Canada-Now

He was still too far away to hit,but he could feel the wave of heat,and as he backed up slightly,careful not to trip over any bodies,he began searching for a rifle he didn't shred.He could shoot out the tanks a lot easier than try and rupture them with his claws.There were five guards with flamethrowers fanning out around the front of the building,and he knew the moment he went for one he'd be char broiled by the rest.

Logan was slightly impressed.This was much better security.They must have learned something from twelve years ago.

It was then Logan smelled something odd but familiar,and heard,"I see we showed up in the nick of linear time."

He glanced over his shoulder to see Bob and Helga-both dressed in weather inappropriate clothes-standing near the broken gate of the compound.Bob gave him a roguish grin,and then glanced past him,at the flame on brigade."You're out,"he said to them conversationally,as if their shift was over.Logan glanced back in time to see the soldiers topple to the ground like dominos,open nozzles bleeding gasoline from the tanks.

"So what's the haps,Logan?"Bob wondered.

He turned back to him,and the moment Bob's eyes locked onto his,he had the sneaking feeling he was being looked through completely,right through to the core."Oh dear,"Bob said,his expression faltering.

Logan knew he hadn't just heard his thoughts,but seen back into his memories.He hated it when he did that.

"There's no end to the pain,is there?"Bob asked, rhetorically.

"Just cut the crap.Are you gonna help me or not?"

Bob spread his hands wide."That's why we're here."

Bob was wearing leather pants and boots-again-and a white muscle t-shirt as tight as a second skin,but nothing more.He should have been freezing his ass off,but he didn't seem to be.Helga was dressed a bit warmer,in sneakers,blue jeans,and a red cashmere sweater with a fleece lined bomber jacket on top of that,but she was shivering,even as she hefted the compact rocket launcher to her shoulder."So we start with this building?"She asked,aiming down the sight.

Bob reached out and lowered the barrel."We have to make sure there are no innocents inside first."

"No one here is innocent,"Helga argued.

"Kids."Bob clarified.

Helga considered that a moment,her tail flicking back and forth behind her like a metronome."No one should know better than you that kids ain't automatically innocent."

"Agreed.But in this case,I think we can assume extenuating circumstances."He said,then raised his golden eyebrows in Logan's direction."Want to lead the way,Wombat?"

Now he knew he was doing that on purpose.Helga laughed as he gave Bob the finger,and said,"This way,Dick."Even Bob chuckled,proving he was stranger than he could ever imagine.

Logan stepped over the bodies carefully as he led the way inside the darkened R&D lab,and Bob started singing again,as always."You go ahead,as good as dead.Come to a head,you're as good as dead."

Logan sincerely wished he had picked a song with different lyrics.Better yet,maybe he could just shut up.

But Logan knew he was more likely to sprout wings and fly away.

***

Canada-1990

He wanted to call out to her,but didn't dare.He didn't want any soldiers who might be near to know he was coming.

He didn't even have to leave the forest.There,standing behind the scraggly trees that made up the vanguard of the forest,he could see Elena,and a handful of soldiers,and smell blood on the wind.

Six grey clad soldiers,three on either side,were slowly approaching a figure sprawled in the snow,their rifles aimed down at it as if the person might suddenly spring up and attack them like a deathless slasher in a horror movie.But it was obvious that person was not getting up ever again.

Logan could smell death from here,and even in the dying light of the overcast sky,he could see the brain matter like hunks of torn meat splattered all over the snow,the blood looking black on the luminescent white snow.

He couldn't see a face,if there was any face left to see,which he doubted since it looked like the bullet had taken off the top of the skull.But he recognized that lovely silver Glock in the figure's outstretched right hand,and his own red plaid flannel shirt.

Elena.

The soldiers were saying something to each other,or into their radios,but Logan didn't really hear them.He only heard his own heartbeat thundering in his ears,his blood a roaring counterpoint as a rage so pure it almost felt cleansing flared to life inside of him.Those motherfuckers had killed her,blown her fucking head clean off.

(It was his fault,he had left her,he knew how fucking ill she was.There was no way she could be as quick on the draw as she was when she less sick-but she was supposed to be right behind him!She looked closer to the truck than the trees,like she'd backtracked...)

