Logan.
"Don't care… I'm going to kill him." Logan answers as his eyes glare with murderous intent. "One last thing… I want new tags." He then says.
"The same shall be reissued to you-"
"No! I want these to say, 'Wolverine'." Logan then says.
"Done." Stryker complies with a nod of his head and Logan leaves with Stryker.
A/N: I tried to stick a little closer to the movie in this chapter, but I couldn't resist putting in the endless Canadian argument from South Park! lol I'm not your Buddy, Guy! I'm not your Guy, Friend! I'm not your Friend, Buddy! It can go on forever!
Let me know what ya'll think :)