American comic book: An aging Wolverine, doing whatever he wants.

Chapter 131 Cooperation Plan, Mutant Rescue Project

At this point, Logan didn't want to have much interaction with Steve.

Although he could see Steve's goodwill, he was unaware of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attitude towards mutants. If he got too close to Steve, Fury, that old fox, might use Steve to set a trap for him.

But Steve clearly didn't want to give up and quickly caught up, blocking Logan's path.

"We need to talk; there's something I need your opinion on."

Steve stood in front of Logan, his eyes meeting Logan's.

Logan frowned as he looked at Steve's determined expression.

Lorna and the others beside them looked at the two with curiosity, not understanding Steve's intentions.

At this time, more and more people were gathered around. As the fire was extinguished, the people trapped in the high-rise building poured out and filled the entire street. Now, even if Logan wanted to abandon Steve, he couldn't.

"All right."

Logan shook his head helplessly, but glanced at the noisy crowd and said in a deep voice, "Let's find somewhere else. This isn't a good place to chat."

There are many people and suspicious eyes here. There might be Hydra agents among them. After all, those guys are everywhere and we have to be careful.

In addition, Steve's disguise was too conspicuous, and Logan didn't want them to be noticed by Hydra beforehand.

Hearing that Logan was willing to communicate, Steve visibly relaxed and nodded, saying, "Okay, come with me."

After saying that, Steve called Wanda over and led Logan and the others out of the crowd to a tall building not far away.

This high-rise building is clearly different from other buildings. Although there is not much difference on the outside, the technological content inside the building is surprisingly high. Every corner is monitored in all directions without blind spots, and you need to scan your identity before entering the gate.

The interior decoration is even more luxurious. Central air conditioning covers the entire high-rise building, and the stuffy heat from outside is swept away as soon as you enter. In addition, there are elevators, fully automated security facilities, etc., all of which indicate that this place is not simple.

"This is the Avengers' temporary base. Tony bought it and made some simple modifications."

Steve led the way, explaining the place to everyone.

Logan looked at the ubiquitous cameras and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

He believed that weapons must be embedded in the walls beneath these cameras, and that anyone who dared to enter would be riddled with bullets if the enemy were to attack.

He also didn't expect Steve to be so sincere, bringing them directly to the Avengers' temporary base.

It's important to know that places like this are usually not openly visible to the public, and people are unlikely to be brought in openly.

Logan was not the only one surprised; Lorna and the others behind him were also astonished, constantly looking at Logan and Steve.

They only knew that Logan and Steve were comrades-in-arms during World War II and had worked together before, but they never expected their friendship to be so deep.

Led by Steve, the group arrived at the conference room on the top floor.

This is a very spacious conference room with all kinds of facilities, even luxurious ones. In addition to various large electronic screens, there are coffee machines, tea machines and other items in the corners, making it hard to imagine that they are in a poor area that has just ended a war.

"Please sit down."

Steve invited everyone to sit down, then turned around to get cups and poured a few glasses of water for Logan and the others.

Then he turned to Wanda and said, "Wanda, you should go and rest. You've worked hard today. I'll let you know if there are any more arrangements later."

The following conversation was about mutants and had little to do with Wanda.

Wanda nodded slightly, stood up, and turned to leave, but before leaving, she still glanced curiously at Logan and the others.

She had just joined the Avengers and didn't really understand many things, so she didn't know why Steve valued these people so much.

Besides Logan, Lorna and the others also looked curiously in the direction Wanda had left.

The Avengers are famous and have been hyped by major media outlets. They know most of the main members, but none of them have ever met Wanda.

Looking at them, Steve smiled and explained, "This is Wanda, a newcomer to the Avengers, but she's very strong."

Everyone nodded in understanding, but Logan remained indifferent and not very interested. He knew more about the internal affairs of the Avengers than Steve and the others.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

Logan took a sip of water, put down the cup, and looked at Steve.

He was actually very curious as to why Steve had gone to such lengths to bring him over.

After all, although there are undercurrents within the Avengers right now, it's not time for them to explode yet, and the civil war won't start anytime soon.

Logically speaking, this period should be relatively peaceful, and Steve shouldn't need my help with anything.

When asked, Steve didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Nick Fury, do you know him?"

Upon hearing the name, Logan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, then said, "The current director of S.H.I.E.L.D., what, is it related to you that you're looking for me?"

Logan couldn't help but become wary at this point, after all, Fury was a cunning old fox, and he might easily fall into his trap.

Steve smiled and said, "Since our last collaboration, I've talked to Fury about resolving the conflict between mutants and ordinary people."

"Fury also attaches great importance to this issue, and he has provided a solution for peacefully resolving the conflict between you and ordinary people."

