American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Special Advisor West stood by the window of Hamilton's office, his back to Lynn Hall, gazing thoughtfully at the Manhattan skyline. Lynn Hall had just briefed him on their findings and plans to travel to Lake Saranac.

“Weapon X,” West said softly, still with his back to him, “adds a complexity I hadn’t anticipated.”

She turned around, her expression serious: "Detective Hall, do you know the full history of Weapon X?"

Lynn Hall shook his head: "I only know the basic outline. A secret military project from the Cold War era, aimed at creating super soldiers and experimenting on mutants. It was supposedly shut down later."

West chuckled, but there was no humor in his laughter: "Being 'shut down' is the official term. In reality, it split into several different branches, continued by different agencies and private interest groups. Project Task, Project Abao, and X-23 are all direct descendants of Weapon X."

She walked back to her desk, took an encrypted tablet from a drawer, entered the password, and handed it to Lynn Hall: "This is classified information, but given the seriousness of the situation, you need to know what we might be facing."

Lynn Hall took the tablet and began browsing the documents on it. The documents detailed the true history of Project X—far more extensive and brutal experiments than officially acknowledged, involving hundreds of mutant victims, most of whom did not survive. The project's goal was not only to create super soldiers, but also to research how to control, enhance, or even transfer mutant abilities.

“This is chilling,” Lynn Hall said after reading it, his voice low with shock.

“Indeed,” West acknowledged. “And what’s most worrying is that much of the research from Project X was never completely destroyed or sealed away. It’s scattered everywhere, some falling into private hands. If Black Raven finds a portion of it and combines it with the Dragonblood Tears’ power-enhancing effects…”

“The consequences will be disastrous,” Lynn Hall finished her sentence.

“Exactly,” West nodded. “This also explains why Raven needs certain types of mutants. Under part of the Weapon X protocol, certain experiments require the synergy of multiple mutant abilities, particularly in research on ability transfer or fusion.”

She retrieved her tablet, her gaze hardening. “Your plan to find Wolverine has been approved, Detective Hall. Given this new information, his experience and insights will be invaluable. But I must emphasize—this is a sensitive diplomatic mission. Wolverine harbors a deep distrust of government agencies, which is entirely understandable given his experience with Weapon X.”

“I will proceed with caution,” Lynn Hall assured him.

“One more thing,” West added, “If you do manage to make contact with Wolverine, don’t mention the Brotherhood of Mutants or Erin Sharp unless he brings it up first. The relationship between the X-Men and the Brotherhood is complicated. While both organizations fight for mutant rights, their methods and philosophies are fundamentally different.”

Lynn Hall nodded in understanding.

“A warning, Inspector Hall,” West’s tone became more serious, “communications may be restricted once you enter the Adirondack region. If our guess is correct, the Black Ravens may be active there, and you may face them directly. You must be prepared for the possibility of not receiving timely support.”

“I understand the risks,” Lynn Hall said, “but I believe it’s necessary. If Wolverine is tracking the same threat, we’re better off coordinating our actions than acting independently.”

West considered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: “Very good. Your group will depart in two hours. Take sufficient equipment and supplies, and prepare for a three-day field operation. Remember, the primary objective is to contact Wolverine and gather information, not to engage Black Crow directly.”

“Understood, Advisor,” Lynn Hall said, rising to leave.

“And, Inspector Hall,” West said as he reached the door, “be careful. Neither Wolverine nor Black Crow are easy opponents.”

Lynn Hall nodded his thanks and left the office. As he walked back to his own workspace, his thoughts returned to the weapon X files West had shared. If Black Raven was indeed attempting to restart similar experiments, combined with the enhanced effects of Dragon's Blood Tears, the consequences would not just be dangerous, but catastrophic.

Jennifer was waiting for him in the office, a questioning look on her face.

“The plan has been approved,” Lynn Hall said briefly. “We’ll depart in two hours. But the situation is more complicated than we anticipated.”

He briefly shared what West had told him, but omitted the most sensitive parts. Even within the special operations team, a certain degree of information segregation was necessary.

“So we’re right,” Jennifer thought. “Black Crow is indeed conducting some kind of experiment related to Weapon X.”

“It seems so,” Lynn Hall confirmed. “That also explains why Wolverine would be interested in it. Given his past experiences, anything related to Weapon X would pique his interest.”

He glanced at his watch: "It's 12:30 PM now. We'll depart at 2:30 PM and arrive at Lake Saranac around 7:30 PM. Are Coleman and Huang ready?"

“Yes,” Jennifer nodded, “the vehicles are ready, and the equipment is packed. Coleman has also prepared special gear suitable for wilderness activities in the Adirondack region.”

“Great,” Lynn Hall said. “I need to go home to get some personal belongings, then we’ll meet in the headquarters’ underground parking garage.”

Jennifer nodded, but a hint of worry flickered in her eyes: "Are you sure this is the right direction, Lynn? Seeking Wolverine's help?"

Lynn Hall pondered for a moment. "To be honest, I'm not sure. But based on what we know so far, it seems to be the most promising option. Wolverine not only has the capabilities needed to fight Black Crow, but also the crucial knowledge and experience we lack. If Raven really is restarting some kind of Weapon X project, no one knows better than Wolverine what we're facing."

Jennifer seemed convinced by this answer: "Okay, then see you at 2:30. Hopefully the weather in Adirondack will cooperate with our plans."

Lynn Hall smiled and said, "Even if they don't cooperate, I believe we can handle it. After all, we're the FBI; adaptability is our specialty."

The two said a brief goodbye and prepared for their upcoming missions.

FBI headquarters underground parking lot, 2:15 PM. Lynn Hall arrived early and found his team already waiting. A black Ford Explorer SUV was parked in a spot, trunk open, and Coleman was doing a final check of the equipment. “Sir,” Coleman saluted Lynn Hall, “everything is ready.”

