Chapter 151 – "The Magician" Roy
When he saw Professor X's expression turn serious, Magneto dropped the teasing.
At that moment Hank came up beside Professor X and adjusted the helmet bristling with cables, cracking a joke of his own.
"You sure I can't shave your head?"
"Try it and I'll use Telepathy to regress you into a three-year-old girl."
Right now the Professor wouldn't trade his hairstyle for anything; even a trim was out of the question.
Hank said no more and returned to the vintage console, firing up the first-generation cerebro.
As the machine hummed to life the room dimmed instantly.
Within seconds the translucent helmet on Professor X's head blazed with light.
The sudden surge of brainwaves made the Professor, hands clasped behind his back, cry out and grip the nearby railing.
At the same time he sensed mind after mind.
Among the hundreds of millions of mental signatures he singled out every Mutant.
Though he'd had his power since childhood, he still wore an expression of disbelief.
With cerebro's amplification his Telepathy now spanned the globe.
The vast range and the countless minds made him feel almost like a god.
The instruments beside the console received his feedback and projected the coordinates of every Mutant he detected.
"It works!" Hank exclaimed, thrilled.
He had tested the device on himself, but lacking Telepathy he couldn't be certain his modified cerebrowould function; now he knew.
At Hank's words an uncontrollable smile spread across Professor X's face.
He had known other Mutants existed, yet their numbers exceeded his expectations.
And they covered every age group.
Newborns, toddlers, schoolchildren, adolescents, working adults, people in their prime... scattered across nations and regions, unconnected, but undeniably forming a true biological species rather than a handful of isolated anomalies.
To build a team quickly, the Professor filtered out Mutants in distant countries and those too far from Washington, dismissing minors and the elderly.
When the psychic sweep ended, Roy and the others briefly conferred and split into two groups.
Professor X paired with Mystique; Roy with Magneto.
Without delay they set off... to an upscale strip club in Washington D.C.
Unlike other clubs, this one featured a circular bar in the center, surrounded by round tables.
Private booths lined the walls.
Inside each booth the sheets, quilts, curtains and pillowcases were all vivid red.
Bar and tabletops were tempered glass.
Beneath the glass glowed white bulbs.
On the bar, the tables, and the stage against the wall, scantily clad dancers gyrated.
Roy and Magneto sat at the central circular bar, eyeing the performer atop it.
Compared with the others she was petite and less voluptuous, her skin more bronze than pale.
Latin-American, by the look of her.
She wore black thigh-high boots and black lingerie that left most of her bronze skin bare.
"Salvador—yes, that's her," Roy murmured after a sip from his glass.
Salvador, stage name Angel.
Magneto said nothing; he slid a hundred-dollar bill between two fingers.
The bill—or perhaps the man holding it—caught Angel's eye at once.
Without hesitation she sauntered over, crouched, and took the note.
"With this C-note you get a private dance," she told Magneto.
In a booth nearby Magneto lay on the bed alone while Roy stood to one side.
He could have joined Magneto on the bed, cinema-style, but preferred not to.
He wasn't Professor X, and he didn't like sharing a bed with another man.
When Roy stepped inside Angel frowned. "You know double occupancy means double fee?"
"No need; we're not here for the show." Roy snapped his fingers.
Scarlet curtains glided shut across the glass door.
Seeing this, Angel's expression turned wary.
"You're frightening her. Champagne?" Magneto asked, levitating an ice bucket.
She didn't know who they were, but their display told her they were her kind.
"Your turn," Angel said calmly, unclasping her bra to awaken the wings inked on her back.
She beat the two pairs of translucent membranous wings at a furious pitch and lifted into the air.
Roy had expected it and showed no surprise.
Magneto, however, flickered with astonishment.
"Interested in a career change—one that keeps your clothes on?" Roy asked.
"Absolutely," Angel replied without hesitation.
...Three days flashed by.
Just like in the film, they returned with only four: Angel, Banshee, Darwin, Raze.
Angel and Banshee came with Roy and Magneto; Darwinand Raze with Professor X and Mystique.
Others—Wolverine, for instance—refused outright.
That evening, Mystique, Hank, Darwin, Raze, Angel, and Banshee gathered in the Base lounge, getting to know one another.
Roy, Professor X, and Magneto followed Agent Pratt and Agent Moira to CIA headquarters in Langley to discuss the plan to travel to Moscow and capture Shaw.
As it turned out, put a bunch of twenty-somethings together and they'll find their own fun.
Mystique and the others stayed quiet for less than ten minutes before they started showing off their powers and inventing secret codenames.
No surprises—except for Hank, everyone got the name they were fated to carry.
Professor X and Magneto were no exception.
As for Roy…
After a serious debate, they settled on a moniker that felt right for the guy with too many powers.
Magician!
For the next hour, hormones ran wild as they tore through the lounge.
Just as they were hitting peak chaos, Roy and the others returned to the Base, finding the lounge trashed and the statue Raze had smashed lying in ruins.
At the sight, Professor X, Magneto, and Agent Moira's faces went storm-dark.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Agent Moira demanded, eyes locked on Mystique's group.
No one answered; they stood like scolded children.
"Who destroyed the statue?"
she pressed.
"Alex did."
Hank blurted.
"No—he's not Alex anymore!"
"Raze! That's his new name!"
Mystique corrected, chin high with pride.
She stepped in front of Roy and the others, pointing: "You're Magician, Charles is Professor X, Eric is Magneto."
Magician?
You guys really know how to pick them.
Roy groaned inwardly.
He'd wondered if they'd hand him something epic.
Instead he got… Magician.
Magneto and Agent Moira exhaled in disappointment and walked off without a word.
"I had high hopes for you. Seems I was wrong."
Professor X added, then left without looking back.
Only when they saw those disappointed faces did Mystique's crew realize how childish they'd been.
Roy had known it would happen, and though he wasn't much older, watching it unfold made them seem downright infantile.
"Were we that bad?"
Mystique asked him.
"What do you think?"
Roy shot back.
"Sorry, we just got carried away…"
Roy cut her off. "We were debating whether to bring you to Moscow for Shaw. Not anymore."
"Clean this mess up before you sleep—you made it."
He shook his head and walked away, leaving them staring after him.
They exchanged glances, then started picking up the wreckage.
Roy didn't head to his room; he went to Professor X's.
"Here to plead their case?"
Professor X asked.
"No. Something else."
Roy met his gaze calmly.
"Which is?"
"We need a new secret Base, for safety."
Roy said slowly.
"Another future flash?"
Professor X's tone turned grave.
"No. This place isn't safe anymore."
"Shaw's telepath has probably sensed we're recruiting Mutants."
"They'll strike first—it's their style."
"And I don't trust CIA intel."
"Even if Shaw is dealing with the Soviet Minister of Defense, he might not show."
Roy didn't like blacks,
but he wouldn't watch Darwin die.
Darwin's potential was too high; alive, he was worth more.
Before leaving this World, Roy wouldn't mind taking blood samples from Mystique and Darwin for Norman and Banner.
Professor X needed only seconds.
"You're right. This place is compromised."
"If Colonel Hendry can work with Shaw, so can other officials."
"The Xavier Family has a manor outside New York. We'll relocate."
"I'll take them there, which means I can't come to Moscow."
he frowned.
"Eric and I are enough."
"My Telepathy outclasses yours; anything you can do, I can do."
Roy reminded him.
Shaw would likely hit the Base the night they left for Moscow—just like in the movie.
Reluctantly, Professor X admitted Roy could replace him.
With a sigh he said, "I'll take Raven and the others to New York. You and Eric handle Moscow."
"Deal."
Roy nodded.
