Bullets struck Logan's body, but they only lodged themselves in his muscles without drawing a single drop of blood. Unfazed, he charged toward his enemies.
Sharp claws extended from between his knuckles, gleaming menacingly under the sunlight.
"Mutant!" one of the men exclaimed in shock. They had been capturing mutants for some time now, but they had only ever encountered children—not an adult mutant, and certainly not one like this.
Clink, clink!
Logan deflected the incoming bullets with ease.
Before one of the men could react, Logan swiftly swung his claws, severing the hand holding the gun. Without hesitation, his Adamantium claws pierced through the man's abdomen.
The other man fumbled to draw another pistol, his hands trembling.
Thunk!
A syringe loaded with an unknown substance struck Logan.
"Logan, stop!" Garus shouted from behind. Seeing Logan about to kill the remaining man, he quickly used Death Grip to pull the attacker toward himself, immobilizing him. "Logan, we need one alive to figure out what's going on."
Logan glanced at Garus, then silently pulled the syringe out of his body.
"Don't come any closer!" a little boy shouted at Logan with a mix of defiance and fear. His voice, though resolute, betrayed his exhaustion.
Garus noticed the boy's face and hands were covered with fine scales, his pupils slit like a lizard's. A lizard-man? No... he remembered hearing the attackers call him a mutant.
The boy clung tightly to his younger sister, shielding her with his small frame. Neither sibling spared a glance at the lifeless body of their mother, who lay crumpled nearby.
"Hey, kid," Logan retracted his claws and tried to soften his expression, though it was clear he was out of practice with looking friendly.
"Logan, is this boy also a mutant?" Garus asked as he knocked the struggling attacker unconscious with a palm strike. Dragging the man over like a sack of potatoes, he added, "They seem terrified of you."
Logan's attempt at a reassuring smile only made the two children more wary.
"How about we find out where they live and take them home?" Garus suggested. "I've got no clue how to deal with kids this young."
Turning to the children, he asked, "Hey, little ones, where's your home? Where's your dad?"
The siblings simply shook their heads, saying nothing.
Garus frowned. "This kind of uncontrollable mutation could make them targets for ostracism—or worse. By the way, who are these guys? Why are they hunting mutants?"
"I'll check," Garus said, kneeling to search the unconscious man's pockets. From inside the man's suit jacket, he pulled out an ID.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 5 Agent: William Abel," he read aloud, his eyes narrowing in surprise. Considering the connection between HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as Nick Fury's methods, Garus suspected these men were more likely HYDRA agents in disguise.
"Let's bring him back for questioning," Garus decided. Perhaps this could shed light on the mystery of the disappearing mutants.
Logan was visibly running out of patience. Back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, unruly kids would have been dealt with by a stern talking-to—or a good scare.
"Logan, let's take them to my place," Garus said.
Before Logan could protest, a glowing violet portal materialized in front of them.
"Move!" Garus grabbed the children and headed for the portal, shouting over his shoulder, "Bring the unconscious guy. Let's go!"
Before stepping through, Garus unleashed a Corpse Explosion spell on the other agent's body. The corpse swelled like a balloon before bursting, showering the area in a gruesome rain of blood and gore—a highly effective way to destroy evidence.
"Not an ice mutant… so what is he?" Logan muttered to himself, perplexed by Garus' abilities.
Dragging the unconscious agent, Logan followed them through the portal.
Back at the house, Garus unceremoniously dumped the kids onto the sofa. Rolling up his sleeves, he glanced down at his hands, each bearing a row of tiny bite marks.
"Logan, what do we do about these kids?"
Logan scratched his head. Taking care of kids was well beyond his expertise, especially ones so young—no older than five, by his estimation. "Let's interrogate the guy first," he suggested.
Garus nodded. For now, that was their best option. He carried the children into a room, locked the door, and returned.
A bucket of cold water splashed onto the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's face, jolting him awake.
"Argh!" William gasped, only to be greeted by Logan's claws plunging into his shoulder.
"Who are you people?" Logan growled.
The sight of Garus holding his ID made William bark, "We're government agents! You'll be hunted by the U.S. government for this!"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"Yes."
Garus suddenly grinned and shouted, "Hail HYDRA!"
William froze, stunned.
"Don't look at me like that," Garus said, smirking. "I'm not one of you, but I know more about HYDRA than you ever will."
Realizing his cover was blown, William clammed up, refusing to speak further.
Logan's claws stabbed into him repeatedly, leaving William bloodied and gasping for air, but he still remained silent.
"HYDRA's brainwashing is really something," Garus remarked, shaking his head. "This is giving me a headache. Those HYDRA guys are absolute lunatics."
Torture wasn't getting them anywhere, and Logan wasn't exactly a skilled interrogator.
"Wait, I've got an idea!"
Leaving Logan with a confused look, Garus ran to his room and opened his system's exchange store.
Gnomish Mind-Control Cap: 1,000 exchange points. One-time use. Allows control over the target's behavior and consciousness. User's mental strength must exceed the target's. Duration: 24 hours. Controlled individuals retain all memories from the controlled period. Ends if they take damage.
Thought Amplifier Disc: 10,000 exchange points. Reusable. Functions identically to the Mind-Control Cap.
After weighing his options, Garus chose the one-time-use cap. Though effective, its limitations made it impractical for long-term use.
Returning to the interrogation room, Garus held the strange cap aloft.
"What's that?" Logan asked, eyeing the odd contraption.
"A mind-control device," Garus replied. "Even if he doesn't want to talk, this will make him spill everything."
William's mind, already weakened from the torture, barely resisted as the cap took effect. His eyes glazed over as his consciousness succumbed to the device.
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