It never occurred to him that it was stupid or reckless;he was so angry he wasn't thinking at all.That part of his brain had all but shut down.All he knew was that they weren't getting away with this.She dies,they die.

(...if she backtracked where were her footprints?)

He launched himself at the soldiers with a scream that was equal parts pain and rage-

(Something about this scenario was familiar.Why was it familiar?)

-and they were so startled most of them couldn't even get a shot off before he cut them down.

Again,he lost himself.He was aware of screams,the sounds of gunfire,armor and flesh ripping,the smell of blood and fear,but only peripherally,as if these things were happening somewhere else,and involved someone other than him.

Others probably got involved,but didn't last long.Bullets ripping through his flesh and ricocheting off bone were barely noticeable;beestings at best.

He ran out of opponents quickly-too quickly-but he could smell others,ones that had gone deeper into the woods,gone after Alex.

He went after them.

They were not hard to find.Their scent alone was like an infrared trail in the numbing cold,nonetheless the trail of their footprints,and the broken brush they had clumsily left in their wake.He got the stragglers before they even noticed him,and the ones at the front got off a few shots,but to no avail,except of course making him angrier.They couldn't have done a more stupid thing if they tried.

After they were finished he stood there,sucking in ragged breaths,waiting-hungry-for more.He was so angry he wanted to fight something,anything.Bring on a fucking Grizzly,he'd take him.

"Logan?"A voice asked,small,tentative.

His head snapped towards the sound,snarling on reflex,but it was only Alex looking at him from behind the narrow trunk of a pine tree.

For a moment,he was furious,his rage just this big shambling monster,and he could feel it gauging her,deciding this prey was too easy-

What the fuck?!

He clamped down on his rage violently.It was like shoving a twelve foot monster back into a six foot closet,but he managed, disgusted with himself and everything else.Why did that happen?Sometimes when he got angry-really angry-it was like something inside him just snapped,and he went away for a while,only to be replaced by...what?Madness;pure,unadulterated madness.He thought he was crazy,some special kind of insanity-

(It's the programming-it takes over)

-but that felt like a cop out,shirking responsibility for his own anger by 'going away for a while'.He was full of aimless, frustrated rage;a wounded animal that didn't know what hurt it,so it lashed out at everything within reach.A special type of insanity known only to the fatally flawed and deeply hurt.

He took several deep breaths as he got ahold of himself,only now aware of the tacky feeling of blood on his face (he didn't know if it was his or someone else's or a combination of both,and it didn't matter),and when he trusted himself to talk,he asked,"Are you all right?"

She nodded,her eyes still wide and wary."I heard you scream.I thought maybe...maybe you got hurt or something."

"I'm fine."He was glad she didn't ask about her mother.

She stepped out from behind the tree cautiously,and,looking around,asked,"Where's Mom?"

He had to think that,didn't he?"She's...uh...she's waiting by the truck.C'mon,I think we can make it through the blockade with no soldiers to back it up."

She gave him a look that was far too wise."You're lying.Where is she?"

Oh god.He didn't want to have to do this at all,nonetheless now."Let's-let's just go back to the truck.I'll tell you there."

A look of stark fear crossed her face,and he knew,in that moment,she had guessed the truth,just like she had guessed a soldier tried to take him out with the rocket launcher."Mom,"she shouted,racing into the woods."Mom!"

God damn it!"Alex!"He shouted,darting after her.He caught up to her fast,and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders,swinging her around to face him.He dropped to one knee so she could actually see his face."Alex-you can't.Don't.There still might be soldiers out there."The helicopter seemed to have bugger off though,making him think there were few left,and those left had decided to bag their abortive attack.

"I don't care!"She wailed in despair,tears welling in her eyes."I want to see my mom!Where is she?!"

He felt terrible for her,mainly because he had a sense he had let her (them) down."You don't want to see her,Alex.Trust me."

She tried to pull away,but wasn't strong enough."I do too!I-"

"Once you see her you won't be able to forget it,"he said,and for some reason this was vaguely familiar too,not so much deja vu but an echo from his forgotten past that still seemed to resonate in his bones.He did not want to know why;he did not ever want to remember why."And you don't want to always remember your mother that way.You don't."

