"Tch, I'm not interested in getting acquainted with a man!" Logan sneered at Zhou Yi, ignoring the extended hand. He bypassed him entirely and addressed Jean Grey directly. "Jean, I heard some joker is taking Rogue away from here. What's the damn story?"
"This matter is still being sorted out, Logan! You need to try and stay calm." Jean Grey did her best to soothe the agitated Logan. Although he was a newcomer, he was a powerful Mutant with deep combat experience, and critically, a volatile temper. It was crucial to prevent this pal's emotions from escalating.
"This ain't something that can be fixed by being calm. I don't give a damn why the Professor made this stupid decision, but I won't let Rogue be taken by some punk I don't know. Jean, come with me, we're going to find the Professor. If we can't talk him out of this messed-up idea, then don't blame me for having to deal with that unlucky pal myself." Logan ranted to Jean Grey, but the implied conclusion made Zhou Yi distinctly unhappy.
His displeasure stemmed from two facts: first, Logan's transparent affection for Jean Grey. Second, he was the "unlucky pal" Logan was threatening to teach a lesson.
"Pal, while I truly hate to interfere with your magnificent self-perception, I feel the need to point out that, unless there's another idiot around, I'm the 'unlucky pal' you're currently discussing." Zhou Yi was never the type to be kind and turn the other cheek, especially after receiving the cold shoulder from Logan. Instead, he simply returned the contempt.
"Is that so?" Logan spun around, his eyes locking onto Zhou Yi, sharp as a hunting wolf's. "Pal, I don't know who the hell you are, but here's some advice: stay out of this."
"Sorry, I'm just the kind of person who enjoys looking for trouble!" When it came to threats, especially from another man, Zhou Yi always returned the favor with interest.
This retort instantly lit the fuse in Logan's mind. He was a man who acted first and rarely thought twice; his muscles were always faster than his brain.
Logan launched a direct punch at Zhou Yi's face. He always preferred hitting people in the face, especially a pal who looked like he relied on his good looks for a living. For Zhou Yi, this was an open provocation, and he always welcomed those who provoked him, as it gave him license to retaliate without restraint.
Slightly sidestepping Logan's blow, Zhou Yi closed the distance. He delivered a sharp elbow strike directly into Logan's stomach. The brutal force caused Logan's body to instantly convulse—a natural, protective reflex that few could overcome.
Having landed the first blow, Zhou Yi pressed his advantage. For him, the first strike was just the principal; now came the interest. He stayed glued to Logan's body, and the moment the man involuntarily bent over, Zhou Yi used one hand to thrust upward, slapping his lower jaw hard with his palm. The enormous external force slamming into the jawbone drove Logan's chin forcefully into his upper palate. The impact instantly made him see stars, sending a powerful concussion through his brain.
He staggered backward, nearly falling to the ground. In Zhou Yi's estimation, this performance indicated that Logan was functionally out of the fight.
But Logan's resilience was far greater than he imagined. He violently shook his head, then charged forward even more ferociously, as if the injuries were non-existent. Of course, the damage was there—it had simply channeled his pain into raw, unadulterated fury.
Zhou Yi moved with infuriating agility against Logan's onslaught. In truth, for a man who could move at thousands of meters per second, dodging a brute who relied purely on muscle was trivially simple. He weaved effortlessly; Logan's fists only brushed his clothes, never managing to land a solid hit.
Anyone with eyes could see Zhou Yi was playing with him, but Logan wasn't the type to accept defeat. He was relentlessly stubborn. This didn't mean he was brainless, though.
"Hey, you little mudskipper. All you know how to do is dodge? Or are you too much of a coward to throw a punch, like a real man should!" Unable to land a hit, he resorted to provocation, attempting to lure Zhou Yi into a mistake. He wasn't sure if it would work—such obvious bait usually failed.
But for Zhou Yi, who suddenly got a mischievous idea, it was a golden opportunity.
"You want to square off like a real man? Fine! No problem at all. I'll show you exactly what a man is." With that, he stopped moving and adopted a standard fighting stance, apparently ready to meet the next punch head-on.
This was precisely what Logan wanted. He didn't care why Zhou Yi suddenly abandoned his advantage to take a disadvantageous, "honorable" position. Logan was a veteran of wars, and though his memory was fragmented, combat etched deep lessons into his being. In a fight, there was only winning or losing, and only the victor got to decide the rules.
Facing Zhou Yi's stance, he put every ounce of strength he had into a devastating right hook. In a pure, head-on confrontation, he could not conceive of losing. He was virtually steel-boned; the adamantium laced through his body gave him an insurmountable edge, especially against a pal who didn't look particularly strong.
