TEMPORA MUTANTUR

By David Wheatley

I sit in the forest glade, running my fingers over the wood that bears her name. Our names, surrounded by a heart. I promised to visit every Spring, but I need to think and get my head in gear so I’m a little early this year.

My name’s Logan. I’m a mutant who heals real quick, with enhanced sense and a set of razor sharp bone claws. I’m also associated with a group of mutants called the X-Men, fighting to protect a world that fears and hates mutants.

My past is chequered to say the least. I’ve been a spy, a soldier, a special agent, a samurai warrior and more. Of all of the things I’ve been one fact has been clear throughout – I’m the best there is at what I do.

Or at least I was. My last fight was against a dark power to which I’m linked and it did something to me that’s made certain that I ain’t the best anymore and may never be so again. Then there are the other things in my life

The only certain thing now is that things have changed, and my life ain’t gonna be the same again.

Madripoor – 8 days ago

The sign said ‘closed’ and the lights were off, but the door was unlocked and in the dim natural light, a figure could be seen sat at the table.

“Logan?” She entered the Princess Bar and flipped the switch but no lights came on

“Hey, Yukio.”

“What’s happening? Nobody’s seen much of you since HYDRA left the island. The only time was the funeral of Viper.” Yukio was worried. Logan had been keeping a very low profile for the past few weeks, as if he didn’t want anyone to know he was in Madripoor.

“Had to keep out of the way for a while. I was a distraction that the X-Men didn’t need. They already had one of me working with them.”

“Elektra told me of your little temporal jump, and what happened with Apocalypse. But there’s something else, I can tell.”

“Been working on getting things fixed up in the city. The war did a lot of damage. I ain’t certain I like the way Morrow’s set himself up as the Kingpin for the island, but it needs some control. Plus I’ve been keeping an eye on Jessica. Kenuchio sent some of the best medics from the Clan Yashida to do what they can.”

“The Samurai owes her from way back,” reminded Yukio, knowing that it wasn’t what was really the problem. Elektra and Logan had talked after the confrontation with Supreme Hydra, and she hadn’t been seen since. Of all the people left in Madripoor, Yukio was the person closest to Logan to ask this. “Is this about you and Elektra?”

“Huh. In a way.”

“You’re worried about the baby? She told me before.”

“Some,” Logan admitted and he kicked out a chair and Yukio sat down. “The life we lead isn’t the place for a child. Both of us have too many enemies and the kid’d be a target.” He smiled thinking he’d had this conversation with Jean Grey when the Princess opened in Chicago. “Thing is between her allies and mine, we can handle things.”

“Are you worried about her?”

“She loves the chase, the action life we lead. I don’t want to lose the kid that way, or her. I love her, Yukio.” Yukio looked to the floor, her own feelings for Logan surfacing and he placed his hand on hers. “Sorry.”

“I was in her position once,” said Yukio. “Before I met you, I fell in love with a man and he with me. I was the master thief, he was a mob boss. After a while, I became pregnant. For a thief, it’s the end of the world as your body rebels and your finely honed skills go out of the window. I decided to get rid of it, have a termination so I could live my life.”

“What happened?” Logan looked at her, and noticed she was trembling as she spoke. This was a level of intimacy they’d never achieved before.

“He begged me to keep the child, and I refused but he used his connections and other methods to prevent me from going ahead with it, and I decided the best way to do it was to do it myself. He had me put in to an asylum, calling me a danger to the baby, and myself, and he was right. But the love I felt turned to hate at what he was forcing me to do. It felt like I was being raped and I knew I didn’t want the child. After it was born, I left the hospital and never looked back and I spent time getting back in to shape. He had a million dollars placed in my account a few weeks later. I became the wild one, you know today to get over it.” A tear ran down her cheek as she spoke.

“What are ya sayin’, Yukio?” Logan used his finger to wipe away the tear and looked her in the eye. “That we ought to get rid of the kid? Darlin’ that ain’t what I do. I know people have the right to choose, but I don’t agree with it.”

“No, I’m saying keep the child, love the child, and give it the parents it deserves. I met my son recently. He thinks his mother died in childbirth and doesn’t know me. It’s something I’ll regret forever, because now it’s too late.”

“Darlin’ it’s never too late. Try and make amends.”

“I don’t know if I can face him. He’s a lot older now and things have changed.”

“You still love his father?”

“In a way.” She admitted it. “I care deeply about him. I don’t hate him anymore.”

