Wolverine circled around the area, careful to keep downwind of his quarry. He approached the prey with caution, he could smell the mix of dog and human as the stench flooded his nostrils. He caught a glimpse of the beast in front of him. It crouched on its hind legs and watched the house. Its front paws held up its massive chest and a second set of limbs protruded from the sides of the chest, but these limbs were humanoid. The face of the beast was a mix of dog and human, almost like a Pug dog but its fang protruded more pronounced than the average canine.

It continued to pant and stare at the house. Wolverine wondered briefly if this was a mutant or a product of a scientific experiment gone bad. He shook the thought as soon as it crossed his mind. It did not matter either way to Wolverine. The creature had no business being here and Wolverine aimed to correct that situation as of now.

A small snarl and he leapt from his hiding spot toward his victim. The beast had just enough time to turn and look as Wolverine's claws and body crashed down on it.

The Dogz howled in pain as Wolverine's claws dug deep into its' flesh. The animal twisted, managed to grab Wolverine around the waist and threw him to the ground. The two combatants warily circled each other before they rushed forward, each tried to slash the other.

The Dogz managed to bite into Wolverine's shoulder as they came together in a frenzy of battle. Wolverine growled and gutted the Dogz in the stomach. The Dogz whimpered but refused to lessen his grip. He clawed at Wolverine's back with his paws, his human hands squeezed Wolverine around his waist and he bit down harder into Wolverine's shoulder.

As stubborn as the Dogz was in their death grip battle, Wolverine was worse. He arched his back in pain, but refused to give his hold. He shoved his claws deeper into the Dogz' abdomen and with his other set of claws, he shoved them into the Dogz neck as it tried to nip through Wolverine's throat.

After several moments of grappling, Wolverine felt the Dogz' body start to slack. His own body was beginning to relax from the lose of blood, if it was not for his healing factor, he would have passed out sooner. He could smell the beast dying and feel it's heart rate starting to slow. It was suffering. With a twist of his wrist, Wolverine ended the creature's life, quickly and without anymore pain. Wolverine released the beast and let it fall to the ground. He paused long enough to catch his breath before heading back to the house.

Professor Xavier had locked onto Wolverine's mind when the X-Man was stalking the creature. Professor Xavier reached out to touch the creature's mind but could find nothing. He watched through Wolverine's mind and saw the beast but it was invulnerable to his telepathy. He removed himself from Wolverine's mind and made contact with the little girl, Kitku.

He quietly entered into her mind while she slept. "Kitku."

She stirred slightly and mumbled in her sleep.

"Kitku, wake up, my dear."

She tossed the covers off of her and mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, later."

"Kitku." Professor thought in a much more harsh tone.

"I'm up!" Kitku sat straight up in bed. Nugent was scratching at the bedroom door and barking. Jasmine was in the shower and someone was yelling at her in her head. She flopped back down on the bed and sighed. "So, which one are you?"

"You need not speak allowed, child. I am Professor Charles Xavier." He informed her and materialized a projection of himself within her mind.

"Oh, you're the one Wolverine calls Chu...Never mind." Her own mental image of herself cringed slightly at the displeased look on Professor Xavier's face.

"Yes, I am, however, I would appreciate you calling me Professor Xavier or just Professor."

"Sir, is the word I would have picked."

"Yes, well," Professor said as he regained his composure. "You and your friend need to get out of the house as soon as possible. There is an intruder…."

He never got to finish, as Kitku jumped out of bed, turned into her armored form and ran into the bathroom. She flung the curtain back much to Jasmine and Professor's dismay, exposing a very wet and very naked Jasmine.

"Oh, dear," Professor said as he averted his mental image's eyes from Jasmine who was in direct line of Kitku's vision.

"Come on, we have to go," Kit informed Jasmine and handed her a towel.

"What the hell…." she started to protest as she dried herself off.

"And hurry up, you're embarrassing the bald guy." Kitku turned and left the bathroom.

"Bald guy? What bald guy?" Jasmine looked around the bathroom. "Kid's popped a gasket."

Kim paused outside the house and silently ordered the men to converge on the home. He boldly approached the front door and was greeted by Nugent's growling muzzle. Kim stood still and stared at the dog. Kitku came running down the stairs followed by a confused and damp Jasmine.

"What the hell..." Jasmine started and stopped as soon as she saw Kim. "Whoa, buddy, so who the blazes are you? And what on Christ's green earth do you think you're doing here?"