He spoke to Logan with a hint of excitement, hoping Logan would be interested in the question.

After all, he was well aware of the predicament Logan and his team were facing, and he wanted to help these former heroes overcome their difficulties.

Just as Steve had expected, Logan was indeed curious about Steve's words, raising an eyebrow and asking, "What plan?"

The conflict between mutants and ordinary people has a long history. Of course, it cannot be said to be a conflict with ordinary people, but rather a conflict with the government.

The government clearly did not want to see a group of uncontrollable but highly capable individuals frequently appear. Therefore, under the government's macro-control, mutants gradually disappeared from human sight. Even the legends that remain only describe how dangerous and terrifying mutants are, deliberately creating conflict between the two sides.

Logan was curious about what Steve and his team could possibly do to change all of this.

Not only him, but Lorna and the others were also curious.

They are considered a new generation of mutants, having missed the most glorious and revered period for mutants, and have faced various forms of targeting since birth.

In reality, they also long to walk in the sunlight, rather than hiding like rats in a sewer.

Upon hearing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had ideas, and even a plan, to resolve the conflict, the group all turned to look at them.

Steve smiled and immediately said, "Public opinion."

"public opinion?"

Logan was taken aback, then vaguely guessed what Fury and the others were thinking, but still said, "Tell me in detail."

Steve didn't mince words and frankly stated, "Fury hopes to change the image of mutants, for example, by creating a group of mutant heroes, just like our Avengers, and bringing them into the public eye to generate positive public opinion, improve the social status of mutants, wash away the negative image of mutants in the public's mind, and allow mutants to be accepted by ordinary people again, thereby integrating them into society."

After a pause, Steve added, "At least Fury and I both think this is feasible, and Fury will ask the chairman for his support for the change when the time is right."

In Steve's view, the conflict between mutants and humans has never been indelible; it is only people's prejudices that have led to the current situation.

Once prejudices are changed, reconciliation is only a matter of time.

Logan raised an eyebrow as he listened to Steve's explanation; he hadn't expected Fury to propose such a solution.

Or rather, Fury actually cares about mutants.

But upon closer examination, it makes sense.

After all, mutants are an unstable factor for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Although mutants have declined in popularity, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse. Over the years, there are still some mutants who are quite powerful.

These people are fine when nothing's wrong, but if something happens to them, they're like a ticking time bomb, capable of causing a major accident at any moment.

What Fury dislikes most is this kind of instability.

More importantly, these mutants are now hiding in the shadows, so if an explosion occurs, they won't even know where it will happen.

If the issue between the two races can be resolved peacefully, the instability will be greatly reduced. After all, with less external pressure, the likelihood of them causing trouble will also decrease.

Even if some mutants don't want to reconcile with ordinary people, they will only be a minority. It's unlikely that mutants will band together and explode. Even if a very few individuals want to cause trouble, they won't be able to stir up any major waves.

This is beneficial to both social stability and the stability of the current situation.

Seeing Logan deep in thought, Steve assumed Logan was considering cooperation and pressed his advantage, "Logan, don't worry. As long as you're willing to cooperate with us and create a breach in public opinion, the Avengers and I will fully support you and ensure that mutants can live in the sunlight again."

Logan looked up at Steve, knowing that Steve genuinely wanted to change the current situation of mutants.

After thinking for a moment, Logan shook his head with a wry smile and said, "This is no small matter. I need to go back and discuss it with the people in the shelter before I can give you an answer. You know, this is not just my personal matter, but concerns the entire tribe."

The situation is still unclear, and he cannot rashly agree to Steve's request. After all, the environment for mutants is already precarious, and if there is any mishap, it will not only fail to change the reputation of mutants, but may also lead to annihilation.

Logan can only decide whether to cooperate with them if he is certain that it will not cause any major negative impact.

When Logan refused, Steve frowned and was about to try again when the conference room door suddenly opened.

Tony, dressed in an expensive suit, with a straight posture and wearing glasses, walked into the conference room.

He looked at everyone in the conference room with a slightly cynical expression, his gaze finally settling on Logan. A smile appeared on his face as he teased, "Steve has been nagging me about you all the time, and now I can finally see Wolverine in person."

Everyone turned to look at him. They were all familiar with Tony Stark, who had made headlines in various newspapers. However, apart from Steve, it was the first time that anyone else in the room had seen him in person.

Even for Logan, this was the first time he had officially met Tony.

He nodded politely to Tony. "Just call me Logan."

Tony smiled, pulled out a chair and sat down, glancing at Steve. It wasn't hard to tell from his eyes that Logan already knew about Fury's proposal.

"It seems the captain has already told you all about it."

