Adia's tone was eerie.
Stryker's face was ashen.
He believed he had a hundred ways to deal with mutants.
A hundred ways.
As everyone knows, at the Akali Lake Dam Base in Canada, he has no idea how many mutants have been locked up inside, nor how many have died miserably within.
As long as he desired, not a single mutant could escape his grasp.
This is not boasting, but fact.
The White House granted special permission.
The Pentagon gave strong support.
And with the X Ability Inhibitor targeting mutant groups, to put it this way, if Washington did not tacitly allow it, he could overthrow Professor X's mutant academy at any time.
But no.
Because Washington needs Professor X, they need a dove among the mutant community, they need a mutant who stands with them.
To put it simply.
Professor X becoming the mutant leader isn't because Professor X is so formidable, but because Washington needs Professor X to be the leader of the mutants, to speak for them when necessary.
For instance, when Magneto reappears, Professor X needs to come out and help.
Washington can turn a blind eye to mutants being scattered like sand, and even tolerate Professor X establishing the so-called mutant academy to voice for mutants, but Washington absolutely cannot tolerate mutants uniting under Magneto as a hawk.
So...
Stryker knows where the X Academy is, but taking action against it needs authorization from Washington, otherwise, if he acts without authorization, he will be the one to suffer.
However, because Magneto disappeared ten years ago, and with time passing, Washington's hardliners rose again, Stryker captured this signal, thus he intensified his efforts.
Besides the mutants from the X Academy, any mutants, he's bold enough to capture.
The newly emerged Hawk Phoenix as well.
Stryker even envisioned that once Hawk Phoenix was captured, he'd immediately send him to the dam base for comprehensive research.
Yet...
He just began to imagine, hadn't even managed to act, and Hawk already sought his life.
Moreover, from the start, it was direct, blocking the door of his superior, forcing his superior to hand him over to the damn mutant.
William Stryker was unwilling to accept this.
But!
What good is unwillingness, what can he do, unless someone can kill this damn mutant before he dies, or drive him away temporarily? Otherwise, today he's doomed.
But is there such a person?
William Stryker looked at the helicopter beginning to descend in altitude, and the Quantico Military Base shrouded within the crimson dome, feeling his life transitioning into a countdown, his mind raced to find a ray of hope for survival.
Just then.
Stryker's eyes lit up.
"Professor X!"
"...What?"
Adia frowned at Stryker who suddenly shouted.
Stryker seemed to grasp a lifeline, said to Adia: "Contact Professor X immediately, he's a mutant with mind control ability, tell him a mutant has taken General Ross hostage, he will definitely intervene, use mind control to handle this damn mutant."
Even if it's merely controlling or temporarily driving away, it's fine.
First, resolve the immediate crisis.
Once Hawk is controlled or temporarily driven away, then General Ross and ten other generals could safely withdraw from Quantico Base, thus he wouldn't need to appear, sacrificing himself to exchange for the lives of ten generals.
Perfect!
Stryker was elated, shouting to Adia: "Contact Professor X immediately, hurry!"
Adia did not speak, her eyes calm, silently watching Stryker.
Stryker pressed on!
"Adia…"
"Do you take me for a fool?"
"...What?"
"Can you guarantee?"
"I dare!"
"I don't dare!"
"..."
Stryker's expression froze.
Adia's face bore a trace of disdain and speechlessness: "Stryker, I'm not like you, I don't have your kind of gambling nature, do you think, what you can think of, General Ross and the rest can't think of? No matter what happens after today, how General Ross and the others deal with this mutant is none of your business, your task today is only one, use your life to exchange for the life of a base, you're earning."
Goodness.
This wretched thing is trying to drag him into the grave together?
How can that be allowed.
Besides, I've already tied you up here, if you don't die, it's a hassle for me.
If by any chance you don't die, reinstated in your position, then I'm screwed.
So—
Not just because Stryker this damn thing asked him to contact Professor X, but even if General Ross himself asked him to contact Professor X, he'd have to prevent Professor X from coming today.
At the very least, unless Stryker dies, Professor X cannot appear.
Adia said this, even if Jesus came, it wouldn't work.
Soon.
