514. The White Queen of the Wasteland.
Looking at the increasingly shaless Logan, Alex was montarily at a loss for words. Previously, Alex didn't think Logan was much trouble, but now it seed that Luther's evaluation of him was spot on.
This guy, who dragged a group of students into acting out a sob story just to gather supplies, was clearly no longer the straightforward and honest Wolverine of the past. Sohow, he had mastered the art of scheming and manipulation.
Though Alex felt a bit annoyed, he didn't say much. After all, just as Logan had predicted, revealing the truth now would make everyone uncomfortable—especially Kara, Pietro, and Ashley, all of whom had experienced hunger and suffering. If they learned that this was all a ploy by Logan, they would certainly feel betrayed.
And judging by Raven's deanor, she was clearly in on Logan's plan. Alex couldn't help but wonder—when had the girl developed such a talent for acting? Her performance was surprisingly convincing.
Alex drained the rest of his drink without much enthusiasm, then patted Logan on the shoulder, motioning for him to step outside. Since the al was already ruined and Logan's guilt-tripping had fully played its part, there was no reason for Alex to stay in the cafeteria. At least Pietro and the others could take the opportunity to spend so ti with the kids.
Once outside, Alex and Logan strolled side by side down the corridor.
"Well, you've got guts. You even sched against . Looks like you really see these kids as your own," Alex remarked.
Logan didn't bother explaining. Instead, he chuckled with an air of nonchalance.
"After the war, I wandered aimlessly for years. I went to the Arctic, to Japan—basically, I road the whole world without a goal or plan. I figured if I died along the way, so be it.
"Then, I t a woman. She helped out of the darkness and made willing to accept this ssed-up world again. She's now my wife."
"I know. She even gave you twins. I rember Barton took them to Blood Nest. Why not bring your wife and kids here to live with you?" Alex asked.
"It's not the right ti yet," Logan replied, shaking his head. "My kids haven't inherited my mutant genes—or maybe they haven't awakened yet, who knows? Besides, I can't even feed the kids here, let alone them."
"I read so reports from Luther. When Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was established, the Alliance allocated a lot of supplies. How are you still running short?" Alex asked, puzzled.
"That was barely enough," Logan said, his tone growing more agitated. "Originally, Luther promised ten truckloads of supplies every month. After two months, it was cut to eight. Then even less. Now we're down to five, and half the ti it's subpar stuff.
"When I couldn't take it anymore, I confronted Luther. He told the South had been hit by a disaster, and most of the resources were being diverted there. He said it was a loan, and they'd make it up later.
"Can you believe that? Sure, I get that the South is struggling, but does that an we're living in luxury here? These kids are still growing! And mutants aren't the sa as regular humans—our expenses are naturally higher."
Logan wasn't exaggerating. So mutants did require significantly more food. For example, Logan himself, with his beast-like mutation, could eat three or four tis as much as a normal person after intense activity. Speedsters like Pietro needed even more, making it impossible to cut corners on food. And here, all the kids were mutants—half-grown teens with voracious appetites.
"You say you sched against , and I won't deny it. While it was a spur-of-the-mont decision, I had no intention of deceiving you. We really are running low on food. If you don't believe , I can show you the storage room," Logan offered.
"No need. I believe you." Alex knew Logan had no reason to lie, and he had already used magic to sense the situation.
The storage room did have supplies, though not enough to serve pig slop to the kids. However, it was far less than Alex had expected—barely enough for a week. And with half a month still to go before the next shipnt from the Alliance, there clearly wasn't enough to sustain the school.
Logan sighed deeply and continued, "When things were desperate before, I could still go out hunting. Those dinosaurs and beasts might taste terrible, but they were still at. But now it's different. The patrols have driven all the wildlife out, and hunting doesn't guarantee results anymore."
Hearing the bitterness in Logan's voice, Alex felt uncomfortable. The entire Wasteland was struggling with food shortages, and with winter fast approaching, the lack of supplies would likely lead to countless deaths.
