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

“Coleman, prepare the EMP equipment,” Lynn Hall ordered. “Once we take over the entrance, use it immediately to disable any possible surveillance and alarm systems.”

Coleman nodded and took a small device out of his backpack.

The team split up, using the blizzard as cover to approach their target. Wolverine vanished into the snow like a ghost, leaving only footprints that were almost immediately covered in the snow. Lynn Hall and Jennifer took their positions, setting up their weapons and preparing to provide fire support.

A few minutes of deathly silence followed, broken only by the howling of the blizzard. Then suddenly, a short, startled cry came from the direction of the entrance, quickly swallowed by the wind.

"Now!" Lynn Hall ordered, and the team rushed toward the entrance.

As they approached, they saw that Wolverine had already dealt with two guards—the ordinary guard's throat had been cleanly slit, while the speed mutant was pinned to the metal door by six claws, the light in his eyes extinguished. Wolverine's expression was cold and focused, without the slightest hesitation or regret.

“Well done,” Lynn Hall commented briefly. “Coleman, EMP.”

Coleman activated the device, and a silent electromagnetic pulse swept across the area, temporarily disrupting all electronic devices. Roger immediately connected her portable device and began cracking the lock.

“There’s good news and bad news,” she said, her fingers flying across the keyboard. “The good news is that this entrance is indeed considered abandoned and has a very low security level. The bad news is that we have to go through at least two layers of security to reach the prison area.”

"Can we hack into their surveillance system?" Jennifer asked.

“It’s already in progress,” Roger replied, the data stream on the screen scrolling rapidly, “but it will only last about fifteen minutes. After that, the system will automatically reset.”

“That’s enough,” Wolverine said, retracting his claws. “We can reach the target area within fifteen minutes.”

The lock opened, and the heavy metal door slid open slowly, revealing a dark passage. The five men quickly entered, Wolverine and Lynn Hall dragging the guard's body, making sure no trace was left. The door closed behind them, shutting out the wind and snow; the sudden silence was almost unsettling.

"Rogge, what's the situation?" Wolverine asked, already moving forward in the tunnel, constantly sniffing the air.

“The surveillance system is down, but only temporarily,” Roger replied, his eyes fixed on the tablet. “We’re on the maintenance floor now, and we need to descend two floors to reach the main facilities. According to thermal imaging, there’s an elevator shaft about 50 meters to our right.”

The group moved quickly through the dimly lit but well-lit passage. Lynn Hall noticed markings on the walls—old military symbols and codes—confirming that this had indeed been part of Weapon X facility.

Upon reaching the elevator shaft, Wolverine shook his head: "Too risky, we might be monitored. Is there a staircase?"

Rogge checked the floor plan: "There's an emergency staircase 30 meters to the left."

The five men followed the signs to the stairwell and began their descent. The air grew increasingly stuffy, a mixture of metallic, chemical, and some unsettling odor that Lynn Hall couldn't identify.

After descending two levels, they reached a more spacious area—it looked like an old storage area, now converted into some kind of transit station. Several crates filled with equipment were piled in a corner, and new surveillance cameras on the walls proved that Black Crow had taken over the area.

“The surveillance has been hacked,” Roger confirmed in a low voice, “but we only have 10 minutes left.”

“It’s time to split up,” Lynn Hall said. “As planned, Wolverine and I will head to the restricted area; Jennifer and Coleman, you’re responsible for finding the research data; and Roger will find a safe location to continue providing technical support.”

After checking their communication equipment, the team split into three groups. Lynn Hall followed Wolverine, advancing towards the restricted area along the route marked by Roger.

The restricted area is located in the southeast corner of the facility, a heavily guarded area. According to Rogue's intelligence, it holds at least five kidnapped mutants, possibly being used in Raven's experiments.

Lynn Hall and Wolverine cautiously approached the edge of the area, taking cover in an equipment room to observe the situation. Two heavily armed guards stood before a reinforced door in the corridor ahead. The security system on the door appeared highly advanced—requiring a retinal scan and a password for entry.

“A direct assault is too risky,” Lynn Hall said in a low voice. “We need a more covert approach.”