Half an hour later, Professor X led a bewildered Mystiqueand the rest out of the Base.
Only Roy, Magneto, and Agent Moira knew where they'd gone.
Next morning,
on the Base lawn,
Roy opened a shimmering Portal Spell to Moscow under Magneto and Agent Moira's watch.
Once the golden gate stood stable, their jaws dropped.
"Let's move."
Roy stepped through first, landing outside Moscow.
Seeing him safe, Magneto and Agent Moira followed.
The moment they arrived, Roy dismissed the portal. "Hope your CIA people value punctuality."
"They'll be on time."
Agent Moira assured him.
Minutes later a nondescript van rolled into view.
"They're here!"
Moira said.
Chapter 152: Capturing the White Queen
Although Agent Moira had just confidently told Roy that the CIA Agents would definitely be on time, she didn't dare guarantee with 100% certainty that the contact Agent would arrive punctually before seeing the truck.
After all, this wasn't America, but the outskirts of Moscow.
The place they were heading to next was a resort belonging to the Soviet Union Military.
According to intelligence, the Soviet Union Minister of Defense, Alexander Nyak, was currently inside a villa within the resort.
Soon, the truck arrived in front of Roy and the others.
The driver was a CIA Agent undercover in Moscow.
In the back of the truck, six fully armed soldiers were seated.
The seven of them, plus Roy's group of three, made up the entire personnel for this capture operation.
After a brief communication with the CIA Agent driving, Roy and the others boarded the truck.
Roy and Magneto went to the back of the truck, while Agent Moira sat in the passenger seat.
The truck started up again, driving along the muddy dirt road toward the Military resort ahead.
After driving for over ten minutes, Agent Moira, sitting in the passenger seat, opened the wooden partition to the driver's area, turned her head, and said to Roy and Magneto, "We have trouble?"
"What happened?"
Magneto immediately asked.
"There's a temporary checkpoint ahead that wasn't marked on the map."
Agent Moira quickly replied.
"Leave it to me."
Looking at the temporary checkpoint ahead, Roy replied with a calm face.
After speaking, he closed the window partition and said to Magneto and the others, "I will use my superpowers in a moment to make us invisible to them. Just stay quiet."
As soon as he finished speaking, the six fully armed soldiers showed puzzled expressions.
They weren't clear about the identities of Roy's group; they only knew they were sent by CIA headquarters.
"Are you sure there's no problem?"
Magneto asked Roy.
"Of course, this is even simpler than reading memories."
Roy replied.
Magneto said nothing more.
Soon, the truck was pulled over.
"Where are you going?"
A Soviet Union soldier asked the CIA Agent driving.
"Back to the farm."
The CIA Agent replied naturally.
"Open the back of the truck."
The Soviet Union soldier continued.
"Alright."
The CIA Agent driving calmly got out of the vehicle and walked to the back of the truck.
Although he looked calm now, he was already prepared to take action and subdue the Soviet Union soldiers at any moment.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the cargo doors.
Then, he and the Soviet Union soldier saw a completely empty cargo hold.
"What's in the back?"
Other Soviet Union soldiers at the checkpoint asked.
"Nothing, it's empty!"
After saying that, the Soviet Union soldier walked back toward the checkpoint without any hesitation.
The CIA Agent driving breathed a sigh of relief and closed the cargo doors.
After passing the checkpoint, Roy and the others proceeded unimpeded to the forest near Soviet UnionMinister of Defense Alexander Nyak's vacation villa.
They lay on the grass, watching the distant villa in silence.
Except for Roy, Magneto, Agent Moira, and the CIAAgent driving each had a pair of binoculars, intently observing the situation at the villa.
He had the Raptor Vision granted by the angel card, so he could see everything clearly without needing binoculars.
The villa was surrounded by fully armed Soviet Unionsoldiers, and all entrances and exits were strictly guarded.
Before long, the roar of a helicopter came from the sky.
Under Roy's watchful eyes, the helicopter landed on the lawn in front of the villa.
Once the helicopter came to a steady stop, the White Queen, with long golden wavy hair and dressed entirely in white, stepped out and walked toward the main building of the villa.
"Why didn't Shaw come?"
Seeing that only the White Queen had arrived, Magnetoimmediately looked at Roy.
"Don't ask me, I don't know why Shaw didn't come either."
"She is also a telepath, so I can't invade her brain."
Roy said slowly.
After encountering that temporary checkpoint on the road, he had guessed that Shaw wouldn't come.
Clearly, because he hadn't done too much, the timeline of this World was following its original trajectory.
Before the White Queen reached the main building, Minister of Defense Alexander Nyak walked out of the villa and stood at the door to welcome her.
"I can use Telepathy on the soldier at the door and use him to eavesdrop on the conversation."
After saying that, Roy began to perform Telepathy.
Soon, the White Queen reached Alexander Nyak, gave him a social kiss, and said, "Shaw asked me to apologize to you. He is unwell and couldn't come in person, so he sent me to meet you on his behalf."
"Believe me, meeting with me is much more interesting."
Alexander Nyak nodded and said to the White Queen, "Welcome."
He then placed his hand on the White Queen's back and led her into the villa.
"Shaw isn't coming."
Roy released the Telepathy and spoke.
"Mission canceled!"
"Our target is Shaw, not the woman by his side."
Agent Moira said quickly.
As soon as she finished, Magneto's voice rang out.
"Why cancel?"
"That woman is Shaw's right hand. Capturing her will also yield intelligence on Shaw."
Although the White Queen wasn't his target for revenge, he didn't mind switching the capture target from Shaw to her.
As long as they captured the White Queen, they could figure out Shaw's plans from her.
"The CIA invading the villa of the Soviet Union Minister of Defense—do you know what that means?"
Agent Moira said quickly.
"I am not a CIA Agent."
Without waiting for Agent Moira to reply, Magneto stood up, preparing to infiltrate the villa in his own way.
"No need for such trouble, I can take you in."
Roy said to Magneto.
"Using the Portal Spell you opened before?" Magnetostopped in his tracks.
"No, I have another way to take you in."
Roy stood up, walked to Magneto, and grabbed his shoulder.
Teleportation!
In the next second, he and Magneto vanished from the sight of Agent Moira and the other Agent.
Seeing this, Agent Moira sighed helplessly.
Inside a bedroom of the villa.
"To your health!"
Alexander Nyak raised his glass and clinked it with the White Queen's.
Then, he downed the vodka in his glass.
The White Queen took a gentle sip and said to Alexander Nyak, "You must be busy with the next step of the plan."
"I want to know, if America refuses to withdraw the missiles deployed in Turkey, how does the Soviet Unionplan to counter America?"
"Will you also deploy missiles in Cuba, or do you have an even more aggressive plan?"
Hearing the White Queen's words, Alexander Nyak set down his glass and said to her, "Miss Frost, what you are asking now is a top secret of the Soviet Union Military. You should know I cannot reveal it to you."
"Emma! You can just call me Emma!"
"Don't worry, you don't have to say anything. You won't be leaking any Military secrets."
After saying that, the White Queen stood up, unbuckled the belt of her white coat, and under Alexander Nyak's gaze, slowly pulled down the coat's zipper.
Soon, she had pulled the zipper all the way to the bottom.
Just as she was about to take off the coat and reveal the white lingerie underneath, Roy used Teleportation to bring Magneto into the bedroom.
Without any suspense, Alexander Nyak and the White Queen's eyes immediately fell upon them.
"Who are you people?"
Alexander Nyak looked at Roy and Magneto with a wary expression, immediately reaching for his holster to pull out his pistol.
He had just gripped the handle of the pistol and hadn't even pulled it out when Roy's voice rang out.
