Unlimited Marvels # 3 (Featuring Wolverine)

[fan4]

Unlimited Marvels #3

Dog of War, Part 1

The Best There Is

Featuring Wolverine

Adolf Hitler had declared war, forcing nations all over the world to choose sides. The Allies or the Nazis. Hitler’s Nazis wished to rid the world of the... unpure. What he believed unnatural. The mad evil of the world. It was even rumored he sought to mold his own creations. Ones that would certainly be considered unnatural.

The year was 1942. February 1942 to be more precise. Canada’s government had set up a new branch: Department H. The new department’s sole purpose was to handle Canada’s involvement in the war. The newly appointed Director, Samuel Carpenter, had plans to bring together a special strike force that could deploy to handle particularly difficult assignments.

Carpenter would come to call the strike force Alpha Strike. It would be a grouping of individuals with special... abilities. Abilities which set these individuals above those of normal soldiers.

“Director Carpenter, Sir. We lost the subject, Sir.” This soldier tries to remain calm as he reports the failure.

“Gone? Dammit!” Carpenter yells. “Where was his last position?”

“Just outside of Vancouver, Sir. Sir... if I may ask, why do you want him on board? He doesn’t seem to be much of a team player. Very anti-social.”

“He’s also very hard to kill. In fact, there’s only one other being I know of who can withstand the beating this guy can. He’d be a value to Alpha Strike.” Director Carpenter then turns to a radar screen. “Find him.”

[fan4]

“The United States have not only officially joined the Allied forces, but have also announced a very pro-active project to go against the Nazi regimen. The Invaders. A grouping of enhanced soldiers fighting the good fight. The members of this squad have yet to be announced. Rumor has it though, that two of the squad will be ‘created’ by the US themse...”

“Turn that garbage off.”

“It’s the news about the war,” states the bartender.

A short, hairy man, Logan, looks up. “I don’t wanna hear about no war. War’s hell.” He looks back down at his beer.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” The bartender turns the TV off, being sympathetic to the stranger. “So, where ya from, bub?”

“None of your business...” he looks back up at the bartender, “...bub.”

As the bartender gets back to work, a big, brawny biker comes up behind Logan and taps him on the shoulder. “Hey, I was watchin’ that, runt.”

Logan continues to sip his beer. “Good to know ya ain’t blind.”

The biker jerks Logan around so they’re face to face.

“You got a mouth on you, ya know that? How would you like me to rip it off?”

“Walk away.”

The biker’s silent for a minute, but then bursts out laughing, as does everyone else in the bar. Everyone except the bartender.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With that, the 5'1" Canadian grabs the biker’s head, yanking it down as he brings his knee upward and smashes it into the biker’s face, causing the big guy to get knocked flat on the floor.

“Get him!”

And three of the biker’s friends advance on Logan.

“Your funeral.” Logan hops onto the bar and slams his foot into one of the bikers’ chins. He then jumps headfirst into one of the others, knocking him to the floor and punching him repeatedly in the face, seemingly without restraint.

Logan continues to pound on the biker’s face when the final biker grabs Logan’s shoulder. Without thinking, Logan turns to slap the man away but, unexpectedly, three six-inch bone claws extend from his knuckles and slash at the final biker.

As his final attacker falls to the floor, blood oozing from the scars on his face, Logan gets to his feet and looks around. Some of Canada’s toughest and most fearsome biker gangs surround him, yet none advance on him. They are all stopped dead by their fear. Nothing can be heard as Logan places his money on the counter and leaves.

Seeing Logan leave, the bartender speaks into a communicator. “It is him. He’s on the move.”

[fan4]

Logan rides his motorcycle down a path in the forest, snow and harsh winds blistering against him. It happened again. He lost control of the animal within him. Logan was sure the brawny biker would survive.

He didn’t hit anything vital, although Logan knew the man wouldn’t win any beauty pageants.

Logan was a nomadic wanderer, traveling from place to place, searching. For what? Purpose? Maybe. Self? Definitely. The man with the claws didn’t know who he was. Literally. He wasn’t even sure if Logan was his real name. He wanted those answers. It was the one thing that drove him in those days. That was about to change.

Logan stops his bike and sniffs the air. His claws extend from both hands, waiting. “Show yourself!” Logan yells.

Logan sees a tree falling towards him and he leaps out of the way, ducking and rolling. The wind is harsh, carrying the smell of the hidden assailant, which makes it almost impossible to pinpoint where the next attack would come from.

Another tree falls towards the short Canadian. Logan leaps out of the way and lands on a pile of leaves, which give way, revealing a hole. On instinct, Logan’s claws extend and sink into the icy rock.

