Trap

Three hours later, everything was ready.

Miles changed into a hospital gown and was wheeled by a kindly-looking nurse into the corridor leading to the operating room.

Logan stood outside the corridor, watching as the operating room doors separated him from Miles. For some reason, irritation began to rise within him.

"Hey, beautiful Nurse, will you be there during the surgery?"

"Yes, Mr. Miles. Is there anything you need?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask whether patients are allowed to film the procedure themselves. I want to leave myself a memento. After all, this might be the only chance in my life to see my own brain."

"Uh, that's a pretty cool idea."

"Right? I knew it was cool as hell!" Miles continued muttering to himself. "Also, if I don't make it through the surgery and you guys kill me, remember to soak my brain in formaldehyde. Maybe it'll fetch a good price someday, just like Einstein's... Oh, and put Laura down as the primary beneficiary. Forget old Charles. He won't live for many more years, and if I leave him money, they'll just tax it again as inheritance when he dies..."

"..." The nurse's expression twitched slightly, and she chose silence.

As the wheelchair drew closer and closer to the operating room, when they were less than five meters away, Miles's heart suddenly lurched as an intense sense of danger surged through him.

Instinctively, he pressed his fingers against his temple, and his Telepathy spread out in an instant. Then he immediately sensed more than thirty minds inside the operating room ahead!

There were too many people. Something was wrong!

Something was happening!

Realizing this, Miles did not hesitate. He continued using his ability, hacking into the hospital surveillance system with Electronic Signal Manipulation and rapidly reviewing the hospital's security footage.

Countless images flashed through his mind before finally stopping on a scene from over an hour ago—a group of mysterious figures in black combat uniforms had silently infiltrated the hospital through the staff entrance!

And at the very back of that group, a tall, familiar figure flashed past.

X-24!

This was a trap!!

"Stop! Cancel the surgery!"

Miles immediately shouted at the nurse.

However, the nurse pushing him changed expression. Not only did she fail to stop, she accelerated instead, pushing him at a run toward the operating room!

This nurse was an enemy!

"Fuck!"

Miles immediately used Mind Control on the nurse, attempting to force her to stop.

"Mm..."

The ability took effect. Pain appeared on the nurse's face, and her steps halted.

After successfully controlling the nurse, Miles tried to make her take him outside, only to find that he could not!

This nurse's willpower was terrifyingly strong. She could actually resist Miles's Mind Control through sheer force of will. Miles could make her stop, but that was all!

Frankly speaking, Miles was not particularly strong in the field of pure Mind Control. Forget comparing him to Charles—even someone like Donald Pierce, an ordinary human soldier with unwavering willpower, could not be completely controlled.

Yet in Miles's perception, this nurse's will seemed even stronger than Donald's!

She definitely could not be an ordinary person!

"Tap tap tap..."

As if they had noticed something was wrong, hurried footsteps began sounding from the operating room. Someone was clearly coming.

"Logan!!!"

While controlling the nurse's movements, Miles shouted, "This is a trap!!"

The next moment, a commotion erupted at the entrance behind Miles. Then the iron door was thrown open, and a disheveled Logan rushed inside!

Crack!!

At the same time, the operating room door opened as well, and several figures in specialized combat suits were about to rush out... but the next moment, the door that had just opened began closing again!

Miles's gaze turned cold. Clearly, this door was controlled through electronic circuits as well!

In the instant the door opened, Miles saw the people inside... They were still the Reavers hired by Dr. Zander, but now their flashy mechanical prosthetics had been replaced with the simplest artificial limbs, and they carried no unnecessary electronic equipment. Clearly, they were guarding against him!

"Zander, you son of a bitch!!"

Miles cursed loudly.

The moment he was distracted, the nurse broke free of the mental restraint and suddenly tried to seize Miles, only for Logan to rush in and shove her aside!

"Mm!"

The nurse let out a low growl. After staggering slightly, she quickly steadied herself again, then spun around and kicked Logan in the chest, forcing him back two steps.

A military agent...

Seeing that crisp, efficient kick, Logan instantly understood where this woman had come from!

"Logan, Wolverine..." The woman warned Logan in a low voice, "Get lost. If you don't want to die, stay out of our business!"

Logan's harsh response to her threat was to extend his claws directly.

"Fuck you!"

While Logan became entangled with the woman, Miles remained in the wheelchair, his face pale as he continued using his ability.

Under his control, power throughout the operating room was cut off, eliminating the possibility of the people inside coming out through the front entrance.

At the same time, Miles instinctively wanted to cut power to the entire medical school, but after hesitating briefly, he gave up.