"Sleep!"
The wary expression on Alexander Nyak's face instantly vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable fatigue.
After holding out for less than a second, he fell into a deep sleep in his chair.
After putting Alexander Nyak to sleep, Roy's gaze fell on the White Queen, and he said unhurriedly, "It seems we arrived a bit early. If we had come a few seconds later, we could have enjoyed Miss Frost's lingerie show."
As soon as he finished speaking, the White Queen used her superpower, transforming into her diamond form. She looked at Roy with a confident face and said slowly, "You must be one of the two telepaths from Miami, right?"
"Don't waste your energy; your Telepathy is useless against me now."
Roy looked the White Queen over first, then said, "The term 'Ice Queen' shouldn't be unfamiliar to you, Miss Frost, right?"
For some reason, hearing Roy's words, a bad premonition immediately arose in the White Queen's heart.
Her intuition was very accurate!
Under her gaze, Roy raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
Freeze!
Along with the sound of the snap, the White Queen was instantly enveloped in a low temperature of minus two hundred degrees.
Without any suspense, the White Queen was frozen inside a massive block of ice over two meters high before she could do anything.
"Just how many superpowers do you have?"
Seeing Roy completely Freeze the White Queen so effortlessly, Magneto said with a frown.
"Take a guess?"
Roy replied.
Magneto gave him a displeased look and continued, "You didn't kill her, did you?"
"Of course not. I'm a gentleman; I don't like destroying a beautiful flower."
As Roy spoke, he walked up to the White Queen and began to admire her in her frozen state.
Because the White Queen had transformed into her diamond form, she looked much better frozen than Roy's previous targets.
Both ice and diamond have the effect of refracting light.
The light entering the ice was refracted by the diamond, giving the White Queen an incredibly magnificent appearance.
While freezing the White Queen, he had specifically controlled the shape and facets of the ice, making the massive block look like it had been perfectly cut.
After admiring his work with satisfaction, Roy said to Magneto, "We've got her. Let's go."
Magneto didn't speak and walked straight to him.
Roy pressed his left hand against the massive block of ice and grabbed Magneto's shoulder with his right hand.
Teleportation!
In the next second, they disappeared completely, as if they had never been there.
In the forest outside the villa.
Agent Moira and the CIA Agent beside her were lying on the grass, carefully observing the villa's main building with binoculars.
Just then, Roy appeared behind them with Magneto and the massive block of ice.
"No need to look anymore; we've caught her."
Roy said to them.
Agent Moira and the other Agent were startled and immediately turned to look at him.
Then, they saw the massive block of ice with perfectly cut facets, like a gemstone, freezing the White Queen inside.
This is... Roy didn't explain much to them. He took out the suspension ring from his system space and began to cast the Portal Spell magic.
Although this wasn't the Marvel Cinematic Universe and ancient gods like the Vishanti and Gaia didn't exist here, it didn't affect his ability to cast Kamar-Taj magic at all.
Before learning Kamar-Taj magic, he had decided to forge a different path for a mage than the Ancient One and the others.
After studying seriously at Kamar-Taj for over half a month, he found a method very suitable for himself.
Instead of borrowing energy from beings like the Vishantiand the Earth Mother to cast magic, it was better to convert the energy within himself into magic power.
After tinkering for more than a week, he successfully found a way to convert Magnetic Field Rotation Powerinto magic power.
Although the consumption for conversion was somewhat high, it was enough for him to cast some commonly used magic.
Soon, the shimmering golden Portal Spell took shape.
Roy didn't set the exit of the Portal Spell at the secret Base in Washington D.C., but rather at the Xavier Family Manor in the outskirts of New York.
Regardless of whether Black King Shaw would lead Red Devil and Riptide to invade the secret Base in Washington D.C. tonight, he didn't plan to return there.
Once the Portal Spell was formed, Roy lifted the massive two-meter-high block of ice and walked through first.
Magneto and Agent Moira followed closely behind him through the Portal Spell.
As for the CIA Agent who was driving.
He was an Agent undercover in Moscow to begin with and didn't need to return to America.
After arriving at the Xavier Family Manor, Roy closed the Portal Spell behind him and used Teleportation to take the massive block of ice to the fallout shelter beneath the main building.
After placing the massive block of ice, he used Teleportation to return to Agent Moira and Magneto.
"Where did you just go?"
Magneto immediately asked.
"The fallout shelter underground."
"I know you both want to interrogate her immediately, but I was the one who captured her."
"In other words, she is now my prisoner."
"I will interrogate her personally, and I will share whatever intelligence I get from the interrogation with you."
Roy said to Agent Moira and Magneto.
"No problem, as long as we can get intelligence on Shaw, anyone can interrogate her."
Magneto immediately replied.
Agent Moira thought seriously for a few seconds and then nodded helplessly.
After spending this time together, she could already confirm that Roy, who seemed easy to get along with on the surface, was actually much harder to deal with than Professor X and Magneto.
As long as it was something he decided, he would definitely do it, and no one could persuade him otherwise.
Additionally, she discovered that Roy had an underlying hostility toward the American Government.
Take the first time he met CIA Director McCone, for example.
Although he didn't directly harm McCone, his actions at the time were a blatant threat to McCone.
If McCone had dared to say no or show hostility, then the next thing to be blown apart by the optic blast wouldn't have been the glass of water on the table.
Roy said nothing more and walked toward the main building.
As soon as they entered the main building, Professor Xcame up to them.
"Did you catch Shaw?"
Without any hesitation, Professor X immediately asked...
Chapter 153: Subconscious Imprint
"Shaw didn't come. We only caught the woman by his side who can use Telepathy and turn into diamond."
"To be precise, Roy caught her."
"I didn't do anything."
Magneto sighed helplessly and spoke slowly.
"Then where is she now? Did you hand her over to the CIA?"
Professor X looked at Roy and continued to ask.
"No, I put her in the air-raid shelter under the main building."
Roy replied.
Put?
Hearing Roy use the strange word "put," Professor Xfrowned slightly.
After a few seconds, he looked at Roy doubtfully and said slowly, "How did you know there was an air-raid shelter under the main building?"
"You seem to have forgotten that I have many different superpowers."
Roy said with a casual face.
He wouldn't tell Professor X that he knew about the air-raid shelter because he had seen the movie.
"Alright!"
"Then what do you plan to do next? Torture her?"
Professor X looked at Roy seriously.
Although the White Queen was an enemy, he didn't want Roy and the CIA to torture her.
This wasn't because the White Queen was a Mutant, but because he didn't like the practice of torture.
In his view, torture was a very inhumane act.
Even if they wanted to get information about Shaw from the White Queen, there was no need to use torture.
"I'm not a pervert who likes to torture people."
"Don't worry, I won't torture her. I will persuade her."
Roy said slowly.
From the beginning, he had never thought about torturing the White Queen.
Professor X didn't ask any more questions about the White Queen. He briefly introduced the manor to Roy and the others and arranged rooms for them to stay in.
Noon.
After finishing lunch in the dining room, Roy, Professor X, and the others arrived at the door of the air-raid shelter unhurriedly.
Professor X and Hank opened the heavy and sturdy metal door of the air-raid shelter.
As the door opened, the lights inside the air-raid shelter lit up.
Seeing the White Queen placed in the middle of the air-raid shelter, wrapped in a gem-like giant block of ice, Professor X, Mystique, and Hank all showed surprised expressions.
During lunch, they knew that Roy had frozen the White Queen.
But they didn't expect that Roy had frozen her in this way.
The White Queen, wrapped in the gem-like giant ice block, was like an insect trapped in amber, appearing like an exquisite piece of art.