She reached out and yanked Kitku behind her.

Kitku's eyes widened as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs and came face to face with one of her nightmares. While Kim and Kitku stared at each other, Kim began to smile and Kitku began to shake.

Kitku felt herself being pulled behind Jasmine. She tried to tear her eyes from his but she was too terrified. His black eyes danced with anticipation and held her firmly with in their hypnotic stare.

"I'm not asking you again, buster, who the hell are you?" Jasmine demanded.

"I am Kim and I am here for the girl."

Jasmine's jaw dropped slightly before she regained her composure. "What are you smoking, buddy?"

"Step away from the child, miss and you will not be harmed." Kim's eyes never left Kitku's stare. His smile broadened ever so slightly as he continued his banter with Jasmine. "I suggest you step aside, you have no idea with whom you are dealing with, but you do, don't you, Kitku?"

Involuntarily, Kitku nodded.

"I don't care if you are the Devil himself, I'm not letting you have this child."

"That is a pity," Kim finally turned his attention to Jasmine, "I had hoped we could do this quietly and with out violence."

"Honey, I don't do anything quietly," Jasmine assured him with her hands on her hips in a defiant pose.

Kim sighed, his face a mask of weariness at the task that laid before him. "You waste your life needlessly, woman."

With a flick of his wrist, several small darts flew at Jasmine's heart and face. Kim froze. It was Jasmine's turn to smile.

As the darts flew at her, she stopped them in midair and turned them towards Kim. The small, metal darts hung between the two adversaries.

"What's the matter, buddy? Did this woman just ruin your day or what? So sorry, Clyde, but I told you, I don't do anything quiet."

Nugent turned and barked at something behind Jasmine. Jasmine flipped the darts over her shoulder toward the man who had entered from the back door. He fell to the ground convulsing.

"Bummer," Jasmine smirked. "By the way, some people call me Metallica. Sorry, can't wait for the finale."

She gathered Nugent and Kitku into a magnetic bubble and pushed through the roof of her house. Chunks of the ceiling fell on the gathering opponents below her. It would not kill them, but it would at least buy Jasmine some time for her to regroup and find Wolverine.

Professor Xavier opened his eyes. "Damn."

Nightcrawler turned in his chair and gawked at Professor Xavier. "Pardon, Herr Professor?"

"I said, Damn, Nightcrawler. As much as I despise crudities, it fit this particular moment." He turned his attention to Cyclops. "We need to get there as quickly as possible. They are in danger."

"ETA is about twenty minutes or so, Professor," Cyclops said, his face set in a determined line.

"Very good, Cyclops." Professor closed his eyes again and tried to reconnect with Kitku or Wolverine.

Wolverine made his way to the house, he could smell the men. The scent was familiar, the one from the soup kitchen in New York. He stopped and listened to Nugent's protests to the intruders in the house. Wolverine was about to break his cover and rush the house when he saw the roof of the cabin burst apart and Jasmine rise above with Kitku and Nugent in tow.

Wolverine never heard him approach but he had smelled him. Wolverine spun on his heel and crouched, claws out, and faced the bearer of the scent.

He was a well built, Chinese male, with long black hair and the blackest eyes Wolverine had ever seen. But it was not the color that bothered Wolverine, it was the endless depth of blackness and hatred that reflected in this man's eyes. His scent was that of a bringer of death, a hunter, a destroyer. Wolverine locked his own eyes to the man before him and snarled deep in his throat as a warning.

Kim dug himself out from under the roof and made his way outside. He scanned the area for the offending female and spotted her hovering in the open yard. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she smirked at Kim as she cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, you did survive. I'm glad. I hope we're not done playing yet." Her lip curled up in a sneer, "I'm just getting warmed up."

"Far from it, my dear woman, far from it." Kim glared at her from under his eyebrows and smiled mockingly at her. A burst of smoke and Kim was suddenly behind them. A strange energy formed knives in his hands and he held them with a practiced ease.

"Transform into your armor, Kit," Jasmine said over her shoulder, "We're in for a bumpy ride."

Kitku nodded and brought up her armored form with her baseball bat. She had finally regained her self-control. Jasmine's own self-reliance had given Kitku the burst of confidence that she needed. "Okay."

"Hey," she said addressing Kim, "you never did answer my question, who in the hell are you?"

"My name is not important, only my Lord's name."

