"Wishing for a resurrection..."
Hearing Goku's words, Professor X wasn't surprised. Much like Black Widow, he assumed the boy's story was a coping mechanism or a childhood fantasy rather than a factual account. He didn't debunk it, though; he believed that as the boy grew older, he would naturally realize there were no magical dragons or Aladdin's lamps in this world.
"Goku, destroy that tail you're holding," Professor X cautioned, his voice grave. "Remember this: from now on, anything that falls from your body—whether it's blood or hair—must be destroyed immediately. Leave no traces."
The organization behind Transigen had used Logan's genes to create X-24 and had managed to cybernetically modify Magneto's corpse. If they got their hands on Goku's DNA, there was no telling if they could clone him. If a pack of Goku clones turned into Great Apes, the Earth truly would be finished.
"Okay, Grandpa Professor."
Sensing the old man's intensity, Goku didn't ask questions. He pointed a finger at the severed tail on the floor and fired a small *Dodonpa*. A focused beam of energy flashed, incinerating the tail instantly.
"Professor!"
The door swung open, and Logan stepped in.
"What is it, Logan?" Professor X turned his wheelchair to face him.
Logan froze in his tracks, staring at Charles. Something was different. The man was still frail and aged, but his spirit... it was transformed. It was as if the weary, broken man had vanished, replaced by the sharp, confident leader of the X-Men from thirty-five years ago.
"The people who brought the kid back aren't cops," Logan reported quickly. "They're agents from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division..."
He relayed his conversation with Natasha. Professor X's eyebrows rose in recognition.
"I've heard of them. Their predecessor was the Strategic Scientific Reserve—the group that created Captain America. Back then, they were just a branch of the U.S. government. I didn't realize they'd expanded into a global agency. Let her in. I'll speak with her."
In 1962, Charles and Magneto had assembled the first X-Men to stop Sebastian Shaw while working with the CIA. Throughout the years of running the school, Charles had collaborated with various high-level government offices to save the world. He knew the shadow world far better than Logan did.
Logan had joined the X-Men much later and spent most of his time wandering the world rather than attending faculty meetings. His experience with the government was limited to the horrors of General Stryker and Weapon X.
"Captain America? You mean Steve Rogers?" Logan's expression flickered. He'd met the man during WWII while serving as a regular soldier. He remembered those days vividly—saving a Japanese officer who would later betray him by trying to steal his healing factor in Tokyo.
"So, do you think we can trust them?" Logan asked.
"Trust them tentatively," Charles replied. "Captain America is long dead. What S.H.I.E.L.D. has become since then is anyone's guess."
Logan nodded and went to the door to bring in the waiting Natasha Romanoff.
...
Half an hour later, the group was ushered into a S.H.I.E.L.D. transport vehicle, heading toward the nearest secure facility.
"Professor, are we really doing this? Working with these spooks?" Logan asked, his voice low.
Charles sighed. "Logan, we don't have many options. The Canadian government might not be any more reliable than S.H.I.E.L.D."
During the negotiation, Natasha had revealed the truth: Transigen had used GMO suppressants in the food supply to wipe out the mutant birth rate and had orchestrated the Westchester Incident. She offered a deal on behalf of Director Fury.
The terms were surprisingly generous:
1. S.H.I.E.L.D. would use the Transigen data to develop specialized medicine to help Charles and Logan stabilize their powers and health.
2. They would rebuild the Xavier Institute on a private island near New York, providing a safe haven and education for the refugee children.
3. Upon graduation, the children could choose to join S.H.I.E.L.D. or live as civilians.
4. While S.H.I.E.L.D. might request their help for missions, they had the right to refuse.
The catch? No mutant could leave the island without S.H.I.E.L.D.'s permission.
Charles knew that even if the deal weren't this good, they had to take it. S.H.I.E.L.D. had international backing; if they refused, they would be hunted until they were dead or captured. With Goku's help, they might survive, but the children wouldn't. Canada wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure to hand them over, and there was no guarantee they wouldn't end up in another lab there.
"I hope this is the right call," Logan grumbled.
...
In another car, Natasha dialed Nick Fury.
"Director, Professor X has agreed to the terms. We're heading to the extraction point to pick up the children before flying to the Island at Base 8. However... the trail on the Great Ape is cold."
After the deal was struck, Natasha had asked the Professor about the beast. Charles had been perfectly convincing: his powers were gone, and the metallic bodies of Logan and Laura were useless against Magneto. Goku had stayed behind to stall the cyborg while they fled to Piñon. They claimed they only learned about the "Great Ape" from the news and had no idea what it was.
The story was airtight. Since Logan and Laura were full of Adamantium, staying to fight Magneto *would* have been a death sentence. And Natasha, a master of micro-expressions, saw no hint of a lie on the Professor's face.
The link was broken. Unless the beast appeared again, the Great Ape remained a mystery.