Chapter Forty-Eight

621 32 4
                                        

- Logan

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

- Logan

Stryker's words hung in the air like a death sentence. "The death of a sister will unleash a storm of vengeance and grief, birthing a new being. The Scarlet Witch rise and shall bring forth the end to mutants, and only through her fall shall the world find peace."

I felt a chill run down my spine. It was like everything Lia had told me about the prophecy was suddenly clicking into place. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of conversations, the warnings, the fear in her eyes. And then it hit me like a freight train.

A sister.

My eyes darted to Jean's lifeless body sprawled on the ground. She was the closest thing Lia had to a sister, and now she was gone. The realization was a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. Jean, with her fiery spirit and unwavering loyalty, was gone. I could hardly breathe as I looked at her, my chest tightening with a mix of rage and sorrow.

Stryker's voice sliced through the tension. "I set Simon on a path to fulfill the prophecy," he sneered, his tone dripping with venom. "To eliminate the Scarlet Witch's sister. I didn't even give him a name." He moved his gaze to Jean's lifeless form.. "But the real twist? It was one of you."

Stryker's voice dripped with malice as he turned his attention to Lalia. "It's time to stop running from your fate," he sneered. "Parents dead, brother dead, and now your sister lies lifeless at your feet. What do you have left to lose, Scarlet Witch? Nobody can pull you out of the darkness of what's to come."

I felt a surge of rage boil within me. My claws extended and before I knew it, I was charging at Stryker. "If you keep talking," I growled, "I'll drive my claws right through your chest."

For a split second, fear flickered in Stryker's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a sinister, almost gleeful look. He shifted his gaze to Lalia, a menacing smile creeping onto his face. "It seems you have bigger things to worry about," he said, his voice oozing with dark satisfaction.

My gaze shifted to Lia. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but her face was contorted with panic, her lips twitching as if she was fighting back a scream. A scarlet ambience began to surround her, casting an eerie glow around her being. Suddenly, she fell to her knees, an agonized scream erupting from her throat. The sound was raw, primal, and it tore through the room like a shockwave, sending chills down my spine.

A blast of power exploded from her, knocking me and everyone else in the room off our feet. I was thrown against the corridor wall, the impact rattling my bones. As I struggled to get up, I felt my skin start to heal, the familiar sensation of my mutant ability kicking in. But the room was cloaked in a red ambience, almost blinding in its intensity.

I looked around, trying to make sense of the chaos. Scott and Simon lay unconscious on the floor, the force of the eruption too much for them. Stryker was struggling to get himself out of the room, his face twisted in fear and desperation. I forced myself to my feet, my movements slow and unsteady. Lia was floating above the ground, her arms outstretched, red energy pouring out of her chest. Her scream grew louder, the power within her spiraling out of control.

I stumbled towards her, my steps getting sloppier with each passing second. The sheer force of her power was overwhelming, but I couldn't stop. I had to reach her. With a final burst of strength, I threw myself onto her, wrapping my arms around her tightly. The moment I made contact, the power stopped, and the room fell into an eerie silence.

We were thrown through a wall, the impact of Lalia's power so strong that it felt like being hit by a freight train. I landed hard, debris flying everywhere, but my first instinct was to shield her. I cupped Lalia's head, trying to protect her from the debris raining down around us.

"Lalia," I muttered, hoping to snap her out of whatever haze she was in. Tears streamed freely down her face, her eyes wide and unfocused. She looked at me, and I could see the fear in her eyes. "Lia," I repeated, cupping her face gently.

Her eyes widened further, and I noticed her nose was bleeding. She looked down at her arms, and I followed her gaze. Her veins were illuminating an ominous red. Panic started to rise in my chest. "Lia, listen to me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even as the lights started to flicker and the building began to shake.

"No, no," she whispered, wiping her nose with a trembling hand. "Logan, you have to do it now."

My eyes widened in confusion. "What?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lia just stared at me, her tears becoming heavier, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. It was like she was trying to tell me something without saying it outright. And then it hit me. Her request back in the tent. My face fell as the realization dawned on me.

I had to kill her.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I can't."

"You have to," she insisted, her voice breaking. "Please, Logan."

I locked eyes with her, witnessing the dramatic shift as her pupils dilated from an eerie red back to their natural hue, flickering with raw desperation and fear. The building groaned and trembled with increasing violence, each shudder a stark reminder that our time was slipping away. The urgency of the moment pressed down on me—I had to make a choice.

"I can't do it Lalia," I said, my voice breaking under the weight of the impossible choice in front of me. Lia reached out, her hand trembling as she squeezed mine gently. Her touch, usually so warm and reassuring, felt like ice.

"Yes, you can," she whispered, her voice a fragile thread in the chaos around us. "I can feel it, Logan. It's starting to happen. If you let me live, this thing inside me will emerge and kill all of you."

I looked at her hair, the ends slowly darkening to a deep auburn. Panic clawed at my chest, and I took the strands into my hand, feeling the life draining from her. My eyes widened in horror, and I looked back up at her, searching for any sign of another way out.

"We're out of time," she said, her voice filled with heartbreaking resignation. "It's not fair, it shouldn't be you, but it is."

My hands started to shake uncontrollably against hers. She gave me a small, sad smile, the kind that tore at my soul. "It's okay," she said softly. "You could never hurt me."

Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. "I just feel you," she continued, her voice a soothing balm to my tortured mind.

I took a final, lingering look at her, trying to capture every detail in my mind. Her eyes, full of unspoken words and silent pleas, seemed to pierce through me. As I gazed at her, a pulsating glow began to form above her head, an eerie light. My heart clenched, and I felt a wave of emotions crashing over me.

I hesitated, my breath catching in my throat. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, and I closed my eyes, trying to summon the strength to do what needed to be done. Slowly, I retracted my claws, the metallic sound a stark reminder of the violence I was capable of.

"I love you," I cried out, my heart breaking as I drove my claws through her chest. Her face twisted in agony, a painful gasp escaping her lips, but then a small, serene smile appeared on her face.

She silently mouthed, "I love you," and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Her head lolled back, her neck going limp as her eyes fluttered shut. The world seemed to stop, the noise and chaos fading into the background as I held her close, feeling her life slip away in my arms. I shuddered, my breath catching in my throat.

I watched in horror as the ends of her hair stopped its auburn surge, and the veins slowly faded. I held her body against mine, crying into her neck as she became limp. The weight of my choice, the unbearable pain of losing her, crushed me.

I pulled back, sobbing, running my hands through her hair. "No, Lia," I whispered. The realization of what I had done hit me like a freight train. My whole body trembled with agony, knowing that nothing would ever be the same again.

Claws and Heartstrings: Logan Howlett | Wolverine ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀིWhere stories live. Discover now