Chapter 359 Reactions from all parties
In the principal's office, as Logan expected, Storm was the first to explode after hearing the news about the antidote. Her face became angry at a visible speed, and her words were full of sarcasm.
"This is ridiculous. You can't cure mutants."
"Scientifically speaking..."
Hank beside him opened his mouth to defend himself. The purpose of his visit to the academy this time was, on the one hand, to inform the professor of this news that was bound to affect the entire mutant community.
On the other hand, he was also commissioned by the federal president to win the support of the X-Men to ease the social pressure that might be faced when promoting the antidote.
After all, the reason why the government established the special department of Mutant Affairs was to mediate the sharp contradictions between the human and mutant camps at a critical moment.
Unfortunately, Hank's words of defense were interrupted by Storm as soon as they started. With her personality, she would never allow mutants to be ridiculously defined as a disease.
"When did we become a disease? How could they know..."
"Storm!"
The next second, Storm's passionate speech was also interrupted by someone. Everyone's eyes were immediately focused on the professor with his eyelids drooping. He looked serious and said in a deep voice:
"They are holding a press conference."
Hearing this, Logan and Storm were stunned, and then turned their heads to look at the TV in the corner of the room that was not turned on.
Xu Yue stepped forward and turned on the TV screen. The screen soon showed the screen of the press conference.
Because of the cooperation of the senior government officials, this release was carried out in a full-channel live broadcast, which will ensure that everyone who is watching the TV program can receive this important information at the first time.
In the picture is a white old man standing behind the microphone. The scrolling subtitles below are marked with words such as 'Worsington Laboratory, Alcatraz Prison', which is the specific address of the press conference. Alcatraz
Prison is a small island in the lake about 3,000 meters away from the coastline of San Francisco. It is surrounded by deep-sea cliffs on all sides, and ships are the only means of transportation.
Because of its unique geographical environment, this island prison received a large number of prisoners after it was built in 1854. In 1934, it was officially established as a prison for serious criminals by the federal government. At that time, it was known as the most difficult prison to escape in the world.
Even if the prisoners finally escaped from the reinforced concrete that held them with great difficulty, they could only sigh in despair when faced with the vast waters up to 3,000 meters away from the land.
It is worth mentioning that in order to prevent the famous scientist Professor Qian Xuesen from returning to his motherland, this legendary figure was also briefly imprisoned here.
It was not until 1963 that the infamous Alcatraz Prison was finally closed due to economic and environmental problems. It was then bought by Worthington Industries, one of the world's top 500 companies, and transformed into today's Worthington Laboratory.
As for the white old man, he is the only person in power of the current Worthington Industries Group-Warren Worthington II, and he is also the main promoter and investor of the antidote.
After the host of the press conference introduced the identity of the old man, thunderous applause suddenly rang out at the scene. After the applause stopped, Worthington II began to speak calmly.
"The so-called mutants are just like us. They are just infected with a disease, which affects the healthy cell activities."
"But I stand here today to tell you that there is still hope. This was once the most famous prison in the world, and now it will become a base for liberating mutants!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to have the honor of introducing to you the method of curing mutants. Finally, we have an antidote."
The old man on the screen held up the potion in his hand, and the whole person was passionate and spoke earnestly.
"Mutants and humans should be close family members, not enemies. The tragic battle in Cairo yesterday has alerted us. The casualties of more than 100,000 civilians have made us realize that the conflict between the two sides has reached a critical point! Terrorist forces such as the Mutant Brotherhood are still growing!"
Magneto: "..."
That's right, the Egyptian military decisively blamed the Mutant Brotherhood for the loss of Cairo. Magneto can be said to be sitting at home and the pot came from the sky.
However, this situation is not uncommon. The reason why the Mutant Brotherhood has a bad reputation all over the world is that various governments have tirelessly thrown mud at least 30% of the credit.
"We can no longer ignore the situation that continues to deteriorate. Humans and mutants should achieve common greatness through cooperation and integration, rather than going to synchronous extinction in the war of confrontation. The potion in my hand is the only antidote to save this tragic fate."
"Facing mutants who suffer from mutant genes, the antidote will give them new life and health. For those lawless elements who act recklessly with their mutant abilities, the antidote will permanently disarm them. It is the key to a new era, a step towards peace, a redemption from suffering, a shackle of sin, and a catalyst and bridge for humans and mutants to move towards common greatness. It is the 'antidote'!"
