HYDRA's intelligence files were as precise as they were incomplete.
Though they had catalogued recent sightings and scattered fragments of Logan's past, they were entirely unaware of the present reality: Wolverine was no longer in his prime. He was old—broken, and slowly dying.
Nor did they know that the mutant race itself was approaching extinction.
The Essex Corporation, working from the shadows, had been slowly and deliberately altering the fate of mutants. By lacing genetically modified agents into the global food supply, they had introduced compounds that suppressed mutant genes, disrupting not just the powers of existing mutants, but also preventing the birth of new ones.
It was subtle. Silent. Systemic. And devastating.
Across the globe, mutant numbers dwindled. Birth rates collapsed. The mighty species that had once stood toe-to-toe with gods and alien invaders was fading into history.
The mutant end times had arrived.
Nathan stood amidst the carnage of the warehouse, surrounded by the still-warm corpses of the street racing gang he had executed without hesitation. Their blood still stained the floor. The smell of gunpowder lingered in the air.
None of them had useful information about Logan's current whereabouts.
That meant they were no longer useful.
And Nathan never left loose ends.
He had pulled his sidearm, flipped off the safety, and moved with surgical efficiency. Each shot was deliberate. Clean. Merciless.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
In less than a minute, every gang member lay dead, a bullet hole neatly centered on each forehead.
He lowered the pistol, white smoke curling from its barrel. He gave it a brisk shake and holstered it at his waist.
Turning to leave, he muttered under his breath, "If I remember correctly, Logan was headed toward Eden. The location from the X-Men comics…"
He straddled his motorcycle once more. With a deep, guttural roar, the engine came to life, echoing through the dusty streets. As the bike tore off into the distance, not a single witness dared peek through the blinds.
The people in town knew exactly who had owned that warehouse—and what kind of monsters they were.
Even if they'd heard the gunshots that night, no one called the police.
It wasn't until several days later, when the stench of death began seeping from the walls, that someone dared investigate.
The bodies were discovered. The town stirred.
Police arrived, but the crime scene told them nothing. No fingerprints. No security footage. No surviving witnesses.
And honestly, no one really cared.
The motorcycle gang had long terrorized the area. Their death? It was celebrated in whispers and smirks over morning coffee.
In the town's small diner, conversations hummed over half-eaten plates of eggs and toast.
"You hear the news? That whole gang got wiped out."
"Yeah. Happened days ago, but no one found the bodies until now."
"They say it was all done with a regular handgun. Clean shots. All headshots. Real pro."
"One person did that?"
"Apparently."
"Whoever it was, they deserve a damn medal."
Behind the counter, the diner owner froze. His heart pounded as a cold sweat broke across his neck.
His mind flashed back to a few nights ago.
A young man. Handsome. Mysterious. Dressed in layers with a backpack.
The same man who'd asked him about the gang.
Could it have been… him?
His lips trembled. "C-couldn't be," he muttered.
But deep down, he knew.
He'd served the killer a plate of pasta and steak.
And maybe, just maybe, that small bit of help spared his life.
"Who?" asked a customer nearby.
The owner shook his head quickly. "No one. Just talking to myself."
But inside, his thoughts were chaos.
---
Far from town, Nathan rode hard, his mind locked onto a single mission: find Logan.
With his phone in hand, he began cross-referencing the X-Men comic storyline about Eden—the fabled mutant safe haven. In that tale, Eden served as the last sanctuary for remaining mutants, a place of hope at the end of the road.
The trail led to a real location.
Oklahoma City.
His memory clicked. That's where Logan had taken refuge with Charles Xavier and Caliban, at least for a time. That was also the place where things began to unravel.
The Professor's failing mind. The seizures. The casualties.
That meant Logan would be there soon—if he wasn't already.
As the sun dipped low over the horizon, the road stretched endlessly before him. The sky burned with crimson light, casting long shadows across the vast wilderness.
His motorcycle roared like a beast, tires devouring the asphalt.
Ahead, a weathered sign came into view:
Oklahoma City – 22 Miles
"Finally," Nathan whispered. "Two days of driving, and I'm almost there."
He stared at the fading skyline in the distance.
His fingers tightened on the throttle.
"So far, there's been no news of a psychic paralysis event in Oklahoma."
"That means Professor X hasn't had his major episode yet. The villains haven't located their group."
He knew what was coming.
The seizures. The accidental deaths. The relentless pursuit.
It was all beginning to line up.
"I'm just in time," he murmured. "Soon, I'll find them."
But his tone shifted. There was a hint of sadness now.
"Wolverine… He's not the man he used to be."
He knew Logan's condition.
The Adamantium that once made him indestructible was now poisoning him. His healing factor, once limitless, had slowed. His body was aging. Sluggish. Worn.
The greatest mutant warrior was dying from within.
Nathan sighed. "He's no longer useful for study."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"But… X-23 still is."
Laura.
The girl cloned from Logan's DNA. Ferocious. Gifted with a healing factor, adamantium claws, and instincts just as lethal as her father's.
And more importantly—
"X-24."
A full-grown clone of Wolverine, created by Transigen.
Strong. Pure. Savage. And still in his prime.
Nathan's voice was low as he continued, almost to himself, "X-24 is the ideal subject. Physically superior, unburdened by age, and possessing the same abilities."
"If I want to truly understand what makes Logan special… the clone is the key."
He revved the engine harder. The sky darkened above him.
Stars began to peek through the heavens.
He was close.
To Wolverine. To X-23.
To X-24.
And to unlocking the next chapter of mutant evolution—or what little remained of it.
___________________________________
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