Beast

Thud!

Logan returned, kicked open the iron door of the clinic, and fixed his bloodshot eyes ahead.

"Where's the money? Where's my money!" Fernando the backstreet doctor immediately hurried over, shouting.

Logan shoved him aside without a word and strode straight toward Miles's wheelchair.

Miles was fast asleep right then; having gone through Charles's guidance, he was finally able to get normal rest, giving his constantly strained mind a chance to properly recover.

His body was already weak, and after experiencing his previous power surge, he needed a good sleep to build his strength back up, yet Logan had no time to give him now!

Seeing this, Laura got up and blocked Logan's way with an angry look, clearly not wanting Logan to wake Miles up.

"Fuck, get out of the way!!"

Logan used some effort to shove Laura aside, then shouted at Miles, "Hey, kid, wake up!"

"Stop sleeping! Fuck! Get up!!"

Seeing that Miles didn't react, Logan ignored Laura's attempts to stop him and frantically began shaking Miles's shoulders.

Seeing Miles finally start to slowly open his eyes, Logan couldn't help blurting out, "Damn it... Caliban is missing! Little brat, use your damn power to find him!"

"Huh? Who's calling me? Is it God... Oh, it's just some old dog calling souls..." Woken up by force, Miles blinked dazedly, and out of habit began talking nonsense. "What is it, Logan? Did your breast cancer flare up again? I told you Hugh Jackman shouldn't take that much protein powder..."

"Shut up!" Logan said with a furious face. "Find him now!"

"Oh... Caliban, right?"

Awakening a bit more under Logan's roar, Miles let out a deep yawn, then instinctively pressed his finger to his temple and opened his perception.

The television inside the room, the wires inside the walls... countless streams of electronic data instantly flooded into his mind, and the city's surveillance network unfolded like a scroll in his consciousness.

Yet just as Miles began to activate his power, a piercing, miserable scream suddenly echoed from outside the clinic!

"Ah!!!"

The sound was short and sharp, like a wild beast biting through a throat, before cutting off abruptly.

Was it Fernando the doctor?

Logan and Laura turned their heads in unison, then sprinted to the door in a few strides and looked outside.

The sight before them made Logan's pupils shrink to pinpricks!

Doctor Fernando hung suspended in mid-air, his neck pierced by a clawed hand, and fresh blood gushed from that horrifying wound, staining the newcomer's arm and chest.

Lifting him up was a tall, burly man whose tank top was stretched tight by his muscles.

"Fuck..." Logan gritted his teeth.

It was his own face, a bit younger and cleaner. Without his trademark beard, the line of his jaw was also harder. Yet those eyes were wrong—they were hollow, devoid of reason, devoid of emotion, holding only a pure, unadorned desire to kill.

The big man flicked his wrist casually, tossing Fernando's corpse onto the ground with a dull thud.

Then, those beast-like eyes stared straight into the interior of the clinic.

He saw Logan, and glanced past him at Laura and Miles in the wheelchair. That look wasn't an appraisal, but rather like a jackal sizing up its prey, evaluating which one to start killing first.

...

Laura stepped silently to Logan's side, her body slightly crouched, her hands lowered to her sides as her steel claws slowly extended. A very low, barely audible growl rumbled in her throat.

"It's that thing!"

Logan recognized this guy; he was the "scarier thing" Gabriela the nurse had mentioned in her video recording.

A monster cultivated by the Alkali Laboratory using his own DNA, identical to his younger self, yet lacking a soul and humanity, possessing only the instinct to slaughter—X-24!

"Take Charles and get out of here! Fast!"

Logan roared at Laura, then likewise extended his steel claws, shouted, and took the initiative to charge forward.

The old wolf and the black wolf instantly clashed in a brawl, but the battle was one-sided. Every one of the old wolf's attacks was easily blocked by the black wolf, and every counterattack from the black wolf left bone-deep wounds on the old wolf's aging body.

Seeing Logan's wretched state, Laura let out a fierce roar of her own, bared her steel claws, and charged into the fray.

Yet even with the two of them joining forces, the battle's momentum didn't shift in the slightest.

X-24 didn't even look back, striking Laura squarely across the side of the face with a backhanded elbow. The immense force sent her flying sideways, crashing heavily into the wall as gravel and dust cascaded down.

"Ugh, argh!" Seizing the opening, Logan crossed his steel claws and swung with all his might toward X-24's neck.

Clang!

