CH. 4

"Birthday Traditon"

It was early in the morning, Raven had left as quickly as she had appeared, and Logan now stood contemplating the warning she had given him, he didn't think she was lying, and he figured she had been put up to it.

Exhaling smoke from the cigar in his mouth, a good cigar couldn't be overlooked in Logan's opinion.

His ears picked up the inner workings of the door handle click as he soon felt a presence behind him.

"Smoking kills," Sophia said even if she were groggy, it could still be sensed she was serious.

"When'd you become my mom?" Logan retorted as he took in another long draw before exhaling.

"Just saying," the girl relented as she came into view, he wondered how she could keep up with doing her hair like that every morning, though he'd be one to talk.

"Get your shit out of the room, yet?" Logan asked as he put the cigar out on the concrete before pocketing the rest of it.

"We're not having breakfast first?" the girl asked as Logan swung his leg over the motorcycle and prepared himself for some rigorous travel.

"We don't have time, I grabbed a couple of these," Logan said as he tossed Sophia two energy bars.

He saw her bobble the food but eventually caught them, she opened one and ate it, before swinging her leg over the bike and sitting up against the backrest.

"What's the hurry!?" Sophia exclaimed as the bike shot out of the parking lot and back onto the highway, traveling at high speeds.

"Put your helmet on!" Wolverine barked over the rushing wind as he took the curve.

Logan assumed she did as she was told, given he heard her sigh in an exacerbated manner, then the sound of the helmet muffling her breathing.

If they could get far enough away, he wouldn't show up, Logan hoped, but just when he'd finished the thought, Logan noticed something flying towards him, at the very edge of his vision.

Attempting to swerve the motorcycle out of the projectile's path proved futile, the chunk of wood careened into the front wheel with such force that it sent both himself and Sophia flying through the air.

Logan's mind raced with the thought of getting her covered up, she wouldn't survive a fall from this speed.

He got a bead on Sophia and grabbed her ankle despite her flailing, he tugged her into his arms and did his best to cover her up.

Logan gritted his teeth, this hurt every time it happened, he just hoped she wouldn't get too injured.

Bracing his arms, Logan tried to make a cage between her and the road, but then it happened.

The pavement dug into his arms as it twisted around, his clothes and skin were soon gone as the road cleaved them away, and the only thing escaping Logan's mouth were grunts and shouts as he rag-dolled along the highway.

Tumbling to a stop, his arms ached and his breath shook from the agony he was in, with blurry vision, he saw Sophia was still breathing.

"Are… yo–" Logan breathed before the motorcycle landed on his back and rolled past them.

Dazed, Logan rolled off of Sophia and flopped on his back, and panted, misery laden throughout his body, he felt the girl's presence looming beside him.

He noticed her jump at the sounds of bones cracking, and his body crunching back together.

His metallic bones were again covered with muscle, skin and hair again. "Logan!" he heard Sophia shout, albeit muffled by the ringing in his ears.

Willing himself up, the sickening sound of bones crackling and popping could be heard as Logan sat up and turned to investigate where he thought the projectile had come from.

He saw nothing, but he smelled him, a familiar scent, someone he never wanted to lay eyes on again.

Whirling his head around, he saw the horror-stricken face of Sophia trying to make sense of what just happened. "Get up, run!" Logan yelled, shooing the girl away aggressively.

"Where! Where do I go?!" Sophia shouted fearfully, stumbling up to her feet.

"Just keep running, don't stop!" Logan screamed as he too got up from the pavement.

"Happy birthday," Logan's ears perked up at the familiar voice, he turned his head to see a tall, burly man wearing animal skins.

"Victor, not now!" Logan roared, standing himself between Sophia and Victor.

He heard footsteps retreating, he had to give her as much time as possible, putting his foot in the ground defiantly, he stood up straight.

"Leaving so soon?" Victor said condescendingly, spreading his hands out to the side and elongating his fingernails into talons. "We haven't even begun," he snarled as a maniacal grin bared his long canine teeth, looking more like fangs.

"Here I am, leave her out of it!" Logan growled back, flexing his arms, and unleashing his claws.

"Stop me," Victor said ominously, as he braced to charge, Logan readied up to do the same.

The two rushed at each other, and met in the middle of the highway, Logan ended up tackling Victor, he was heavier and had a lower center of gravity.

Pulling back a fist, Logan missed with his first strike his claws easily pierced the pavement.

Victor grabbed Logan by the throat and pierced each of his talons into his neck and pulled down, ripping Logan's throat apart before throwing a haymaker that sent the berserker rolling across the highway.

Rolling onto his feet, Logan stood attempting to keep his balance as his neck knitted itself together, he couldn't help but groan in agony.

When it was healed, Wolverine rushed forward with a roar as he brandished his claws.

Ducking a strike from Victor, Wolverine slashed his enemy's abdomen, and followed up with a wide swing of his fist toward Victor's head.

Victor caught the hand but didn't account for the Wolverine's claws to shoot out and impale his hand, he retaliated by slashing across Wolverine's face making him withdraw his claws from his enemy's hand.

Turning back to face Victor, Wolverine slipped under another swipe and countered with a stab through Victor's thigh and then followed up putting his right claws into his enemy's chest.

Both men roared at each other full of an instinctual rage, primal even, like two animals locked in a battle to the death.

Wolverine was stunned when Victor palm-struck his nose and took him by the shoulders and flung him into the grass.

After creating a small crater with the weight of his body and the velocity of Victor's throw, Wolverine rolled over to see his enemy running on all four limbs in the direction Sophia had fled.

Scrambling to his feet, Logan knew what would happen if Victor got his hands on the girl, kill her.

Or worse.