Chapter 163: The Hypocrisy of the Pretty Country

On the other end of the call.

Nick Fury's expression turned extremely grim after hearing Hill's report.

The worst-case scenario he had anticipated had come to pass.

Rogers sensed something was off and stepped forward to ask, "Fury, what happened?"

"Captain, the battle is over."

Rogers squinted. So quickly?

From the moment he saw that flash of gold leave until now, not much time seemed to have passed.

Nick Fury's voice was low, but everyone in the room heard it clearly.

Anna, who had just regained her composure, stood up and walked over to Nick Fury, her expression tense.

Mystique, who was standing nearby, naturally assumed that Magneto had won. After all, as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, she knew his power well. And that man was wearing a full suit of metal armor.

Wouldn't that be a perfect setup for Magneto to utterly crush him?

Mystique wasn't surprised the battle ended so quickly; if anything, she thought it had taken longer than expected. Soon, Magneto would be back to rescue her.

Anna stood before Nick Fury, worry etched on her face as she asked, "Who won?"

She was aware of Magneto's capabilities and, as a member of the upper echelons of society, she knew how much the real power-holders feared him.

In Anna's heart, she was more concerned for the safety of Emperor.

Nick Fury was about to answer when Mystique cut in, "Nick Fury, aren't you going to let me go?"

"If Erik is coming back, do you really think the two of you can stop him from killing that little beauty next to you?"

At Mystique's threat, Rogers spoke up first: "No matter who he is, I'll fight him until the very end."

Mystique couldn't help but sneer at Rogers' naive words. "Who do you think you are?"

"Do you really think you can stand against Erik?"

"You—!"

"You think that Magneto will still come to save you?"

Nick Fury quickly stepped up to Mystique, staring her down as he said, "Magneto lost."

The words from Nick Fury's mouth made Anna finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Rogers, too, exhaled, a subtle shift in his gaze hinting at unspoken thoughts.

Only Mystique's face showed disbelief as she scoffed, "Nick Fury, do you think you can scare me with that?"

"There's no one on this planet who can defeat Erik."

"I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to frighten me, take me back to S.H.I.E.L.D., and pry Brotherhood secrets from me…"

Before Mystique could finish, Nick Fury's fist slammed into the wall behind her with a muffled thud.

His murderous glare made Mystique instinctively shut her mouth.

"I'll say it again: Magneto lost."

"And not only did he lose—he was killed."

Mystique was stunned, her eyes turning hollow.

Magneto… dead?

Nick Fury straightened, casting a glance at the dumbstruck Mystique before turning to Rogers.

"Captain, I think we should head over there."

"What about her?" Rogers gestured to Mystique, who was huddled in the corner.

"Leave her. New York is about to change completely."

With that, Nick Fury walked out the door.

Rogers turned to Anna and said, "Come with us. It's safer than staying here."

Anna nodded, replying, "Okay…"

Once everyone had left, Mystique, snapping out of her daze, struggled to her feet, one hand bracing against the wall as she gasped for breath.

"No, I don't believe it!"

"It must be that useless egghead, Nick Fury, trying to trick me…"

Mystique leaned against the wall, unable to accept that Magneto had been defeated and killed.

But as time passed since Nick Fury and the others had left, and Magneto still hadn't returned, an unsettling feeling grew within her. She slowly moved step by step out of the room, praying desperately that what Nick Fury had said was a lie.

That Magneto was only defeated, not dead!

Without even realizing it, Mystique accepted the reality that Magneto had lost.

When she made it downstairs, after some time regaining her strength, she found a trash bin and retrieved a black earpiece from inside.

Pressing it lightly, a disgruntled voice came through immediately: "Did you succeed?"

"Why did it take so long?"

Mystique replied, "Erik is in trouble, and I'm injured."

"Come pick me up."

"Alright, locking onto your location now."

"Wait for me there!"

...

In front of Magneto's corpse.

Wolverine and several X-Men stood solemnly, staring at the lifeless body of Magneto, whose eyes remained open in death.

"Who could possibly have the power to kill this guy?" Wolverine, Logan, spoke first.

To Logan, defeating Magneto had always seemed nearly impossible. His bones were made entirely of adamantium, making him easy prey for Magneto's manipulation.

The others around Logan were equally stunned, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"We should report back to the Professor," someone suggested.

"I have a feeling the world is about to change," Storm said gravely.

Cyclops, not entirely agreeing, said, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"With Magneto dead, the number of mutants committing crimes will decrease. Won't our reputation improve?"

The others exchanged glances and shook their heads at Cyclops' naivety.

Logan walked up to Cyclops, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke with a hint of warning.

"They fear us not because of what we do, but because we're different," Logan said.

Cyclops, puzzled, asked, "Is that so? Then why?"

Logan tightened his coat and replied, "Because we are not like them."