He had confirmed she was dead.Alex just stared at him for a moment,her face distraught and starkly naked with pain,and then she burst into tears so violent they made her whole body tremble.Out of reflex for simple comfort,she flung her arms around his neck,sobbing into his shoulder.

Part of him recoiled at this display of raw emotion,and another part of him was angry,at himself for feeling that way and for letting it ever come to this.

They had to go,it was quite possible back up was on the way,but Alex seemed to collapse under the weight of grief.What else could he do?Feeling awkward and angry-mostly at himself,but a little at Elena for leaving him with Alex-he picked the girl up, letting her continue to weep on his shoulder as he trekked back through the woods.He'd have to drop her if a fight was going to happen,but as he tread carefully to avoid the fallen bodies and the places where warm blood had turned the snow to slushy puddles,he realized he had fought far more than he remembered.It had all become a blur in the heat of his rage.

He detoured to avoid coming out near Elena,and when he did leave the woods,he made sure her body was on his right,since he was carrying Alex on his left.He held her tightly,if only to make sure she never saw what had become of Elena.

Now dusk had set in hard,aiding him in his quest.From the truck,Elena's body was just an anonymous figure fallen in the gore stained snow,surrounded by several other bodies;the only difference was her clothing.

Alex curled up into a ball in the back,inconsolable in her pain,and as he started the truck he looked back at where Elena had been killed,wondering why it bothered him so much.She was dead,they both knew it,and she went out fighting,rather than malingering until her brain swelled or her body simply gave out.It was what she wanted.

It startled him to think,just for a moment,maybe it wasn't what he wanted.

***

Canada-Now

As if Bob had known it was going to happen (maybe he did),the main lights died as Alex killed the power,and the emergency lighting came on,as sickly yellow as a jaundiced eye.

"Self-destruct sequence,this station is non operational,"Bob sang,but quieter this time,probably because the hum of energy running through the complex had died along with the lights.

There were metal doors on either side of the corridor,and he tried the first one,only to find it locked.Before he popped his claws,Bob said,"No one's home,Logan.Not behind any of these doors."

He almost asked how he knew,but that was idiotic:no babble of thoughts meant no living minds behind the doors.Or at least not living human minds.

Logan could smell a lot of people who had been in and out of these hallways recently,but nothing overwhelmingly current.
"There are still people here."Not a question;instinct told him they were not alone.

"Up ahead,we're gonna have us a welcoming party,"Bob said,as if he was just explaining an unusual feature in the landscape.

"Finally,"Helga,trailing behind him,exclaimed."I was starting to get bored."

"So who's in charge here,barking out loud so clear,because I'd really like to meet him,"Bob sang,going back to his usual habits.

Logan could smell the people around the sharp L bend of the corridor,hear the slightest scuff of sole on concrete,the chuff of body armor against fabric,and he tensed,ready to pop his claws at any second.

Bob had changed his tune."You get the ankles and I'll get the wrists-You come down to this."He didn't know if that was a random musical comment or an actual plan.

The soldiers surged around the corner,turning on bright lights affixed to high powered rifles,but rather than blind him it gave him an instant target to go for.With a roar of long bottled rage he launched himself at the men,claws popping from his hand, when Bob suddenly shouted,"Wait!"

Logan,right arm swept forward in mid slash,found himself frozen in place.He wanted to move,but seemed to have completely forgotten how."Bob,let me the fuck go!"Logan snapped,still able to speak (well,for now).

He'd have been an easy target if the soldiers were free to fire,but of course they weren't;Bob had trapped them all like flies in invisible amber.

Bob,still free to move,walked around him and went right up to the frozen soldiers,lowering gun barrels,pulling the glaring lights out of his eyes."Oh,these fucking bastard,"Bob said,sounding genuinely pissed off."Worst than shit eating demons, these flaming yobbos."

"What are you-"Logan began,but his eyes had adjusted to the light,and he saw why Bob was so upset.

The soldiers were kids.

