Three weeks from now…
While both his back and feet are being massaged by restaurant waiters, Mesmero shouts at Agent Zero to close the door behind him. Zero does, but is startled to discover that Mesmero, Jackson, Chamber and Wild Child are still alive. He wants to know what’s going on there. Jackson jokes that Zero has to ask that question every time they meet. Chamber thinks Zero must be on a broken record by now. Mesmero mentions that he has explained this over a hundred times to everyone present by now. But it seems that Zero is asleep or something, as he doesn’t remember a thing.
Zero doesn’t know what he’s supposed to remember. He demands that Mesmero fills him in, or else there will be blood paid. Mesmero isn’t impressed by that threat, and tells Zero he can go ahead and kill him if he likes! Zero tries to pull the trigger, but for some reason… he can’t! Mesmero smiles – it’s because he won’t let Zero do it. Mesmero tells Zero to go sit down, as the story he is about to tell always takes a little while. Zero wants to know how all this is happening. Mesmero tells Zero that all this is actually his own fault: if Zero wouldn’t be so difficult, none of this would have been necessary.
A year ago…
Mesmero suggests that he starts telling his story at the facts Zero already “knows.” In Zero’s mind, the last time he and Mesmero saw each other was over a year ago, when he was taken away to the Neverland camps since his powers had apparently faded away. But, unbeknownst by Zero, or Director Colcord for that matter, Jackson intercepted that transport. Thereby, he also spared Mesmero’s life and giving himself an important player in Jackson’s own planned Weapon X attack.
And so, Mesmero practiced in seclusion. He was desperately trying to regain his powers and, for months, nothing changed. Until one day, at last, when his powers suddenly, just like that, returned. Mesmero’s confidence had returned and, with it, the wonderful abilities that make him one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. And for Jackson, who had by then become Director Jackson, he knew he had an unseen ace in the hole for Weapon X’s war against John Sublime’s Weapon Plus Program. Mesmero’s first assignment for Jackson was to bring in an agent that had candidate was… Agent Zero!
Three weeks from now…
Mesermo has to admit that Zero was one of the tougher nuts to crack. Zero can’t believe that, for all this time, he has been nothing else but a sleeper agent for Weapon X. Jackson adds that Zero has been excellent in his job. Like tonight, for example. Even though he wasn’t aware of it, Zero was really there as a “Plan B” should Chamber’s assassination on Sublime fail.
And taking Zero’s vendetta with Gene Nation, for example, Jackson knew that Zero wanted to avenge his buddy, Bolt’s, death. But it probably never occurred to him that Weapon X wouldn’t exactly be broken up if Zero were to wipe out a major anti-Weapon X underground movement. And, of course, there was that bit of business back at the Neverland camps.
Zero is confused, and asks Jackson what happened there. Jackson smiles. Wild Child mentions that here comes his favorite part of the story. Jackson mentions that he’ll tell Zero what happened to Neverland: Zero happened!
A year ago…
Jackson reveals that, once the old War of the Programs began, he thought it would be best to take Weapon X underground. After all, a moving target is harder to hit. The question was, though, what to do about Neverland. It was partially created so Sublime could have his fair share of the spare parts for his U-Men. Jackson decided that kind of resource just couldn’t be allowed to fall into Sublime’s hands. So, he took the pick of the inmates to be programmed as agents later, inmates such as Diamond Lil and Random.
As for the rest, well… that’s where Agent Zero came in. Mesmero took over Zero’s mind, and made him kill all off the mutants that weren’t needed anymore!
Three weeks from now…
Zero, devastated, takes off his mask and cries. Jackson tells Zero to face it: he is one of the greatest mass murderers of mutants the world has ever seen, and he didn’t even know it. Jackson takes that back. He bets, deep down within Zero’s being, when he looks at himself in the mirror, somehow, Zero does know. Wild Child doesn’t care. Whether Zero knew it or not, they sure did get a kick out of watching Zero’s courageous “search” for the Neverland survivors.
Jackson had enough fun and games now, and tells Mesmero to take over Zero’s mind again. Zero begs Mesmero to wait and not to it, but it has already happened. Zero will leave this room and never remember he was even here. Zero does as told, and leaves the room. As he is gone, the roof gets broken open, and a Sentinel appears, ready to fire!
