In the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, Logan stands in front of a statue of Captain America. He thinks to himself that he shouldn’t’ve stopped fighting. Looking at the encryption on the statue, it reads “Soldier, symbol and savior. Everybody handles death differently. He usually gets over it but then, he can. Some people handle it by cryin’ and carryin’ on at the funeral… throwin’ themselves at the casket. He’s seen enough dead bodies in his time, he doesn’t go to funerals. His opinion – the wake is the way to go. It’s more civilized.
As he begins to drink straight from a bottle, he thinks that it probably ain’t a great idea sittin’ in the Smithsonian getting drunk, his current situation bein’ what it is. But, like a wise man once said, “What’s so great about ideas, anyway?” Yep, that was Steve, the “Sentinel of Liberty.” The “Symbol of Freedom.” Hell, he remembers the first time he saw him that getup – back when he first met him. What was it he said? Oh yeah…
(Madripoor, 1941)
Logan met up with Captain America and Ivan Petrovitch after fighting off members of the Hand. He told him that he likes his suit; it’s just the thing for playin’ it sly an’ sneaky. Cap told him that he’s supposed to be a symbol. Logan replies that he never met one o’ those before. He then invites them to get a drink.
Logan remembers that Cap was pretty green back then, but he had it where it counted. He kept his eyes on the prize an’ he wasn’t prone to bein’ reckless. But most importantly, he knew when to keep his mouth shut. In other words, Cap was everything he wasn’t an’ vice-versa. He did the things Cap wouldn’t or couldn’t do. They were a perfect fit.
At Seraph’s bar, Logan is carrying three drinks when he bumps into Baron Von Strucker on purpose. At the table, Steve Rogers says to Logan that he bumped into those Germans on purpose. Logan says yes and that he bumped into him on purpose too. The best way to kick off any kind o’ long-term relationship is to tell the truth. An’ that’s what he did… kinda. He told ‘im that his stake in all this was keepin’ the Hand in check. Madripoor was his turf an’ he didn’t want anybody rockin’ the boat. That was the truth. What he didn’t tell him was the whole truth – at least as he knew it then. He’d learned from Seraph that whoever he an’ Seraph eventually answered to had a long-standin’ agreement with the Hand. An’ agreement that, evidently, wasn’t agreeable no more.
So, the Hand was lookin’ elsewhere for an ally an’ they’d found the perfect candidate in Baron Von Strucker, the Reich’s go-to hatchet man. Strucker was just the kinda enterprisin’ psychopath the Hand wanted – all he had to do was prove his loyalty an’ the deal was done. Question was, how was Strucker gonna do that? It was Petrovitch who put the final piece in place with a sledgehammer when he told him that Natalia Romanova was kidnapped. The same Natalia Romanova that he trained, the little girl that he “killed” so that he could save her life. He didn’t know who anybody could’a found her – hell, he didn’t know how anybody’d know to even look – but one thing was damn sure. He aimed to find out. He then told Steve and Ivan that they should go get ‘er immediately and without delay.
In short time, Logan takes to the streets of Madripoor and stands directly in front of the Nazi driven car that is holding Natalia hostage. To the complete surprise of the driver, Logan leaps through the window and kills him with a chop to the throat. Natalia recognizes him instantly and Logan tells her to go limp. Just then, the car careens out of control and slams into a pole. When it does, the other Nazi passenger leaps out of the car. Looking out the car window, Logan sees Ivan and Cap taking out more Nazis and informs Natalia that the calvary’s there. Natalia asks Logan what he is doing there. Logan grabs her arm and tells her that he’s saving her – again.
Natalia rips her arm away and asks him if it’s like he “saved” her last time. Logan asks her what she… Natalia begins to cry and asks him, if she’s not a Romanova, what is she? Logan tells her that she could be anything she wants. Just then, a Nazi soldier blasts the window out of the car. Logan covers Natalia and tells her to get down. Natalia informs him that she wants this and proceeds to shoot him in the stomach. Once she does, Ivan Petrovitch shoots and kills the Nazi soldier. When he helps Natalia from the car, she drops the gun and tells Ivan that he told her to be brave.