"And he is….?" Jasmine encouraged sarcastically.

"Viper," Kim and Kitku responded simultaneously.

"Viper?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "How ostentatious of him."

"Huh?" Kitku looked at Jasmine. "Ostenwhat?"

"Enough! I tire of this game," Kim snapped as he lunged forward at Jasmine and Kitku. He leapt from his standing position and threw the knives at the hovering Jasmine. They penetrated her force field.

Jasmine stopped four out of the six knives. The fifth knife, Kitku hit with her bat and returned to where Kim was standing. With movements so quick, Kim caught the knife and flipped it in his hand.

He smiled. Neither of the women had caught the sixth knife.

Jasmine yelped in pain as the knife protruded from her leg. "Son of a bitch."

Kim concentrated on the knife. The weapon began to twist in her leg as it quickly sank in deeper and deeper. Jasmine frantically tried to grab hold of the weapon with her hands and her powers but to no avail. The knife tore free out the back of Jasmine's upper thigh.

Jasmine dropped to her knees in the force shield and tried to hold on to her concentration.

Kitku formed a baseball and hit it as hard as she could at Kim. Kim effortlessly dodged the attack but not Jasmine's attack.

As he dodged from the baseball, Jasmine sent out a magnetic bolt from her hand into his chest. Kim's body hit the ground with a thud. He shook his head and tried to regain his senses.

"Tag, jerk face, you're it."

Viper stared into the man's eyes. He could see the beast raging with in this gaijin that stood before him. "Tell me, to whom do I do the honor of slaying?"

"Ain't killed no body yet, bub," the little man growled in defiance.

Viper smirked and casually continued to stare into the man's eyes. Viper was impressed, the little gaijin was not afraid. There was no fear of dying in this man nor was there a fear of combat. Perhaps, perhaps someone would be able to offer Viper the challenge he desired. He stared deeply into the gaijin's eyes and saw something else. He cared about those around him. He cared about the two women. Pity, for by now they were surely dead.

"True, I have not yet killed you, however, it is inevitable," Viper said, "so, it would honor you to tell me your name."

"Earn it."

"Pardon?"

"Earn the honor to know my name." Wolverine straightened his posture and stopped circling his opponent. He had been studying Viper as well as Viper had been studying him. Wolverine knew the man was looking for some one who could be his better and Wolverine was just the man to show him who was the best. "Why don't we settle this the easy way."

"A challenge?" Viper was intrigued. It had been years since anyone had accepted one of his challenges, let alone offer a challenge to him.

"Yep."

"To the death?"

"Yep."

"And if I win?"

"You get the kid and the woman and I'll be kickin' up the tulips."

"And if you win?"

"You'll be dead and we walk."

"Rules?"

"Last man standing."

"Agreed."

Kim twisted and rolled as Jasmine relentlessly hammered magnetic bolts down on him. Kitku joined her and threw her aluminum baseballs at him as well. Nugent barked encouragingly as the two women chased Kim through the front yard and toward the side of the house.

Suddenly their attacks ceased and in a given a moment of reprieve, Kim escaped with a explosion of smoke and appeared behind his assailants. He lowered his knives and distracted and shocked by the battle between his Lord Viper and that small man.

Viper had drawn both his Chinese swords and Wolverine had both sets of claws as weapons of death. The two men were evenly matched. Parried and counter-attacked each move the other made and dodged each kick or sweep made by the aggressor. They both leapt into the air and had hoped to cut the other on the down blow but instead, each man blocked the primary weapon with their secondary weapon. They landed and twisted their bodies to counter the back attack. Only this time, Wolverine was faster. He earned first blood on Viper.

Kim gasped as he witnessed his Lord's wound.

Viper stepped back from Wolverine and touched his wound. He brought the blood to his lips. "First cut to you, gaijin."

Wolverine grunted, his eyes never left Viper's face. The eyes usually gave away where the next strike would be coming from but this Viper was a master and Wolverine had to be careful. He got lucky and he knew it and Viper knew it, too.

"So, you gonna whine about your scratch or are we gonna get down to business?" Wolverine growled.

Viper smirked and set his swords at the ready.

Professor opened his eyes and leaned forward to Cyclops. "I do hope we are almost there, Scott."

"Yes, sir, just a few more minutes," Cyclops assured him.

"Herr Professor?" Nightcrawler inquired.

"Wolverine has engaged Viper in a combat to the death," Professor stated grimly. "A combat that I don't think he can win."