Very tall kids-not a one was under five feet eight-but in spite of the body armor and the rifles,their faces were pre-pubescent. His guess was twelve to thirteen,a couple girls in among the boys,and he had another guess too."Supersoldiers, like Alex,"he said,adding,"You can let me go now.I ain't gonna hurt 'em."

"Could you?"Helga asked,coming up behind him.

Released,he dropped his arm to his side,retracting his claws and giving Bob a dirty look for freezing him."Yeah.Adamantium's the one thing that can really hurt 'em."Considering the nature of her question and the fact that she didn't ask who Alex was,he assumed Bob had filled Helga in.Maybe his version of telepathy didn't hit her so hard since she was a demon.

"You remember everything,you're free,"Bob said,and the child soldiers looked around bewildered,blinking rapidly,as if they'd just woken up from a dream.Brain washing and/or mind control too;no wonder Bob was so pissed off."Are there any more of you here?"

Bob had said that to a boy as pale as snow,his blue eyes so wide in his face he looked shell shocked."Some younger kids on the lower level."

"Go get them,"Bob instructed them."Get them and evacuate the complex.If anyone tries to stop you,don't let them.Get a safe distance away,and wait for us.Go."

All ten of the young supersoldiers obeyed him,turning around and going back where they had come from,after the younger members of their cadre."Can you believe these amoral fuckwads?"Bob asked incredulously,turning back to them."Using kids to fight their battles."

"Super mutant kids,"Helga pointed out.

Bob made a dismissive gesture with his hand."That doesn't matter.Only ball-less wonders use kids to fight their battles.I was gonna ask what they were up to,but now I don't fucking care.I just want to kick these bastards asses.Come on,let's see if Barton's home."

In a strange way,Logan was disappointed.If Bob was angry,there was no reason for him and Helga to be here.They might as well go get a beer,because this place-and everyone in it- was finished.

Canada-1990

They had not been followed,and the helicopter had never reappeared,pretty much confirming that the tracking device had been in Elena's blood.

Alex had cried herself out long ago,and he didn't know if she was asleep or simply sunk in silence.And the longer he thought about it,the more things that seemed wrong seemed to assert themselves in his mind.

The lack of her footprints,the single gun in her hand (why hadn't she pulled the other?),and then,as he gave in to road hypnotism,where the yellow line monotony of the landscape put him in a semi-trance state well known to anyone who drove
too far for too long,he remembered some of what those soldiers were saying before he attacked them.

"Your shot,Keevo?"

"Not mine.Martin's."

"I wasn't in position yet."

"Who took the shot?"

They didn't know.The soldiers didn't know who shot Elena,because they didn't.

She did.She took herself out.

(In his mind's eyes,he could see Elena waiting for him to go,and as soon as he was turned away,placing the barrel of her gun right between her own eyes,and-)

He shook the image away before it moved on to its inevitable conclusion.Why would she do such an idiotic thing?She was supposed to be a fighter,so why quit-

But it wasn't exactly quitting,was it?She took out the one thing endangering her daughter's safety.

And what sinister fucks were Eden?They used her as a weapon against her own daughter,using her own compassion against her.

He was exhausted,but dared not sleep,for fear that his dreams would be full of Elena blowing her brains out in glorious technicolor.

They stopped a couple of times,when the roads became impassible and they had to stop for gas,but mostly they rode the rest of the way to Nome in utter silence,the pall of loss and failure hanging over them like a shroud.

Alex did come out of her cocoon long enough to tell him the address of where they were supposed to go,a private house in what passed for a suburb of Nome,belonging to a couple named Bryan and Sabine Goldman.She knew nothing about them, except her mother seemed to think they could protect her from the forces of Eden Biotechnics.

As they neared the home,Logan felt compelled to say something to her,anything.So as he drove the clean,homey streets of Nome (it almost looked like a real city),he said awkwardly,"Alex...I'm sorry."

She was now sitting in the front seat,huddled up against the door,her arms wrapped around her knees as she tried to make herself as small as possible to escape her grief."Sorry for what?It wasn't your fault."

"I-"he paused,not sure what to say.'Yes it was.If I made her go ahead of me she wouldn't have had the opportunity to blow her brains out?'Finally,he decided to say,"I promised I'd get you here.But I meant the both of you."

