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

Lynn Hall decided to use a more covert method. He took a flashbang from his tactical vest, calculated the throwing angle and timing, took a deep breath, quickly leaned out, and precisely threw the flashbang at the guard group.

The blinding light and deafening explosions were amplified in the narrow passage. The guards screamed in pain, temporarily blinded and deafened. Lynn Hall acted immediately, raising his silenced rifle and firing swiftly and accurately at the vitals of each guard.

All four guards fell within seconds, without even a chance to sound an alarm. Lynn Hall moved quickly forward, confirming that each guard was indeed incapacitated, and then signaled for the mutants to follow.

"Well done," the vine commented, a hint of surprise in its voice, "For an ordinary human."

Lynn Hall did not respond to the comment and continued leading them forward. Through a series of narrow passages and ladder shafts, they gradually approached the ground.

“Roger, Jennifer, reporting,” Lynn Hall attempted to restore communications, but only static was heard. The signal interference continued.

Turning another corner, they came to a door marked "Ground Access." Lynn Hall cautiously approached, examining the security system. It was a simple electronic lock, seemingly intended for maintenance personnel. He took out a small electronic unlocking device and connected it to the lock.

A few seconds later, the door lock clicked slightly and then slid open. Lynn Hall raised his weapon, carefully pushed the door open, and prepared to deal with any potential threat.

Outside the door was a small control room, which connected to a disguised entrance to the outside. Surprisingly, there were no guards in the control room, likely because the alarm had mobilized all personnel to the main area.

“We’re lucky,” Lynn Hall said softly, guiding the mutants into the control room. “The ground should be just outside.”

He checked the control panel in the outer department and entered the unlock command. The door began to slowly rise, and icy air and the roar of a blizzard rushed into the control room.

“We’re free,” a mutant whispered, his eyes gleaming with hope.

“Not entirely,” Lynn Hall reminded them. “We still need to reach a safe area and rejoin the other team members.”

The five followed Lynn Hall out of the control room and into the still-raging blizzard. Everything outside was a white blur, with extremely low visibility, but this also provided excellent cover. Lynn Hall took out a compass, determined the direction, and then began leading the mutants towards the designated emergency evacuation point.

They had only walked about 100 meters when a piercing alarm came from the direction of the facility, followed by a bright light shining onto the snow.

“They’ve found the exit,” Lynn Hall warned. “Speed ​​up, take cover from the blizzard.”

A huge explosion suddenly came from behind them, shaking the ground. Lynn Hall looked back and saw thick smoke billowing from part of the facility, clearly visible even in the blizzard.

“Coleman’s explosives,” he guessed, “or the damage caused by Wolverine.”

Whatever the reason, the explosion may have distracted the pursuers, giving them valuable time to escape.

However, their luck didn't last long. A blinding blue light suddenly pierced through the blizzard, striking a tree near Lynnhall, scattering sawdust and ice crystals everywhere.

"Cover!" Lynn Hall shouted, urging the mutants to take cover behind nearby rocks and trees.

He quickly turned around and saw three figures approaching them through the blizzard—two ordinary guards and a mutant whose hands were flashing with dangerous blue energy.

“Hide and don’t move,” Lynn Hall said to Vine and the others, then raised his rifle and aimed at the approaching enemy.

Through the thermal imaging scope, he could clearly see three heat sources approaching. Lynn Hall took a deep breath, steadied his hands, and fired accurately. The first guard fell to the ground, but the other two immediately scattered for cover.

The mutants—Lynn Hall speculated to be some kind of energy manipulators—began firing energy beams at their location, forcing Lynn Hall to keep a low profile. He quickly shifted position and fired from another angle, but the energy mutants reacted extremely fast, projecting an energy barrier almost simultaneously with his firing.

“Damn it,” Lynn Hall cursed, searching for a new angle to attack.

Just then, an unexpected reinforcement appeared. The vine, though weakened, seemed to be attempting to use her powers. Her fingers trembled slightly, and her eyes gleamed with focused light. The snow on the ground began to shift, and several thin plant stems sprouted from beneath it, growing rapidly and coiling around the second guard's ankle.

