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Rated M for Mature
Appropriate for readers 18 and over. May contain extreme violence, sexual themes, nudity, or profanity.
Note- This series takes place after the events of Marvel Genesis: Wolverine, Chapter 80- The Winter Soldier, Part 10.
Marvel Genesis: Winter Wolverine, Chapter 16- Inferno
Location- Boarding House, Switzerland
Year- 1935 A.D.
Young Lucas Dietrich have always been fascinated with the world of the occult. In fact, he never dreamed of becoming one when his teacher, Eugene Strange had taught him throughout the years of his experience. And that Lucas was found of him. But Eugene's son, Vincent Strange didn't like the idea of his father and his best friend, toying around with the forces of nature. His father who used to be a doctor, had lost his medical practice when he made a mistake in the heart operation. It became a scandal since then. But he found a different path, one that science couldn't cure the patients of their diseases and other medical issues.
Lucas was half-German and half-Russian. His parents were strongly Catholic in a sense that they wouldn't allow their own child to choose something they didn't like. Lucas didn't mind where he came from, or what religious order that he had to follow in his footsteps. He had already chosen something, which was quite dark and unholy. He looked up at Vincent, who seemed to lost concentration in his medical studies.
"Something wrong, Vincent?" Lucas said to him, after closing his occult book.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just..." Vincent stopped and looked at his friend, seriously. "What's going on between you and father?"
"We were just working together, Vincent," Lucas replied. "You have a problem with that?"
"No... I really don't mind about it. But... Those books... Mother tells me he shouldn't be doing those kind of stuff."
"But your mother isn't religious. Isn't she?"
Vincent sighed. "She doesn't have to be religious to say something like that. Look... Just you know that the occult is something you shouldn't play around with."
"What do you know?"
Vincent couldn't say anything about that. He sighed again and said, "Okay... You're right. I don't know anything about magic. But I do think it's folly."
"Folly?"
"Yes, folly." Vincent went back to his studies. Just recently, he had been accepted by a med school by his sheer brilliance of human anatomy. Despite being only 17 years old, he had five years ahead of him of becoming a surgeon someday, just like his father. Mother was proud of him. And for that, Vincent became excited about it.
"I think you're jealous," Lucas said.
Vincent looked away from his books, and said, "Why would I be jealous?"
"Because your father doesn't pay much attention to you. Am I right?"
Vincent didn't say anything.
"Listen, Vincent... It's my choice. I do what I want. I thought you would support me. But... I was wrong.
"I wanted to support you, Lucas. Trust me. I've always been your friend. You shouldn't have quit the med school. You're too smart for..." He paused and thought of the word, "occult."
"That's fine, Vincent," Lucas said. "I'm just not cut out for that kind of stuff. That's why I quit. Anyways..." He was about to leave their room, when Vincent stopped him.
"Just... be careful of what you're doing. Okay?"
"You don't have to worry about me, Vincent. I know what I'm doing."
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Belasco looked at the map of several countries, which had been marked by General Strucker himself. For years now, he wanted to become more powerful than the Red Skull. Now, he finally had his wish come true. No one could tell him what to do anymore. Ever since his parents found out, what he was doing as a young student, they both shunned him.
No matter, Belasco thought. Lucas is no more. I am only Belasco. I will crush the enemies who stand in my way. He just learned that both Captain America and Bucky Barnes have successfully saved Italy from the German forces. Not to mention, the HYDRA super-soldiers who were sent by the Red Skull.
Belasco called out his soldier, and said, "How many tanks do we have here?"
"Um..." The soldier tried to look away from his grotesque appearance.
"Well? Answer me."
"Um, sir... We have quite a number of tanks. About... ten, at least."
"I see. Well then, gather your troops and kill Captain America and his damn partner, Bucky Barnes. We don't want them to spoil our plan. Do we?"
"But sir... If the Red Skull find out about this... What would he think? Surely, he..."
"You're a fool," Belasco interrupted him. "I have powers than any human could imagine. Do you think I would follow Red Skull's orders? Not a chance."
"He would sent his HYDRA soldiers to stop you, sir."
"In that case, I'll kill them. Now... gather your troops and kill those b@$t@rd$. I have a job to do."
The soldier wanted to ask what his new leader was going to do next, but he was afraid. Even more afraid than the Red Skull himself. He left Belasco to his own devices, and thought, I must contact the Red Skull.
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"Ivan?" Sam Petrovitch called out to him. "IVAN!"
There was still no reply. Ivan Romanoff was dead. Vasily didn't know what else to say about the current situation. They just stopped somewhere in the middle of the road, while the snowstorm kept brewing outside. No one said anything. There was only silence.
