American comic book: An aging Wolverine, doing whatever he wants.

Chapter 126 Nick Fury's Plan, New Leader Logan

In the director's office at the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters building.

"Steve, what right do you have to transfer the task force without authorization?!"

Hill sat opposite Steve, his eyes serious, staring intently at him.

She only received the news this morning. In the early hours of the morning, Steve suddenly issued an emergency order to transfer the task force responsible for guarding all mutants.

This is why the entire mutant team of over two hundred people fled.

This infuriated her, because once those mutants escaped, it would be incredibly difficult to capture them again!

Steve looked up at Hill, whose face was full of anger, and at Nick Fury, who remained silent with a sullen expression in the main seat on the other side.

The atmosphere in the meeting room, which had only three people, was unusually cold. Hill's anger was written all over her face, and she was furious at Steve's overstepping of his authority.

Steve had anticipated this situation, since S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intention was clear: to arrest all the mutants, try those with criminal records, and detain those without.

His act of releasing the mutants without authorization undoubtedly touched a nerve with Hill, who adhered to the rules of S.H.I.E.L.D., making an argument inevitable.

"They are not criminals."

Steve took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Everything they did before was forced upon them. Strictly speaking, many of them could only be considered to be acting in self-defense."

After learning about the conflict between mutants and the government, Steve understood why Logan and the others had become so irritable.

After all, many government organizations, such as militias, aim to exterminate mutants, a situation that would provoke serious conflict in any ethnic group.

The fact that mutants, even in this situation, are able to simply guard their own territory and not actively cause trouble is quite remarkable.

However, Hill disagreed with Steve's opinion.

"They are criminals!"

Hill stared intently at Steve and said in a deep voice, "Logan and Charles's images are still on the wanted posters. One of them killed several of our task forces, and the other caused a nationally shocking tragedy on West Street. We have the right to arrest either of them!"

She didn't care whether Logan and the others acted in self-defense; she only looked at the legal provisions.

According to the law, Logan, Charles, Victor, and others are outright criminals!

Hill was extremely dissatisfied with Steve's behavior. In her eyes, Steve's actions could also be regarded as protecting criminals and violating the law!

However, Steve shook his head and said, "Right now, our conflict with mutants is extremely intense. Forcibly arresting them will only escalate the conflict!"

He didn't want to see mutants being treated differently, especially after learning how much mutants had sacrificed for this country and the world. He was even more unwilling to let these former heroes suffer such unfair treatment.

After a pause, Steve added, "Besides, my actions were also to protect the task force!"

Upon hearing this, Hill was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Steve took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I probably don't need to say much about Logan's strength. Rumlow brought so many people to capture him before, and what happened? They were all wiped out. At that time, he was only facing Logan alone. Now they have Victor and other mutants with considerable strength on their side. Do you really think the task force is capable of capturing them all?"

He stared at Hill and said in a deep voice, "If a real fight breaks out, there will only be one outcome: the task force will suffer heavy losses, the mutants will be able to escape completely, and our slightly improved relationship with the mutants will be completely shattered!"

Steve knew Logan's strength very well; he could vaguely sense that he wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight.

Moreover, he didn't want his relationship with Logan to become so strained; letting them go would be better for everyone!

"Captain, this isn't just a matter for you to decide. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't need to have any peace talks with a bunch of thugs!"

Hill remained relentless, refusing to approve Steve's actions unless Logan and his team were removed from the wanted list!

"That's enough!"

Just as the two were about to continue arguing, Fury slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily.

Upon hearing Fury's words, the two stopped arguing, but neither was clearly willing to concede to the other.

Fury turned slightly, staring at Steve with his only remaining eye. "Steve, I'm disappointed with this incident. I understand your attitude towards mutants, but Hill is right. You shouldn't have let them go. Their innocence can be argued in court. You have no right to judge their merits and demerits."

After a pause, Fury added, "And about mobilizing the task force, I hope you understand that you are the captain of the Avengers, but not an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Although our two organizations have a close relationship, you have no authority to mobilize my subordinates, and I hope that such a thing will not happen again in the future."

He looked at Steve, his tone serious but not aggressive.

He still saw Steve, Captain America, more as an old friend than a subordinate, but he also hoped that Steve would understand that his choice was wrong.

After saying that, he turned to Hill, took a deep breath, and said, "Steve is right. Forcibly arresting Logan and the others will only escalate the conflict. We are not an extremist organization like Hydra, so there is no need to be so impulsive. Moreover, as Steve said, if a conflict breaks out, our agents deployed there do not have much of a chance of winning."

Hearing Fury's words, Hill frowned and finally spoke up, "Then what do we do now? Those mutants won't give up..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Fury interrupted her, "The mutant problem is a legacy of history and is difficult to solve in a short time. Even if we capture them, it won't help. There are other mutants scattered all over the world. We can't capture them all. What's more important is to think about how to resolve the conflict and prevent such a big conflict from happening again."

After saying that, he sighed and added, "Solving this problem won't happen overnight. They are not well-regarded by most people. Only by solving this problem, giving them fair treatment, and getting the public to accept mutants can mutants live normal lives and reduce a lot of unnecessary conflicts."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fury frowned and fell into deep thought.