“Then go back to him and try again. Darlin’ yer a pistol an’ a firecracker. One of the strongest people I know. You can do it and think of the look on Amiko’s face when she learns she has a ‘brother’.”

“Logan, the child is Gabriel. The father is Morrow.”

“And I can’t think of a better person to govern the island than the two of you.” He leant across the table and kissed Yukio on the cheek, and she seized him by the cheeks and placed her lips on his and he responded in kind, as they said goodbye to what could have been and hello to an even better friendship.

“Thank you,” she said when they broke it off and he nodded. ”

“Thank you. You’ve given me a perspective I was having trouble findin’.” She smiled and winked.

“Any other problems we can solve?”

“No,” said Logan. “There’s only one thing and for that, I’m heading back to the US. I think Madripoor can take care of itself for a while.”

The Yashida Compound, Japan – 6 days ago

“Hello, Mariko. I needed to talk to you before I go back home. I’ve met someone and I don’t know what to do. You’d like Elektra, she reminds me o’ you in some ways. She’s got passion and fire, heart and strength.

“She isn’t you, though and I miss you every day o’ my life, but I need to get on with my life and I gotta feelin’ that it might not be for that much longer anyhow. My body’s racked with pain, an’ I’m hurtin’ worse than when Magneto ripped the adamantium from me, of Genesis puttin’ it back.

“That’s not why I need to talk to you though, because I need to know I’m doin’ the right thing by Elektra. She’s having our baby and I want to do the right thing by her. Viper’s dead so that clears the legal side, but it’s the other stuff. Everyone I’ve ever been close to has died. You, Silver Fox, Jean Grey, Tyger Tiger. I don’t want her on that list, an’ I’m afraid that’s what’ll happen if we stay together.

“It’s not like we can just retire. There’s Creed, Deathstrike, and a host of others who’d like nothing better than to see anyone I’m with dead and she’s got her own share of enemies. I guess it just comes down to what I want more – her safety or her company.

“Nah, that’s wrong because deep down I want her company and it’s a selfish thing on my part. I’ve been alone so long now, its getting’ to me and with the days catchin’ up on me I’m startin’ to wonder why. The real question is what would I do if it were you an’ there’s only one answer and only one reason behind it. As I said, she ain’t you and I’d hoped you and I would have had children one day, but that ain’t gonna happen.

Thanks for helpin’ me get my head round things, darlin’. You keep doin’ what you can even though you ain’t here. I love you, Mariko, and I may be seeing you sooner than you think. Amiko’s waitin’ and we have a bit more catchin’ up to do. See ya around.”

The X-Mansion, Westchester, USA – 2 days ago

“Moira, can you explain to Stephen what we you make of these results?” asked Professor Charles Xavier, his face showing the concern he felt inside.

“O’ course, Charles,” said Moira as she looked at the charts and scans they had made of Wolverine in the past few days. He had explained all of what happened in Madripoor and how the Neuri had done something to him that meant he was racked with pain.

Xavier was using his powers to suppress it while they were doing the test, because as they did them it made the pain worse. Finally they had a cause as to why, if not how it had been achieved. That was why they had called in an expert in these matters

“The scans show that Logan’s healing factor has been amplified to levels that we’ve never seen before,” Moira explained as she, Logan and Xavier sat in the study of the mansion, where they were with their guest Dr Strange. “From what we can tell the healing factor is over stimulating the cells of the body, effectively causing them to break down. The faster he heals the faster they break down.”

“We discovered this when we did several tests,” said Xavier, noting that Logan was quiet, contemplating things in his mind. He’d never seen him like this and it worried him more than anything else. He was damned if he was going to let Logan give up. “The relatively minor damage we did increased the pains in that area and the rates of reaction were off the chart.”

“Intriguing,” said Dr. Strange, as he took a sip of the tea that was before him. “And this was through fighting the Neuri?”

“Yup,” said Logan, speaking for the first time. “He did something to the Alshra and I’ve been in pain ever since.”

Dr Strange softly stroked his beard as he thought of the name. “The Neuri are spoken of in several ancient texts. They tell of a race of humans who achieved spiritual harmony with the Earth and discovered the secrets of the energies of the universe itself, then used the powers they had discovered to unlock the other secrets denied to them. However nowhere does it refer to those energies as the Alshra.”

“They explained things to me the first time we met,” said Logan and Strange raised an eyebrow, for these were details even he didn’t know which didn’t not inspire confidence in Xavier.

