As Wolverine slices open the lock on a gate, he thinks to himself about where he is –
Alberta Canada, the wild and wooly part. So wild and wooly, there shouldn’t be a pup-tent within twenty miles of this blind valley, let alone a big nuclear research facility. Standing inside the gate, Wolverine knows that he’s getting close to something there. The smell of this place is tickling his memory way down deep. He thinks he’s been there before and he didn’t like it.
Finally speaking, he then asks the two individuals with him if they are coming in with him. Jubilee asks him if he’s sure it’s safe to go poking around in there? She doesn’t want to start glowing in the dark or developing any weird new talents. Wolverine asks her if she is going chicken on him; this place has been abandoned for years. Jubilee replies that radiation sticks around for centuries. Wolverine tells her that the puzzle-palace spooks hang nuke-warnin’s on any facility that they don’t want the public peekin’ into. He recommends to her that she get ol’ Harry Tableshaw to hold her hand. However, Harry informs him that this is far as he goes. He hates to trot out a moldy cliché, but this place is bad medicine.
Jubilee asks Wolverine if he hears that, their guide says no-no. Wolverine mentions to Harry that he doesn’t blink twice when Ronald Parvenue hired him to track down the Hunter in Darkness for him. He thought he didn’t believe in stuff like forest spirits. Harry replies that he doesn’t but he does believe in being careful. He back-tracked all the Hunter’s lairs to this place that isn’t even on the survey maps. Other animals had taken over the old lairs, even though they had a strong predator scent, but this place, this is something else. Not a single animal ever goes near this place. Not an owl, a snake, nor a mouse. As he walks away, he tells Wolverine to think about that.
Once Harry has left, Jubilee asks Wolverine if he is thinking about what he said. Wolverine replies that he’s not and asks if she is coming or not. Jubilee tells him to give her a sec to lace up her rollerblades. She finally has some hardtop to practice on. Further inside the complex, Wolverine examines what is located within. Steel reinforced concrete buildings, with no windows and solid steel doors. It’s like this place was designed to keep something heavy from getting out or getting in?
Just then, he notices some claw marks on the door. As he continues to ponder that thought, Jubilee skates by and mentions to Wolverine that she bets he thought she was nuts to drag along her skates on a wilderness trek. Wolverine tells her not to skate down any rabbit holes. Jubilee replies that he shouldn’t worry. She’s getting to be a regular Tai Babilonia on these things. Just then, she calls out for him to check this out! Wolverine looks around and asks her if she found something. Jubilee tells him that she found a whole big macadam parking lot. As Wolverine follows her, he asks that she just found more skating surfaces? She tells him sure, but where there’s a parking lot in an industrial complex there’s going to be loading bays and garage doors.
When they reach one of the garage doors Wolverine tells Jubilee that he was there but he doesn’t remember any of it. When he gets up to the door, he notices that he was trying to get inside and somebody was shooting at him from inside the door. If he couldn’t claw his way through back then… Jubilee recommends that he try the handle. Wolverine tells her that it has to be locked. Jubilee informs him not necessarily. Luckily for Wolverine, the door is unlocked. When he opens it Jubilee notices that there is a car inside the garage. When she asks Wolverine what it is, he replies that it is a Lotus Seven. Jubilee tells him that she never heard of it and asks how he knew what it was. Wolverine tells her that he just knew.
As Jubilee continues to look around inside the garage, she mentions that there has to be a door that leads inside the complex from there. Wolverine tells her to go look for it, he’s got stuff to attend to right there. As he concentrates on the car, he notices that the keys are still in the ignition. When he sits in the car, it feels like the seat is adjusted for him. When he goes to turn the key he mentions that it will be next to miraculous if the engine turns over.
(the past)
As the engine begins to turn over, Wolverine hears somebody from behind him ask for “Mr. Logan” and then feels the air around him becoming cold. As he wonders how it became so cold, he is transformed back to a time when he was outside a bar in the snow and was shot in the head when he was sitting inside his car. The perpetrators are three men. One of the men says that should do it and orders the other two to get him out of there. That intra-muscular thorazine works fast. He adds that somebody has to move the Lotus. One of the men says that it will be moved after they move him. As one of the other men starts to move Logan, he asks for some help. When the man does so, the first adds that he’s real heavy for just a little guy. Just then, Logan awakens and punches out one of the men who was trying to take him out of the car.