The guard looked down in alarm at the plant that had suddenly entangled him, and this distraction gave Lynn Hall an opportunity. He quickly aimed and fired a shot that struck the guard in the head.

Now only the energy mutant remained. He seemed to realize the unfavorable situation and began to retreat, while continuously firing energy beams as cover.

Lynn Hall knew that directly confronting this ranged mutant was extremely dangerous. He needed a surprise attack strategy.

"Can I use your ability again?" he whispered to the vine.

She nodded, though her face was pale, clearly nearing her limit: "I can try, but I need time to concentrate."

“I will create opportunities for you,” Lynn Hall promised, then said to the other mutants, “Protect her.”

Lynn Hall swiftly moved to a new position, deliberately exposing himself for a moment to draw the energy mutant's attention. Sure enough, an energy beam shot towards him, but he had already moved back to cover. This maneuver was repeated, appearing in a different position for a few seconds each time, then dodging the attack, slowly wearing down his opponent's stamina and focus.

Meanwhile, the vines focused all their energy on trying to awaken the life of the plants beneath the snow. Despite the harsh environment, her abilities gradually became apparent—more and more vines and roots began to emerge from the snow, silently approaching the mutant like snakes.

Lynn Hall noticed the vines' progress and decided it was time to end the game. His final exposure of his position, longer than expected, seemed like a clear mistake. The energy mutant immediately seized the opportunity, gathering even more powerful energy for a fatal blow.

Just as he was about to fire, the vines suddenly burst forth, dozens of thick tendrils shooting out from the snow and wrapping around the mutant's legs, arms, and body. The energy beam was forced to change direction, shooting into the sky and forming a bright blue pillar of light in the blizzard.

Lynn Hall didn't waste the opportunity, quickly aiming and firing. The bullet struck the mutant precisely in the head, ending the fight.

“Well done,” Lynn Hall said approvingly to the vine, who had collapsed on the snow from overusing her powers.

“I haven’t used my abilities in a long time,” she replied weakly. “The inhibitor’s effects are waning.”

This is good news, meaning that other rescued mutants may also gradually regain their abilities. But for now, they must continue moving.

Lynn Hall helped the vines to their feet, and the team resumed their arduous journey through the blizzard. They trudged for about twenty minutes, the blizzard showing no signs of abating. Lynn Hall kept checking the compass to make sure they were heading in the right direction, but worry began to creep in. Communication was still cut off; they couldn't contact Jennifer, Coleman, or Roger, and they had no idea about Wolverine's situation. Their original plan was to meet at a safe house in a mountaintop cabin, but in these weather conditions, even finding their destination was questionable.

“Hang in there a little longer,” he encouraged the increasingly exhausted mutants. “The safe house is just ahead.”

Suddenly, a blurry figure appeared in the blizzard, rapidly approaching them. Lynn Hall immediately raised his weapon, ready for battle.

“It’s me,” a familiar voice called out, and Wolverine’s figure gradually came into focus. “Drop your weapons, Federal Agent.”

Lynn Hall breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his gun. "Where are the others?"

“Safe,” Wolverine replied, “We’ve reached the safe house. I’m coming back for you.”

Wolverine's clothes were torn in several places, and he had several noticeable wounds on his skin, but most of them were beginning to heal. He looked at the five rescued mutants and nodded in approval: "Well done, Hall."

“They are brave,” Lynnhall responded, giving the vines a special look, “especially her.”

“It’s about a kilometer to the safe house,” Wolverine said, “but there’s a problem—the Brotherhood is there too.”

“What?” Lynn Hall became alert. “Hostile?”

“Not yet,” Wolverine replied, his voice tinged with a complex emotion. “Eileen Sharp led a parallel rescue operation. They rescued three other imprisoned mutants. Now, we are in a state of uneasy truce.”

Lynn Hall understood the complexity of the situation. The three factions—the FBI, the X-Men, and the Brotherhood of Mutants—were temporarily cooperating for a common goal, but their fundamental positions and long-term objectives were fundamentally different.

