Chapter 49: [49] Recruiting Wolverine?
(Image)
New York, Eller Tavern
This is a very old tavern, established back in the 18th century. The entire place carries a sense of history, with every corner echoing the past.
At this moment, Brian and his three companions entered this storied tavern. Upon stepping inside, they noticed a photo wall displaying images that captured the changes of the times from 1845 to 1962.
Brian approached the photo wall with interest and picked up one of the pictures. It showed a grand manor. On the lawn, the manor's owner stood with his wife and young son, all smiling warmly. In the corner of the photo, a bearded gardener held the hand of a young boy with sharp nails, gazing silently.
At the bottom of the photo, a caption read:
Date Taken: August 1845. Congratulations to the youngest son of the Howlett family, James Howlett, on his 8th birthday.
"Sir, are you interested in that photo?" The elderly tavern owner approached Brian, noticing the picture he was studying, a nostalgic look crossing his face.
"When I was very young, my grandfather told me the story of the Howlett family," the tavern owner began.
"It's said that the Howlett family was once very wealthy. John Howlett, the head of the family, was a kind man who often provided jobs for the poor. But, as they say, good people don't live long. When John's youngest son, James, was just 8 years old, tragedy struck the family.
"Thomas Logan, the Howletts' gardener, killed John Howlett in a drunken rage. Consumed by guilt, Thomas took his own life. John's wife, Elizabeth Howlett, was so traumatized that she fell into madness, often muttering about monsters and Mutants. And young James... he simply disappeared, never to be seen again. After that, the Howlett family went into decline."
The tavern owner shook his head, sighing deeply.
"George, quit it with the Howlett family stories," an impatient voice called out, cutting into the conversation.
Brian turned toward the voice and saw a familiar figure—Logan.
At this moment, Logan, who hadn't yet fully embraced his Wolverine identity, was dressed in a rugged cowboy outfit, a Cuban cigar clamped between his teeth, a soldier's badge hanging around his neck, as he steadily downed one beer after another.
"Alright, Logan. Still as uninterested in the old stories as ever," the tavern owner George shrugged and went back behind the bar.
"Sir, would you like a drink?" George asked Brian.
"A glass of brandy, thank you."
Before Brian could answer, Professor X had already approached the bar and requested the drink.
"Alright, sir," George replied with a nod, pouring Professor X a glass of brandy.
"Oh, and another beer for Mr. Logan," Professor X added, then turned to Brian.
"Brian, we haven't located any sign of the Hellfire Club's Mutants yet. But stay alert," he instructed. "You handle the watch while Magneto and I go speak with Mr. Logan."
Hearing Professor X's plan, Brian nodded with a slight smile.
"Professor X, here's a predictive comic for you," Brian said, pulling a comic he had sketched quickly before coming to recruit Logan from his pocket and handing it over.
"A predictive comic? Did Darwin foresee this meeting already?" Professor X asked, looking at the comic with curiosity.
The comic contained just one illustration. In the image, Logan stood next to Professor X and Magneto, all clearly drawn with expressions matching their personalities. Above each of their heads was a text bubble.
Professor X's bubble read, "Hello, I'm Charles."
Magneto's said, "Hello, I'm Erik."
And above Logan's head, it read, "Go f**k yourselves."
Professor X frowned at the comic, then glanced at Logan with a mixture of disbelief and mild amusement.
Taking a deep breath, he walked toward Logan, prepared for what might come next.
Meanwhile, Brian reached out with Psychokinesis to lift a glass of brandy from behind the bar, letting it float into his hand. He raised the glass, smiling, ready to enjoy the show.
At this moment, Brian was eagerly anticipating the famous interaction that was about to unfold.
Under Brian's watchful gaze, Professor X and Magneto approached Logan.
Logan, who was in the middle of his drink, noticed the two men approaching but chose to ignore them, picking up a cigar from the table and lighting it nonchalantly.
"Hello, Logan, I'm Erik Lehnsherr."
"And Charles Xavier," Professor X added with a smile.
Both men introduced themselves warmly, and Professor X proceeded to extend an invitation to Logan.
"Logan, we'd like to invite you to join us—"
Before he could finish, Logan interrupted brusquely.
"Go fuck yourselves."
Professor X and Magneto's faces froze mid-smile.
Meanwhile, Brian, standing off to the side and thoroughly enjoying the scene, burst into laughter as he watched Professor X and Magneto's expressions sour.
Brian's laughter only made Professor X and Magneto's expressions darker, especially Professor X, who had been convinced the prediction in the comic wouldn't actually come true.
But now, with Logan's sharp retort, Professor X felt like he had been slapped in the face.
This left him slightly taken aback.
"Logan, we're all Mutants, and we should help each other," Professor X said, still hoping to persuade Logan to join the X-Men.
In response, Logan raised his right hand.
Swoosh.
A sharp, pale bone claw extended from between Logan's knuckles, aimed straight at Professor X's neck.
The claw grazed Professor X's skin, drawing blood.
"Charles, are you alright?" Magneto exclaimed, immediately activating his ability.