The helicopter landed on the open ground outside the dome.
Adia then looked at Stryker.
"Let's go, the generals are probably getting impatient."
"Take him."
Adia finished speaking, opened the helicopter cabin door, bent down, and jogged out of the rotor's range.
Unlike being unable to get out, Adia and the others easily walked Stryker, whose hands were handcuffed, into the Quantico Base now shrouded in the scarlet barrier.
Stryker was held by two Sentinels, his face flushed, struggling fiercely.
Like all beings.
At the moment of entering the scarlet barrier, Stryker seemed to foresee his only path was death, and began desperately fighting for a sliver of survival.
At this moment, Stryker yearned for survival more than anyone.
But in the Quantico Military Base, because of the scarlet barrier, the soldiers and family members trapped here, along with General Ross and others, preferred to survive.
So—
Either one dies, or a group dies.
It's the simplest choice.
When General Ross walked out of the base building expressionlessly again, Hawk, who had been standing in mid-air talking with Wanda, also landed back on the ground with her.
Hawk's gaze fell on Stryker, who was held by two Sentinel agents.
Stryker also looked at Hawk with a mixture of fear and anger.
Hawk's gaze shifted down to Stryker's trembling legs, his lips curled, and he chuckled softly: "Hello, Stryker."
Listening to Hawk's cold voice devoid of any emotion, Stryker immediately lost his composure.
"Damn mutants, I knew you would one day wreak havoc on this world."
"My choice was not wrong."
"To deal with you mutants, it's to exterminate you all."
"I only regret not being ruthless enough!"
Upon hearing Hawk's emotionless salutation, Stryker knew he was doomed this time.
Though his legs were trembling now, his mouth remained defiant.
Hawk's expression did not change in response to Stryker's ranting.
Just a defeated dog howling.
This kind of dying howl, Hawk had heard countless times, and he was already immune. Moreover, compared to being defiant before death, he admired those who faced death calmly without a word.
Like Alexander Pierce.
He was a villain, but a competent one, employing all means. But when he lost, he accepted it without pleading, drinking a glass of wine and facing death calmly.
As for this William Stryker?
Hawk merely glanced at him and lost interest, right hand opened.
But at that moment.
The two Sentinels holding Stryker suddenly stepped back.
Hawk raised an eyebrow and looked at the alternate Thaddeus Ross.
"You want Stryker, undo the barrier."
"Heh."
Upon hearing this, Hawk was momentarily stunned, then unexpectedly laughed, looking at Thaddeus Ross: "General Ross, are you negotiating with me?"
General Ross remained expressionless.
"It's a deal, agreed upon. So, Mr. Phoenix doesn't intend to honor it?"
"Yes."
"What?"
General Ross's expression faltered.
Hawk's lips curled: "After all, Stryker is already inside, so I'm considering whether to kill you all, because I feel that once you leave here, you'll immediately order to kill me at all costs."
General Ross frowned: "I assure you, that won't happen."
Hawk scoffed: "Your assurances are worthless to me, especially yours, General Ross. By the way, did I ever tell you that in my universe, I've killed you and your daughter?"
General Ross's expression changed.
Hawk, in a calm voice, recounted how he brutally killed General Ross and Betty Ross in his universe, and scattered the Rose Clan's ashes.
With details of time, place, and people.
Moreover…
Hawk told it vividly, and after finishing the brief tale, he looked at General Ross: "So, General Ross, I have personal enmity with you, and you're a hardliner. So, guess, should I let you go?"
General Ross felt tumultuous, his mind flashed with images of another universe where Hawk had brutally killed him, and even scattered the family's graves, then hearing Hawk's words, he took a deep breath.
"What do you want, Mr. Phoenix?"
"One thing at a time, the sun hasn't set yet, General Ross."
Hawk's expression was calm.
General Ross looked into Hawk's eyes, took another deep breath, closed his eyes, and raised his right hand, giving a signal.
The two Sentinels understood and pushed the now unhandcuffed Stryker towards Hawk.
When Stryker was pushed towards Hawk, he stumbled, seemingly about to fall, but suddenly, his eyes gleamed and with a swish, pulled something out from his pocket.
In the next second.
...