Chapter 9: Revelations and Rivalries

(A.N: Long chapter for you)

The cold mountain air nipped at Jake's exposed skin as he and Logan silently made their way across the roof of the Weapon X facility. Every step was calculated, every movement precise. Jake's mind raced, recalling all the training he'd undergone for this moment, but also drawing on the knowledge from his past life – knowledge he couldn't fully explain to his teammates.

Logan held up a closed fist, signaling Jake to stop. They crouched behind an air conditioning unit, and Logan pointed to a small access hatch a few meters away. "That's our way in," he whispered. "Think you can get it open without setting off any alarms?"

Jake nodded, concentrating on the lock mechanism. He carefully manipulated the temperature around it, alternating between extreme cold and heat to stress the metal. With a soft click, the lock disengaged.

"Nice work, kid," Logan grunted approvingly. "Let's move."

They slipped into the ventilation system, the tight space forcing them to crawl single file. Jake focused on maintaining their thermal camouflage, masking their heat signatures from any internal sensors. The metallic taste of recycled air filled his mouth as they navigated the labyrinthine duct system.

After what felt like hours but was likely only minutes, Logan stopped at a grate overlooking a dimly lit laboratory. He sniffed the air, his enhanced senses picking up information invisible to Jake. "Something's not right," he murmured. "I can smell... fear. And blood. Lots of it."

Jake's stomach churned, but he steeled himself. This was why they were here – to stop whatever horrors Weapon X was perpetrating. Logan carefully removed the grate, and they dropped silently into the lab.

The room was filled with high-tech equipment, much of it stained with what Jake hoped wasn't blood. Holographic displays flickered with data streams and 3D models of mutant physiologies. Jake approached one of the terminals, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

"Can you hack it?" Logan asked, keeping watch at the door.

Jake nodded, surprised at his own confidence. "I think so. Give me a minute."

As he worked, fragments of information flashed across the screen. Project names, test subject designations, and experiment logs scrolled by. Jake's blood ran cold as he realized the true scope of Weapon X's operations.

"Logan," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "they're not just experimenting on mutants. They're trying to create them. Artificially triggering the X-gene in human subjects."

Logan's face darkened. "Damn it. I thought we'd shut this down years ago. How many?"

Jake scanned the data. "Dozens. Maybe hundreds. But that's not all." He paused, his finger hovering over an image that made his heart skip a beat. "They have information on Laura. Recent information."

Logan was at his side in an instant. "What kind of information?"

"Tracking data, physiological readings. Logan, I think they're still monitoring her somehow. Maybe even controlling her."

A low growl escaped Logan's throat. "We need to find her. Now."

Just then, a high-pitched alarm blared through the facility. Red emergency lights bathed the lab in an eerie glow. "Intruder alert," an automated voice announced. "Security protocols engaged."

"So much for stealth," Logan muttered, his claws sliding out with a metallic *snikt*. "Time for Plan B, kid. You ready?"

Jake nodded, fire igniting in one hand and ice forming in the other. "Ready."

They burst out of the lab into a corridor already filling with armed guards. Jake reacted on instinct, creating an ice wall to block incoming gunfire while simultaneously launching fireballs at the security cameras.

Logan charged forward, a whirlwind of adamantium claws and raw fury. Jake provided support, alternating between offensive attacks and defensive maneuvers. They fought their way through the facility, searching for any sign of captive mutants or information on Laura's whereabouts.

As they rounded a corner, Jake caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned, raising an ice shield just in time to deflect a familiar set of adamantium claws.

"Laura!" Jake exclaimed, recognizing the feral young woman from their previous encounter.

Laura's eyes were wild, unfocused. She attacked with a ferocity that surpassed even Logan's, forcing Jake on the defensive. Logan intervened, engaging Laura in a deadly dance of slashing claws and acrobatic maneuvers.

"Laura, stop!" Logan shouted. "We're here to help you!"

But Laura seemed beyond reason, her attacks growing more frenzied. Jake noticed a small device attached to the base of her skull, blinking with an ominous red light.

"Logan!" he called out. "There's something on her neck. I think it's controlling her!"

Logan grunted in acknowledgment, trying to maneuver behind Laura. "Can you disable it?"

Jake's mind raced, considering his options. Direct heat or cold might harm Laura. But maybe...

"I have an idea," he said. "But you need to hold her still."

Logan nodded, redoubling his efforts to restrain Laura. In a move that spoke of years of combat experience, he managed to lock her in a hold, pinning her arms to her sides. "Now, kid!"

Jake approached cautiously, his hands outstretched. He focused intensely, creating a localized electromagnetic pulse by rapidly alternating the temperature around the device. There was a small spark, and the red light on the device went dark.

Laura's body went limp in Logan's arms. For a terrifying moment, Jake feared he'd made a terrible mistake. But then her eyes fluttered open, clear and focused for the first time.

"Logan?" she said, her voice hoarse. "What... where am I?"

Logan's expression softened, relief evident on his gruff features. "You're safe now, kid. We're getting you out of here."

As Laura regained her bearings, the facility's alarms grew more insistent. "We need to move," Jake said urgently. "There could be others like Laura here. We need to find them."

Logan nodded. "Laura, can you fight?"

Laura's eyes hardened, a determined glint replacing the previous confusion. "Yes. And I want payback."

The trio moved deeper into the facility, their combined skills making them a formidable force. Jake couldn't help but feel a sense of awe fighting alongside Logan and Laura. Their movements were so in sync, so perfectly coordinated, that it was like watching a deadly ballet.

They fought their way to a secure area marked "Special Projects." The door was reinforced steel, designed to withstand even mutant abilities. But Jake had an idea.

"Stand back," he told Logan and Laura. He placed both hands on the door, concentrating intensely. He rapidly cooled the metal to near absolute zero, then immediately superheated it. The extreme temperature change caused the molecular structure of the door to weaken and warp.

Logan raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Not bad, kid. Remind me to never get on your bad side." With a powerful kick, he knocked the weakened door off its hinges.

The room beyond was a nightmare come to life. Rows of stasis pods lined the walls, each containing a mutant in various stages of experimentation. Holographic displays showed vital signs and mutation data.

"My God," Jake breathed, the horror of what he was seeing overwhelming him for a moment.

Laura's face was a mask of cold fury. "We need to free them. All of them."

Jake nodded, moving to the central control panel. As he worked to deactivate the stasis fields, Logan and Laura stood guard at the door.

Suddenly, a slow clap echoed through the room. A figure stepped out of the shadows – a man in a pristine white lab coat, his face scarred and twisted into a cruel smile.

"Well, well," the man said, his voice dripping with malice. "The prodigal daughter returns. And she's brought friends."

Logan's claws extended with a *snikt*. "Dr. Zander Rice," he growled. "Should've known you'd be behind this."

Jake's blood ran cold. He knew that name from the comics, knew the depths of Rice's cruelty and obsession with mutant experimentation.

Rice's eyes flickered to Jake, a look of curiosity crossing his face. "And what do we have here? A new specimen? Tell me, boy, what can you do?"

Before Jake could respond, Laura lunged at Rice with a feral snarl. But the scientist was prepared. He pressed a button on a device in his hand, and Laura collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Laura!" Logan and Jake cried out in unison.

Rice chuckled. "Did you really think removing that little control device would free her? Oh no, her conditioning goes much deeper than that."

Jake felt a surge of anger unlike anything he'd experienced before. Without thinking, he unleashed a blast of fire and ice simultaneously, the conflicting temperatures creating a shockwave that knocked Rice off his feet.

Logan wasted no time, pouncing on the fallen scientist. "Turn it off," he growled, claws pressed against Rice's throat. "Now."

Rice's smile never wavered. "Kill me, and she'll never be free. The failsafes in her mind will activate, turning her into nothing more than a mindless weapon."

Jake knelt beside Laura, trying to comfort her as she struggled against whatever pain Rice's device was causing. He looked up at Logan, seeing the conflict in the older mutant's eyes.

"Logan," Jake said, his voice steady despite the chaos around them. "We can't let him win. But we can't sink to his level either. There has to be another way."

For a moment, Jake feared Logan's rage would win out. But then, with visible effort, Logan retracted his claws. "You're right, kid. We do this the X-Men way."

Before Rice could react, Logan delivered a swift punch, knocking the scientist unconscious. The device fell from his limp hand, and Laura's pain immediately subsided.

As Laura shakily got to her feet, the sound of approaching reinforcements echoed through the corridors. Jake returned to the control panel, finally managing to deactivate the stasis pods.

"We need to get these people out of here," he said urgently.

Logan nodded, activating his communicator. "Cyclops, we need immediate evac. Multiple civilians, medical attention required."

As they worked to free the captive mutants, Jake couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. They had dealt a blow to Weapon X, but the war was far from over. And with each passing moment, he felt the weight of his knowledge about future events pressing down on him.

As the X-Men's transport arrived and they began evacuating the freed mutants, Jake caught Laura looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and gratitude.

"Thank you," she said simply. "For helping to free me. Both times."

Jake nodded, a small smile on his face despite the gravity of the situation. "That's what X-Men do. We look out for each other."

As they boarded the transport, Jake's mind was already racing with the implications of what they'd discovered. The existence of this Weapon X facility, the experiments on mutants, Rice's involvement – it all pointed to a larger conspiracy. One that, if left unchecked, could lead to the dark futures he knew from his past life.

But as he looked around at his teammates – at Logan's gruff determination, Laura's newfound sense of purpose, and the gratitude in the eyes of the rescued mutants – Jake felt a renewed sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, with his knowledge and the X-Men by his side, they could change the future for the better.

The transport took off, leaving the smoldering ruins of the Weapon X facility behind. As they flew back to Xavier's School, Jake knew that his journey as an X-Man was only just beginning. The road ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he was ready to face them. After all, that's what heroes do.