Before the war
Authors Note-
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"I didn't expect you to find out so quickly," Ivan sighed and continued,
"We're not in space as you think; we're still on Earth. It's an island, and for special reasons, the ancient environment has allowed certain ancient creatures to survive. As for those children, they're all alive. They did die once, and I used special means to resurrect them."
Ivan didn't hide anything, providing Logan with a detailed introduction to the cradle of rebirth.
He concluded, "In the future, there will be more mutants, and they will feel fear, rejection, and persecution among humans. The conflict among mutants is substantial compared to the vast human population. Many mutants in vulnerable groups face a risk to their lives. We're currently in the stage of human evolution and transformation, which may last for decades or even centuries. It will be the darkest period for mutants; it's genuinely unfair for them."
"All I can do is try to give them a chance to live again. The choices they make later are up to them. Having faced numerous hardships, the mutants on this island are completely disappointed in human society. They've chosen to live in seclusion on the island. Of course, some have returned to the original world, either missing their relatives or seeking revenge due to harboring resentment, but for them, resurrection after a second death is impossible."
"Didn't you give them a second chance in life? I thank you for that," Logan expressed his sincere gratitude. Having lived for nearly a hundred years and experienced countless wars, he had witnessed numerous tragedies, making him value life even more.
"It's no wonder that when I spoke to those children, I saw a deep appreciation for life in their eyes. The youngest is only three or four years old, and the oldest is no more than fourteen, yet they've already faced death themselves."
At this moment, he couldn't help but recall the information about these children he saw during their resurrection. Some situations were beyond pitiful. Due to world rejection, some mutants couldn't even sustain basic life. Some children were starved, beaten, tortured, and subjected to experiments, ultimately meeting death in a laboratory, which was comparatively merciful.
"Let's not dwell on these heavy matters. Here's something for you. If you want to leave, use this to contact the Red Queen. She will guide you on what to do," Ivan handed a silver watch to Logan and said.
"What is this? How do I use it?" Logan scrutinized the watch in his hands repeatedly, puzzled by its functionality.
"This is a communicator capable of transmitting information through space. As long as you're on Earth, you can contact the Red Queen from anywhere. Moreover, it serves a special purpose—it can emit a force field to resist mind invasion by those capable of sensing, preventing information leakage from the island. If necessary, it can even be used to erase your memory."
Initially uncomfortable at the thought of memory erasure, Logan, considering the importance of the island to mutants, grasped Ivan's intention.
Guided by Ivan, Logan placed the watch on his wrist. After pressing a small button, it initiated genetic verification and voice authentication. Eventually, a beam of light emitted from the top, unfolding to form a light screen featuring a red-haired little girl. "Hello, Mr. Logan, the artificial intelligence Red Queen is here for you."
"Who? Who are you?" Despite the existing definition of artificial intelligence in this era, Logan, being somewhat of an old antique, remained unfamiliar with it, finding the concept rather unsettling.
"As you can see, the Red Queen is quite a soul. Her body is a computer, and your watch resembles a part of her body. You can converse with her, and I also have a part of the Red Queen's body, enabling us to connect."
"That's quite convenient. I'll accept it. Thank you"
Unaware of the potential dangers of high-tech equipment, Logan accepted the watch without any precautions.
Ivan was pleased to see Logan accept the watch, a crucial part of his plan. Knowing that the X-Men would play a role in reversing the future, Ivan aimed to explore parallel universes, with Logan as a pivotal breakthrough. Bringing Logan to Skull Island was primarily to build trust, and his discreet acceptance of the watch facilitated Ivan's monitoring.
For the following period, Ivan cultivated a strong relationship with Logan on Skull Island to pave the way for future actions. Meanwhile, turmoil unfolded in the outside world. White Queen Emma, disguised as a high-ranking Soviet official, encountered Eric and Charles, leading to her capture. Charles, privy to Emma's plans through telepathy, took swift action.
Simultaneously, Shaw led the Red Devil and Riptide in a raid on the CIA headquarters. The fledgling X-Men, inexperienced and unable to fight back, sought refuge in their rooms, shaken by the sudden assault. Shaw, with the ability to absorb energy, proved unstoppable, rendering bullets and shells ineffective against him.
The Riptide transformed into a massive tornado, sweeping agents one by one into the sky, watching them plummet to their deaths. The Red Devil, standing still, opened blue wormholes in front, wielding a short knife in each hand and a sharp triangular tail, systematically attacking agents. Each strike created a wormhole of the same size behind the agents, from which a knife or tail emerged, causing fatal wounds.
The remaining X-Men, inexperienced in warfare, surrounded themselves by Shaw, who said, "Hello, I'm Sebastian Shaw. The change is imminent. When humans discover us, mutants will face two choices: be enslaved or reverse the world. The decision is yours. If you don't stand with us, you stand against us. Will you fight for humans or live like kings and queens?"
After some speeches, the angel chose to join Shaw, but Darwin and the Shockwave, aiming to change the angel's mind, plotted secretly. Darwin pretended to side with Shaw, standing beside the angel for protection. Shockwave then launched a surprise attack, resulting in tragedy. Shaw absorbed the shock wave's energy flow, restraining Darwin, who was attacking from the side.
Seeing Darwin Shaw's only anger and evident reluctance to harm them, Shaw decided it was time to teach these mutants, who were playing tricks, a lesson. "I seem to be a bit too kind. If that's the case, don't blame me. I hope this death helps you grow a bit, and you'll learn a lesson when we meet again. I believe we'll meet in the future."
Shaw compressed the absorbed energy into a ball, forced Darwin to swallow it, and had the Red Devil teleport them away. Despite Darwin's efforts, he eventually succumbed to the force of the compressed shock wave, his body blown to pieces. Unnoticed, a tiny space wormhole appeared after Darwin's death, inhaling his soul.
Upon Eric and Charles's return, they discovered the near destruction of the X-Men and were deeply affected by Darwin's tragic death. CIA agents, blaming mutants for the tragedy, drove the X-Men away, leaving Charles with no choice but to lead the X-Men to his adoptive father's castle for formal training, fueled by a collective determination to rise.
Back with Shaw, he learned about Emma Frost's capture, making many plans challenging without her telepathic influence. Resorting to direct threats, Shaw implemented the plan, aware of the risks involved.
Meanwhile, Ivan, engrossed in experiments on Skull Island, discovered Darwin's data in the rebirth cradle database. Realizing Shaw's actions, he checked Darwin's body and instructed the Red Queen to create a body for Darwin. After sensing the coordinate token left in the submarine, Ivan used the Displacement Phantom to shuttle directly to Shaw's location.
Meeting Shaw and Riptide in the submarine, Ivan's sudden appearance surprised Angel, who nearly spat out the water he was drinking. Despite any misgivings Ivan might have, he concealed them, recognizing the critical moment and the need to support the plan.