(present)
Patch isn’t in his usual stomping ground tonight. He’s in a dive bar in Lowtown, trying to relax, and he ignores a brawl that erupts between locals. He recalls being in the bar once before.
(flashback, a long time ago)
The locals are enjoying a quite drink in the bar when the doors open and Logan enters carrying a woman in his arms. “She’s dead! Silver Fox is dead!” he cries. Sabretooth is leaning against the wall, and he tells Logan that these things happen; especially to squaws uppity enough to say no. “Sabretooth! You killed her,” replies Logan.
Some of the locals make themselves scarce, as Sabretooth wanders to the bar. He asks what of it, and warns Logan that if it’s a fight he wants, he won’t be stopping when someone drops. Logan insists Sabretooth take him on. It will end when one of them is dead, no matter how long it takes. A woman holds Logan back and tells him Sabretooth isn’t fooling. Why risk everything over a squaw?
(present)
Patch finally decides to bring the brawl to a conclusion. They two guys aren’t happy about it and consider starting on Patch instead. He throws one of them along the bar head first, pointing out that this would be a bad idea. He grabs the other by the throat and asks if he wants to give him grief like his buddy. The clock strikes twelve midnight and so Patch drops the guy, deciding they aren’t worth the effort. There are lots of bets riding on the punch up, and they’re not happy about Patch butting in. He departs, figuring he won’t be welcome back there… ever. Breaks his heart.
Fog covers the city of Madripoor, as Patch takes to the rooftops. He prefers them to the streets. It’s easier to see if there’s any opposition coming, and more places to scoot if need be. His mind begins to wander and he remembers Silver Fox. Did he love her? He certainly thought so at the time. He’s not to certain anymore. It was a long time ago. Did it matter in the end? Probably not, he thinks.
He remembers he and Sabretooth were always spoiling for a fight. Sabretooth had always helped himself to what was his and challenged Logan to stop him. Something always held him back. He knew Sabretooth hated him, but he hadn’t a clue why. Maybe it was simply true what Sabretooth had said; that the world wasn’t big enough for the pair of them.
(flashback)
With Logan covered in Silver Fox’s blood, he leaps at Sabretooth. He stinks of Silver Fox. She’d died hard and Sabretooth had enjoyed every minute. Logan means to pay him back in kind. He lashes out at the larger man, pummeling his fists into Sabretooth’s face. In retaliation, he knocks Logan straight through the bar. With no unbreakable adamantium bones and no claws, at this point in his life he is as vulnerable as ever. But, Logan is tough and too dumb to realize how much trouble he’s in. It makes Sabretooth’s day. He slams Logan hard and decides to teach him a lesson.
(present)
From the rooftops, Patch hears a scream down below. He notices several men surrounding a woman whose clothing was already in tatters. Her male companion is already down, suffering from a knife wound, but he’s given a good account of himself before dropping. Patch decides to pick up where he left off. He drops to the ground and confronts their assailants.
One of the guys turns and shoots him with a pistol. Patch continues to walk towards him and then grabs his hand, aiming the pistol harmlessly into the air. He figures they aren’t worth his claws and, instead, he punches the guy hard in the stomach. A bruiser approaches from behind with a knife ready to strike. Patch swings his arms backwards, snapping the guy’s arm near the elbow. They get the message and run for it, probably in search of easier pickings.
The woman is concerned for her companion, and Patch informs her that he’s barely breathing and has lost a lot of blood. The woman blames herself. They were looking for adventure. Patch replies that she got what she wanted. She asks if there’s a hospital and Patch replies that there isn’t, and they won’t get an ambulance down there either. However, he knows a place that’s almost as good.
(flashback)
Sabretooth then grabs Logan and they crash through the outer wooden wall of the saloon, taking their fight outside. Logan picks up a plank but Sabretooth grabs it before he can properly swing it. He removes it from Logan’s grasp and hammers it into his side. The impact slams Logan into a woodpile.
(present)
Logan carries the injured man to Madam Joy’s place. She is there with several of her girls in various states of undress. She isn’t entirely happy with him bringing a bleeding man into her establishment, but she knows he’s done the right thing. She asks Inga to summon Dr. Fong and for Mavis to ready the dispensary. She asks the others to snap to it - they have a life to save. She sees to the young woman who wants to help, but Joy says she’ll only be in the way. She asks Inza to look after her.
After Patch has put the guy on a bed to await his treatment, Jessica Drew appears behind him. “Never a dull moment, Patch… where you’re concerned.” She asks if it’s anything serious, but before he can answer, Madam Joy ushers the pair of them out of the room, telling them she’ll call when there’s news. As they leave, Jessica remarks that Madam Joy’s a lovely lady. Those sailors are in the best of hands. It’s a lovely place as well; hardly what you’d expect in Lowtown.
Patch looks up and sees Lindsay McCabe waving at them from her balcony. He asks Jessica if they’re on a case, but she informs him that they live there, and invites him in. He asks her to lead the way, so instead of using the stairs, she begins to climb up the wall using her spider-powers. Patch tries to keep up, and only just gets beaten to the balcony. Not too shabby, remarks Lindsay. Jessica says there aren’t too many who are a match for her. Patch’s memories begin to flood back once again.
(flashback)
Sabretooth clears the wood from the pile covering Logan and discovers his foe has vanished, leaving only small traces of blood behind. He knows Logan can’t evade him for long; not now he has his scent. Logan makes his way into the forest, exhausted, and finally drops face first into the snow. He surprises himself by managing to pick himself up. He comes to a sheer cliff face and begins climbing. Maybe he is beaten, he thinks, and he is probably going to die, but he isn’t about to quit.
