Chapter 126

The dim lighting of Asteroid M's interior cast an ominous glow over the scene. Senator Robert Kelly sat bound to a chair, his wrists and ankles secured by heavy chains. He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting between the mutants who surrounded him.

Magneto, the master of magnetism, stood tall and imposing, his crimson cape billowing behind him. Beside him, Mystique, the shape-shifting mutant, assumed a neutral expression, her golden eyes regarding the captive senator with a hint of disdain.

Sabertooth, the feral mutant, paced the room, his claws flexing with barely contained aggression. Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, stood with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed in a disapproving scowl. And finally, Pietro, the speedster known as Quicksilver, vibrated with barely contained energy, his gaze flickering between his father and the helpless senator.

Kelly swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "What do you want from me?" he demanded, his voice betraying a hint of fear.

Magneto stepped forward, his gaze unwavering as he regarded the captive senator. "Tell me, Robert Kelly, what are your true thoughts on mutants?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

Kelly's brow furrowed, confusion etched on his face. "Mutants?" he scoffed. "They're a threat to humanity, a blight that must be contained and controlled. The Mutant Registration Act is a necessary step to ensure the safety of the people."

Magneto's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "And you believe that, do you?" he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "Tell me, Senator, have you ever taken the time to truly understand the plight of mutants? To see us as more than just a threat to be eradicated?"

Kelly's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching with a mixture of defiance and uncertainty. "I've seen the damage your kind can do," he retorted. "The destruction and chaos you bring. Mutants are a danger that must be dealt with, for the good of all."

Magneto tightened the chain around Kelly's neck, choking him. Kelly tried to grasp for air but could not.

"I suggest you choose your words carefully," Magneto said, his voice low and menacing.

Kelly's eyes widened in fear as he struggled against the unyielding metal links that constricted his throat. He gasped for breath, his hands clawing at the chain in a futile attempt to loosen its grip.

Magneto watched dispassionately, his gaze unwavering. "You speak of mutants as if they are less than human," he said, his tone laced with disdain. "Perhaps it is time you experienced the true power of our kind."

The chain tightened further, and Kelly's struggles grew more desperate. His face flushed, the lack of oxygen taking its toll. Magneto's eyes narrowed as he observed the senator's distress, his own expression betraying a hint of satisfaction.

Magneto released the hold on Kelly's neck, allowing the senator to cough and gasp for air. Kelly's face was flushed, and he took several deep breaths, his body trembling from the ordeal.

"You see, Senator," Magneto said, his voice calm and measured, "this is but a small taste of the power we mutants possess. A power that you and your kind have sought to suppress and control."

Kelly glared at Magneto, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and defiance. "You're monsters," he rasped, his voice hoarse. "Unnatural abominations that must be stopped."

Magneto's eyes narrowed as he regarded the trembling senator before him. "You speak of us as if we are abominations, Senator Kelly," he said, his voice laced with a mixture of contempt and conviction. "But the truth is, we are the next step in the evolution of humanity. We are the future."

Magneto paced the confines of the cell, his movements measured and deliberate. "For too long, we have been forced to hide, to live in the shadows, afraid of your hatred and fear. No more." He turned to face Kelly, his gaze unwavering. "The time has come for us to claim what is rightfully ours."

Kelly's eyes widened, a glimmer of fear flickering across his features. "You can't possibly think that the people will just accept this," he said, his voice trembling. "They'll never allow mutants to take over."

Magneto's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Oh, but they will have no choice," he said, his tone laced with a dangerous certainty. "We are the superior beings, Senator. Our power is undeniable, and we will not be denied any longer."

Magneto's eyes gleamed with a fierce determination as he revealed his plan to Senator Kelly. "I have developed a powerful bomb, one that can level an entire city. And I intend to drop it on New York, unless the humans submit to our demands."

Kelly's face paled, the blood draining from his features as he realized the gravity of the situation. "You can't be serious," he gasped, his voice trembling. "Millions of innocent people will die."

Magneto's expression remained impassive, his voice calm and unwavering. "That is the price they must pay for their ignorance and their fear. The time has come for mutants to take our rightful place, to create a world where we are the masters, and the humans are made to serve."

Kelly's eyes widened in horror as Magneto's words sank in. "You're mad," he breathed, his voice quivering with a mix of fear and disbelief. "Millions of lives, innocent people, will be lost. How can you justify such a heinous act?"

Magneto regarded the senator with an unwavering gaze. "It is a necessary sacrifice, Kelly," he said, his tone calm and resolute. "The humans have suppressed us long enough. Now, it is time for mutants to take our rightful place, to forge a new world where we are the masters."

Kelly shook his head vehemently. "You can't do this. There has to be another way. Surely, you don't believe that mass murder is the answer?"

Magneto's expression hardened. "The humans have left us no choice. They have shown time and time again that they are incapable of accepting us, of seeing us as equals. This is the only way to ensure the survival and prosperity of our kind."