13 years from now, Germany…
Zero wakes up after having a nightmare. The phone rings. He picks it up, and it’s Wolverine. Zero wants to know how Logan found him, but Logan doesn’t want to go into that right now. Logan figured that Zero needed some space after he finished off the rest of Gene Nation, before Logan came looking for him. Zero agrees. Logan notices that Zero doesn’t sound so good, and asks the man if he’s feeling alright. Zero claims it’s nothing, as he was just having a bad dream. Logan asks North to get over it then, as he’s got a proposition to make.
Later, at Tijuana, Mexico…
Logan joins Deadpool on one of his escapades, and helps the merc kill some thugs. Deadpool remembers Logan that he told him not to bother while he’s working. Logan jokes Wade that’s not a good way to treat a friend, as he hasn’t even heard him out yet. Wade informs Logan that bad news always travels around fast. He knows that “Professor W” is putting his old band back together.
And to that proposal, Wade has to say “thanks, but no thanks.” He knows that if you put an “X” mark on your clothes these days, it’s the equivalent of slapping on a “red shirt”: Star Trek style! Wade knew William Shatner, and Logan sure is no William Shatner.
Logan asks Deadpool to stop kidding around. He doesn’t have time for this. He needs Wade, as for like Wade pointed out himself, times are different. And Logan needs a different kind of X-Men team. Wade wants to know what Logan needs him for: to be the token human? So all the rest of the mutant kids can make fun of him at the Mutie Spring Formal when Wade doesn’t have an eight eye or webbed feet or an extra set of unmentionables on his back? Decisions to make. It’s at times like these, Wade wonders what Martha Stewart would do.
Logan asks Wade if he’s talking about her post or pre-jail time? Definitely post, Wade adds, but before Martha’s infamous food network shooting spree. Al Roker never had a chance. After all the thugs are finally killed and a headache later, Logan asks Wade if he’s in or out. Wade knows that he isn’t kidding anyone: murderous giant robots couldn’t keep him away! Oh, wait…
Amsterdam…
Wolverine managed to track down Juggernaut at a strip club. Cain mentions to Logan that him not liking Xavier wasn’t exactly a big secret. Logan is aware of that. But, the guy also happened to be Cain’s brother. And it seems to him, when somebody whacks your brother, you eventually have to do something about it. Logan agrees. Cain adds that he agrees, especially since he didn’t get to whack his brother himself. Especially, Logan jokes. Cain stands up, and tells Logan that of course he’ll help out. They walk out of the strip club, and Logan jokes that Cain gets to break a lot of stuff. He likes that idea.
Lourdes, France…
At a secluded church, Logan meets up with… Jeanne-Marie Beaubier! Jeanne-Marie, dressed in a Nun’s habit, is happy to see Logan again, as it has been ages since the last time. Well, not since Jean-Paul’s second funeral. She wants to know what Logan is doing here. Logan mentions that he’s here to prevent more funerals.
Jeanne-Marie thinks that means what she thinks it does: that Logan is re-forming the X-Men. And he can count her in, she responds. She doesn’t mind avenging her brother’s death, and also not the fact that she can take on her former employees. Logan tells Jeanne-Marie that won’t happen. He starts slapping Jeanne-Marie around, telling her that she needs her other self. Suddenly, Jeanne-Marie throws Logan over her shoulder against a wall!
Aurora informs Wolverine that he has found the woman he needed. Logan, getting up, wants to know if they are still going to refer to her as “her,” or does nasty personality number three got a name yet?
Honolulu, Hawaii…
Wolverine visits Sunfire at the hospital, but Shiro tells him to go away. Logan jokes that he gets that a lot. Shiro jokes that Logan will get that a hundredfold if the rumors are true, if he really is re-forming the X-Men. Shiro thought Logan got the message years ago that he wasn’t interested in being a part of that little group of misfits. Logan guesses that he’s just pig-headed then.
Although, Logan does know somebody who’s got him beat by a mile in that department. Otherwise, why would that somebody come to Hawaii alone, with his powers acting up the way they are, trying to prevent Weapon X from building their newest Sentinel base? It seems to Logan it might be because that somebody knows Japan is just a hop, skip and a jump away. So, if he knows all that, if he knows the threat Weapon X really represents, he must know full well he can’t stop them alone. In Logan’s eyes, that person must be the pig-headest man he ever met. Logan leaves Sunfire alone, and he thinks about the proposal.