She nodded,looking out the window."I know."She fell silent,as if not sure what else to say.He couldn't blame her.

He was so fucking pissed off at Elena,for killing herself,for leaving him with Alex,and he was pissed at himself too,for his lapse in judgment.He should have known that Elena,willing to do anything to save Alex,would even kill herself if she determined herself to be a threat to her continued safety.

She was a hell of a woman.She shouldn't have died like that.She deserved better.

And the kicker was,she wasn't even a mutant.She was trying to save them,and she was just a plain old human being.

Maybe they weren't all so bad after all.

Dusk was setting in once again as he pulled up to the split level Goldman home,a spot of pastel blue against the endless white, and a pretty contrast against the pink sky.He felt uncomfortable as he got out of the truck,a snarling beast who didn't belong anywhere near this suburban picture of domestic tranquility,and he couldn't wait to leave.

Alex seemed reluctant to get out of the truck,and when she did,she said,so quietly she almost didn't hear her,"I wish you didn't have to go.You could probably stay,if you wanted."

He looked back at her,grimacing at the invitation and the thought.He wanted to drop Alex off and leave,just wash his hands of all of this,forget Alex and Eden and Elena.He had enough troubles of his own,didn't he?He didn't need to inherit anyone else's misfortunes,or carry the burden of their guilt.He had enough guilt as it was,and he didn't even know why.

"I got things to do,kid,"he told her finally."Besides,I doubt they want me hangin' around.And it'd be better if Eden thought we were still on the move."

"Are you gonna go look for them?"

It took him a moment to realize she meant Eden."I don't know."

She scuffed the snow with the toe of her hiking boot."If I find them,will you help me stop them?"

He huffed a sigh through his nose."Kid,you-"

"Will you?"She looked up at him,her face set with a look of grim resolve.

He rolled his eyes.Mutant or not,she was a kid,and she couldn't take on a huge corporate conspiracy all by herself,or even with him.But since he doubted she'd ever find these son of a bitches (unless they found her first),he humored her. "Yeah,okay. You'd need the help anyways."

She looked frankly skeptical."You mean you'd like to kick their ass."Before he could deny that (okay,it was true,but it was the principal of the thing),she added darkly,"Me too."

He wondered if he should tell her that Eden didn't really kill her mother.Okay they did by putting the tracking device in her blood,but that was roundabout and indirect,probably just as they had planned it.

"We've been expecting you,"a woman's voice said.

It sounded like it was right behind him,but he turned sharply to see no one there.He didn't think so-after all,he didn't smell, hear,or sense the approach of anyone.

He searched the snow shrouded yard,but there were no footprints,no sign that anyone was here.

What the fuck?

The door of the house opened,and a matronly middle aged woman appeared in the doorway.She wore an oversized green sweater and jeans,her dark brown hair swept up on top of her head and held in place by two black chopsticks.Her deep blue eyes seemed to take them both in,and she said,"Why don't you come in from the cold?"But she never opened her mouth.

A telepath.Okay,that made sense.Elena thought she'd be safe here because Sabine-and it had to be her-was a powerful member of their breed.Eden might close in,but within twenty feet they'd have a change of heart,and find themselves ice fishing in Barrow.A mindfucker could be a hard variable to compensate for.

She had a warm smile on her round,open face,but when her eyes met his,the smile faltered somewhat."Poor woman,"he heard her think."It was good you didn't tell the child."

He frowned at her.He really didn't like telepaths.

Still,she seemed nice enough to Alex,who somewhat reluctantly went to the door,and looked back at Logan forlornly.

"Bye,"she said,looking like she wanted to say more,but didn't know what precisely.

He nodded,feeling the same awkwardness."Take care of yourself,kid."

"You too."

He walked back to the truck,glad this was almost over,when he heard the woman say,in his head,"You're always welcome here, brother."

"I ain't your brother,"he snapped,the well meaning camaraderie of that statement ticking him off.He was not someone's brother,or friend,or savior.He was simply a fucked up drifter with a talent for hurting people.

"Tell yourself that enough and you might even believe it,"he heard Sabine's voice interject.