He then turned to the group. "Let's head back. Charles probably already knows about Erik's death. We should see what's next."

They began their journey back to the X-Mansion, Cyclops still confused but following the others.

---

Inside the X-Mansion.

Charles Xavier sat at his desk, troubled and tense, his fingers tapping restlessly on the table.

Jean Grey entered, carrying a cup of hot coffee, and placed it in front of Charles.

"Professor, Logan and the others are on their way back. Everything should be fine," she reassured him.

"Magneto has escaped death so many times before; this time shouldn't be any different," Jean added, pushing the coffee closer. "The man is cunning."

Charles felt slightly relieved by Jean's words. "Let's hope so."

Just as he reached for the coffee, Charles suddenly froze.

Jean's expression changed drastically, her eyes widening in shock as she looked out the window.

"Professor…"

Charles clenched his fists, his eyes reddening with suppressed emotion. "Erik… dead?"

He could feel the mental presence that was uniquely Magneto's vanish completely.

What else could it be but death?

Charles slumped in his wheelchair, deflated, his face turning pale.

"Professor, are you all right?" Jean asked, concern filling her voice.

Jean struggled to find the right words to console Charles. She knew that Xavier and Magneto had once been the best of friends, only to part ways due to ideological differences. One had founded the Brotherhood of Mutants, opposing humanity, while the other had created the X-Men, seeking peaceful coexistence.

Despite years of conflict between the Brotherhood and the X-Men, Jean knew that Charles had never completely let go of their past friendship.

Now that Magneto was dead, it was only natural for Charles to grieve.

"Professor, my condolences. I can only imagine how you feel…" Jean said softly.

Charles shook his head and looked at Jean, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Jean, do you think I'm saddened because Erik was once my friend?"

Jean nodded, unable to see it any other way.

Charles gave a bitter smile. "The bond we once shared has long faded, but for a moment, yes, I felt sorrow. Yet what I fear more is what comes next."

"What do you mean?" Jean asked, puzzled.

"With Magneto gone, the Brotherhood has lost its leader. Isn't that a good thing for us?"

Charles shook his head at Jean's limited understanding. He didn't blame her—she was still young and had yet to see the bigger picture.

"Jean, the X-Men exist primarily to counter the Brotherhood," Charles explained. "That is why the U.S. government allowed me to establish the X-Mansion, to take in and train young mutants into X-Men.

"It's the only way to deter more mutants from joining the Brotherhood."

Jean's eyes widened as the realization sank in. The X-Mansion had been allowed to exist to counterbalance Magneto's influence. Without the Brotherhood, what purpose did the X-Men serve to the government?

"But…" Jean's voice wavered, clinging to a last shred of hope. "We've always stood by the government. Doesn't that mean they'd still trust us?"

"Jean, when I was younger, I thought just like you," Charles said with a sigh. "But I was wrong. Even if mutants serve their interests, they will always fear us. Simply because we are different."

Jean's mouth opened slightly in shock. Though she wanted to believe in humanity's goodwill, her own experiences told her Charles was right.

Charles turned to look out the window, a distant look in his eyes. "This country… so hypocritical."

"Erik, you truly were my friend. Even in death, you've left me with this mess to clean up."

Charles had once hoped that the delicate balance between the Brotherhood and the X-Men would continue, ensuring their mutual necessity.

But now, with Magneto dead…

"Jean, when Logan and the others return, tell them to find out who killed Erik. I need to go somewhere."

"Where are you going, Professor?" Jean asked.

Charles took a deep breath. "To seek help from someone I'd rather not. Someone who can get us through this crisis.

"Or perhaps… an organization."

Seeing Jean's hesitation, Charles cut her off. "Don't worry, I'll go alone. Stay here and wait for Logan and the others. I should be back by tomorrow night."

"Understood, Professor."

---

Beside Magneto's body.

Nick Fury and Captain America stood near the corpse, staring at the several bloody wounds marking Magneto's body.

Anna was asleep in the car, having been through severe mental strain that night. Only after hearing that the Emperor had defeated Magneto did she relax enough to fall asleep.

Nick Fury rubbed his face with both hands, trying to jolt himself back to reality. This was no dream.

Captain America turned to him. "Will things really go the way you're predicting?"

"Cap, that would be the best outcome," Fury said.

"The government's stance on mutants has always been one of total eradication," Fury continued, pointing at Magneto's lifeless form. "As much as I disliked him, his existence did bring a measure of stability to the mutant community.

"The bureaucrats upstairs, obsessed with power and money, will never tolerate an uncontrollable force within their borders. Nor will they allow anyone else to control it. Their aim has always been to destroy it."

Captain America's jaw clenched. "This isn't what this country should be."

"No, Cap," Fury replied. "But it's exactly what this country is now. Selfish, hypocritical, disgusting."

Even Rogers, known for his patience, couldn't help but mutter, "Fuck."

---