Chapter 26: An Unexpected Encounter
A few moments ago, Logan and Jean were enjoying their date.
Laura is with Ancient one trying to master some new spells and Selene is busy with the expansion of Howlett Enterprises.
Meanwhile Hank went on a vacation to escape from Logan's never-ending tasks, he left saying if he was in his home or lab, Logan will come and give him some new tasks.
Benjamin is learning the human life style and was even wearing clothes.
So, only logan and Jean are left, since they had some time to relax together, they decided to go on a date.
It wasn't exactly a date in a sense—they were married, after all—but it was a rare opportunity to unwind and have some fun.
After enjoying the morning fully, now it is night time and they stopped by a music shop, deciding to pick up a few CDs.
As they browsed through the music collection, Logan and Jean were playfully discussing their tastes, teasing each other about their choices.
Jean held up a classic old album with a smile, "This one's definitely your style."
Logan chuckled, "You know me too well." He picked up a more modern album, "What about this? Thought you liked these guys."
Jean rolled her eyes with a grin, "Only because you keep playing it in the car."
Their lighthearted banter was interrupted when they both sensed something coming.
Both Logan and Jean are now physical had almost same strength, So Jean can also sense things Logan can. They exchanged a brief look and instantly become alert and looked at above.
Few moments later, the roof of the music shop caved in, sending debris flying everywhere.
Instinctively, Logan moved to shield Jean, his reflexes kicking in.
Jean rolled her eyes seeing him protecting her, she has almost the same physical strength of Logan. But still felt happy in her heart.
The ground shook as something—or someone—slammed down with incredible force.
As the dust settled, Logan and Jean prepared for a possible fight. But what they saw made Logan's eyes widen in disbelief.
Standing amidst the wreckage was a tall, blonde woman with piercing blue eyes. She was dressed in a green costume adorned with a star emblem on her chest, and despite the rough landing, she looked unscathed.
"You've got to be kidding me," Logan muttered under his breath, recognizing the familiar sensation of cosmic power. The energy radiating from her was unmistakable.
The woman looked around, clearly assessing the situation, before focusing on them.
She raised her hand to her wrist, attempting to activate a communication device, but it seemed damaged from her dramatic arrival.
"My name is Vers, Kree Starforce," she introduced herself, her tone firm and direct."Is this C-53."
Logan and Jean exchanged a glance, silently communicating before Logan responded, "Yes."
"Good thing my universal translator working, now I need to contact my team, but my communication device seems to be damaged."
Logan glanced at the broken device on her wrist and pointed outside. "There's an electronics store across the street. You might find what you need there."
Carol nodded and quickly headed out of the shop.
As Carol left, Jean turned to Logan, concern in her eyes. "She has the same energy as you, Logan."
Logan sighed, "Yeah, I noticed. That means the Tesseract is either with her or somewhere close to her."
Jean knew all about Logan's connection to the Tesseract and how it granted him his energy manipulation abilities.
She frowned, her brows knitting together as she attempted to probe Carol's mind. But she quickly pulled back, shaking her head. "Her mind is a mess. There's too much...interference."
Logan put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her. "It's okay. If we follow her, she'll eventually lead us to the Tesseract. I'm sorry about our date maybe we can plan it later."
Before they could decide their next move, Logan's phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered it, and Emily's voice came through, urgent and concerned.
"Logan, something's happened to Howard and Maria. You need to get to our medical hospital in New York, now."
Logan's expression darkened, torn between tracking down the Tesseract and rushing to help Howard, one of his oldest allies.
Jean, who had overheard the conversation, made the decision for him. "I'll go with the women Vers and get the Tesseract. You need to be with Howard—he needs you right now."
Logan knows with her powers it will be a piece of cake for her but still asked her one more time, "Are you sure? This could be dangerous."
Jean gave him a reassuring smile and leaned in to kiss him. "I can handle it."
Logan nodded, "Be careful."
Jean gave him a confident nod and turned, following in the direction Carol had gone.
As Logan watched her leave, he quickly informed Emily of his location. "I'm opening a portal your way," she said.
True to her word, orange sparks began to swirl in the air before him, and a portal opened up, revealing the familiar surroundings of the hospital in New York.
Logan took one last look in the direction Jean had gone, then stepped through the portal.
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As Logan stepped through the portal, the familiar surroundings of the medical hospital of his, in New York greeted him.
Emily was waiting, her expression grave as she gestured for Logan to follow her down the corridor. The tension in the air was palpable.
