To Forgive is to Forget
Chapter 5
by
Hunter
DISCLAIMER: When my plot for world domination comes into effect, I will buy Marvel comics, 20th Century Fox, and all characters attached thereto, but until then, nothing is mine, only the lame characters I make up to play with the X-Gang.
DEDICATION: With major hugs to Leylue, All Great and Powerful Wolverine Lore Protector and Guide. . . without whom, this little South African wouldn't of even have gotten this far. And to Barbara, Tyger, and whoever gets this site next. . . excellent job grrrrls.
The copter's rotor blades thumped dully as they travelled back to the old base that had been converted under Doctor Cruin's instructions. Everything was in preparation. The soldiers had put the body on stretcher, and loading it in the first copter, they firmly fastened the straps under the Doctor orders. Heather decided she would fly with Doctor Cruin.
"Better keep an eye on him," she thought. He seemed to have totally lost control out there, and she was not prepared to have any more incidents mar this day.
Heather placed her face in her hands and looked down at the floor. She began to run through possible explanations she could tell General Portman when they got back. "Yes, sir. The target who knew where the adamantium is now dead. Sorry sir."
"Bye-bye project. Dammit. Lloyd would kill her. No, she would kill Lloyd for getting her into this weird mess in the first place."
"You look deep in thought, Captain Wallace," the Doctor said.
His words broke her train of thought. Looking up from her contemplation of the copter's floor, she watched him run his fingers along the body's forearm. It reminded her of a lover's caress.
Heather shuddered inwardly, "Very creepy."
"Yes, Doctor," she snapped. "I am deep in thought!"
Running her hands over her face, she numbingly added, "Trying to make up a sorry excuse for your indescribable behaviour."
"Indescribable behaviour, Captain?" He stopped stroking the body.
"Hell, yes!" Heather was livid now. "Why on earth did you shoot him? He was down. We needed him alive. Otherwise, why bother acquiring him? Did he know the location of the adamantium, Doctor? Because if he did, you've just blown the entire project out of the water!" She felt like adding to the scar collection on his face.
The doctor was quiet for moment. "He is the adamantium, Captain. That is why we need him. And he is not dead. Feel his pulse if you don't believe me."
Heather's mind stopped as he spoke. "Excuse me?" she croaked.
"I'll explain now, Captain, but first, feel his pulse." The Doctor pulled the man's shirt sleeve up and exposed his arm to her. The hair on his arm reacted to the cold, and stood on end.
Heather gasped. "Dead arms didn't feel the cold, did they?"
Leaning forward, she felt his wrist. There was a pulse!
"I saw you shoot him!" She pointed to his blood stained shirt. "There's the hole in his shirt."
The doctor ripped the shirt front open. There was no chest wound.
Heather could now see the rise and fall of the man's breathing. What snowflakes that remained on his face where gently disappearing as his body heat melted them.
No gaping hole from a bullet. Heather reached over to touch the well-muscled neck and lifting the dog tags, she read, "Wolverine."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she thought.
"You better start explaining pretty quick, Doc," Heather hissed as she dropped the tags. "This man was dead twenty minutes ago. Now there isn't a mark on him."
Doctor Cruin smiled, "He is a mutant, Captain. A rather special mutant with exceptional healing powers. Other than decapitation, nothing that I know of, will kill him."
"Fine, that's very interesting. So he's a mutant. What's that got to do with the adamantium and us? What do you mean. . . he is the adamantium?"
The Doctor explained. "When I worked for the Canadian government I was involved on a major project involving human subjects. Many mistakes were made until mutants were known and we stumbled across this man. He is a mutant known as Logan, code name Wolverine. He was with Canadian intelligence when we discovered him."
Pausing for a breath, Doctor Cruin continued. "This was 16 years ago. We acquired him for a special project and studied him. His body can repair itself faster than any normal human and it made him the perfect subject. Everything was going fine. The procedure was a success until he escaped."
The Doctor ran his fingers along his scars. "When he escaped, he destroyed the project. Destroyed years of work. But that is beside the point."
The Doctor reached into his bag and pulled out a rather sharp looking scalpel. He picked up the man's hand and ran the blade along the flesh. Heather's revulsion towards the Doctor increased as he moved the skin aside to show her the shining bone within.
Heather felt the bile rise up in her throat.
"His whole skeleton is meshed with adamantium."
"Point taken, Doctor," Heather swallowed, "Thank you."
Dropping the arm, the Doctor watched as the muscle knitted neatly back together.
"All we need to do," he said getting up, "is take it back."
Heather looked at the unconscious man as the Doctor moved into the cockpit to give instructions to the pilot.
She watched as Logan's hand finished healing. Pulling his shirt closed for him, Heather looked at his tags again. A quick tug removed them from around his neck and she slipped them into her pocket. Some yellow tinsel was peeking out from his shirt pocket. She pulled it out, and put that in her pocket, too.
"God, what had Lloyd gotten himself involved with this time?"
The copter blades continued to thump dully as they flew on.
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