Somewhere in Eastern Europe, on a train, a large man with blank, white eyes pours gasoline on a whip. The command comes from a man with fangs to begin. The man with the blank eyes proceeds to whip Daken, electrocuting him as he does. Daken growls and pops his claws, his eyes filled with anger. Before he can strike, a voice tells him that he thinks he’s so special, that he’s better than everybody else. But deep down, he’s just a wild animal chewin’ at the bars of his cage, just like him. Wild Child steps out of the shadows and adds that Daken is just like his father. Daken denies that he is. Wild Child, the other man in the room, tells him to prove it and, with that, the whipping commences.
In another location, Wolverine supports Cyber down the street to an abandoned building. He thinks to himself that the enemy of his enemy is his friend. That means he’s got a lotta friends. When they reach the building, Wolverine kicks open the door and asks the Tinkerer for some help. When the Tinkerer dispassionately asks why he would do that, Wolverine glares at him angrily for a moment and then says to him that he knows who he is, right? The Tinkerer tells him that he knows who he is but, if he thinks he can intimidate him or threaten him, he’s mistaken. He is beyond those things, there is nothing left on Earth that he fears to lose. Wolverine tells him yeah, but he’s stickin’ around anyway so maybe there’s somethin’ he still wants. An’ maybe he’s the guy that can give it to him.
After some time, Wolverine and the Tinkerer work out a deal an’ he goes to work. Once the Tinkerer has the C-Synthesizer, he dopes up the patient. Wolverine decides that is fine with him just as long as Cyber can still talk. Wolverine smacks him across the face and says to Cyber that he was about to give him a name. Cyber gives him the name Hudson and asks if it rings any bells.
(flashback)
Wolverine thinks back in his past: The Hudson Bay Company – covered in blood, Wolverine holds a bloody knife in one hand and a fistful of someone else’s hair in the other. James and Heather Hudson – who shot him up in Canada back when he was running around wild after he escaped from the Weapon X compound. Department H – a with the rest of Alpha Flight.
(present)
Seeing the clearly upset Wolverine looking away, Cyber smiles that he thought he would. He starts to relay his story.
(flashback)
Hudson was the man running the show, the training facility up there. Hudson told him, Silas Burr, that he had a unique ability. Somehow, he’s able to push men beyond their moral boundaries, get them to do things that otherwise they would or could not do. Like murder and torture. Silas responded that he was just helpin’ ‘em to do their jobs better. Hudson tells him that he was hoping he’d say something like that. Because that’s exactly what he wants him to do there for one man in particular. When Silas looks at the window he sees Logan running in formation. He asks Hudson if this is a military operation. Hudson tells him “of sorts.” He tells Silas that he will report directly to him, periodically, and only in person, and to never write anything down. Silas tells him to slow down, he never said he agreed to…
Hudson cuts him off and tell him that he has free rein to “train” these men in any way he sees fit, without any fear of reprisal or repercussion. He says to Silas that, being the kind of man he is, why would he not agree? Silas tells him that he’ll do it, but the only question is, how much is he gonna pay him? Hudson tells him to see his associate. Just then, Hudson walks out of the room and an attractive young lady enters. Her name – Janet.
(present)
Wolverine, in shock, says to himself that Janet was… working with… Cyber asks him what did he think she was doing there. Wolverine replies that he thought she was just part of the… Cyber finishes his thought – she was part of the program. He asks Wolverine that he still hasn’t put that part together? They were all part of the program – all of the women from his past. He asks if he thinks it’s a coincidence that they all died. Wolverine angrily tells him that he, Cyber, killed her. Cyber admits that he did, but under orders.
(flashback)
Cyber continues his tale. One day when they were walking in the woods, Hudson asked him how he, Logan, is progressing. Silas told him that he has him wound up pretty tight. Hudson asked him about him and Janet, are they… Silas confirmed they are. Hudson says good, very good and gives Silas the order to kill her. Silas looks at him and says that he thought she was supposed to keep Logan under control. Hudson replies by asking him if he was unclear when he gave him his assignment. They don’t want him to be under control. They want him to be what he is – an animal, born and bred to kill. The only measure of control they want him to establish, the one thing they want him to learn and never forget is that, if he ever stops being the predator he is meant to be, if he ever tries to be anything else, like a man. If he ever tries to reach out to anyone, that person will die.
Cyber tells Wolverine that it’s a control mechanism, can’t he see that. Every time one of his women were killed, it was to either shut him up or set him off. And the order always came from the very top. Wolverine thinks back to when Janet was killed by Cyber and when Janice was killed by Sabretooth. Wolverine then asks Cyber who is at the top. Cyber tells him he doesn’t know, but his kid does. Wolverine said to Cyber that he trained Daken and asks what his control mechanism is. Cyber tells him that he doesn’t have one, he never needed it. He’s like him, he likes what he does.
(present)
Wolverine asks Cyber where Daken is now. Cyber tells him that he doesn’t know. Wolverine bows his head and realizes that Cyber isn’t lyin’, he really doesn’t know. He then says to Cyber that he said he could track him. Cyber tells him that he can, usually but… He then tells him that he’s getting something but it’s dark, he doesn’t think even he knows where he is.
On the train, Daken pleads with Wild Child to tell the man that he has learned his lesson. Wild Child tells him that he hasn’t, he needs to stay away from his father. Daken says but he… He is whipped again and Wild Child again tells him to stay away from him until he’s done doin’ what their master wants him to do.
Back in the Tinkerer’s lair, the Tinkerer tells Wolverine that the device is ready. Wolverine points out that was fast, but the Tinkerer replies that it was a simple mechanism. When Wolverine asks about the other things he wanted, the Tinkerer holds up three bullets and tells him that they are also complete, and even more simple. He then asks if he should begin the procedure. Wolverine takes the bullets and says a deal’s a deal and walks away.
After time, Cyber wakes up to find a device attached to his chest and asks the Tinkerer what it is. The Tinkerer tells him that essentially it’s a pacemaker. He adds that obviously, due to the fact that his body is encased in adamantium, there was no possibility of implanting the device. Cyber asks him why didn’t he paint a bulls-eye on it. Anybody looking to take him out isn’t going to have to do much thinking before they realize that all they have to do is hit this. The Tinkerer informs him that they would have to “hit” it with… well, let’s just say that he has nothing to fear from conventional or unconventional weapons. It is unbreakable.
Cyber asks if it is adamantium, but the Tinkerer tells him no, but something comparable – carbonadium. Cyber asks him carbonadium, how… The Tinkerer tells him that his friend provided him with a synthesizer that… He turns to find the synthesizer gone. Cyber, enraged grabs the Tinkerer by the throat. He says my “friend?” He says this stuff is radioactive, it eats you alive. He asks the Tinkerer how he gets it off. The Tinkerer tells him that he can’t.
Walking over a bridge, Wolverine takes the C-Synthesizer out of his pocket, looks at it, and tosses it into the water below.
Epilogue:
In a darkened apartment, a man reads the Daily Bugle in shadows. Reading the classifieds he finds that some of the words have been bolded – a hidden message. He reads the note to read – “time to settle up, bus station/locker 93.” Donning a nondescript cap and equally nondescript long coat, the man exits the apartment and heads down to the bus station. Without a key, he uses lock picks to open the locker 93 and, within, he finds three bullets and a note. It reads – “Bucky, I’ll let you know who and when. L.”