(present)
Logan remembers that he told her a lot o’ things. He just wishes she’d listened. Looking at the statue, he says that somethin’ he always wanted to ask Steve was if he wasn’t Captain America, who would he have been. Steve, Natalia, he never could wrap his mind around havin’ a choice like that. He came out of the box like this – never had a choice. Even when he had no idea who he was, he was still a crazy sumbitch.
(past)
After being shot by Natalia, Logan heads back to Seraph’s bar and goes to grab a sword from the wall. Seraph asks him what he is… Logan cuts her off and tells her that Natalia – the girl – he knows her. She’s one of them. Seraph matter-of-factly tells him that of course she is. Logan asks that she knew? Seraph informs him that she knew she was an operative under order. She didn’t know that he had a past with her. Logan angrily asks Seraph what Natalia’s orders are.
Seraph tells him that it is to kill the Jonin, the supreme leader of the Hand. Logan discovered at that time that the whole truth was the Hand wasn’t in the market for a new ally – they were. Seraph tells him that the Jonin hasn’t exposed himself in years – this was all a ruse to draw him out. Logan tells Seraph that Natalia can’t kill him. Seraph assures him that she can. As he said himself, she’s one of them. Logan points to the bullet wound in his chest and tells Seraph that she can’t because she’s unarmed. Seraph gets a worried look on her face and Logan tells her to stay there. He doesn’t want her involved in this.
In the temple of the Hand, Ivan and Captain America are being held hostage. The Jonin provides Natalia with the sacred sword and tells her to finish the job. Logan had no doubt that Natalia could’a pulled it off, pistol or no pistol she’d have found a way to get the job done. But there’s a promise, a secret promise that he never tells ‘em about. One that he makes to all his friends – Natalia, the X-Men, all of ‘em. If somebody’s gotta get bloody, he makes sure it’s him. ‘Course when everybody’s gotta get bloody, he usually just lets it happen.
Before Natalia can deliver the killing blow, Logan jumps into action and when he swings his sword, it breaks Natalia’s sword in half and kills the Jonin instantly. After cutting free, Ivan and Captain America, all three of them jump into action and start taking out members of the Hand and Nazis. Into the fight, Logan tells Ivan, Natalia, and Cap to get down. At that moment, a car backs through the wall of the temple and Seraph exits. Logan thinks that sometimes it’s real disheartenin’ when people he cares for don’t take his advice. Sometimes it’s great. Seraph proceeds to open up fire on the Hand and Nazis allowing all of them to get into the car safely.
Once in the car, Cap informs Seraph that their assailants are right behind them. He asks where they are going. Seraph tells him the airport. A plane is waiting for him. Thinking back, Logan is pretty sure that impressed Cap that the canucklehead had came up with a full-on escape plan. Thing is, he hadn’t. The plane was for Natalia’s extraction. It wasn’t his plan at all but it worked the same. At that moment he knew he had Cap – hook, line, an’ sinker.
At the airport, Logan informs Cap that in about five minutes the strip is going to turn into a war zone and that they better get movin’. Cap tells Ivan and Natalia to get on the plane. He turns to Logan and tells him that they work together and that it would be a shame to break up such a good team. Logan shakes his hand and tells him that he appreciates that but he works better alone. He don’t need a sidekick. Cap tells him that actually he was… never mind. Getting on the plane, Cap tells Logan that maybe they will meet again. Logan says to himself that anything’s possible.
Later, at Seraph’s bar, Seraph says to Logan that went well. Logan says yeah, but it is unconvincing. Seraph tells him that it went very well. He has the American’s confidence. Logan says so what. It wasn’t hard – he was a chump. Seraph indicates to him that others are not so sure which is why he’s going to Germany to find out. Seraph tells him that he will exploit the American’s confidence to get close to him and find out if he can be “turned.” Failing that, find out if the experiment that produced him can be replicated. Failing that… Logan remembers &?%$ it Steve, it was supposed to be him that killed Captain America.
