Chương 31: Chapter 30: And So It Begins!

Five months later.

Inside the Howlett Estate.

Inside a bed, a rather sickly kid could currently be seen warmly wrapped by some covers, propping their head up with a pillow. A lantern that had its candle lit flickered on and off near the side of the kid's bedside drawer. The kid appeared to be a boy who had just turned twelve years old.

"You take care now, Master James.", A girl with a heavy english accent said after taking a moment to wipe the boy's forehead with a handkerchief. It became damp, signaling the boy was sweating. His skin was pale too.

"Cough cough...", The boy tried to respond to thank the girl's kind gesture. She was a recently hired maid of the Howlett Estate and was dressed in a white apron that hid away a victorian-style dress. She had grown more splendid in these five months, and was now actively caring for the sickly boy before her.

Unfortunately, the firstborn the maid was originally assigned to had passed away from a tragic accident. She was soon assigned to this boy instead, who was the second son of the Howlett Estate, James Howlett.

Rose slightly bowed as she bid farewell to the boy, and politely said goodbye to the second figure sitting in a chair nearby. This second figure was another boy, and appeared to be a couple years older than the sickly boy. He currently had a knife in his hands, carving away at a stick.

Closing the door, Rose left the two boys to their own devices. Taking a moment in silence as he cut away at his stick some more, the boy looked up at the sickly boy, who proceeded to cough a second time.

"You're always sick.", The boy scoffed, not liking the present state of the sickly boy.

"And so were you when you were my age.", The sickly boy retorted. The two boys appeared to be brothers.

Not too long after Rose left, the two boys heard the door open again, only to have a middle aged man step in. He wore a sleeveless leather vest around his torso, and hid his arms away with a long white shirt. He wore black plants hoisted by a belt. His face was neatly trimmed, and his brown hair parted off to the side.

"Good evening, Sir.", The boy greeted the man, hiding his knife behind his back.

"Mmm. Good evening, Victor.", The man replied. "I didn't realize you were still with James.", The man continued.

"I'm just keeping him company, Sir.", The boy responded, keeping his tone polite. "Is that alright?", The boy named Victor asked.

"That's very kind of you.", The man replied, revealing a gentle smile. He took to the bedside, and sat down next to the boy still in the bed. Patting his face with the backside of his hand, the man looked at the sickly boy with worry in his eyes. "Are you feeling any better, son?", The man asked.

"It's still cold, Father.", The boy replied, feeling chilly.

"Oh it's just a mild fever. You'll feel all better in the morning, James. Did Rose wipe away your sweat?", The man continued to ask.

"She did. She's a very nice maid you hired, Father. Resting has been the most comfortable.", James answered with a firm nod.

"Very good. It would seem someone is due for a raise.", The man replied, happy over his son's improving condition.

"And that's what you say each time, right Father? Have you actually raised any of the maids' wages you currently have employed here?", James tried to ask.

"Haha, oh leave that to me and focus on recovering, alright James? You always pull through. You're a tough one.", The man gently said, showing determination in his eyes.

"Yes.", James weakly nodded in confirmation.

"Have you been taking your medication Rose set aside for you--?", The man tried to ask.

All of a sudden, the three heard faint yelling of anger coming from further inside the estate, which immediately drew the man's attention. The boys were also drawn to the angry voice coming from beyond the door.

"Elizabeth!", A voice of an angry man shouted, faint. "Elizabeth!", The angry man shouted again, this time his voice clearer.

"Your father's drunk again.", The man said in a serious tone, looking at the other boy standing up from the chair he previously sat on. "You should help him home, Victor.", The man said, looking at the boy with a serious look.

"It isn't my name he's calling for, Sir.", The boy said.

As if it dawned on him, a serious gaze appeared in the man's eyes. He immediately stood up from the bedside, and rushed toward the door, swinging it open. James's eyes became surprised, which prompted him to lean forward.

"Father!", James tried to interject.

"Stay where you are, James.", The man said, motioning his hand at James to make him stay in his bed. He proceeded to step out of the door. Seeing the man rush out of the room, Victor followed him as James tried to call for him again. Victor closed the door, leaving behind a panicked James.

