IS IT A WONDERFUL LIFE?

By David Wheatley

“Please shut the door and sit down, John,” said the Overboss as John Wraith entered the office.

“You wanted to see me, Zoe?” he asked, seeing the file on her desk. The file marked Logan. He’d not seen that file since the finale to the Weapon X business a few months ago.

“First thing – Merry Christmas,” said Zoe Culloden, pouring him a brandy.

“Likewise,” he said accepting it, not certain if Landau, Luckman and Lake actually celebrated Christmas. Zoe nodded as Wraith took a sip.

“Second thing – the three L’s read your report on Weapon X and whilst there are some questions that need answers, such as the involvement of Maverick,” at which point Wraith took a gulp of brandy, “and they were impressed. As you know, since my promotion to Overboss, there is a vacancy open as Expediter. You’ve been assigned to fill it, based on this report, your sterling work and your role as Expediter for Team X.”

“You mean the Weapon X assignment…?” asked Wraith as things began to sink in.

“Was a final test,” confirmed Zoe. “Logan was declared off-limits to you whilst he was under my watch – but you had the file for the Weapon X assignment. Didn’t you have an idea?”

“Well, I did wonder,” said Wraith, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. “But I thought it was something to do with the fact that the Weapon X candidates were selected by Landau, Luckman and Lake using Logan as the team template.”

“We don’t talk about that. We gave the Project funding, and we gave it candidates but now the matter is at an end. Weapon X is dead and gone – let in lie there.”

“Amen to that,” said Wraith. “So, in my role as Expediter, what does that have to do with Logan?”

“Logan is a nexus. Everything of major importance to the survival of humanity has Logan centred in it. The Dark Phoenix affair, the business with the Adversary, Inferno, the Fatal Attractions Scenario, Onslaught, Operation: Zero Tolerance. Logan has not always been a major player, but he has been a key one. He has a destiny that has been building to this period in time.”

“Like the Deadpool scenario?”

“Never mention that name in my presence again,” snapped Zoe and John nodded. There was still fallout within the Agency from the business that had been classified as ‘Dead Reckoning’. “But, yes. However, this time we’re allowing things to go their own way and let others do the pushing.”

“How so?” asked Wraith.

“Watch,” said Zoe and pressed a button. A screen came on, showing the interior of the Princess Bar in Chicago. Logan was tending bar, though they were relatively quiet. Zoe gave Wraith a quick brief on things. “At this point in time, Logan has had a quiet few months. The business with Magneto has passed, he has confronted Chen Yu, and has found a new love.”

“It must be an animal thing,” muttered Wraith, thinking that Logan had been with more than his share of women, and considering how he looked, his attitude and the rest, it damned well had to be something. “Who is it this time?”

“Elektra.”

“Your personal choice in recent years,” said Wraith, remembering the file. Zoe raised an eyebrow and Wraith shut up as they watched the scene. ‘My word,’ he thought as he saw a man enter the bar, ‘that’s Nick Fury.’

“Merry Christmas, Logan,” said the gravely voice of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Director, as he passed him a lighter. Logan had been after a new S.H.I.E.L.D. lighter for awhile.

“Nicholas,” answered Logan, catching the lighter. “Thanks, bub. I ain’t got you nothin’, but how about free drinks for the night? Or isn’t this a social call?”

“Let’s just say I’m mixin’ business and pleasure,” answered Fury as he leant against the bar, whilst Logan fixed him a beer. “There a place we can talk?”

“There’s a table in the corner,” said Logan. “Hey, Connie, I’m gonna be talkin’ with this gentleman fer a bit. You and the others handle it okay?”

“No problem, Logan,” said the barmaid. Logan nodded and he and Fury made their way over to the table.

“Nice joint,” said Fury. “Ideal for keeping an eye on the other X-Men, no doubt.”

“Yeah, well,” said Logan, “unless things get out o’ hand, that ain’t yer business, Nick.”

“Logan, everything’ my business these days. Including Elektra.”

“That why you here, bub,” said Logan lighting a cigar and offering one to Nick, who accepted.

“Yup,” said Fury. “There’s warrants for her all over, the bounty on her head is enough to get Tony Stark refit the Helicarrier twice over and the Hand is still on her case.”

