Marvelous Meditations

The kitchen of the X-Mansion was quiet, save for the occasional clink of beer bottles and the low hum of the fridge. Nathan leaned against the counter, bottle in hand, rolling his shoulders after the long training session. Across from him, Logan sat with his boots propped up on another chair, taking a slow pull from his own drink.

After hearing Blade's warning, Nathan had come to a simple conclusion: Not my problem. He was more than happy to weaken Hydra when it suited him, making Steve Rogers' and SHIELD's jobs a little easier, but a vampire uprising tied to Hydra? That was where he drew the line.

He had neither the time nor the patience to get tangled up in that mess. Instead, he'd done the next best thing—connected Blade with Rogers. Whatever Cap and SHIELD decided to do with that information was their business. He had his own priorities.

Taking another sip, Nathan exhaled sharply through his nose. "I don't know how you put up with these kids every damn day. Too much energy, too many big dreams."

Logan let out a rough chuckle, setting his bottle down with a dull clink. "Tell me about it, bub." He scratched at his beard before smirking. "Still, they're like a damn rash—sooner or later, they grow on ya."

Nathan huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "Some of them, maybe. Definitely not Bobby. The kid's got an ego bigger than this mansion, and the chip on his shoulder is even bigger."

Logan snorted, raising his bottle. "Yeah, but he's got his charms."

Nathan gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah? Name one."

Logan smirked. "He pisses you off. That alone makes him worth keepin' around."

Nathan rolled his eyes and took another drink. "Real charming, bub."

Logan had that look—like he was about to say something, but his expression twisted into a deep frown instead. His fingers tightened around his beer bottle, his head tilting slightly as Xavier's voice echoed in his mind.

Nathan sighed, already knowing. "Yeah, I heard it too," he muttered, setting his bottle down with a dull clink. "Sounds like a pain in the ass."

Logan exhaled through his nose, pushing up from his chair. "You comin' or what?"

Nathan winced but got to his feet, rolling his shoulders. "Sure. Not like I have anything better to do anyway."

The two made their way through the mansion's dimly lit halls, the late hour leaving the place unusually quiet. Reaching Xavier's office, Logan gave a firm knock before pushing the door open. Inside, the professor was already waiting for them, his expression unreadable.

"Take a seat," Xavier said, gesturing toward the chairs across from his desk.

Neither of them argued. Logan dropped into the chair with a grunt, while Nathan leaned back, crossing his arms. "Alright, Charles. What's this about?"

Xavier didn't answer right away. Instead, he picked up a remote from his desk and pointed it at the monitor mounted on the wall. "I'd like you both to watch this."

The screen flickered to life, displaying grainy security footage. A snowy military installation, alarms blaring, muzzle flashes cutting through the cold darkness. Soldiers were scrambling—no, dying.

In the center of the chaos stood a towering figure, wreathed in shadows and illuminated by gunfire. Thick cables lashed through the air, striking down men like a butcher cleaving meat. His armor was a brutal mix of Soviet-era plating and modern enhancements, red and silver glinting beneath the floodlights. His skin was an unnatural pale white, his eyes glowing a menacing crimson.

He moved through the base with eerie efficiency, his carbonadium tendrils coiling around soldiers, draining the life from their bodies as they withered and fell limp. Bullets sparked off his armor, and those that did pierce his flesh only seemed to slow him for a moment before he pressed on, unstoppable.

As the video ended, the room was thick with tension. Logan's eyes were locked onto the screen, his expression dark, lips curling in something close to a snarl. Arkady… he muttered under his breath, almost like he was tasting the name, letting it stir up whatever ghosts still lingered from his past.

Nathan shifted his gaze between him and Xavier, frowning. "Alright… I'm missing something here. Is this supposed to mean anything to me?"

Xavier folded his hands in front of him. "Not necessarily. This man is Arkady Grigorievich Rossovich, though he's more commonly known as Omega Red."

He turned to Logan, whose fingers were twitching against the armrest of his chair like he was resisting the urge to pop his claws. Xavier's tone was carefully measured as he added, "He's… well, an old friend of Logan's."

Logan let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Yeah. The kind I've been dying to run into again—just so I can kill him properly this time." His voice was low, dangerous. The kind of tone that made it clear he wasn't speaking figuratively.

Nathan exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "Seems like you've got both a problem and a solution sitting in the same room," he pointed out, gesturing toward Logan. "If he's taken care of this guy before, he can do it again. So why am I here?"

Xavier sighed, his expression weary. "You know we don't condone taking lives here, Nathan. We do our utmost to ensure our involvement doesn't lead to such outcomes."

Nathan arched a brow. "Uh-huh. How's that working out for you?"

Xavier ignored the remark, pausing for a moment before continuing, "And while you're correct—Logan would be more than capable of handling this problem—there's another alternative I'd like to explore." His gaze settled on Nathan, assessing. "One I need your input on."

Nathan leaned back slightly, skeptical. "I have no idea where you're going with this, but fine. Let's hear it."

Xavier exchanged a glance with Logan before finally saying, "I intend to send Kitty, Kurt, Bobby, Jean, and Anne-Marie."

Nathan stared at him for a long moment before letting out a dry laugh. "That's funny. I could've sworn you just said you wanted to send a bunch of kids after a walking disaster..."

"You're their combat instructor, Nathan," Xavier said evenly. "I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about it."

Nathan turned his head toward Logan, his expression all but screaming: Are you hearing this?