He leaned back in his chair, looking very relaxed, and said with a smile, "I also fully support this. If you are willing to cooperate, my public relations team will be involved in the plan. Their abilities will definitely not disappoint you. In just a few months, the status of mutants will definitely be elevated significantly."

Although he wasn't nearly as keen on helping mutants as Steve was, he was still willing to do some help that wasn't too difficult, not for any other reason than that mutants had once saved the world.

"Thanks."

Logan nodded politely to Tony, but still said with a smile, "I can't decide this on my own; we need to go back and discuss it."

Although the Avengers are trustworthy, as we thought before, this matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration.

Tony seemed to have expected this answer and wasn't too surprised.

Moreover, unlike Steve, he didn't urge Logan to agree. He simply said, "Whatever you want. My team is always here and can help anytime."

He paused, glanced at Lorna and the others besides Logan, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "What are you all doing in the Middle East? You even brought a child. Is there something urgent?"

He looked at Clarice, who was clearly timid in front of strangers, and was obviously very curious about what kind of mission would even a little girl like her who was not yet an adult have to participate in.

Logan didn't hide anything from him, and said bluntly, "I'm helping a friend rescue someone from Hydra. Intelligence indicates that he's being held captive in this Hydra base."

The Avengers and Hydra have a conflict, and they would be happy to see me take action against Hydra. There's no need to worry about any repercussions if I say it out loud.

Logan paused, then squinted at the two of them. "What brings you here this time?"

This Avengers mission seems to be quite challenging, as not only are Captain America and Tony Stark involved, but they've also brought along the formidable Wanda. This combination demonstrates the importance they place on the mission.

Steve responded frankly, "It seems we might have the same goal. I'm here mainly to deal with a supernatural event, which I suspect may also be related to Hydra."

Hearing this, Logan's eyes lit up. "Could you reveal some clues?"

Their only clue about Hydra right now is a photo of one of its members, which is going to be a real problem to find.

However, if the Avengers could provide some intelligence resources, they might be able to find Hydra's base more quickly. Even if they couldn't find it, having more information about Hydra would be helpful for subsequent operations.

Steve hesitated, unsure how to bring it up.

Tony, however, shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing serious. It's just that Akree City often experiences magnetic anomalies, causing the US Air Force and other air routes to frequently lose contact inexplicably or even crash when passing through here."

"As you know, there are frequent wars in the Middle East, and the US Air Force often operates in the vicinity. If this problem cannot be resolved, it will likely have a certain impact on the war situation."

Tony looked indifferent, clearly not very interested in the phenomenon here, and said indifferently, "The scientists in the military couldn't figure out the cause, and ultimately classified it as a supernatural phenomenon, so they had to send us out to solve it."

He paused, then added, "After arriving here, I took a look around, and the situation here is indeed a bit unusual. The magnetic field disorder is not continuous; it only occurs intermittently, and it's definitely not caused by the terrain. I suspect it's likely some kind of weapon from Hydra. Those guys just love to mess around with these kinds of weird things."

Upon hearing this, Logan nodded and fell into thought. A chaotic magnetic field does indeed pose a great danger to aviation, and it can even have a significant impact on ground troops. After all, without a signal, compasses and other such devices cannot be used properly due to the magnetic field problem, and they might get completely lost in the desert.

Steve, on the other end, spoke up: "Logan, since we're both investigating Hydra, why don't we cooperate? You rescue people, we destroy their secret weapons, and we can share the intelligence we gather."

Logan fell into deep thought.

Cooperating with Steve and his team doesn't seem to be a problem. After all, the Avengers are indeed much better at intelligence gathering than they are. For example, Tony could send out dozens of surveillance aircraft or hack into nearby network systems if he wanted to, and they might be able to find the location of Hydra's lair.

This is much more convenient than searching for a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, Steve and his team are all quite capable and have similar goals: to find Hydra's base and take action against Hydra. If they cooperate, the pressure on them will definitely be much less.

After weighing the pros and cons, Logan nodded and said, "Cooperation is no problem, but I'm not leading this mission. I need to inform the team leader. If she refuses, I can only apologize."

This time, helping Melanie was entirely to repay Hank's favor. Melanie was the one in charge. To put it simply, he was just a henchman, at most a henchman whose words carried weight. Melanie was the one in charge of the actual command.

Just as Logan finished speaking, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out and saw that it was a call from Melanie.

Logan glanced at Steve and his team on the other end of the line, thought for a moment, and then, without backing down, immediately pressed the call button.

"Hey Logan, where are you guys? We've found Hydra's trail here."

Melanie's voice came through the phone as soon as it was answered.

(End of this chapter)