The night cloaked everything, deep and silent like a black hole, swallowing all light, yet paradoxically bringing a sense of peace.
But there are always those who seek to disturb the calm.
On the plane heading toward the island, Remy watched Logan gripping the armrest tightly, squinting his eyes, sweating profusely, and couldn't help but tease, "You don't like flying?"
"I'm fine. Focus on your own stuff!" Logan snapped back without hesitation, clearly trying to cover something up.
"You sure? Even your eyebrows are sweating."
"You're hilarious. Eyes forward!"
"Oh, come on, Logan. Everyone knows you hate flying. Just admit it, man," John, ever the supportive teammate, chimed in with a smirk.
"It's okay, Logan. Everyone's got their weak spots. Yours just happens to be… flying? Pfft~"
Even Melin, who already knew Logan hated flying, found a certain unique amusement in seeing it up close.
…
…
"Damn it! Who the hell invented airplanes anyway?! People die in these things every day! What, was death moving too slowly for him? He just had to design a flying coffin?!" Logan finally gave up pretending, cursing the "unknown" inventor.
"Hey man, not cool! Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's not great. Look—sailing over oceans, avoiding storms, saving time—what a marvelous invention! You really ought to get used to flying. I mean, you're an old-timer, sure, but you can't fall behind the times!" John said as he slung an arm over Logan's shoulder.
"I'd rather waste a little time than stuff myself in a coffin with wings!"
"It's just a matter of time, trust me, man. Once you're used to it, you'll start to love the feeling! I can help. We'll fly every day until—"
Sching~
"Shut up, asshole! If you keep talking, I swear I'll claw a few holes in this damn coffin's walls!" Logan raised his gleaming claws in warning.
He just wanted peace and quiet—why was that so hard?
"Whoa, alright, I get it, bro," John raised his hands in surrender.
Remy, meanwhile, protested from the cockpit, "Easy there, Wild Uncle. This baby's mine! I won her with a Jack over a full house! You break her, you owe me a new one."
"Yeah, sure…" Logan retracted his claws with a grunt. He was flat broke—seventeen bucks to his name. Couldn't even hail a cab, let alone replace a plane.
"Relax. We're almost there."
As Remy spoke, the plane broke through the clouds, revealing a distant glow in the darkness.
"There it is—Three Mile Island. Hiding in plain sight."
Everyone peered through the windows at the island's facilities—three massive smokestacks, also functioning as nuclear reactors. The area was heavily guarded, with surveillance, soldiers, and even tanks and armored vehicles. John could swear the firepower here was enough to wage a small war.
"No one asks what's really built near a nuclear reactor. They just assume you'll turn into a mutant from the radiation," Remy joked.
"Like us?" John pointed at the group.
"Exactly," Remy said, dead serious.
As the plane skimmed just above the sea, Remy reminded the trio it was time to go. They'd agreed beforehand—Remy wouldn't land, just get them close enough to swim to shore. He'd return to pick them up later.
Logan nodded, threw open the hatch, wished Remy good luck, and jumped out without hesitation.
"Wait—why is that idiot always so impulsive?!" John tried to stop him, wanting to suggest a more comfortable landing method, but Logan had already vanished into the waves.
"You two not going?" Remy asked, confused.
"We've got a better way. Think about my offer, kid," Melin replied with a smile, placing a hand on John's shoulder.
In a flash, both vanished from the cabin.
"Holy—! They just… okay, looks like Wild Uncle got played again. Hope he doesn't slice them up too badly."
Remy shook his head. Melin obviously hadn't warned Logan on purpose. But that wasn't his concern—he was just the courier.
Still, Melin's parting words stuck in his mind…
…
Though adamantium had superior strength and lighter mass compared to other metals, it was still metal. So naturally, Logan, injected with adamantium, was far heavier than a normal person, making swimming ashore pure agony.
He finally dragged himself onto the beach, only to find a hand reaching out to help him up—black-gloved.
Logan's veins bulged.
"Relax, bro. I was gonna warn you, but you jumped before I could," John explained, helping him up.
"And you?" Logan turned angrily to Melin. He didn't believe for a second that Melin had simply forgotten.
"It was funny. Wasn't it?" Melin admitted, smiling unapologetically.
Logan:凸(艹皿艹#)
A million hashtag symbols seemed to flood the background behind Logan, but there was nothing he could do. If he ever dared to claw Melin, he'd probably get forcefully sent into monk mode again—and that was not on his wishlist.