Steve and Hill were also deep in thought.

After a moment, Fury had a flash of inspiration and said, "If we really want to solve this problem, I do have a way..."

"What method?"

Steve immediately perked up and looked at Fury.

Fury remained silent for a moment, glanced at Hill, then at Steve, and after confirming that no one was outside the door, he whispered his plan.

"This is what I'm thinking..."

Fury spoke for several minutes, during which he received repeated praise from Steve and Hill.

After saying that, Steve nodded emphatically, "This method will work!"

Hill frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I think cooperating with a group of thugs is still somewhat risky, but... if we can completely resolve our struggle against mutants, perhaps we can make an exception this time."

Seeing that neither of them objected, Fury nodded, then looked at Steve, "Of course, all of this is on the premise that Logan and the others are willing to cooperate. That depends on you, Captain. Try to contact Logan and tell him our plan. If they agree, everything will go much more smoothly."

Steve nodded emphatically. "I will find him as soon as possible, and I believe Logan will accept this plan, after all, he also wants to change the relationship between mutants."

...

...

...

Canadian Plateau.

This is a vast grassland located in a high-altitude area, stretching as far as the eye can see. A gentle breeze blows, and tender green grass dances on the lush green grass.

In the middle of the grassland, there is an abandoned town.

The town is filled with houses bearing the marks of history. The cracks in the bricks of the streets are overgrown with grass because no one has taken care of them, and the walls are covered with moss. They look like they have been abandoned for a long time, but all kinds of facilities are still complete. There is even a clear well in the middle of the town.

At this moment, a blazing bonfire was burning in the center of the town.

More than two hundred people gathered around the center of the campfire. The warm flames dispelled the chilly temperature, and the intense heat shone on everyone's faces, but they did not feel any warmth from the fire.

Everyone looked numb, heads bowed in silence. The children stared blankly at the campfire, also remaining silent. Everyone's emotions had plummeted to freezing point; they couldn't even eat the prepared food. They just sat there listlessly, the atmosphere silent and cold, with only the crackling of the wood in the flames.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra won't find this place for the time being."

Logan sat cross-legged by the campfire, turned his head to look at Lorna and the others beside him, and said, "At least we can have some peace here for a while now."

"Hey, I'm the one who found this, so I should be the one to introduce it."

Victor, standing to the side, pursed his lips in displeasure, seemingly blaming Logan for stealing his lines.

Logan shrugged silently. "You tell me."

Victor snorted, looked at the town, and said with emotion, "I heard about this when I was a mercenary. I heard that there was an abandoned town on a plateau in northern Canada."

"The reason for its abandonment is that the town is too remote. There are no roads, and people have to rely on animal-drawn carts to get in and out. Transportation is extremely inconvenient, and there is basically no connection with the outside world."

"In the past, it was alright. People didn't have many needs. As long as they could fill their stomachs, that was enough. But after the Industrial Revolution, the outside world developed electric lights and highways, and life improved. After seeing the development outside, the people here gradually moved out, and eventually the place was abandoned."

Victor went on and on about how he discovered the town. At the time, he had only heard about it and hadn't come to see it for himself. Now, they needed a place to live, so he thought of this place.

The good news is that this place has only been abandoned, not completely destroyed. The houses and everything else are still intact, making it a truly nice place to live.

"Everything here is complete. As long as it's cleaned properly, it can easily accommodate all of us. Victor, you've done a great job this time."

Charles looked around and smiled with great satisfaction.

The environment here is beautiful. Although it is a plateau, the altitude is not too high, so there will be no severe altitude sickness. Even he, a man in his nineties, is hardly affected.

More importantly, the facilities here are very comprehensive. The blue brick floors are well preserved, and once the weeds are removed, they become roads. The houses are also very well-maintained, and apart from being a bit old, there is almost nothing wrong with them.

Upon hearing Charles's praise, Victor couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and let out a soft hum.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind Logan. Moira walked over, patted Logan on the shoulder, and whispered, "Logan, I want to talk to you."

Logan nodded and made room for Moira to sit down.

"Everyone is feeling down right now, and someone needs to step up and rally people's spirits."

She sat down next to Logan, looking at everyone, her meaning quite clear.

Upon hearing this, Logan looked at the people near the campfire, thought for a moment, and then nodded.

She knew very well that all these events were a significant blow to both the people at the previous McCain shelter and those at the Moira shelter.

The people at McCa's Sanctuary were disappointed by McCa's betrayal, and some even experienced a collapse of their faith.

The people at Moira's shelter were also somewhat affected by the destruction of the shelter and their forced escape.

Most people are no longer as optimistic as they used to be.

Logan.

At that moment, Charles, who was standing next to him, suddenly looked over, reached out and patted Logan's hand, his eyes clearly signaling him to stand up.

Seeing Charles's gaze, Logan frowned and subconsciously turned to look at Moira.

He knew very well that now that he was standing up, he would have to take on the role of team leader.

It was alright for the people from the previous McCain shelter, after all, he had some prestige among them, and he was more influential and organized than Lorna, John and others. After McCain's betrayal was dealt with, it was understandable that he would take his place.

