I look at the whole thing again, thousands of mutants partying, feeling protected and part of a family, without any worries. Several children playing, running, never heard of Sentinels, Legacy viruses, M-day or none of that shit that I shouldn't even remember! My eyes end on the stage where the Krakoa officials were. It might be weird, but it was no time to back off, not now that I knew... Ah! Crap! I didn't know any more than before that crazy dream about my daughter from another dimension! Where do I least expect to find Moira, a place that no one visits? Come on, Universe! Give me a clue, a tip, anything! I am the good guy in the story!... No lightning came, or no voice showed me the way. Like everything in my life, I would have to "give my blood" to get an answer. Whether it was mine or others, I did not imagine a resolution without conflict...
Magneto is the first to notice us, he doesn't need telepathy to feel the huge amount of metal that comes close to him, mine and Omega Red. His look is hateful to me, I think he still holds a grudge against me for making his helmet a potty. I smile when I remember that. A few minutes later, I see Charlie's helmet turning towards us. It sucked not to know his facial expressions. That made it quite dangerous ...
I am obliged to turn my face away, when my nostrils smell the sweet smell of Jean and the musky scent of Scott, they were on a stage in front of that one and, due to the redhead's face, 'there was a mental conversation between Professor and her. I smile silly when I see them and come back to reality when I feel a hand on my shoulder:
- Logan! Where were you? We were worried, Jean told me that you acted strangely before disappearing!
- Damn it, Charlie! You know I have my side moves, right? But I was looking for a hot tip and Omega here ended up helping me in the end...
I was vague on purpose. I needed to test whether my adamantium skull shielded me from telepathy. The new Charles always flaunted his omniscience. If he could read my mind, he would fill in the gaps I left, without batting an eye. But that didn't happen. He hesitated for a few seconds and turned to Omega before saying "interesting" and complementing:
- So, you two managed to end the vampire threat?
Erik was amazed:
- Kidding? Where?
I crossed my arms, waiting for Charlie's description of our endeavor and it started only from the part that Omega knew. I noticed an uneasiness coming from the biggest telepath in the world. He was sweating with fear. And I was very alert, because at any moment he could put more than a thousand mutants against me ...
Magneto commented on our usefulness and I took the opportunity to keep my promise:
- Well, I had promised Omega here to deliver the detonator of the carbonadium synthesizer to him. - and I took the medallion in my pocket, handing it to him - But I needed witnesses and, of course, Arcady, I give you some advice: Look for Hank so that he can remove any trace of the explosive from the device, understand?
The Russian does not answer me. He snarls something and picks up the medallion like a wolf snatches the first chunk out of its prey, disappearing into the crowd of mutants.
I cross my arms again, trying to think about Ravenna's charade, I feel the tension build up, until the moment I notice a telepathic conversation between Professor X and Magneto. I hear hearts racing, I see Erik's dilated pupil, and I think why are they working so hard? They could kill me right there, take the adamantium from my bones - and a shiver runs down my spine, ask Scott to vaporize me with an optical blast, in short, there were so many ways that I didn't understand their scruples ... Until my ego's voice said how inspiring and important, I was for the big picture and killing myself in front of everyone would not be a sensible plan. It would show a flaw in the system, after all, they would have to make an excuse ... I even said that Charlie could erase me from everyone's memory, in a snap of the fingers and another mutant would appear with the ability to do what should done, without much morale, like me. The world was full of potential Wolverines, right?
After a few minutes of awkward silence, the lord of metals decides to leave:
- My dearests, I'm going to my room... These parties are a bore for someone like me, who despite being optimistic about the present, I can't escape the past ...
- I hope your optimism will overtake your past one day, my friend! I won't be staying much longer either, I need to prepare for tomorrow's speech.
- What speech, Charlie?
- At the United Nations, Logan.
- Wow! Is it tomorrow? Will you need me to do your personal security?
