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Ultimate Mariko	By : Polymer Category: X-men Comics > Het - Male/Female Views: 1702 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men comics, or any of the characters from it. I make no money from from the writing of this story.

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Chapter 29

`"Here, what does this say t' ya, darlin?" Logan asked, picking up the binder sticking out of a tall stack nearby. He grabbed it and tugged it quickly out of the stack without upsetting it. Similar binders sat on the shelves all around them. They had moved into the records room of the Ambassador's office. Logan was amazed to see how much of their records were still kept on conventional paper.

Mariko tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear that had slipped loose from her bun. She took the file that Logan held out, and turned it right side up to look at it. Damn, Logan thought. He had forgotton yet again the Japanese books read from back to front, with the spine running along the side opposite to what he was used to.

Mariko said, "Hmm� bureau of missing persons case files� subject Clan Yashida�"

She quickly leafed through it and stopped cold. Wolverine smelled fear and shock emanating from her, and the start of held back tears. Mariko dropped into the office chair, flipping quickly through the file from front to start. "What Darlin'� all I could make out was Missing� and some other characters�"

"This is about me, and the others," she murmured. "I figured it would be on file, but this� this seems all too easy�"

"Smells like the others. So it couldn't have been taken out any later or sooner than they were. Who'd ya say took 'em out? They don't smell like Hidike or Asamo�" he mumbled. "But someone else�"

"You think the same? That someone knew I'd come looking for this information?"

"I dunno Darlin'�"

"Not many know who I really was. But this clearly states that I was presumed missing. I was never declared dead. Someone knew I was still alive. I had my suspicions. But here it says that Yashida Shingen� my uncle had gone through government channels to the US embassy, to inquire about my disappearance. And that official records showed that I was 'missing'."

"Doncha have a cover story?"

"It said that Lady Mariko Yashida was found by the national hero known as Sunfire, and was hospitalized under intensive care in an undisclosed location for rehabilitation� and then it lists my existence only last year� as having been kept in a secret location for national security�"

"Huh, good or bad? They must not know about the X men�"

"Yes� but before that, it lists that I and several members of my family were employed as scientists for the US Government. Legal work visas were given, but then it only lists myself and Shiro as having gone missing�"

"And what else?" he asked, glancing over her shoulder. "That name again� Yoshida Yukio, Oyama Yuriko, Yashida Lieu, and Harada, Kwannon�"

"The names of the other operatives," Mariko mumbled. "And here is listed a Yoshida, Michelle� but there WAS no Yoshida Michelle� but she's listed with a registry number as a student in Toronto� along with Oyama Yuriko�"

"Yuriko is Deathstrike," Wolverine mumbled with extreme distaste. "That much I know darlin'� she and I ran inta each other. She was tryin' to off me cause she says her dad invented�"

"The adamantium bonding process," Mariko said quickly. "My father, Yashida Hikaru� was working on polymers that could reinforce armor. He had some metallurgical knowledge. But I never specifically worked on Adamantium� but I have memories of the others�"

"Looks like they invented Michelle t' make ya think you were someone else�"

"Two legal records in this visa book," she pointed. "A passport was issued to Lady Mariko Yashida� and then to Michelle Yoshida in the same year� but it lists residence as Toronto, British Columbia�"

"Weapon X had a facility there," Logan mumbled. "An' this name beside yours� was this the person you were supposedly MARRIED to?"

"Yes� but it turned out to be a cover story for what happened to me. He was a Yakusa crime lord, who my uncle was trying to pay off. But it was in name only. I never met the man� I only remember him taking me to the facility, and showing me around the labs. He would drop by and check my progress, but then Creed killed him� and the next thing I knew, I belonged to him�"

"Yer legally married here� but ya never were with the guy� cute," he mumbled.

"He's listed as deceased," said Mariko. "So you're not the ONLY one who was married supposedly."

"At least ya know� if this clown's dead�"

"Yes�" she nodded.

"Darlin'� who's THIS? Who's Kiriko?"

"Who?" she asked, glancing down at where he pointed. "That's the Japanese word for daughter� but I have no children� this is a girl's name� Kami� I never�"

"M'ko� calm down� it might just be�" he urged, but then stopped himself realizing that some disturbing turn of events had gone down.

"Logan� this can't be� I don't remember� and yet�" she trailed off.

"Maybe this guy had a kid an' ya adopted it�" Logan suggested. Logan shivered with the same realization when she glanced over the legal documents. Frantically she dug through the other records here and there, to find what appeared to be a birth certificate.

"I remembered being in Canada but I also remember having been working in the labs with my father� and then they put me on another project. Last night� I had dreams of being thrown in a cage� and injected�"

"Darlin'� when Creed had his stuff put inta ya, didn't they keep ya in a cage then?"

"No� this was different. I was screaming in pain. I heard� a baby crying� and I could swear�" she trailed off, and scanned through the records. Her eyes landed on something that made her blood run cold.

"Ya said ya dreamed about hearin' a baby cryin'? When?"

