Actions of Various Parties

As he waited, Eric turned on the news:

"In a week, a United Nations summit will be held on Ellis Island, Manhattan. Over two hundred world leaders are expected to attend the meeting to discuss global peace and the situation regarding mutants."

Eric's lips curled into a knowing smile as he watched the broadcast. "A summit is the perfect opportunity for mutants to rise."

Ten minutes later, a towering man standing at nearly 1.9 meters tall entered the office. His heavily muscled physique and imposing presence created a palpable sense of intimidation.

"Rrrr..."

The man, known as Sabretooth, had no known real name due to his lost memories. He had even lost the ability to speak, so all he could do was growl at Eric.

Eric, however, was used to this behavior. "I need you to go to North Dakota and capture someone for me."

"Rrrr..."

......

In the outskirts of Westchester, New York, there was a highly secretive school known as Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The founder of this school was none other than Charles Francis Xavier, also known as Professor X.

In the headmaster's office, Charles was mulling over the recent news he had received.

A suspected mutant had surfaced in North Dakota, possessing extraordinary healing abilities and wielding metal claws. The individual had been causing disturbances in underground fight clubs and bars.

After some thought, he summoned Scott and Ororo. A short while later, a young man wearing red-tinted glasses and a woman with long white hair entered the room.

"Scott, Ororo, I have a mission for you."

"Yes, Professor. Please go on."

"I need you to go to North Dakota and find someone. Bring him back."

"Is it a mutant?"

"Yes, but be cautious—he might have a bit of a temper."

"Understood, Professor."

As they left, a sense of unease crept into Charles's heart. Then, a television broadcast caught his attention.

"In a week, a United Nations summit will be held on Ellis Island, Manhattan. Over two hundred world leaders are expected to attend the meeting to discuss global peace and the situation regarding mutants."

Seeing this, his unease only deepened. This upcoming summit didn't bode well—it could easily be aimed at the mutants.

If Charles were to act, he could potentially cause every world leader to suffer brain death overnight without leaving any trace of his involvement. But his inherent sense of morality and justice would never allow him to do such a thing.

"We'll have to leave it to fate."

..........................

Nightfall~

In Washington, D.C., Robert was at home, hosting a special guest in his living room.

"Miss Luna, you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you just a week ago."

Luna smiled demurely, sitting gracefully on the sofa. "Thank you, Senator Kelly. After the last birthday party, my boss has been eager to see you again and learn more about your fishing techniques."

"Ha ha, Mr. Adam is quite skilled at fishing himself. I just got lucky that time."

"You picked an excellent spot, Senator. My boss was quite envious of the way you set up the fishing hole."

"Ha ha, I'll definitely go fishing with him again when I have the chance, but I'm quite busy these days."

"Is it about the Mutant Registration Act?"

Although the recent focus on the mass graves in the Gomira region had dominated the news, the Mutant Registration Act had remained a hot topic. Meanwhile, the situation at Stark Industries had lost some of its initial buzz.

As a result, the recent acquisition of Stark Industries shares had gone largely unnoticed, with the stock price hovering around fifty dollars.

As Luna steered the conversation toward the main topic, Robert began to speak more cautiously:

"Indeed. I believe we have the right to know if there are mutants among us and to choose whether we want to live alongside them. Hasn't Mr. Adam always supported me? Is there something he needs this time?"

"Our boss certainly supports you. This time, we've come to discuss the cooperation on the Awakening Project. I understand that Congress is considering approving a hundred billion-dollar budget for the project..."

"Ha ha, Miss Luna, you really do have your ear to the ground. Unfortunately, I can't be of much help this time."

"The Awakening Project is under General Stryker's command, and it's not something I can easily influence. You should approach General Stryker if you're interested."

"But isn't the project primarily backed by you? If you were to speak up, General Stryker would surely listen."

"I've been preoccupied with the Mutant Registration Act lately. I plan to reach an agreement with many world leaders at the United Nations summit next week."

As they chatted, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

"Come in," Robert called.

A middle-aged man dressed in a suit and tie entered, holding a document in his hand.

"Mr Kelly, here is the list of countries participating in the United Nations summit."

"Thank you, Garrick. Just leave it on the table."

Garrick placed the document on the coffee table, casting a calm glance at Luna and the two bodyguards behind her.

"I'll be going now, Senator Kelly."

As Garrick left, Robert was about to resume the conversation when one of Luna's bodyguards leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Luna frowned slightly, a puzzled expression crossing her face as she looked at Robert.

"Miss Luna, is something the matter?"

Luna hesitated for a few seconds before speaking. "Senator Kelly, aren't you the most outspoken critic of mutants? Why would you have a mutant as your assistant?"

Robert froze, staring at her in disbelief. "What do you mean? My assistant is a mutant? Miss Luna, that's not a very funny joke. Garrick has been with me for over ten years—I'd know if he were a mutant."

Seeing that Robert was genuinely unaware, Luna continued, "It seems you didn't know. Our organization employs a mutant tracker who can detect X-genes. The man beside me, Garnett, just informed me of his findings."

Garnett, a member of the Epsilon Squad and a T-3 virus-enhanced individual, had undergone special enhancement to his sense of smell. He could distinguish between ordinary humans and mutants.

Just now, he had detected the scent of a mutant on Garrick and had reported it to Luna out of caution.

Garnett, a tall and robust man, stepped forward. "Senator Kelly, ordinary humans have simple scents—either pleasant or foul. But mutants have a distinct smell, both fragrant and repugnant, like durian. It may stink at first, but upon closer inspection, there's a sweetness to it. The man who just left had that scent."

After Garnett spoke, Luna quickly added, "By the way, Senator Kelly, I've heard of mutants who can change their appearance at will."

"Really?"

Robert's expression grew serious.

___________________________

Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ShadySmuggler