Chapter 53: Forged in Fire, Reborn in Fury
The Carpathian Mountains were a frozen hell. Logan, caked in the blood of Hydra's Todesritter and his own rapidly healing wounds, knelt beside Corporal Miller. The ex-Mountie was a mess: shrapnel had torn through his leg and abdomen, a collapsed lung gurgled with every ragged breath, and the snow beneath him was rapidly staining crimson. O'Malley, his face grim, was trying desperately to apply pressure to the worst of the bleeding, but it was a losing battle. Miller was dying, his life ebbing away in the frigid, hostile wilderness.
Elias Thorne received the critical alert from the System, followed by Logan's terse, coded radio message via O'Malley: "Miller's hit bad. Real bad. Won't make it without a miracle."
A miracle. Elias, across the vast distances, in his secure Montreal command center, considered his options. Conventional medical aid was impossible here. Evacuation was out of the question with Hydra patrols likely swarming the area after the facility's destruction. Miller was a loyal, proven asset. His loss would be felt.
But then there was the Feral Striker template. He had enough Prime Essence Shards ([2.1/5.0]) for another empowerment, though barely. The System had indicated that bestowing the template under conditions of extreme trauma or on a dying subject was... uncharted, potentially unstable. But Miller's loyalty was absolute: [Miller, Samuel – Loyalty to Host (via Thomas/Elias): 95% (Terminal Condition – Unwavering Faith/Desperation)]. That level of pre-existing devotion might just be enough to stabilize the process, to anchor the transformation.
It was an immense gamble. If it failed, Miller would die an even more agonizing death. If it worked... he would save a valuable operative and gain unprecedented data on the Feral Striker's regenerative limits and trauma adaptation. The cold, calculating part of Elias's mind, the part that viewed his agents as highly valuable, complex assets, outweighed the flicker of human compassion. This was an opportunity for knowledge, for power.
"Logan," Elias's voice, relayed through Anya's London hub to O'Malley's radio, was calm, devoid of emotion. "O'Malley. Prepare Miller. I'm going to attempt something... unconventional. It's his only chance. But it will change him. Profoundly. Does he consent?"
O'Malley, his hands stained with his friend's blood, looked at Miller. The corporal was fading, his eyes glassy, but he heard, and with a supreme effort, he nodded, a faint, bloody froth on his lips. "Do... it... Chief..." he whispered. "Anything..."
Elias focused, his entire being thrumming with System energy and the mirrored power of Wolverine. He drew upon his Prime Essence Shard reserve.
System, he commanded, his mental voice like forged steel. Initiate Feral Striker (Tier 2) empowerment on Samuel Miller. Priority: Maximize regenerative capabilities, stabilize vital functions. Account for extreme existing trauma. Confirm energy and Shard expenditure!