Friends

"Officer! X-0 is gone! Dr. Zander took him away!"

Davis rushed in the direction of Zander's escape while urgently reporting the situation to General Lake.

On the other end of the communicator, General Lake's voice was filled with suppressed anger and alarm, "What?! Damn it... Davis, go find them! You must not let X-0 leave here!"

"Yes!"

"Wait..." General Lake's tone paused, as if he had thought of something, and then he said, "No matter what... cannot let X-0 fall into the hands of others! If necessary, kill him!"

As a young general of the Northern Command, John Lake was never an indecisive person. After catching a hint of danger from the "peak-condition Wolverine," he realized there were other secrets to X-0... and so he made his decision—even if it meant death, he had to keep X-0 here!

Hearing General Lake's new order, Davis's chasing footsteps paused for half a second, and then the corners of his mouth curled into a cruel and gloating smile.

He had waited for this order for a long time; finally, he didn't have to play those boring games of "be careful not to break it."

"Yes! Sir!" Davis replied respectfully.

Gamma Containment Sector, Sector C-3 underground escape tunnel.

Dr. Zander pushed the wheelchair. The dim emergency lights on both sides of the tunnel flickered on and off, clearly illuminating the cold sweat constantly oozing from his forehead.

"Oh... isn't this Dr. Zander? You don't look so good. Is it oral ulcers caused by the spread of the testicular cancer virus?"

Miles, who had just woken up in the wheelchair, spoke his usual crazy nonsense. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed in the tunnel, "I told you long ago, if your throat isn't that big, don't let your old man try such thrilling stuff, but you just wouldn't listen... By the way, I know a doctor who is very familiar with testicular cancer and can introduce him to you. His name is Wade, and he's very professional in this area..."

"Shit, shut up!" Hearing Miles's crazy talk, Dr. Zander felt the veins on his forehead throbbing violently, and he threatened viciously, "Say it this loud again and I'll kill you!"

"Hahahahaha!!"

Miles laughed uninhibitedly, his laughter sharp and harsh.

"Then do it! You piece of shit!" He abruptly stopped laughing and looked at Zander with an expression of extreme mockery, "Kill me right now, and I might even praise you for having a bit of spine. But do you dare?!"

Dr. Zander gritted his teeth hard, his face turning pale and green for a moment, but in the end, he didn't dare to do it.

Miles was right; he really didn't dare. He only wanted to take Miles and escape amidst the chaos, and then rely on the unique research achievement of "X-0" to defect to other forces willing to pay the price.

And once Miles died, he would really... have nothing left.

Meanwhile, the west side of the Gamma Containment Sector.

"Boom!"

With a loud crash, the thick concrete wall collapsed inward like a biscuit struck by a giant hammer, sending flying gravel and dust in all directions.

Richter lowered his slightly trembling hands and charged in with a group of young mutants.

"What are you people?!"

"Are you X-Men? Help!"

"Let me out! I'm begging you!"

The originally dead-silent cell block instantly exploded into chaos. Seeing these uninvited guests, the imprisoned inmates grabbed the alloy bars frantically like drowning men clutching at straws, poking faces full of terror or ecstasy out from behind the bars and shouting continuously.

A trace of unbearable pity flashed in Delia's eyes as she looked at Richter.

"Find people first!" Richter only glanced around and resolutely shook his head. He pressed the communicator at his ear and asked in a low voice, "Aurora, where is Miles?"

Aurora's slightly distorted voice came through the communicator, "He's being moved, about two hundred meters northeast, depth... five meters underground!"

"Underground?" Richter knitted his brows tightly and pressed his hands against the cold alloy floor once more, activating his ability. A deep resonant sound echoed, and the entire containment sector trembled slightly in response, then fell silent again.

Richter stood up and shook his head, "No good, the foundation here is a single piece, it's too solid... Aurora, where is the basement entrance?"

"I'm hacking the base blueprints... I need time!"