As one of the other men jump on his back, he asks his partner if he got him with that stupid stun gun. His partner replies that he did, at point blank range. Nevertheless, Logan is able to take the guy from on his back and slams his face into the Lotus’ headlight. One of the other men grabs Logan in a full nelson and says to his partner that he has him and tells him to use the stun gun again quickly. His partner says that he’ll stun him alright and proceeds to smack Logan across the face with the butt of the gun. The man holding Logan in the full nelson tells him that is the wrong end that he’s using. The man replies that it isn’t as far as this lug is concerned. One of the men adds that the Prof’s not going to like this – he said no body damage. The man hitting him across the face agrees but adds that he didn’t say what a tough son-of-a-gun he’d be. The other man adds that nobody’s so full of tough that it can’t be pistol-whipped out of him. As Wolverine falls in a heap back then, he falls out of the car in present time.
(present)
Jubilee rolls up to him and tells him that he don’t look so hot, maybe he should give up those cigars and take up blade-skating. As Wolverine picks himself up off the floor, he tells her that he was just having some sort of crazy daydream. He adds that it couldn’t be a fragment of real memory it was too…
He stops his thought when he looks down at the headlight of the Lotus and finds it smashed. Jubilee tells him that she found a door back there. It’s all covered with claw marks but it’s unlocked. She then asks him what the deal is with the car. Wolverine tells her that he thinks it used to be his. To this, Jubilee exclaims that he used to have really good taste. As she begins to look through the car, she mentions that the registration may still be in the glove compartment. As Wolverine goes through the door, he tells her that if she finds any souvenirs from some hot dates in there she should just leave them be. Jubilee replies that, if she finds any panties, she’s not touching them. Wolverine tells her that he was thinking of grenades.
Inside the corridor, he mentions that it looks like somebody lit off a few frags in there, as well as a few thousand rounds of military ball ammo. For that much fire-power in an enclosed place, they must have been desperate. He wonders what they were shooting at. What or who? When he looks into the water on the floor, he sees himself, covered in monitors and wires.
(the past)
As he begins to be attacked by a multitude of troops, the announcement is made. Out of control. Weapon X has escaped. We have an untenable situation here in zone 3. Where’s the Prof? Why isn’t he down here with… As Wolverine continues to slash away at the oncoming guards, another transmission is made from somewhere else. Zone 3 – respond if you can. When no answer comes back – they know that zone 3 has been totally compromised. Get some wranglers down there. Wranglers? What they need are heavy weapons teams and sappers.
Wolverine then rips a hole in the wall and crawls into the duct-work. The transmissions continue, they have an infrared sensor alarm in the crawl-space – section 17. Running amok, you might say. They mention that he is definitely headed towards the Prof’s quarters. The Professor is locked up in there and he’s not answering. Clearing the dead wood as you put it. Serves that bald-headed son-of-a… Just then, Wolverine bursts through the floor of the Professor’s quarters. The Professor is in shock and calls out for help. The announcement comes through that Weapon X is in there with the Prof. They realize that the door is locked. They order the engineer to come up and put C-4 and primacord on the hinges.
(present)
As Wolverine raises his claws at the Professor, he feels a gun being pointed at his back. Jubilee then says to him to look at what she found. Wolverine freaks out as he turns around but Jubilee tells him to chill out. Wolverine holds his claws up to her face and asks her if she is nuts and if she knows how close she came to… Jubilee asks nuts? He is the one standing around in a dark corridor grunting and breathing heavily. She then tells him to get a grip and hands the pistol to Wolverine. She found it in the Lotus and adds that he must have been a regular James Bond. She then asks why the handle is all taped up.
(the past)
In a building, a long time ago, the answer comes from an unidentified man. The handle is taped for a better grip and to not leave any fingerprints. He hands it to Wolverine, who is in a suit, and tells him it his back-up piece. The man mentions to him that if he’s going to insist on packing that regulation peashooter he might as well have two of them. Wolverine asks him if he thinks this job is that hairy. The man tells him that they’re all hairy as far as he is concerned. As they head up the stairs, the man says to Wolverine that he got some rotten luck, catching a job like this on his birthday – he really feels for him. Wolverine agrees and asks where his cake is. The man asks him he wants cake? In Windsor, he wants cake? After this, he’ll take him north across the river to Detroit, greek-town, and get some baklava.
