The death of Lou Scarelli resonated through Montreal's underworld like a seismic shock. In the days that followed, a nervous quiet settled over the city's illicit economies. Bookies were hesitant to take bets, smugglers delayed shipments, and even the most brazen gangs kept a low profile. Everyone was waiting to see who, or what, would fill the power vacuum. The official police investigation into Scarelli's demise quickly hit a wall; the scene at the mansion was one of brutal, professional slaughter, but with no witnesses, no forensic evidence of value (Logan had been meticulous about retrieving anything with his scent or trace), and too many potential enemies, the case was quietly shelved as another gangland settling of scores.
Desmond Fitzpatrick was, as expected, the most immediate beneficiary. With Scarelli gone, many of his rival's former territories and terrified underlings flocked to Fitzpatrick's banner, seeking stability and protection from the unknown force that had so comprehensively dismantled their former boss. Fitzpatrick's consolidation of power accelerated, but it was a consolidation tinged with unease. He was too shrewd not to recognize that Scarelli's end was too clean, too brutally efficient for typical gang warfare. He knew another, more dangerous player was on the board, one who operated with surgical lethality. His own people began to move with a new caution, their eyes constantly scanning the shadows.
Elias Thorne, from his quiet epicenter, observed these shifts with satisfaction. He had no immediate desire to openly claim Scarelli's empire. Overt leadership brought scrutiny, challenges, and administrative headaches. His preference was for influence from the shadows, shaping events without being directly tied to them. The fear and uncertainty created by Scarelli's demise, attributed to some unknown, terrifyingly efficient entity, served his purposes far better than an open power grab. He was becoming the unseen hand, the quiet king on a turbulent chessboard.
Logan, after the "Scarelli audition," retreated further into his brooding solitude. The act of killing, while familiar, hadn't brought him peace, only a temporary quieting of the beast within. He was still wary of Elias, still uncertain of his place in this strange new arrangement. But the brief taste of directed purpose, however violent, had stirred something in him. The 15% loyalty held, a fragile thread. Elias continued his policy of non-interference, letting Logan process, knowing that pushing too hard, too soon, would shatter that tenuous bond.
He tasked Anya with increasing her surveillance of Fitzpatrick's operations, not just his criminal enterprises, but his legitimate businesses and political connections as well. "Fitzpatrick is becoming the dominant public face of Montreal's underworld," Elias explained to her. "Understand his strengths, his weaknesses, his networks. Knowledge is power, and he is now the most visible concentration of power we must understand and, if necessary, counteract or co-opt."
Anya, her Archer senses and analytical mind honed, became an even more valuable asset, her reports filled with intricate diagrams of Fitzpatrick's influence.
Dr. Finch, meanwhile, continued his deep dives into historical and geopolitical currents. With Scarelli's local threat neutralized, Elias encouraged Finch to broaden his research into the rising global tensions. He wanted to understand the emerging power players on the world stage – in Germany, Italy, Japan, the Soviet Union – and any whispers of individuals or organizations with… unusual capabilities. The System had hinted at "Prime Conduits" beyond Wolverine; finding them would require looking far beyond Montreal, or even Canada.
"The information you're gathering, Doctor," Elias told him, "is not just for academic curiosity. It is for understanding the larger game, the one that will dwarf these local squabbles. We must be prepared for the shifts that are coming."
Finch, his scholarly passions ignited by the scope of the task and the resources Elias provided, attacked his research with renewed fervor. His unique cognitive enhancement allowed him to see connections and predict trends that would have eluded any conventional intelligence agency of the era.
Thomas MacIntyre remained Elias's steadfast guardian and the overseer of his increasingly legitimate property empire, which continued to provide a solid, respectable front for his less conventional activities. The Barbarian's quiet strength ensured that Elias's physical security was absolute. With Elias's own mirrored Wolverine abilities, he was arguably one of the most personally formidable individuals on the planet, but Thomas's presence provided a visible deterrent and allowed Elias to maintain his carefully constructed persona of a wealthy, somewhat reclusive young businessman.
Joe Tomah, after the northern expedition, had returned to his life in the wilderness, but a bond of respect had been formed. Elias ensured he was generously compensated and knew he could call upon Joe's unique skills again if the need arose, perhaps even for an empowerment if the right conditions presented themselves.
Elias's own development was a quiet, internal revolution. The power of the Wolverine was immense, almost overwhelming at times. He spent hours practicing with his psychosomatic claws in a soundproofed room in one of his secure properties, learning their balance, their feel, the astonishing ease with which they could shear through steel and concrete. His senses were a constant challenge to manage – the city was a deafening, over-scented barrage without conscious filtering. His healing factor made him feel indestructible, an unnerving sensation that he knew could breed recklessness if not tempered by his cold intellect. He felt the primal rage simmering just beneath the surface, a seductive whisper of power, and fought daily to maintain his control over it.
The System itself was quiet about his [CLASSIFIED] Host Power level, merely stating [Adaptation to Prime Conduit Synergy: 97% – Ongoing Refinement of Mirrored Attributes and Innate Potential.]. It also hinted at [Unlockable System Sub-Routines via Conduit Integration (Logan): Pending Increased Loyalty/Understanding]. The full potential of his bond with Wolverine was yet to be tapped.
One evening, Elias sat alone in his Old Port apartment, looking out over the city lights. Montreal was calming after the Scarelli storm, its criminal elements nervously adjusting to a new, uncertain equilibrium. He had successfully neutralized a major threat, acquired unimaginable personal power, and positioned himself as an invisible, dominant force.
But this was just one city. One small corner of a world rapidly heading towards conflagration. Dr. Finch's reports spoke of escalating arms races, of ideologies clashing, of nations preparing for war. And somewhere out there, the System hinted, were other Prime Conduits, other beings of incredible power, perhaps already involved, or soon to be swept up, in these global events.
His "Project: Ursus Minor" had yielded a result beyond his wildest expectations. Now, a new, far grander project was beginning to form in his mind. Not just to control a city, but to subtly influence the course of history itself, to gather those unique individuals, those Prime Conduits, and forge them into a force that could navigate, and perhaps even shape, the tumultuous decades to come.
Elias Thorne, the 16-year-old Canadian landlord who awoke a System, now possessed the strength of an army, the senses of a predator, claws of unbreakable metal, and a mind sharpened to a razor's edge. He was no longer just building a property empire. He was laying the foundations for something far more significant, an invisible empire that would stretch across continents and decades, its quiet king moving pieces on a global chessboard few even knew existed. The whispers of his power, once confined to Montreal's alleys, were about to reach much farther.