"Talk it out?"
Logan moved closer, his voice cold. "Did you ever give me a chance?"
He could have sheathed his claws, stopped killing, become an Uber driver, a drunkard, drifting aimlessly with the Professor.
But these people repeatedly forced him to use force.
This situation was entirely their own fault!
"No, no, let me explain..."
Donald, his face filled with terror, dropped to his knees, bowing repeatedly to Logan. His head smashed against the blue stone ground with dull thuds, bleeding.
He felt the intense killing intent emanating from Logan, an icy aura of death.
This old Logan, whom he had once looked down upon, now possessed the power to kill him at any moment!
The shadow of death loomed over him.
Boom!
A crimson beam of light shot out, easily piercing Donald's head, leaving a bloody hole. Blood and brain matter spilled out, covering his terrified face.
Thud.
The rigid corpse collapsed onto the ground, its pupils dilated in disbelief.
Even now, Donald refused to believe that he was dead, killed by a mutant he considered inferior.
"Rot in hell, bub?" Logan muttered, looking at the lifeless body.
Gabriella, carrying Laura, cautiously emerged, seeing the scattered remains: a scene of dismemberment, with blood almost completely covering the courtyard.
Her pupils contracted, gaping as she looked at Logan, her face filled with astonishment.
She couldn't believe that the old Logan still possessed such terrifying power!
[You saved Laura and Gabriella and killed Donald.]
[Prestige +10]
[Prestige +10]
Logan ignored Gabriella behind him, his entire attention focused on the new skill panel.
The instant gain of twenty prestige points slightly surprised Logan.
Was this the bonus for saving his people?
Logan couldn't help but look at Laura, which only strengthened his determination to find his people and rebuild the mutant race.
"Logan, did you do this?" Gabriella asked, her face full of surprise. She approached cautiously, tiptoeing to avoid staining her shoes with blood and human remains.
"Yes."
Logan nodded silently, not wanting to give further explanation. He looked around and said: "We can talk about this later. We need to get out of here fast."
Dr. Rice wouldn't let Laura slip away easily; after all, he had dedicated his life to Project X, aiming to create the perfect Wolverine.
Now that Donald was dealt with, they would face an even fiercer pursuit.
"Alright." Gabriella nodded, following Logan's instructions.
She knew they couldn't stay there long; their pursuers could return at any moment.
The black Chrysler was smashed against the hotel wall, its front end severely damaged and warped.
Logan got into the car, turned the key to try and start it. Fortunately, the engine roared powerfully, and the violent impact seemed to have had little effect; the car was still functioning normally.
He called Gabriella to get in, then quickly turned around and drove out of the hotel.
The intense shootout had already terrified everyone, and all the shops on the street were closed, leaving the streets deserted and silent.
Before the police arrived, Logan stomped on the accelerator and sped toward the Santa Fe border, heading for the agreed meeting point with Caliban.
Desert winds blew, dense dust filled the air, and yellow sand enveloped the horrific scene in front of the hotel. The black Chrysler tore through the dust cloud and disappeared on the horizon. At the Santa Fe border, Caliban waited in his battered pickup truck.
Shunning the sunlight, he wore a white suit that covered him completely, sunglasses, and even leather gloves. He sat in the driver's seat, his gaze fixed on the long road ahead.
Two hours before the agreed time, he finally saw the familiar black sedan.
Seeing the heavily damaged front end of the Chrysler, Caliban's heart tightened, and he slowly reached for the pistol in the drawer.
Only when the car approached and he saw Logan at the wheel did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Charles, in the back seat, also let out a sigh of relief, and at the same time, he saw Laura in the black sedan; his face instantly softened with a look of affection.
"They are the new mutants, the hope of our race."
His voice trailed off as the black sedan stopped beside the battered pickup truck, and Logan stepped out with Gabriella and Laura.
Caliban and the Professor quickly went to greet them.
Caliban looked at the two people behind Logan with cautious eyes and asked: "Logan, who are they?"
"This is Gabriella, and this is..."
Before Logan could finish, Charles looked at Laura with affection and spoke first: "Laura, we finally meet."
Charles's actions surprised Logan. "Do you know each other?"
"I have already communicated with Laura telepathically."
Charles reached out and ruffled her hair. "She is our hope."
Laura didn't speak, but she also didn't resist, only looking at Charles curiously.
"Alright, we'll talk about this later. We need to leave Santa Fe as soon as possible."
Logan motioned for the group to get into the car; he didn't want any more complications from lingering there.
In the car, Logan said in a deep voice: "Let's go to Nevada first. Victor is there. We'll make plans after we arrive."
Charles and Caliban raised no objections.
For Caliban, anywhere was fine as long as it wasn't Santa Fe; as for Charles, he just needed to stay with Logan and Laura.
Gabriella, sitting in the back seat, hesitated for a moment, then hugged Laura and said to Logan: "Once you are settled, could you take Laura to North Dakota? There's a mutant organization there; she can get protection from other mutants."
North Dakota had always been her goal, but with Donald pursuing them, it was unlikely they could make it alone, which is why they tried contacting Logan.
Logan nodded. "Don't worry, I'll take her there safe and sound."
Caliban suddenly asked: "So, you don't plan on going with Laura?"
Gabriella, looking melancholic, cradled Laura's head, resting her chin on her scalp, and slowly said: "I'm relieved that she's in Logan's care."
She trusted Logan's word, and he was trustworthy; after all, she had survived thanks to his saving act. As for her, an ordinary person, she felt a little out of place among mutants, especially since she only wanted to live a normal life.
At the US-Mexico border, Gabriella reluctantly got out of the car.
She had relatives in Mexico and could not, nor did she want to, stay in the United States any longer. She planned to cross the border directly into Mexico to find her family.
Logan didn't insist; after all, Gabriella was ultimately an ordinary person, and the mutant world was not suitable for her. She had her own ordinary life to live.
Watching Gabriella's retreating figure as she walked toward Mexico, a glimpse of envy appeared in Logan's eyes.
A normal life—that was the life he yearned for, but the title of Wolverine condemned him to be completely separated from the word "normal."
As Gabriella walked away, Logan started the car again.
Dust rose over the desert as the black sedan sped down the desolate road.
Watching the sign marking the limit of Santa Fe gradually disappear in his rearview mirror, Logan let out a deep sigh of relief.
Finally, he was about to leave this damned city forever!