In an instant, the knife and fork on the table flew up and hovered just in front of Logan's face, poised to strike.
Logan, however, remained completely unfazed. Years of warfare had made him nearly indifferent to physical threats.
Just as the three were on the brink of a standoff, Brian, who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines, casually raised his hand.
Boom.
Logan was instantly blasted out of the tavern by a surge of Psychokinesis.
Roar.
Logan, now outside and furious, let out a signature Wolverine roar as his bone claws shot out in rage.
Brian, unimpressed by the sight of Logan's bone claws, casually waved his hand. An invisible force snapped Logan's bone claws instantly.
"Hi, Mr. Logan, your bone claws are really fragile," Brian remarked with a smirk.
Crack, crack.
With each painful snap, Logan's muscles tensed, his veins pulsing as he endured the agony. But he didn't cry out. Instead, he rushed at Brian like a wounded animal, determined and relentless.
As Logan charged, his broken bone claws healed rapidly, returning to their original form in seconds.
He lunged at Brian, fists clenched and claws ready to strike. With intense speed, he swung his arms, aiming to stab Brian with his claws.
But Brian simply waved his hand, and Logan's attacking arm froze in place.
Logan's bone claw was just a few centimeters from Brian's neck.
But no matter how hard Logan tried, his arm couldn't move forward at all.
Brian flicked his fingers downward.
Logan's arms crossed against his will, and his bone claws stabbed directly into his kidneys.
This time, Logan couldn't hold back the pain. He groaned and retracted the claws that had pierced his own kidneys.
Logan's internal injuries and flesh began to heal rapidly.
Watching Logan's incredible self-healing speed, Brian couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
Logan's self-healing factor was indeed an Omega-level ability. Theoretically, as long as his head wasn't severed, Logan could live indefinitely.
However, in The Wolverine, this powerful self-healing factor was nearly stolen by the treacherous Shingen Yashida, which Brian found to be an insult to such a remarkable ability.
Fortunately, Shingen Yashida had already been taken care of by Brian, meaning that unfortunate plotline wouldn't unfold.
As his body healed, Logan tried to attack again, but a surge of powerful Psychokinesis held him in a spread-eagle position, unable to move.
"Who the hell are you?"
Logan shouted at Brian.
"Remember my name, Logan. I'm Brian, the Homelander."
Brian looked at Logan, who was still seething with anger, and chuckled.
"Homelander? Brian?"
Logan glared at Brian, committing his name to memory.
"Alright, Brian, we should go," Professor X said, looking calmly at Logan before turning to Brian.
Professor X didn't show any displeasure over Logan rejecting his invitation. He believed that any Mutant with a sense of justice was welcome to join the X-Men, but also that every Mutant had the right to refuse. If Logan didn't want to join, there was no reason to linger here.
Brian nodded at Professor X's words and released Logan from the Psychokinesis hold.
Swish.
Brian soared into the air, the four wings behind him spreading wide. At the same time, he raised his right hand, lifting Professor X and Magneto into the air with Psychokinesis.
Looking down at Logan on the ground, Brian's lips moved slightly, using his soundwave ability to send a message directly to Logan.
"Logan, we'll meet again. I hope that next time, you'll still bring out those bone claws. The sound of breaking them is surprisingly satisfying."
The message echoed in Logan's ears as he watched Brian, now airborne, disappear into the sky.
"Homelander, huh?" Logan muttered, clenching his right fist as his three bone claws shot out, the glint in his eyes filled with fighting spirit. "Next time, I'll make sure you feel the claws."
Since awakening his abilities, Logan had felt a fierce warrior spirit within him. After today's confrontation, he was already looking forward to meeting Brian again and proving his strength.
"Logan, your phone," George called out again, oblivious to what had just transpired.
Unaware that his memory had been altered by Professor X before their departure, Logan walked over to the phone and answered.
"Hey, James, my brother. Your vacation is over," a rough voice said on the other end.
"Grr.. Victor, I just started my vacation," Logan replied, frowning in irritation.
"James, your abilities shouldn't be wasted on vacation," Sabretooth, Logan's half-brother, continued. "America and the Soviet Union are about to go to war, and the military's recalling all personnel on leave."
Logan sighed as he listened, a flicker of reluctance crossing his face.
"And James, my mutant brother, we have a mission," Victor added, his tone dark and intent.
"What mission?" Logan asked, his frown deepening as he anticipated his brother's response.
"We've been assigned to the Florida Strait near Cuba," Victor said, his words making Logan curse under his breath.
"Damn it, the Florida Strait is a powder keg right now," Logan muttered. "The Soviet Navy and the American Navy are both heavily stationed there—war could break out any second. It's the most dangerous place in the world."
On the other end, Victor's voice was filled with excitement. "James, the most dangerous place is exactly where we belong. War means killing, and we were born to kill."
With that, Victor hung up abruptly.
Logan took a couple more puffs from his cigar before pressing it out firmly in his palm.
Sigh
Then, without another word, he strode out of the Eller Tavern, prepared for whatever lay ahead.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone