75. The Sentinel Program
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Max had always been… different.
Unlike most, his brain operated like a conductor, shielded by constant electrical currents. It made him nearly immune to telepathic interference. Magnetic fields couldn't touch him the way they did others.
By the time Nolan entered the lab, Logan was already thawed.
He sat restrained in vibranium cuffs, unblinking eyes locked onto Nolan as he approached. But it didn't take long for Nolan to realize this wasn't Logan in control.
It was Charles Xavier.
"Professor Xavier," Nolan greeted calmly, seeing right through the façade.
They had never met in person, and yet, even from within Logan's mind, Xavier's presence was unmistakable.
Despite his immense power, Charles Xavier was never feared for his strength but respected for his integrity. In every timeline, every universe, he was the kind of man people could trust.
Still, Nolan wasn't the type to gamble on kindness.
If Xavier had truly recovered to his full power, Logan would've never remained cuffed this long.
"Nolan," Logan's voice said, though its tone was far too calm almost paternal. "The elusive genius from the East. I've seen everything you did to him… through his memories."
"You're studying mutants," Xavier stated more than asked.
"I'm studying all forms of extraordinary power," Nolan replied, meeting his eyes.
For a moment, he could see Charles' consciousness shimmering behind Logan's gaze.
"You seem to know me."
"I know more than you'd expect," Nolan said. "More than I should, perhaps."
"But you're too young to know that much history."
"There are always… exceptions in this world. Like you. Like Erik. Like me."
Xavier nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
"I'd wager neither you nor Magneto have regained full strength yet. So why risk showing up in front of me? The U.S. government is still hunting you, aren't they?"
Nolan hadn't expected Charles to take such a bold approach possessing Logan to make contact.
"We don't have a choice, Mr. Nolan. We need Logan."
"For what?"
"For the future of mutant-kind. He's essential."
"…The Sentinel Program?"
So it was already happening.
Nolan remembered somewhere around this time in the original timeline, Charles and Erik had reached out to Logan, warning him of the Sentinels' return.
"You know more than I imagined," Xavier admitted, surprised.
Nolan cracked his neck, the sound sharp and deliberate. "Let me guess the government's still secretly developing Sentinels."
"As far as I know, yes. The first-generation models were a challenge, but we managed. Still, they never truly shut it down. Not completely."
"Then you know you can't let them finish what they started."
"And why is that?"
"Because the world's changed," Nolan said firmly, his voice filled with a quiet certainty. "I've studied enhanced beings and gathered data from countless cases. This world isn't just some cinematic crossover of superheroes and mutants anymore."
He began pacing slowly.
"I used to believe mutants and superhumans were two separate groups of mutants born with their powers, superhumans created by freak accidents or science. Jessica Jones and Daredevil from chemical exposure. Banner from gamma radiation. The Fantastic Four from cosmic rays. Tony Stark? Pure tech."
Xavier listened carefully.
"But when I examined the mystic techniques… when I cracked the healing gene in Logan… I started seeing patterns."
"If the Sentinels rise again, they won't just be hunting mutants. They'll be at war with 90% of the powered population."
"That's… a bold claim," Xavier said, though he didn't sound dismissive more intrigued.
"You've studied X-genes," Nolan continued. "You know their activation peaks during childhood when genetic expression is most volatile."
"Correct. During early developmental stages…"
"But here's what I think you missed: you've spent so long focusing on mutants that you forgot to consider the rest of humanity. You call it the X-gene. A gene, Charles. You know as well as I do genes can be dominant or recessive."
"What if these so-called 'superhumans'… are mutants too? Just latent ones. Recessive carriers of the X-gene, whose abilities only manifest through extreme catalysts radiation, trauma, technological augmentation."
Xavier froze.
He hadn't considered that. Not really. But the logic was… disturbingly sound.
"You're suggesting that the line between mutants and enhanced humans is thinner than we thought."
"Exactly," Nolan said. "Your mistake was always starting from the assumption of difference. Mine was in assuming separation. But what if we're just looking at the same spectrum from different points of expression?"
Xavier furrowed his brow.
"That's an untested theory. No peer review. No sample size large enough for validation."
"Which is why I need more data," Nolan admitted. "More X-gene samples. More enhanced DNA. If I can prove this theory… maybe we can end the war before it starts. Maybe mutants and humans won't need to fight over their future."
"If you're right," Xavier said slowly, "then this… changes everything."
"If I'm right," Nolan said, "then mutants aren't a separate species. They're humanity's next step. And powered humans? Just part of the same evolutionary tree."
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