Chapter 29

Bonus Chapter!

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After a long standoff at the base, Magneto, Eric, didn't get the answers he was seeking. His carefully laid plans were completely ruined, which left the militant mutant leader furious. In the end, he chose to leave, but not before venting his frustration. Everything valuable had either been destroyed or taken away.

As Magneto stormed off, he left behind a bitter parting remark.

Meanwhile, Wolverine, Logan, wandered into a laboratory filled with familiar equipment. The sight of it stirred fragments of long-lost memories, though they were disjointed and unclear. The headache that followed made it impossible for him to piece it all together, leaving him frustrated.

Later, Professor X and the others returned to the fighter jet. The younger generation were thrilled to see the professor and Scott safe. Finally, the X-Men received an explanation from Professor X.

A mysterious group had raided Stryker's test base. While the professor didn't know the full details of the battle, Logan, with his experience as a seasoned warrior, could tell from the state of the base that the attack had been a swift and brutal blitzkrieg. Stryker and his forces had been wiped out in less than five minutes, unable to even put up a fight. All surveillance data had been deleted, and anything of value had been meticulously stripped from the base.

This level of power and precision immediately raised alarm bells for Logan and the others.

In the resting cabin of the fighter jet, Storm, Ororo, turned to Scott and asked, "You had brief contact with them. Do you have anything to say, Scott?"

Scott sighed and replied, "They gave me the impression that they were very young—probably in their late teens or early twenties—but extremely powerful."

He spoke helplessly, adding extra emphasis on how powerful they were. He could barely recall anything else, having been drugged and hypnotized. Just as he was about to fight back, an enraged girl knocked him out with a single wave of her hand. The memory bruised his pride—being knocked unconscious by a girl was a blow he found hard to bear.

Ororo nodded thoughtfully. "Stryker is a military colonel who commands a specialized task force—his personal unit. Fully armed and stationed at the base, they were massacred in mere minutes. The level of skill and power needed to achieve that is something only a handful in the world could possess."

Jean shook her head in disbelief.

Stryker himself might not have been incredibly strong, but he had soldiers, weapons, and influence. He had managed to control both Professor X and Scott through his schemes and even launched a successful raid on the school. That alone demonstrated his capability.

Yet, despite all of this, he and his forces were taken down so easily. The group responsible for that must have been incredibly powerful. Everyone was discussing the situation, but none of them noticed the intrigued expressions on the faces of the younger team members.

Especially John, also known as Pyro. His eyes were filled with excitement. A group of young people had accomplished such a daring and decisive feat, and that was exactly the kind of life he longed for. If he could, he would join them in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, the X-Men continued to analyze the situation.

Beast, with his muscular frame and blue fur, rubbed his head thoughtfully. "Stryker was a military colonel, and now that he's dead, we're going to have a serious problem."

As a former diplomat, Beast understood the hostility American society had toward mutants, especially from the government. Stryker's use of Nightcrawler to assassinate the president had already strained relations to the breaking point.

Now, with Stryker's death, the tension between mutants and the government was bound to escalate even further.

Logan and the other X-Men quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Their expressions grew somber as they considered the worsening environment for mutants in the days to come.

Professor X shook his head slightly. "Perhaps the situation isn't as dire as we think, Hank."

Beast, puzzled, asked, "Why do you say that?"

The professor smiled mysteriously. "Those mysterious individuals might surprise us."

In his mind, through the memories of the rescued children, Professor X had already glimpsed scenes from the base. He had witnessed the communication and expressions of those remarkable young people. He admired the strategic thinking of the one who seemed to be their leader.

The deleted data and erased surveillance footage gave him a strong hunch. He already had a guess about who they were. Now, he looked forward to the day when he could have a face-to-face conversation with that young man.

Yes, there was something a bit sinister about him, but how could he not feel a bit grateful to the one who saved both him and his students?

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In a secluded rental cabin deep in the Canadian wilderness, snow was falling heavily outside. But inside, the warmth from the fireplace made the atmosphere cozy and inviting.

Two pickup trucks were parked outside the wooden house, their tires covered in fresh snow. Inside, Natasha and Wanda were setting dinner plates and placing cappuccinos on the table, while the others eagerly prepared for dinner. This time of day always brought a sense of joy and comfort, especially when they all came together to cook.

The little girl, Clarice, had just finished washing up and changed into the clothes they had bought for her on the way. She looked refreshed and ready to join the group for dinner.

After tying her messy hair with a rubber band, the once dirty little girl now looked clean and beautiful. She sat quietly on the sofa, sipping hot milk in small, careful sips.

Leon and Natasha stood by the window, meticulously going over their haul from the base. In truth, the loot wasn't extensive. The base was primarily a testing facility, lacking any valuable military hardware.

The real prize was the Adamantium, an incredibly valuable material coveted by many. However, Leon had no plans to sell it. Quality resources like that were meant for his own people.

Beyond that, they'd also retrieved years of Stryker's research and test data, as well as some advanced military technology. The mutant experimentation data would be highly sought after by certain groups, like Hydra, and could easily fetch hundreds of millions. But Leon had no intention of selling it. Morally, he couldn't justify it. Even if he did, it would likely lead to his family alienating him.

The true valuable gain lay in the U.S. military technology. They had obtained advanced drone designs and heavy transport aircraft technology. Natasha mentioned that selling these to agents of the black market of various countries could bring in an enormous profit.

As for whether Leon dared to sell such sensitive tech? That didn't seem to concern him. There was very little he was afraid of.

"What price do you think they'll offer?" Leon asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Natasha shrugged with a smirk. "Congratulations on becoming a billionaire, I guess."