In the factory area, near the train tracks, cracks appeared in the iron walls and dust swirled, producing a metallic noise.
The old fan in the room squeaked incessantly.
Logan was sitting at the table, measuring the holes in the iron tabletop, attempting to patch them with wood he had on hand.
"Logan, how did you break it?" Caliban asked, leaning down to observe what he was doing. "And how did you do that?"
The iron table was quite thick; to make a hole like that, you would need to shoot it with a high-caliber rifle.
Of course, Logan's claws could also penetrate the table, but the hole was a perfect circle, not a claw mark, clearly not the work of his claws.
"This…" Logan hesitated, wondering whether to tell Caliban about his new ability.
"It seems Logan has something to tell us."
Charles Xavier, who was watching television, noticed Logan's hesitation and wheeled his chair closer with interest.
Logan paused, looking at the Professor. Before he could speak, Caliban exclaimed excitedly: "Great! Logan, are we finally leaving this hellhole?"
Caliban had dreamt of leaving. Aside from the scorching heat and constant UV radiation of the desert, he felt he still had value and couldn't let the rest of his life waste away there.
"No," Logan shook his head decisively. He wanted to leave, but now wasn't the time.
"What a disappointment," Caliban said dejectedly, sitting in a chair and absently playing with the piece of wood Logan had used to repair the table.
Logan ignored Caliban's disappointment, thought for a moment, and finally spoke: "I've awakened a new ability."
He decided to tell the Professor and Caliban about his newly discovered Heat Vision.
Although he shouldn't reveal his Heat Vision to anyone—after all, it was a lethal weapon, a decisive factor in times of crisis—the Professor and Caliban had depended on each other for years, like family. No one in the world was more trustworthy than they were.
"What?"
The Professor and Caliban were stunned, staring at Logan with wide eyes.
"That's impossible, Logan. You're two hundred years old, far past the age to awaken powers."
Caliban looked him up and down, shaking his head. "I used to be a black-market trafficker, I've seen many mutants, but I've never seen one in a nursing home awaken new mutant powers."
Logan said nothing, focusing his attention as his eyes gradually heated up, his pupils glowing crimson.
The next second, a blinding beam of light shot out, instantly enveloping the suffocating room in intense heat.
Bang!
The beam pierced the table with ease, and next to the hole that had not yet been repaired, another small, identical hole appeared.
Clack!
The piece of wood Caliban was playing with fell to the floor with a clatter. His pale face reflected disbelief as he stared dumbfounded at the new hole in the table.
He gasped, "Scott's power? No, Cyclops isn't like that. Logan, what kind of ability is this?"
"Heat Vision," Logan replied honestly. "I use my eyes to emit high-temperature lasers. If I used it at maximum power, it would be even stronger."
"My God."
Caliban rubbed his bald head and looked at the Professor beside him, asking, "Professor, is this normal?"
Charles stared intently at the hole in the table, paused, and said, "Theoretically, it's possible, but… it's the first time I've seen it."
"I also think it's a pleasant surprise."
Logan knew that no one in the world understood the X-Gene better than the Professor; his whole life revolved around it.
However, the Professor had studied the X-Gene for many years, had seen countless mutants at the Xavier World Academy, and had witnessed many different cases, but he had never encountered one like Logan, a mutant capable of awakening a new ability at two hundred years old.
Most mutants awaken their abilities in adolescence or youth; the younger the age, the higher the probability of awakening them, and as age increases, the probability decreases year by year.
However, it is virtually unheard of for someone like Logan to awaken a new ability in his old age.
"I only recently awakened it and have only used it twice so far," Logan confessed honestly.
Charles observed him closely, lost in thought for a long time before speaking again: "It's probably because your mindset has recently changed, stimulating your inner potential and awakening this new ability."
Before, Logan had been somewhat dazed, even contemplating suicide more than once. Charles knew he always carried an Adamantium bullet capable of ending his life.
But during their conversation at the water tower, Charles noticed a shift in Logan's thinking. He even suggested searching for mutant settlements, indicating a change in his mindset.
And most mutant abilities are related to emotions.
Emotions stimulate genetic potential, triggering the awakening of mutant abilities.
It's highly likely that Logan's change in mindset caused a shift in his emotions, resulting in his new ability.
Although this idea was somewhat far-fetched, Charles felt it was the only reasonable explanation for the awakening of Logan's new ability.
"By the way, you haven't told anyone about this, have you?" Charles asked, staring intently at Logan.
"No," Logan replied, shaking his head. "You two are the only ones who know I've awakened a new ability."
"That's good," Charles sighed in relief, and then solemnly ordered: "This must never be known by anyone outside of us!"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Caliban.
Caliban nodded repeatedly to indicate he understood.
Logan also reassured the Professor: "Don't worry, I'll keep it well hidden."
The fact that he could awaken a new ability at two hundred years old would surely drive the white-coated biologists in the laboratory insane if it were known.
Countless forces would immediately surround that dilapidated factory, and even a drop of his blood would be studied as a precious treasure by those biologists.
Ding-dong!
The phone on the table suddenly rang with a message notification.
An unread text message appeared on the screen.
[Nurse]: When can we see you?
It was Gabriela, a code name Logan had given her just in case.
Logan picked up the phone and replied: "A few days later, not yet."
He sent the message, turned off the screen, and his expression grew increasingly serious.
After helping Chris complete two missions, he had enough money to leave Santa Fe. Perhaps it was time to think about how to get rid of the Lawrence family and Donald.
Meanwhile, in a cheap, rundown hotel.
[Logan]: A few days later, not yet.
Gabriela stared intently at the message on the screen, clutching the phone anxiously. She had been staying in this hotel for several days, always alert to the unfamiliar faces around her, her mind veiled, even afraid to sleep soundly. This kind of life had left her exhausted. Just then, a red ball rolled to her feet, and a small, delicate white hand picked it up. The girl squatted down, looking up, with a comic book in her other hand.
The cover showed Wolverine with several children in a paradise. She stood up and pointed to the comic.
"When are we going to Eden?"
Gabriela tried to soften her tired expression and reached out to stroke the girl's hair. "We'll have to wait a few more days. Wolverine will take you then."
"That hero?" Laura touched the image of Wolverine in the comic. In the illustration, Wolverine stood atop a giant rock, wearing his classic yellow suit, his eyes full of bravery. Sharp claws gleamed with a metallic silver light, erupting from his clenched fists.
His imposing figure resembled a warrior who dared to face anything.
Gabriela smiled, but her gaze dimmed.
That hero?
Perhaps he had been.
She wasn't sure if the Wolverine of today retained the same ferocity.
A week had passed since her arrival and since she contacted Wolverine, but he still refused to see her, and his text messages sounded more like malicious teasing.
This made her seriously question whether Wolverine was truly reliable, or if, on the contrary, he wasn't as cool as he was portrayed in the comics.
During that time, she also heard from other Uber drivers that James now drank heavily and that his volatile temper made it difficult for him to make friends to share a drink with.
Perhaps the Wolverine of old had aged. Now, he was just a dead-end Uber driver. Her plea for help might just be a drunken joke of his…