To his mild satisfaction, Logan looked just as dumbfounded as he felt—if not more so. His brows were furrowed so deeply it looked like they might fuse together, his mouth slightly open like his brain was still trying to process the sheer insanity of what Xavier had just proposed. The sheer audacity of it.

Finally, Nathan let out a long, weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright… Do you have a file on this guy?"

Xavier gave a small nod, almost as if he'd expected the question. "I assumed you'd want to review his capabilities before making a judgment." He pulled open one of the drawers in his desk, retrieving a thick dossier before handing it over.

Nathan took the file and flipped it open, skimming the contents as Logan finally seemed to shake off his stunned silence.

"You can't be serious, Chuck," Logan growled, his voice carrying that familiar edge of frustration. "I know you wanna test 'em in the field, but sending kids after Arkady? That ain't just reckless—it's suicidal."

Xavier's expression remained calm, though there was a quiet intensity in his eyes. "I wouldn't make this decision lightly, Logan."

Logan snorted. "Yeah? 'Cause it damn well sounds like it." He leaned forward, placing both hands on Xavier's desk. "You do remember what he is, right? He's not just some hired gun or two-bit supervillain. He's a goddamn death machine. The kinda thing you put down, not reason with."

Xavier folded his hands. "I remember exactly what he is. I also remember that the team you've helped train—we've helped train—are more capable than you give them credit for."

Logan scoffed, shaking his head. "C'mon, Chuck. You really think sendin' 'em after a guy who can kill people just by standing near 'em is a good idea?"

"They won't be alone," Xavier countered smoothly.

"That supposed to make me feel better?" Logan shot back. "What, you plannin' to send Colossus in to soak up damage? Storm to keep his ass frozen in place? Maybe Cyclops to blast him from across the damn map?"

Nathan, meanwhile, ignored them both. Their argument had quickly faded into background noise as he focused on the words in front of him.

Cybernetic enhancement. Super strength, agility, durability, speed. Nothing surprising there. It was the usual cocktail of enhancements. His armor was worth noting—tough enough to take a few hits from Logan's adamantium claws, which meant it wasn't just some run-of-the-mill metal plating.

But two particular segments stood out:

Carbonadium death spores: A biological weapon that weakens or outright kills those in his vicinity. That was going to be a nightmare to deal with.

Life force absorption via carbonadium coils: Those creepy cybernetic tentacles weren't just for show—he could drain people, siphoning away their life energy like some kind of twisted vampire.

Nathan flipped through the file one last time, his eyes scanning over the details, weighing the risks. He drummed his fingers against the thick folder, deep in thought, before finally shutting it with a decisive thud after reading a certain entry. 

"It's possible," he said, cutting clean through the heated back-and-forth between Xavier and Logan.

Logan snapped his head toward him, scowling. "Possible?" he echoed, his voice laced with frustration. "Cross, this ain't some training exercise. You send those kids against Arkady, and they'll be dead meat."

Nathan met Logan's glare with a calm, measured look, then shrugged. "Maybe. If they go in blind, unprepared, and reckless? Sure. But if you stop growling for a second and actually think about it—" he gestured loosely with the file, "—the kids are almost a perfect match for him."

Logan's frown deepened, but there was a flicker of hesitation behind his eyes. He didn't know Nathan well, not really, but he knew enough to recognize the man wasn't the type to run his mouth without reason.

He wasn't some armchair tactician. He was a soldier—a specialist. One who'd made a living taking down threats like Arkady. If he thought the kids had a shot, there had to be some merit to it.

Still, Logan wasn't convinced. Not yet.

"Even if you're right," he growled, crossing his arms, "just 'cause you can do something, doesn't mean you should." His voice dropped lower, rough with something between frustration and concern. "I got no problem takin' on Arkady myself. Hell, I'd enjoy it." His hands twitched like he was resisting the urge to pop his claws, the old bloodlust simmering beneath the surface. "So tell me—what's the damn point in sendin' them?"

Nathan exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "The point, Logan, is that this isn't about you." His voice was steady, firm. "I don't know if you just want to kill this guy yourself or if you want the kids out of the field, but if you keep coddling them, they're never gonna be ready when the time does come."

He tapped the file for emphasis. "This is the perfect time to get their feet wet. I've been teaching them how to fight like mutants, but it's about time I taught them how to fight like me." He gestured toward Xavier. "And let's be real—you think he'd even consider it if he didn't believe they could do it?"

Logan's jaw tightened, his teeth grinding audibly. "I still don't think this is a good idea," he muttered, his voice rough with frustration.

Xavier cleared his throat, finally speaking up after letting the argument run its course. His tone was calm, but firm. "They won't be going alone," he assured. "Piotr will accompany them—he knows the terrain, and his strength will be an invaluable asset. You can also go if that would make you more comfortable..."

Logan didn't look particularly appeased, but Xavier wasn't finished. His gaze shifted toward Nathan, studying him with quiet expectation. "And I highly doubt you would just sit back and let your students walk into the unknown unattended."

Nathan exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples before shooting Xavier an exasperated look. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

Xavier merely offered the smallest of smiles, his silence confirming the obvious.

Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, but if we're gonna do this, we're doing it my way." He set the file down with a thump and leaned back. "Give me two days. I'll make the necessary arrangements and take the kids out to play." His tone was dry, but there was a sharpness to it—resignation mixed with the ever-present weight of responsibility.

Logan still didn't look happy, but he didn't argue further. He just exhaled through his nose, muttering something under his breath before shaking his head.

...

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