So this was Professor X.
Rowan Mercer watched as Logan carefully eased the old man out of the water tank. Charles Xavier looked far younger than the version Rowan remembered from films, and that made sense. This wasn't some distant future. It was 2009. Xavier was in his late seventies, not pushing a hundred.
If he could be stabilized, Rowan thought, everything changes.
Even if Xavier never fully recovered his strength, a clear mind alone would mean safety. Guidance. A way for the children to grow without destroying themselves. Rowan quietly resolved that when he eventually returned to Hogwarts, healing magic would become a priority. If modern medicine couldn't save Xavier, magic might.
After all, this was the strongest telepath the world had ever known. A man who could read thoughts without touch, seize control of minds, and, with amplification, wipe out all life on the planet. Letting him fade away like this was a waste bordering on cruelty.
"New children… new mutants…" Xavier murmured, tears streaming down his face as he looked at the group, his gaze lingering on Laura. "Logan, you must help them. They need you."
He gripped Logan's hand tightly. "Hold on. Don't give up on yourself. You'll have family again."
Logan's jaw tightened. "Then promise me something too. Don't give up on them. They need you, just like we once did."
The old fire returned to Logan's eyes, faint but unmistakable.
Rowan stepped forward. "We can't stay here. The people from the facility won't let this go."
He spoke quickly, decisively. "We split up. Logan and I head to New York and deal with Tony Stark. Professor Xavier, Caliban, Gabriela, Isa, you take the children to the North Dakota border and wait for news. Caliban, stay alert. The facility created a Logan clone. If you sense a mutant approaching, move immediately."
"A clone?" Caliban stiffened, pointing south. "Then he's already here."
On the horizon, a line of vehicles appeared, cutting across the empty land like a scar.
Rowan narrowed his eyes. "Faster than expected. Good. Better to end this now than deal with it later."
He'd always known they'd be tracked. A company like Alkali-Transigen didn't lose assets quietly. A truck that large couldn't vanish, and local surveillance was easy to exploit with enough money.
Before, being caught would've been disastrous. Magnetism could turn him into a deadly marksman, but it meant nothing against X-24. Once the bullets ran out, Rowan would die.
Now was different.
Logan still carried the adamantium bullet. The one he'd saved for himself.
Perfect for killing a monster.
If X-24 died here, the facility would lose its biggest weapon. Creating another wouldn't be quick. That bought time. Time to save Stark. Time to protect the children.
"If we get a chance," Rowan thought coldly, "we end Sander Rice too."
"I have a plan," Rowan said, turning to Logan and laying it out in rapid detail.
Elsewhere, Commander Donald adjusted his headset inside an armored jeep.
"Surround the factory," he ordered. "No one gets out. If there's resistance, shoot to kill. Especially Subject 757."
With the boss's approval, he'd pulled every string available. The trail led straight here. Worse, the escaped children had linked up with Wolverine.
They'd always known where Logan and Xavier were hiding. The boss preferred it this way. Letting legends rot was more satisfying than killing them.
But now the children were involved. That changed things.
Which was why X-24 had come along.
Over twenty vehicles formed a ring around the factory. Nearly a hundred armed men disembarked, taking firing positions. Farther back, a massive armored carrier waited. A sniper lay prone on its roof. Inside sat the final card.
X-24.
Donald removed his sunglasses and studied the lone figure standing at the factory entrance.
"Never thought I'd meet you like this," he called out. "Wolverine. My childhood hero. Hand over the kids, and I'll let you and the old man live out what's left of your lives."
Logan kept his expression blank. "You're trespassing. Private property. Leave."
Donald smirked. "Disappointing. Lying just makes this worse."
"There's no one here but me."
Donald gestured. Armed men stormed inside the factory.
Five minutes later, they returned, shaking their heads.
Donald scanned the area, then smiled slowly, eyes settling on the nearby water tank. "Clever. I'm guessing they're all in there. Including the old man."
Logan's hand slipped into his pocket. "That's just an empty tank."
Donald ignored him and motioned forward.
In one smooth motion, Logan pulled out a syringe and plunged it into his arm.
And the hunt truly began.