They pulled up at a slightly rundown building on the outskirts of Whitecourt at eight thirty. The stop off Marie had asked to make along the way had delayed them by four hours, after she discovered a hiking trail that led to a waterfall, and begged to go see it. It meant there was no time for Logan to find a motel to leave her in for the night, like he had done in Drayton, but it was worth it for the fresh air and to watch her enjoying herself. She had honest to god laughed, and spent the entire hike looking the most relaxed and happy he had ever seen her.
Thankfully, for tonight, he knew the owner of this stop and counted on that to get her into the bar, and to have an additional set of eyes on her for the night.
"Alright darlin, you stick close to me, you sit where I tell you, you stay where I tell you, and you don't go anywhere alone, got it?" he asked, pinning her with a serious look.
Marie grinned. "Sure Logan, you know I have been in places like this before, and I've got a pretty damn impressive party trick at my disposal too."
"I don't want you in a position to have to use your mutation, mine's easy enough to hide or disguise, it's a little hard to explain away people randomly passing out around you, also, I like the guy who runs this place and would like to keep being allowed in, which means my tag-along can't go around dropping his clientele," Logan replied.
"Fair enough," Marie answered with a laugh.
She pulled her new coat on as Logan exited the truck, and he was standing a few feet off waiting for her by the time she got her door locked. He immediately reached for her hand and pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her and resting his hand on her opposite hip as he walked them in. After a few unsure steps, Marie wrapped her own arm around his waist to steady herself as they walked.
"Relax darlin," Logan commented, as he pushed the door open and began to lead her through the dim, crowded interior.
They reached the bar, at which point Logan lifted her up and deposited her on a stool before claiming the one next her. Marie watched as the man behind the counter eyed the pair from where he was handing out drinks at the other end of the bar, once he was done, he made his way toward them.
"Wolverine," he greeted, as he set down a beer in front of him, "And what'll it be for the little lady?"
"She can have one beer, then no alcohol for the rest of the night," Logan replied.
"I don't know Logan, serving minors might just get me in a bit of trouble," the bar keep responded.
"So might hosting illegal cage fights, Jack, but that never stopped you before," Logan smirked as he cut back. "Do me a favour will you," he continued, "I'll be putting her up front near the cage where I can keep an eye on her but if any trouble starts can you get her out of the way until I can get to her?"
"Course we can," Jack nodded, as he set down a beer in front of Marie, along with a glass of water, his attention then shifted to something behind them.
Marie noted Logan's attention shift too, as he appeared to be listening to something. A moment later a heavily made up but barely dressed redhead sidled up, pushing her way in between Logan and Marie.
"Hey handsome, you want some company?" she asked, obviously trying to sound sexy.
Logan noted Marie lift one eyebrow while trying to smother her grin as she took a sip of her drink. "I've got company sweetheart, try your luck elsewhere."
"Seriously," the redhead commented scornfully, giving Marie a once over. "Your little piece of ass even old enough to fuck?"
"In most of the world," he answered, without missing a beat, "We just avoid the few ass backward places she's not." The redhead gave a disgusted snort and stomped away like a petulant child.
"Sorry about that kid," Logan directed to Marie, noting her blush even though she was also trying not to laugh.
"That woman gets more desperate every day," Jack commented, clearly amused himself.
Before anyone could speak further a tall brunette, fully clothed Marie noted, carrying a clip board approached them. "We putting you in the cage tonight Wolverine or are you just spectating?" she asked, pen already making its way to her notes.
"Have I ever just watched, Alice?" Logan asked, shooting her an incredulous look.
"Well no," she replied, "But you've never come in with a friend before either. Hi hun, my name's Alice, I'm Jack's daughter, I'll be looking out for you tonight while this guy's occupied, you need anything you let me know alright?" Alice addressed Marie directly, with a friendly smile.
"Will do," Marie smiled back; Alice was nice.
Turning back to Logan, Alice told him he'd be going in at ten and again at two, they had too many signed up for him to go in more than that tonight but he would be in for the final fight – unless by some miracle someone actually managed to put him down. Marie giggled into her drink at the almost disappointed look Logan shot Alice, who just ignored him and walked off back into the growing crowd.
Logan ordered two more beers and 'something non-alcoholic' for Marie, which turned out be ginger beer, and led the way to a table along the back wall, only a couple of meters from the crude chain-link cage that occupied most of the back corner of the room.
"So, do you fight for the money, or just for fun?" Marie asked, watching Logan as he watched as the first fighters started beating on each other. He appeared to be watching their technique, and by the look he was giving he was finding them seriously lacking in challenge.
