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The Savage Lands. Like lookin' at a fifty million year old picture. To be in the Lands should feel like home to someone like Logan, a man that ran with wolves in the thick of the woods and the deep of the snow, and to whom hunting and killing prey came naturally. But something about the land, when you set foot on the ground, felt the soil in your hands, felt unnatural. Corrupted. It was more than likely to do with all the tampering with the native denizens done by people who wanted to create unnatural weapons for their own gains. He knew something about that. Something about that...

Wolverine sat beside the student in the cockpit of the Blackbird. He was one of the seniors volunteering for 'advanced training'. Meaning, if he played his cards right, he was getting a big, fat 'X' slapped on his chest someday. Today's lesson? Advanced piloting maneuvers. Logan, though, had another objective. Word reached his ears that the Savage Land had come under united rule for the first time. A monarchy, no less. He wanted to make sure they still had a friend in the Lands, make sure Ka-Zar hadn't become a casualty of war. "Headmaster Logan? We're coming up on the coordinates you gave me." The student informed. "I can see, kid." He got up out of his chair, pulling the hood of his yellow-and-black uniform over his head. "Exam's over. Ya did good, boy." The student's eyes lit up, "You really think so?" Logan walked to the back of the Blackbird, slamming his fist against the button on the wall, and the ramp began lowering. "Yeah. We'll call it a B." The student looked disappointed. "I... Yes, sir." Logan walked to the edge of the ramp and shouted back to him, "Take 'er home." He allowed himself to fall forward, going for a nosedive towards the large lake below. "HEADMASTER LOGAN?!"

He emerged from the lake dripping wet, cracking his neck and having a stretch with a sigh. He shook his head rapidly like a dog coming out from the rain, moving forward. Suddenly, he caught a strong scent, or a collection of scents. He leaned into a tree, staying out of sight. He poked his head around the corner, spotting a great hunting party a short distance away. What appeared to be the leader of the hunting party was examining some tracks. He followed the tracks with his eyes, seeing that they lead to--

Suddenly, he heard the beast they were hunting snorting and scooting its hoof. Across the lake he spied the massive megaboar, beginning its charge through the water with his husks cutting through the air and eyes trained on Logan. "Ah, hell..." He turned to face it as it charged. A devilish grin crept across his mouth, his elongated canines glaring. "You wanna play, do ya?" He shifted into a combat stance, his claws sliding from betwixt his knuckles as fresh blood trickled down them. "Let's play..."

He charged forward, leaping through the air, and with one swift motion, he slashed open the beast's side as he spun overhead, landing in the water and submerging himself. The beast let out a great cry as it fell to the ground, sliding in the dirt and the mud until it had skidded to a stop. The Wolverine emerged from the water slowly and silently, turning to see the beast breathing its dying breaths. He waded through the water, making his way to the beast and kneeling beside it. He felt the beast's side, petting it slowly. His animal empathy made him understand the suffering the beast felt, as well as the dissipating rage. He popped his claws one last time, releasing the animal from pain. He slid his hand over its eyes to close them.

Shortly before Lupa had arrived behind him, Wolverine began the ritual of releasing the spirit of the megaboar. Something he learned during his time with the Blackfoot Tribes... With Silver Fox... He drove his claws into its chest, carving out the heart of the beast to free his wild spirit from this world and into the next. Suddenly, he heard the clearing of the Savage Land's new Queen's throat, though he'd sniffed her out, heard her footsteps, long before.

He placed the heart on the megaboar's side, listening to her. He sensed the changes in her heartbeat, her breathing. He didn't have to answer her questions. When he heard her speak his name... one of his names... he rose to his feet and turned to face her. "You seem to know an awful lot about me, lady. How about you tell me--" He spied the tags hanging from her neck. Weapon X. Codename Huntress... His expression grew serious and his eyes narrowed. What implications did this hold? If he kept her going, maybe she'd answer his questions for him. "I'm here 'fer a friend o' mine. What about you... Huntress?" He glared.

Wolverine smirked at the orders she stated with such finality. He understood a ruler mentality, though. For someone that seemed to know who he was and what he was capable of, however, she was certainly testing him, barking demands at him. "Don't suppose the phrase big blonde guy runnin' around in a loin cloth narrows it down for ya? Seems to be a lot of that 'round these parts." He looked over her shoulder at the legion of hunters armed with spears and obsidian knives. Lotta good that would do them. Not that he intended on doin' harm to anyone, but the thought always crossed his mind when he was met with hostility: The hundreds of ways he could dismember someone if they made a go at him.

"His name's Ka-Zar."

Logan's posture slacked. He looked down for a moment, remembering his fallen friend. Vine-swingin' b*****d had to pick a fight he couldn't win... All he ever set out to do was to keep the Savage Lands free and her people safe. No good deed goes unpunished, and the law of the jungle is death. Shanna didn't deserve it either. Damn sure didn't. He sighed and cursed under his breath, returning his gaze to the Queen's. "Convenient that the one b*****d that wouldn't stand 'fer a Queen of his land ends up dead." He paced in a half-circle fashion around her, keeping his eyes trained on her.

He could smell two things in the air: Fear and determination. The determination came from the hunters to do whatever they had to to protect their Queen. If she had them duped, then they certainly were duped well. They were going to put wooden spears, obsidian knives, staffs, tree branches, sharpened tusks--whatever they could get their hands on through him to protect her. The fear, he wasn't sure if that was them... or her.

He didn't care. He was upset, angry, looking for someone to blame and someone to gut. She was looking better for both by the second. "Nice speech. It ranks up there with the best... But words are cheap. All they cost is breath in the lungs...!" He couldn't tell whether she was lying or not. So many heartbeats at such different paces. They all blended together. It probably wouldn't matter anyway.

He lunged towards her, his claws extended.

Hmph. She's a smarter fighter than she looks. But then again, you don't get to be Queen of the Savage Land without being twice as savage. Savage, he had plenty of that. But she had an advantage or two: She was faster, smaller-framed. It would be easier for her to outmaneuver him than to outfight him. He had to take away her advantage. "Got adamantium in my ears." He growled, running towards her. The lake was to her left, his right, and they were very close to it. Everyone's slow when they're thigh-deep in water.

He jumped a few yards away from her, and as he came down, he sent a kick towards her right side, hoping to send her into the water so her speed wouldn't matter much in the fight.

Logan dropped down to what looked like a crouch with his hunched back. She knew what she was doing and she knew how to do it well, but he was better. The best. Just a shame all they knew how to do was kill. He leapt forward, his claws pointed directly for her like a pissed off, 300 pound Canadian bullet. Wonder if she heals. Let's find out.