Wolverine seemed to be thinking about something, then pointed to the ceiling: "Ventilation system. Big enough to get through."

Lynn Hall looked in the direction he was pointing and spotted a maintenance panel. "It's feasible, but we need to deal with those two guards, and do it silently."

“Leave it to me,” Wolverine said in a deep voice. “You provide cover, in case anything goes wrong.”

Before Lynn Hall could respond, Wolverine had already silently left the equipment room and approached the first guard using the shadows of the corridor. Lynn Hall raised his rifle, surveying the situation through the scope, ready to provide fire support at any moment.

Wolverine's movements were almost invisible, like a dark shadow gliding across the ground. The first guard was completely unaware of the danger until a strong arm encircled his neck, while another hand covered his mouth. The suffocation was swift and silent; the guard didn't even have time to struggle before losing consciousness.

The second guard noticed his companion's disappearance and was about to turn around to check when Lynn Hall had already aimed at his head. But the shot became unnecessary—Wolverine appeared behind the guard with astonishing speed, and a series of clean, swift movements, just like before, rendered him unconscious.

Lynn Hall quickly stepped forward and helped Wolverine drag the two guards into a nearby storage room. Wolverine took the restraints Lynn Hall handed him, tied the guards tightly, and gagged them.

“The access control system,” Lynn Hall pointed to the security door, “requires a retinal scan.”

Wolverine sneered and dragged an unconscious guard back to the door. He lifted the guard's head and brought his eyes to the scanner. The system beeped softly, and the screen turned green: "Identity confirmed. Please enter today's password."

“Damn it,” Lynn Hall muttered, “we need the password.”

“Rogge,” Wolverine pressed the communicator, “I need help. The access code to the restricted area.”

罗格的声音传来：“正在尝试进入安保系统.等一下.今天的密码是2-2-7-8-9-阿尔法。“

Wolverine entered the password, the lock clicked slightly, and then slowly slid open. The two men raised their weapons and cautiously entered the restricted area.

The scenes inside made even the experienced Lynn Hall feel a nausea.

The central area is a large laboratory surrounded by six glass cells. Each cell contains a mutant, restrained by various devices and restraints. They appear weak and seemingly controlled by some kind of drug. At the center of the laboratory is a complex machine connected to multiple pipes leading to each cell.

“This is Raven’s ‘work’,” Wolverine said in a low voice, his voice filled with suppressed anger. “He’s extracting their abilities, probably for some kind of fusion experiment.”

Lynn Hall quickly scanned the room, confirming there was no immediate threat. “We need to free them, but be careful with the equipment. We don’t know what the sudden disconnection would do to them.” Wolverine nodded, and the two split up, inspecting each cell and connected device. Lynn Hall carefully observed the prisoners—a young woman who appeared to be able to control plants, whom he recognized as “Vine” from the files; a middle-aged man with metallic skin; a teenager who seemed to be able to manipulate water; and two ordinary-looking prisoners who were clearly mutants.

“Jennifer, report,” Lynn Hall pressed the communicator.

“We’ve located the research lab,” Jennifer’s voice came through. “There’s a lot of data on experiments involving mutant gene fusion and ability transfer. Coleman is setting up explosives to destroy it.”

“Understood,” Lynn Hall replied. “We’ve located the prisoners and are preparing to release them. The withdrawal is expected to begin in five minutes.”

Wolverine had begun examining the control panel of the central machine. "This is an ability extraction system," he analyzed. "It slowly extracts mutant abilities through some kind of chemical process, possibly for later fusion."

Lynn Hall checked the control screen: "Is there a safe shutdown procedure?"

“Looking for it,” Wolverine replied, his finger moving across the control panel. “Here, it looks like an uninstallation program. But it requires administrator privileges.”

“Rogge,” Lynn Hall contacted again, “I need to hack into the main control system of the Prisoner Zone and obtain administrator privileges.”

“It’s being processed,” Roger replied, “but the system is about to reset, and we don’t have much time left.”

Just then, the alarm suddenly sounded, its piercing sound echoing throughout the facility. Red warning lights began flashing, and the display screen showed "Safety Protocol Activated."

"We've been spotted!" Lynn Hall said alertly, quickly raising his weapon. "We're running out of time."

“Jennifer, what’s going on?” he asked anxiously.

“We didn’t trigger the alarm,” Jennifer said, her voice tense. “It looks like another intruder. The surveillance footage shows a firefight at the north entrance.”

“The Brotherhood,” Wolverine guessed, “they might also be here to rescue the mutants.”

Whatever the reason, the alarm meant their covert operation was over. A switch to Plan B was necessary immediately—release the prisoners as quickly as possible, then force a breach.

“We can’t wait for Rogue to hack into the system,” Wolverine decided, his claws snapping out from between his fingers. “We’ll use the old method.”

He walked to the first cell, his claws precisely severing the restraints and surveillance equipment before smashing the glass door. Lynn Hall followed his example, using a tactical knife and brute force to free other prisoners.

"Can you walk?" Lynn Hall asked the first mutant released, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.

“Let’s try,” the man replied weakly, struggling to his feet. “They injected us with suppressants; our abilities are almost unusable.”

“Hang in there,” Lynn Hall encouraged, helping him up. “We’ll get you out of here.”

Wolverine had freed three prisoners, who were also weak but able to walk. “We need cover for the retreat,” he said, heading towards the central machine, “and to make sure this device is no longer in use.”

As he spoke, his claws pierced deep into the control panel, then carved several deep cracks along the main unit. The machine emitted an ominous hiss, then sparks and smoke appeared.

“Escape route?” Lynn Hall asked, while helping the two weakened mutants toward the door.

“Going back the way we came is too dangerous,” Wolverine shook his head. “We need another route. Rogue, is there an alternative escape route?”

Only static was heard from the communicator.

“Communications have been interrupted,” Lynn Hall confirmed. “It’s likely that the facility has initiated signal jamming.”

Wolverine looked around, then pointed to a small door marked "Maintenance Access": "That should connect to the facility's service system. It might take us to the surface."

With no better option, the two led the five rescued mutants toward the maintenance passage. Wolverine easily broke the lock with his claws, revealing a narrow passage.

“You take them first,” Wolverine said to Lynn Hall. “I’ll cover the rear and delay the pursuers.”

Lynn Hall hesitated for a moment, but understood it was the most logical arrangement. Wolverine's fighting abilities made him the best choice to cover the retreat. "We'll meet on the ground," he said, then led the five weakened mutants into the tunnel.

The passage was narrow and dark, with only the emergency lights providing a faint illumination. Lynn Hall switched on his tactical flashlight, lighting the path ahead. The rescued mutants, though weakened, were driven by their survival instincts to keep going.

“Who are you?” one of the female mutants, Vine, asked.

“The FBI,” Lynn Hall replied briefly, continuing to guide them forward, “and some…unofficial allies.”

“What are they doing to us?” another mutant asked, his voice trembling with fear. “Those machines. Those tests.”

“Some kind of ability extraction and fusion experiment,” Lynn Hall explained. “Raven—the leader of the Black Ravens—is a former Weapons X scientist focused on mutant genetics research. He may be trying to create some kind of ability fusion method.”

The passage seemed to stretch endlessly, with forks and junctions every so often. Relying on intuition and tactical training, Lynn Hall chose his path, constantly trying to move upwards in search of an exit to the ground.

Faint explosions and sounds of fighting came from behind; Wolverine was clearly engaged in combat with his pursuers. Lynn Hall could only hope that he could escape and catch up with them.

After turning a corner, Lynn Hall suddenly stopped and raised his hand to signal everyone to stand still. About twenty meters ahead, a group of Black Crow Guards were patrolling, clearly searching for escaped prisoners.

"Hide," Lynn Hall whispered, guiding the mutants into a nearby equipment room.

He quickly assessed the situation—four guards, fully armed, one of whom was likely a mutant, judging from his unnatural blue skin. A direct confrontation was too risky, especially with five weakened mutants behind him who needed protection. (End of Chapter)