He took a while to answer. He smiled and said:
- Not this time. I will need you to stay here, taking care of the children ...
- Okay, Charlie. Whatever you need, I'm here.
And it was then that I realized the meaning of that smile. My brain crossed it with several other smiles given, especially by the Sabretooth! It was a smile of supremacy, of sarcasm, of madness before a cataclysmic event... My defect was not being able to read minds to know what was going on! But... I knew someone who was very skilled at it!
I start researching where Emma was with my nose, I also look for any of the Cuckoos, they are almost always together and it doesn't take me long to see the whole Hellfire Club on a distant platform. I go down the stairs and start my walk to her; I pass where Ororo, Jonathan, Anne, Remy, Jean, Scott, Hank, Kurt and Warren are, surrounded by young mutants. I catch Jean's look at me and smell it coming closer as I continue to walk over to Emma.
- Hey! Hey, Logan! Wait a second! - screams the red's voice amid the sounds of the various parties.
I stop, without turning around, and wait. Only her scent was able to activate receptors in me that made me more relaxed, more sedated by reality ... What a pity, Jean ... I wish I could indulge in that, enjoy with you for many years! But at that time, I remember a quote that Kurt told me, from the apostle Paul: "I can do everything, but not everything suits me" ... If I give up now, if I just follow my ego, many will lose, and we do not have that right. I wanted you to understand me ... But I can't take any chances.
- Hey, big guy! It passed right by us! He's been gone. Any problems? Need some help? You know you can count on us, right?
She hugs me from behind and I reciprocate, taking a deep breath, knowing that all that feeling, in the future, would find a way to reach me again, like the many memories I have had these past few days. Slipping forward, she embraces me in a hug and kisses me. I put my fingers in her voluminous hair and after superficially returning her kiss, I pull her hair out:
- Not today, Jean ... - I speak so softly that I don't even believe in myself, I clear my throat, compose myself and speak normally: I have my moves, 'you know, babe! Not all of them I enjoy sharing with the crowd. But I know you understand me, right?
Her face is saddened as I speak, she bites her lower lip and babbles: "I thought you trusted me, Logan..."
- Of course, I do, redhead! But you need to understand that I would do anything to protect you and Cyclops, even if it seems to hurt you sometimes. - I hug her again while I give up going to see Emma, at least that night. I give her a peck, I know it doesn't convince her, but it was what I could do to not end the night in her arms. - I'm going to the cabin tonight, okay? - and I left, without waiting for her to answer me, I needed to make it clear that I didn't want company and the cabin was the ideal place.
It was a replica of the house where I lived with the Silver Fox. It was a little away from the main complexes, in the middle of a forest. When I spoke about the cabin, I felt a snap! It had been a long time since I had been there, and no one visited the place. Could it be... that Moira was so close to me and I hadn't understood before?
As I get closer to that well-known simulation, images of the moments with the Silver Fox invade my mind. How much I learned from her about unity and love... Grunting reminiscing how much I hated Sabretooth for taking it away from me. Then I hold my head in my hands, it looks like adamantium spears are going through my brain, images of her alive, that it was all just a blow! That I was manipulated by the Government! She was alive and moved on, why did Charlie have this cabin built? Why did he try to erase that part of my memory? Holy crap! He took away the biggest memories of manipulation for the simple fact that he is also manipulating me! And now, the children are so in danger!...
I smell some people I wouldn't like, not here, not now: Ororo, Hank, Kurt and Cyclops.
- Good night guys! So, lost around here, are you? - and no one answers. I hear them moving, forming a semicircle that compels me not to continue on the way to the cabin ... I know these guys are there to fuck me, and I know they are unaware of it. Thanks to Charlie's new game, I also know that I don't have to hold back to fight them, because everyone can come back, being a clone ... Never has my inner beast felt so much pleasure! I smile as I smell Hank and Kurt coming. Kurt flapping the air and Hank running across the floor.
