The Chase

Lorna had witnessed a wide array of Mutant Abilities, but she had never seen Max's Ability before. As they stepped through the door that seemed to separate two worlds, she found herself in a dark green, rippling space. Lorna followed Max, watching Sentinel approach rapidly with an unsettling coldness. In the blink of an eye, Sentinel was upon them, accompanied by Sentry Special Service agents who brandished tear gas canisters.

Strangely, neither Sentinel nor the agents seemed to notice Max, as if he were intangible, like a ghost.

Inside the wooden house, Sentinel had already broken down the door and deployed tear gas for a surprise assault. Lorna was eager to ask Max about what was happening but held her questions back, fearful of revealing their presence. Max remained silent as they moved. Ten minutes later, they emerged from the woods and found John and Sonia anxiously waiting for them.

Max reached out and opened a door in a nearby tree, and Lorna followed him through it.

This act of pushing a door out of a tree left John and Sonia in awe. Sonia immediately called out to Max, "Are you okay?"

Max shook his head. "It's too close here. They'll soon realize they've been tricked. Let's get out of here first."

"The car is over there!" John pointed to a parked SUV in the distance. They all piled into the vehicle, and John quickly started the engine, speeding away.

They had just departed when they spotted the Sentry Secret Service in pursuit, but it was already too late.

John was at the wheel, Lorna in the front passenger seat, and Max and Sonia in the back. Max gazed out the window.

"Your injuries...," Sonia finally noticed Max's numerous wounds, dozens in total, and it filled her with concern.

"Just old wounds," Max replied casually, as if discussing trivial matters.

"Are these battlefield injuries? Were you in the military?" John asked, turning to glance at Max. He recognized that most of these wounds were from gunshots and knife injuries, and it suggested Max had military experience, possibly serving twice.

John also had a gut feeling that Max had taken lives before, possibly many. The presence of the gun wrapped in clothing on Max's lap only added to his unease. It wasn't the kind of danger that implied harm to anyone present; rather, it was the unmistakable sense that Max was not to be trifled with.

"Mercenary," Max replied calmly. He continued to scan the environment outside the car window, contemplating his next moves and the potential benefits he could derive from this situation.

Based on his analysis, this world lacked the Avengers but was populated by Mutants. Max recalled the Mutant movies he had watched and thought of a place where he could profit.

As he pondered the opportunities that lay ahead, a faint smile graced Max's lips.

The car had been on the road for more than two hours, with John deliberately taking a few detours to shake off any pursuers. Eventually, he parked near a building.

"We're here!" John announced.

John spoke, and Lorna waved her finger, causing the barbed wire door marked with a "no entry" sign to swing open.

The car drove inside.

Lorna stepped out of the car and closed the barbed wire door behind them. The place appeared to have been abandoned for quite some time, with signs of damage visible in many parts of the building.

"This is an abandoned bank. A while back, there was a Mutant orphanage nearby. Unfortunately, one of the troubled kids lost control and caused widespread destruction in the area. So, there shouldn't be anyone here exploring," John explained, leading them inside. "Currently, besides Lorna and me, there's another person named Jenifer Sage. Her Ability is impeccable memory and lightning-fast analysis. She's adept at monitoring network communication to help us locate Mutants and provide assistance to them."

The building had three floors in total—two above ground and a basement. Despite their small size, the ceilings were quite high.

"We're back!" John called out.

As he spoke, a person emerged from a room in the corner.

This individual had short black hair, dressed in a plain T-shirt and jeans.

"You've returned."

"This is Jenifer Sage, and these are Max and Sonia," John introduced them.

"Hello," Sage greeted Max and Sonia with a friendly smile.

"Hello," Sonya replied with a nod.

"Hello," Max greeted Jenifer as well. While Sages were also support-oriented, they were highly valuable to Max.

"Follow me for now; let me arrange a place for you," John said to the two of them before heading towards the basement.

He referred to it as a room, but it seemed more like a storage area. However, for Max, a bed was sufficient.

It was late, and John encouraged them to get some rest after they were settled. Max briefly examined the room but didn't immediately retire to sleep. Although it wasn't due to a lack of trust, Max took some time to familiarize himself with the surroundings by exploring both inside and outside before returning to the room.