Just as Logan's fist was about to collide with Zhou Yi's face, Zhou Yi widened his eyes in feigned horror.
"Jean, what are you doing? Stop it right now!"
The sudden exclamation instantly froze Logan's action. He whipped his head around to look at Jean Grey behind him. But when he saw Jean Grey's bewildered, innocent face, he realized he'd been tricked—and it was already too late.
A vicious, expertly placed groin kick landed squarely on Logan's most vital spot. The sharp, agonizing pain instantly obliterated his ability to think. He doubled over, clutching his crotch, his face turning crimson, his eyes bulging. In that moment, all his senses ceased to function; his entire body registered only one sensation: pain.
"Pal, I believe I told you I'd show you what it means to be a man. And right now, it's going to be very difficult for you to be a man. That's the lesson!" Zhou Yi, having successfully landed the decisive blow via a despicable feint, boasted of his victory. To Jean Grey standing nearby, however, it didn't seem like much to brag about.
This wasn't the first time Zhou Yi had employed such a contemptible move in front of her. The previous victim was Scott, her boyfriend. This time, it was Logan. Jean Grey couldn't help but hold her head. If this wasn't intentional on Zhou Yi's part, then it was a truly inescapable misfortune for the men in her life.
"You despicable scoundrel!" Logan roared, though the sound was exceptionally comical due to his agony. Even though Zhou Yi had controlled his strength, a heavy blow to a man's vital spot always has a catastrophic impact.
"No, no, no, this isn't despicable." Zhou Yi, still enjoying the moment, continued to needle Logan. "This is called strategy. I'm not a Beast with muscles growing in his brain, you see."
"Bastard, I'll kill you." With an almost superhuman ability to endure pain, Logan recovered enough to speak within moments. He charged again, this time for real. Three razor-sharp blades, creations of adamantium whose sole attribute was invincibility, shot out from the gaps between his fists. The deployment of this weapon confirmed Logan's current murderous rage.
"Fool, haven't you learned anything yet?" With a casual gesture, Zhou Yi spread his five fingers and met Logan's oncoming fist, threading his hand through the gaps between the three blades. In an instant, Logan's momentum halted. His fist went nowhere because before they made contact, Zhou Yi had closed his fingers, clamping down on the claws.
It was as if he were held by a giant machine; no matter how much force Logan exerted, he couldn't move his arm. The blades were extensions of his bones. This grip, which appeared to only hold his claws, effectively locked the bones of half his upper body, stopping his movement entirely.
Feeling his body immobilized, Logan swung his other claw toward the hand Zhou Yi was holding. He didn't expect this counter-attack to wound Zhou Yi, but he hoped it would force him to let go.
The reality proved he was wrong. Zhou Yi merely reached out his free hand and gripped Logan's wrist, completely neutralizing his ability to move. The inability to move his entire upper body made Logan grit his teeth. He surged forward fiercely, slamming his head into Zhou Yi's front. This forced action tore his tendons, causing intense pain, but he was compelled by instinct.
His nature was that of a wolf—a vicious wolf that would sink its teeth into its enemy even when grievously wounded.
Colliding heads with someone is never pleasant. Zhou Yi leaned back instantly, dodging the headbutt, while simultaneously bringing another part of his body into intimate contact with Logan's head.
A hard knee struck an equally hard skull. Zhou Yi conceded that Adamantium bones were truly formidable; his knee registered the pain. Logan, however, was in far worse shape; his entire body recoiled backward.
Freed from Zhou Yi's grasp, he became an instant flying ragdoll, set to smash directly into Ororo's desk.
At that moment, two telekinetic forces shot out, meeting him in the air and gently bringing him to a stable halt. The forces originated from both Jean Grey and Zhou Yi.
Shaking his head, Logan's power meant he was never truly incapacitated by injury. He showed no outward signs of pain, merely extending his claws once more, staring viciously at Zhou Yi.
"Jean, I don't need your damn help!"
Jean Grey didn't reply, but Zhou Yi answered for her.
"Pal, as much as I hate to admit it, Jean wasn't the only one who helped you just now." Extending his palm, he pointed it toward Logan from a distance, and the surging telekinetic force made Logan float directly into the air. Logan struggled fiercely, but the telekinetic power was too immense for him to resist.
"You bastard, you're a Mutant?" Looking at Zhou Yi in disbelief, Logan seemed stunned by his identity, or perhaps he was shocked that Jean Grey had kept this a secret.
In response to the desperate question, Zhou Yi merely chuckled. He simply said.
"You guess, pal."