[b]IC: Wolverine[/b]

[b]SHIELD Mutant Research Division
San Francisco, CA[/b]

Ororo Munroe, better known to him as Storm, and Logan walked confidently down the halls of the SHIELD facility as the halls were filled with panicked and distracted agents. The Red Skull, a domestic terrorist and mutant hater, had managed to destroy SHIELD's head quarters out in San Francisco Bay, and the entire organization was on red alert. Even though the Professor had assured them they would receive a happy welcome, the agents were less than excited to see them. Logan attempting to explain why he was setting off the metal detector didn't help much, and he almost got shot while attempting to show the guards his claws. Still, they were allowed to pass and were being escorted to their destination.

The guard showing them the way stopped and motioned to the door in front of them, Logan opened it, and found an exhausted looking woman waiting for them on the other side. Doctor Moira MacTaggert looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. Her unifrom was wrinkled and disheveled, and there were bags under her eyes hiding behind a pair of glasses. Her auburn hair was up in a messy ponytail, and the look she gave the two mutants as they entered was not a friendly one, "You're lucky you're Charles's friends, or I wouldn't be giving you the time of day."

"We appreciate your time, Dr. MacTaggert," Storm smiled. "We know the current...situation is trying here."

"You mean trying to deal with a group of mutant hunters, a Neo-nazi terrorist who hates basically everyone, and the destruction of our induestructible base? Yea, just a bit trying." Moira was the head of SHIELD's Mutant Affairs squad, and had been looking into the Purifiers along with the X-Men. "Normally, I wouldn't give you anything we had, but considering we don't have the time or the manpower to deal with this right now, I'm going to slip you what we know about the Purifiers. If anyone catches you, or anything of the like, I will disavow any knowledge of this meeting."

"Yea, yea. I know the drill, doc," Logan waved the doctor on. He had done these backroom intelligence dealings before.

"We never managed to find out who was paying for Trask's research and arms," she slid a folder over to Wolverine. "It's just a bunch of shell corporations and the like. We've been trying to trace them back to the owner, but so far no luck. But we did manage to find out Trask was friends with this man."

She opened the folder, revealing a picture clipped to a file. The man was tall, had a confident posture, and seemed to be fairly well off. Storm commented, "He's quite the looker."

"He's also quite the mutant hater," Moira explained. "That's Graydon Creed, owner of a law firm and a super pac known as 'The Friends of Humanity', who donate substantial amounts to anti-mutant candidates."

"You think Creed was bankrolling Trask?" Logan arched an eyebrow.

"Not completely," the agent shook her head. "He's wealthy, but not that wealthy. But I think he had a hand in it."

"We will see what we can find," Storm said, gathering the file. "Thank you for your help."

"It's the least I can do," the doctor smiled weakly. "If you can take the Purifiers out of the equation, I certainly would get a lot more sleep."