The children aboard the Blackbird forgot to breathe as they watched Logan plummet from a thousand meters up like a meteor.
"He... he won't die when he hits the ground, will he?" Jonah asked, his mouth dry.
"He's Wolverine. Of course he won't die!" Bobby's face shone with fervent admiration. He reached behind him and pulled out the portable speaker he had found at the X-Men base. "Guys, how about some music for a moment like this?"
"Bobby, don't mess around..." Richter tried to stop him.
But he was too late. Bobby hit play.
A blast of electronic rock exploded through the cabin like a shockwave. Drums and bass filled every corner, setting even the metal floor beneath their feet humming.
Fall Out Boy's "The Phoenix"!
The song set the cabin's tense, stifling atmosphere ablaze. Outside, the sky rushed past. Inside, rock music roared around a group of kids about to enter a battlefield!
The pounding beat mingled with the Blackbird's howl as it tore through the sky, stoking the fire in every heart aboard!
"Guys, I love this!" said Delia, who had barely spoken until now. She gave Bobby a thumbs-up.
High above, the wind screamed in Logan's ears.
The military buildings below swelled in his vision. He could already make out antlike figures on the ground, pointing at the sky in panic.
Only then did Logan feel a peace unlike anything he had known before.
He no longer had to think about where to go, how to make money, or that damned Sun-Chaser. All the heavy, tangled mess of his past had nothing to do with him anymore.
Because he was—Wolverine!!!
"Put on your war paint"
(Put on your battle gear)
"You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down"
(You weigh me down like a stone, dragging me into the abyss)
"Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground"
(But I'll strike a match and burn you to ash)
BOOM!!!
With a thunderous crash, the roof of a hangar at Whiteman Air Force Base caved in! A shockwave and a cloud of dust blasted skyward as stone and metal fragments sprayed out like rain.
"What happened?"
"Did something fall out of the sky?"
The troops on the ground stared in shock at the sudden "meteor." After a brief, stunned silence, every gun swung toward the breached hangar.
Seconds later, a deafening roar rang out. An irresistible force tore the hangar doors apart and sent them flying, twisted, in opposite directions!
A black-clad figure charged out of the rolling smoke, claws extended from both hands!
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!
Sirens shrieked across the base. Nearby security troops shouted themselves hoarse as they poured fire into Logan. A web of bullets swallowed him whole.
But Logan, restored to his prime, seemed not to care. He drove straight through the storm of bullets, any one of which could have torn through steel! Rounds striking his bones made dull thuds. Those that buried themselves in his flesh were forced back out by healing tissue a few strides later, clattering all over the ground.
"Setting fire to the sky"
(Burning bright across the sky)
"Here, here comes this rising tide"
(Now the tide rises, and danger comes with it)
"So come on"
(Then let us charge into battle)
The nearest soldier watched a smoking bullet hole in Wolverine's chest stop bleeding and seal shut before his eyes. Fear shattered his composure.
"Fire! Fire! Don't let him get close!"
Wolverine bared his teeth in a grin more chilling than a beast's roar. His legs drove him forward, and he crashed into the soldiers' position! Screams mingled with the sound of rending metal as he tore through their ranks.
Once he broke through the cordon, a blood-soaked Logan pulled out his communicator. "Aurora, can you take control of their command system?"
"Whiteman Base has complex security protocols and a supercomputer mainframe. I'm trying to force my way in through the Blackbird's control system, but I don't have enough processing power... I need more time!"
"Fuck... Then just tell me where to go!"
"Southwest. Gamma Containment Sector!"
"Got it!"
Meanwhile, in the command center.
General Lake was preparing briefing materials in his office when he heard the shrill alarm. A moment later, the internal communicator on his desk switched on automatically.
"Sir, someone's breached the base! Repeat, we're under attack!"
"Who?" General Lake froze, thinking he must have misheard.
This was an air base inside the United States. Who would be crazy enough to attack it?
"It's... Wolverine!"
"What?" General Lake was even more baffled. "That old bastard?"
"Sir, you'd better see for yourself..."
The voice over the communicator cut off, and the main surveillance screen in front of General Lake switched feeds.
On the screen, a bloodied figure in a black uniform barreled through a hail of gunfire. Anyone who stood in his way was ripped open or run through by his claws the next instant!
A shoulder-fired rocket struck him from the side. Barely a second later, he roared his way back out of the flames, tackled the soldier holding the launcher, and drove a claw down!
He was a monster built purely to kill! No one could stop him!
General Lake's pupils contracted. His mouth fell open.
"What the fuck!?"
He swore and snatched up the communicator. "All heavy weapons units! Target that hangar! Blow him to pieces! Now!"
At the same time, deep in the base's Gamma Containment Sector, Dr. Zander saw that familiar yet strangely different figure on the internal surveillance feed. Alarm lights flashed wildly, washing his stunned face in alternating red and shadow.
"His healing ability has recovered?"