"She has been frozen for several hours. Will there be any problems?"
Mystique asked Roy.
"No!"
"She was frozen in an instant by a low temperature of minus two hundred degrees."
"Let alone just a few hours, even if she's left for several years, she won't have any problems."
"As for the specific principle, ask Hank. He should know what ultra-low temperature freezing is."
After speaking, Roy turned his head and glanced at Hank.
Although Hank had no prior romantic experience, he knew Roy was creating an opportunity for him to show off in front of Mystique, and he nodded at him with gratitude.
Just as Mystique was about to say something more, Roycontinued, "Alright, you guys can go out. I'll handle the rest."
"Okay, then I'll leave it to you."
Professor X replied immediately.
Then, he led Mystique, who was somewhat reluctant to leave, out of the air-raid shelter.
Once they all went out and closed the door of the air-raid shelter again, Roy used his Freeze superpower.
Under his control, the giant ice block that had frozen the White Queen instantly turned into a cloud of white mist and dissipated.
As the frozen state was released, the White Queen's consciousness also returned.
Where is this?
Seeing that she was currently in a completely unfamiliar underground air-raid shelter, the White Queenimmediately became extremely vigilant and looked at Roywith a hostile expression.
After being frozen, she had lost all consciousness.
She didn't know where this was, nor did she know how long she had been frozen.
Roy didn't care about the White Queen's hostile gaze and spoke slowly, "If I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead long ago."
"It's been four hours since you were frozen."
"If you don't want your flawless diamond body to crack and stop being perfect, I suggest you release your diamond form yourself."
The White Queen didn't immediately release her diamond form.
After thinking for more than ten seconds, she released her diamond form and returned to flesh and blood.
"Who on earth are you?"
The White Queen asked Roy.
"My name is Roy. Like you, I am a Mutant."
After speaking, Roy raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
In the next second, a set of ice-sculpted table and chairs appeared in front of them.
He pulled out a chair nearby and sat down first, saying slowly, "Would you like something to drink?"
"No need!"
The White Queen glanced at the frozen table and chairs that appeared out of thin air, sat down, and replied quickly.
Roy shrugged and took out a bottle of 30-plus-year-old whiskey and two glasses from his system space.
After pouring the wine, he placed one of the glasses in front of the White Queen.
"Better have a drink. If we just talk without drinking, the atmosphere will feel a bit strange."
Roy took a small sip from his glass and said to the White Queen.
The White Queen didn't answer him, nor did she pick up the glass in front of her. Her gaze fell on the whiskey bottle.
Although Roy had placed the whiskey bottle in the middle of the table, she could still clearly see the year on the label.
1984?
This bottle of whiskey was produced in 1984?
It must be a misprint; it should be 1954!
The White Queen looked at the year on the label with surprise.
No need to use Telepathy; just by looking at her expression, Roy could guess what she was thinking.
"The year on the label isn't a misprint. This bottle of whiskey was indeed produced in 1984."
Roy said calmly.
"Do you take me for a three-year-old child?"
The White Queen looked at Roy with disdain.
"Of course you're not a three-year-old child. A three-year-old child isn't as sexy as you, nor do they have such a good figure."
Roy pointed at the white coat the White Queen was wearing.
Because the zipper was undone, the white lingerie the White Queen was wearing underneath was partially exposed, giving a kind of alternative half-hidden temptation.
Hearing his words, the White Queen realized she hadn't zipped up.
Although her charms were widely exposed, she still didn't zip back up and said in a charming and seductive tone, "If you want to see, I can show you more."
As a woman, and a beautiful one at that, she knew very well how attractive her body was to men.
"There's no need to seduce me, at least not for now."
"Let's talk business."
"I know why Shaw is fanning the flames in secret. He wants America and the Soviet Union to start World War III, turning the World into a post-nuclear war apocalypse..."
At this point, Roy recalled in his mind and then continued, "We are the children of the atom. Radiation created Mutants."
"Radiation can kill humans, but it can make Mutants even more powerful!"
"If I remember correctly, this should be the reason he told you all, right?"
Hearing his words, the White Queen frowned slightly. "When did you read my memory? Why didn't I notice at all?"
At this time, she had already released her diamond form, so her first reaction was that Roy had read her memory without her noticing.
"I didn't read your memory."
"You are also a telepath. If I invaded your brain, you would notice immediately."
"I know these things because, like the whiskey on the table, I come from the future."
"To be precise, from the future of a parallel Universe."
Roy said unhurriedly.
He hadn't told Professor X and the others that he came from the future of a parallel Universe because he had never thought about taking Professor X and Magnetoaway from this Universe.
As for the White Queen.
He planned to treat the White Queen as an extra reward for this Multiverse Instance and take her back to the Marvel Universe he was in.
The White Queen smiled and shook her head, saying, "If you went into acting, you would be a good actor."
"Although your acting is very realistic, you're looking down on me too much. I'm not that naive."
Just as the White Queen finished speaking, Roy took out a tablet computer from his system space and pointed the camera at her.
The White Queen didn't know what he was going to do and looked at him vigilantly.
After filming a video, Roy handed it to the White Queen.
"This thing is called a tablet computer. It's a common personal computer in the future."
"I just filmed a video for you. You can take a look."
"Also, you are very photogenic."
The White Queen reached out her right hand and took the tablet Roy handed over.
After seeing the video playing on the screen, her expression became strange.
As early as 1935, color movies had come out.
But the movie quality at this time was far inferior to that of the 21st century.
After a silence of more than a minute, having watched the video Roy casually filmed several times, the White Queenlooked at him in disbelief and said, "Do you really come from the future of a parallel Universe?"
"Yes!"
"Not only that, after the matters here are over, I also plan to take you with me when I leave, to let you see what the 21st century really looks like."
Roy looked at the White Queen calmly.
"You want to take me with you?"
The White Queen asked in surprise.
"It's rare to visit this Universe. It would be too lonely to go back alone."
"Of course, if you are unwilling, I won't force you."
"If you're unwilling, I will erase these memories of yours later."
Roy replied.
He was a man of principle.
Although he wanted to take the White Queen back as an extra reward, after all, the White Queen was a living person.
If the White Queen was unwilling, even if he forcibly took her back, it wouldn't be very meaningful.
"Why do you want to take me back?"
The White Queen continued to ask.
"Because you are very beautiful, and I just happen to be a healthy man with normal aesthetics."
"By the way, I should tell you that what Shaw told you about radiation making Mutants powerful is a lie."
"Mutants do have genes that differ from ordinary people, but the birth and superpowers of Mutants have nothing to do with gene mutations caused by nuclear radiation."
"In addition, except for a small number of Mutants, like Shaw who can absorb energy, the vast majority of Mutants cannot withstand nuclear radiation."
"In other words, even if Shaw's plan succeeds, the number of Mutants will not explode."
"Not only that, many Mutants will die because they cannot withstand nuclear radiation."
"For example, you, Red Devil, Riptide, Charles, Eric, Raven, and others will all die because you cannot adapt to nuclear radiation."
"Once a nuclear war starts, for ordinary people and the vast majority of Mutants, it will be an absolute apocalypse."
Compared to the average person, Black King Shaw was indeed quite knowledgeable.
But he didn't know the real reason for the birth of Mutants at all; he simply attributed the birth of Mutants to gene mutation.
The White Queen fell silent again.
After thinking seriously for a while, she said to Roy, "Although you don't look very old, your looks also quite suit my taste."
"If you really come from the future of another Universe, I don't mind leaving this World with you."
After speaking, the White Queen handed the tablet back to Roy.
Roy put the tablet back into the system space and continued, "Apart from you, I haven't told anyone else about my true origins..."
