In the grass field behind the Xavier mansion, Logan and Wyatt could be seen standing in front of one another.
Wyatt was dressed in loose workout gear while Logan wore jeans and a white tank top. Their forms couldn't be more different. Wyatt was sweaty, bruised, and bloodied, while Logan looked fresh and free of any injury.
Several feet away, several observers sat around the pool and watched the ongoing training session. Or if you asked Kurt, Evan, Kitty, and Rogue, they would tell you it was more of a torture lesson.
"Come on, Wyatt. I know you can do better than that," Logan said as he rolled his shoulders. He slid into a loose fighting stance and beckoned Wyatt on. "Show me what New York's great hero can do."
Wyatt frowned at the jab and shook off any exhaustion or pain he had accumulated over the last two hours, and slid into his own stance. "Be careful what you ask for, Mr. Logan."
With an explosive push off the ground, Wyatt surged forward. He unleashed a flurry of precise punches and swift kicks at Logan, each strike echoing with intent.
Unlike the chaotic flailing of four months prior, Wyatt's movements now flowed with purpose and control, honed through countless hours of dedicated training. Under Logan's expert guidance in hand-to-hand combat, Wyatt was steadily transforming into a formidable opponent.
"Good. Stay on your toes and keep your head on a swivel," Logan said as he slapped, parried, and weaved out of the way of Wyatt's attacks.
The Wolverine's centuries of harsh combat experience—including several wars, battles against other mutants, and countless near-death situations—had given him extensive knowledge of fighting. When Wyatt had asked him to teach him, Logan didn't hesitate to agree.
He felt a sense of obligation to Wyatt for extracting the adamantium from his skeleton. No longer hampered to the poisonous metal, Logan was now much more faster and agile. His already hightened senses had grown even stronger as well. He was at his peak.
That and the $2000 barrel of aged smoked whiskey Wyatt had offered in exchange only sweetened the deal.
As Wyatt attacked, he felt his breathing start to get out of control, but he quickly implemented one of Logan's breathing exercises. After a few seconds, his lungs were moving quickly yet remained under control.
Jumping into the air, he aimed to slam his foot into the side of Logan's head, but Logan managed to grab him by his ankle. Wyatt's eyes widened in pain as Logan slammed his fist into his stomach.
"What did I tell you about those flashy kicks? If they're not absolutely perfect, they'll be the death of you," Logan said, watching as a coughing and heaving Wyatt rolled around on the ground.
"N-noted..." Wyatt managed to say through his coughing fit.
"I don't remember Logan's training being this… intense," Kurt said as he winced sympathetically at Wyatt's pain.
"That's because Wyatt asked Logan not to hold back," Evan said, shaking his head. "The fool. Brave, but still a fool."
"Still, he's made a lot of progress that way. Before, he would get knocked out after two minutes of training with Logan," Rogue remarked, watching Wyatt as he stood up, his eyes hard and full of determination. She smiled faintly at the sight and chuckled as she noticed Kitty watching on red-faced.
That girl has it bad. Rogue thought.
"I'm good... let's keep going," Wyatt said, raising his fists.
"No, let's change it up," Logan replied, turning to Scott, who was walking out of the mansion dressed in workout clothing. "You need a sparring partner at your skill level. The best experience in combat is combat itself. Fighting me won't help you grow as much as an opponent around your level."
Scott frowned, feeling that Logan's comment suggested he and Wyatt were at comparable skill levels. While he acknowledged Wyatt's feats and accomplishments as Atomic, Scott believed they were largely due to Wyatt's overpowered abilities. So, when Logan asked him to spar with Wyatt, Scott was more than willing to demonstrate what actual skill looked like to the reality-warper.
Well, this should be interesting. Wyatt thought as he and Scott stood a few feet apart. He had noticed Scott giving him the stink eye for the past few weeks, and he guessed that Scott was eagerly awaiting for a chance like this.
Over the past few months, Wyatt had worked hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance. In his free time, he made sure to make plans and spend time with his friends.
Whether it was cozy afternoons at the library with Gwen, Peter, and Harry, where they delved into their favorite books or thrilling movie nights filled with popcorn, snacks, and discussions about their favorite scenes.
Initially, Wyatt worried that not being a mutant, like everyone else, would create distance between him and the Xavier crew. However, he quickly realized that his friends weren't as shallow as he had feared. Despite his lack of an X-gene, everyone welcomed him with open arms.
This fact made Charles proud of his students' open-mindedness. It was a clear demonstration that, despite the differences among mutants, enhanced individuals, and regular humans, everyone could one day coexist. In addition, Charles had told Wyatt that he was always welcome at his institution, recognizing Wyatt's heroic nature and strong moral character.
With Charles's permission, Wyatt used his powers and programming knowledge to create an impressive play area in the mansion. This achievement earned him a great deal of respect and appreciation from both his original group of friends and the newer mutants.
Thanks to his abilities, whenever Wyatt visited the mansion, everyone was eager to hang out with him. Who wouldn't want to be around someone who could create anything out of thin air? However, he was careful not to indulge everyone with free stuff.
