(first story)
Up in British Columbia, Canada, standing over the bloodied Nick Fury, Logan wonders how many times. How many times has he come out of a berserker rage, his hands covered in blood, not knowin’ whose it is? Or why he’s done what he’s done? When will it end? When will he be able to get past all those years o’ programmin’ an’ conditionin’? When will he finally break this cycle he’s been stuck in for more’n a damn century? An’ how many more o’ his friends are gonna hafta die before it happens?
He tells himself to stop. Feelin’ sorry for himself, not for what he’s done is part o’ the cycle too. He can’t run away, he has to run toward it. He did this, he’s the one who has to make it right. With that, Logan stabs Fury in the chest with a syringe Fury had in his pocket. Ever since Nick told him it was his birthday, the old programmin’s been back hard. He’s been seein’ things. Things from his past, things he buried long ago come back to haunt him.
At that moment, Seraph walks out of the woods and calls Logan pathetic. Logan says to her that she told him to… Cutting him off, Seraph asks “hack away like a butcher?” Logan replies no, but… Again Seraph cuts him off and tells him that he did what he wanted to do. He did what was easy for him and he’s using her as an excuse. Hanging his head, Logan tells her he… he’s not. Seraph responds yes he does, he always does.
Raising his head, Logan sees Seraph flanked by Janice Hollenbeck, Itsu, Rose, and Janet. Rose steps up and tells Logan that he has to let them go. Logan tells her he can’t, he still loves her. He still loves all of them. Itsu adds that they are but memories. Logan agrees – memories of the happiest moments of his life. Janet asks him if he really believes that. She then asks him what his memory is of her. What does she think of when he hears her name? When Logan thinks of Janet, his memory flashes back to when Silas Burr killed her. Silver Fox then asks him if he sees now. How many times must she die? Mariko Yashida asks how many times he is going to kill her.
Logan’s memory then reverts back to when he held Mariko in his arms as she died. At that moment, Logan’s memory reverts back to Jasmine Falls and Itsu. Emerging from her dwelling, Itsu tells him that he cannot come there anymore. Logan pleads with her and tells her this is all he has but Itsu walks away from him and tells him it is not enough and it never will be. Death did not define her, nor should it him.
Just then, Logan finds himself at the fire by Nick Fury’s side. When Fury coughs, Logan tells him welcome back. Fury responds that he’d say the same thing and by the way, #%$& you. After Logan asks him if he’s okay, Fury tells him he will be eventually. Logan then asks him what that stuff was in the syringe anyhow. Fury tells him don’t ask. After a brief period of silence, Fury says that it was from him. It was a bio strain they cultivated, a partial clone of his DNA for emergency use only. When Logan asks him how they got it, Fury tells him how does he think they got it. Gritting his teeth, Logan replies Weapon X.
Fury then asks Logan if he’s ever considered how many others are alive because of what he is, what he’s done? Looking out into the woods, Logan answers not often. Mostly he thinks about the ones he did it to. All the lives he took away for nothin’. An’ that’s what keeps him goin’. Fury asks him a need to atone? That’s all he’s got? Ain’t enough, never will be.
Just then, Silver Fox asks him “now do you see?” Logan asks her why she keeps asking him that. He’s seen everything she’s shown him. What is he missing? Just then, Dagger arrives and tells him everything. He’s missing everything. Running off, Logan exclaims no, he can’t go back there. He’s not ready for this. Enveloping him in his cape, Cloak tells him yes he is.
Once inside Cloak’s cape, Romulus tells Logan to go ahead and run. He knows it’s comin’ an’ he knows he can’t stop it. Sooner or later, he’s gonna have to face it. Sooner or later, he’s gonna have to face him. Halting in his tracks, Logan comes face to face with Romulus. When he does, Romulus asks him if that feels better – facin’ his enemy head-on, rather’n turnin’ his back an’ runnin’ like a coward. Confident, Logan answers yes, it does. Facing the oncoming train, Logan states that he sees now – no more running. With that, the train passes through Logan’s body and slams into Romulus behind him.
Finding himself back in Canada, Logan hears Fury mention that he feels like he got hit by a freight train. Helping his friend up, Logan quips “you an’ me both, pal.” Fury then tells Logan that he looks different. Handing Nick a cup of coffee, Logan remarks that he is different. Fury says for the better, he hopes. Logan replies him too. Pointing over at his unfinished cabin, Logan asks Fury if he knows anybody in the market for a fixer-upper. After Fury asks him that he’s not saying, Logan answers no. He’s got too much to do. Fury asks him like what. Logan replies honestly, he doesn’t know. He’s been on the same path for so long, he’s kinda… Fury finishes his thought for him – lost track of where he started from. Logan says yeah and then asks Fury what he does now. Fury tells him that’s up to him.
