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*El Paso County, Texas, Early Morning*
Having just completed his last delivery, Logan, exhausted, was sleeping in his rented stretch limousine when the noisy commotion outside woke him up.
"Damn it!"
He cursed angrily and struggled out of the car, pushing open the door.
This sort of thing happened often. It was probably those thugs from Mexico who had crossed the border, eyeing his luxury car and planning to steal its wheels to sell for money.
However, he couldn't afford to let them succeed. He depended on this rented vehicle to earn money, which he desperately needed.
He needed money for Professor X's medication, and he was also saving up to buy a yacht to provide a safe life for the professor on the open sea.
After years of experiencing the deaths of friends and loved ones, Logan was actually weary of his own life.
His only current hope was to provide his only surviving old friend, Charles Xavier, who had once redeemed him, with a reasonably comfortable old age.
If these thugs managed to steal the wheels, not only would he have to compensate the rental company, but he would also lose his steady job.
"Hey, these lug nuts are chrome-plated. You've ruined them. Get out of here…"
Holding onto the car door, Logan tried to reason with the thugs to leave without resorting to violence, but his efforts were in vain.
Seeing the car owner, the thugs didn't flee immediately. Instead, one of them raised a gun and fired at Logan while continuing to dismantle the wheels.
Killing seemed as mundane to them as eating and drinking.
Logan's healing factor had diminished significantly due to the toxins in the adamantium, but these injuries were still not fatal.
He slowly extended his claws and moved forward to fight the thugs.
However, due to his age and lack of proper rest, he was soon knocked to the ground by the six thugs, only able to protect his head with his hands and wait for an opportunity to retaliate.
"George, do you really think he can still help us?"
Gabriella asked with concern from the truck.
After detouring to El Paso County and searching for four hours, they finally found Wolverine's location. Yet, the current situation made her doubt their chances.
George smiled and nodded.
"Of course, he can. And he'll be a great help."
Despite Wolverine's current condition, if he fought seriously, a few more thugs would still not be his match.
If they could find a way to neutralize the adamantium toxins, Wolverine's body would return to its peak condition.
Consider that Apocalypse, who also had regenerative abilities, had lived for thousands of years without showing signs of aging.
"You wait here. I'll go talk to him."
Opening the car door, George leaped out and used his powers to control two daggers, slashing them across the throats of the thugs.
Given the lack of any moral compass in these thugs, who killed innocents without hesitation, George had no qualms about aiming for their vital spots.
The sound of slashed windpipes echoed repeatedly. The thugs surrounding Wolverine fell, clutching their necks in disbelief.
Noticing the disturbance, Wolverine released his hold on his arms and looked equally surprised.
At that moment, a hand reached out to him.
"Are you alright, Wolverine?"
"Friend, you might have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Wolverine, but I still appreciate your help."
Logan didn't extend his hand but instead stood up on his own.
George didn't take it personally, withdrawing his hand and continuing.
"My name is George. I'm a mutant. We have thirty-five more mutant children with us. We need your and the professor's help."
"Mutants? Mutants have long since disappeared. There are no mutants left in this world, and neither are Wolverine or the professor."
Wolverine shook his head, struggling to squat down and pick up the scattered lug nuts to fix the car's tires.
George waved his hand, and the scattered lug nuts immediately floated up and landed in his hand.
"Naturally occurring mutants are indeed rare, but there are still plenty of artificially created mutants. For example, I am a mutant created from the combined genes of Professor X and Magneto."
"What exactly are you?"
Seeing the nuts floating in mid-air, Wolverine's eyes showed a cautious expression, and his claws extended again, though one was partially stuck.
George paused briefly, then gestured toward the truck parked a short distance away.
Moments later, Gabriella, accompanied by the thirty-five mutant children including Wolfsbane, walked over.
"Show Mr. Logan your abilities."
Wolfsbane extended her adamantium claws, Rictor raised a wall of earth from the ground, and the other children demonstrated their powers: controlling wind, fire, plants, water, electricity, and even emitting freezing breath.
Although their powers were not yet fully developed and thus not very strong, they clearly proved their identities as mutants.
"Mr. Logan, George isn't lying. We just escaped from a gene modification lab in Mexico City," Gabriella explained in detail about their experiences and the situation at the lab.
After hearing this, Wolverine took a deep breath, looked at George and the children, and reluctantly said, "I'm afraid I can't help you. I don't have the ability to assist you."
He was indifferent to his own fate but couldn't afford to get involved in such complicated matters now. Any misstep could jeopardize the professor's safety and possibly lead to his own death.
So, despite his reluctance, he had to refuse.
Gabriella's expression immediately darkened upon hearing this, but George was prepared and did not give up.
He understood why Wolverine was refusing and knew that Wolverine was essentially a good person who could be persuaded with a reasonable approach.
"I once accidentally came across information about the Westchester incident while at the lab. You work so hard driving to earn money; it must be for treating the professor's illness.
Helping us is also helping the professor and yourself. According to our plan, the professor will receive the best medication and equipment in the world and might even recover to normal."
"But have you considered that the famous playboy Tony Stark might not repay us and might even betray us? Not everyone who is saved is grateful; many people, driven by their own interests, might seek revenge instead."
Wolverine fell silent for a moment before replying.
He had personal experience with such matters.
During World War II, he had once saved an officer who, as the officer grew old, coveted Wolverine's healing ability and attempted to kill him to steal it, hoping to extend his own life.
(End of Chapter)