"Damn it!" Richter cursed under his breath; time waited for no one. He raised his head and shouted to the others, "We'll split up and search! If you see any entrance leading underground, contact the others immediately!"

The youths immediately split up and acted. Bobby and Jonah had just rounded a corner when they ran head-on into two charging soldiers.

"Who goes there?"

"Don't move!"

Those two patrolling soldiers reacted very quickly, raising their guns the moment they saw the two boys.

Yet Jonah's reaction was equally fast. Without even looking at the other's face, he simply raised his hand and flicked it. The leading soldier's body instantly went rigid, completely out of his own control as he violently turned around like a puppet, threw open his arms, and grabbed the companion beside him in a tight bearhug.

"Hey! Frank! What the fuck are you doing?!" The grabbed soldier wore a look of utter bewilderment and struggled desperately.

Yet his companion remained completely silent, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, little Bobby hurried forward, slapped a hand onto them, and released a burst of blue-white electric arcs that instantly sent both men into full-body spasms, foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness.

"Good job." Jonah let out his grip and gave Bobby a thumbs-up.

On the other side, Rebecca and Delia were also rapidly traversing a corridor. Sirens, distant gunshots, and the roars of inmates blended together into complete chaos everywhere they looked.

A researcher in a white lab coat was stealthily hugging the wall, just attempting to slip away in the confusion, when Rebecca blocked his path.

A flash of silver light gleamed in Delia's eyes as her telekinesis activated, and an invisible giant hand slammed the researcher flat against the wall.

"Where is the basement entrance?" Rebecca demanded.

Pinned tightly by the telekinesis, the researcher struggled to breathe and pointed painfully in a direction, "Over there... X-0 was just taken away from that side by Dr. Zander..."

Delia and Rebecca exchanged glances, released the researcher, and rushed over immediately.

"Who are they talking about as X-0?" Rebecca asked somewhat doubtfully as they hurried along.

"It should be Miles," Delia replied. "I remember X-0 is his experimental designation."

Just at that moment, in a cell they had just passed, a gaunt, pale-skinned freak who had been sitting quietly suddenly opened his eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Miles..."

"Which Miles are you talking about?"

While the youths were tracking Miles, at the sector entrance, Logan and "Impact" Elias were locked in a fierce, white-hot battle.

Elias shoved his palms forward, unleashing an invisible force field impact that slammed Logan hard against the wall.

The concrete wall cracked like a spiderweb as dust filled the air. However, the moment the force field lightened and before the dust even settled, a dark shadow burst out from within, its claws tracing a deadly cold glint through the air.

Elias's pupils constricted. Sidestepping hastily to evade Logan's stabbing lunge, he unleashed another impact!

"This again..."

Logan was knocked back once more, but this time he didn't forcibly steady himself. Instead, he rolled backward along with the force to dissipate the impact. As he rolled, his eyes remained locked on Elias.

Seeing Logan repelled, Elias felt his heart settle slightly. He took a step forward, raised his hands again, and condensed a force field, preparing to thoroughly grind this monster to dust just like last time!

Right now!

Logan flexed his waist and abdomen, springing up like a cannonball with a speed so fast that Elias didn't even have time to react before feeling a tight grip around his wrist!

Logan grabbed Elias's right wrist, which was condensing power, and used brute force to forcibly twist its direction, aiming it straight at the wall beside him!

For the first time, horror and panic appeared on Elias's face. He wanted to abort his ability, but it was already too late!

"Boom!"

The violent force field impact released instantly, blasting a terrifying hole into the thick alloy wall while gravel and metal shards splattered everywhere, amply demonstrating just how terrifyingly lethal that strike was.

Yet right in front of Elias, Logan remained completely unharmed.

"Your ability... can it only be released through your hands?"

Logan asked in a low voice.

Before Elias could say anything, a spray of blood followed the very next instant!

