Wild boy
The muffler roared down the dense highway as a motorbike weaved in and out of the nightly traffic of NYC. The helmet just felt a bit too tight around Logan’s neck and the leather rubbed his skin the wrong way as smells of oil and the loud music of radios pounding against car stereos started to surround him. He barely could take a breath tightening his fingers around the handle bars as he edged his way further into the concrete jungle. Logan deciphered a particular scent of gun powder and taco seasoning, he followed through the burrows until he landed near a bar called ‘Sister Margaret’s’. He gave a heavy sigh under his congested helmet and nestled his Harley deep into a nearby alleyway rats were digging away through the unopened trash, and other than the critters their was no one in sight, yet.
Logan discarded his helmet on top of his bike and breathed while running his shaking hands through his hair, he tried to count just how Charles had taught Laura, 1 deep breath 2 exhale 3 repeat, 4 close your eyes, 5 say goodbye. It was a silly thing, but after 4 his fingers stopped twitching and he could see without the blurry spots peaking at the corner of his vision. His ears perked up and hearty laughter coming from the bar with glasses clanging the counter tops, he stopped fiddling with his keys in his jacket and made his way from the alley to across the street.
When he got to the bar, and decided to be discreet, just opening it quietly and keeping his head down. Logan entered the boisterous tavern and within a couple steps in, the place fell dead silent. Logan looked slowly up between the fallen hairs in his face, and all the Mercs he could see were side eying him, some he didn’t even recognize were glaring, ‘fuck’ Logan thought, ‘who’d I piss of this time?’
Logan shook off the atmosphere as a particular man in a red suit leaning over the bar caught his eye, “that’s me, I’m the red one! Leaning over the bar, I hope you catch my ass nice at this angle.”
“Wade” Logan sighed as he approached the bar Wade was leaning against.
“Yes, brother from another mother.” Wade had his mask off and was drinking a fruity concoction.
Logan looked at the little umbrella in his drink, “we ain’t brothers.”
“Well blood brothers, get it?” Wade looked into the audience of whoever accidentally clicked on this poorly written fan fiction, “now just in case I have to catch anyone up who didn’t watch my fucking movie. The fuckers that said they’d fix my cancer used this asshole’s blood to do it, and now I look like this shit show. Or at least I hope that happened honestly the author is writing this on a poor memory of the movies and some irrelevant cartoon from the early 2000’s, so hopefully they aren’t fucking up my character.”
“Wade, Wade” Logan was snapping in front of Wade’s face.
“I’ve been talking this whole time, catch up.” Wade threw his hand waving Logan off. More specific
Logan looked confused, “uh huh well I came here because I need your…help.”
“Heaved that last part out huh buddy, okay I’ll do it if you call me bro.”
Logan grimaced.
“C’mon just once, bro.”
“No.”
“Wow” Deadpool sighed, “guess you don’t need my help that badly.” He puckered his lips to continue to suck on a tiny straw that was in his bright blue margarita.
Logan rolled his eyes, “I just need to know where Sabertooth is….”
Wade laughed and put down his drink, “I haven’t fucked with him” he looked at the audience, “figuratively and figuratively” he looked back at Logan, “in awhile, but I do know where he is. Why do you ask?” Wade raised his eyebrows, as he waited.
“I need to talk to him…”
“Wow, so informative!”
Logan rolled his eyes, “I don’t got time to waste, just tell me where he’s at?”
“Well he’s in Canada so it’s gonna take a minute” Wade stretched popping his shoulder, “we taking the jet? Can I drive!”
“No Wade, I’m taking my bike.”
“We’re taking your bike?”
Logan rolled his eyes and impatiently tapped his foot, talking to Wade was like pulling out a tooth painfully slow, “I just need directions.”
“C’mon I’ve been dying for some bonding experience with a gruff man, maybe we can fall into that mentee or mentor dynamic, or frenemies. Hmm?” Deadpool threw his arm over Logan’s shoulder, who quickly squirmed away.
Logan sighed and tried not to pinch his nose bridge, “you can come if you don’t talk.”
Deadpool tied and locked his lips with an imaginary key and threw it in someone’s drink.