“May I?” asked Strange, and Logan nodded. The Eye of Agamotto levitated from its place in his pocket to his forehead and the eye opened and he saw what Logan had seen, and Xavier linked in with Strange using his psionic abilities, taking Moira in with him.

It showed the story Logan had been shown, about how the progress of mankind began to kill the Neuri and how most accepted their fate, a clan broke away and took the fight to humanity, wanting to destroy it before they were destroyed themselves. They feasted on the people they killed and perverted the forces at their command, increasing their bloodlust and working against the balance of nature.

Logan’s enhanced senses, his very being allowed him to reach the Alshra however the conflict within him between the adamantium and the healing factor that fought to reject the metal within him meant that he could not enter unaided. The last of the renegades sought to use Logan as the ultimate experience, the ultimate host for its power but Logan had fought back and defeated it and the Alshra was restored.

“Incredible,” said Xavier as the link was broken and the eye closed, yet remained where it was. “This Alshra, so pure, so powerful, so peaceful.”

“Agreed,” said Strange. “The texts could never have done that justice. My friend, you are a fortunate individual to experience that firsthand.”

“But it didn’t end there. There was a Neuri that we all missed and it came after me. It did something to me before it died and here we are.”

“It died?” said Strange, and he closed his eyes. “This may be problematic.”

“Why?” said Xavier.

“Because I don’t think I can undo what was done, but I shall try.” The Eye opened once more and this time the death of the Neuri was replayed.

The Neuri is lying there, dying as Logan looks down on it.

“You may have won… but you’ll never… be the best… again.”

The sky grew dark as it uses the last of its power to access the Alshra and both it and Logan were pulled in, disharmony raging across the spirit plane.

“You are connected… to the Alshra, Logan… and thus it will destroy you…”

The sparkling of the healing factor intensified and them saw Logan wince in pain as the cells in his body started to heal and regenerate, the glow of the energy turning from a multitude of colours to a dark red glow. Then the Alshra faded away and the Neuri died and faded away.

“Fascinating,” said Strange, as the link was broken. “The Neuri took a revenge darker than any I’ve ever witnessed. It decided to make Logan suffer before it killed him. His healing factor has been intensified but it is not beneficial. Every time he heals his cells will break down because of a fundamental altering at their primal levels. His healing factor is killing him slowly, like a cancer.”

“Will it kill me?” asked Logan.

“Yes,” said Strange. “Unless the process can be reversed, your healing factor will repair your cells beyond the capacity to remain stable and break down. Injuries will only increase the process.”

“Can you undo it?” asked Xavier, unwilling to lose another X-Man.

“I shall try,” said Strange. “Please keep an eye on the genetic scans, Dr MacTaggert.” She nodded and cast a spell around Logan and tried to repair the damage done, releasing him from the mystical enhancement that confined him to a death sentence.

After an hour, he stopped and shook his head.

“I cannot do it,” he said. “The Alshra does not accept my commands, my requests or pleas. None of the forces that grant me the abilities of the Sorcerer Supreme can help. The only way I can help is to find someone who can access the Alshra and allow me to undo what has been done.”

“Can Logan do it?” asked Moira.

“No,” answered Wolverine. “We tried that, but it seems with my healing factor now killing me my soul is in conflict. I don’t have the keys anymore.”

“Are there any Neuri left?” asked Charles and both Strange and Logan shook their heads.

“What about somehow rebonding the adamantium?” asked Moira and Xavier shook his head.

“His healing factor would kill him as the process did what it could. If by some miracle he survived, then his healing factor would work against the adamantium as it did in the past and kill him anyway. We can’t give him it back.”

“My friends, we have reached the limits of what we can do,” said Strange, solemnly. The look on his face told how much he regretted his failure and Xavier was reminded that he and Moira had been searching for a cure for the Legacy Virus with the same success rate.

Sometimes there was nothing they could do, and that was that.

The house of Elektra’s father, Greece – 1 day ago

The letter arrived by courier, and I recognised Logan’s writing immediately. Logan is the only person outside of my family who knows where this place is. The only person I ever brought here. I haven’t told the others what happened – these people I class as family, even though I have no real relatives left alive. They would want to help but I need to know what Logan wants.

I tear open the letter and read it, noting it was dated yesterday.

