The unease within Lou Scarelli's organization deepened. Angelo Trapani, after receiving Elias's cryptic gift, became a source of intense speculation and paranoia for Scarelli. While Trapani made no overt moves, his quiet detachment and strained interactions with Scarelli's remaining loyalists were palpable. Scarelli, already prone to seeing enemies in every shadow, doubled down on his aggressive tactics, trying to reassert his dominance through fear, which only further alienated his wavering underlings. Fitzpatrick's people, meanwhile, observed these internal convulsions with keen interest, likely sensing opportunity.
Elias Thorne, orchestrating this from the quiet of his rooms, focused on consolidating his existing assets and patiently observing the effects of his meddling. His Host Power had edged up to [3.55]; his Energy reserves were at [79.80/100], benefiting from Dr. Finch's now less energy-intensive "maintenance" of his cognitive enhancement and Mickey's consistent small-scale energy conversions. He wasn't ready to expand his empowered team just yet, preferring to refine the use of his current agents. Dr. Finch was proving invaluable, his analysis extending beyond just criminal enterprises to the political and economic climate of Montreal, providing Elias with a broader understanding of the city's power dynamics.
It was during one of Dr. Finch's more esoteric research dives, looking into historical land claims and forgotten mineral rights in northern Quebec (a long-term project Elias had him undertaking, sensing potential future value), that an anomaly surfaced.
"Mr. Thorne," Finch began, his eyes alight with scholarly curiosity during one of their meetings. "While examining survey maps and logging company archives from the late 19th and early 20th centuries pertaining to the Abitibi region, I've encountered repeated, albeit vague, references to a… peculiar individual. Or perhaps, a recurring local legend."
Elias, ever attentive to the unusual, leaned forward. "Explain."
"The loggers and trappers in those remote areas, particularly around isolated work camps, spoke of a man, or something like a man, who lived wild. Described as incredibly strong, almost bestial in his resilience, and possessing an uncanny healing ability. They called him 'Le Carcajou' – the Wolverine. Most accounts dismiss it as campfire tales, but the consistency across decades, from different sources, is… intriguing. There are even a few blurry, unsubstantiated photographs from the 1910s and 20s, purportedly of unusual tracks or fleeting glimpses of a figure who doesn't quite fit the description of any known animal or ordinary hermit."
Finch produced a faded, grainy photograph. It showed a deep, claw-like gouge in a thick pine tree, too precise for a bear, too deep for any common creature. Another showed a blurry shape moving through dense undergrowth.
"Most academic sources dismiss this as folklore," Finch continued. "But one account, from a respected but somewhat eccentric naturalist, Dr. Armand Dubois, in a privately published journal from 1922, speaks of encountering a man fitting this description near a remote mining exploration camp. Dubois claimed the man possessed… 'retractable bone-like claws' and healed from a grievous injury almost instantaneously. Naturally, Dubois was widely ridiculed."
Elias listened, a spark of profound interest igniting within him. Retractable bone claws. Rapid healing. In the remote Canadian wilderness. This was not some common criminal or easily understood power. This felt… different. Prime.
The System interface, which usually remained impassive unless directly queried or logging specific events, suddenly pulsed with a faint, almost subliminal golden light.
[Potential Prime Conduit Signature Detected (Latent/Distant – High Probability: Uncatalogued Mutant – Codename: Wolverine/James Howlett). Historical Proximity: Northern Quebec, Canada. Current Status: Unknown/Unconfirmed.]
Elias's breath caught. Prime Conduit. The term the System had displayed when he first awakened it, linked to gaining 100% power and innate abilities from "Marvel Characters" regardless of loyalty. Uncatalogued Mutant. Wolverine. James Howlett. The name resonated with an odd familiarity, like a half-forgotten character from one of the pulp adventure magazines he sometimes read, but this felt far more significant.
This was it. This was the type of individual the System had hinted would provide a massive power boost.
"Dr. Finch," Elias said, his voice betraying none of the sudden surge of adrenaline he felt. "This… 'Wolverine' legend. I want you to focus all your resources on it. Any and all accounts, no matter how outlandish. Cross-reference sightings, timelines, geographical data. If this individual, or someone like him, exists… finding him could be of paramount importance."
Finch, unaware of the System's silent confirmation, simply saw his landlord's keen interest in another historical puzzle. "A fascinating assignment, Mr. Thorne! A delightful divergence from urban malefactors. I shall delve into the archives with renewed vigor."
For the next few weeks, while the pot of Montreal's underworld continued to simmer under his subtle manipulations, a significant portion of Elias's attention, and Finch's considerable intellect, was directed north. Finch, using his enhanced cognitive abilities, devoured records – Hudson's Bay Company archives, old missionary journals, geological survey reports, even obscure local police blotters from frontier towns. He cross-referenced anecdotal accounts with weather patterns, logging schedules, and mining activity, trying to triangulate a pattern of movement, a potential current location if this "Wolverine" was still active and, presumably, very long-lived given the decades-spanning reports.
The information was piecemeal, frustratingly vague. Sightings were rare, often decades apart, clustered around remote, rugged areas. The figure was always a loner, fleeting, leaving behind more questions than answers. But Finch, with his System-enhanced mind, began to see a faint trail.
"The most consistent cluster of plausible sightings, Mr. Thorne," Finch reported one evening, tracing a line on a large map of Quebec, "appears to be in a vast, sparsely populated area west of the Manicouagan Reservoir. Extremely rugged terrain, minimal human presence. If this 'James Howlett' seeks solitude, he would find it there. The most recent semi-credible report, though from five years ago, was from a lost geologist who claimed to have been helped by a 'wild man with metal claws' after breaking his leg."
Five years ago was relatively recent, given the timeline. Metal claws, not bone – an evolution, perhaps? Or a misinterpretation by Dubois?
Elias knew this was a long shot, a monumental undertaking. Northern Quebec was vast, a wilderness that could swallow an army, let alone a single man, no matter how resilient. But the potential reward… if he could find this Wolverine, this Prime Conduit, and empower him – even if the empowerment itself was minimal or somehow resisted – the System promised a 100% power gain of Wolverine's innate abilities. Superhuman healing, potentially adamantium-laced strength, heightened senses… the thought was staggering. It would elevate Elias to an entirely new level of power, far beyond anything his current agents could provide him individually.
This pursuit would require more than just Dr. Finch's research. It would need resources, planning, and perhaps even a small, specialized expedition. It would be a significant gamble, diverting attention and capital. But the words "Prime Conduit" echoed in Elias's mind, a siren song of unprecedented power.
The ripples from his actions in Montreal were spreading, destabilizing the city's criminal foundations. Now, Elias Thorne was preparing to cast a line into the deep, wild waters of the North, fishing for a legend, a mutant, a Wolverine – a catch that could redefine his destiny and the very nature of his burgeoning empire.