Chapter 67.2 : Jean Join Brotherhood!

It was impossible to drive a car, as the commercial vehicle they had used was destroyed long ago, reduced to a pile of scrap metal. Furthermore, there were few suitable cars left on the roadside. Thus, Magneto and his companions had no choice but to proceed on foot.

As the group of five traversed the decrepit street, faint whispers of fear, hatred, and unease emanated from the courtyards of the surrounding villas or from the upper floors of buildings. Magneto paid no heed to the stares of the ordinary people, showing no concern.

Upon reaching the town entrance, they were met with a scene resembling the aftermath of a giant beast's rampage. The seemingly indestructible Juggernaut lay filthy and limp in a sizable pit, his countenance obscured by a cumbersome helmet.

Observing the tragic sight of Juggernaut, the three young people accompanying Magneto grew visibly pale, relieved that they had not encountered the terrifying individual.

Nightcrawler, in particular, was deeply unsettled. His intuition had been accurate; the youth harbored a terrifying power within.

It was worth noting that among them, Juggernaut was the most formidable, nearly invincible once in motion. Yet now, he appeared pitiable.

Even Magneto couldn't conceal his surprise, though he maintained a composed demeanor. With a single mental command, he effortlessly dismantled the helmet encasing Juggernaut's head.

Beneath the helmet was a visage marked by suffering, with a nose tinted blue and a swollen face.

Magneto's heart skipped a beat at the sight, but he outwardly remained unaffected, raising an eyebrow. "You're alright?"

Juggernaut gave a slight shake of his head but remained silent.

"If that's settled, let's move on," Magneto declared, his mind preoccupied as he led the group away.

Meanwhile, atop a distant villa roof, Carl observed Magneto and his retinue vanish from the town's outskirts before turning his attention towards Jean Gray's residence.

After a series of leaps, Carl arrived outside the dilapidated villa. Bursting inside, he found Wolverine and Storm standing before a room, their expressions solemn as they stared at the lone wheelchair within.

Adopting an expression of feigned shock and disbelief, Carl's voice quivered as he inquired, "Mr. Orolo, where is the professor?"

Storm's lips moved, but he simply shook his head in sorrow, rendered speechless by the news.

Wolverine remained silent for a moment before whispering, "Jean killed the Professor."

"What! Jean actually killed the Professor?" Carl's face contorted with shock and anger, his fists clenched tightly, his emotions barely contained.

After a prolonged silence, Storm said nothing more, lifting the empty wheelchair and quietly leaving, followed by Wolverine who let out a heavy sigh.

The trio stepped out of the villa and were met with the harrowing scene of destruction in the town outside.

Almost nothing remained untouched; the signs of battle were evident everywhere, painting a vivid picture of the intense war that had taken place.

Observing the town, nearly half reduced to rubble, and seeing Carl's disheveled appearance with torn trousers and bare feet, Storm's lingering resentment for his delayed arrival dissipated.

Indeed, Carl had no foresight of what was to come.

He had been engaged in a fierce battle with an exceptionally powerful Mutant at the time, leaving him with no opportunity to intervene.

In silence, the three made their way to their car, one of the few undamaged vehicles in the town, started the engine, and departed amidst the rubble.

Leaving behind a landscape of ruins.

Later in the afternoon, all the Mutant students received a devastating piece of news.

Their beloved principal, revered mentor, and guiding light, Professor X, had passed away.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the entire Mutant Academy.

In disbelief, the students rushed outside the professor's office, only to find the X-Men assembled there, their expressions heavy with grief.

"Why?!"

"How could this happen?!"

"No, it can't be true! The Professor can't be dead!"

But despite their protests and pleas, the reality remained unchanged. They could only gaze at the X-Men, hoping against hope that the news was merely a cruel falsehood.

At that moment, Storm spoke in a hushed tone, "This morning, Jean woke up agitated, and we accompanied the professor..."

Commencing from their departure, Storm recounted the incident to everyone.

Upon reaching the town, they encountered Magneto and his cohorts outside the villa where Jean resided, and subsequently remained outside as per the professor's instructions.

Soon after, there was an eruption of Psychokinesis, triggered by the inner piano of the villa, leading to a confrontation with Magneto's associates who sought entry.

Ultimately, upon bursting into the house, they were subdued by the formidable Psychokinesis unleashed by Jean.

It wasn't until the professor's demise that the Psychokinesis ceased.

Simultaneously, Storm underscored the intense skirmish that ensued between Carl and Magneto outside, the repercussions of which nearly razed the town.

These words were primarily directed towards Iceman, Shadowcat, and the others.

To preempt any queries regarding Carl's failure to rescue the professor.

Given that they would undoubtedly ponder why Carl, who had previously rescued Scott from Jean, couldn't save the professor this time.

As the Mutant School mourned, Magneto's faction also began adjusting their plans due to Jean's involvement.

In their underground base, Magneto convened a meeting with a dozen of his formidable mutants.

Magneto's tone was solemn as he spoke, "Today, our Brotherhood has gained a powerful mutant ally, whose abilities transcend imagination."

"With her by our side, humans pose no threat to us."

"Next, our target: the source of Mutant Cure, namely, the experimental subjects capable of suppressing mutant abilities..."