Laura clutched Logan's hand tightly, her tear-streaked face buried low as she choked out a soft, broken word—"Daddy."
That single moment brought countless fathers watching the video to tears. The poor girl had longed so desperately for a father's love… only to watch her own father die right before her eyes.
Logan's pupils were beginning to fade as he hovered on the edge of death. A faint smile seemed to form at the corner of his lips.
"So this… is what death feels like…"
After nearly two centuries of struggle, Logan could finally lay down all his burdens and pain—to embrace death, and be reunited with old friends and family.
Watching this, Erik found the corners of his eyes damp. He lifted a hand and quietly wiped away a tear, his voice deep and solemn:
"Compared to Charles… Logan, you had a worthy end. Still, I have to say—you were never much of a father."
Logan's expression was unreadable. He didn't respond.
Charles let out a long breath. "Maybe it's not my place to say this," he said softly, "but when I saw Logan finally close his eyes, I felt… relieved. Happy for him, even. He was tired—he really needed rest. Logan, I sincerely hope that you get to live a better life… not one weighed down by all this tragedy."
Logan cracked his neck and let out a dry chuckle. "I think I'll be fine. You, though—Charles—you're the one who's gonna need time to get over that future."
Erik cut in deliberately, baiting him: "Tell me, Charles—did seeing your future self with Alzheimer's scare you that much?"
Charles shook his head. "No… I've learned how to find strength in pain. Erik, I hope one day you can do the same."
At the end of the video, Laura buried Logan beside a river. Standing before the grave, she recited a line from an old cowboy movie as a eulogy.
It was the same film she had once watched with Charles and Logan while resting at a casino hotel during their escape—a retired cowboy laying down his guns, leaving the chaos behind, and seeking peace. The metaphor fit Logan perfectly.
Just before she left, Laura seemed to think of something. She pulled the cross from the grave and laid it sideways—it now resembled a rough letter "X."
It was the perfect tribute to Logan—a brave X-Man.
Though the video ended, many viewers remained lost in sorrow. Someone murmured, "I was just thinking… if those adamantium claws suddenly burst out of the grave, that would've been perfect. A guy like him shouldn't have gone out like that."
"No… that would've been too cruel to Logan," someone else replied. "He lived two lifetimes, across two timelines. He went through so much pain and loss. He was tired. Let him rest."
"Exactly," another added. "For Logan, there's no better ending than dying to protect the people he cared about. Compared to what happened to Charles… Logan's ending was the best he could've hoped for."
"The tragedy of Logan and Charles—it's really about race," one viewer said. "We need to change how we see mutants. We should learn to accept them. Earth is big enough for two great species."
"Oh, come on," someone rebutted. "We can't even solve racism among humans—look at how people of color are still treated. Honestly, even if we knew this future in advance, I don't think things would get better for mutants and humans. If anything, it might get worse."
The audience kept debating, while the players were equally caught up in heated discussion.
For Team A, though, winning this round of the quiz game helped ease the heavy mood a little.
Erik clenched his fist, fired up again. "Charles, let's work together. We both need to change—do it for yourself, and for all our mutant brothers and sisters!"
Charles looked at him in surprise, stunned that Erik would reach out to him at a moment like this. He smiled. "You're right, Erik. We both need to make some changes. Let's talk more when we're back."
Logan glanced at both of them and shrugged. "I hope the versions of you in my world are thinking the same thing."
Erik raised an eyebrow. "Then when you get back, talk to them. Just like in the future, when you traveled back in time and came to find me and Charles for help. Sometimes, Logan, you have to be the one to take the first step. Got it?"
That's when Charles suddenly had an idea. He gestured as he spoke, "Wait a minute! Logan's not from our world, sure—but that's not a problem. The Multiverse Defenders has ways for us to stay in contact. Why don't we take this chance to form an alliance?"
Mutants from two different timelines, facing the same crisis. There was strength in numbers. If they joined forces, they could be a real force for mutantkind.
Erik's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea!"
Two Charleses, two Eriks—united. What human oppression could possibly stop them?
Just as they were excitedly discussing this new possibility, the screen displayed the final scoreboard for both teams. As expected, Team A came out on top for this round of the quiz. But before they could receive their mysterious reward, they had to select a punishment for the losing Team B.
A loud and stern system voice rang out:
[Team A, please select one of the punishment options. Reminder: If no choice is made before the countdown ends, Team A will also suffer the penalty]
At the same time, the scoreboard faded from the screen, replaced by three punishment choices, labeled A, B, and C:
[A: Strip all player points and randomly remove two abilities.
B: Randomly assign a punishment between Level 1 and Level 10.
C: Force the player to carry out a rescue mission. No reward if successful; all points will be deducted if the mission fails]
Pietro stared nervously at the screen, muttering to himself. What rotten luck—when other players lost, they just got a routine punishment. But now that it was his turn, of course things had to get complicated.
"These all look pretty standard," he said anxiously. "Doesn't seem like it matters which one they pick, right?"
Stephen shook his head, face grim. "No. Option B is the most dangerous. Remember that giant eyeball from before? That was just a Level 5 punishment. If we get a Level 10…"
He trailed off. The implication was clear: the entire multiverse might not survive it.
Pietro shivered. Then he tried to reassure himself, "They… they probably won't pick B, right?"
"Who knows?" Stephen exhaled. "Letting someone else decide your fate… that's the worst feeling in the world."
Meanwhile, Logan, Charles, and Erik were also debating which punishment to choose.
Erik voted for B—he was more interested in the chaos and unpredictability of a random punishment.
_
T/N:
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