Marvel: Death Knight

Baron Zemo watched as Garus controlled the arcane-powered mech, retreating into the distance. He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself.

The mech—a fusion of advanced technology he'd never encountered—seemed on par with Tony Stark's Iron Man suits, which piqued his interest greatly.

Pulling out his phone, Zemo dialed a number. "Kelly, I need you to do something for me. Investigate someone's identity. I'll send you a photo shortly."

Kelly, an operative planted by Hydra within the U.S. government, had climbed to the position of a congressman. His role was to assist Hydra in various covert operations.

After ending the call, Zemo turned and made his way toward the underground base, hoping the damage there wasn't too severe.

By the time Garus returned home, the suppressant in Logan's system had worn off, and the man had regained full consciousness.

Logan could recall little. He remembered following Garus to an underground base and encountering someone there—but everything afterward was a blank.

Now awake, Logan looked over at Garus, seated on the sofa, and asked, "Garus, did you bring me back here? And… are these the mutants who were imprisoned in that Hydra base?"

"That's right," Garus replied, glancing at the mutants scattered throughout the room, some lying unconscious. "Logan, since we can't find Xavier's school for mutants, why don't we create our own? You could be their teacher. What do you think?"

Logan hesitated. He wanted to keep searching for Professor X, but deep down, he knew it was futile.

Looking at the haggard group of mutant children, Logan was reminded of those he'd once rescued from Stryker's lab. Back then, it was Xavier who had given them a safe haven, educating them to avoid harming themselves and others.

Garus could see Logan's reluctance. Over the past few days, he had observed enough to confirm that this version of Wolverine was the future Logan from Days of Future Past. Yet, for reasons unknown, he had found himself in this world.

"Logan," Garus began, "this world isn't the one you know. It's a parallel universe. Here, you'll never find your Professor X. There might be someone like Charles, but they won't be the one you know."

Logan was stunned. He'd heard Hank McCoy mention parallel universes once or twice, but the concept still felt abstract and unreal to him.

"Is there any way back?" Logan asked.

"Not that I know of," Garus replied. "At least, I don't have the ability, and perhaps no one in this world does."

Logan fell silent, his sense of purpose momentarily slipping away. Then he recalled something Garus had mentioned earlier. "Didn't you say a friend told you there was a school for mutants?"

"I lied," Garus admitted, his tone soft. "I'm sorry, Logan. The truth is, I'm not from this world either. I ended up here by chance. When I saw you, I recognized you from another world."

Having spun one lie, Garus had no choice but to weave another to explain it. Before Logan could ask further questions, Garus quickly changed the subject. "I plan to establish a new mutant academy and would like you to teach them combat skills."

As the suppressant in their systems began to wear off, the mutant children started waking up one by one.

Logan looked at the confused and frightened children. He couldn't just leave them; they would only end up being captured and subjected to more inhumane experiments. Finally, he nodded.

Garus's decision to involve Logan wasn't arbitrary. Logan's natural combat instincts and wealth of experience made him an ideal teacher. This world was perilous, and Garus needed these mutants to learn how to fight—not just for their survival, but also to aid him in the future.

Even with his strength, Garus couldn't do everything alone. Moreover, some items from his system's exchange shop, like the Legion Warship and Storm Fortress, required a crew to operate. Establishing a mutant academy wasn't just a necessity—it was part of his system's mission.

"I'll set up the school in Westchester, the address you mentioned," Garus said.

Logan nodded. "That'll do."

He missed the days at Xavier's school, and building the new academy there would be a small comfort.

The system chimed:

[Task complete. Gained Wolverine's favor. Reward: 8,000 exchange points.]

As their discussion concluded, the awakened mutant children began to realize they were free—no longer trapped in a dark, oppressive underground facility. Excited chatter filled the small villa.

"Hey, John! We're out!"

"Damn it, Omega, don't poke me with your spikes!"

"I want to go home! I need to find my mom!"

The house erupted into chaos.

Some of the children tried to run outside, but Garus used Death Grip to pull them back, following up with Desecrated Ground to immobilize them. Fortunately, the suppressant still lingered in their systems, and many of their abilities were underdeveloped. Otherwise, controlling all forty-some children would have been beyond him.

"Quiet!" Garus commanded, his voice firm and authoritative. He needed to establish dominance quickly; otherwise, the children wouldn't listen to him.

These were just kids, after all—some barely able to control their powers. Intimidated by Garus's abilities and the gargoyle floating menacingly at his side, they fell silent and stayed put.

"You're all evolved humans," Garus began, his tone steady. "You possess great power, but you don't yet know how to use it. I rescued you from the bad guys, but now you must follow my guidance. I'll set up a school to teach you how to control your abilities. Any objections?"

The children exchanged nervous glances before a small, timid girl spoke up. "No problem, big brother."

The others nodded hesitantly, cowed by Garus' display of power.

Garus pointed to Logan. "This will be your teacher."

Elsewhere, the Kingpin—Wilson Fisk—paused his actions as a voice echoed in his mind. "Wilson."

He responded respectfully, "Yes, master. What do you need?"

"Tomorrow, I need you to buy a plot of land in Westchester and turn it into a school. Do it as quickly as possible. Oh, and send over two buses; I need accommodations for some people."

"Understood, master."

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