Chapter 9

(Back to the present)

As Kade soared high above the city, his keen senses picking up on a cry for help echoing through the bustling streets below, he knew he had to act fast. With a determined frown, he angled his flight path towards the source of the distress.

Descending rapidly, Superman landed in a narrow alley where a group of strange soldiers in white uniforms with crosses on them were closing in on a terrified boy with green reptile skin.

Without hesitation, Superman sprang into action. He moved with lightning speed, knocking out the soldiers before they even had a chance to react. With the immediate threat neutralized, he turned his attention to the frightened boy.

"Hey, it's okay," Superman said gently, reaching out to help the boy up. "You're safe now."

But the boy recoiled in fear, scrambling away from Superman with wide eyes. He darted out of the alley and into the open street, where he was met with gasps of horror and disgust from the onlookers.

"Look at that freak!"

"What is he, some kind of monster?"

Superman's heart sank at the cruel words hurled at the boy. With a determined stride, he stepped forward, his voice carrying over the crowd.

"Shame on you," he said, his tone stern. "He's just a kid, and he needs help, not our judgment."

The crowd fell silent under Superman's reproachful gaze as he knelt down beside the boy, offering him a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe."

Scooping the boy up in his arms, Superman took to the skies, carrying him away from the hostile stares and harsh words.

Once they were at a safe distance, Superman gently set the boy down on solid ground."What's your name kid? What happened back there?"

The boy's eyes filled with tears as he recounted his harrowing ordeal. "I-I'm Justin and I'm a mutant," he said, his voice trembling. "Those men were after me because of what I am. They wanted to experiment on me, to use my abilities for an experiment they kept on talking about."

Superman's jaw tightened with anger at the injustice of it all. "What kind of abilities do you have?"

The boy hesitated, then took a deep breath. "I can adapt to any environment," he explained. "I can survive in the harshest conditions, even ones that would kill a normal person."

Superman's brow furrowed with concern. "And those soldiers, what did they want with you?"

"They had these canisters of gas," the boy said, his voice trembling. "They said it was a virus, one that targets mutants. They wanted to use my blood to make it stronger."

'If I don't stop them they can cause an entire genocide of mutants across the world,I'll need to get in touch with the X-Men I'm going to need all the help I can get'Kade said to himself.

Superman's fists clenched at his sides. "We need to stop them before they can hurt anyone," he said, his voice tight with determination.

But he knew he couldn't do it alone. He needed help, someone who understood the plight of mutants better than he did.

Turning to Spider-Man, who had swung in to offer assistance, Superman asked, "Spider-Man I'm glad your here do you know if any of the X-Men are in New York City? Someone who could help us?"

Spider-Man scratched his head, thinking for a moment. "Well, there's always Wolverine," he said, his voice tinged with amusement. "He hangs out at a bar in the lower east side. Can't miss him, he's the short, grumpy one with the claws kinda looks like if a Chihuahua and a pitbull had an alcoholic baby who stabs things"

Superman chuckled at the description. "Thanks, Spidey. I'll check it out."

With a nod of gratitude, Superman took off, his super speed carrying Justin across the city in a blur.

Arriving at the lower east side, Kade scanned the area until he spotted a familiar figure leaning against a motorcycle outside a dingy bar.

"Wolverine I presume ," Kade said, striding up to the grizzled mutant. "I need your help."

Wolverine raised an eyebrow, his senses already alert to the newcomer's presence. "I know who you are, Superman. I smelled you two blocks away."

Kade blinked in surprise, momentarily thrown off by Wolverine's blunt response. "Uh, sorry about that."

Wolverine grunted, his expression unreadable. "What do you need?"

Kade quickly explained the situation, detailing the boy's plight and the threat posed by the Purifiers.

Wolverine listened in silence, his face growing more serious with each passing moment. "All right,bub," he said, nodding in understanding. "Let's go see the Professor. He'll know what to do."

As Wolverine revved up his motorcycle, Kade smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude for the gruff mutant's willingness to help.

But before they could depart, Kade couldn't resist a small joke. "You know, Wolverine, I could give you a lift. It'd be faster than that thing."

Wolverine snorted, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I hate flyers."

Kade chuckled as he lifted the boy into his arms once more. "Fair enough. Let's go."

With that, they took off, racing through the sky towards the X-Mansion, where they hoped to find help and sanctuary for the boy and put an end to the Purifiers' twisted plans.

Wolverine, Kade, and Justin were speeding down the highway towards the X Mansion. Wolverine grunted impatiently, glancing at Kade. "This is taking too long," he muttered, his tone filled with frustration.