...…
At the same time, Warren Worthington II's highly inflammatory speech instantly swept the entire Federation, like a big stone thrown into a lake with undercurrents, and the ripples that expanded outwards layer by layer immediately caused different reactions from various forces.
...
An underground base covered by special metal somewhere in the Federation is a hidden space that is isolated and shielded from electronic radar scanning and mind perception scanning.
With a muffled bang, the TV that was playing seemed to be squeezed by an invisible hand, and collapsed inwards and turned into a pile of twisted scrap metal.
The broken wire stretched out from the center of the scrap metal, and the electric light splashed in the air, making a hissing sound. On the other side, Magneto looked at the wreckage of the TV in front of him with a gloomy face, and his anger spread like a substance, causing all the metal products around him to tremble slightly.
"First it was the Mutant Registration Act, and now it's this so-called antidote, huh!"
"Humans really have a heart to exterminate mutants. It seems that we have been keeping a low profile for too long, causing humans to forget the power of mutants. They need a profound lesson!"
"John, prepare to gather our compatriots and tell them that the war is about to begin!"
Behind him, a blond young man with a defiant look stepped forward quickly, whispered a few words to Magneto, and then turned and left.
Before leaving, he deliberately glanced at a mysterious black-robed man behind Magneto's right. His eyes were full of undisguised hostility, like a puppy deliberately vying for favor.
The blond young man was named St. John Allardyce, codenamed Pyro, with a mutant ability to manipulate fire, but unable to generate it. He was also a member of the X Academy, with an arrogant personality. Whether in terms of ability or personality, he was completely different from his classmate Iceman Bobby.
The outbreak of the Alkali Lake Dam incident three years ago made him completely disappointed with the "weak" X Academy. He believed that he, who was gifted, should do more, rather than being timid in the restricted academy. So he decisively abandoned his former teachers and friends and threw himself into the arms of another mutant leader, Magneto. With his fairly good strength, he quickly became one of his confidants. As for
the black-robed man, he was a brand-new member who had just joined the Mutant Brotherhood a few days ago. The other party was strong and had his own mutant team called "Theater". In just a few days, he was promoted to a very important position in the Brotherhood. All these changes made John the Fire Man more vigilant about him, fearing that his position would be lost. The footsteps
gradually went away in the underground base until they disappeared completely. Magneto then turned to look at the black-robed man who was standing respectfully beside him, and slowly said:
"Ximing, how much information have you collected about the Cairo battle yesterday?"
Hearing this, Ximing beside him lowered his eyes and spoke calmly.
"It was a group of outsiders who were searching for an ancient artifact called the Golden Dome in Cairo. It was said to be related to ancient Egyptian mythology, which triggered the Egyptian military's siege."
"Golden Dome?"
After searching for this unfamiliar name in his mind and making sure he had no impression of it, Magneto temporarily put it out of his mind. Right now, he had more important things to deal with. As for this Golden Dome, it would not be too late to go to Cairo after the antidote was dealt with.
Since the Egyptian military has put the blame for the massacre of the people on the Brotherhood of Mutants, don't blame him for interfering. Although the Brotherhood is accustomed to taking the blame, it does not mean that they have no temper. Thinking of this, Magneto pursed his lips tightly, revealing an extremely cold arc.
"For a dead thing, they wantonly slaughtered the people. These so-called government military forces are still the same as always. Human, ha!"
He laughed sarcastically, then lowered his eyes to look at Xi Ming in front of him. Under the black hood was a gray-white mask covering his face, which was not very clear.
"Three days ago, Mystique was captured by the government for searching for the 'antidote'. Go and bring her back to me safely."
"As you command, Lord Magneto!"
After a moment, Ximing's back slowly disappeared into the darkness. Behind him, Magneto looked at his back with a dim gaze. Unlike John the Pyro, who knew him well, the 'Theatre', a mutant force that joined the Brotherhood halfway, did not completely gain his trust.
Especially as the leader, Ximing, although the other party is strong, he is also deep-minded. Even if Magneto does not have the ability to see through people's hearts like his old friend, he can easily see that the other party's purpose of joining the Brotherhood is not simple.
However, whether it is loyalty or selfishness, as long as they can be driven, Magneto, who is now lacking reliable subordinates, will not refuse anyone. The main force of the Brotherhood is basically guarding the base camp, Kiyo Island, where a fierce battle is taking place with the Sentinel Corps of Trask Industries. If he had not received the news from Mystique temporarily, he would not have rushed to the Federation at this critical time.