Nearly half of Elias's arm was severed at the shoulder and fell to the ground accompanied by a short, piercing scream. Before he could collapse from agonizing pain and blood loss, Logan's other set of claws stabbed upward from below, piercing straight through his chin and emerging from the top of his skull!

"You..." Elias grunted, his body shuddering before going completely still.

Logan slowly withdrew his blood-stained claws and let the corpse slump limply to the ground.

"Shit... was I really messed up this badly by this guy before?"

The moment those words fell, a violent explosion erupted from the sector gates behind him!

The terrifying shockwave, mixed with metal shrapnel and fire, instantly engulfed his position, sending him flying through the air to crash heavily against the wall at the end of the corridor.

When Logan shook his heavy head and climbed back up from the rubble pile, he found that what awaited him next... was the roar of a steel torrent!

Outside the sector, the main guns of three main battle tanks were slowly turning toward him, emitting a teeth-setting metal friction sound. Dozens of armored vehicles formed an array, their roof-mounted heavy machine guns all locking onto his position. In the air, over thirty machine-gun drones hovered, their red laser targeting dots dancing densely across his body like crimson beetles crawled straight out of hell.

General Lake's armored forces had finally arrived.

Dr. Zander pushed the wheelchair, bursting out from the emergency escape tunnel on another level of the base. The metal door locked behind him with a heavy clang, completely isolating the chaos within.

"Hurry, hurry up!" Gasping for breath and slick with grease and sweat on his forehead, he urged himself while pushing the wheelchair toward a black SUV not far away.

Yet Miles in the wheelchair looked entirely leisurely, "Hey, Doctor, are you preparing to jump ship so soon? That won't do... If you act like this, you can't even be a frontline villain; at best you'll just look like a bit player lingering in fourth or fifth-tier publications... Who knows, you might even lose your wife later on..."

Dr. Zander's cheek twitched. With no time to bicker with him, he took out the keys and prepared to start the car. As long as they got in the car and left this place, everything would still have hope...

Yet right at that moment, a sharp whistling tore down from the sky.

A searing red energy beam descended with pinpoint accuracy, without the slightest deviation, instantly piercing the SUV's hood. The entire vehicle melted and deformed rapidly in the blinding light like a lighted candle, and finally exploded into a mass of burning scrap metal with a thunderous boom.

A scorching heatwave rushed over them, scaring Dr. Zander into falling flat on his backside.

The figure of "Lightwave" Davis slowly descended from the air, his feet landing on the charred ground while the specialized combat suit he wore still emitted a faint red glow.

"Dr. Zander, where are you going?"

Seeing this, Dr. Zander turned ashen-faced. He slowly raised his hands and retreated step by step, exposing Miles in the wheelchair.

Davis seemed entirely uninterested in Dr. Zander, his gaze locked firmly onto Miles with an expression brimming with unmasked malice and glee. He clearly remembered what a massive humiliation this little brat had put him through in the cold storage.

Although General Lake's original words were "kill him if necessary," since Dr. Zander had already brought X-0 escaping all the way here, it could barely count as "necessary."

So this time... he had to die!

Taking advantage of the standoff between the two, Dr. Zander scrambled back to his feet in a panic and turned to run in a blind rout.

"Bang!"

He crashed heavily into another figure rushing out of the escape tunnel, and both tumbled to the ground.

Dr. Zander let out a painful shriek while clutching his head, and when he focused his eyes, he discovered that the newcomer was actually X-24, covered in blood and with injuries yet unhealed!

In an instant, a burst of ecstatic light erupted within the despairing Dr. Zander's eyes.

"Good boy, are you here to find me?" Dr. Zander said in pleasant surprise. "Let's go, let's get out of here! Without X-0, with you here, I at least still have one presentable achievement..."

However, X-24 merely nodded mechanically, then snapped his gaze toward the other side, his pupils constricting!