Logan thought he went a bit crazy when he saw the drink on the other side of the pub splash, but he didn’t comment. Only walking out of the bar with Wade trailing behind. Logan’s heel got caught under Wades, “oof sorry, can’t see well in the dark, and this mask y’know no peripheral vision, hell I can’t even see out three feet in front of me that’s why I prefer machine guns it just goes everywhere y’know!l It’s also darker than you’d think I really need to invest in-”
“Wade.”
“Just trying to make friendly conversation old buddy old pal!”
Logan was now just entering the alleyway and refrained from slapping his forehead, ‘of course he’s gonna talk why’d I think he’d actually shut up for once?’
“Is that the Harley!” Wade ran over to it pushing Logan into the dumpster, “can I drive?”
“You gotta be shitting me!”
Wade was looking over the bike, “y’know Vic has the same kind except it’s orange, I think it’s his fav-”
“Hands off the bike bub.”
Wade put his hands up like a gun was pointed at him, “okay okay I don’t have sticky fingers.”
“Uh huh” Logan brushed off the trash that was on his coat and wandered over to his bike, he handed Wade the helmet, “here.”
“Aww you care about me.” Wade put a hand over his heart.
“Hopefully it muffles ya.” Logan swung his leg over and got settled in his seat as Wade put on the helmet and sat behind him, he put his arms around Logan’s waist making the older man sigh as he moved Wades hands higher so it rested on Logan’s Chest.
“Just point to where were goin’.”
Wade smiled underneath the helmet and it wasn’t until they were fully on the road did he swipe the visor up, “as I was saying before-”
It was four excruciating hours of Wade talking in Logan’s ear. There was some sharp turns on the way and Logan would never admit that he indeed tried to throw the man off his bike a couple times. Only a couple….
Finally, finally, finally Logan saw it. The trailer between the trees with a piss yellow house light flickering. Logan parked his bike behind some pines, “well Sabertooth’s scent is faint, but there’s somethin else.” Logan had his nose in air sniffing as Wade in the background was struggling to pull the helmet off.
“Why is this shit so tight! Do you have a small neck or do I have a big neck?” Wade hit his back against the tree as both his hands were pulling on the helmet knuckles bright red and hands shaking. “The fuck is this?”
Logan got a new scent it was like muddied water, pines cones, and maple. Logan’s ears twitched as leaves from the trees rustled, Wade was still complaining, “ya super glue this onto me or something?”
“Wade” Logan held his hand out to Wade and then slowly brought his fingers to his lips, “someone else is here.”
Wade’s face dropped alongside Logan’s, “Oh shit I forgot to tell you!”
Logan’s face scrunched up, “tell me what?”
“You got your rabies shot right?”
“What?”
Leaves flew in all areas as the rustling abruptly stopped, and Logan looked up and in that second a body collided with his face.
Logan was overwhelmed with the stench unwashed clothes mixed in with a sugary glaze of maple, something rugged was on top of him, small yet sharp. Nails that were claw-like dug into Logan’s arm and sharp fangs bit into his shoulder making the older man hiss, it didn’t take much effort to throw the assailant off of him.
When Logan threw the thing, it hit the tree next to Wade, and whimpered.
“Be careful!” Wade ignoring the helmet on his head bent down to creature hunched over in the dark.
Logan’s eyes adjusted as the headlights of his motorbike finally turned off and in the shadows he saw the outline of a little boy.
“Casey you okay?” Wade moved clumps of hair out of the boys face.
Casey wiped the blood from his nose, “yea I’m fine. Who’s this guy, is he bothering you Uncle Wade?”
Logan’s eyes widened, “it can’t be.”
Wade laughed, “no uh this is your other Uncle Logan” he nudged the child, “the less fun one of course.”
“Oh!” Casey jumped up, “is this my brother!”
“No.” Wade sighed with a little laugh to his voice, “this is your dad’s brother, making him your uncle like I just uh said…”
“Ohh right right, but your not my dad’s brother?”
“No, sometimes uncle is used for friends…”
“So friends kiss eachother?” Casey skewed his head as he looked at Wade curiously. Logan was too shocked to speak he just continue to stare at the bloodied nosed boy. He had blonde hair tangled and matted that hung down in a mullet, he had dirt smeared on his chin, blue eyes, and a smile with dimples that rested on his face. He only wore orange shorts nothing else.
Wade sighed, “well look at the time isn’t it your bed time? Huh bud?” Wade stood up, “so where’s Vic?”