London…
Logan is talking to a hobo, and informs the man that both Rogue and Nightcrawler are dead. Seems to him, everyone the hobo ever cared about is dead. And, he asks the hobo, what has he done about it? Logan can tell the man what he is doing right now: sitting in a pile of dog urine.
Suddenly, the hobo stands up, takes out his gun, and shoots a passer-by. His task completed, the hobo transforms into… Mystique! Raven informs Logan that she was waiting for a target and doesn’t normally sit in dog urine. To this, Logan hopes that Mystique doesn’t. But, Raven mentions that she’s in. She also warns Logan that she isn’t big on taking orders, so he doesn’t have to go and make this all weird.
Ottawa, Canada. The new X-Mansion...
Wolverine, in his new uniform, is watching his team train in the Danger Room. Somebody is with him, and the person wants to know that, as the last surviving X-Man, why he wasn’t asked to join Logan’s new group. He suspects that maybe Logan thought this wasn’t as important to the person. That he has suffered less than he did. That the person doesn’t agonize every day over not being there when the murder happened. The person doesn’t know how Logan dares keeping him off the team.
Logan tells the person that they both know they’ve never really liked each other. Though they tolerated one another, but both know it was only for the sake of Xavier and the other X-Men. And now, all that remains\ is Logan’s X-team, and he can’t see the person fitting in. Suddenly, feathers surround Wolverine’s body! The person thinks that maybe, Logan is right. Maybe, he can’t see Angel fitting into his team… but Archangel will! Logan turns around, and notices that Warren Worthington III has got his metal wings back.
14 years from now, Weapon X Sentinel Plant #924…
The entrance of the plant has been breached in, and destroyed Sentinel body parts lay across the floor.
Wolverine congratulates his team. There’s one Sentinel base down the tube. If they keep this up they’ll put Weapon X out of commission within the year. Logan knows that he isn’t fooling anyone, and knows that won’t happen. He suggests that they start interrogating somebody, but… there aren’t any survivors. Triumphant in their X-Men uniforms, Agent Zero, Archangel, Aurora, Deadpool, Juggernaut, Mystique, Sunfire and Wolverine are ready for the next battle.
19 years from now, the X-Mansion…
Archangel, Mystique, Sunfire, Deadpool and Juggernaut have all been killed, and their bodies are burning up! Wolverine, half burning up, is still fighting Agent Zero, and asks the man how he could do this… how could he kill the X-Men?!
Zero doesn’t know the answer. He just can’t control this. He begs Logan to just give up and surrender, as they’ve been at this for hours now. Zero explains that he was bred to take Logan out. The enzyme in his concussive blasts attacks those people with healing factors! He tells Logan to take a look at Deadpool if he doesn’t believe him: Wade’s body has completely melted, and only his mask and gloves are left.
Wolverine doesn’t even know what “giving up” means. He asks Zero if Weapon X is controlling him. Zero isn’t sure, but thinks so. He apologizes, and tells Logan that he would stop if he knew how. Logan crawls closer to Zero, who begs him to stop doing it. Logan informs Zero that he can’t do this: he won’t make this easy for him, or Weapon X. Logan asks Zero if he wants to kill him… or the X-Men. Logan points Zero’s gun at his head, and tells Zero to just do it then!
Zero remains silent for a while. He tries to pull the trigger, but… he can’t. Christoph David North takes off his mask, and cries. He’s sorry, but he can’t do it. He pushes Logan down, and instead… kills himself!
Weapon X Headquarters at the Neverland camps…
The Director, having seen everything on his viewing screen, is outraged. He can’t believe that after all this time he tried to figure out Mesmero’s connection towards Agent Zero, he gets this. And what’s worse: Wolverine is still alive!
A robotic voice corrects Colcord that the X-Men are once again destroyed, so the mission was a success. Colcord doesn’t agree. Not when target number one still breathes. The robot thinks that’s irrelevant, as Wolverine is but one man. The Director doesn’t care, and tells the Boxbot that he would trade in all of his other dead victims if it would mean Logan’s death.
Boxbot apologizes, but prefers that the Director doesn’t refer to him by that name ever again. After all, the unit has evolved well beyond that previous designation, and is now called… Mastermold!