“Lead the way,” he finally said. “The first priority is to ensure the safety of these people. Political issues can be addressed later.”

Wolverine nodded slightly in agreement, then began leading the way through the blizzard. Lynn Hall and the five mutants followed closely behind, making their way toward the safe house with difficulty but determination.

The hilltop cabin was larger than Lynn Hall had imagined; it was a sturdy wooden structure, hidden among dense pine trees. As they approached, Jennifer appeared in the doorway, weapon in hand, but immediately relaxed upon seeing them.

“Thank God,” she said, her tension turning to relief, “we were starting to worry.”

Inside the warm and crowded cabin, Rogue and Coleman were tending to three other rescued mutants, providing them with food, water, and basic medical care. But on the other side of the cabin, Erin Sharp and four Brotherhood members kept their distance, vigilantly observing everything.

Lynn Hall led five mutants into the cabin, and Wolverine closed the door, shutting out the storm. The room instantly became even more crowded, and the tension was almost palpable.

“Detective Lynn Hall,” Eileen Sharp approached slowly, her golden cat-like eyes gleaming in the fireplace firelight, “we meet again.”

“Ms. Sharp,” Lynn Hall responded calmly, recalling their encounter in Manhattan, “it seems we have a common enemy.”

“That's for now,” Eileen replied, her voice soft but tinged with danger, “but please don't misunderstand this chance collaboration. Once these mutants are safe, we'll still be on opposing sides.”

“There’s no need to discuss politics now,” Wolverine interrupted, his tone firm. “These people need rest and medical care.”

Eileen nodded in agreement and stepped back to her companion. Lynn Hall turned to Jennifer and Coleman and asked in a low voice what was going on.

“The operation was largely successful,” Jennifer reported. “We located the research data and detonated the explosives before evacuating. The entire lab should be destroyed.”

Are there any casualties?

“Coleman has a minor arm injury, Roger is fine,” Jennifer replied. “And you?”

“I’m fine,” Lynn Hall said briefly, then turned to Wolverine. “And you? You look like you’ve been through a fierce battle.”

Wolverine shrugged. "Nothing serious. Just a few guards and two mutants. Dealt with them."

Lynn Hall suspected that the "dealing with" implied a fierce battle, but he didn't press the matter. He went to the rescued mutants to make sure they all received basic care.

For the next few hours, a delicate balance was maintained within the cabin. Three different groups temporarily shared the space, united against a common enemy. The rescued mutants gradually regained their strength, and their abilities began to return, albeit weakly.

Lynn Hall used this time to learn more about the details of the research data they had discovered from Jennifer and Coleman.

“Raven’s experiments were extremely dangerous,” Coleman explained in a low voice. “He wasn’t just trying to enhance mutant abilities; he was trying to create a way to fuse the abilities of different mutants into a single individual.”

“Some kind of ‘super mutant’?” Lynn Hall asked.

“Worse,” Jennifer replied, “according to the documents we found, his ultimate goal was to create an entity capable of absorbing and controlling all mutant abilities. A ‘mutant ruler,’ able to use any mutant ability as needed.”

“And Dragon's Blood Tears are the catalyst,” Lynn Hall understood, “enhancing its power to a level sufficient for extraction and fusion.”

“That’s right,” Jennifer confirmed, “but the experiment is still in its early stages. Our actions have likely delayed his research by at least several months, and possibly several years.”

“Unless he has a backup,” Lynn Hall reminded them, “these kinds of scientists usually keep multiple copies of their research.”

Night had fallen, and the blizzard continued to howl. Inside the cabin, the people took turns resting, remaining constantly vigilant. Lynn Hall found a corner to sit down against the wall, allowing himself a brief respite. Wolverine stood watch nearby, seemingly needing no sleep.

"What about tomorrow?" Lynn Hall asked in a low voice.

“Once the blizzard subsides,” Wolverine replied, “then move these mutants to a safe location. The Xavier's Institute can protect them and provide the environment they need to recover.” (End of Chapter)