Logan didn't want to get into a drawn-out fight, but Donald Pierce was convinced the person he was looking for was right here. He refused to leave without them—and even threatened to hurt Charles to force Logan's hand.
Of course, Donald wouldn't have come alone unless he was confident.
He'd undergone cybernetic enhancements and now had a powerful mechanical arm. Compared to the aged and weary Logan, Donald naturally felt superior—maybe even scornful. It wasn't unusual.
People fear a powerful, agile wolf with razor-sharp claws. But no one's afraid of an old, battle-worn wolf with dull fangs—especially when they've got a rifle in hand.
Logan Howlett was indeed older now. But that didn't mean he had surrendered to his age or weakness. Faced with Donald's aggressive attitude, he didn't back down an inch. The tension in the room thickened quickly.
Just as the two were about to go head-to-head, a sudden, clear, and youthful shout rang out—followed by a metal rod whistling through the air and smacking Donald clean in the back of the head!
The man who had just been provoking Logan nonstop collapsed without another word.
Logan turned in surprise and saw the little girl who'd been traveling with the Mexican woman standing there, staring directly at him without flinching.
Her adorable little face held a chilling, feral intensity that triggered Logan's instincts. He could tell immediately—this girl was dangerous.
At that moment, Charles rolled out in his wheelchair and called out, grinning, "Logan, Logan! That's Laura! Caliban, come here—this is the one I told you about. She's Laura."
Then he smiled warmly at the girl. "We've been waiting for you."
And just like that, everything made sense.
The Mexican woman and the little girl had been secretly communicating with Charles through the psychic network. It was Charles who had sent them to find Logan for help.
In other words, Charles had once again quietly dropped another burden on the already exhausted old wolf.
---
Outside the screen, Erik watched stone-faced, his voice low and grim. "Hard on the two of them, isn't it? Both so old they can barely take care of themselves, and still trying to carry the weight of their people."
Charles raised an eyebrow, knowing full well Erik was mocking him. "I won't give up on any mutant, Erik. You know that."
"Yes, but your weakness—your naïve belief in humanity—is what ruined everything for our kind!"
Erik couldn't hold back anymore. His face flushed with fury as he roared, "This future—this pathetic, broken future—makes everything we fought for look like a joke!
Charles, we're the joke. We're the clowns in a damn circus. Don't you see that?! I'd rather die fighting those damned machines than watch this future unfold!"
Charles flushed with anger too, but had no retort. Logan frowned. "But this isn't Charles's fault. You can't blame all this on him…"
"Heh." Erik let out a cold laugh, cutting Logan off. "If Charles had stood with me, if we had worked together, we could've built a future for our kind.
But instead, he foolishly believed that backing down again and again would earn humanity's acceptance. He kept getting in my way—and look what that got us: this sad, pathetic outcome.
Logan, do you know why I blame Charles and not humanity?
Because humans are our enemies. Enemies are supposed to destroy us. But Charles is supposed to be our leader. He was supposed to protect us. That's the responsibility we share!"
Charles gritted his teeth. "Enough, Erik. This argument is pointless. Let's finish watching the videos first—then we talk."
Erik stared at him for a long moment, then said nothing more and turned back toward the screen.
---
Back in the video, Charles was warmly welcoming Laura, just as he once welcomed Logan and the other young mutants.
Neither he nor the girl paid any attention to the danger Donald Pierce posed. They simply handed the problem to Logan.
Logan knew full well they'd been dragged into trouble—there was no walking away now. The most urgent thing was to deal with the intruder, Donald. He gave the man one more hard kick and told Caliban to drive him far away. Then he pulled the gun off Donald and handed it to Caliban for protection.
After that, Logan was ready to take Charles and get out of there.
Inside, Charles watched Laura eat with a grandfatherly smile. Logan noticed the little backpack she always carried and reached for it—trying to see what useful info it might contain.
What he didn't expect was how fiercely the girl reacted. Like a wolf cub guarding its food, she clung to the pack and glared at him with an intensity that surprised even Logan.
The two scuffled briefly, childishly even, before Charles stepped in to stop them. He once again stressed that Laura was a new kind of mutant—and that he needed Logan's help.
But Logan only wanted to get Charles as far from danger as possible. He had no intention of taking on this new headache.
Unfortunately, he was already too late.
Elsewhere, Caliban had failed his task. Donald woke up early, took Caliban hostage, and the rest of the mercenaries had already arrived. Armed to the teeth, they stormed back into the abandoned factory under Donald's lead.
Logan spotted the incoming convoy, shoved Charles into the truck—but forgot about Laura. The factory was already surrounded. Mercenary vehicles had blocked every escape route.
Logan's truck was stopped. When he saw Donald Pierce among the crowd, he instantly realized Caliban was in danger. He glared at Donald and demanded to know what had happened to him.
Donald, of course, was enjoying himself now. He ignored the question and smirked, gesturing toward Charles with mocking tone, "Ah, so this is the octogenarian the U.S. government wants so badly, huh?"
Charles, unfazed by the insult, replied calmly, "Actually, I'm well into my nineties."
Logan didn't share Charles's patience. He shoved the door open, ready to fight—but with a flick of Donald's fingers, the mercenaries swarmed. In seconds, Logan was overwhelmed and pinned to the ground.
Donald stepped forward and placed a boot on Logan's chest, sneering down at him. "Oh God, Logan. You look pathetic. Breaks my heart. I used to be a fan, you know."
Logan spat a curse back at him—only to get kicked hard in the ribs in response.
With Logan dealt with, Donald barked orders for his men to sweep the building and find the others. Meanwhile, Laura was still inside… quietly eating her meal.
___
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