Casey casually walked over to Logan and offered him his hand, “didn’t mean to jump ya, my dad’s at work and I wasn’t expecting any visitors, but if you’re here you might as well stay.” He nodded to the trailer ahead of them.
Logan pushed himself off the ground and looked at the boy, “sorry for hittin’ ya, wasn’t expecting you either.”
Casey nodded, “it’s okay already healed!” The boy just wiped the blood off, “see all set!”
Logan nodded him and Wade trailed behind Casey as they entered the trailer, Wade finally fiddled the helmet off and dropped it next to the door causing a loud thud.
Logan just glared at him and sighed, Wade shrugged it off, “thought I’d never get out of that.”
Casey laughed a little as he turned on the lights of the house, “welcome to my home, do what you like.” The boy wandered to the fridge to grab a mountain dew.
Wade snatched the Mountain dew right after the boy opened it, “hey!”
“Thanks for the pick me up.” Wade smiled as he sipped the sugary concoction, “so when’s Vic getting back from work?”
Casey rolled his eyes, “well” Casey got out all ten fingers and started counting them, slowly, “hmmm….” He stuck his tongue out of his fangs as he thought about it.
Logan watched the boy for a second, if he squinted he could see a young Sabertooth, without the blood or rage, it was so uncanny that it made hairs on the back of Logan’s neck stand up.
“Oh it’s been four weeks! But Dad said it was only supposed to be three….so he should be back any minute!”
Logan glared, “he left you alone here for three weeks?”
“Well, he says it’s too dangerous for me to come with him, and it’s messy I guess” Casey shrugged, “who knew killing people would be so much work? I thought you just stab and leave, but it’s more like find them, then stab them, then hide the body, and make sure to bring evidence of the murder to the person you paid a hit, that’s like” he kept his fingers out, “four things, I guess they just take long to do?”
Wade sighed, “well did he leave you with anything to eat?” he tried not to sound worried but he was already opening up the fridge, it was packed with containers, wade took a sticky note off one, ‘pre-heat oven to 360 bake for 45 minutes timer is next to cookie jar, pan hot use mitts.’
Wade smiled softly at the chicken scratch, he closed the fridge he noticed drawings that must’ve been Casey were held by alphabet word magnets, one drawing had a man in a red suit holding hands with an angry cat.
“That’s you!” Casey looked over to where Wade was looking at, “see” he pointed to the red figure, “doesn’t it look like you?”
“Yeah! It does” he rubbed the tangled hair of the boy.
Casey rubbed his hands together, “I wanted you to visit, but….Dad said you were busy?”
Wade nodded, “…uh yeah well” he bent his knees ignoring the old ache and crack to them, and held Casey’s hand, “I’m not busy anymore so I’m going to spend much more time with you!”
“Really?”
“Yeah I promise, we can go roller skating, or get pizza oh y’know there’s a great arcade in NYC I know you’ll love, we can do all those things.”
“Mm with dad too right?”
Wade nodded, “of course, just you shouldn’t wait for him alone, I’ll stay with ya okay?”
Casey smiled, “like a sleepover?”
“Yeah!”
Casey then pointed to Logan, “your gonna sleepover, right?”
Logan nodded, “yeah I’ll stay awhile.”
Casey’s smile went to his eyes, “dad’s gonna be so excited when he get’s back! His two favorite people.”
Logan gave a huff of laughter, “yeah…”
Wade smirked, “I am his favorite, after you of course.” He tickled Casey’s stomach until the boy was giggling in his arms.
Casey was laughing as he nuzzled his head into Wades shoulder he even squealed.
Wade picked him up, “wow you’re getting heavy! Almost all grown up huh?”
Casey nodded, “I’m gonna be as tall as my dad and strong too! Y’know I saw him fight a wolf once!”
“Really?” Wade started carrying Casey to his bedroom, “why don’t we get you to bed and you can tell me all about it?”
“Nooo I want to show Uncle Logan around and give him a tour.”
Wade yawned, “we’re both tired, why don’t you just show Logan your room?”
Casey nodded his head with his head tucked in between Wade’s shoulder, he looked at Logan as Wade was walking by with him.
“My room’s really really clean!”
“It is?” Logan raised an eyebrow at the child as they entered his room adjacent to the small living room.