"I'm not a child. I know what should be said and what shouldn't."
Before he could finish, the White Queen said quickly.
"As long as you know!"
"However, just to be safe, you shouldn't mind if I leave a Subconscious Imprint on you, right?"
Roy continued.
Subconscious Imprint?
Although she didn't know what the Subconscious ImprintRoy mentioned was, the White Queen didn't hesitate at all and immediately said, "Caution is a good habit. I can understand. Come on!"
Roy said nothing more and decisively used Telepathy.
The White Queen didn't resist or block Roy's invasion of her consciousness and actively opened her mental shield.
With her cooperation, Roy easily invaded her consciousness and left an imprint in her subconscious.
After checking the Subconscious Imprint and confirming there were no problems, Roy stopped using Telepathyand said to the White Queen, "When they ask you later, just say you were persuaded by me and told me everything about Shaw's plan. As for the rest, just play it by ear."
"Don't worry, I know what to do."
The White Queen nodded and replied quickly.
"Alright, zip up. It's time to go out."
Roy pointed to the White Queen's open coat.
"I'm not afraid, so what are you afraid of?"
The White Queen said with a smile.
"It's not about being afraid; it's a matter of politeness."
"Wearing a bikini on the beach or a yacht is normal behavior."
"Walking around on the street in a bikini is called being a pervert."
Roy corrected the White Queen.
As soon as he finished speaking, the White Queen gave him a roll of her eyes and said quickly, "You make it sound so nice, but in the end, you just don't want me to dress too revealingly in front of other men."
After speaking, she stood up and zipped her coat back up.
The White Queen was right; Roy indeed didn't want her to dress too revealingly in front of other men.
Although he hadn't had any deep interactions with the White Queen yet, after she agreed to leave this Universewith him, he had already defaulted to her being his woman.
After zipping up, the White Queen went straight to Roy, took his right arm, and pressed her whole body against him.
Roy said nothing and put the whiskey and glasses on the table back into the system space.
Then, he used his Freeze superpower to dispel the ice-sculpted table and chairs
Chapter 154: Training
Outside the air-raid shelter.
Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Hank, and Agent Moirastood at the entrance, chatting idly.
Although they didn't know when Roy would come out, none of them intended to return to the main building to wait.
Hank was explaining the principles of ultra-low temperature freezing to Mystique.
Professor X and Agent Moira were discussing the CIA's next moves.
As for Magneto.
He stood off to the side without saying a word.
From beginning to end, his goal was to avenge his mother.
Everything else was secondary.
Time passed bit by bit.
Before long, the doors to the air-raid shelter were opened from the inside.
This is... Seeing White Queen affectionately holding Roy's right arm, Professor X and the others all showed surprised expressions.
Before they could speak, Roy took the lead and said, "Emma has told me everything about Shaw's plan."
"Shaw's goal is to provoke World War III; he wants to turn the World into a post-nuclear war apocalypse."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mystique frowned and asked, "Why would he do that? What benefit does it have for him?"
Although it was Mystique asking the question, Professor X and the others shared the same confusion.
If Black King Shaw's goal was to rule the World, they could understand it to some extent.
But the problem now was that Black King Shaw's goal was a post-nuclear apocalyptic World.
"According to his vision, more Mutants will be born in the post-nuclear apocalypse, and nuclear radiation can also make Mutants even more powerful."
"In other words, he wants Mutants to become the masters of Earth, while he becomes the king of all Mutants."
Roy said calmly.
"Can nuclear radiation really make Mutants stronger?"
Mystique continued to ask.
"No!"
"Except for a very small number of Mutants who can absorb nuclear radiation, the vast majority of Mutants have the same resistance to nuclear radiation as ordinary people."
"Colonel Hendry supports deploying missiles in Turkeybecause Shaw promised to give him a large sum of money."
"Before we went to Miami, Colonel Hendry went to the yacht to ask Shaw for the money."
"As for the result, you already know without me saying it."
"Next, he will persuade the Soviet Minister of Defense, Alexander Nyak, to deploy missiles in Cuba."
Upon hearing that the Soviet Union planned to deploy missiles in Cuba, Agent Moira's expression immediately became extremely grim.
As a CIA Agent, she was much more aware of America's style than Professor X and Magneto.
"Where is Shaw now?"
Professor X asked with a frown.
"Not sure!"
"The Red Devil by his side possesses the ability of teleportation and can easily cross 3,000 miles in 10 minutes. He could be anywhere right now."
"By the way, the submarine he used to escape in Miami is no ordinary submarine; it has a nuclear reaction chamber inside."
"Additionally, the Soviets gave him a helmet that blocks Telepathy, so there's no way to find him using Telepathyeither."
Roy looked at Professor X and the others calmly, speaking unhurriedly.
After thinking for a few seconds, Professor X said to Agent Moira, "Tell the CIA about these circumstances first."
Although it was impossible for the CIA to find Black King Shaw immediately, telling them Shaw's plan would at least allow the CIA to inform the Military and The White House in advance.
"Alright!"
Agent Moira replied immediately without any hesitation.
After saying that, she walked toward the main building.
When Agent Moira left, Magneto, who had been silent, pointed at White Queen and asked Roy, "How do you plan to handle her? Hand her over to the CIA?"
"Of course not!"
"Emma is one of our kind, and she has been persuaded by me. She's decided to turn over a new leaf and help us deal with Shaw."
"By the way, Red Devil and Riptide by Shaw's side are both battle-hardened warriors."
"Furthermore, we might have to deal with more than just Shaw and his group when the time comes, so we also need an army."
"Before the Soviet Union ships missiles to Cuba, I think it's necessary to train Raven, Hank, and the others into real warriors."
Roy's gaze fell upon Mystique and Hank.
Neither Magneto nor Professor X saw any problem with his suggestion.
The reason they had recruited Angel and Banshee in the first place was to form a Mutant team.
Professor X first turned his head to look at Magneto, then said to Roy, "I will find a way to let Raven, Hank, and the others bring out their full potential."
Roy nodded and said nothing more.
In the drawing room of the main building.
Professor X had Mystique bring Angel, Banshee, Darwin, and Raze over.
He first told them about Shaw's plan, then said to them with a serious expression, "Next, we will conduct some training for you to help you learn how to use your superpowers better."
"The specific training plan will be told to you when the time comes. Prepare yourselves mentally in advance."
Hearing his words, Angel, Banshee, and the others immediately nodded.
Although they hadn't seen Shaw's trio, they knew that Shaw and his group must be very difficult to deal with.
The fact that they were recruited was the best evidence... Early the next morning.
In a bedroom on the second floor.
Magneto, wearing a gray tracksuit, stood outside the door and knocked gently.
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound of knocking immediately rang out.
After a while, Roy opened the door a crack. Standing behind the door, he looked at Magneto with an annoyed expression and said, "You'd better have a good reason for waking me up so early."
"Otherwise, I'll throw you directly into outer space."
Magneto didn't care about Roy's warning and said quickly, "Charles has already started training Angel, Banshee, and the others."
"And?"
Roy said with a frown.
"I want you to train me!"
Magneto continued.
"Go find Charles. He knows how to bring out your potential."
Although teaching Magneto to develop his superpowers was quite interesting, Roy wasn't in the mood for it right now.
"I think your method would suit me better."
"I really need your help."
Magneto looked at Roy with a serious expression.
Seeing the serious expression on Magneto's face, Roysighed helplessly.
"Go wait for me on the lawn outside. I'll head over after I've washed up."
After saying that, Roy closed the door before Magnetocould respond.
Magneto didn't hesitate and immediately turned to head for the lawn behind the main building.