Once they reach the door, the unidentified man calls out to the “outside man.” He says, Mastodon, this is Sabretooth. They are ready when he is. Mastodon replies to get this over with. He wants to get back to the hotel in time for the ‘Avengers.’ Sabretooth tells Wolverine that it’s time to rock and roll partner. Wolverine replies that he’s the designated kicker, so take it down.
Within seconds, Sabretooth kicks down the door and tells the four people inside the room to freeze and get their hands up. One of the men says to their leader, Andre, that he said the pigs couldn’t come across the border. Andre replies that some pigs think they have a special dispensation. Another man adds that he’ll “dispensate” their funky butts and ops up fire. Wolverine is immediately hit with two shots to the stomach while Sabretooth kills one of their men – Morse. As Wolverine hits the ground he lands on a magazine that has a picture of a cabin located in Alberta Canada. Sabretooth calls down to Mastodon to get up there, Wolverine is down.
As Wolverine lays on the ground he says that it hurts so bad – dead. No, not dead. Animal. No, Logan. As he lies on the ground and continues to mutter, strange spikes begin to come out of his body. It is crucial that the memory implant be bonded to reality preferably to severe trauma. Just then, Mastodon comes crashing through the window. Andre informs his other man, Carlisle that another pig is behind him. Carlisle notices that he is a big man with a sawed-off and asks him how he likes being shot in the gut. Mastodon takes the shot and replies with a shot of his own. This time, he asks how he likes it in the face?
On the other side of the room, the leader, Andre continues to shoot Sabretooth until his gun jams. He orders Silver Fox, the fourth member of their crew to get him. Wolverine, still on the ground, asks Silver Fox? The brain does not allow itself to remember excruciating pain in precise detail. At almost the same time, Sabretooth is hit and his gun runs empty. He tells Logan to get it together or they’re all dead meat. There are appropriate “grey areas” to build on, to layer in “alternate scenarios.” Andre again orders Silver Fox to blow them away and calls her a stupid squaw. Silver Fox replies that Morse has got a death-grip on his gun and that she is going to have to break his fingers. Andre tells her to never mind, he got his gun unjammed. He then tells the attackers to die pigs!
At that moment, Logan rises up and tells him that he’s not a pig, or animal, or dead! The real trick to giving the implant credence lies in artful juxtaposition… Logan then proceeds to shoot Andre, killing him. Silver Fox, enraged calls him a pig. He just blew away a true revolutionary and a certified genius. She tells him that he’s dead! The brain would much rather believe an unpleasant fiction than a horrifying truth. The implant overpowers reality by being marginally more palatable. It’s all in the placement, you see.
Logan, enraged continues to scream that he’s not animal, he’s not dead, he’s Logan. Human, human! Sabretooth tells him that he needs to neutralize the girl. Logan approaches Silver Fox and tells her to drop the gun. He’s not a beast and he won’t hurt. Silver Fox tells him no. Sabretooth tells Logan that she said no and to do her. With that, Logan leaps forward and slices the gun in pieces. As Logan stands in front of her with his claws on her necklace, Silver Fox tells him to go ahead. She’s not going to grovel for her life. I see the subject’s memory as a complex ragout, and we are the chefs who have it within their power to determine what shall rise to the top and what shall be skimmed.
(present)
Wolverine is then brought back to reality when Jubilee calls out yow. She was just holding out the keys to the Lotus. He didn’t have to stick her. Jubilee points out that it looks like he got a big old pad-lock key on there too. She then asks about the pouch; it looks Indian. Wolverine recognizes it as the same pouch that was around Silver Fox’s neck. He then tells Jubilee that they have to get out this place; it’s jarring loose too many questions. Questions he has to ask Xavier about. They’re heading back to West Chester.
Surprised, Jubilee asks him if he wants to check out what’s in the rest of this place, however Wolverine replies that he’s seen enough. Inside a room that they were right next to, a device labeled “02 Shiva” on it is open and its contents are gone. The shape of the device inside is that of a person.