Casey’s room had a twin bed in the corner, stuffed animals were sprawled around on the ground, and he had some posters and stray crayon marks on the walls, but other than that the room was spacious and put together. Casey tapped Wade’s shoulder to be put down, “see isn’t it clean Uncle Wade? I made sure, my Dad get’s mad if it isn’t he says, “I don’t wanna be trippin’ on everything pick something up.” So I did! All in time to see him!”
Wade nodded, “yeah he’s gonna be proud, and don’t you wanna be all rested to see him?” Wade was trying to push the boy to the bed, but Casey kept wondering in his room and picking up object to bring to Logan. The first was a ripped up crocodile stuffed animal, “my dad got me this at a circus we went to, they made a crocodile stand up! They’re so freaky have you seen them?”
Logan looked at the ripped up animal, “did you…chew on this?”
“Yea it has a few rips, but it’s my favorite, wanna know what I named him?”
“What?”
“Chompers!” Casey smiled, “chompers got chomped though” the boy shook his head, “that’s why you gotta have thick skin, so you don’t get bit.”
Then Casey pulled out a few drawings, “this one is when Daddy took me to the zoo” the picture was Casey holding hands with a giant cat looking thing and all the animals had sad faces, “they’re sad because their in cages, they were sooo sad it made me cry” Casey then showed another drawing of him crying with the animals, “see!”
“Yes I uh see…”
“So then” Casey grabbed another drawing, “Dad released the lions and everyone ran!”
“Wow” Logan nodded, “that’s uh very interesting” Wade nodded along, “I see I see”
“Yeah and we got to pet the lions, they were nice to us!” Casey shrugged and whispered, “just not to everyone, but hey you win some you loose some.”
Wade helped put some of the drawings away next to the loose crayons on the floor, “your very good at art, maybe tomorrow you can make us some drawings.”
“I can make some right now!” Casey was about to get some blank papers from his closet, when Wade picked him up, “I think it’s bed time, huh? Tomorrow we will color with you, but me and-” Wade faked yawned, “Logan are tired, we should head to bed.”
Casey sighed, “oh okay…” he let Wade put him down gently on the bed and tuck him under his covers, “did you want me to leave the night light on?”
Casey looked at the moon night light that was unplugged next to the outlet, “..yes…”
Wade leaned down and kissed Casey’s forehead as he went over and plugged the nightlight in.
Logan looked around the room, and he sensed a sharp pain, the boy was cupping his cheek, “what’s wrong kid?” Logan wandered to the side of the bed.
Casey sniffled, “my teeth hurt” he whined, “can you go get my frozen toy from the fridge it helps my fangs, there growing in.”
“Oh uh sure” Logan went outside the room, and wandered to the kitchen. He looked past the kept up living room with a futon and T.V a couple magazines were sprawled on the coffee table, the kitchen had a few dishes, drawing were hung on the fridge. It looked like a home. If he breathed in deeply he could smell his brother, vaguely, it was pine with hints of whiskey something strong. It made the hairs on Logan’s back stand up, from all the times of interacting with Victor it ended in bloodshed, but now that he had a son sitting in the other room, young and innocent it was an odd thing. It was odd that Victor changed things about him, but in a way Logan wondered, if he ever really knew him. Logan opened the fridge and grabbed out a frozen chew toy, usually given to toddlers, he inspected the blue frozen ring.
Victor cared for something, and Logan was beside himself as he walked back to Casey’s bedroom and handed him the frozen ring.
“Thanks!” The boy grabbed it and immediately started gnawing on it, “dad says these will help.”
Logan nodded as he turned off the lamp beside the bed, “you all set?’
“Yes” Casey smiled, “you’ll be here in the morning right?” He looked at the two of them with worried eyes.
Wade nodded, “yup we’re not going anywhere.”
Casey’s smile brightened as the boy squirmed under the covers, “goodnight, I love you!”
Wade leaned down and kissed him on the head, “love you too.”
They were about to walk out when the boy whined, “Uncle Logan didn’t kiss me goodnight!”
Logan stopped at the door frame and sighed he walked back to Casey’s bed and kissed him on his forehead, “there ya go bub.”
Casey giggled, “your face is scratchy.”
“Mmm” Logan nodded at the child as he moved the blankets up to Casey’s neck, “get some sleep.”
He walked out and turned off the light and silently closed the door.