That's why Magneto is in great need of subordinates now, and he can be said to be a person
of both meat and vegetables. After a brief moment of worrying about the base camp, Magneto quickly came back to his senses, looking sideways at the metal wreckage that was squeezed into scrap iron in the space, his eyes cold.
"Antidote..."
"Charles, I hope you can be safe this time, the antidote can only be controlled by mutants!"
...
In a magnificent conference hall somewhere in the Federation.
Several mutants with different appearances were also watching the live broadcast on the computer screen simultaneously. When the picture was interrupted, the white-haired woman in the upper seat spoke lazily:
"Tell me, about this antidote, should our Hellfire Club participate?"
"The club's goal is to quietly control human society through political and economic influence in a hidden place. The antidote involves too much turmoil. After this live broadcast by Worthington Industries, it has attracted the attention of the entire federation and even the whole world. It is not suitable for us to participate. The club cannot be exposed in the open for the time being."
"The bishop is right. The club should not intervene in this matter, and the Brotherhood will certainly not allow the antidote to be fully deployed. I received news that Magneto has arrived in the federation. The federal government's plan cannot be realized. We just need to provide some help in secret."
"What about the professor? Is there any movement?"
"Beast visited the X-Men this morning, but the professor made too much noise three years ago, and the government is very vigilant. The X-Men should not take the initiative in this matter. By the way, four days ago, a new mutant teacher appeared in the academy. Intelligence says that he is the professor's former student."
"Since it concerns the professor, there is no need to investigate further. How is the investigation in Cairo going?"
"We have basically got some clues. It is related to an ancient artifact called the Golden Dome. It is said that this Golden Dome is closely related to the world's first mutant, and the logic of the Egyptian military's actions is very wrong. It is likely that someone is operating in secret."
"Well, dig that person out. Also, find out where the Golden Dome is. Bai Che, how is the battle situation on Kiu Island?"
"It's still in a stalemate, but judging from the current situation, the iteration speed of the Sentinel robots is getting faster and faster. Trask Industries is full of mutant gene detectors, and their top brass are all die-hard mutant extermination elements. It is difficult for our people to infiltrate."
"Continue to deliver supplies to Kiu Island. It must not be lost. If the situation really collapses to an irreversible point, Kiu Island may be our last utopia."
...…
A large amount of secret intelligence concerning various forces was casually spit out in the conference hall, like treasures, and finally summarized to the white-haired woman above, who then dealt with them one by one.
"That's it. Let's wait and see about the 'antidote' for now. Everyone else should do their job. Let's adjourn."
After she finished speaking, except for her, everyone else in the hall turned into a blue data stream and disappeared. The whole hall went from noisy to silent in an instant, with only the lazy voice of the white-haired woman slowly echoing.
"Oh, it seems to be getting more and more lively."
...
Devil's Island Prison, press conference site.
Warren Worthington II on the podium had put down the potion in his hand and was now answering questions from reporters in the venue one by one. The latter were active and enthusiastic, and the former were eloquent. For a while, the atmosphere was quite lively.
On the periphery of the venue, two contractors dressed as guards were not interested in the questions and answers not far away. After watching for a while, they simply chatted casually.
"I heard that many people died in Cairo yesterday. The leaders of the Deathstroke Adventure Group and the Bushbird Adventure Group both died there. Tsk, they are both famous adventure groups in the second level."
"Are there not many such things in the open world? No matter how big the name is, it will be vulnerable in the face of absolute strength. It is not so easy to dig out a hidden force like Apocalypse. The more greedy you are, the greater the risk!"
Upon hearing this, another contractor beside him nodded in agreement, and then continued:
"Hey, did the big guy who cleared the scene in Egypt find the golden dome that can awaken Apocalypse?"
"Why think so much? Anyway, whether it is found or not, it is a problem that the leader and others should consider. It has nothing to do with the two of us."
"That's right, but why does the leader have to join Worthington Industries? In the original plot, the entire island was basically destroyed by Phoenix?"
"Joining the mutant camp has high risks and low benefits; the human camp's Trask Industries has too frequent wars; and it is difficult for the military to get promoted; after counting and counting, only Worthington Industries is the most suitable."
"Having the 'antidote' is the biggest advantage. If we can do it well, as long as we can kill Magneto, we'll be rich. As for Jean, she should just run away as soon as possible. Who in this world would dare to confront Phoenix?"
"Oh~"
...
(End of this chapter)