"I thought it was nothing� but the last few nights�" she murmured, and then put a hand over her mouth. She began to shake convulsively, and Wolverine rushed to sit next to her. Nausea climbed in the pit of her stomach and she buried her head on his shoulder.

"Crap� ya think ya had a kid� an'�" Logan said. His low voice had the hint of an angry growl as the realizations set in.

"I remembered a baby crying. And snippets of missing time. But never� I�"

"Simple way t' find out. Have a doctor examine ya� wait� stupid me� ya have a healin' factor an' they couldn't tell�" Logan mumbled. "Damn� dammit�"

"Could I possibly have had a child� but who would the father have been� Dear Kami would that possibly be Sabretooth� it can't� it just can't�"

"M'ko�" he whispered, grabbing her and hugging her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Easy� calm down� it's all right� we're gonna figure this out!"

"He never took me, I had no memory� oh god Logan� will this never cease? I have a child� and I don't know if she's alive or dead!"

"She could be alive, M'iko. Cause I remember there was some stupid shit goin' on at the compound. Damn� mother fuckers�" he babbled, grabbing her and rocking her as her pain mirrored his own. Crumpled pictures that had been set on fire, listing him with a woman and child. Tantalizing half taunts about a boy who'd been killed.

"You realize what this means�"

"You worried about 'em thinkin' she was illegitimate? Cause it don't matter to me�"

"I have an heir, Logan-chan. An heir to clan Yashida, that nobody knew about. I have to find her, and see for myself if she's alive or dead� this changes everything�"

"How so? Ya said that cause yer dad gave up clan leadership it went t' Shingen Harada�"

"Yes� technically, but now that I�m alive� I'm the daughter of the elder brother. And now I find I possibly have a child� who might have been alive�"

"It makes ya more legitimate?" he asked. "Damn�"

"I have to find her. And find some way of getting to the bottom of this�"

"Wonder if this has anything t' do with that girl who attacked me� with the adamantium claws. Ya don't suppose� nah�"

"No way it could be� she was clearly a mature female� if I had a daughter she would be only four at the most�"

"But they could have accelerated the process�"

"But she had adamantium claws, and the same features as you. That's what Remy said. If I had a daughter she'd most likely have Japanese features� and if it was three years ago, that's exactly when Creed�"

"Ya don't know if Creed was the dad. Could be that crime lord clown you were married to. Either way, maybe people would think that she was legitimate�"

"I never slept with him. He was killed before� and then�" she sniffled. "Damn them. Damn them all to hell!"

"We gotta find if there's a birth certificate. If it's listed here�" he mumbled, starting to dig through papers.

***

Frantically she clicked through record after record a few hours later. Quick phone calls to many sources had yielded information that had been sealed. Sick realizations fell into place, and before long she had pulled up something that came off a printer. Mariko heard Logan's footsteps while she clicked keys on her lap top. Someone passed a cup of tea over her shoulder and set it to the left of the keyboard. She had commandeered the Amabassor's desk, evident by the briefcase, stacks of books, and empty dishes sitting nearby.

"Ya found something?" Logan asked, glancing over her shoulder. He had grabbed a chair and set it down next to hers to see if she was making any progress in her search.

"Yes. This looks like a series of birth certificates. Issued the year I think. In the US, Canada, and Japan. There are records that have since been added to my file� and here�" Mariko said. She pointed the mouse arrow at a window she had just opened on the laptop screen.

"Damn� there IS a cert. on file. Well I'll be damned. This is just too�" he trailed off as she clicked on the folder to open it.

"Here it is. The same registry number listed�" Mariko said.

"Huh� Mother Lady Yashida Mariko, daughter's given name�" he said, and glanced over the scrawls. "This is a cert. that was made in the US all right. An' here� What year were ya born? It says here that the kid was born two years ago� an' that was ya said you were still at the compound�"

"No� the birthdate listed is� three years ago," Mariko said as she shook her head. Small clicks filled the sudden silence while both lovers poured over the electronically scanned documents.

"That son of a bitch Creed was there when I was recaptured. Funny, I recall I was taken back at that same damn time. When I almost made it to JFK�" he muttered. "But I don't remember anything about hearing about breedin' at the time� just them takin' skin cells and blood samples routinely when those jokers would lock me up�"

"You still had your dog tags," she said, pulling them out and glancing over them. One edge had been smoothed off as if it were broken. She showed it to Logan.

"Part of it broke off. It's a Weapon X tag," he explained. "Assumed my name was Logan cause that's what's listed�"

"But it's not like any dog tags I recall," said Mariko. Her eyes narrowed, peering intently at the screen as if wanting to squeezed every last detail out of the documents that were too elusive.

"Course not. They're for subjects. I must've had regular military ones at one time� and yet�" said Logan, puzzled.