Thinking to himself, Logan says Fury doesn’t know how right he is. For so long, it wasn’t up to him. Even after Professor X blocked his memories, the programmin’ Romulus had beaten into him was still there, festerin’ under the surface, affectin’ his every decision. An’ in the absence o’ his real memories, he clung to it. He didn’t realize that until just now. With the help from the loves of his life.
Even when he got his memories back, he focused on nothin’ but the negative aspects o’ his past. Everything an’ anyone he’s ever done wrong. He thought he was doin’ it so that he could focus it, use it; for revenge. But the fact o’ the matter is that he’s been doin’ it his whole life. An’ when it wasn’t ‘cause of a need for revenge, it was ‘cause that’s what Romulus taught him to do. He taught him to feel guilty for what he is. He taught him that he could only love the things he could never have. An’ he taught him that salvation was somethin’ forever outta his reach.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. His past is somethin’ that was never under his control but his future… Well, his future isn’t somethin’ that he’s ever thought about until now. He’s done a helluva lot more bad with his life than good but he has a lot more livin’ to do. He ain’t dyin’ anytime soon so maybe there’s a chance. The odds are against him but if there’s anybody that can pull it off, it’s him. His name is Wolverine. He’s the best there is at what he does.
(second story)
In an alley, Logan finds Hope and tells her that everybody’s lookin’ fer her, again. Hope asks so they sent him to find her? Logan tells her nope. He told ‘em he doesn’t care where the hell she is. After Hope asks why he’s there, Logan answers because this is his spot. As he opens up a bottle of alcohol, Logan asks her what she’s doin’ there anyway. She’s got a perfectly good bed back on Utopia. Hope states that it’s too soft and that she’s just more comfortable there. She then asks Logan if she can have a sip from his bottle. When Logan tells her no, she asks if it’s because she’s not old enough. Logan tells her it’s because he don’t feel like sharin’ and then tells her to get the hell out.
Grabbing her bag and starting to leave, Hope says that she thought of all people, he would understand. When Logan asks understand what, she replies what she’s… All the people are counting on her to do something that she… that she doesn’t know how to do. That she doesn’t know she can do. Her whole life, she’s been taught to look out for herself. Nathan never taught her how to…
Cutting her off, Logan tells her to stop right there. Is she sayin’ this terrible problem she has is Cable’s fault? Hanging her head, Hope tells him no and says “Sometimes. I… I’m sorry.” Taking a sip from his bottle, Logan says she’s right about that. With that, Hope punches him across the face, breaking his bottle and challenges him to a fight.
Chuckling, Logan tells Hope that she’s the one leavin’. Hope tells him to make her. Logan says big talk fer a little girl. Hope shoots back that she isn’t a little girl. Logan tells her she sure as hell actin’ like one, sittin’ there feelin’ sorry for herself. Hope says uh-huh and then asks Logan what he’s doing there. Pulling out another bottle, Logan asks isn’t it obvious? He’s celebratin’. Hope asks that he’s celebrating in an alley, behind a dumpster? Logan remarks hard to believe, ain’t it? Him, livin’ the dream. Putting her hand to her head, Hope tells Logan she doesn’t understand him at all. Logan comments that’s a shocker.
Taking a swig from his bottle, Logan tells Hope that he used to be afraid o’ the future too. After Hope asks that now he’s not, Logan tells her yup. Now he thinks he’s just afraid o’ her. Hope says to her that she… she would never do anything to hurt him… Logan tells her that she never could do anything to hurt him. He doesn’t believe in her. Sitting next to Logan, Hope says that makes two of them. She then asks him what she is to do. If she knew how to give them the future they wanted, she would. But, she doesn’t know how. How does she change something that hasn’t happened yet? How do you change the future?
Logan tells her to get her head outta her ass. Everything she does changes the future, the future’s always changin’. But the past, the past is set in stone. Hope tells him that’s not true. She’s jumped back and forth through time, a lot. Logan says yeah, an’ what changed. After Hope asks if he means in the past, Logan tells her no, he means in her. Hope tells him that she doesn’t understand what he’s asking her. Standing up, Logan tells her that maybe someday she will, someday in the future.
Seeing him start to leave, Hope asks Logan where he’s going. Leaving the bottle of alcohol behind, Logan tells her none o’ her business. Hope calls out to him that she thought this was his spot. Logan replies so did he but it ain’t. Not anymore.