Inside the bedroom.
"What did Eric want with you?"
White Queen was lying on her side in bed, her porcelain-white shoulders exposed, as she asked Roy.
"He wants me to train him in his superpowers."
Roy came to the bedside, picked up his clothes scattered on the floor, and quickly got dressed.
"He indeed needs to develop his superpowers properly."
"Shaw told me before that Eric still has a lot of untapped potential."
"If he can fully develop his potential, he could become the strongest Mutant."
White Queen said slowly.
"Go back to sleep."
Roy said to White Queen.
"Mhm."
White Queen nodded and said nothing more.
After getting dressed, Roy went to the bathroom and started washing up.
A few minutes later.
He used teleportation to arrive at the lawn behind the main building, appearing instantly beside Magneto like a phantom.
Seeing him arrive, Magneto immediately pulled out a pistol tucked behind him and aimed the muzzle at Roy's head.
Without any hesitation, he decisively pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The loud gunshot instantly broke the tranquility of the manor!
The rapidly flying bullet head stopped in front of Roy, spinning quickly.
Although Magneto's movements were fast, they weren't so fast that Roy couldn't react.
At the same time Magneto pulled the trigger, he used his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
Under Magneto's gaze, Roy grabbed the bullet head that had stopped spinning and said to him, "Want to test if I can stop a bullet instantly?"
"I never doubted that you could stop a bullet. I just wanted to know how your method of stopping a bullet differs from mine."
Magneto said calmly.
"There's no difference; it's all about manipulation after perception."
"Let's not waste everyone's time. I know what you really want to learn is how to manipulate huge targets like a submarine."
"Watch closely, I'll only demonstrate once."
After speaking, Roy turned to look at the giant radar in the distance, calmly raised his right hand, and hooked his finger at the massive radar.
Under Magneto's gaze, the giant radar changed its orientation at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning from facing north to facing them.
Having done this, Roy lowered his right hand and said to Magneto, "Do you understand?"
"No!"
Magneto very decisively admitted that he didn't understand.
Roy sighed and continued, "When you use your superpower, you're accustomed to driving it with painful emotions like hatred and anger."
"This might be related to the pain you experienced the first time you used your superpower, but you don't need to do that."
"Your superpower is innate. Whether you're happy, sad, or angry, it won't affect the superpower itself."
"To give a simple example, the Magnetism Manipulation Superpower is your hands."
"When using your hands, even if you have no emotion at all, it won't affect your use of them."
"Once you truly grasp this point, you'll find that manipulating magnetic fields only requires a thought."
"For example, like this."
Roy didn't look at the giant radar, nor did he raise his hands; he once again used his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
The giant radar facing them rotated again, returning to its original orientation.
"See? I don't need extra movements, or even to see the target with my own eyes, to move the target according to my thoughts."
"That's all for today. Practice slowly."
Roy patted Magneto's shoulder, then used teleportation to leave the lawn and arrive at the dining room of the main building.
In the movie, Professor X found the balance point between serenity and rage by having Magneto recall happy memories, allowing Magneto to further master his superpowers.
Although he could also teach Magneto in the same way, after thinking about it, he still chose to use his own way instead of Professor X's.
After arriving at the dining room, Roy saw Mystique, Angel, Banshee, Raze, and Darwin, the five of them, eating breakfast.
"Why haven't you gone to train?"
Roy asked them.
"Charles is currently training Hank; it's not our turn yet."
Angel replied immediately.
"Alright, what's for breakfast today?"
Roy continued to ask.
"Bacon and eggs, sandwiches, toast, grilled sausages, cereal."
"If none of these are to your taste, I can also make waffles and pancakes."
Mystique glanced at Roy and said slowly.
"No need for waffles and pancakes. Is there coffee? Give me a cup of coffee."
Roy replied.
Mystique nodded and walked toward the coffee machine on the counter, pouring him a cup of coffee.
"Need sugar?"
"No, just milk is fine."
After adding a small cup of fresh milk to the coffee cup, Mystique returned to the dining table with the coffee and handed it to Roy.
"Thanks!"
Roy said to Mystique.
"You're welcome."
Mystique replied quickly.
"Will you train us too?"
Raze thought for a few seconds and suddenly asked.
"Why the sudden question?"
Roy turned his head to look at Raze.
"Because Raven told me before that you can fire energy beams from your eyes."
Raze replied quickly.
After sizing Raze up for a bit, Roy said, "If you want me to teach you, that's fine too."
"However, my teaching method isn't as gentle as Charles's."
In the X-Men film Universe, Raze is Cyclops's older brother.
Looking at the timeline, Cyclops should be in kindergarten right now.
"I'm not afraid of pain!"
Raze replied quickly.
"Alright, then I'll talk to Charles later. You'll practice your superpowers with me from now on."
Roy said slowly.
Raze nodded with a grateful expression.
Soon, they finished breakfast.
Just as they were about to leave the dining room, Professor X arrived with Hank, who was no longer deliberately suppressing his animalistic nature.
Seeing Hank barefoot and naturally displaying his unusual feet, Roy and the others knew that Professor Xhad already finished counseling Hank, making him accept his true self.
Roy didn't waste time and told Professor X about Raze's intention to train with him.
Professor X, of course, wouldn't object.
In fact, he also hoped Roy could personally teach Raze.
Having seen Raze's superpower, he had already thought about having Roy teach him.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Professor X said to Roy.
"It's no trouble."
After saying that, Roy reached out his right hand, grabbed Raze's shoulder, and said to him, "Breakfast is over; it's time to take you for some post-meal exercise."
As soon as he finished speaking, he and Raze vanished from Professor X and the others' sight.
After teleporting consecutively several times, Roy brought Raze to a forest more than ten kilometers away from the manor.
"Release your superpower and show me."
"Except for me and you, there's no one else here. You don't have to worry about accidentally hurting anyone."
Chapter 155 – A CIA Probe
Raze didn't unleash his power right away; instead, he frowned at Roy.
He knew Roy could teleport, but knowing and experiencing it were two different things.
Teleportation really is a handy ability!
With that mental sigh, Raze glanced around, then said to Roy, "You're just going to stand there and watch?"
"Of course!"
Roy replied.
"Aren't you afraid I'll hit you by accident?"
Raze pressed.
"Don't underestimate me. Even at full power, you couldn't hurt me."
Roy answered casually.
He meant it.
No matter how Raze released his energy, he couldn't harm him.
A quick use of Shadowcat's phasing let him ignore whatever Raze threw out.
"Fine. Just don't blame me if you get hurt."
With that, Raze began to swivel his hips like he was working a hula-hoop.
Crimson energy rings appeared around his body.
A few seconds later, he fired them off—wildly.
More accurately, he launched them with no aim at all.
Shhhhk! The rings sliced through the trees like blades, carving a ragged clearing in the forest.
When the last ring vanished, Raze stared at Roy, completely unharmed.
He couldn't control the rings, yet he'd seen one pass straight through Roy's body.
"How are you okay?"
he demanded.
"I have an ability called phasing. It lets me ignore most physical and energy attacks,"
Roy said calmly.
Phasing?
What kind of power was that?
Before Raze could ask more, Roy added, "Your ability's fine—you just haven't learned to control it."
In the original movie, Hank Pym built Raze a suit that absorbed excess energy so he could fire from his chest.
By Days of Future Past, Raze could blast from his arms without any gear.
Roy wasn't Hank; he couldn't build a specialized suit.
Even if he could, he wouldn't.
A tailored suit would let Raze fire only from his chest, but that was a band-aid, not a cure.
The best way for Raze to reach his potential was to master his energy, not rely on gadgets.