He lost a lot of blood, Vasily thought. Amazing... Those HYDRA soldiers... They are unstoppable.
Sam felt like crying at his old friend and leader. He thought, What the hell am I going to tell Natasha? Dear God... I... No! He cried.
"Listen, Sam..." Vasily said. "We will leave him here, and let his daughter know that...'
"Are you mad?!" Sam said, looking at the communications officer. "He was our friend. He needs a proper burial."
"Yes, I know. But it is snowing outside, Sam. We cannot take our dear friend's body, and let it rot for a while. I am sure Ivan would want that."
Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought, This man...
"Listen to me, Sam. We are still at war. We have to survive and only then, we can still be heroes. I have a plan set in motion."
"You have a plan? What is that?"
"I have friends in the Russian government who can provide with such help in need of the future. But for now, we must get out of here. Just leave him alone."
"I... I don't know if I can do that. Natasha will not be happy."
"I am sure she won't. But we are at war, Sam. We do not have time for proper burials." Sam sighed and then helped Vasily put the Russian leader in the snow. Then Vasily started the engine.
"You are making a big mistake," Sam said.
"I know," Vasily said. "Forgive me." Then he drove the jeep.
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Max Eisenhardt found himself in the Auschwitz concentration camp, again. He wished that his nightmare would end. He kept screaming in his mind, in order to get out of it. He even cried for help. There were German soldiers in the background, looking at him, and then laughing...
"No..." Max said. "Please... Don't hurt me."
A man who wore a white coat, looked at him. It was a private cell where Max was forced to eat a little bit of food. A couple of rats scurried around the dirty place, looking for its pieces.
"How are you, my boy?" The man said. He was tasked in looking after his patients in the concentration camp.
"I'm..." Max stopped.
"You can tell me the truth," the man said. "I will not harm you. But... I find that you're very special. Yes... I've been watching you, when they brought you here. I guess I could say that I was truly happy to meet you."
"Who... Who are you?"
"My name is Dr. Robert Windsor. You can call me Bob for short."
"O... Okay."
"Now then... I saw what you did back there, while you were disposing one of the gas victims. Yes, it's a tough job, even for a kid like you. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your... secret."
"What... What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. Don't you remember?"
Max tried to understand, what the doctor said to him. Then, he remembered something that happened a few days ago. He got tired of dropping the gas victims into the pit, when a soldier came out, yelling at him. Then he got pushed down into the ground, breaking his neck. Nobody knew what really happened. But the other prisoners pointed out towards Max as the true culprit. And for that, Max was...
"No..." Max said. "I did not kill him, if that's what you are asking of me."
"Don't lie to me," Bob said. "There was also an eye-witness to your account of killing the soldier. He was also a prisoner. Yes, I was there when General Strucker interviewed him."
Max didn't say anything.
"Listen, Max," Bob said. "I will protect you, if you do something for me. Understand?"
"Um... yes."
"Good. Now then... Here's what I want you to do."
Max woke up from the bed, and noticed that it was daytime already. The snowstorm seemed to be stopped, but the nightmare didn't end there. He remembered clearly what happened to him, and what he did to those poor patients back at the camp. He was forced to kill them, so that Bob would take out their blood samples secretly. The Germans didn't really know what was going on. Not even General Strucker himself.
"Hey kid..." Logan said, as he came from the washroom on the other side. "You okay?"
"Yes..." Max replied slowly. "I'm fine." He even looked at Natasha, who had woken up from a long sleep. She felt satisfied.
"Okay, kids," Logan said. "We gotta go."
"For the last time, Mister Logan," Natasha said. "I am not a kid."
"Sorry..." Logan said. "It's my habit again. What can I say?"
"Your name's Logan?" Max said.
"Yep. That's me alright. Forgot to tell ya the name yesterday. But who cares?"
Max looked at him, dumbfounded.
"Hi, Max," Natasha said. "I am..."
"I know who you are," Max said. "Logan told me."
"Oh..."
"Anyways," Logan said. "We gotta keep going. We don't know these... people will allow us to stay here any much longer. Besides, the snowstorm died down. Now's our chance."
Both Max and Natasha agreed with the wild mutant. They ate some breakfast, which was made by the innkeeper's wife. Then they left the inn.
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I could not believe it. Illyana Rasputin was here? It must be her soul, who came here to save me from those f***kin' demons. Not to mention, she was naked.
"Yes, I do remember you," I said. "What are ya doin' here? Shouldn't ya be in heaven by now?"
"I am not in heaven," Illyana said. "I am trapped here."