“Aww he wanted you to kiss him, Uncle Logan.” Wade commented in an obnoxious voice
Logan rolled his eyes, and sighed at the floor. He never missed Sabertooth, but in this moment he wished things were different, like they could be brothers. If they didn’t rip eachother apart maybe Logan would’ve known about the boy in the forest, in a way the child tugged at something in his heart, a distant memory like he could hear Victor’s voice in his ear, but decades younger yelling his name. “James.” The voice was young and it sounded like Casey, but more grit and deeper, if he looked behind him Logan might’ve seen a ghost.
“Logan.”
The man looked in front of him to see Wade eying him from the kitchen, “do you want some?”
Logan gave one sniff and knew it was a stash of weed, he grunted, “can’t hurt I guess…”
Wade nodded and started rolling, “got a light?”
Logan shoved his hand in his leather pocket of his coat pulling out the steel one he used for cigars, “catch” he threw it in Wades direction and he caught it.
Wade sealed the blunt with the little fire then, lit the end.
Logan walked over to him in the kitchen and leaned against one of the counters waiting for Wade to pass it.
“So how long has he had the kid for?”
Wade exhaled, “like three years…”
“Mmm y’know who’s the mother?”
Wade shrugged as he past the joint, “didn’t ask.”
“Mmm” Logan inhaled and waited letting the smoke exhale from his nose, he looked at the fridge with all the pictures and eyed a note with numbers on it, Wade’s phone number was written down in chicken scratch, ‘emergencies only.’
“So uh” Logan passed the joint to Wade, “you with Sabertooth?” How’s uh that goin?”
Wade looked at the ground, “fine.” His voice was monotone, as he looked at the empty bedroom to his left.
Logan knew he should’ve stopped at that, but something made him curious itching at the back of his mind to know more, “So…is he like sane now?”
Wade smiled and huffed, “fuck no, hahahaha” he hugged his stomach curled over laughing, “that’s the stupidest shit I ever fucking heard from you.”
Logan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
Wade smiled, “c’mon were we ever really sane” he inhaled the smoke, and inhaled a bit of air, holding it all in he looked up to the ceiling to think. When he finally exhaled he said, “who could be after that shit show we survived, fucking HYDRA, fuck em.”
Logan listened to how Wade’s voice wasn’t in his normal happy tone, and when he took the next turn he rested his hand on Wade’s shoulder, “I guess it’s good we’re changing, at least it’s something.”
Wade looked out the window into the darkness of the night, “yea it’s something.”
Logan looked at the home Sabertooth built, the smoke in the kitchen light just catching right. It was weird like someone took his brother and erased a few strokes of his anger, resentment, and greed. Just a few strokes past and it became this, relatively okay. Not the best, but better than they were. Logan always imagined he’d always be that dick that chase him down and beat the shit out of him. If he thought about it, it had been a few years since they tumbled against eachother with that rage. The unfair kind. The one placed in you by someone else and your just clawing to get it out. Doing anything for it. Logan thought it would stay in them like a disease, and even though he could beat any kind of sickness he’d figure this out of everything would overtake him. One day he’d wake up as an animal and finally forget everything he was. But if Sabertooth could change, if that blood thirsty beast can step away from his own greed to actually love someone, then Logan never should’ve feared the anger to begin with. He was gonna be alright.
Wade looked at Logan, “are you done with that depressing narrative?”
Logan looked past the smoke, “what?”
Wade just rolled his eyes, “oh never mind” he leaned in and hugged Logan, “goodnight” he then kissed his cheek.”
Logan pushed him away, to be greeted with Wades fucked up smile, and his annoying loud laughter, “hahahaha, should’ve seen your fucking face.”
Logan wiped his cheek, “goodnight.” He listened to Wade go into the room and Logan drifted to the couch still smoking, he turned the lights off and all he could see was the end of the joint glow up when he inhaled.
Laying down he smelled his brother all around him it made the hairs on his body stand, he wondered if he ever felt safe with him, but at some point he figured he might’ve. Like when they were kids and the image of Victor leaning down and pulling him up from those rocks. Maybe at some point they were like brothers and for a moment just a moment, Logan imagined feeling happy in that. Happy in a way that felt natural, like being at the Mansion and all the kids bothering him, being bothered made him just a bit happy. It meant he wasn’t alone anymore. He was glad that Victor wasn’t alone anymore, and he was happy for him just for a moment. A moment.