Plus, John had secretly told Logan that Victor hadn't even survived one move against Melin. It was like a mouse facing a cat.
"Let's go. Didn't you want answers?" Melin said with a smirk, signaling for Logan and John to follow.
With Melin and John's help, Logan didn't need to sneak around like in the original storyline. Locked door? Blink. Guards? Blink. There was nothing teleportation couldn't solve—and if there was, he'd just teleport again.
Soon, they reached the inner facility, where Logan spotted Stryker.
"John, think you can handle rescuing the kids alone?" Melin asked.
"Seriously? I mess up one time and now I'm weak?" John said, exasperated.
"Alright then, it's yours. I'll take Logan to see Stryker—he's a little too gullible and easy to fool."
"Hey, I'm right here!"
"I know."
Logan: Fists clenched. Claws clenched. Everything clenched!
They split up, and Melin led Logan into Stryker's lab—only to find the man calmly continuing his experiment, unfazed.
"Welcome back to the battlefield, Logan. This your new friend? Surprised you made a friend," Stryker said, as if everything was under control.
In Melin's eyes, though, he was just a clown.
"Before I rip you open, I want to know—why?" Logan growled, unfazed by Stryker's calm.
"I need power. To create Guardians."
Pfft~
Melin couldn't help it. He'd already heard this crap from John and laughed back then. Hearing it again from Stryker's own mouth just made it worse.
"Your friend's a bit rude, Logan," Stryker scowled.
Before Logan could speak, Melin replied, "Manners are for people. As for beasts—I don't know, should I bark? Meow?"
"You filthy monster… such a noble cause, and that's all you can say…"
"Pfft—Hahaha! Stryker, you'd make a fantastic clown in a circus," Melin laughed loudly, unfazed by Stryker's insults. After all, he never got mad at dead men. (Well… undead Hades Army freaks were an exception.)
"You—"
"I've always believed a man should own up to his actions. So I wonder—are you missing a certain piece of manhood? Hiding your filth under a noble excuse… it's just hatred. Ever since your son accidentally killed your wife, that's all it's ever been.
You fooled many with your acting, but in my eyes? You're just a clown. Even the undead of Hades' army have more dignity than your disgusting little cosmos."
With each word, Stryker's face turned a deeper shade of purple.
"Your 'Weapon X' project? It's not about protection. It's a tool for revenge. Mutants, humans, everyone here—you just want to erase mutants from the world. But you're delusional. Mutant powers come from genes—they're a form of human evolution. Theoretically, everyone on Earth carries them, even you. Some are dominant, some recessive.
If you really want to succeed, you'd have to wipe out every single person on Earth—including yourself. But you're too selfish for that… can you do it?"
"You—"
"Enough, filthy clown. We'll deal with you later. First, let's settle this—Logan, turn around."
Logan blinked, turned—and froze.
Silver Fox. Silver Fox, the love he thought was long dead, stood before him, completely unharmed.
"Logan…"
"You… you're not… you're—" Seeing her, Logan suddenly understood everything. But he still couldn't believe it. He stammered incoherently.
He thought he'd escaped Stryker's clutches. Thought he'd found true love, a place to belong. But it had all been a prearranged lie.
"They took my sister. I had no choice," Silver Fox said, eyes brimming with tears.
"You… I… you…"
"Logan. Calm down."
A warm cosmos enveloped Logan once more, cooling his chaotic thoughts.
"Now I ask, and you answer. Truthfully. Logan, were your feelings for her real?"
"Of course…" Logan gritted his teeth.
"And you?" Melin turned to Silver Fox.
"I…" She instinctively looked toward Stryker.
"Just speak from the heart. Don't worry about him." As Melin spoke, he flicked his fingers. The gun Stryker had been hiding disassembled instantly, falling in useless pieces. Even trying to flee, Stryker found his body frozen in place—only his eyes could move.
"I… I truly love you, Logan." Silver Fox, finally free of fear, stepped forward and helped Logan up. "At first, yes, I was assigned to watch you. But being with you… I found light in my life for the first time. I wasn't being controlled, wasn't living in fear. Your embrace is the safest, warmest place in the world…"
"…" Logan said nothing. Just raised his arms and held her tight.
"See, Logan? You couldn't control how it started, but your time together was real. Why not choose to walk toward a better future?" Melin said gently.
"…Thank you. I understand now."
"Mm. I'd love to congratulate you now, but we've still got unfinished business."
Melin turned toward the shadows, where someone slowly stepped out—Victor, exposed.
"Long time no see, Jimmy."
"Victor!"