This was a hospital. Cutting the power recklessly would kill a lot of people...

Damn it...

Miles gritted his teeth, then concentrated all his attention on frantically searching the surveillance system for X-24.

In his eyes, that Beast was the most dangerous one!

Soon, the fight in the corridor was decided. Although the female agent was skilled, Logan had dealt with too many people from the military over the years. After a difficult exchange, Logan finally found an opening and knocked the agent unconscious.

"Cough, cough..." Logan coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. Clearly, he had not had an easy time either.

If he had been younger, this woman would have been nothing more than a single swipe of his claws. But now, he truly was old.

At the same time, movement came from the other side of the operating room. Clearly realizing that the front entrance was blocked, the people inside had left through a side door and were preparing to circle around from the other side.

Just then, Miles finally located X-24. He was in the parking lot outside the hospital, walking toward the pickup truck where Charles and Laura were.

Charles was sleeping inside.

At that instant, Miles's mind exploded. A scene he had long forgotten from the original movie flashed through his mind like lightning—X-24 piercing Charles's heart with his metal claws.

"No—!!"

Miles cried out, instinctively trying to rush over. Then his body swayed, and he fell straight out of the wheelchair.

"Mm..."

His head hit the cold floor. Eyes reddened, Miles ignored the pain and roared at Logan with all his strength, "Take me to the parking lot! Hurry!"

"Charles is in danger!"

Meanwhile, inside the pickup truck, Charles was resting quietly.

Laura, guarding his side, had no sleepiness at all. As if she had sensed danger, the girl curled up in the passenger seat like an alert young wolf, her ears catching every subtle sound in the parking lot.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing screech of twisting metal erupted!

Riiip!

The pickup truck jolted violently, and the heavy door was forcibly ripped off from the outside by an irresistible brute force, crashing heavily onto the asphalt.

A figure identical to Logan appeared in the doorway, but there was no emotion in his eyes—only lifeless emptiness.

That monster!

Aah!!

Laura did not even have time to think. Her body reacted before her mind could.

She let out a sharp snarl and launched herself from the seat, pouncing at him with fearless ferocity. The two metal claws extending from the back of her right hand stabbed straight at X-24's eyes.

However, X-24 merely raised his left arm expressionlessly.

Clang!

The metal claws collided with the metal-covered bones of his arm, producing a dull sound.

X-24's hand moved incredibly fast. He grabbed Laura's attacking wrist and squeezed with his fingers.

Crack!

A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out as Laura's right wrist was crushed. The agonizing pain made her grunt, but the bone claws of her left hand immediately slashed toward his neck.

X-24 neither dodged nor avoided it, allowing the claws to leave a bloody mark across his face. His right hand seized her throat in the same motion, lifting her small body into the air.

Laura kicked wildly, but could not reach anything.

Then X-24 casually flung her toward a nearby concrete pillar.

Bang!

Laura's body slammed heavily into the pillar before falling back to the ground. As she struggled to rise, X-24 stepped on her lower leg.

Crack crack...

Another teeth-grinding sound of breaking bone followed. X-24 efficiently crippled Laura's ability to move, then pulled a nylon cargo rope from the back of the pickup truck and tightly bound the helpless Laura.

"Mmph..."

With her mouth gagged, Laura could not even scream. She could only watch helplessly as X-24 slowly walked toward Charles.

Five meters, three meters...

In X-24's emotionless eyes, old Charles's figure gradually became clearer.

He remembered this old man. During the last battle, this old man had suddenly unleashed powerful psychic force, making even him unable to resist. In that instant, he had felt an intense threat of death.

Therefore, to X-24, neither Logan nor Laura was worth fearing. Only old Charles was the greatest threat!

So he had to die!

Just then, the tremendous commotion from X-24's battle with Laura finally woke Charles.

The old man slowly opened his eyes. Perhaps because he had just awakened, his vision was still blurry. Seeing "Logan" standing at the door, confusion appeared on his face.

"Logan?" he called softly, his voice hoarse with sleep. "What happened..."

Squelch.

Before Charles could make any reaction, before he could even summon the slightest shred of psychic power, X-24 had already stepped into the truck and driven his gleaming metal claws straight into Charles's chest without resistance.

Charles's body jolted. He lowered his head and looked at the claws piercing through his chest.

Then he raised his head and took one final look at his killer's face. In his clouded eyes, his final consciousness was swallowed by immense grief and disbelief.

In the distance, Logan, who was racing over with Miles on his back, had just reached the entrance to the parking lot. The two of them saw the scene at the same time.

Time froze at that moment.

"No!!!"