Sooner or later, Luther would face the ultimate dilemma: the classic trolley problem.
The people on the two tracks represented the Wasteland's population. With only enough resources to sustain one group, which would he choose to sacrifice?
The current food shortage wasn't even the most troubling issue. The bigger problem was that while reconstruction had begun in the Wasteland, society was far from stable. If soone with ill intentions incited riots or chaos due to the lack of food, things could spiral out of control.
At that point, not even Luther or Clark would be able to calm the mobs, and such unrest would severely damage the Alliance's credibility among the people—sothing no one in the Alliance wanted to see.
This glimpse into Logan's situation was enough for Alex to imagine just how dire things must be across other parts of the Wasteland.
Even with Logan, a hero, holding things together at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, they were barely managing to survive. It was hard to imagine how other places without such support were faring. In remote villages or towns, famine might have already taken hold. Clearly, the issue of food supplies needed to be addressed urgently.
With this in mind, Alex looked at Logan. "I'll figure out a way to get supplies. But first, we need to deal with the trouble here. Logan, take to see Emma."
Hearing Alex's words, Logan froze montarily but quickly nodded with a resigned expression. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
Guided by Logan, Alex made his way to the top floor of the school.
The ground floor of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters housed the classrooms where the students attended lessons. The upper floors were student dormitories, separated by gender and age. At the very top were the professors' living quarters.
Without saying a word, Logan led the way. He stopped at a room at the end of the corridor, then turned to glance at Alex before knocking on the door.
In the silence of the hallway, the knock sounded particularly loud.
However, there was no response from inside the room, leaving the two n waiting quietly outside.
After a long pause, just when Logan thought Emma might already be asleep, a low voice finally ca from within.
"Co in."
The voice was as lodious as a nightingale's song, but it carried a heavy weariness.
Alex frowned slightly, his expression complicated. Logan, however, was unfazed, having grown accustod to this. After Emma's response, Logan pushed the door open without hesitation.
Inside, the evening light stread through the windows, casting a warm glow on the floor. Following the light to the bed, Alex saw a stunningly beautiful woman lying there, smiling as she looked at him and Logan.
"Emma, this is Alex. I don't think I need to introduce him. He wanted to co and see you," Logan said softly, standing by her bedside.
Emma smiled gently, her beautiful eyes scanning Alex up and down before speaking.
"I've had the privilege of seeing you once before—at Tis Square. But at the ti, I didn't realize those people were your avatars."
During the battle with Red Skull, the entire Wasteland was in an uproar. That execution had drawn a large crowd of onlookers, so Alex wasn't surprised Emma had witnessed it in person.
Gazing steadily at the woman on the bed, Alex blinked. The room's appearance changed in his vision.
What lay before him now was a frail, elderly woman, her face deeply wrinkled, her body reduced to skin and bones. The blanket covering her was tattered and worn.
Alex quickly understood. Emma must have been using her telepathic abilities to alter others' perceptions, concealing her true appearance from everyone.
In the current Wasteland, very few people could resist Emma's powers. To almost everyone, she was still the radiant and glamorous White Queen.
"Logan, could I have a private conversation with Emma?" Alex turned to Logan and asked.
Logan didn't respond verbally, simply nodding in silence. He didn't fully understand Emma's current condition but could make so educated guesses—his keen senses hadn't misled him this ti.
After Logan left and closed the door behind him, Alex shifted his gaze back to Emma. This ti, he didn't resist her telepathic influence with magic.
"So, all these years, this is how you've been living?" Alex asked quietly.
"If you're referring to altering others' perceptions to change my appearance, then yes. Age is a big secret for won, you know," Emma replied with a playful smile.
She appeared as youthful as a high school student, but the weariness and depth in her eyes betrayed a different story.
After a mont of silence, Alex asked slowly, "Since I began traveling the Wasteland, I've never seen you take any action. Not even when dealing with Red Skull—I was prepared to confront you, but you never showed up. Why?"
.....
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