Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Old Man's Hesitation
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It was early morning in El Paso County, Texas.
Logan, exhausted after dropping off his last customer, was trying to sleep in his rented stretch limo when he was woken by a noisy commotion outside.
"Damn it!"
He cursed angrily, forced himself to stir, and pushed open the car door.
He encountered this often; it had to be those thugs who had crossed over from Mexico, eyeing his luxury car, wanting to strip the wheels to sell for cash.
However, this time he couldn't let them succeed, because he still relied on this rented car to make money. He needed money desperately right now.
Professor's illness required money for medication to keep him stable, and Logan had also been saving up to buy a yacht, hoping to take the Professor to live safely out on the open sea.
After living for so many years, enduring the deaths of friends and loved ones, he was actually tired of his own life.
His only remaining wish was to provide a decent old age for Charles, his only old friend who had once saved him and was still alive.
If these thugs took his wheels, he would not only have to pay the rental company for damages but also wouldn't be able to keep this stable job.
"Hey, these lug nuts are all chrome-plated, and you've ruined them! You guys, get out of here right now..."
Leaning on the car door, Logan tried to persuade the thugs to leave without resorting to violence, but clearly, his wishes were not met.
Upon seeing the car owner appear, the thugs didn't flee immediately. Instead, they raised their hands and shot Logan, then continued to remove the wheels.
Killing, it seemed, was as simple as eating and drinking for them.
Logan's healing factor, weakened by the adamantium's toxins, was far from what it used to be, but such injuries were not enough to kill him.
He slowly rose, extended his claws, and advanced to fight the thugs.
However, due to his aging body and insufficient rest, he was quickly beaten to the ground by the six thugs. He could only cover his head with his hands, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.
"George, can he really help us now?"
From the large truck, Gabriela asked with concern.
Having diverted to El Paso County and after a full four hours of searching, they finally found traces of Wolverine, Logan. But the current scene made her lose some confidence.
George smiled and nodded:
"Of course he can, and he can be a great help."
Don't let Wolverine's current state fool you. When he truly gets serious, a few more opponents wouldn't be his match.
If they could find a way to remove the adamantium toxins in the future, Wolverine's body would even return to its peak youthful state.
After all, Apocalypse, who also had a healing factor, lived for thousands of years without showing any signs of aging.
"Wait for me here. I'll go talk to him first."
Pushing open the car door, George leaped out and used his powers to control two daggers, sending them slicing towards the thugs' throats.
He naturally harbored no goodwill towards these thugs who had no moral bottom line and casually killed innocent people. His moves were aimed directly at vital points.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
Several consecutive sounds of windpipes being cut by sharp blades rang out. The thugs who were kicking Wolverine instantly clutched their throats and fell down in disbelief.
Wolverine, sensing the anomaly, released his arms, his face also filled with surprise.
At that moment, a hand reached out to him.
"Are you alright, Wolverine Logan?"
"Friend, you might have the wrong person. I'm not Wolverine, but thank you for your help anyway."
Logan didn't take the hand but slowly got to his feet on his own.
George didn't mind. He withdrew his hand and continued:
"My name is George, and I'm a mutant. We have thirty-five mutant children here, and we need your and the Professor's help."
"Mutants? Mutants disappeared long ago. There are no more mutants in this world, and no Wolverine or Professor."
Wolverine shook his head, then painstakingly crouched down, wanting to pick up the scattered lug nuts on the ground to reattach the car's tires.
George waved his hand, and the scattered lug nuts on the ground instantly floated up into his palm.
"There are indeed very few naturally occurring mutants left, but there are still quite a few artificially created mutants from experiments. For example, I was created from a synthesis of the Professor's and Magneto's genes."
"Who exactly are you?"
Wolverine's eyes grew wary as he saw the lug nuts float in the air. His claws extended again, though one got stuck halfway out.
George paused at the sight, then waved towards the truck parked on the side of the road not far away.
Moments later, Gabriela, along with the little wolf girl and thirty-five other mutant children, slowly walked over.
"Show Mr. Logan your abilities."
The little wolf girl extended her adamantium claws, Rictor made a dirt wall rise from the ground, and the other children each demonstrated their abilities: controlling wind, fire, plants, water, and even exhaling freezing breath.
Although their powers were not yet fully developed and thus not very strong, they definitely proved their mutant identities.
"Mr. Logan, George isn't lying to you. We just escaped from the Mexico City Genetic Modification Institute. They..."
Gabriela recounted her experiences and the situation at the institute in detail.
After listening, Wolverine took a deep breath. Looking at George and the children, he reluctantly refused:
"I'm afraid I cannot, nor do I have the ability to help you."
His own life or death didn't matter, but the Professor's current condition wouldn't allow him to get involved in such troublesome matters again. A misstep could lead to the Professor's death as well.
So, even though he felt reluctant, he refused.
Gabriela's eyes immediately dimmed at his words, but George had already anticipated this and did not give up.
He knew the reason for Wolverine's refusal, and he also knew that Wolverine was fundamentally a kind person. With a reasonable step, he could easily persuade him.
"At the experimental base, I once inadvertently saw information about the Westchester incident. You're working so hard driving for money, presumably to cure the Professor's illness.
By helping us, you're actually helping the Professor, and helping yourself.
If our plan succeeds, the Professor will receive the best medication and equipment treatments in the world, and he might even recover completely."
"But have you considered that the famous playboy Tony Stark might not repay us, and might even betray us instead?
It's not true that everyone in this world is willing to repay you after being saved. Many, for their own benefit, might even retaliate more fiercely."
Wolverine replied after a moment of silence.
He had experienced such things deeply.
Once, on the battlefield in World War II, he saved an officer. Later, when that officer was nearing death from old age, he actually coveted Logan's healing factor, wanting to kill him and steal his ability to prolong his own life.
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