WebNovels

Chapter 40 - Right or Wrong

... Aidan Quinn

"Hunt" wasn't a word I usually liked, sounded a bit primitive, even when it reminded me of Gehrman Sparrow, the crazy adventurer — or, as the Tarot Club knew him, The World.

But now the word had some meaning.

Could I bring Gehrman Sparrow into the hunt?

I checked the catalog, but I wasn't sure if Klein's Tier 5 version already had Faceless powers or if I'd need him at Tier 8, as an Angel. Either way, I only had credits for the first one.

But...

Stryker didn't say anything useful. Just the same recycled garbage of a fanatic — purity, divine mission, salvation of the species. Cheap preaching from a guy who thinks he's a biblical character with permission to wipe out anyone born different.

So, I did what any Contractor with half a brain and some credits would do: I bought the solution.

Dropped my last 20 credits on [Science].

This wasn't technical knowledge — it was instinctual talent. The kind that turns firewalls into wet tissue and military-grade encryption into kindergarten Sudoku. Data engineering, network architecture, protocols buried so deep only someone really good — or really well-equipped — could crack.

Unfortunately for them… I became both.

Stryker's base servers turned into toys. The entire system opened up like a fresh corpse on an autopsy table — every directive, every line of code, every name pulsing in red across my vision. And at the center of the labyrinth? Trask. He'd backed multiple anti-mutant groups, each with a specific focus: containment, surveillance, DNA collection, experimentation.

I copied it all.

And that's when the real hunt began.

First target: Boston.

A "genetic rehabilitation center," all clean on the outside. Medical insurance, smiling receptionist. Inside? Containment chambers, hospital beds rigged with X-gene sensors, and a patient list that never got discharged.

I dropped a Red on the generator. The whole building collapsed before the alarm could even go off. One guard tried to stop me — got knocked out with one cursed-energy punch.

Second target: Canada.

Hidden lab on the outskirts of Quebec. They called it the "Predictive Studies Center." Smelled like snow and arrogance. The kind of place that looked at mutants like lab samples. I fired a Red straight into the core's energy source. When the smoke cleared, a woman tried to shoot me.

Infinity blocked it. She wore a power-inhibitor collar like the one I had on.

She woke up later — alive, free, and with her memories a little scrambled.

Third target: West Coast.

Warehouse in San Diego. Nothing special on the outside. Inside? Very different story. Underground tunnels, concrete walls. Three floors deep: tanks filled with bluish liquid, bone-embedded sensors on restrained victims.

There… I left a message after clearing the place out.

The goal wasn't to kill everyone. I wasn't some vigilante, and this world already had too many heroes suffering from chronic savior syndrome. I was clearing the table before moving on to dessert.

Every organization I erased meant one less bomb waiting to go off.

One less MJ tied to a chair.

One less Gwen with fear in her eyes.

One less nightmare building up in the people I cared about.

And I hadn't even touched Trask yet.

But he was coming soon.

… Mystique (Raven Darkhölme)

Mystique stood in front of the screen, arms crossed, like someone trying to piece together a puzzle where every piece is fake. The news was everywhere — explosions in labs, warehouses on fire, research centers vanishing from the map. They were calling them "coordinated attacks." Labeling them as "terrorist actions."

Some networks even hinted that mutants were behind it, but no one had proof. No group claimed responsibility. No traces left behind.

But she didn't need proof.

She could already recognize the style from a mile away. This wasn't chaos. It wasn't sloppy. It was personal — and done by someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

The name muttered most often among mutants these past few weeks, Aidan Quinn.

Xavier had tried to hide the kid, like he could keep him under the radar, like no one would notice just how dangerous he really was. Mystique thought that was a joke from the start.

The boy showed up out of nowhere, pretended to be just another student, slept with every girl he could… and then disappeared with three of the most powerful mutants Xavier had under his roof — including her daughter.

Mystique didn't take her eyes off the screen. The blue glow lit up her face, calm on the outside — but her mind was already connecting the dots. She was in a hidden room beneath Bayville, surrounded by concrete, silence, and data. And all of it pointed to Aidan.

Magneto had been right about the kid.

Aidan wasn't someone who'd ever follow Xavier or his speeches about "peace and hope". He wasn't waiting around to be accepted. He wasn't some idealist. He was a predator. The kind that didn't ask permission to defend himself — and hit back twice as hard when someone came at him.

She didn't need to stay silent anymore.

Aidan had bared his fangs to those who pushed first.

And to Mystique, that wasn't a threat.

It was an invitation.

She'd been watching him for a while now. Since before the trip with her daughter, Jean, Ororo, and that other Raven — the powerful unknown girl who had also shown up with him.

Now that he was back, he wasn't holding back. Trask, Stryker, anyone who threatened mutants — they were being wiped out, base by base. And this wasn't just brute force. It was strategy and precision. Aidan wasn't just lobbing bombs. He knew where to hit, how to hit, and what to take down with him.

Mystique wondered how he had access to all of it. The location of every hidden base, every dirty link disguised behind fake names and clean institutions. That wasn't coincidence. It was someone with tools Xavier would never dare to use.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

It was already decided.

Magneto needed to know.

With a swift motion, she encrypted the data, prepped the report, and sent it off — straight to wherever he was hiding these days. No fluff or personal takes, just facts. A rundown of events, target names, estimated force levels. Enough for Magneto to understand exactly what was happening.

She didn't romanticize Aidan. Didn't treat him like a hero or a villain.

But she did recognize what he was.

A turning point.

And with Xavier already moving his pieces — sending the X-Men after him, Jean included, of course — Mystique knew it wouldn't take much for things to spiral out of control.

She turned off the screen. Her blue face shifted back into view.

The Brotherhood had to be ready.

Because if Xavier couldn't convince Aidan and tried to stop him…

Mystique would be the one to save him.

And if things went well, maybe even recruit him.

… Raven (Rachel Roth)

Raven was slouched on the couch, same as always — legs crossed, hood pulled down over her forehead, face set in that perfect "seen-too-much-to-care" expression.

The apartment was almost completely dark, lit only by the faint glow of the streetlights outside. Neon signs and sirens flickered against the wall. A forgotten cup of tea sat on the table, cold and useless — just like half the messages she'd ignored all day.

Robin, on the other side of the room, looked like a bored piece of modern art. Sitting perfectly straight, one leg over the other, tablet in hand. Ever since they came back from Alabasta, neither of them had been talking much. And that was just fine. Robin didn't ask dumb questions, Raven didn't give unnecessary answers. It was almost the perfect setup — just the way she liked it.

Only now, the silence didn't bring peace anymore.

Ever since "MJ" and "the blonde one" got kidnapped, Aidan had vanished with that look on his face — the one that meant someone, somewhere, was about to get wiped off the map.

"Taking out the trash", he'd said.

And she knew exactly what that meant.

When Aidan said stuff like that, it wasn't a metaphor. It was a warning. A polite heads-up that somebody was about to go poof — and not in a poetic way, but in a literally erased from existence kind of way.

Her phone buzzed.

She didn't move at first. Just glanced sideways at the screen.

Jean Grey.

Of course.

Raven rolled her eyes. Probably Aidan's fault for letting Jean poke around enough to find her number. It had "forced socialization" written all over it. Try to turn your antisocial goth into one more smiley member of the Xavier Institute friendship club.

As if that was ever gonna happen.

She let the phone buzz until it stopped.

Then it buzzed again.

Jean:Need your help. We're going after him. Professor already sent the X-Men.

Raven scoffed. Barely a sound, but drenched in sarcasm.

They were really gonna try that?

Robin looked up from her tablet. Didn't ask anything right away — just stared with that calm, razor-sharp gaze of hers.

"Jean again?" Her voice was soft, polite, with that tone that somehow never felt invasive.

"Jean", Raven confirmed flatly. "Wants help to stop Aidan."

Robin powered off the tablet with a quiet tap, head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing in thought.

"Will the captain need our help?"

Raven rested her chin in her palm and let the sarcasm drip like poison.

"Please. Like they have any chance of stopping that idiot."

She wasn't saying that just because he was technically her master. It was just facts. Brutal, simple, uncomfortable facts.

Raw power wasn't what decided fights with Aidan. It was knowing what to do when nothing could touch him. When your own powers could become his with a single touch. And when he'd probably already set up a defense to counter yours anyway.

More importantly, Raven knew what Aidan would do if he was really cornered. Beneath the frivolity, she could see it — the selfish streak.

If anyone actually tried to take him down — Jean, Ororo, any of his girls… even her...

He'd take everything.

And then no one would be able to stop him.

Robin stayed quiet, but her thoughts were all over the place. Images, possibilities, contingencies. She was analyzing everything, and as always, Raven felt it — every stray thought that slipped through.

"No need to worry", Raven said, face unreadable. "At least that idiot always keeps his promises."

Robin blinked slowly, a small smile forming. The kind of smile that said maybe — just maybe — she'd made the right call, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet.

Raven stood up, pulling her hood back into place.

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Going somewhere?"

"Someone's gotta make sure that idiot doesn't do anything he'll regret."

"You need my help?"

Raven looked over her shoulder, not smiling, but with that challenging gleam in her eyes.

"Aidan's got this weird thing about keeping you out of the spotlight. Maybe he thinks you're too valuable. Or maybe he just likes the mystery. Either way… nah, I've got this."

Exploring more of her power every day, and still free of any trace of Trigon's interference — her father — Raven was a deep well of raw potential. Even she didn't know how far it could go.

Robin gave a quiet laugh.

Raven was already at the door.

Because if the X-Men were going after him… she'd make sure they came back in one piece.

And deeply regret for trying.

... Jean Grey

The low hum of the Blackbird's engines filled the tense silence between them. The jet cut through the sky like a silent arrow, carrying a group that used to work like a team — but now felt more like a forced meeting of clashing ideologies.

Jean sat to the side, hands clasped over her knees, eyes fixed on the wall ahead — but her thoughts were spiraling into a tangled mess. She could feel every thrum of the engine under her feet like a ticking countdown.

"Look, all I'm saying…" Kurt began, throwing his hands up. "We don't even know what really happened. Did anyone actually see him do anything? Is anyone sure it was him?"

Scott answered without hesitation, his voice sharp and irritated.

"The Professor tracked him. Every target hit was tied to anti-mutant networks. And the style? Come on, it screams him. No one else attacks with that kind of arrogance."

Rogue let out a loud scoff, not even trying to hide her disdain.

Hard to believe she used to have a tiny crush on Scott before Aidan showed up…

"You say that like he's some cartoon villain. He destroyed places that existed just to mess with our lives. Or would you rather sit down and have tea with people who hunt mutants?"

Scott fired back, clearly losing patience.

"And blowing everything up fixes it? Does that help our cause or just make us look like dangerous freaks?"

"Maybe that's exactly the problem— we're always trying to look like something else!" Jean snapped, louder than she meant to. Everyone turned toward her. Even Kitty stopped looking at the monitor and raised her eyebrows.

Jean took a deep breath, trying to pull the anger back in. She didn't want to start a fight — but everything inside her was boiling.

"Maybe... Aidan is doing what no one else had the guts to do."

Logan, who'd been leaning against the cabin wall until now, let out a low growl.

"Courage isn't leaving a trail of blood, Red. It's taking the hit and still choosing to do what's right."

"We don't even know if anyone died", Kitty murmured, clearly unsure. "All I've heard is explosions and disappearances. Nothing confirmed."

"Dead or not, the kid's digging deep. Real deep. And once the dust settles, it won't just be the crazies coming for him."

Jean clenched her fists. Every thought echoed in her skull, each voice in the room banging against the inside of her mind. And underneath all of it… one question. One that grew louder every time she looked at the Professor.

Charles Xavier had stayed silent up to that point, but she knew. He could feel the storm inside her, but didn't judge. He just waited. Like always.

But waiting wasn't good enough anymore.

What Aidan did might not have been right… but it wasn't wrong either. Not completely.

Not to her.

"So what are we supposed to do? Arrest him? Fight him? Because he did what no one else would?"

"Because he's out of control!" Scott shouted back, louder than before. "Don't you see, Jean?! If every mutant takes justice into their own hands, we're headed for war!"

"Maybe it's already happening", Jean said, her voice steady. "And we're the only ones who haven't noticed."

Silence hit the cabin like a wave.

And then — a cold, precise voice sliced through it.

Raven, the one Jean had practically begged to join them.

She was sitting cross-legged in the back, arms resting on her knee, eyes locked on the group.

"You're all arguing about the consequences, but ignoring the cause."

Ororo gave her a cautious look.

"You know what happened?"

Raven nodded, posture calm but every word sharp as glass.

"I know enough. The spark that lit all this is the kidnapping of two girls from his school, Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy."

Everyone froze for a second.

Jean wasn't even surprised to hear there were other girls. Honestly, it'd be more shocking if there weren't.

Aidan was probably physically incapable of going thirty minutes without flirting with someone.

The strange thing about this was that she didn't think it was a problem.

"From school?" Kitty asked.

"Yes", Raven confirmed. "They were taken by some group. Used as bait to lure Aidan. And the idiot went, of course he did."

Kurt's eyes went wide. Kitty whispered "what?!" while Bobby cursed under his breath.

"And now he's hunting down everyone involved."

"That doesn't change what he's doing", Scott replied, clearly on edge.

"It absolutely changes it", Jean snapped, locking eyes with him. "It changes everything."

Hank cleared his throat, clearly thinking things through.

"Logically… it's a calculated response. But a dangerous one. If he keeps going—"

"He'll become what we've always fought against", Scott finished.

Jean stared at him, feeling the rift grow deeper between them.

"So what do you suggest? We sit back? Pray? Hope the world just magically changes? Aidan doesn't act like us… but maybe that's because he realized no one's going to protect the people he loves unless he does it himself."

Scott looked like he was about to answer — but Rogue spoke first.

"You know what? We always knew Aidan was different. Now we know why. What he's doing… maybe it's right, maybe it's not. But I'd still trust him with my safety over anyone else's. Because he will fight for me— no matter what people think of him because of it."

The silence that followed was heavy. Uncomfortable. Jean turned back to the window, the radar light blinked steadily.

They were close.

Kitty glanced around nervously.

"What if he doesn't stop? If he decides to hit more targets? Are we gonna stop him?"

Logan exhaled a long breath.

"Maybe that's what we need to figure out right now."

No one answered.

The sky outside grew darker as they neared the location the Professor had marked.

As hard as it was to admit… a part of her agreed with Aidan.

Maybe a part of her always had.

And when she looked at the Professor again… for the first time, she saw something unusual in his expression.

Concern.

"If you're all done ripping each other apart", a cold, sophisticated, perfectly timed voice came from the front of the cabin, "might I suggest saving the philosophical debate for later? We're almost there."

Emma walked calmly to the center of the room, arms crossed.

"If he's in the state we think he is… no heartfelt speech is going to stop him. And if you do plan on stopping him— you'd better be ready to get your hands dirty."

More Chapters