Its the year 3477. A great war between the races has taken place, our side is losing. They fear what they dont understand, and by they I mean humans, just regular humans. Homo Sapiens. And us Homo Superior, or as they call us: Mutants.

     My name is Matt Sherbel. Most people call me Logan, after an ancestor of mine, but some still call me by my real name. My code name is Tiger Claw. I am one of the few survivors of the Human/Mutant War. Any surviving mutants have moved underground to regroup. The regular humans on the surface are hunting us down. We used to think that only mutants could stop other mutants, but a new technology has proved to be deadly or at most incredibly dangerous to mutants. We call it a Freak Killer, but it is really a laser that tracks the DNA patterns with the one gene that makes us mutants. Its like a heat-seeking laser, except that it tracks our X gene. We are in grave danger, and there is little hope, but we still have our gifts and we must use them to not only save our lives but the future for mutants as well.

     I sat alone in my room far below the surface. Another wonderful day without the sun, I thought. It had been weeks since I had left the underground tunnels. Im kinda missing the sun right about now. But if I do go out, I take a risk of being killed. Since Im an asset in battle, it is best that I stay safe.

     I'm what youd call a born warrior. Black belt in judo, karate, Japanese sword fighting, whatever. Ive studied the martial arts and caught on quickly. Just as I had learned how to use my mutant powers quickly. Those powers being high regenerative properties, incredibly fast reflexes, and foot and a half long claws made of solid adamantianite, the strongest metal known to man.

     Like my ancestor Logan, codenamed Wolverine, my bones have a metal bonded with them. Although his bones had adamantium (the strongest metal of his time) grafted onto them, my bones are a literal compound of bone and adamantianite. Meaning that they are completely metal with everything that is in a regular bone running through them and are virtually unbreakable (like the adamantium was.) 

That is the reason they call me Tiger Claw.

I was in deep thought when someone started knocking on my door.

" Whadda ya want?" I asked gruffly for being disturbed.

" Its just me," came a womans voice from behind the door.

"Ok, hold on a sec."

I got up and went to the door to unlock it. When I opened the door, it was who I expected, Rachel Summers; Codename: Telefox, for her ability to teleport to anywhere with just a thought. Actually, the real reason we call her that is because her first teleporting experience was into a foxs den.

"You ready?" she asked.

" Lemme just get my jacket," I replied.

Every day we take a walk around the tunnels together. Today we were going to take a different route than usual. The only reason was because it was a recently explored tunnel, and it provided a view to the outside world through a storm drain. As we left the all too familiar living-area tunnel, we came across a friend and teammate of ours who was blasting out new tunnels for living space.

Using his power to transfer explosive kinetic energy to anything he wants, Chris Morris a.k.a. Blackjack, created a shallow cave using small rocks to explode on impact.

"Hey Jack, hows it coming?" I asked, hoping that I wouldnt have to share my room when new mutants arrived in our tunnels.

"Its coming along. Another day or so and we should be ready to move people in," he replied, "so, where are you two going?"

"Were going on our daily walk through the tunnels," said Rachel.

"Well, have fun," answered Chris.

We left Chris to his work and began walking towards Sector Gamma, the newly excavated tunnel. Rachel and I were about to reach the tunnel when I spotted my cousin Micah.

Micah Jasuta is younger than me, but his mutant powers are just as deadly. Dubbed Zero-G, his powers effect the amount of gravity exerted on a person. In other words, he could make people float away or crush them under extreme gravity.

"Come on Matt, I know hes your cousin but can we not stop and talk to everyone?" asked Rachel.

"We arent stopping and talking to everyone."

"But you know I like to keep a tight schedule."

"Ok, ok. Fine, we wont stop and talk to him."

We avoided Micah, but I wasnt happy about it. Then my mood began to get better once Rachel and I started talking.

"So, did you hear that the group of mutants arriving tomorrow has destroyed twenty armories containing Freak Killers?" she said.

"No, I havent, but it wouldnt surprise me since their leader is the infamous Chameleon." I replied.

Chameleon a.k.a. Damon Evans, is the leader of a mutant team called M-1. Their group is responsible for producing such mutants as Wingblade and Cordovan, two powerful mutants. Chameleon, himself, is on his way to becoming that strong. His powers are adaptability. He can automatically adapt to any situation. For example, if he is trapped underwater he can grow gills to help him breathe or if he falls out of a jet fighter, he can grow wings or if he is being shot at he can adapt his body so that it can withstand bullets. Kinda makes me wish that were my power.

"So, how far away is the drain?" I asked, hoping to get some fresh air and a glimpse of sunlight.

"Not far, in fact look th-"

I looked up and saw her lying on the ground.

"What?"

As I approached her, a bright flash of light came out of no where. And I felt a strong current of electricity flow through me.

I tried to release my claws but the electric current was too strong.

This tunnel was supposed to be safe, I thought, as everything went black.

Ch. 3

When I came to, my vision was very blurry. A million direct volts to the head and of course my vision would be a little fuzzy.

Slowly, my vision began to return. I tried looking around, but my head was strapped in place. Then I tried just turning my eyes and saw Rachel lying on a table and strapped down, just like me, only she was still unconscious. I guess my regenerative capabilities started healing my body immediately, but then again I had no idea how long Id been out.