"I've tried before. I can't do it,"
Raze sighed, defeated.
"I can only release it—nothing more."
He knew his problem was control.
"You can—you just haven't found the method."
"I'll enter your mind and feed you some experience and techniques for energy control. How much you absorb is up to you."
Roy told him.
He'd agreed to teach, not to hold hands.
Feed me experience and techniques—just like that?
Raze's expression turned strange.
Clearly, this wasn't the lesson he'd expected.
After a moment's silence, he said, "All right. I'm ready."
Roy nodded, used Telepathy, and linked their minds.
In the next instant, he forced a chunk of knowledge on energy control straight into Raze.
"Aaaaargh!"
Agony like his skull would burst tore through Raze; he screamed and dropped to his knees, clutching his head.
Just as he thought he might die, Roy stopped the transfer.
The pain vanished.
Gasping, Raze pushed himself upright. "You were right—your teaching style isn't as gentle as Charles's."
"I warned you."
"I'll pick you up at noon. Digest what you can."
Without waiting for an answer, Roy teleported away.
He'd done his part; the rest was up to Raze.
Seconds later Roy was back in the manor's master bedroom.
He made no sound, yet White Queen's eyes snapped open.
"Back?"
she murmured.
"Mhm."
Roy shrugged off his coat and lay down beside her.
If Magneto hadn't woken him, he'd have slept till noon.
Now he intended to grab a few more hours.
That was the plan—until White Queen's pale, delicate hands began to wander.
Clearly, she had other ideas.
Seeing the tempting smile on her oval face, Roy changed plans and started a decidedly adult card game…
Noon.
Fully dressed, Roy and White Queen walked into the dining room.
With no chef or staff hired yet, lunch had been prepared by Mystique, Angel, and Agent Moira.
Magneto was out back practicing on the lawn; he hadn't come in.
Professor X and Hank were working out how to get Banshee airborne.
Seated, Roy felt he'd forgotten something.
A moment's recall told him he'd left Raze in the forest.
"I'll step out—be right back,"
he told White Queen.
She merely nodded.
Under the gaze of White Queen and Mystique, Royvanished in a teleport.
Moments later he stood in the ruined forest.
Compared with when he'd left, the clearing looked as if illegal loggers had gone wild.
"How's practice?"
he asked, appearing at Raze's side.
"Not bad."
Raze shrugged.
"Define 'not bad.'"
Roy pressed.
"Uh… let me show you."
Raze summoned his power, and crimson rings flared into life around him.
Whoosh…
Once the energy ring formed, Raze didn't hesitate—he released it instantly.
The ring shot forward, slicing through the trees in front of him as if they were paper.
Compared with this morning, Raze had clearly improved.
If nothing else, he could now control the ring's direction.
After watching the demo, Roy sighed in resignation. "Do you have some weird fetish for these rings?"
"Why do you ask?"
Raze asked, puzzled.
"Your power is to absorb ambient energy, convert it into concussive or plasma waves, and emit them as concentric rings.
In other words, you can fire the energy as a beam; you don't have to shape it into a ring every time.
Beams are easier to aim and far more convenient.
Among other things, you can stop twisting your body like a pretzel."
Roy had assumed that with the experience he'd fed him, Raze would instantly realize beams were the smarter option.
Clearly, he'd overestimated him.
Maybe because Raze had only ever used rings, even with new knowledge he merely refined the ring instead of trying a beam.
"I tried firing a beam, but I couldn't form one."
Raze answered at once.
"How could you not?"
"Lift your right hand."
Roy continued.
Uncertain but obedient, Raze raised his arm.
"Focus on your hand; imagine it's the barrel of a gun. Channel your power slowly, condensing energy only in that hand.
When it's dense enough, release it."
Raze concentrated with utter seriousness.
Crimson light flared around his entire body.
Seeing he couldn't isolate the energy to his hand, Roysaid, "I'll guide you once."
The moment he finished, he used Telepathy to take control of Raze's body.
He left Raze's senses and consciousness intact.
Under his guidance the crimson glow vanished; every watt of energy funneled into Raze's right hand.
"Remember this feeling."
Roy's voice echoed in Raze's mind.
"Got it."
Raze replied mentally.
Only after Raze had memorized the sensation did Roy fire the stored energy.
BOOM!
A dark-red beam lanced from Raze's hand, shearing a hundred-metre-distant tree in half.
Roy didn't return control yet. "Besides the whole arm, you can use a finger—same principle, finer control."
He aimed Raze's index finger at another trunk and fired a pencil-thin optic blast.
Though much smaller, the finger-sized beam still cored cleanly through the wood.
After the demonstration he released Telepathy.
"Keep practising or break for lunch?"
Roy asked.
"Practice."
Raze answered without hesitation.
"Fine. I'll pick you up tonight."
With that, Roy teleported away.
When he reappeared in the mansion's dining room, Magneto and Professor X had just arrived.
"Where's Alex?"
Professor X asked, noticing Roy alone.
"He's drilling his power; skipping lunch."
Roy replied.
"He could eat first and train after."
Mystique said languidly.
"I just gave him some pointers; practising now will sear them in."
Roy explained.
She said nothing more and began her meal.
After lunch they adjourned to the lounge and chatted idly.
Soon Agent Moira approached, her expression conflicted.
Glancing at White Queen beside Roy, she said, "DirectorMcCone just called. He wants us to bring her to Langley."
"Tell McCone to drop the idea."
"Emma is mine now; I won't hand her to anyone or any agency."
"If the CIA insists, I don't mind open war with them."
Roy stated flatly.
To Professor X and Moira the CIA was a titan;
to him it was merely an intelligence shop.
Anger him, and not just Langley—America itself—could become a historical footnote.
Except for White Queen, no one expected such steel.
After a silent beat Moira said, "I'll relay your message to Director McCone,"
and left.
Once she was gone Professor X said, "The CIA may only want to question Miss Frost, not imprison her."
Roy shook his head, smiling. "Charles, you're not a child; don't be naive."
"Let me be clear: they sent Moira to test me."
"If I yield today, tomorrow they'll demand more."
Professor X offered no reply.
A few minutes later he left with Hank and Banshee.
Mystique, Angel and Darwin returned to their rooms.
"Aren't you going to train?"
Roy asked Magneto, who showed no sign of moving.
"No need—I can already shift that radar dish,"
Magneto answered calmly.
Chapter 156 – Mutant and Proud
Truly one of the future leaders of the Mutants!
His comprehension really is a cut above the rest!
Roy sighed inwardly.
Although Magneto had never been able to manipulate overly massive metal objects before, it wasn't entirely his fault.
For someone with little formal schooling, simply mastering his powers to the point of practical use was already impressive.
After a moment of reflection, Roy told Magneto, "Since you can now move massive objects, take some time to study electromagnetism."
"Even if it's not to further your powers, extra knowledge never hurts."
"Alright!"
Magneto answered without hesitation.
Though Roy was younger, he wouldn't reject good advice just because of age.
As long as it made sense, he accepted it—provided it was delivered in a tone he could stomach.
A condescending lecture would still rub him the wrong way.
After resting in the lounge for ten minutes, Roy left with White Queen and returned to the upstairs bedroom.
Magneto, meanwhile, headed for the study to hunt for professional books on electromagnetism.
Time flew.
Before nightfall, Roy teleported into the forest where Raze was training.
Seeing him arrive, Raze rose from a tree stump and stepped forward, pride shining on his face. "I can fire Impact blasts from my arm—want me to show you?"
"Go ahead."
Roy nodded.
Raze raised his right arm, clenched his fist, and aimed at a distant stump.