Wyatt had not only received guidance from Logan but also from Ororo and Hank McCoy, also now known as Beast. Beast connected with Wyatt quickly due to their shared love of science and high intellect. Whenever Wyatt wasn't training with Logan or Ororo or hanging out with his friends, he was engaged in conversations and debates with Beast.
Despite the high opinion everyone in the mansion had of Wyatt, Scott couldn't shake his suspicions. Ever since the party when someone had broken into the mansion and the revelation that Wyatt wasn't a mutant, Scott remained on edge around him. While he recognized that Wyatt had done a great deal of good for New York, something in his gut told him that Wyatt could potentially lead everyone into trouble.
Until he was completely sure of Wyatt's intentions, Scott resolved to keep an eye on him and ensure he didn't harm any of his fellow mutants.
"Oh man, here it is!" Kurt and Evan exclaimed in excitement.
"This can only end well," Kitty said as she and Rogue stood up. They were acutely aware of Scott's issues with Wyatt and speculated that Scott's behavior stemmed from either insecurity or jealousy toward Wyatt.
"You two ready?" Logan asked, seeing both young men in their fighting stances.
"I am," Scott said.
"Yup." Wyatt nodded.
"Alright, remember, no abilities. Now fight!" Logan shouted, motioning for them to begin.
Scott rushed in, launching several punches at Wyatt. Wyatt, opting for a more defensive approach, parried and weaved in and out of Scott's strikes. This exchange lasted for several tense seconds until Scott finally landed a clean backhand to Wyatt's face.
Wyatt groaned, ducked under a wide right punch, and slammed an open palm into Scott's stomach, causing him to stumble back. Stepping in, Wyatt spun and landed a hook kick to Scott's head, who raised his guard just in time to block the attack with a hiss.
Dropping to the ground, Scott spun and kicked Wyatt's legs out from under him with a sweep kick. As Wyatt landed on his back, his breath escaped his lungs, but he ignored the pain and rolled to the side just as Scott slammed his foot down.
"Man… they're really going at it," Kurt said as Wyatt locked Scott's legs and yanked him down. The two began to exchange punches as they rolled around on the ground. "Some of those hits look personal."
"Ouch. That one has to sting," Evan winced as Wyatt landed a solid punch to Scott's nose.
"I don't think this is a spar anymore. This is a fight," Rogue remarked as Kitty anxiously paced back and forth, watching as Wyatt's head snapped back from a kick.
"Logan! Stop this already! This isn't training anymore!" Kitty shouted as she and everyone else rushed up to their teacher, who was watching the brawl with a calm expression.
"Not yet. Those two need to get whatever is going on between them out of their systems," Logan replied as everyone continued to watch both young men punch, kick, and throw each other. This continued on until they were both breathless.
"Alright, that's it! What the hell is your problem with me?!" Wyatt growled, blood running down his nose. Pulling his arm back, he crashed his fist into Scott's cheek, making Scott spit out a glob of blood.
"My problem?! You're my problem!" Scott hissed, landing an uppercut to Wyatt's stomach. "You're not one of us! So why are you still here?!"
"That's what this is about?!" Wyatt said, grabbing Scott by his shirt. Pulling Scott's head back, he slammed his forehead into Scott's. "You've got to be kidding me. What does it matter if I have the X-gene or not?"
"Everything!" Scott yelled, his built up emotions crashing to the surface. He moved forward and shoved Wyatt back. The two stood apart, panting heavily. "You don't have to worry about being persecuted for something beyond your control! How many mutants get taken away by the government for no other crime than existing?! And what do you do about it, hero? You fly all over the city, but not once have I seen you stop those fascists from taking my people away! Are we not worthy of help like everyone else, or are you just blind to it all?!"
Wyatt took an unconscious step back, staring at Scott with wide eyes. "I… no, it's just—"
"I don't want to hear it… I'm done," Scott said, walking back into the mansion and ignoring the worried looks from his teammates.
"Scott!" Rogue yelled, glancing back and forth between Scott and Wyatt. Ultimately, she decided to follow him in hopes of offering support. "Scott, wait!"
Wyatt stood still, the weight of Scott's words deeply affecting him. He wanted to argue that Scott was wrong, but he couldn't help but agree. He hadn't done anything to help the mutants being taken by the government.
Yes, he hadn't encountered such situations yet, but he also could have tried harder to reach out. He knew what they were going through, but he had been so caught up in his own missions that he never paused to consider how he might be able to help the mutants in need.
"Wyatt! Are you okay?" Kitty asked as she ran to his side. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "Hey, don't listen to him. He's… under a lot of stress. He didn't mean what he said."
"No… he did mean it. And he's not wrong," Wyatt replied, surprising everyone around him. "Mr. Logan… what do you think? Should I be doing more?"
Logan sighed and glanced over at the mansion, where Charles sat, no doubt having paid attention to the confrontation from his office. "Listen, kid. You're doing a lot of good as Atomic. You have more responsibilities than any other 16-year-old should have. The issues we mutants face aren't your responsibility. They're ours, the X-Men, to handle. Just keep doing what you're doing. That's more than enough."
Wyatt blinked and looked down at his bruised and bloodied hands. The stares from his friends weighed heavily on him as he contemplated Logan's words.
No… there's always more I can do. Wyatt thought resolutely. There has to be.