Mariko glanced over the form, and shook her head. "There is a biological father listed, but it's badly scribbled. But it doesn't look like Noboyura Hideki�"

"That isn't any Japanese name darlin'� it's English. It isn't Hideki, looks like Howland or Howlett or something�" he muttered. "Damn. An that isn't an N; it's a J. Doesn't that beat all�"

"The child was biracial," she whispered.

"Assumin' this isn't some cover-up story� cause it could all be fake t' knock ya off balance�" he muttered.

"Did you know anyone by that name?"

"No freakin' clue. Lucky I remember anything. You don't do ya?"

"No," she trailed off. "But those letters there�"

"Royal Canadian Army," he said. "Whoever this guy was, he was Canadian. An' his birthplace is listed as Edmonton Alberta. Damn creepy if ya ask me� could be fictional."

"The couple was not married," she said. "Here is the name written Noboyura Hideki� in the same hand� but it in no way resembles the name here�"

"Nope. Sure doesn't. Darlin'� looks like someone was tryin' to do some really shitty stuff to ya. An' likely they blocked out yer memory� damn 'em. They can make anyone disappear an' create records for anyone�" said Logan. He pounded his fist against his leg.

"IF I did have a child through Weapon X, why go to the trouble of attributing it to me� instead of to my Michelle persona?" said Mariko, her head spinning with the revelations.

"Unless the kid was born before ya took on the name. When did ya first start callin' yerself Michelle?" asked Logan. He tugged his chair closer, and turned her in her swivel chair to face him.

Unable to face him at first, Mariko peered down at the carpet. She said, "Hard to remember. I knew that I had to keep the secret of my true identity. I mainly recall being frightened to death that if anyone other than Creed knew� I could dishonor my family� for the first few years I was afraid to say my name aloud�"

"Don't that beat all," he mumbled, then tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. Those eyes he could lose himself in, Logan reminded himself. Dark black as a night without stars, he thought, but now that midnight was clouded with further confusion. He caressed her cheek delicately as he could with hands that seemed all too rough.

"You're not joking," she laughed sadly, biting her lip.

"Damn� I was from Alberta. At least from what I can piece together� that's where this here local was from� in an old photo in front of a dive called 'Dan's Diner'. With me an' some blonde chick whose face was kinda blurry� she's probably the chick who had the ring�"

"The one who tried to kill you with the adamantium bullets," Mariko shivered.

"Yep. Psycho broad. But if she WAS my wife I sure had lousy taste in women. An' I've been around the block in my day more times than I'd wanna admit�" he said, hanging his head.

"As you see here, Logan, I am not a virgin myself," Mariko said bitterly. "Sold as such chattel to a crimelord who I never consummated a relationship with� and here I have a child by an unknown man�"

Resting both hands on her shoulders, Logan squeezed them tightly. He leaned over and kissed her forhead delicately, saying, "I'm so sorry darlin'� I don't know what t' say, except that it still don't change how I feel about ya. An' it makes me pissed an' even more resolved t' help ya sort out yer past. An' be right with ya to find yer lost daughter�"

"Be she dead or alive�"said Mariko. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let the tears flow freely now. Across her cheek she felt Logan's finger brushing each one away as he let go of one of her shoulders. Then she felt his large hands cradling her face on either side. Blinking at him she saw his sincerity.

"Don't think that for a moment. I'm sure as shit she's alive. An' part of you is part of her. An' when we DO find her, you know I'll do what I can t' help ya with her� as if she were my own�" Logan said.

"I never thought I'd be a parent so soon, but that would be a great honor," she said, wiping away her tears. "But they will PAY for this� Logan. Make no mistakes�"

"They sure as hell will, M'iko chan� ya have my word on that," Logan growled. She folded the birth certificate and other records, carefully placing them into the leather case she'd carried in. Logan pulled her close to him, kissing her hard to prove his point that he would stand by her no matter what.

Something nagged at the back of his thoughts. It seemed far too much of a coincidence that the time jived with the segments that he was at the Compound. Or that the birthday of the child was still within the time he had been recaptured at Weapon X with the X men. And the Canadian Army captain as a father. Too strange. Both Canadian and American soldiers worked at the Weapon X project. From his Swiss cheese memory he had little hope of recalling anyone else other than some immediate snatches of names. But that first initial J. was most likely John, Jim, or James. James� was a common enough name in Canada. Most of his immediate associates likely had it as a first moniker.

Even himself, if that ring were truly his. What would possess a woman claiming to be his ex wife to kill him? Revenge, or his liaisons with other women? He had no illusions that he enjoyed sex, and lots of it. Having a good screw was part of his natural Wolverine desires. At least till he'd met Mariko that is. And what did that clone have to do with all of this if they were breeding Weapon X operatives?

Remy's words haunted him; "they tryin' t' make another Logan�"

Surely this elusive child was not the same thing that had attacked them? Someone who had his adamantium skeleton? Reaching into his pocket he tugged out the tag, and glanced at the number there. X23. Who on earth was that number? Sighing, he returned to squeezing his lover tightly in his arms, and shelved that question for another time.
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Ultimate Mariko