Chapter 18: Ambush and Counterattack

"So this is the renowned Professor X? He looks much younger than in the movies."

George glanced at the Professor being wheeled out of the water tank by Wolverine, musing to himself.

That makes sense. If the timeline followed the movies, it would be 2029, and Professor X would be ninety-seven. But now it's 2009, so he's only seventy-seven.

If Professor X's abilities can be restored, it would provide significant security. Even if his powers can't fully recover, regaining his sanity could help these kids develop their abilities better.

At that moment, George resolved that when he attended Hogwarts to study magic, he would also invest time in mastering healing spells.

If modern science couldn't heal Professor X, maybe magic could.

After all, Professor X was one of the world's most powerful telepaths. He could read thoughts and memories without physical contact, override and control people's minds, and direct their actions. With Cerebro, he could even kill every human and mutant on Earth.

"New beings, new mutants... good, good. Logan, you must help them. They need you!"

Professor X, staring at the children ahead, especially Laura, couldn't help but shed tears. He tightly gripped Wolverine's hand.

"Wait a little longer, and you'll have a new family. Don't give up on yourself; everything will get better."

"Then promise me, you won't give up either. They need your guidance, just as we once did," Wolverine replied, his gaze firming, the unyielding fighter within him rekindling.

George approached them and said, "Time is of the essence. The lab won't let us go easily, and we can't stay here for long.

We'll split up. Logan and I will head to New York to find a way to save Tony Stark.

Professor, Caliban, Gabriella, and Isha—you take the kids to the North Dakota border and wait for us.

Caliban, be on alert for any new mutants approaching. If you sense one, relocate immediately. Especially Logan's clone"

"Logan's clone?" Caliban's eyes narrowed as he pointed south.

"If my senses are right, that guy is already here."

Following Caliban's gesture, a distant convoy was visible, kicking up dust across the open land.

George's eyes narrowed. They arrived faster than I expected. Still, this could work to our advantage. It's better to deal with them now than have them hounding us later.

He had anticipated the lab's pursuit. With Alkali-Transigen's resources, tracking their truck through local surveillance was child's play.

A confrontation earlier might have been tricky—his magnetism could redirect bullets, making him a super sharpshooter, but against X-24, it was futile. Once his bullets ran out, so would his chances of survival.

But now, things were different. He knew about Wolverine's Adamantium bullet, originally intended for suicide, which could instead take out X-24.

By eliminating X-24, they could mitigate the lab's immediate threat. It would take time to create another clone, buying George and Logan the opportunity to rescue Stark without worrying about attacks on the children.

If they could eliminate Zander Rice as well, it would be ideal.

"I have a plan."

George turned to Wolverine and quickly explained his strategy.

Elsewhere, in a heavily armed jeep, Commander Donald Pierce issued orders through his radio.

"Surround the factory. Don't let anyone escape. If anyone resists, shoot to kill—especially Subject 757."

Following his boss's instructions, Donald had pulled every string to track the truck and discovered its connection to Wolverine in El Paso.

They'd long known the whereabouts of Wolverine and the Professor but hadn't pursued them. His boss had said that letting them live in misery was more satisfying than killing them.

But with the mutant children now involved, their presence complicated matters. With approval from the boss, Donald had brought X-24 along as a failsafe.

He had initially wanted to witness X-24 in action himself but chose to stay behind, wary of 757's sharpshooting skills after sustaining injuries during the lab explosion.

The convoy of over twenty vehicles encircled the dilapidated factory. Each was packed with armed men in bulletproof vests, taking up strategic positions around the site—nearly a hundred in total.

A sniper lay hidden on the roof of an armored truck, ready to strike. Inside that truck was their ace: X-24.

"I didn't expect to meet you this way, Wolverine—my former idol. Hand over the children, and I'll leave you and the old man to your peaceful life."

Donald removed his sunglasses and stood with a smug expression, his tone dripping with mockery. It was clear he no longer considered Wolverine a threat.

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. This is private property—leave," Wolverine replied, holding back his rage and following George's advice to stall for time.

Donald pointed at the large truck parked nearby.

"Disappointing. Lying will cost you dearly."

"I don't know whose truck that is. There's no one here you're looking for," Wolverine insisted.

Donald signaled his men, and a group of twenty armed individuals stormed the factory.

Five minutes later, they emerged, shaking their heads at Donald.

Donald's eyes narrowed as he scanned the area before locking his gaze on a decrepit water tank beside the factory.

"Interesting. I'd wager they're in there—your old friend included."

"That's just a regular water tank. I told you, there's no one here," Wolverine said, slipping one hand into his pocket.

Unmoved, Donald signaled his men to search the tank.

At that moment, Wolverine swiftly drew a syringe from his pocket and plunged it into his arm.