Magneto turned to his Brotherhood, his face etched with a grim determination. "The time has come," he declared, his voice ringing with conviction. "We must act, for the sake of our kind." With a sweep of his hand, he commanded the metal around them, the chains binding Kelly falling away.

The senator's eyes widened in terror as Magneto and his allies strode towards the exit. "You can't do this!" Kelly cried, his voice laced with desperation. "Millions will die! You're all mad!"

Magneto paused, casting a dismissive glance back at the captive senator. "Your words fall on deaf ears, Kelly," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "The future belongs to mutants." With that, he and his Brotherhood departed, leaving Kelly's anguished screams echoing through the halls of Asteroid M.

As Magneto strode down the dimly lit hallway of Asteroid M, his daughter Lorna Dane emerged from the shadows, having witnessed the entire exchange with Senator Kelly.

"Father," Lorna said, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Is it true? What you said to Senator Kelly about the bomb and... leveling an entire city?"

Magneto paused, his expression unreadable as he turned to face his daughter. "You heard our conversation, then," he stated, his tone even.

Lorna's brow furrowed, her eyes searching her father's face for any sign of hesitation or doubt. "I did. And I have to know, is it true? Are you really planning something so... so terrible?"

Magneto regarded his daughter with a fatherly gaze, his expression softening as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "My dear Lorna, I understand your concerns, but you must trust that what I am doing is for the greater good of our kind."

He guided her to a secluded alcove, his voice low and soothing. "Humans have shown us time and again that they are incapable of accepting mutants as equals. They fear our power, our very existence, and they will stop at nothing to oppress us." Magneto's eyes hardened with resolve. "I cannot stand by and watch our people suffer any longer."

Lorna listened, her brow furrowed with worry. "But Father, the bomb... the destruction of an entire city? Surely there must be another way?" Her voice trembled, the weight of her father's plan weighing heavily on her.

Magneto drew Lorna closer, his touch gentle. "My child, I wish there was another path, but the humans have left us no choice. This is the only way to ensure the survival and prosperity of our kind." He cupped her face, his eyes imploring her to understand. "You must see that this is necessary, for our future, for the future of all mutants."

Magneto then leaves, leaving Lorna in a conundrum. Lorna's brow furrowed as she watched her father's retreating form. "Is this the only way..." she murmured, the weight of his plan bearing down on her. Lorna knew the horrors that humans had inflicted upon mutants, the fear and hatred that had driven them to oppress her kind. Yet, the thought of unleashing such devastation, of sacrificing innocent lives, was a line she was not sure she could cross. Lorna's heart raced as she grappled with the gravity of her father's decision, unsure if she had the courage to defy him.

Lorna's mind raced as Ace's words echoed in her thoughts. His plea for an alternative to her father's violent methods resonated deeply within her.

She knew the pain and suffering that had driven her father to this point – the horrors of the Holocaust, the relentless persecution of mutants. His anger was understandable, his desire for mutant supremacy a desperate attempt to ensure their survival. But Ace's message gave her pause.

"Violence and oppression will only breed more of the same," Ace had said. Lorna's gaze fell to the floor, her heart torn between the love for her father and the conviction in Ace's words. "There has to be another way – one that doesn't require us to abandon our principles or turn against our own."

Lorna's fingers curled into fists, the weight of this decision bearing down on her. Could there truly be another path, one that did not involve the devastation her father had planned? A way to secure a future for mutants without resorting to the same tactics that had been used against them?

Lorna's eyes became resolute as she made her decision. She could not allow her father to carry out his plan, even if it meant standing against him. Turning on her heel, Lorna hurried down the corridor, determined to find another way to protect her people.

...

Bolivar Trask sat in the dimly lit command room, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the holographic display before him. The feed from his surveillance network had finally revealed the location of the missing Senator Kelly – Magneto's orbital fortress, Asteroid M.

Trask's jaw tightened with determination. "So, the mutant terrorist has taken the senator," he muttered, his fingers flying across the console as he mobilized his forces. "We'll see about that."

Punching a series of commands, Trask ordered a squadron of Sentinels to launch immediately. "Rescue the senator and eliminate any threats," he barked, his voice carrying a cold edge. "I don't care who stands in your way – mutants, the Kamen Rider, or anyone else. Bring the senator back safely, and destroy all opposition."

The Sentinel units, their metallic frames gleaming, received the order and immediately took to the skies, their powerful engines propelling them towards the distant Asteroid M. Their sensors locked onto the senator's biosignature, and their weapons systems primed for combat, ready to confront any who dared to stand in their way.

Trask leaned back in his chair, a grim satisfaction settling over his features. "I can't afford to lose the senator's support for now," he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "The Sentinels will eliminate any and all threats, no matter the cost."

The squadron of Sentinels streaked through the sky, their course set for the looming presence of Asteroid M, determined to carry out their mission and rescue the captive senator, no matter the cost.

***

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