He slammed the door of his truck hard and started the engine,never once looking back.

***

Canada-Now

As Bob opened the door,the man standing behind the large oaken desk did a slight double take,and reached for a drawer.

"Now,come on,"Bob said,as the man froze in place."Why do you guys think you have a shot after we've gotten past all your watchdogs and their big ass weapons?"He scoffed humorously."It's like in that old Superman t.v. show.The bad guys would always empty their guns at Supe,and no worries,he just stood there and let the bullets bounce off.But then they'd throw their empty guns at him,and he would duck.What the hell was that about?"

"Save the stand up act for Sir-Laughs-A-Lot,"Logan grumbled."Is this Perevil?"

"No,"Bob replied confidently."He's balder.Who are you?"

"William Sutton,"the man replied absently,the panic obvious in his small grey eyes.The man-of average height and slowly growing paunch,clad in a charcoal suit with matching tie,and a fringe of black hair crowning his head like a weedy laurel wreath (he looked pretty damn bald to Logan)-didn't sit back down in his desk chair more than he collapsed,Bob cutting the strings of his bodily control quite savagely.

"Bill-can I call you Willie?'Cause you are one,"Bob said,like Sutton actually had a choice."Where's Perevil?"

"Dallas."

"Ah yes,Texas.The home of evil men everywhere.Are there more supersoldier growing labs like this one?"

"One in Rhajan."

"Where in Rhajan?"

"I don't know."

"Well,that narrows it down,"Alex said sarcastically,coming in the door behind them.She must have had no trouble getting in, because she looked absolutely unruffled.

"Actually,it does,"Bob told her."I could buy and sell that island with one phone call.Should be easy enough to find the lab and close it down."

She scoffed."Oh,come on.The Sa'uds are billionaires thanks to the oil reserves."

Bob shrugged."Like I said,buy and sell.You Alex?Tell me that's not short for Alexandra."

"No,it's short for Alexis.Who are you?"

"Oh,sorry my dear.I'm Bob,a friend of Logan's,and this luscious green thing is Helga."

"Hello,"she said,trying to hide her surprise at Helga's appearance.She probably thought she was a mutant."Why did you care if it was short for Alexandra?"

"The ship that took me to Botany Bay was the HMS Alexander.I have a dreadful-and surely unfair-feeling about that name."

Alex raised an eyebrow,giving him a deeply puzzled look."Botany Bay?You're referring to a recent trip?"

Logan shook his head."Please don't ask.I'll try and explain later,okay?"

She looked between him and Bob curiously,but Bob had already turned his attention back to Sutton."What is your job description here,Willie?"

"I'm President of Research and Development."

"Head pimp,in other words,"Helga commented wryly.

"Are we going to stand around chatting all day,or are we going to start some general destruction and mayhem?"Alex wondered impatiently.

Bob got a weird look in his eye that Logan just knew meant more trouble than he had accounted for.He favored them all with that look and grinned broadly."I have a better idea.You know how you take down a big monolith like this?"

"Blow it up?"Helga guessed.

"Chop a weed down at the stem,and it simply grows back.What you need to do is get the root."

"Perevil?"Alex replied.

"What's considered the root of all evil?"

"Musical theater?"Helga said.

"Money?"Alex replied.

"Exactly.Of course,the real saying is "want of money is the root of all evil",but that would upset the Republicans too much. So,we'll evacuate the place and blow it to hell."

"Evacuate?Fuck you-they'll just start over-"Alex began,but Bob just shook his head,and gave her a sly smile.

"No,my dear.After the explosion is when the destruction begins.Trust me."

"Believe it,"Logan assured her.He had no idea what Bob was going to do,but that look on his face seemed to say,whatever it was,Eden Biotechnics would rue the day it ever came to the attention of Maximum Bob.

**

New York-Now

He didn't know what he had done to get this much spam in his email account.And if the sheer volume of it wasn't bad enough, most of it involved porn and stuff that would make your penis grotesquely huge,like that was a good thing.

Until this moment,he thought the most disgusting spam were the ones that seemed to be advertising sex with animals-and it still was,yes:what kind of sick people thought of these things?-but now there was another on vying for the upper slot.