Kade glanced at Justin, who looked nervous and scared. "Hang on," Kade said, making a split-second decision. He wrapped an arm around Wolverine and Justin. "We're doing this my way."

In an instant, they were airborne, Kade flying them at super speed. The rush of air and sudden acceleration left Justin pale and nauseous. His face turned a shade of green before he couldn't hold it back anymore and vomited. Wolverine let out a string of curses, struggling to keep his composure.

Within thirty seconds, they landed on the front lawn of the X Mansion. Justin stumbled to the side and vomited again while Wolverine staggered, trying to steady himself. "Damn it, kid," Wolverine growled, glaring at Kade. "Warn a guy next time."

Kade chuckled, slightly apologetic. "Sorry, but we needed to get here fast."

They walked inside the mansion, where they were greeted by Professor Xavier. "Superman, welcome," he said warmly, his eyes taking in Justin's condition with concern. "What brings you here?"

Kade explained the situation, detailing Justin's plight and the threat posed by the Purifiers. The Professor listened intently, his expression growing serious. "This is indeed troubling news. We must act quickly."

The Professor summoned the X-Men to the briefing room, and Kade found himself surrounded by familiar faces. Cyclops, Storm, Jean Grey, and others listened as he recounted how he found Justin and what the Purifiers were planning.

"This is Justin," Kade introduced the boy. "They were chasing him because of his mutation and what they could do with it. They've already made three gas canisters designed to target mutants."

Cyclops nodded, his jaw set. "We'll take care of it."

As they prepared to leave, Kade stopped them. "I'm coming with you," he said firmly. "You'll need another heavy hitter."

Wolverine smirked, shaking his head. "Sure, Boy Scout, tag along."

Before they left, Emma Frost approached Justin. "Im going to look into your mind to find the location of their lab," she said, her tone as cold as her powers.

Kade quickly stepped in. "Only if he consents to it, Ms.Frost . You can't just invade someone's mind without permission."

Emma sighed, clearly annoyed. "Fine." She turned to Justin. "May I?"

Justin looked at Kade, who nodded encouragingly. "It's up to you, Justin. But you have the right to refuse."

After a moment's hesitation, Justin nodded. Emma closed her eyes, delving into his memories. Moments later, she found the location. "It's under a Catholic Church in New York City."

They headed to the church, finding it packed with worshippers. Kade frowned, the weight of the situation pressing on him. "There are too many civilians here. We need to clear the area."

He raised his voice, addressing the crowd. "Everyone, please evacuate calmly. There's a potential danger here."

Some argued, claiming their right to worship. Kade remained patient, despite the urgency. "I'm not infringing on your rights, but this place could be a battlefield in four minutes. Please, for your safety, evacuate."

Wolverine, growing impatient, stepped forward. His claws popped out with a snikt. "Move it, now!" he growled. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving the area clear.

Kade gave Wolverine a disapproving look, but Wolverine just grunted and smiled. "Sometimes, you gotta be direct, Boy Scout."

Inside the church, Kade used his X-ray vision to find an elevator leading to the underground lab. "They know we're here," he said, his tone grim.

With a powerful punch, Kade smashed through the ground, creating a tunnel directly into the lab. Scientists and soldiers scrambled in shock.

"Freeze and surrender!" Kade commanded, his voice echoing through the lab.

The soldiers opened fire, but the bullets bounced off Kade harmlessly. He used his super breath to freeze their guns and then sped around, subduing the soldiers with ease.

The X-Men followed, engaging in battle. Wolverine was about to kill a soldier when Kade intervened, grabbing his hand. "No killing," Kade said firmly.

Wolverine yanked his hand free, growling. "Don't ever do that again bub." He stared up at Kade, their eyes locked in a tense standoff. Finally, Wolverine grunted and walked away. "You goody two-shoes types, always the Boy Scouts never willing to get anything done."

They pressed on, freeing captured mutants along the way. They reached the room with the canisters, where the head scientist made a desperate move. "If I can't get rid of mutants worldwide, I'll start with you!" he shouted, activating the canisters.

Kade's eyes widened as gas began to fill the room. Without hesitation, he inhaled deeply, drawing the gas into his lungs. He looked at the X-Men, specifically Wolverine. "Maybe I am a goody two-shoes Boy Scout, but that doesn't make me a bad hero."

He grabbed the last canister and shot up through the ground, flying as fast as he could into space. The canister detonated, and Kade floated in the void, feeling the virus spread through his system. He thought back to what Justin had said about adapting.

His vision blurred as weakness set in. With a final burst of willpower, he flew into the sun, letting its immense energy envelop him. His vision went black, and he drifted into unconsciousness, knowing he had done everything he could to save them.