As he activated his power, dark-red energy crackled around his fist.
A few seconds later, the gathered energy shot out in a beam.
Boom!
The concentric-ring beam bored cleanly through the stump, leaving a hole ten centimeters across.
"Nice!"
"Now try a finger."
When the beam faded, Roy said.
"I can't do fingers yet."
Raze replied at once.
Only the arm, then.
It wasn't quite what Roy had hoped, but he didn't scold the boy. "Take it step-by-step—keep practicing and you'll get there."
He walked over and gripped Raze's shoulder.
Teleport.
In the next instant, both of them vanished.
Several jumps later, Roy deposited Raze in the main manor.
"Dinner's not yet ready—go shower and change."
Roy told him.
"Mm-hmm!"
Raze nodded and headed for his room.
Once the boy was gone, Roy turned toward the manor's gym.
Because there weren't enough mentors, Mystique, Darwin, and Angel hadn't started specialized training.
Still, they kept busy with basic strength and conditioning work.
Roy reached the gym a short while later.
Mystique and Darwin were lifting; Angel darted overhead, drilling sharp turns, inverted flight, and obstacle dodges.
Roy stayed at the doorway, watching.
"Angel and Darwin just need real combat experience."
"Raven's problem is bigger."
"She's too hung up on her appearance—she can't focus fully on anything else."
Magneto's voice sounded behind him.
Without turning, Roy said slowly, "Ever been told you'd make a good teacher?"
"Charles is busy teaching Banshee voice control and flight."
"I've already coached you and Alex."
"If you're interested, take the other three."
Magneto stepped beside him and shook his head. "I'm not like you or Charles—my way with powers is a self-taught wild style."
"You're wrong there. Charles and I are both self-taught wild styles too."
"For Mutants, there's no such thing as an academy approach."
"You act cold, but I know it's just armor."
"Give it a shot—you might be a fine mentor."
Roy glanced at him.
Magneto didn't yet realize he would become one of the two great leaders of Mutant-kind.
He would found the Fraternity and shake the World with staggering deeds.
In the comics, he and Professor X would even build the Mutant nation of Krakoa.
Magneto stayed silent.
After ten seconds he said, "Since you put it that way, I'll try."
He entered the gym, sized up the three trainees, and started with Mystique.
Magnetic control!
Without hesitation, he seized the barbell in her hands with his power.
Mystique sat up on the bench, scowling.
Unbothered, Magneto said calmly, "If half your attention stays on looking perfect, only half is left for the lift."
"You're capable of more—this weight should be nothing."
He released his hold.
The barbell plummeted.
With her focus snapped to the falling steel, her shapeshift flickered out.
Catching the bar in her natural form, she glared at him.
Magneto ignored her, turned to Darwin and Angel, and went on: "You want society to accept you, yet you won't accept yourselves."
"The freaks aren't you—it's this prejudiced society."
"You're the vanguard of human evolution, superior to most of this World. No shame, no hiding."
With that, he strode out, leaving a striking silhouette.
Reaching Roy, he shot him a meaningful look, said nothing, and walked away… Time flew.
Five days had slipped by unnoticed.
For Roy and the others, those five days had been uneventful.
But for the Soviet Union and America, they were five days destined for the history books.
First, America had Cuba dispatch its fleet in an attempt to blockade the island.
To the Soviet Union, this move was tantamount to forcing a military response.
So the Soviets also began sending warships to Cuba, giving practical support to their ideological ally.
As soon as the Soviets replied, the President of Americasigned a declaration that any missiles bound for Cubawould be intercepted; crossing the blockade line would be treated as a military provocation against America.
In answer, the Soviet Union immediately accused Americaof taking a decisive step toward nuclear war with its blockade of Cuban-bound missiles.
Though the Soviet response was couched in diplomatic language, its meaning was unmistakable: if American ships dared to attack Soviet vessels transporting missiles to Cuba, the USSR would regard it as an act of war.
First-floor drawing room.
Roy and the rest sat on the drawing-room sofa, watching the televised address of the President of America.
'Any nuclear missile that crosses the Cuban blockade line will be viewed as a Soviet attack upon America,' he declared.
'Consequently, we will launch a full nuclear retaliation against the Soviet Union!'
Magneto switched off the set.'Shaw's plan is one step from completion. It's time we stopped him; his submarine must be near Cuban waters right now.'
'No need to rush,' Roy replied calmly. 'The Soviet freighters carrying nuclear missiles won't reach the blockade line before tomorrow noon; we can leave tomorrow morning and still be in time.'
The moment he finished, Hank's voice rang out.
'The blackbird fighter jet is ready. Once we reach the airfield tomorrow, we can take off immediately.'
Hank spoke rapidly.
The blackbird fighter jet was one of his proudest creations.
Though it had never seen combat and carried no weapons, its supersonic cruise and stealth capabilities had been tested repeatedly without fault.
'The two superpowers have finished their diplomatic dance. I suggest we all get a good night's sleep and be ready for tomorrow's fight,' Magneto said, glancing at Hank.
'Eric's right—everyone should rest well tonight,' Professor X said, looking around the room.
Mystique, Hank and the others nodded and left the drawing room.
'Roy, could you come to the study? I'd like a word,' Professor X asked.
'Of course.'
Roy nodded.
A few minutes later.
Roy, Professor X and Magneto were in the study.
Once seated, Professor X wasted no time. 'What will tomorrow bring? Will World War Three really begin? Can we actually stop Shaw?'
Hearing the three questions, Roy sighed. 'I can't say for certain what tomorrow will look like.'
'Ever since I came to you, the future has changed.'
'Though I can't give you a direct answer, barring accidents, tomorrow should not mark the first day of World War Three.'
Even so, Professor X remained uneasy. 'I've been thinking—why not leave Raven and Alex at the manor tomorrow? The five of us—Moira, Hank, Eric, you and I—can go.'
Before Roy could reply, Magneto said, 'I know you fear for their safety, but they're not children.'
'Besides, they've completed their training. Leaving them behind now would be unfair.'
Professor X looked to Roy, waiting.
'I agree with Eric.'
'They're ready, and they're adults.'
'Even if you want them to stay, you should ask them, not decide for them,' Roy said evenly.
Evening.
Hank came to Mystique's bedroom door and knocked softly.
Tap-tap-tap!
'Come in.'
Mystique, seated at her dressing table, answered at once.
Hank stepped inside, excitement on his face. 'I have a surprise for you.'
He held out a box.
Mystique took it and opened it immediately.
Inside lay a vial of green serum.
'Your genes are extraordinary; your cells age far more slowly than normal, and their structure is the most wondrous I've ever seen,' he said.
'That means even at forty you'll still look barely twenty.'
'I isolated normal chromosomes from your DNA. The serum will target the cells that make us look different, much like an antibiotic.'
'It won't affect our powers—only restore our appearance.'
Hank's eyes shone as he spoke.
Mystique said nothing, her expression conflicted.
Though inexperienced with women, Hank sensed her lack of enthusiasm.
'Do you still want to try it?' he asked.
After a pause she met his gaze. 'Must we hide?'
'You're hiding already.'
'You're hiding, and I've hidden my whole life.'
'I don't want to be a monster; I want to be normal.'
He lifted a syringe, ready to inject himself in front of her.
'Hank, don't… You're perfect—everything about you is perfect!'
'We're special; we don't need to become ordinary for anyone.'
'If they can't accept us, we needn't force ourselves into their World…'
She paused.
'Mutant—and proud!' she declared, reverting to her true blue form before his eyes.
'Even if we save the World tomorrow and people accept Mutants,' Hank said slowly, 'my feet and your blue skin still won't be considered beautiful.'