“That’s it. Someone’s in for a world o’ hurtin’,” Logan states as he climbs out of the hole.

A loud growl is heard and just as Logan turns to see what it is, he is tackled by a large, muscular, animalistic man. He has long, sharp teeth and claws, wears only animal skins, and has a mane, like a lion.

“You’re resourceful, runt, I’ll give you that!” the assailant states as he claws at Logan.

Logan says nothing. He is dead silent as the animal within begins to build. Silent, until he lets out a scream of pure animalistic fury. Following the scream, Logan jabs his claws into his attacker’s gut and throws him aside. Logan gets to his feet and lunges at his attacker, clawing at the beast’s face. The scars begin to heal moments after they’re put there, and the shock causes Logan to regain control once more.

“What the Hell’s going on here, bub?” Logan demands.

“The name’s... Sabretooth, runt,” states the attacker as he gets to his feet, brushing the dirty snow off himself. “You’re tough. You’ve been drafted.”

Silence once more. “No, thanks,” Logan answers as he turns to leave. “Thanks for the sparring match though. Was looking for a challenge.”

Logan looks over his shoulder. “You came close.”

Sabretooth looks on, seeing Logan disappear in the distance. “He refused a direct invitation, Sir,” Sabretooth says into a walkie-talkie.

“Of course he did,” Carpenter states angrily on the other end. “You attacked him!”

“I was testing the runt, ‘Sir’.”

“He does not need testing! Return to base, Creed.”

As Sabretooth signs off, behind him a helicopter descends in the clearing. It has a big “H” on the side.

“All aboard,” the copter pilot says.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah...” mutters Sabretooth as he boards.

The helicopter begins to rise and from the trees runs a figure who jumps onto the base of the copter, hanging on by three very sharp bone claws.

[fan4]

“What the Hell do you think you were doing?!” Carpenter yells at Sabretooth as they stand in a meeting room.

“I screwed up. You’re right. I shouldn’t have attacked the runt. I shoulda tried to talk to him. Yadda yadda yadda. That what ya wanted ta hear?”

“Watch it, soldier!”

“I ain’t your soldier. I’m here cause a’ my talents. Way I see it, you’re easier to replace than me, ‘Sir’.”

At that, Carpenter pulls out a file titled, “Codename: Wolverine.” Carpenter tosses it to Victor Creed, alias Sabretooth. “Way I see it, you’re a lot easier to replace than you think. Dismissed.”

Creed begins to leave when an alarm begins blaring. “Huh?”

Carpenter looks on to a security monitor where a couple of guards are unconscious. “We’re being attacked! Go! NOW!”

Sabretooth runs from the room to try to find the compound’s attacker. Just as Creed is gone, Carpenter sits back, waiting for Sabretooth to handle this. Unfortunately for Carpenter, though, as he looks on at a wall, he notices claws penetrating it.

“What the...?!”

And then Logan busts through the wall, grabbing Carpenter by his shirt.

“Now that your bodyguard is gone, I say we have a li’l chat,” states Logan as he pulls Carpenter’s face closer to his own.

“What...? How...?”

“Careful, big guy. Don’t wet yourself.”

“How did you find us?” Carpenter manages to get out without a stutter.

“Hitched a ride. Now, time to answer my questions. What do you want from me?” Logan sees the Director’s hand moving for the bottom of the table. Suddenly, Logan’s bone claws slice down into the table, smashing the security button. “Nuh-uh. No calling for back up here. Now answer!”

“W... we want to make you... the hero of this war we’re all a part of.”

Logan throws Carpenter backwards and retracts his claws. “I’m not a part o’ no war, bub.” He turns to leave the way he came. “Don’t plan on joining up, either, so call your dogs off.”

“Logan, do you really believe that?”

“Call off your dogs. ‘Nuff said.”

“And what about the mysteries of your past, Logan?” Carpenter smiles as Logan stops, knowing he has him now. “I may not know where you came from, but I know what you are.”

Logan turns quickly, his claws extending instantly. “I’m human, bub. That’s all that matters.”

“In a manner of speaking, yes, you are human, but you are also... something else. A mutant. The beginnings of the next stage in human evolution.”

“Thanks for the insight into my condition.” Logan retracts his two outer claws, holding up the middle towards Carpenter. “I’ll be going now.”

Logan turns once more, and walks by out the way he came.

“Hitler wants your kind dead, Logan,” calls out the Director after Logan.

“As would anybody else if they knew mutants existed. What makes Hitler any different?” Logan yells back.

“The power to achieve his goals, Logan. The Allies need the best there is to work with them. You’re the best, Logan.”

There is a moment of silence and then... Logan walks back into the room.

“Okay, I’m in... on my terms.”

To be continued