UNKNOWN GUEST

#99 Caged Animal

The animal took a few more menacing steps toward me, his broad figure almost blocking out the dim light coming from the corridor. I was trapped, pressed against the cold metal bars of the cell with no more room to retreat.

His eyes were hard, piercing, and filled with anger. Then, with a sudden movement, he lunged, extending his adamantium claws, aiming straight for my face.

Instinctively, I dropped low, sweeping under his legs. His momentum carried him forward, his face slamming against the metal bars with a loud, metallic clang.

He grunted, shaking his head to steady himself. The growl that followed sent a chill down my spine. He turned back toward me, fury radiating from every inch of his frame.

How was I supposed to fight this man—this animal—with unbreakable claws and a healing factor that made him nearly invincible? My mind raced, but I had to act fast. I forced myself to gather my courage and blurted out, "Logan, calm down. I'm not a threat to you."

He scoffed, a bitter, guttural laugh. "A threat? To me?" His lips curled into a snarl.

Before I could say anything else, he was on me again, claws swinging violently. I managed to dodge, backing away with every swipe, his adamantium claws slicing the air inches from my skin.

Each move was faster than the last, and I barely kept pace. The cell was small, and I could feel the cold metal wall pressing against my back. Nowhere left to run.

I dodged another savage swing, ducking just in time, but Logan's claws slammed into the wall behind me. His claws were stuck, and I had a brief window of opportunity.

Without thinking, I spun around, grabbing his head and slamming it repeatedly against the metal wall. The impacts rang out loudly, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. He was Wolverine—his healing factor made him nearly impossible to hurt, much less stop. No matter how hard I fought, I couldn't outlast his strength or endurance.

Logan growled again, yanking his claws free from the wall. He turned, swinging wildly. I moved to dodge, but I wasn't fast enough. The tip of one claw caught my chin, slicing the skin open. I yelped in pain, staggering back and holding my bleeding chin. Logan paused, watching me carefully, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I took a deep breath, realizing I had no choice but to reason with him. "Listen," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I don't know how you ended up here, but they kidnapped me too. They threw me into this cell with you. You could kill me in a minute if you wanted, but the Avengers will come after you."

That caught his attention. His claws hovered mid-air, and his growling subsided slightly as he glared at me. "Avengers?" he repeated.

I nodded, seizing the moment of clarity. "Yeah, the Avengers. I work with them." I wiped the blood from my chin and swallowed hard, trying to ease the tension. "You know Tony Stark, right?"

Logan's hands lowered slightly, and he let out a faint grunt. "I've heard about Captain America."

Thank god. I could feel my heart rate slowly begin to calm, though the danger hadn't completely passed. At least now he wasn't actively trying to rip me apart.

"We're on the same side, Logan. I don't want to fight you."

We sat in the suffocating darkness of the cell, the metallic scent of rust and saltwater hanging in the air. Both Logan and I breathed heavily, the exhaustion from our earlier skirmish still lingering.

Logan leaned his head back against the wall, letting out a weary sigh. "We don't have anything to patch you up," he muttered, his gravelly voice echoing through the tight space.