As to who Victor was, he was the dirty boy Rose initially came across when she was due to meet Master John, the man who was currently caring after the sickly boy. The very same boy who received the nickname "Dog" by the trio of friends. During these five months, his appearance has changed greatly, becoming a prim and proper young boy. The estate has definitely been looking after him in secret, despite him being the son of the groundskeeper, Thomas Logan.

Further down in the estate's reception room, a couple figures were currently engaged in a rage of fit as the man came rushing down the stairway.

"I thought I never told you to come back here!", Master John angrily yelled further down as Victor approached the stairs. He saw a scruffy man with a very angry look in his eyes carrying a shotgun near the entrance. He grabbed a hold of a lady in a white dress by the arm, trying to drag her somewhere. The man came running down in an attempt to stop him.

The man who was currently grabbing the lady by the arm didn't hesitate, and cocked his shotgun at Master John.

"Father, no--!", Victor tried to interrupt the scruffy-haired man, but he gripped his gun on the trigger, aiming at Master John. Bang!

A loud echo streaked across the estate, disturbing the maids and butlers that were going about their cleaning. Even Rose was nearby and terror spread across her eyes as she saw the groundskeeper shoot Master John right in the chest.

"Ahhh!", The lady currently being grabbed by Thomas shrieked in terror. Master John's eyes started flashing right before his very eyes as his knees took to the floor. He found his strength rapidly depleting.

It wasn't shown to anyone currently inside the estate, but observing from a distance atop a nearby hill, a pair of jade-green eyes could be seen observing the ongoing situation. He saw a huge damage number appear over Master John's head. His health depleted in one go, surprising the figure that was observing them.

Back inside the estate further on the upper floors, James opened the door to his bedroom and rushed out. He saw a dazed Victor looking at his father. The barrel still had smoke escaping out of it as the fresh smell of blood and steel started to stink in the main reception room.

"Father!", James tried to yell out, drawing Thomas's attention. He ran down the stairway, and reached Master John's side. Ignoring the blood that was starting to seep into the wood, James gently lifted Master John's body up. His hands were shaking in disbelief of the sight before him. Even some of the blood got onto his hands.

"J-James...", Master John tried to speak up. He had enough strength to grasp onto James's robe, but his remaining energy left his body, and his arm slumped downward. James saw the life in his supposed father's eyes fade. He had passed away.

James became stunned seeing Master John no longer responsive. A series of emotions struck against his mind. Sadness, angst, anger, agony. Hate.

Yes, hate. Hate started to invade his mind as it consumed all of the other emotions James felt.

In a fit of rage, hate began to surge in his entire body. As if it reacted to him while James roared out in anger, his body began to change. Around his two small hands, three sharp bones began to poke outward.

"Ahh!", James yelled out in both sadness and anger. His anger was directed toward the man who shot the bullet. Thomas's eyes became weird, not expecting this new appearance of James. Before he could do anything though, he saw James rushing at the man, pointing his bone-like claws directly at him. Shinkkkk!

Blood splattered onto James's face. Thomas felt a searing pain strike against his chest, only to see James pierce his body with these strange claws. He tried to shoot back at James, but Elizabeth found a free hand, and pushed the shotgun aside, missing its target.

James pushed Thomas against the nearest door. More blood spilled out of his body. Victor watched on as adrenaline coursed through his body seeing this scene play out before him. The pair of jade-green eyes observing from a distance didn't interfere, it continued watching from afar atop a hill nearby.

Thomas felt his strength rapidly depleting as he continued to lose more blood. He had enough energy remaining that allowed him to say one more sentence to James as anger swept his body.

"He...wasn't your real...father...", Thomas weakly said, before his body slumped over, still clinging onto his bone-like claws.

James was stunned hearing that, and his body started to shake, only to turn back toward the dead body further inside the house, who used to be Master John.

This was the start of the tragedy that birthed Wolverine, and Miles was able to make it in time to watch the scene play out before his eyes shortly after waking up from his completed evolution. He was no longer a fox kit, but an adolescent gray fox now. He was now roughly three times larger than he used to be.