"Oh..."
"Listen, Logan," Illyana said. "I have realized that you did not intend to kill me. If that was not the case, I wouldn't forgive you."
"I see."
"Yes. Believe me. I have tried to reason myself, why you killed me. But... I have found out it wasn't just you. You are different, Logan. Where do you come from?"
I did not have the time to explain these things to her. Besides, those demons will be comin' after me. So, I said, "Listen, Illyana. We do not have much time. Those demons..."
"I know. Any bad person is been brought here, gets tortured by those demons. I have seen you, killing them. You do not give up."
Yes, tell me about it. I do not give up that easily. After all, I have been a wild mutant in whole my entire life. Now that I am here, these demons will not give up, tearin' me apart. It was the worst punishment that I could endure.
"Come, Logan," Illyana said. "We must go."
"Where are we goin'?" I wanted to laugh at the thought of it.
"There is a way to escape from this hellish dimension. I know the place."
"Are ya serious?"
"Trust me, Logan. Ever since you killed me, I was trapped here for quite a long time. I have found things. Come... We must hurry."
I looked back and noticed the horde of demons were comin' our way. Illyana said again to follow me. I did, knowin' that there has to be a way to get outta this hellhole. No pun intended.
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Back in Russia, the X-Men looked at the dead body of Logan. Scott Summers couldn't believe it. Even Hank McCoy felt silent about it. As for the Russian mutant who just killed the Soviet version of Logan, he didn't have anything else to say, but to think of what he had just done. He felt guilty.
"I am sorry, Scott," Piotr said. "It is my fault."
"Don't say that," Scott said. "It wasn't you. It was..." He stopped and was confused. "What the hell? Where is it?"
"What are you talking about?" Hank said.
"Where's that black sword?" Scott asked again. Piotr just realized it was gone. "I... I do not know. It was right here in my hand."
"This doesn't make any sense," Hank said, scratching his head. "What does this mean?"
"How the hell should I know?" Scott said. "We need an expert on this stuff. We need..." He stopped when a portal just came out of nowhere. Two figures appeared in front of the X-Men.
"Hello, there," Dr. Strange said. "I hope you are all well."
"Strange?" Hank said. "What in the devil's name are you doing here?"
"I'm here to help you," Strange replied. Wong was also there with him.
"Yeah..." Scott said. "You came here at the wrong time."
"I'm sorry to hear that Piotr killed the other version of Logan. He's in hell now. So, we must be prepared to protect his physical body."
"But..." Hank said. "He's dead."
"Not quite," Strange said. "He may have the healing factor, but the Soulsword is preventing him from coming back."
"Soulsword?" Scott said. Then he turned towards the Russian mutant.
Piotr said, "He is right, Scott. That sword killed him. And I was possessed by it. As you said before, it was not me who killed him."
"Jesus Christ!" One young mutant said. His name was Steve Camden, also known as Borrower.
"Yes," Strange said. "I'm afraid we will have to take Logan with us to the Sanctum Sanctorum."
"The Sanct... what?" A Chinese mutant said. His name was Mark Lee, also known as Dragon.
"The Sanctum Sanctorum," Strange repeated. "It's not important how you pronounce it."
"What about the sword?" Hank said. "Where could it be?"
"I believe it was sent back to its rightful owner."
"Who would that be?" An Indian mutant said. Her name was Ronnie Mithra, also known as Laser.
"Belasco," Strange replied to her.
There was a moment of silence. Then Steve said, "Um... Who's Belasco?"
"I will explain later," Strange said. "For now, we must leave this place before the demons arrive."
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Steve said. "Hold on a second there. Demons?"
"Yes," Strange said. "A portal from Limbo, has already opened to this world. The demons are arriving. Don't worry. I have contacted Pete Wisdom about the problem. He will send his Excalibur team to handle the situation. In the meantime, we have to get out of here."
"Um... Okay."
"Come," Strange said. "We must hurry." He cast a spell that raised Logan's body in the air, and then dragged him slowly towards the portal.
"Um..." Ronnie said. "Scott... What should we do?"
Scott sighed. "Just follow him."
To be continued in Marvel Genesis: Winter Wolverine, Chapter 17- High Stakes.
Great! Ivan Romanoff is dead. Now what? What will happen to both Vasily and Sam? And what is this plan that Vasily mentioned about? You may find out later. Next, Logan meets the spirit of his own target, Illyana Rasputin, and the only way to get out of Limbo, is to follow her to the "place" that she recently found. Will Logan escape from this hellish dimension? Find out in the next chapter of Winter Wolverine. I do hope I get outta here. SNIKT!
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