Elektra,

I know we didn’t part well in Madripoor, and I want to apologise for hurting you. It was never what I intended, but I had a lot on my mind. I know that ain’t a good excuse as you did too, and it floored me to hear you say it.

I’d suspected it for a while and there were certain things that seemed to say what you didn’t. The way you were about me, the way you reacted, things you said and other things like scent and a change in posture. I guess I wasn’t ready to be a father at the time, but things have changed.

I don’t pretend to know what you want, or what’s going through your mind. All I know is that I love you and I got a feeling that I’ve lost you in a way I never expected. After all we’ve been through, I don’t want it to end like this.

As I said things have changed. I’ve spoken to people and I’ve thought about things and I would love to be a father to our child, because I don’t know how much time I have left anymore.

Y’see, I’m dying. The Neuri did something to my healing factor and it now like a cancer. There’s nothing that can be done, not by Xavier, not Doc Strange and there ain’t any Neuri left. I want to make things right between us, and I’m hoping its not too late.

You’re in your special place. I’ll be in mine. I’ll be there a while. If we’ve got a chance, meet me there. If you don’t show, I’ll understand.

All my love

Logan

I close the letter, and I smile. Not at the fact that he’s dying but at the thought he wants us to be together. Neither of us will be able to take the risks we once did, but those we do, we’ll do together.

I run in to the house, thinking of what I’ll need, and knowing I have to get a flight to Canada.

Canada – The present

“Logan?”

I open my eyes at the sound of my name, and taste of the air tells me where I am. For a moment I think it’s Silver Fox calling me and I almost call her name until the voice calls out again.

“Logan?”

“Elektra?” She’s here and I can feel my heart pounding. The pain isn’t as intense as it was when I arrived. Is it the place or what I’m feelin’? I don’t know, but either way I’m grateful for the reprieve.

“I got your letter,” she says as she sits down next to me.

“Not been here long myself,” I say. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“How are you?”

“Good. I’d ask how you are but…”

“You read the letter. I’m sorry, I…”

“Let it go, it’s in the past. We have our futures ahead of us.”

“Futures?” That doesn’t sound good, then she smiles.

“As in all three of us.”

“Oh.” For a moment she had me worried. Heck, I’m nervous enough as it is. I had thought of a lot of things to say to her, planned the reunion, rehearsed how I could do this a thousand times in my head.

There’s only one way.

“Elektra?”

“Logan?”

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Yes, Logan, I will marry you.”

She holds me and I hold her and I know that no matter how things change or what the future holds, it’s gonna be a whole lot brighter.

NEXT: The wedding of the year continues in the pages of Excalibur Annual 2000, Wolverine Annual 2000, and concludes in Weapon X Annual 2000! Featuring a host of guest stars from across the various X-titles, this is something you can’t afford to miss.

AUTHOR’S NOTES

And so the end is near, and now I face my final curtain.

This is the last of my regular issues of Wolverine for Marvel-X. I only have one story arc left and that’s the wedding that’ll run through the annuals, so I just have a few thoughts left to say on the MX series I am most proud of writing.

It’s hard for me to think that this all came up thanks to a proposal I had for a Wolverine/ClanDestine mini-series, which eventually became #9-#12. Chris Partin had left the title due to other commitments and the series needed a writer. Seeing as how I was going a mini anyway, I volunteered. #7 was a set piece, based on the last issue blurb of #6, and whether it was what Chris intended I don’t know. Either way it became mine and my first proper issue was #8. No fights, just Logan and Jean Grey clearing the air. I didn’t know if it worked when I wrote it, but the response I got was phenomenal.

Then came the aforementioned ClanDestine arc. IMO, it was bloody brilliant. Time travel, the Hand, magic, ClanDestine it had the lot. It gave me a chance to fix a few things and tell the missing story as well as do the team up of the century between Logan as Weapon X and Wolverine. I added Elektra to the mix and it made the story complete, so how could I top that?

The last arc. The Madripoor Saga. Using elements from the work of Chris, Eric J. Moreels, Philip Amoroso and Shawn Gauthier – the people who worked on the early issues – I built a story that spanned the series, tying everything together, making the series an actual series and not a collection of stories by multiple authors. And without giving him back the adamantium either.

So, who’ll be writing the series after me, I don’t know. Whatever they decide, I’ve given them one hell of a set up for the future of the series. I’ve enjoyed writing it, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading them.

Thanks for joining me, and see you at the wedding!

David Wheatley
24 June 2000