The furry blue ball hits me with a kick in the chest, if it weren't for the adamantium box protecting my heart, I would have been out of breath. I fly a few meters until I hit a tree, that's when Kurt picks me up and takes me farther away from the cabin, in a clearing between where we were and where I was going. Scott is on one end of it, his hand already on his glasses and he hurls a blast in my direction. My healing factor, after so many trips with Kurt, was no longer pissed off on reentry, I took advantage of that he forgot to give him a quiet lion, using him as a shield against the optical blast that was just to stun him. The German only has time to say "Scheisse!" before falling unconscious.
I don't expect anything, I run towards Scott, dodging his bursts, getting hit by some, I get very close and, when I'm going to eject the claws, Charlie's bastard leaves the command and leaves Slim perplexed, looking at me, not understanding nothing! I hesitate at that time and only realize my mistake when I feel Hank's strong embrace, trying to hit me. I don't stand a chance in the open. I need to get out of that clearing and fight in a place where Charlie can't count on the vision or the telepathy on me. I gather my strength and lift Hank off the floor, throwing him over Scott. My side view sees that Kurt is still passed out and I haven't seen Ororo yet, she must be flying over us or guarding the cabin...
I take advantage of the confusion of the two and run to the trees, towards the cabin. Scott uses his blast to knock down several trees behind me. Now he wasn't holding on. Did Scott manage to fight the Professor's control before? I will never know. But what I do know is that I'm on the right track, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered with it all.
- You won't hold me, Charlie! I need to talk to her, you know? Have a serious conversation! Why lie and say the girl was dead?
He replies through Ororo's voice:
- There's nothing to talk about, Logan. You are a disappointment, even if cloned and with brain alteration you always manage to ruin everything!
I try to locate the African, but she is flying very fast. Making random moves above me. I was going to have to get closer to get her out of the game. Lightning from her and I could be unconscious for a few minutes!
I eject the claws and climb one of the trees, taking advantage of my mental camouflage. I hear the movement of Scott and Hank right below me and when I reach the summit I keep hidden among the leaves, watching Ororo look for me while talking telepathically with the others. She was coming with her back to me and when I can see that I have a chance, even a minimal one, I eagerly climb the short distance that separates us and launch myself at her, surprise makes her scream and denounce our position. Scott sends a blast, this time, a blast strong enough to kill, which hits Ororo, crosses it and passes through my left arm. A beautiful damage! My arm was unusable... I'm glad I'm not just left-handed!
I take advantage of her body, my friend, to stop the fall and I understand that the Charlie I met no longer exists. I would have to lose my control too, if I wanted to win this fight. I fall and feel like my muscles are minced meat. It is one of the disadvantages of adamantium bones ... Since they do not break, there is always more left for the muscles and organs to absorb the impacts. I feel a rupture of the spleen and liver. They would have to get ready soon! Go, healing factor, work, my dear!
It doesn't take long for the two to arrive.
- I can't know if you died, Logan, so take it! - Charlie speaks in Scott's voice, sending a blast at close range.
I roll aside just in time. Charlie was not good at hand-to-hand fights. His business was to be plotting, fixing the pawns. What was the use of having two excellent fighters under his control if he did not know how to use them?
Hank jumps on me and starts punching me, I protect my face with my right forearm and project my legs onto his back, at those times, it would be great if I had Laura's pair of claws... He feels the blow, but he doesn't stop punching. With that, I get so angry that I can't reason properly anymore, I feel the blood rising, I howl, and I use my legs again to get the blue off me, while, in a quick movement, I am unbalanced, in another I stick my claws in his left shoulder and tear your joints apart. I leave him grunting as I leave for Scott, I wouldn't hesitate this time, even if I wanted to. His bursts are very good for attacks from half to long distances, but this close, it was easy to know where they would be given and even easier to deflect. If I were lucid, I would be grateful for my healing factor to be so "young", I can almost move my left arm; but with the beast taking over, I couldn't think of anything but killing.
