The coordinates for Eden on Laura's paper map were located in a National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. Near the Canadian border, city buildings and even roadside structures became scarce the further they moved from the cities; the desert gradually transformed into dense forests.
Logan parked the vehicle by the path leading into the woods.
Victor, who was dozing in the passenger seat, noticed the sudden stop. He opened his eyes to observe the surroundings and, realizing it wasn't their destination, looked at Logan with a bewildered expression. "Did something go wrong?"
Logan thought for a moment and explained, "We are Dr. Rice's targets now. That guy will sniff us out and follow us. If we rush in like this, we'll become his guides, endangering the other mutants in Eden."
Victor frowned slightly. Through their conversation on the road, he had learned about Laura's situation and understood that Logan and his team were in danger of being hunted by Dr. Rice.
"So you mean... we aren't going?" Victor asked.
Laura, sitting in the back seat, immediately grew anxious, frowning and looking at Logan with her bright eyes.
"No," Logan explained, shaking his head. "We can't go like this. We have to find a way to guarantee the settlement's safety."
He remembered seeing a similar scene in Logan, where the aged Wolverine took Laura to the settlement, only to attract Dr. Rice and his henchmen, causing grave trouble for the young mutants and even turning the place into Wolverine's grave. He didn't want that to happen again.
"We can throw them off our scent," Caliban said suddenly. "We can leave a trail in a nearby town, like showing your claws to scare some people, giving them the impression that we've gone somewhere else."
Logan shook his head. "No, Dr. Rice is no fool. He'll surely see through our true intentions. We have to find a safe way out."
Deceiving Dr. Rice would not be easy; he likely already knew Eden's coordinates and was probably on his way with his army to launch an incursion.
"What do you plan to do?" Charles asked after a moment of silence.
Logan took a deep breath, looked at the wide road leading directly into the forest, and said in a grave voice: "This is the only road to the settlement. Dr. Rice and his group have to pass through here to get there."
As he spoke, Logan's gaze turned cold. "We must completely eliminate those bastards; otherwise, even if we reach the settlement, we will have no peace!"
"You mean kill them?" Caliban gasped, his face filled with anxiety. "Even though we have five mutants in our vehicle, maybe only two and a half can actually fight, while Dr. Rice and his group have a fully armed army!"
While Wolverine and Sabretooth in their prime feared no army, they were old now, and their combat power had significantly diminished. Even with Laura, a "little Wolverine," they likely wouldn't be a match for Dr. Rice's group. In Caliban's opinion, this was a suicide mission.
"I have a chance," Logan said, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Victor also clenched his fist. "Perfect timing. I need to let out some of my rage."
He had been so subservient, only to be betrayed by Notland. This anger would not be dissipated by Notland's death alone; he needed a battle to vent!
"I support Logan as well," Charles said with a smile. Although he couldn't offer substantial help in the battle, he still supported all of Logan's actions. As for Laura, it went without saying that she would never give up on going to Eden.
"You're crazy, all of you are crazy!" Caliban watched them, but in the end, he had no choice but to yield.
Logan drove the car into a thicket, gathered branches to cover it, and had Caliban and the Professor hide in the woods. While hiding the car, he inadvertently discovered a cave. The cave was flanked by high slopes, making it a relatively narrow space—a natural ambush point.
"This place is good," Logan pointed toward the cave. "If we manage to lure them in, we can surround and annihilate them!"
Their abilities were based on hand-to-hand combat; thanks to their speed and sharp claws, they could launch more effective attacks in confined spaces. On the other hand, Dr. Rice's army would have more difficulty operating in that terrain; ricochets might even injure their own men.
Victor nodded. "Laura and I will lure them here; you look for an opportunity to strike."
With the plan finalized, the three took out compressed crackers and water for a quick meal. At dusk, Logan lit a campfire and had Victor and Laura wait by it, while he climbed a nearby tree and hid among the dense branches.
Hours later, the sun completely disappeared over the horizon, and darkness gradually fell. In the silent jungle, the campfire cast an orange glow.
Victor sat cross-legged before the fire; the orange flames reflected off half his face as he constantly cleaned his extended claws. Laura watched him, tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then mimicked him, extending her steel claws and sharpening them on a rock. However, after only a couple of strokes, the hard rock split in two like tofu.
Victor couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Laura's steel claws and said, "You really are Logan's daughter; even your claws are adamantium."
Although Laura only had two adamantium claws on each hand, their sharpness and slight curve were exactly like Logan's. With such a clear resemblance, no one would believe they weren't related.
Laura said nothing. She simply wiped the steel claws on her clothes, took two marshmallows from her pocket, stuck them onto the claws, and roasted them over the fire. Once the glaze on the marshmallows melted, she blew on them twice and was about to take a bite.
But she stopped halfway, looked at Victor, and then at the marshmallows with some reluctance. After hesitating for two seconds, she generously offered her paw, signaling for Victor to take one.
Victor, amused by the girl's generosity, shook his head and said, "You eat it, I don't like sweets."
The girl's face immediately lit up with a smile. Without hesitation, she withdrew her claw, bit both marshmallows, and chewed them with an expression of pure satisfaction.
"So much alike," Victor murmured again, looking at Laura.
This peaceful scene did not last long. In the crackling light of the fire, Victor sensed footsteps slowly approaching. He narrowed his eyes and stood up quickly. But as soon as he turned, he saw an incredibly familiar figure emerge from the forest. Looking at that familiar face, the fierce look on Victor's face vanished, and he asked in confusion:
"Logan?"
The words had barely left his mouth when adamantium claws suddenly extended, their silver surfaces radiating an icy light in the moonlight.
"Logan" exploded forward, his dark pupils glowing with murderous intent, lunging directly at Victor. A flash of cold light crossed Victor's eyes, and his expression changed sharply. In the firelight, he finally saw that it was not Logan.
No—to be precise, it was a much younger Logan!