(present)
Lindsay brings Patch back to reality and shows him around their place. A sign with Drew & McCabe Resolutions adorns their door, and Patch admits the place doesn’t look too shabby. He knows it’s amazing what a body can hear and learn in a joint like this. With Joy’s bawdy house underneath them, Patch informs them that Joy is under the prince’s imprimatur, and he probably feels the same way about them, too. They’re Baran’s eyes and ears in Lowtown.
He relaxes in a chair and lights a cigar. He explains that there are two sides to Madripoor’s underworld. On one side is General Coy, and on the other there is Tyger Tiger. The prince has to know the score, and who to move against when necessary. That was his chancellor’s role. Jessica says it’s too bad the prince allowed General Coy to murder him. Patch tells them that Ranjamaryam played with both sides, and in Baran’s eyes, that was treason. He wants somebody neutral whose loyalty is to him. Jess thinks it’s a big mistake if he’s chosen them. Patch warns her that, if she wants out, then she only has to say the word. If she stays then it’s on Madripoor’s rules, which means no rules. Patch departs on his way to some private business.
(flashback)
Logan climbs the cliff face, pushing himself to the limit. He finally reaches the summit, only to look up and see the imposing figure of Sabretooth. He asks Logan if he wants to die like a dog on his belly, or on his feet like a man.
(present - Police headquarters, Hightown)
Patch has entered Tai’s office and is relaxing once again with his feet on the table. Tai allows this indiscretion as a reward for his timely intervention with the mugging earlier. However, the bravos he trounced aren’t feeling so charitable. He’s stirred a hornet’s nest in Lowtown, and Tai wonders if this is to be a regular occurrence. Patch hadn’t given it a thought. Tai thinks perhaps he should. They’re some very ugly customers.
He moves on to another matter, informing Patch that a man he had enquired about is dead. Patch is obliged for the information but, as Wolverine, he’s supposed to be dead too. As he prepares to leave, Tai wishes him a happy birthday. This catches Patch by surprise, and he asks how he knew. Tai grins, and replies that as Chief of Police it’s his job to know.
(flashback)
It’s Logan’s birthday, and he and Silver Fox had planned to celebrate it together. Sabretooth had other ideas. Atop the ridge, Logan attacks the larger man, striking with a ferocity matched by few. The berserker in his soul takes over, and his whole being goes red with rage. The only thing that matters is killing Sabretooth. He doesn’t really have a prayer.
A strike with his fist is met by the grasp of Sabretooth’s long fingers, and he then punches Logan in the stomach, lifting him clean off the ground. As hard as Logan hits him, Sabretooth retaliates harder. Logan’s too stubborn or too stupid to stay down, and he keeps on coming. His efforts only serve to make Sabretooth laugh and, surely enough, Logan is taught a painful lesson in the art of hand-to-hand combat.
(present)
Near the waterfront, Jessica Drew is pulled into a building’s entrance by Patch, whose hand covers her mouth. She has been following him, and she explains that everybody’s worried about him. He tore through Lowtown like a one-man typhoon, and his friends decided to blazes with his feelings. They thought it best to keep tabs on him. Jessica asks if all this has anything to do with it being his birthday. Flamin’ blabbermouth busybody Tai, grumbles Patch, as they see two headlights heading towards them at speed.
Suddenly, one of the guys he stopped earlier, Daryl, pops his head over the Cadillac’s windshield and opens fire at them with a sub-machine gun. His friend, another Daryl, doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Patch and Jessica leap for safety; Jessica taking to the roofs whilst Patch dives to the ground. Daryl trades his gun for a rocket launcher and pumps off a rocket at Logan. It hits the warehouse, which explodes in a huge ball of flame and black smoke. Daryl then takes a flame-thrower and sweeps the area trying to catch any survivors. Patch takes cover behind some barrels, but more grenades explode nearby and he is hurled into the air.
Daryl grabs the flame-thrower once again and pours the heat on Logan. His clothes and body are enveloped in the flames, and Patch leaps into the harbor. The two Daryl’s grin upon seeing his burning body drop, and intend to do some serious celebrating later. Out of the smoke, a figure looms behind them.
(flashback)
Sabretooth is impressed with Logan’s efforts, but he has the Canadian at his mercy. He wishes to teach him his final lesson, and tear out his throat, the same as he did to his sweetheart. He hopes Logan’s blood tastes as sweet. “No!” screams Logan, and he turns to tackle Sabretooth, pushing him over the precipice.
(present)
Jessica pulls Patch from the water and back onto the jetty. She asks if he’s hurt, but he replies that he’s been worse, and thanks her for acing the brothers. Jessica asks what he’s talking about. She just dug herself out of the warehouse. She thought he nailed them. Jess figures someone must have. Their Cadillac is gone and so are they. She doubts they’d quit on their own. Patch figures they owe someone a favor… but who?
(flashback)
The two men have landed, with Logan lying unconscious underneath Sabretooth. The big guy is the first to wake up, and he congratulates Logan on trying to take him with him. It’s a shame it had to end like this but, given who they are, what other ending could there be? He stands and departs, leaving Logan for dead.
(present)
Patch recalls the moment, and figures the joke was on Sabretooth, because he survived too. He makes his way back to the Princess Bar and finds the Cadillac parked out front. The place is closed for the night, and the place should be empty. He goes in hard, crashing through the window with his claws at the ready. He rolls and stands in one fluid movement, before realizing he needn’t have bothered.
He discovers the dead bodies of the two brothers strapped against the wall with a birthday card attached. He notices that their wounds look painfully familiar. He opens the card and reads the message, written in blood. ‘Nobody kills you but me - especially today.’ Patch screws up the card. “Not, bub… if I get you first!”