The two warriors circled warily, each waited for the other to show signs of attacking as the audience watched. Jasmine had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that if Logan lost, it was all over for Kitku and herself. She would not go down with out a fight but if Logan lost, she would not fair much better.

Kitku tightened her grip on her baseball bat and prayed to whomever would listen to her that Wolverine would win. He had to win, he was her best friend and she needed him as much as he needed her.

Kim kept his breathing as even as possible and his muscles twitched with each movement of the combatants as if imitating their moves. The gaijin was good, very good and his Lord Viper would need to keep his wits about him if he were going to beat this little gaijin.

Wolverine leapt at Viper, Viper blocked the down swing of Wolverine's but missed the side cut of Wolverine's left hand. Viper's left sword also made contact with Wolverine and Viper finally drew blood.

Wolverine jumped back, touched his wounded side and smelled the blood. Poison.

Viper smirked. "And now, little gaijin, you know why they call me Viper."

Wolverine's vision blurred momentarily, he felt himself weaken, and his knees start to buckle then his healing factor started to cure him. "Yeah, good thing I heal fast."

Viper raised an eyebrow and then beckoned Wolverine to continue the battle. "Come on, gaijin, time for you to die."

"That's original," Wolverine growled.

This time it was Viper who was the aggressor and attacked first. The two men locked weapons, shoved away from each other and attempted last moment slashing attacks. They continued to dodge and attack, miss and strike, until finally both were exhausted.

Wolverine waited until the last possible moment, he knew if he did not rest soon, he would die from the poisons that were coursing through his veins. He had to stop so his healing factor could do its job. He had thought about releasing his bestial side but realized that it may get him killed but now he had no choice.

"Uh oh," Kitku breathed. "This is not good."

She watched as Wolverine's face contorted and the growl emitted from his lips. She shivered at his transformation from a thinking fighter to an enraged animal. She watched when Wolverine struck at Viper with no finesse or thought. She grimaced as Wolverine flung himself onto Viper's sword so he could close in on his prey and deliver a killing blow to Viper's throat. She watched as he raised his hand to deliver the final blow.

Wolverine felt the blood rise to his face, he saw the red and then the black. He sensed his prey, he felt the pain that his prey managed to deliver onto him. He felt the warm blood splatter his body and he felt the steel blade dive into his belly as he pushed himself forward trying to get to Viper's throat.

In the distance, an airplane could be heard as it hovered to land. Opponents and spectators alike, ignored the vessel and those who approached the contest.

"Wolverine!" a stern voice thundered across the field of battle.

Wolverine blinked rapidly, he heard the voice in his head and felt a touch, a presence.

"X-Men don't kill," the voice said softly inside Wolverine's head.

"Not this time, Chuck," he growled at the voice as he raised his hand to finish his opponent. Out loud to his prey, he said, "Name's Logan."

Viper's eyes widened with recognition and then acceptance of his fate. He tried to speak but his throat wound was too deep and all he could do was gurgle and spit blood.

Kim turned and saw the approach of the other X-Men. "It has been a party."

He dove toward his Lord, he kicked Wolverine off of Viper and flung himself on top of Viper. "Bringing re-enforcements is against the rules, you know."

Wolverine snarled and leapt back at Kim and Viper but the two men disappeared behind a curtain of smoke. Wolverine hit the ground hard and grunted from the landing.

Kitku ran over to Wolverine's side, her bat at the ready against the fuzzy, blue guy and the man with the funny looking goggles. She thought she recognized the bald guy but he was in a wheelchair and the one she knew from her mind, could walk.

"Don't even get any closer!" she warned, her bat at the ready.

"Pardon me, Kitku, isn't it? I'm Professor Xavier and we are friends of Wolverine's," the bald man in the wheelchair assured her.

Jasmine put her hand over Kitku's bat and lowered it. "I believe him, kiddo."

Wolverine raised himself to his hands and knees, coughing and spitting up blood.

"Well, aren't you a mess --- again," Kitku chastised.

Wolverine looked up at her and smiled as she ripped her shirt tail and wiped his mouth.

"Well, Wild Thing," Jasmine chimed in, "the kid has a point and you need to rest."

"And chicken soup," Kitku added as the ladies helped him to his feet.

Wolverine grinned as he put one arm around Jasmine and the other around Kitku, turned and headed for the Blackbird. "Let's go home."