Cold fear crept up his spine. He knew better than anyone what Wolverine at the height of his powers meant.
Dr. Zander was gripped by terror at first, but his expression soon shifted. A feverish gleam flashed in his eyes.
"This might... be an opportunity!"
He turned toward X-24, who stood waiting in the shadows, and hurried over. "Logan's back. He's right outside. Go tear him apart!"
"Prove to everyone that you're the more perfect Wolverine!"
X-24 raised his vacant eyes to meet Zander's. After a moment, he nodded mechanically, turned, and strode toward the exit.
Just before stepping through the doorway, he stopped and looked back. His gaze passed over Zander's shoulder to Miles, who sat in a wheelchair nearby, giggling to himself.
"Go!" Dr. Zander urged.
X-24 turned away and disappeared down the corridor leading to the battlefield.
"You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start"
(You know time drags while you wait for the battle song to begin)
"So dance alone to the beat of your heart"
(So dance alone to your heartbeat)
As Logan fought his way onward, nearly half the air base descended into chaos.
The Blackbird plunged toward the wilderness outside the base, flying so low it nearly skimmed the ground. Wind whipped sand and stones against its hull. The rear hatch opened, and a shrieking gust laden with dust rushed in, stinging everyone's cheeks.
"There's nowhere to land. You'll have to jump," Aurora said over the children's communicators, her voice utterly calm.
The ground raced past before them, little more than a blurred strip of color.
"We're just jumping?" Bobby asked hesitantly.
"Quit talking!"
Richter grabbed Bobby around the waist before he could react. As the Blackbird dipped to its lowest point, less than two meters above the ground, Richter held the struggling boy tight and leaped out with a roar!
Jonah and Rebecca exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and jumped after them.
"Warning! Incoming missile!"
They had barely jumped when an alarm blared through the Blackbird! An anti-aircraft missile streaked from a distant launcher, trailing white fire as it homed in on the descending aircraft!
The Blackbird had been spotted!
"Watch out!"
At the last possible moment, Delia thrust out both hands. Invisible telekinetic force enveloped the missile!
The air itself seemed to freeze. Less than twenty meters above the ground, the missile jolted to a halt, then an unseen force wrenched it onto a new course!
A drop of blood ran from Delia's nose. She paid it no mind.
The missile skimmed past the Blackbird's wing and shrieked across the sky, then curved back down and slammed into the ground with a thunderous explosion!
"Thank you, Miss Delia..." Aurora's voice came through Delia's communicator. "I'll cover you from here!"
The pilotless Blackbird climbed almost vertically, pushing its maneuverability to the limit. It seemed to defy the laws of physics.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Several more anti-aircraft missiles tore through the air in pursuit of the Blackbird!
With the children safely off, Aurora had nothing left to hold her back. Like a top ace pilot, she rolled and banked through the sky. More than once, the Blackbird's wings cut through the fire of exploding missiles, drawing cries of alarm from the children below.
"Wearing our vintage misery"
(We carry the sorrow of our past hardships)
"No, I think it looked a little better on me"
(No, I think I wore those wounds a little better)
"I'm gonna change you like a remix"
(I'll remake you from the beginning)
"Then I'll raise you like a phoenix"
(Then I'll raise you to rise again like a phoenix)
"Aurora, that was amazing!" Rebecca had just found her footing and was watching the aerial battle.
"Hank deserves the credit, not me. I'm only pushing his design to its theoretical limit," Aurora replied. "Also, get down!"
Before she had finished speaking, the Blackbird shook off its pursuers and dropped an air-to-ground missile from beneath its fuselage!
BOOM!!
The missile struck the base's outer wall dead on. The thick concrete burst open with a tremendous crash, sending stone and reinforcing steel flying!
"Gamma Containment Sector is five hundred meters ahead. Good luck, soldiers!"
With that, Aurora steered the Blackbird toward the far side of the base through a growing web of anti-aircraft machine-gun fire and missiles, drawing most of the fire away from the children.
Elsewhere, Logan had just reached the heavy metal doors of Gamma Containment Sector when a dark figure lunged from the shadows beside the entrance.
The figure's speed and strength were extraordinary. The impact even made Logan stagger.
The two crashed to the ground, rolled together, and slammed into a nearby wall. The solid concrete shuddered!
It was X-24!
"Hello, Logan..." Dr. Zander stepped slowly into view. "Would you tell me how you recovered your abilities? Honestly, I'm curious..."
"AARGH!!"
Before he could finish, X-24's cry of pain cut him off!
After only two rolls, a sharp glint appeared in Logan's eyes. He let X-24's claws pierce his chest while twisting at an impossible angle. One hand clamped around X-24's striking arm, then wrenched it hard!
Pain crossed X-24's face for the first time! Logan had bent his right arm backward until it broke!
"Can't replace ligaments with alloy... Thanks for showing me how much that hurts last time, fucker!"