" Fox. Hey Fox!" I whispered trying to wake her up but not draw any attention to myself. She didnt move.

"Rachel get up. Get. Up."

Slowly she came around and woke up. Like me, she complained about her temporary loss of vision.

"Where are we?" she finally asked.

"I dont know," I answered, "but Im going to find out."

I used my strength to try and break the restraints. They didnt give. I guess my healing power wasnt finished yet.

"It looks like you havent completely recovered yet," said Rachel, " let me try teleporting out of the straps."

She tried to teleport, but nothing happened.

"I just dont get it, even if Im tired or recovering, I should still be able to teleport."

"I guess this messes up your whole schedule," I said.

"Shut up," she replied.

Suddenly, we heard echoing footsteps approaching from outside the room. They stopped when they reached the door to the room Rachel and I were in. Which looked like a store closet with heavy machinery. In fact, it looked a lot like one of our medical rooms. Sure enough, when the door opened, there stood Dr. Mike Langelo, one of the few regular humans on our side.

"Oh, good, youre awake." he said, " Sorry for the shock, but we were testing security measures and I didnt know you were going down that tunnel."

"So, why are we strapped down, and why cant we escape from them?" I asked.

"Thats very simple," said the doctor, " the electric field we generated temporarily turned off your powers, so to speak."

"And the restraints?" asked Rachel.

"Those are two fold. One, they are because you were both experiencing seizures due to the electricity when you first arrived. Two, well we know how Matt acts when hes angry, and we didnt want to be attacked, its just another safety measure, I assure you."

"Then let us out of here."

"Okay."

Dr. Langelo undid our restraints, and we were able to leave after a complete checkup and the restoration of our mutant abilities.

"After all that, I dont think I want to take another walk for a while," said Rachel.

"Or if we do, make sure that the path is clearly marked with a High Voltage sign," I said.

That got a laugh out of her.

"Well, Id better go," she said, "that shock really messed up my day." She looked at her com-watch, " Im three hours behind schedule, I still have to help set up for M-1s arrival, and"

"You and your schedule." I said, "Go, you dont want to be late. Hurry youre already behind schedule," I continued sarcastically.

"Youre so mean," she said.

" I try."

"Well, see you."

And with that she teleported to who knows where, and I was left to myself to do whatever I wanted. Since I didnt have any plans, maybe, Ill go talk to Micah, I thought.

I wandered the tunnels looking for my cousin. Wondering why we had so many tunnels to wander through. And then answering myself, knowing that most of it was for living space.

Finally, I found Micah working with Chris, using his power to crush excess rocks and stone.

"Hey, Micah. Hey, Chris," I said as I approached them.

" Hey. How was your walk?" said Chris clearing away more of the nearly formed tunnel.

"Shocking," I replied.

"Why, what happened?" asked Micah.

"Oh, it seems security is being enhanced in uninhabited, but excavated tunnels."

"With what?" asked Chris.

"Electric force fields."

"Ouch." replied Micah.

"You got that right, just be glad that this tunnel is going to be inhabited."

"Well, the tunnels formed, now we need to carve out the rooms. Mind helping, Logan?" asked Chris.

"Not at all," I said, unleashing my foot and a half long adamantianite claws. "And you might want to have the doors ready to put on, cause, this wont take long."

I immediately started carving out the rooms. My claws slid through the stone like a knife through butter. And it didnt take long before the rooms were carved out, and with a little decoration. I etched my initials on a stone in each of the rooms I carved out; signifying that it was my handy work.

"There, now all we need are doors. I though I told you to get them ready," I said.

"Sorry, Matt," said Micah, "but Shifter is no where to be found and we have no other mutants with the power to turn this debris into wood doors.

"You should have thought of that before." I replied, "Now we have a pile of dirt and rubble and no place to put it 'til Shifter returns."

"Looking for me?" came a voice from the tunnel entrance.

"Jenna, thank goodness youre here. I think Matt was about to rip my head off," said Micah.

"Was not," I said.

"Chill guys, I'm here now. And I hear you need some doors."

With that Jenna Morgan, a.k.a. Shifter, transformed our leftover stone debris into strong wooden doors. Her power to change any object or person, including herself, into any object, as long as it is bigger than a puppy and smaller than an elephant.

With doors complete and hinges ready, we put up the doors in about as long a time as it took for me to carve the rooms, no time at all.

"Finally the tunnel is done." said Chris with a sigh of relief.

"We can begin moving M-1 in tomorrow. Logan, maybe you should go and tell them we're ready." said Jenna.

"Okay, but remember to set a place for me for dinner. Cause I'll be back before you know it."

"Will do," said Micah, "And be careful, we still need you to help us survive this war."

"Don't remind me. But dont worry about it. I'm safe as long as I can heal myself and my claws still work."

"Well, you might need some speed too. Just in case theyre sweeping for mutants out there," said Chris.

"I'll be careful. See ya."

I left the newly constructed tunnel and headed for our secret door to the outside, because thats where I'd have to go to inform M-1. The team had been hiding in a small closed off sewer pipe across town and thats where I'd have to go to tell them that we were ready for them.

If I survived this, our team would be stronger. If I didn't, then mutants will have a slim chance of making it to the year 3500. I'd better make it through this. After all, I'm only delivering a message.