However, besides Lorna and the others, there were also many people from Moira's Sanctuary at this time.

To become this leader, perhaps one should first ask Moira's opinion.

Moira smiled and nodded in response.

After everything that had happened, she had long since realized that Logan was clearly more suitable to be the team leader than she was.

Seeing Moira's expression, Logan no longer hesitated, stood up, and strode to the campfire.

"Everyone, stop."

He looked at the people around the campfire with a serious expression and pressed his hands down.

The silent crowd stopped what they were doing and looked up at him with curiosity.

Logan took a deep breath and said, "I understand how you all feel. McCain's betrayal hurts us. We all trusted him so much."

"McCarthy is indeed so outstanding and admirable. If we remove the hypocrisy and betrayal, he is undoubtedly a qualified leader. The unity of the shelter is inseparable from him. He is the one who brought everyone together."

"This is a fact that none of us can ignore."

Logan looked at everyone and acknowledged McCa's contribution. After all, without McCa, the shelter would not have been able to gather so many people.

If he had no selfish motives, he would indeed be an admirable leader. But the reason he gathered so many people was for betrayal!

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but nod, their sorrow growing ever stronger at that moment.

Lorna, John, Claes, and the others lowered their heads silently, unable to help but recall the past. Sadness spread through their minds, their hearts filled with mixed feelings, and their expressions were blank.

Logan looked at everyone's expressions, sighed, and said in a deep voice, "That's right, McCain deceived all of us. He colluded with Hydra, saying it was for the mutants and for the shelter, but in reality, he was a selfish person. That's an undeniable fact, a fact that definitely happened."

Upon hearing this, hatred instantly filled everyone's eyes.

Klaus pounded the ground with his fist, his eyes welling up with tears.

McCain's betrayal was like a sharp thorn piercing their hearts. The feeling of being betrayed by the person they trusted most made everyone grit their teeth in anger.

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject, "But think about it, everyone."

"Are we going to abandon our original intentions and goals because of McCa?"

"Why did we choose to stay and build the shelter? For McCa, no, for ourselves, for our community, to make things better. Actually, it had nothing to do with McCa. He was indeed a guide who brought us all together, but he went astray along the way."

"But we haven't; our original intentions and goals remain unchanged."

As soon as the voice fell, everyone was stunned for a moment, then suddenly stared straight at McCain, and suddenly realized what was going on.

Yes, they gathered together not because of McCain, but because of the ideas he spoke of.

It was his idea of ​​revitalizing mutants and creating a harmonious and stable mutant society that moved them, which is why they followed McCain.

And this idea, even without McCartney, they can still continue to work towards!

Previously, they were all stuck in a dead end, believing that they only had the will to work hard because of McCa. But that's not true. Their common goal has always been there. It doesn't matter whether McCa is there or not, as long as they stick to this goal and work hard for it!

"Logan is right, we don't need to grieve for a traitor!"

Lorna suddenly stood up and looked at everyone with an excited expression.

Everyone seemed to be encouraged by Lorna's voice and stood up.

"That's right. We are the ones who build a safe haven, not McCain. With our efforts, all goals will be achieved, and this goal isn't something only McCain can lead!"

Marcos pumped his fist and shouted, "We should pull ourselves together!"

The crowd was completely awakened, and they all stood up and shouted, "Yes, we shouldn't be discouraged! The glory of mutants is continued by us, not by any one individual, but by the efforts of all of us!"

In an instant, the low spirits dissipated, and the group encouraged each other around the campfire, their hope rekindled.

"I think this place is much better than the previous farm. We can continue our lives here and even make it better than before!" John said, looking at the town.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Then Laura stepped forward, raising her adorable head and speaking in her childish voice, "We can raise lambs here! There's so much grass outside, and it grows so well. The lambs will definitely eat happily and grow big and strong!"

"Lola is right, this is a natural pasture, and we can be completely self-sufficient through animal husbandry."

Logan listened to the girl's words and couldn't help but give her a thumbs up, affirming her statement.

Laura nodded excitedly.

Lorna said, "However, if we develop here, I think we can restore the previous farm operation mechanism. Although McCa is a bad person, the mechanism he set up is indeed very effective."

She paused, then added, "And this mechanism ensures that the shelter receives a certain amount of income to cover its expenses."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and enthusiastically joined the discussion.

Some suggested cultivating fields for farming, while others suggested raising cattle and making handicrafts.

The quiet atmosphere began to liven up during the discussion.

Logan breathed a deep sigh of relief upon seeing this, and at the same time, he noticed the reminder on the panel in front of him.

[Prestige +10]

[Prestige +10]

[Prestige +10]

……

Looking at his ever-increasing prestige, he was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but smile, slipped out of the crowd, and turned to smoke in the distance.

Seeing this, Charles pushed the wheelchair over and looked at Logan, laughing, "I didn't expect you to be a speaker."

Looking at Charles's expression, Logan shook his head with a wry smile, "I've said everything I could in my life."

After speaking, he looked at the renewed enthusiasm of the crowd, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

At least everyone has become active again.

(End of this chapter)