I trip him and, while he falls still shooting, I jump closer and use one of his legs to turn him over and face him on the ground. He tries to turn around, but my weight was too much for him. I try to eject my left claws, but I still can't. I eject the others and push them into the Cyclops' lumbar, leaving him paraplegic and in great pain!
My blurred view of red turns pink and I slowly take control. I go to Hank and hear him crying next to Ororo, hugging her:
- Oh, my stars and garters ! What happened here? Who made this? Who?!
I give up on continuing in that direction. Apparently, Charles was thinking that they were no longer needed, and he had abandoned his mind control and, in a short time, I would have more mutants chasing me. After all, he had almost an infinite supply of them!
I run to the cabin and stop only when it is too late. Her scent hits me full, hot, red, sweet. The voice is Jean's, but the speech is that of a coward who does not fight his own struggles:
- I can't let this conversation happen, Logan ... Besides you, Moira is the only one who can block my attempts at telepathic approach ... I left her under house arrest, you know? For her own sake*
I interrupt him. I have no balls to be rolled by the villain!
- Save our time, Charlie. I WILL talk to Moira, whether you collaborate or not. You know I can be very focused when I want to! You killed Ororo, man... Crossed a line that has no turning back...
- Speak the animal that has killed thousands of people and mutants! You don't have the morals to lecture me, Logan! - and using Jean's telepathy, he lifted me up and started killing me, tearing off my skin.
The pain is immense, but I feel something deep inside it, like Scott when he was holding himself up so as not to kill me. I couldn't try to contact Jean telepathically, otherwise Charlie would know my whole plan... But I could try to speak, even if I moaned. And that's what I did:
- Baby! You are the most powerful mutant I know! I know that after your rebirth, you are no longer with the Phoenix, but you were not strong for her, she chose you for your strength! Jean, I know you can hear me, right? - argh! - Jean, Jean, it's me, the guy who bothered you the most in life! Reddie, don't let him manipulate you - argh! - No, no! I can't pass out! I will not pass out! Damn it, Jean! You know I'm right! Me - argh! - I love you!
At that time, the vivisection stops, and I am slowly deposited on the floor. A small part of my guts is out, but I feel Jean's telepathy putting them in. I also feel the great strength she is making to not succumb to the greatest telepath on Earth, with her power amplified by a top-of-the-line Cerebro.
- Logan, I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him! I don't know what's in there either, I just know that you should go in, now!
I can squeeze my abdomen with my right arm, but I don't feel able to get up. It had been too much... I look at her, knowing how much I was already sacrificing myself and use my left index finger to say if she could wait a little longer. She shakes her head, tears off all the walls of the hut and, in what would be her room, has a portal, only God knows where. He was unlike any she had ever seen, and before I could even say anything, she lifts me up with telekinesis and leads me towards him, saying:
- As soon as you pass it, I will destroy it, Logan!
I nod, it was the right thing to do! I see his green eyes for the last time, send a look of gratitude and am flung through the portal, falling into what I consider a garage in a typical North American house.
As soon as I collapse there, the portal on my side begins to lose its luster, then lose its branches and then become dry as if it had not received irrigation in years. I lie there for a while, letting my body recover. I smell Moira in everything there and I'm happy, at least, that part of the mission had been accomplished. I needed these checklists to keep me sane.
- Oh, my God, Logan! Is that you? - I hear the heavy Irish accent. - I'll get my first aid kit!
I laugh at that sentence, but I didn't want to spend spit saying that she didn't need to. I let her dress me, while I analyze her and see what kind of villain she has become. Moira helps me up to the living room and, from there, I can see that we are on the moon! More precisely on the dark face of the Moon ... They created a cabin there, away from any other existing cabin and left it alone, in a house with a yard and balcony. What a sick thing!
- I'm glad to see you, Logan! Very good!
