Chapter 6: Enter Wolverine

The early morning mist hung low over the mansion grounds as Jake made his way to the outdoor training area. He'd been at Xavier's School for nearly two months now, and the rigorous routine was becoming second nature. As he approached the clearing, he noticed a lone figure standing there, short and stocky, with wild hair and a cigar clamped between his teeth.

Jake's heart skipped a beat. He'd heard whispers about this man, seen glimpses of him around the mansion, but they'd never formally met. This was Logan - the Wolverine.

"You the new kid everyone's been talking about?" Logan growled, not bothering to turn around.

Jake swallowed hard. "Yes, sir. I'm Jake."

Logan snorted. "Drop the 'sir' crap. I ain't your drill sergeant." He finally turned, fixing Jake with a piercing stare. "Heard you can do some fancy tricks with fire and ice. Show me."

Without hesitation, Jake summoned a ball of fire in his right hand and a sphere of ice in his left. He began to juggle them, switching them from hand to hand, demonstrating his control.

Logan watched impassively, taking a long drag on his cigar. "Neat party trick. But how do you handle yourself in a real fight?"

Before Jake could respond, Logan was in motion. With inhuman speed, he closed the distance between them, claws extending with a metallic SNIKT. Jake reacted on instinct, throwing up a wall of ice between them.

Logan smashed through it effortlessly, but the brief delay gave Jake time to roll away, coating the ground with a slick layer of frost as he moved. Logan's feet slipped for a moment, and Jake seized the opportunity to launch a barrage of fireballs.

The older mutant dodged most of them with ease, his clothes singeing slightly where a few found their mark. "Not bad, kid," Logan grunted. "But not good enough."

The next few minutes were a blur of motion as Jake desperately tried to fend off Logan's relentless assault. He used every trick he'd learned in the Danger Room, combining his powers in increasingly creative ways. He created steam clouds for cover, formed ice barriers to block Logan's strikes, and even managed to temporarily freeze one of Logan's arms.

But Logan was always one step ahead, his centuries of combat experience evident in every move. Finally, Jake found himself pinned against a tree, Logan's claws inches from his throat.

"Yield," Logan said simply.

Jake nodded, out of breath and thoroughly beaten. To his surprise, Logan retracted his claws and offered him a hand up.

"You've got potential, kid," Logan said, a hint of approval in his gruff voice. "But you're still thinking like a student. In a real fight, there are no rules, no safety nets. You gotta be willing to do whatever it takes to survive and protect your team."

Jake nodded, absorbing the lesson. "Can you teach me?" he asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Thought that's what I was doing. Be here at dawn tomorrow. And don't be late."

Over the next few weeks, Jake's training with Logan became the highlight of his days at the mansion. The sessions were brutal, pushing Jake to his physical and mental limits. Logan was a harsh taskmaster, but Jake could see the purpose behind every grueling exercise and punishing sparring match.

One morning, as they took a rare break, Logan fixed Jake with a curious look. "You fight like you've got something to prove, kid. What's your story?"

Jake hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I... I feel like I was given these powers for a reason. Like I'm supposed to make a difference somehow."

Logan nodded slowly. "Noble goal. But be careful with that kind of thinking. I've seen plenty of folks with good intentions end up on the wrong path."

"Is that what happened to Magneto?" Jake asked before he could stop himself.

Logan's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about Magneto?"

Jake backpedaled quickly. "Just... just what I've heard around the mansion. That he used to be friends with Professor X, but now they're enemies."

Logan studied him for a long moment, and Jake feared he'd said too much. Finally, the older mutant sighed. "It's complicated, kid. The world ain't black and white, especially for mutants. Sometimes the line between hero and villain gets real blurry."

As they resumed training, Jake pondered Logan's words. He knew the complex history between Xavier and Magneto, the ideological divide that had turned them from friends to adversaries. But hearing Logan speak about it made it all feel more real, more immediate.

The days turned into weeks, and Jake found himself growing not just in skill, but in confidence. Logan's harsh training methods were balanced by moments of gruff kindness - a nod of approval after a particularly good move, a hand up after a hard fall, the occasional bit of personal advice.

One evening, after a grueling session that had left Jake battered and exhausted, Logan surprised him by inviting him to join him for a beer in the mansion's kitchen. Jake, still a few years shy of the legal drinking age, was about to decline when Logan smirked.

"Relax, kid. Root beer for you. I ain't looking to get fired by Chuck."

As they sat in comfortable silence, Jake found the courage to ask a question that had been on his mind. "Logan... how do you deal with it? Knowing you can outlive everyone around you?"

Logan's expression darkened for a moment. "You asking 'cause of my healing factor, or 'cause of something else?"

Jake shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just curious, I guess. With my knowledge of... of science and stuff, I sometimes feel like I can see where things are heading. Like I know too much."

Logan studied him for a long moment. "Listen, kid. The future ain't set in stone. I've lived long enough to see that. All we can do is make the best choices we can with what we know now. And hope it's enough."

As Jake nodded, absorbing the wisdom, a commotion from the main hall caught their attention. They rushed out to find Cyclops and Jean Grey supporting an injured Storm between them.

"Ambush," Cyclops grunted. "Looks like the Brotherhood is making moves again."

Logan was instantly alert, all traces of the mentor gone, replaced by the seasoned warrior. "Where?"

"Downtown," Jean replied, her voice tight with worry. "They're targeting a mutant registration office. We managed to evacuate the civilians, but..."

"But they're still out there," Logan finished. He turned to Jake. "Looks like you're about to get some real-world experience, kid. You ready for this?"

Jake felt a mix of fear and excitement course through him. This was it - his first real mission as part of the X-Men. Everything he'd trained for, everything he knew about this world, was about to be put to the test.

"I'm ready," he said, surprised by the steadiness in his voice.

Logan nodded approvingly. "Alright then. Suit up. We move in five."

As Jake rushed to change into his X-Men uniform, his mind raced with possibilities. He knew the dangers they were about to face, but he also knew the potential consequences of this conflict with the Brotherhood. Could he use his unique knowledge to make a difference without revealing his secret?

Only time would tell. But one thing was certain - with Logan as his mentor and the X-Men at his side, Jake was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead