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The rescue efforts continued into the night.
As Clark had noted, Senator Kelly's body was now almost entirely like a jellyfish. Such a form could not sustain intelligence or even the basic functions of a human body.
While many mutants had abilities that changed their physical form, these transformations were always gradual and innate. For example, Beast's mutation was a part of his very being.
The same was true for Rogue; she could absorb life force, but her own life force remained hers.
But Senator Kelly was different. He was a normal person, and his transformation was forced upon him. The rapid, unnatural change meant his body and his new abilities were completely incompatible, making his own power a threat to his life.
Beast and Jean could only keep him alive by directly feeding nutrients to his cells. This was a temporary fix; his genes were still degenerating, and he would eventually turn into a pool of water and die.
"Hello, Senator Kelly," Charles said, maneuvering his wheelchair into the lab. He looked at the senator, who was lying on the operating table, struggling to breathe. "I am Professor Charles..."
"I'm worried," Kelly rasped, "if I go to the hospital... they'll..."
"They'll think you're a mutant, right?" Jean and Beast had already discovered that the cause of his transformation was the sudden appearance of the X-gene in his body.
The saying "walk a mile in their shoes" is often difficult to put into practice, but when it happens, a person's perspective can change instantly. This was the case for Senator Kelly.
When he had stood on Capitol Hill, labeling all mutants as criminals and threats, he never considered the struggle of an ordinary, good-hearted mutant.
Now, with mutant powers himself, he suddenly realized that in the public opinion he had helped create, people like him weren't even allowed to go to a hospital.
He had fled to the New Jersey beach, knowing no one would help him and fearing to go to a hospital. If Jean and Storm hadn't sensed his plight, he would have died there.
"We aren't all enemies. There are good and bad on both sides," Charles explained, sensing that Kelly still couldn't fully trust them. The conflict between humans and mutants ran deep, and Senator Kelly was, after all, a victim of years of stereotypes.
Looking into Charles's eyes, Kelly finally gave a slight nod. "You should say that to the person who did this to me." He still couldn't completely trust the mutants, but at this point, he had no choice.
Charles was silent. He moved his wheelchair behind the senator and gently placed his hands on both sides of Kelly's temples. "Now, please relax. I will not hurt you." Using his psychic powers, Charles entered Kelly's mind and saw everything he had experienced.
On a remote Pacific island, at a Brotherhood of Mutants base, the machine was located where Henry had previously been killed. Mystique, who had been impersonating him, had been kidnapped and brought to the island.
The machine, powered by Magneto's energy, emitted special waves. Senator Kelly's body had changed as a result. "The future belongs to mutants, my brother..." This was the last thing Magneto said to Kelly before leaving for the academy. This machine was designed to force a mutation in ordinary humans, turning them into genetically unstable mutants.
"This..."
The Revelation
In the conference room, with Jean staying behind to care for Senator Kelly, everyone gathered again.
"The radiation from that machine will cause a forced mutation in human beings, turning them into mutants," Charles explained.
Beast added details based on the data they had collected from Kelly. "This change is unnatural. Their bodies are not meant to have the mutant gene, which leads to rejection. However, the mutant gene has a total effect on the human body." He explained that while Cyclops's powers seemed simple, his entire body was built to support that ability. When a human body rejects the mutant gene, it leads to total cellular collapse.
"So, will this radiation affect us, the mutants?" Cyclops asked, his primary concern being the safety of his own kind. While his approach was gentle like Charles, he was still more focused on the mutant community than the human race, a mindset that was at odds with Charles but similar to Magneto.
"No, it won't affect us," Charles answered. "But it will affect every single human on Earth."
"Then why did he kidnap Rogue?" Logan demanded, getting to the heart of the matter. He didn't care about a mutant-human war or either side's politics. His only concern was Rogue's safety.
"I don't know," Charles admitted. "Senator Kelly's memory ends there. Mystique escaped the island. We still don't know Magneto's purpose." Their Cerebro machine was destroyed, leaving them with no way to track him. Logan, frustrated by the endless, fruitless meetings, was ready to leave and look for them on his own.
Then, Clark spoke up. Having shared his mind with Lex Luthor, his analytical skills had been sharpened. He had been quietly connecting the dots.
"Professor, you said that the machine almost killed Magneto when he used it," Clark began. "In fact, the process of turning Senator Kelly into a mutant almost killed him."
"Right," Charles affirmed, "Magneto's goal is the final battle between humans and mutants. As the strongest among us, he would never let himself be seriously injured, let alone killed. That's where Rogue's ability comes in."
A chilling realization dawned on everyone. "He wants to use Rogue to temporarily absorb his power so he can sacrifice himself to start the machine!" they all said in unison.
Clark held up a newspaper from a few days ago. "And today, leaders from almost every country are in New York, planning to hold a joint meeting on mutants tomorrow afternoon. If that radiation is released in New York..."
Clark didn't need to finish the sentence. The answer was clear. The world leaders would all become genetically unstable mutants, and the world would descend into chaos.