"Logan," Emily began as they walked, "Howard and Maria were attacked a few hours ago. Thankfully, some of our betas who were on vacation happened to be nearby and intervened."
Logan's eyes narrowed and Emily's face tightened. "It seems that Hydra was involved."
As they approached the door to the medical room, Emily continued, "The betas managed to subdue the attacker, but... Maria Stark didn't make it. She was already gone when they arrived. Howard is still alive, but his condition is critical. Our doctors say his chances of surviving are slim."
Logan's gaze turned towards the door, where he could see Howard lying on a medical bed, surrounded by doctors working frantically to stabilize him.
Logan wasn't the one to give up easily, especially not on an old friend.
"I need to speak with him," Logan said, his voice firm.
Emily nodded and signaled the doctors. Though there were murmurs of disagreement, most of the medical staff were Logan's betas, and after a brief exchange, they allowed him in.
Logan approached Howard's bedside, taking a seat beside him. He gestured for Emily, who placed her hand on Howard's forehead and began chanting a spell.
Slowly, Howard's eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Logan who had greeted him softly with a weak smile "Hi, old friend,".
Howard's eyes flickered with pain as he asked, "What happened to Maria?"
Logan didn't say anything directly. "Just say the word, Howard, and both you and Maria will be as good as new."
Howard looked at Logan, the weight of his years reflected in his tired eyes. He paused before shaking his head. "Logan, every one of us.... humans has to die one day. I don't wish to turn into a werewolf. Maria... she's waiting for me on the other side. It's my time."
Logan remained silent, his hand gripping Howard's. Howard's voice grew weaker as he continued, "But promise me one thing, Logan."
"Anything," Logan replied.
"Take care of Tony. He's stubborn—takes after me—but he's got a good heart. Don't let him lose it."
"I promise," Logan said with his voice firm and resolute. As he looked at Emily, she stopped her chanting. Howard's pulse began to slow, and the steady beep of the heart monitor gradually turned into a continuous tone. Howard Stark, one of Logan's oldest friends, was gone.
Logan sat there in silence for a few minutes, absorbing the loss. Finally, he stood, and Emily followed him out of the room.
"Contact Peggy," Logan instructed as they walked away.
Emily nodded. "It's already done. She's on her way."
Logan then entered an empty room and Emily knew exactly where he needed to go next.
Without another word, Emily opened a portal after she closed the door of the room, revealing the dark interior of an empty room on the other side. In the center of the room, a man was bound to a chair with his head hanging low.
Logan stepped through the portal, his eyes locked onto the prisoner. "Long time no see, old friend," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous edge.
The man in the chair slowly lifted his head, revealing the battered face of Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. As recognition dawned in Bucky's eyes, he began to struggle against his restraints, but it was futile. Logan's betas had tied him in such a way that ensured he wouldn't escape.
Logan walked closer, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
Without warning, he delivered a punch to Bucky's midsection that sent both him and the chair flying across the room, crashing through several walls before coming to a stop.
In an instant, Logan was there, he looked at Bucky who is now coughing some blood, his organs are disoriented from just one punch.
He grabbed Bucky by the neck with one hand, lifting him off the ground. Bucky tried to struggle but it was futile, then his other hand repeatedly slammed into Bucky's face and stomach, each blow calculated to inflict maximum pain without killing him.
Bucky, still under Hydra's control, was barely conscious as blood poured from his wounds. Within minutes, he was little more than a broken, bleeding shell.
Logan finally released him, letting Bucky's limp body fall to the floor. He turned to Emily, his expression cold. "Heal him and try to fix his mind."
Emily hesitated, a mix of concern and fear in her eyes. Logan wiped the blood from his hands with a towel handed to him by another beta.
Seeing her hesitation, Logan asked, "What's bothering you?"
Emily took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "You know he was mind-controlled, Logan. Why did you nearly beat him to death?"
Logan finished wiping his hands and tossed the towel aside. "Just because he wasn't in his right mind doesn't ease my anger. What he did... what Hydra made him do... it doesn't change the fact what he did. Now, I want every Hydra base destroyed by tomorrow morning."
His words were final, leaving no room for argument. Logan turned and left the room.
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(A/N: Natasha and Wanda won the votes.
So, will stick with original plan. Many suggested Strom and Hella. I plan to make the harem small but we'll see what happens in future.
Drop some reviews for this fanfic if you like it.)