A piercing sound of metal on metal rang out. X-24 blocked the attack with his own arm-claws, sending sparks flying. His face, identical to Logan's, bore no expression, his eyes filled with pure murderous intent.

He jerked his wrist with a brutal twist, and with a sharp crack, Logan's arm was bent into a bizarre angle.

Adamantium skeletons could dislocate, too.

"Ah, aaagh!!"

The excruciating pain choked Logan's roar in his throat, and X-24 followed up with a knee strike straight to his abdomen. Logan arched like a ragged sack, his stomach churning violently as he vomited a mixture of acid and blood.

"Damn it... What was this thing again? Which part of the plot are we at?!"

Inside the room, Miles forced himself to sit upright; the aftereffects of being forcibly awakened left his brain feeling like it was stuffed with mush, every heartbeat sending a throbbing pain through his temples.

Listening to the continuous sounds of impacts and roars outside, he knew he didn't have much time left.

"Fuck, Logan..." he cursed, enduring the severe exhaustion and dizziness as he directly unleashed his mind control, piercing toward X-24's mind.

Yet the next moment, his whole body was struck as if by lightning, his expression turning blank.

There were no thoughts, no memories, no emotions in this guy's head... absolutely nothing!

X-24's brain wasn't the familiar mental world of a normal person that Miles knew, but a pure, primitive void. Only a single command screamed and burned for eternity!

This thing was simply a beast without a soul!

Facing this fellow, Miles felt as though his mind control was completely useless; the methods used to manipulate humans had zero meaning to a beast!

"Ugh..." Miles reached out with a trembling hand, wiping away the nosebleed left by overusing his power. He watched the brutal fight outside and bit down hard on his teeth.

He could sense two or three faint electronic device signals on the opponent, but his head hurt far too badly right now for him to distinguish them carefully!

Besides, this guy didn't rely on electronic devices to fight, and there were no usable machines nearby. Electronic sense was of no use, and mind control was ineffective... aside from being able to sense a few faint electronic signals on him, his own power seemed completely useless against him!

And stripped of his powers, Miles was merely a paralyzed twelve-year-old boy.

So, what was he supposed to do?!

The moment Miles suffered mental backlash, the X-24 outside seemed to break free from some invisible restraint, his movements growing even more violent. He grabbed Logan by the throat, lifting his aging body with one hand so his feet dangled off the ground.

"Mmph, ugh, argh..."

Logan's lungs couldn't draw in air, his face rapidly turning a dark purplish-red as his limbs struggled feebly.

"Ya, aaargh!!" Having just scrambled up from the ground, Laura screamed and charged again, her claws aiming straight for X-24's eyes.

Without even turning his head, X-24 grabbed Logan's arm and whipped it around, using Logan's body as a weapon to slam viciously into Laura. Both of them tumbled together, crashing hard onto the floor.

At a location a kilometer away, Dr. Zander and Anthony calmly watched the combat broadcast on their computer screens.

"X-0's power is formidable, but as long as we prepare, it's not hard to counter," Dr. Zander said with a smile.

Meanwhile, tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth, Caliban likewise watched the fierce battle on screen between X-24, Logan, and Laura, his pupils constantly contracting.

Ever since they had just entered the bank not long ago, he had been captured by the Reavers. Though Caliban was a mutant, his personal combat capability was extremely limited; facing a bunch of well-trained soldiers, he stood no chance at all.

Yet Dr. Zander continued calmly addressing Caliban, "For a mutant like X-0 who can manipulate various electronic devices, the best candidate to deal with him is a pure gene-warrior like X-24. He may have mind control, but we've experimented with that long ago... He can't control X-24. This is a pure beast that will only obey my commands."

With that, Dr. Zander paused, then continued, "Of course, to allow X-24 to infiltrate their side unnoticed, we needed to eliminate an obstacle beforehand... and that's you, Mr. Caliban, who can sense other mutants."

"If you were still by their side, X-24's approach would certainly not escape your notice, so... we simply had to invite you over as a 'guest' first."

"For now, he's certainly doing well." Dr. Zander watched X-24's destructive performance against Logan and Laura on the screen and nodded with satisfaction, then gave an order into his walkie-talkie, "Don't drag it out. Finish them quickly and bring back X-0!"

"...Finish them quickly and bring back X-0!"

Dr. Zander's voice rang out from the micro-earpiece in X-24's ear. The beast gave a slight nod, then let out a roar, exerted a sudden burst of strength, and finally broke free from the entanglement of Logan and Laura!

Following that, he strode into the clinic in a few steps, arriving before Miles.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it..." Miles pressed hard against his head, continuously trying to control the beast, but to very little effect.