Logan growled and rolled on top of X-24, pinning him to the ground. His Adamantium claws sprang out and flashed as he drove them precisely into the joints of X-24's shoulders and hips, then twisted hard!
The sound of tearing tendons set teeth on edge.
They both had healing abilities and metal skeletons. Logan knew exactly how to deal with "himself."
Then he hauled up the limp, slowly healing X-24 with one hand and flung him at Dr. Zander's feet.
THUD!
The giant's heavy body struck the ground, and Dr. Zander stared down at him.
He looked at the "perfect creation" Logan had disabled in a few moves, then up at the blood-drenched Wolverine walking toward him. His composure and confidence collapsed, leaving only terror.
"Stay away!!"
Dr. Zander shrieked, turned, and scrambled deeper into the containment sector.
Logan was about to pursue him when the air behind him warped. A soft pop sounded, like sulfur igniting, and a lanky figure appeared out of nowhere.
Night Demon, one of The Purifiers!
BANG!
Night Demon teleported in and drove his sharp claws toward Logan's back!
But Logan seemed to have sensed him already. His muscles tightened, and just before the claws touched his skin, he shot a hand backward and caught his attacker by the wrist.
Night Demon felt as though a steel vise had closed around his wrist. He could not move, and shock flashed in his eyes.
The next instant, Logan twisted from the waist with a low roar. He swung Night Demon's entire body like a hammer, arcing him through the air before smashing him into the ground!
"Boom!"
The hard concrete floor caved into a shallow crater, and cracks spread outward like a spiderweb.
"Shing!"
Steel claws sprang from Logan's knuckles. They flashed as he drove them toward the figure on the ground, ready to end this nuisance. But an instant before they struck, Night Demon dissolved into smoke and vanished.
Teleportation was a pain...
The next instant, smoke gathered behind Logan, and Night Demon reappeared!
He was about to attack again when he saw, to his horror, a face already waiting for him, murderous fury written all over it. Logan hadn't even turned fully around. He simply whipped his arm back in a savage slash, and three blades came straight at Night Demon's face!
"Aargh!"
Night Demon couldn't dodge in time. Three deep gashes tore across his face, exposing bone and leaving flesh hanging loose. He screamed in agony and teleported on instinct, reappearing dozens of meters away.
He clutched his bleeding face, his eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't understand how this monster could possibly keep up with his teleportation.
It wasn't prediction. It was instinct, pure and simple—a beast's unreasoning instinct for battle!
Logan charged toward him again, each step carrying an overwhelming menace. Fear crushed the last of Night Demon's will to fight. He knew he was no match for Logan. If he didn't leave now, he would die here today!
Without hesitation, he turned into a wisp of purple smoke and disappeared for good. Not even a trace of sulfur remained.
Logan wasn't bothered by Night Demon's escape. The teleporter might be no match for him, but if Night Demon wanted to flee, Logan couldn't catch him.
Logan looked back and found that Dr. Zander had vanished in the chaos. Only X-24 remained in the empty yard, lying on the ground with all four limbs crippled. A low, frustrated growl rumbled in his throat as he struggled to get up.
Logan gave X-24 a long look. "Shit... You helped us, so I won't kill you this time. Get lost."
With that, he left the dying beast behind and strode toward the Gamma Containment Sector.
He had barely stepped through the entrance when he saw a familiar figure walking slowly toward him from the far end of the corridor.
Impact Elias.
"...Finally, someone worth fighting."
Logan muttered to himself and walked slowly toward him.
As Wolverine broke into the Gamma Containment Sector, the alarms inside rose to their highest level.
Shrill sirens and flashing red lights filled every alloy corridor. Mixed with distant explosions and the roar of automatic cannons, they made the entire base seem to tremble.
Lightwave Davis had just left the medical wing and was about to rush to the front line when the communicator on his wrist suddenly sounded.
"Davis, this is Lake!" General Lake's voice crackled with static. "Ignore the chaos outside. Those Mutants are really after X-0! Until I give you further orders, you're not going anywhere. Keep an eye on him!"
"Yes, sir!"
Davis answered sharply. He forced down his frustration, turned, and headed for the laboratory where Miles was being held.
"Hurry! Move..."
"The Mutants are about to break in!"
Researchers fled past him while soldiers took up battle positions. Davis frowned at the chaos. When he finally reached the laboratory, he found its reinforced glass door, which should have been shut tight, standing ajar. Inside, all was silent.
The room was empty. The boy who had been sitting in the corner, grinning at thin air, was gone.
Anger surged through Davis. He spun around, grabbed a researcher who was trying to slip past the doorway by the collar, and lifted him off the floor.
"Where is X-0?!" Davis demanded, his voice low with restrained fury.
"It... it was Dr. Zander!" The researcher shrieked, pointing toward the doorway. "Just now! The doctor said... said he was moving X-0 somewhere else... Then he wheeled him away..."
Before you continue