Lynn Hall nodded, inspecting the equipment: four backpacks, each equipped with essential survival gear; communication equipment, including a satellite phone in case regular communication failed; weapons, a standard Glock pistol for each person, plus two shotguns and a precision rifle; and various surveillance and tracking devices.

“Very comprehensive,” Lynn Hall commented. “Did you add any special equipment?”

Coleman pointed to several specially designed small devices: "These are mutant ability detectors, capable of detecting energy fluctuations within a specific range. If Wolverine uses his abilities nearby, we should be able to detect it. Of course, this is only an auxiliary method and may not be entirely accurate."

“A very good idea,” Lynn Hall approvingly said.

Jennifer and Lisa also arrived, each carrying their own backpacks.

“Breaking news,” Lisa reported immediately, “I just received a reply from the local law enforcement at Lake Saranak. They confirmed that the bar incident three days ago did indeed involve a man matching Wolverine’s description. Interestingly, they mentioned that the man seemed very familiar with the local geography, suggesting he may have been there for some time.”

“That matches our suspicions,” Lynn Hall nodded. “He’s likely investigating a location in that area, possibly the old Weapon X facility.”

Jennifer added, "I contacted a friend in the mutant affairs department, and she informally told me that the X-Men are indeed concerned about the recent mutant disappearances in the Adirondack region. While she couldn't confirm whether Wolverine was involved, the X-Men have definitely sent people to investigate."

Lynn Hall pondered this information: "So we have two intersecting leads—the historical remains of Weapon X and the recent mutant disappearances. Wolverine is likely investigating the connection between the two, just as we are."

He glanced at his watch. "It's time. Let's go. Agent Huang, you'll remain at headquarters to continue providing technical support and intelligence analysis. Maintain close contact with Advisor West, and notify us immediately of any new findings."

“Understood, sir,” Lisa nodded.

“Morrison, Coleman,” Lynn Hall turned to the other two agents, “we have a five-hour drive. We can discuss contact strategies further along the way.”

The three got into the car; Lynn Hall sat in the passenger seat, Coleman drove, and Jennifer sat in the back. The SUV drove out of the underground parking lot and merged into the busy streets of Manhattan.

“Lynn,” Jennifer asked after the car started, “are you ready to face Wolverine? I mean, really ready to face him.”

Lynn Hall gazed out the car window at the cityscape, pondering the question: "Honestly? Not so sure. We've all heard the legends about him—how he was almost unstoppable on the battlefield, how he could slice through steel in seconds, how he could keep fighting even after sustaining fatal injuries."

He paused, then turned to his teammates: “But we’re not going to fight him. We’re going to seek his help. I believe that despite his deep distrust of official institutions, if he understands the nature of the threat, especially the threat to innocent mutants, he’ll be willing to at least listen to us.”

“I hope so,” Coleman said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, “because I don’t want to be one of those people who challenged Wolverine and regretted it.”

As the SUV drove away from Manhattan and onto the northbound highway, the three fell into a brief silence. The scenery outside the window gradually changed from the crowded city buildings to the open landscape of the suburbs, and finally to the magnificent forests of the Adirondack Mountains.

The night in the Adirondack Mountains was darker than Lynn Hall had anticipated. Even with his headlamp, the dense forest swallowed up almost all the light. A cold mountain wind pierced his tactical jacket, bringing a chill to his bones. The branches rustled in the wind, as if whispering secrets.

“There’s no signal at all in this godforsaken place,” Jennifer muttered, checking her phone screen. “The GPS is intermittent too.”

“That’s why we brought a compass and a physical map,” Lynn Hall responded, his voice remaining low. “Coleman, how far are we from our target?”

Coleman crouched down, studying the map by the light of his headlamp, then pointed northwest: "Based on local intelligence and our deductions, the abandoned forest ranger's station should be in that direction, about two kilometers away. If Wolverine is really there, we'll know soon enough."

The three had been searching around the town of Saranac all day. Upon arriving in town, they first visited Robert McKenzie's bar, the potential informant Diaz had mentioned. McKenzie—a wrinkled but sharp-eyed man in his sixties—was initially very wary of them until Lynn Hall mentioned Project X and the recently missing mutants.

“I didn’t know you federal agents were suddenly so concerned about the safety of mutants,” McKenzie said sarcastically, but still offered some information. “That short guy did come here, with a young girl. They asked him some questions about the old forestry station, which was abandoned in the seventies and is located in the Northwest Mountains. Rumor has it it was once a cover for some kind of secret facility.”

Now, under the cover of darkness, the three are approaching the location Mackenzie had mentioned. Lynn Hall's choice to operate at night was well-thought-out—if the Black Crow were also in the area, the darkness would provide them with extra cover; and according to his research on Wolverine, the latter was equally active at night, and perhaps even more alert.

“Stop,” Lynn Hall suddenly commanded in a low voice, raising his hand to signal the group to halt. His eyes caught something unusual in the woods ahead—a fleeting metallic glint, perhaps moonlight reflecting off some man-made object.

The three immediately took cover, turned off their headlamps, and hid behind trees and bushes. Lynn Hall took a small night-vision monocular from his pocket and carefully observed ahead.

"What did you see?" Jennifer asked in a low voice.

“A surveillance camera,” Lynn Hall replied, his voice almost inaudible, “hidden in the tree trunk, quite professionally camouflaged. If the moonlight hadn’t happened to shine on the lens, I probably would have missed it completely.”

"Wolverine's? Or Crow's?" Coleman asked.

“Not sure,” Lynn Hall put away his binoculars, “but whoever it is, they’re monitoring the path to the forest ranger’s station. We need to change course and approach from the side.” (End of Chapter)