At the same time, Liam Hayes and the others finally arrived at the waters surrounding Liberty Island, the towering silhouette of the Statue of Liberty rising against the dim sky. The surface of the lake shimmered faintly under the city's distant glow, and the black X-Jet hovered low before beginning its descent. Cyclops guided the aircraft carefully, though the tension in his posture made it clear he wasn't entirely relaxed.
The jet touched down on the water with a heavy impact, sending ripples outward in a sharp burst. The entire craft shuddered slightly from the force of the landing, and a dull boom echoed across the quiet surroundings. Even for such advanced technology, the drop had clearly been a bit rough.
"Sorry about that," Cyclops said, his tone carrying a hint of embarrassment as he adjusted his visor.
"Technology's overrated," Logan muttered under his breath, clearly unimpressed as he unbuckled and prepared to disembark.
Despite the less-than-smooth landing, the aircraft itself was undeniably impressive. It handled both aerial maneuvering and aquatic landings with ease, and its optical stealth capabilities made it nearly impossible to detect once activated. Liam gave it a brief, appreciative glance, silently acknowledging how absurdly convenient that combination of features really was.
Once outside, the group moved quickly toward the base of the Statue of Liberty. The island felt strangely quiet, almost unnaturally so, as if something had cleared the area in advance. Inside the statue, the museum stretched out in a wide, open interior filled with exhibits and historical displays, but not a single guard was in sight.
"That's odd," someone muttered, though the explanation came easily enough.
"It's probably because of the holiday," Storm said, scanning the surroundings cautiously as they advanced.
They moved deeper into the museum, their footsteps echoing faintly in the otherwise silent space. However, as they passed through one of the security checkpoints, a sudden alarm blared sharply through the building, cutting through the calm like a blade.
Liam turned his head almost instantly, his gaze landing on Logan.
The cause was obvious. Logan's entire skeleton was laced with Adamantium, and the metal detectors had no intention of ignoring that.
"Guess flying's not really your thing, huh, Uncle Logan?" Liam said with a faint grin, unable to resist the jab.
Logan didn't bother responding with words. Instead, he stepped forward, grabbed the offending alarm device, and crushed it effortlessly in his hand before casually flipping Liam off with his claws.
"All right, all right," Liam said, raising his hands in mock surrender, though the amusement in his expression didn't fade. He hadn't expected Logan to have that kind of dry humor.
With the alarm silenced, the group continued further into the museum's interior. The deeper they went, the more the tension in the air seemed to build, like a storm waiting just out of sight.
"Stay sharp," Cyclops warned from behind. "The enemy could be nearby."
"Relax," Liam replied casually, his tone calm and unbothered. "There's no one here who can actually hurt me."
"There are enemies here," Logan said suddenly, stepping ahead of the group as his nose twitched slightly. He was tracking something, his senses locked onto a scent that the others couldn't perceive.
"Hey, Logan, don't go off on your own," Cyclops called out, but the warning came a second too late.
Logan had already disappeared around the corner.
Cyclops and Storm exchanged a look, both clearly used to this kind of behavior but no less frustrated by it. The group paused briefly, unsure whether to follow or hold position.
Then, just moments later, Logan reappeared from the direction he had gone.
Liam's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the returning figure, a faint spark of interest flickering in his gaze. If his assumption was correct, then the "Logan" standing in front of them now wasn't Logan at all.
Mystique.
The transformation was flawless. Every detail—from posture to expression—was identical to the real Wolverine. Even the claws that extended from her hands looked indistinguishable, a perfect imitation of Adamantium. It was an impressive display of shapeshifting ability, one that could easily fool anyone relying on appearances alone.
"Didn't find anything, huh?" Cyclops said, seizing the opportunity to throw a little sarcasm back after being teased earlier.
Liam said nothing, simply watching as the fake Logan moved closer, already preparing to act.
Before anything could happen, another figure burst into view from the opposite direction.
The real Logan.
The two identical figures collided almost instantly, their claws clashing as they engaged in a brutal close-quarters fight. The sound of metal striking echoed sharply through the museum as they grappled, neither giving an inch.
"What the hell…?" Polaris said, her eyes widening at the sight of two Wolverines tearing into each other.
"One of them's Mystique," Liam explained calmly. "She's working for Magneto."
"Oh… great," Polaris muttered, then frowned slightly. "So how do we tell which one's real?"
"I'd say the one with the tougher claws," Liam replied with a light chuckle, folding his arms as he watched the fight unfold.
Logan's claws were made of Adamantium—unbreakable, at least by conventional means. Mystique could mimic appearance, but she couldn't replicate that level of durability.
"That actually makes sense," Polaris admitted, though she still looked uncertain. "So… we just watch?"
Cyclops didn't intervene either, his attention fixed on the battle as he tried to analyze the differences between the two.
The fight escalated quickly. Blows were exchanged at a relentless pace, and one of the Wolverines began taking heavier hits, getting knocked back multiple times. There were subtle differences in their fighting styles—tiny tells that could give away the truth—but the speed and intensity made it difficult to distinguish at a glance.
Then, without warning, both Wolverines broke away from each other at the same time.
And lunged straight at Liam.
The sudden shift caught everyone off guard.
Storm's voice rang out immediately, sharp with confusion. "Logan, what are you doing?"
A green glow flared beside Liam as Polaris reacted instantly, her powers activating. One of the Wolverines froze mid-motion, caught in her control, while the other continued forward, claws aimed directly at Liam's chest.
The attack landed.
Or at least, it should have.
A sharp, brittle crack echoed through the air.
The claws shattered on impact.
The fake Wolverine let out a cry of pain as fragments of the broken imitation claws scattered, and she stumbled backward, clutching her hand in shock.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Logan?" Cyclops demanded, finally stepping forward as the situation became clear.
"That one's not Logan," Polaris said, pointing toward the restrained Wolverine under her control. "This one is."
The logic was simple. If Polaris could manipulate him, it meant there was metal in his body—real Adamantium. The one she couldn't affect was the imposter.
Storm and the others immediately understood.
"Looks like Uncle Logan got himself controlled," Liam said casually, completely unsurprised.
From the moment they arrived on Liberty Island, he had already used his telepathy to scan the entire statue. Compared to what he remembered, there was one extra presence lurking within. That alone had been enough to put him on guard.
With a simple snap of his fingers, Liam released the mental interference affecting Logan.
Logan's eyes cleared instantly, his expression shifting from blank confusion to sharp awareness as he realized he was floating mid-air.
"The hell… what just happened?" he muttered, looking around in disorientation.
Polaris lowered him gently back to the ground.
Before anyone could explain, Logan's gaze locked onto the other "him."
Without hesitation, he lunged forward again, claws extended as he threw himself back into the fight.
....
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