After Charles Xavier examined Logan's memory, a look of surprise appeared on his face. It wasn't because he was already dead in Logan's memories—after all, he was a man in his late seventies, nearly eighty, and dying was quite normal.
What surprised him was the authenticity of that memory. From any perspective, the memory was flawless and impeccable; in other words, it was impossible for this memory to be a forgery. At least, Charles Xavier could not see any sign that it was fake.
"Is it possible that you received memories from another world, experienced a memory resonance with a Logan from some corner of the multiverse, or perhaps exchanged consciousness..."
"Chuck." Logan used his nickname for the Professor. "I saw a statue of Emma Frost in the plaza."
"Yes, as a member of the X-Men, Ms. Frost also went missing during that mission."
Logan leaned forward, propping his arms on the desk as he questioned Charles: "What did Frost's voice sound like?"
The Professor's gaze suddenly became sharp.
"And what was the objective of that mission?"
"It was..."
The Professor performed a mental sweep of his own memories, then took a deep breath, looking at Logan in disbelief: "Our history—no, our reality has been altered?!"
"Without a doubt, Chuck. And looking at it now, the mastermind is obvious." Logan looked into the distance. Above Manhattan in New York, Kang the Conqueror's sword-shaped flagship hovered, a symbol of his reign.
"What do you plan to do? Oppose Kang? If so, forget for a moment whether we have enough manpower; how many people would even believe what you're saying?" The Professor looked at Logan with a serious expression. This kind of talk could only happen here. If told to anyone else, the best outcome would be them thinking Logan was joking or insane; a more likely outcome was them reporting the matter directly to Kang.
By then, Logan—likely the only one who could remember it all—would be eliminated, and everything would be over.
"Can't you wake the others?"
"It's essentially impossible. This isn't just an implanted memory, Logan. This is the modification of entire reality. At least for the vast majority of people, their memories are fine—they haven't been overwritten or hidden." The Professor shook his head, rejecting Logan's idea. Logan let out a helpless sigh and sat on the nearby sofa.
After a short while, he suddenly asked the Professor a question he had overlooked: "Then why do I remember all this, Chuck?"
"I don't know, Logan... Perhaps it's related to the fact that your memories have been restored? Originally, your memories hadn't returned, but now they have... Perhaps it's because of this. For Kang the Conqueror, modifying reality person by person would be not only impossible but difficult. So, for most people who might pose a threat, he adopted a 'simple modification' by satisfying their desires to prevent them from resisting."
That was why Logan had recovered his memories—because it was his wish. It was also why the Professor had been resurrected; among the remaining veteran X-Men, there was always someone wishing the Professor could wake up.
However, Logan crossed his arms and asked with uncertainty: "Then why didn't he just kill us all?"
This time, the Professor did not answer Logan. Instead, he picked up a remote, turned on the television in the Headmaster's office, and tuned it to a specific channel. The content playing on the screen gave Logan his answer.
It was a recruitment advertisement. It began with standard footage of the "American Dream" lifestyle, showcasing how prosperous, free, and democratic the Earth had become under Kang's rule.
But then, a group of terrifying robots from the future stormed into this era and chose to attack ordinary civilians. A man witnessing this knelt in agony and wailed. Then the screen paused, and the man stepped forward.
"Does this look familiar? Battles like this are currently taking place across all timelines of Earth. You could be next—unless you make the most important decision of your life."
With a snap of his fingers, superhumans, mutants, high-tech robots, and warships formed a massive army. They crossed through green Time Engines, heading toward every point in time and space since the dawn of civilization.
"Prove to everyone that you have the courage to pursue freedom and power! Join Kang's army! Eliminate the Time Invaders before they eliminate us!"
"..."
Logan finished watching the advertisement and couldn't help but rub his brow. "So, Kang kept these superhumans around in order to..."
"In order to conquer all timelines and confiscate all time-travel devices. At least, that's what he tells everyone." After speaking, the Professor looked at Logan: "If you want to find some allies, perhaps you can look from the perspective of S.H.I.E.L.D. They have records on all superhumans—at least they claim to. You could investigate the relevant files; it might be helpful."
"I'll think about it, Chuck."
Logan didn't particularly want to get involved in this mess. If this world was actually better than it was before Kang's modification, he wouldn't mind staying. After bidding the Professor farewell, he found his way to a S.H.I.E.L.D. office building and almost stepped right in.
He stopped after entering, looking up at the S.H.I.E.L.D. signage.
"A S.H.I.E.L.D. with public offices, huh."
A few minutes later, Mr. James Howlett, who had been absent from work without cause, received a harsh scolding from S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. Logan listened as it went in one ear and out the other, then yawned and returned to his room to open his computer, checking to see exactly how this new world differed from the old one.
He saw the heroic deeds of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent called Agent Venom across various timelines, and he saw an agent called Spider-Woman who excelled in stealth and investigative missions.
Hmm... Silk was there too. Wait, where was that Spider-Man kid?
Spider-Man was gone?
Logan quickly typed in Peter Parker's name. The search showed that Peter Parker was still around, and he was currently the person in charge of the Baxter Building, even though he was only an intern. Furthermore, it seemed that Spider-Man had never existed in history.
After a few seconds of confusion, Logan remembered something. He seemed to recall that there was a sense and connection between Silk and Spider-Man. In that case, asking Cindy Moon should clarify exactly what was going on with Spider-Man.
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