Back at the hideout where Logan had been living for the past few years, Gabriela proposed that Logan take her and Laura to North Dakota.
Her tone suggested that reaching that place would somehow guarantee their safety.
Ethan was far from optimistic. He cut her off bluntly.
"What's the point of going there? Do you really think you can escape pursuit by traveling across the entire United States and into Canada?"
The extermination of mutants wasn't the work of just one or two conspirators. It was the result of a coordinated effort by multiple human governments. Dr. Rice was merely the face of it—a pawn in a much larger game. He had only been given the opportunity to research mutants and develop bio-weapons because of this global initiative.
In a world where mutants faced danger no matter where they went, escaping was a fantasy.
Gabriela was a good person. She couldn't stand by and watch those children be "disposed of," but her thinking was too naïve.
Ethan didn't believe that the children's escape would change anything. If they successfully hid their identities and lived normal lives, years of consuming genetically altered food would likely suppress their mutations, allowing them to blend in.
Of course, that didn't mean he was willing to sit back and watch those children be slaughtered. And Dr. Rice wouldn't let Logan go, either.
"If you want real safety... even temporary safety, you need to get rid of those people."
No matter who was backing Dr. Rice, he was the one leading the operation on the surface. If they eliminated him, it would take time for those in the shadows to react and reorganize.
By then, Ethan would have already left this world, and the escaped mutant children would have had time to settle down. As long as they kept their heads down, the so-called "big shots" wouldn't go out of their way to hunt them.
Gabriela didn't immediately grasp Ethan's meaning. It took a moment before she finally understood what he was suggesting.
"That's impossible! They have too many people, too many weapons—"
"I know."
Ethan cut her off, looking at her calmly. In truth, Gabriela was of little use to him. The only reason he was keeping an eye on her was to prevent her from being killed by those maniacs.
"I know better than you what they have."
The enemy didn't just have elite security forces, they also had a relatively advanced mutant weapon: X-24, a clone of Wolverine. His abilities were nearly identical to Logan's, though slightly weaker. Even so, he wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly.
"You're walking straight into your own death."
"Do you really think you can cross the entire North American continent with a military-grade security force hunting you?"
"They haven't found me yet! We still have time! If we leave now, they won't catch up!"
Ethan shook his head. He had no interest in continuing this pointless conversation. And he certainly wasn't obligated to follow Gabriela's flawed logic.
"I'm not discussing this with you, I'm telling you our decision. I'm simply being considerate enough to make you aware of the reality. Those people are far more ruthless than you imagine. If you don't eliminate them, then no matter where you run, it won't matter. And besides, do you really think they haven't found you already?"
Ethan pointed to the sky.
"This is a highly developed world. Forget the security cameras installed everywhere, do you even know how many satellites are orbiting right now?"
Gabriela opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to argue, but Ethan didn't give her the chance.
"Don't tell me they're just some small-time conspirators. If you had even the slightest bit of common sense, you'd realize who's backing them. Mutants have been wiped out across the world, and now they're conducting mutant research with impunity. Have you really never wondered why?"
Gabriela fell silent.
It wasn't that she had never considered the possibility—she simply didn't want to. If that were truly the case, then the situation was too hopeless. It would mean there was no escape.
Ethan had made his point. He didn't bother offering any words of comfort. Instead, he gave her simple instructions.
"Don't run around. Once things settle down, take whatever money you have left and find a quiet place to live out the rest of your life."
"After Logan and I deal with the people hunting you, you'll be free to go."
She wouldn't need to stay hidden for too long. By drawing attention to themselves, Ethan and Logan would create enough chaos that the enemies wouldn't have time to focus on a single fleeing nurse, especially if she wasn't traveling with Laura.
Ethan also made it clear: she was not to contact any of the other mutant children. A quiet, anonymous life was her best option.
If, after all that, she still got herself killed, Ethan wouldn't care.
With Gabriela's situation handled, Ethan turned his attention to Logan, who was staring at Laura.
"What? Can't accept the fact that you have a daughter?"