And her voice also accompanied this joy, her odors were legitimate, she was elated, which made me a little shy ... I decide to say:
- I'm not happy to see you, Moira! I almost died to get here and left a friend dead and several friends injured in Krakoa. The portal was destroyed, we are stuck here ... What's good about it?
She laughs at my questions; she laughs in my face and it makes me angry! *snikt*
- Can you stop laughing and start explaining what the fuck is going on here?!
She raises both arms, surrendering, stops laughing and gestures that she is going to sit in the armchair in front of me.
- It will seem crazy, I know... And so far, I was sure of what I was and what I should do, but from here on, I don't know how it will be...
- If you can stop being vague, it will help me a lot, you know? Although I have all the time in the world, I'm sick of it...
She smiled nervously:
- It is much easier to explain when the other is telepathic, you know?
- Like Charlie? Explain to him that you can be reborn several times, with awareness of the previous life?
The Irish woman's face was indescribable! She even opened her lips in surprise. I smile:
- What is it? I also have my sources ...
- I'm really glad you did, Logan! This time, I tried a different approach and when I realized how good it would be to have you by my side, they exiled me!
- Who are they, Moira? I know something about you, but I can't handle everything that happened in this present life...
- Ah! Right! Charles and Krakoa! They exiled me. In fact, I'm glad that the portal was destroyed, otherwise I think Krakoa could destroy this cabin... Which would be nothing more than what was deserved for me, but I hope I can still do differently with you, this time!
When she says that, several images of different lives of her go through my mind, I react like someone getting punched out of nowhere. She is scared and so am I! This lasts less than a minute, but it is enough for me to say:
- What the fuck... Whenever we live close together, I kill you, Moira ?!
- How do you know this? You shouldn't know, Logan...
- You're not expecting a metaphysical answer from me, are you? I do not care! It matters that I know! And, it seems, it serves very well as a button to "restart" this whole shit, right?
- Easy, easy, Logan... - she gets up, worried, from the armchair - Irene told me that this is my last life... If this is true, it won't do me any good to kill myself and I made a big mistake...
- You have no idea... - she looks at me, not understanding. I explain briefly that, this time, she had ended the chance of sextillions of lives, if everything continued as it is and the mutant supremacy was established.
- This is bad! Too bad ... Ter-ri-ble ... - she kicks some furniture, punches some things and I let her vent this moment of anger.
After that, she starts to cry, convulsively, and again, I do what I know. I approach slowly, I don't know how long she's been here without anyone and I put my hand on her shoulder. Her look of fury penetrates me like a dagger and then she hugs me and continues to cry. I answer the hug, put a hand on her back and lead us to the sofa. I leave her there and get a glass of water from the kitchen, along with a box of tissues.
I put both things on the table in front of her and break the silence:
- The water is out of sugar, I don't know where it is ...
She lets out a muffled laugh, uses her handkerchief to blow her nose and takes the water slowly, staring at me:
- Are you really real? Or am I hallucinating already? I've been alone here for some time...
- Well, not entirely alone, right? I smelled you on Erik some time ago...
She blushed slightly, her pupils dilated and from the acceleration of her heart, I understood that Magneto's visits were not just political.
- He came to tell me how much we have grown as a nation, that the plan is working and that, soon, we would have no more humans to worry about. Krakoa flowers only fulfill what they promise within the boundaries of Krakoa. Out of their bounds, they momentarily cheat and then intoxicate and kill!
I let out a grunt.
- I didn't know, I swear! I came to Charles with all the information from my nine previous lives, from all the alliances that I tried to form so that his dream was real and, I didn't realize when that changed, but this Charles's dream is not the same of union between the species...
- You remember him as a Massacre, right? - she nods positively - Charlie has always had this dark side, like all of us, Moira ... And depending on the moment you reached it, the scale was hanging over to one side. I think that all the attempts that you made, all the knowledge that you concentrated, serve you much more than for the people who are part of your journey. What do you think?
- Until those notes were very metaphysical, huh, Logan?