"Money is a necessary evil but fighting is definitely fun," Logan replied, "So a bit of both I guess but mostly the fun." He indicated back to the cage as he swallowed a swig of his beer, "The blond will go down in about twenty seconds."
Marie turned to the cage as Logan began counting, just loud enough for her to hear, he got to eighteen when the bald opponent swung a wide left hook catching the blond by surprise and sending him to the floor. "How did you..." she started to asked.
Logan winked at her. "You’ve got to read your opponent, that hit could have been blocked if the kid had seen him setting it up, never underestimate the advantage that you can get from taking a step back in a fight, of course, me, I just tend to go for brute strength, save strategy for a worthy opponent not one of these wannabe's," he muttered.
Marie laughed; she hadn't seen Logan fight yet but he sure was talking himself up enough to make it sound like a very enjoyable spectacle. 'And here I am thinking people beating each other up is fun,' she suddenly thought to herself, maybe the cold was finally getting to her because she never would have thought that before. Not back when she was a good little southern girl who went to church on Sundays and had never been a night without a home cooked meal. Though really, look what that life had gotten her, maybe she was just toughening up.
Logan spent the next hour talking her through the other fighters’ techniques, signature moves, and holes in both their defensive and offensive manoeuvres, before his name was called. Standing up he shed the two flannel shirts and the white t-shirt he was wearing, leaving them in a pile on his chair, along with his previously shed jackets, before he walked into the cage. Unlike the other fighters, Marie noted, Logan didn't bother with any of the pointless posturing or flexing, he just moved over to his corner and leaned against the wall until the challenger arrived.
As it turned out Logan hadn't been exaggerating about his skill, he looked almost bored as he went through the motions of letting his first opponent dance around a bit, getting in a few good swings, while Logan literally stalked him, waiting for a clean opening, then striking out hard and fast. The poor guy dropped with a resounding thump. Despite the crowds cheering Logan just rolled his shoulders and returned to his corner, glaring at everyone until the next challenger entered.
When he returned to their table shortly after eleven, having wiped the floor with three challengers there were two beers and a whiskey waiting for him. Nodding his thanks to Alice, he slipped his t-shirt back on and downed the whiskey, before taking his seat again.
"So, what did you think of my technique kid?" he asked with a grin.
"First two rounds were pretty flawless," Marie commented, "But with that third guy you kept leaving big openings for him to take hits, you already knew that though because you were doing it on purpose," she finished, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him.
His grin got bigger as he downed half a beer. "You're a natural kid! You're right, I did it on purpose, partly because I wanted to see if you were paying attention but mainly to lull the crowd and future challengers into feeling like I was tiring, makes the bets run against you, which means more money at the end of the night."
"I'm curious," Marie queried after a while, as she absently watched the next fight. "Why did you pick the name 'Wolverine'?" Logan went quiet for a minute, and Marie began to wonder if she'd asked the wrong question.
"It's from when I got the metal," he eventually answered, "I don't know what it means, or meant, or how I got it but it's stamped on the tag I woke up wearing, so I used it. Figured worst case scenario the people who did it to me might hear about me and come looking, at least then I might have been able to get some answers about what happened but so far I haven't had any issues. Besides, as fighting names go it's not bad, wolverines are tough critters, good fighters, with a bad attitude, it fit."
"I don't know," Marie commented with a cheeky grin, "I've seen pictures of little skunk bears, they're too cute for you to do them justice."
"Just don't go trying to pet them if you ever come across one," he replied with a chuckle, "They'll eat you as soon as look at you if they're in a bad enough mood," he added with a growl. They teased each other for a while longer before turning their attention back to the current crop of fighters.
By the end of the night Marie was exhausted, barely awake as Logan returned to their table and re-dressed. She smiled at Alice, around a yawn, as the young woman approached with Logan's winnings. Marie wasn't at all surprised that he just shoved the money straight in his pocket, without even looking at it, before he pulled her to her feet and led her out of the bar.
"Come on, let’s find a place to sleep," Logan commented, picking her up to put her in the truck not trusting her legs to get her in there after she had already stumbled, twice, just walking across the carpark. "You tired or something darlin?" he asked sarcastically, as he started the truck, noting her trying not to nod off.
"Yep," she mumbled, stretching in an effort to wake herself up a bit more, "Must have been that long walk today." She yawned again.
Pulling into the first motel he spotted Logan parked in front of the office. "Wait here, I'll get you a bed." By the time he got back with a key in hand, she was asleep.
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