Watching X-24 reach out a hand toward him, Miles wore a look of despair.

Yet right at that moment, an imperceptible murmur faintly drifted from the operating table nearby.

"...Miles."

The next instant, an unprecedented spiritual pressure crashed down!

Miles felt as though his brain had been struck a heavy blow by something; his neck tilted down involuntarily, and his entire body was left paralyzed and unable to move!

[Is this old Charles's true power?!]

[How could anyone's psychic power be strong to this extent?!]

As a fellow telepath, Miles felt the impact of Charles's rampaging power most profoundly... This chaotic, domineering, terrifying mental ocean... was completely beyond his imagination!

At the same time, not only him, but Logan and X-24 were likewise struck as if by lightning, while Laura couldn't help collapsing flat onto the ground, her face contorted as she tried to stand, only to find herself completely unable to do so.

"Damn it..." Battered and bruised, Logan looked toward Charles on the operating table. Of course he knew what this situation was—Charles's seizure was acting up again!

At this moment, it wasn't just the few people inside the clinic; everyone in the nearby streets, shops, and residences was affected!

Ordinary people with weak mental fortitude froze right where they stood, losing consciousness as if time had stopped for them.

Dr. Zander and the others a kilometer away were likewise affected, managing only a single miserable shriek before losing consciousness with blank expressions.

"Ugh, argh..."

A gasp from Dr. Zander echoed through X-24's earpiece. The next instant, X-24 turned his head in agonizing pain under Charles's mental pressure, slowly braced his body... and walked out of the clinic!

[Is he... leaving? Why?]

[Because of the voice in the earpiece just now?]

[So Dr. Zander controls this guy through that method?]

With trembling eyes, Miles stared fixedly at X-24's slowly departing figure. At the same time, Logan managed to crawl back in from outside.

Covered in wounds, he used his claws to grip the wall for support, dragging himself step by step to Charles's side, pulling out a syringe of sedative, and driving it fiercely into Charles's neck!

"Mmph..." Charles let out an imperceptible grunt, then lapsed back into a heavy sleep.

"Hah... hah..." Logan panted heavily. If he had been any slower just then, everyone here might not have made it out alive.

Laura, who had been sprawled on the floor, also slowly climbed to her feet, then abruptly glared at X-24, who had just walked outside.

As if in response to them, X-24 also halted his steps.

"Who told you to walk away! Idiot! Go back and bring X-0 back to me!"

Hearing Dr. Zander's command echo from the earpiece, X-24 abruptly whipped his head around.

At the same time, Logan and Laura looked over in tandem, their faces showing resolute determination.

"Laura, take Charles... and go!"

Logan braced his body, biting down on bloody teeth as he spoke.

"..." Laura gritted her teeth, yet refused his command, her eyes filled with stubborn defiance.

"Fuck, if this keeps up, we're all going to die..." Logan muttered in a raspy voice.

Watching the beast before them slowly approach once more, Logan and Laura had already prepared themselves to fight to the death...

Yet right at that moment, Dr. Zander's screams suddenly rang out from X-24's earpiece once again.

"Ugh, argh..."

So X-24 paused, freezing in his tracks.

"What are you doing? Damn it!"

In the Reavers' camp, Dr. Zander stared at the screen, shouting furiously into the walkie-talkie, "Hurry up and bring X-0 back!!"

Yet his voice couldn't reach X-24's ears at all; the sound echoing from the micro-earpiece continued to be Dr. Zander's previous screams.

"Ugh, argh..."

"Ugh, argh..."

...

Finally, X-24 withdrew his gaze from Miles and the others, then turned and ran off.

Just as he stepped outside the clinic, the two earpieces in his ears also gave a sharp pop as they vented wisps of smoke, their circuits short-faulting and breaking down.

With that, until X-24 saw Dr. Zander again, he would be unable to receive any new commands.

"...Go!!!"

Miles roared at Logan and Laura, slowly raising his head with a contorted expression, sweat, tears, and blood mingling together to smear his entire face.

His eyes, nose, and ears... were all bleeding simultaneously. In the cerebrospinal fluid extractor at the back of his head, a small layer of yellow and red liquid had already pooled.

"Damn it!!"

From the footage transmitted by the micro-camera on X-24's shoulder, Dr. Zander watched X-24 turning back and slammed his fist hard onto the table.

"X-0's power can actually transmit fake commands, too..."

"Looks like I'll have to let X-24 act alone next time..."