Seeming suddenly triggered by something, X-24 shoved Dr. Zander aside and charged desperately in the direction of Miles!

Watching Davis walk slowly toward him with energy beginning to condense in his hands, Miles spoke softly, "Are you going to kill me now? Looks like General Lake has changed his mind after all..."

Davis did not reply; he simply raised his hand slowly and unleashed energy viciously toward the immobilized Miles in the wheelchair!

"Whoosh!!"

The scorching energy nearly ignited the air. Miles's pupils reflected that patch of fatal crimson, and he involuntarily closed his eyes.

Yet the anticipated death did not arrive.

A tall figure rushed over from the side, blocking right in front of Miles!

It was X-24!

The violent energy poured entirely onto his body, causing flesh and blood to melt away and exposing gruesome charred meat and bone.

"Ugh, aaaaaah!!"

His body shook violently, and a painful, suppressed beast-like roar ripped from his throat, yet he did not retreat a single step! With his own back, he forcibly took the brunt of Davis's energy impact!

Miles froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Faced with Miles's puzzled gaze, X-24 labored to open his mouth, haltingly spitting out a single word in a strange, infant-like tone as if he had just learned how to speak:

"Fri... end..."

A few seconds later, the searing energy finally dissipated.

On X-24's head and torso, the flesh was almost entirely dissolved, leaving only a tattered Adamantium skeleton that slowly collapsed like a rusted iron tower, falling completely still.

Miles stared at X-24's corpse, his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

"Oh, I really didn't expect you to have such a good relationship with this beast," Davis sneered.

"...He's not a beast."

Miles lowered his head slowly, his voice hoarse.

"He's my friend."

"Alright, friend." Davis nodded, crimson energy gathering in his palm once more. "Then you go meet him too..."

Before his words finished, the ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded! Tough grass roots and vines broke through the soil like living creatures, wrapping tightly around his legs!

Immediately afterward, the ground sank sharply downward, and Davis stumbled, dragged toward the earth where he took a thoroughly ungraceful tumble.

"Miles!!"

Laura was the first to charge out of the tunnel, followed closely by the other youths. At the very tail end of the group, that pale-skinned freak—Caliban—was waving his hand at Miles with great difficulty.

"Snap!!"

Waste no words, Laura flicked her wrist, and the claws popped from the back of her hand with precise accuracy, cleanly severing the suppression collar around Miles's neck.

At the same time, Davis finally broke free from his bindings, burning away the plant vines at his feet before slowly floating upward from the ground. He retrieved a spare "Anti-Mind-Control Headband" from his pocket, put it on his head, and squared off against the youths.

"Very good... I was just worrying earlier whether killing that kid directly would cause any trouble..."

A cruel smile surfaced on Davis's face. "But now, since all the annoying bugs have gathered together... then if I take care of all of you right here, General Lake shouldn't have anything more to say..."

Faced with Davis's threat, the group wore solemn expressions, their bodies taut and ready for battle.

Yet right at that moment, Miles suddenly spoke up.

"Wait a minute!"

With that, he raised his uninjured hand, tapped his temple, and activated his ability.

Under everyone's gaze, Dr. Zander—who had just fled a short distance away—suddenly froze in place!

The fortune of surviving catastrophe on his face instantly morphed into extreme terror as he discovered in horror that his body was no longer under his own control! Then, with rigid movements, he walked back step by step.

Having foreseen his own end, Dr. Zander looked at Miles with a plea in his gaze, seemingly hoping Miles would spare his life.

Yet Miles couldn't even be bothered to look at him again.

"Laura," Miles said softly, "kill him."

Laura nodded without the slightest hesitation. Her figure flashed as she lunged forward, severing Dr. Zander's head with a single swipe of her claws.

Listening to the sound of the head rolling across the ground, Miles's body twitched slightly. He gently touched his own neck, then raised his head, looked at Davis suspended in mid-air, and said calmly:

"OK, I'm fine now. Let's continue."