Logan scowled.
"She's not my daughter."
This time, Ethan didn't argue about genetics. Instead, he examined Laura carefully before saying something that nearly made Logan choke.
"She doesn't even look like you. She looks more like Quicksilver."
Laura stared at Ethan with her large, unblinking eyes, remaining completely silent.
In the original timeline, she didn't speak at first, leading Logan to assume she was mute.
Ethan knew better. Laura's English was simply limited—her first language was Spanish.
"But… since we'll be living together from now on, you'll need to practice your English."
Ethan reached out to pat the little girl's head, but she swiftly dodged.
"And besides, with a name like that—"
"What's wrong with her name?" Logan asked, confused as to how Laura's name had anything to do with English.
"The name Laura always reminds me of a famous British adventurer."
Ethan glanced at Logan.
"Lara Croft. Ever heard of her?"
Logan shook his head.
"Either she's not as famous as you think, or she doesn't exist here."
"Maybe she doesn't exist in this world." Ethan didn't dwell on it. He simply looked at Laura and said, "You should talk more, it'll help with your English. And this guy? He's your dad. Whatever you need, just make him buy it for you."
"Hey!" Logan protested.
After some brief conversation, everyone's positions became clear.
Gabriela strongly opposed Ethan's plan, but she had no say in the matter.
Ethan and Logan would wait for their "prey" to arrive.
Laura didn't seem to care. She wasn't sure what she should be doing, so she simply followed along obediently.
Whether it was a genetic connection or something Professor Charles had said to her before, Laura was deeply curious about Logan. Wherever he went, she would appear not far behind, quietly observing him like a small shadow.
Gabriela wanted to take Laura and leave, but Laura outright refused and even showed visible resistance. Frustrated and helpless, Gabriela had no choice but to follow Ethan's plan—waiting until Ethan and Logan had drawn the enemy's attention before making her escape.
"I can't let Laura go into danger with you."
She couldn't convince Logan to take them and flee, but she refused to let Laura be put at risk. The only reason she hadn't already left was because Laura was still here—and Ethan intended to take her into battle against those terrifying people.
"Don't be ridiculous. You know what she's capable of. Even if I die, she won't."
"Then why do you have to die?"
"..."
There was no point arguing further. It was a waste of time.
As Ethan had said before, Gabriela's pursuers had been following her all along, she was just deluding herself into thinking she had shaken them.
Barely a day had passed before the "guests" arrived.
Looking at the long convoy and the heavily armed soldiers, it was clear they had come prepared.
Through surveillance, Ethan and Logan observed the approaching forces.
"They're completely relaxed. It's like they're here on vacation."
After rushing out of the car, everyone stood around casually. No one dispersed or set up guards. They were confident in their own strength and did not believe that Logan who was supposed to be on the brink of death would dare to resist.
"You were underestimated."
"If it were before, I wouldn't find it strange to be underestimated at all." Logan had physically recovered a great deal, but he hadn't reverted to his youthful state. His calm mindset and extensive experience allowed him to view the situation objectively: "But now, they're about to suffer a big loss."
"What are you going to do?"
"Leave one alive and kill the rest." Knowing what these people had done, Logan showed no mercy. If the professor were still here, he might have persuaded him to take fewer lives, but now Ethan didn't care about such things.
From this point of view, the professor's early death was a benefit for Ethan. Without the constraints of Wolverine, he could fully unleash his fighting power.
"The trouble is, they have too many vehicles. If anyone tries to escape, I won't be able to catch them all."
"Leave it to me; none of them will get away." He donned his flame cloak and flew fast enough that no one could escape his pursuit.
In just a few words, the two of them condemned dozens of heavily armed soldiers to death outside. Gabriela watched the scene and felt that the biggest mistake they had made was trusting a lunatic to help them.
As she watched the two men calmly leave the building with one of them clinging tightly to Laura, Gabriela could only hope that if things went badly, Laura would stop causing trouble and run away on her own.
(To be continued.)
***
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