“The Hand ain’t a problem at the moment,” said Logan, thinking back a few months to what had happened in England. “As fer the rest, I ain’t exactly got an easy past. Sabretooth, Deathstrike and not to mention my dearest darlin’ wife, Viper.”

“I know about that,” said Nick. “Don’t like it much. Gives Hydra a foothold in Madripoor.”

“She keeps them out, or else I end it and her so-called power leaves with me,” said Logan.

“Not many keep a Viper on a leash,” commented Fury. “What’s she think about Elektra?”

“Gotta ask her at some point,” came the reply. “So what about Elektra, Nick? And be civil, ’cause I don’t wanna punch out a man who just gave me a lighter.”

“What’s going on with you two?” asked Fury.

“Love, Nick. The ol’ Canucklehead got it again.”

“A bit fast, isn’t it?”

“It’s never too fast to say ‘I love you’, Nick. Plus given our track records and line of work, the sooner we admitted it, the better.”

“It wasn’t so long ago she was retraining you after…”

“Genesis,” said Logan with a snarl. “She did more than that, she brought me back from the edge of an abyss. I was gone, more animal than much else and she restored the man. With a little help of the healing factor.”

“Noticed you’re looking as well as ever. However, is this just a case of the patient falling for the nurse?”

“No,” answered Logan. “We’ve been friends for a while, but all the business with the X-Men and her own problems we just didn’t see much of each other. Then we got back together recently and we just knew. In the past few months it’s been quiet and we’ve discovered that it’s not just a passing attraction. It goes deeper than that.”

“But?” asked Fury.

“I dunno, Nick. I’ve ridden this ride before and it’s worked out badly each time. This just feels so right.”

“Not mind control then? Not joining the enemy?”

“Do I look like a Horseman of Apocalypse?”

“Nope, but then again if the reports are true he is up to something.”

“The X-Men’ll stop him, if we can work together.”

“Just as long as you’re sure about her, Logan.”

“Nicholas, she’s as on the level as I am.”

“Not exactly a great reassurance, but it’ll do” said Nick, finishing his drink. He stood up.

“Goin’ already?” asked Logan.

“It ain’t like the old days when wars stopped for Christmas,” said Nick, sadly. “Gotta go back to work.”

“Fair enough, bub. Merry Christmas.”

“You too,” said Nick as he walked out and out of the window, Logan watched as the car he got in, lifted up and flew away. Logan smiled and went back to the bar. Maybe he’d call in on the X-Men later.

The screen shut down and John looked at Zoe quizzically.

“What’s the deal?”

“Just a shadow of what’s to come. Viper, Apocalypse, Elektra and the X-Men.”

“What a year,” said Wraith. “I know the Apocalypse prophecies, and the problems with Viper, but what about Elektra?”

“Together, Wolverine and Elektra are going to rebuild the Chaste.” Zoe let that sink in.

“Logan’s getting religion?”

“Logan’s walked the Path for many years, though he was set on it only recently. Now the guardians of the Path have been decimated, new ones are needed. Logan’s going to realise that there’s a lot depending on him now, for a new enemy is about to rise to challenge him.”

“As well as Apocalypse and his followers?”

“Yes,” said Zoe. “This is why we need the right man for the job. You’re the right man, John. Like it or not, you are the Expediter.”

She passed him the file marked Logan.

“Why him?” asked Wraith. “What’s so damned special?”

“I asked that when I got the job. I found out when I became Overboss. Apparently my predecessor Chang, asked it as well but he did the job long enough and was smart enough to figure it out, as well as smart enough not to put it in the file. If you’re smart, maybe you will too.” Wraith nodded and took the file. He finished the brandy.

“Onwards to the new millennium,” he said.

“Onwards indeed,” said Zoe and Wraith left the office, pleased with the promotion and wondering what was the secret of Wolverine. With a little luck he might find out.

Or die trying.

NEXT, IN WOLVERINE #13: Madripoor beckons. Logan has a new love and his wife isn’t going to be happy. It’s a catfight in the Princess Bar between Elektra and Viper, with Tyger Tiger and Logan watching on. By the time this battle ends, one of them isn’t going to walk away. Find out who, next issue!