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*****
Washington, D.C. — White House, Presidential Office.
At this moment, the room was packed.
Judging from the epaulettes on their shoulders, the ranks of those present were at least that of generals.
Right now, the office was in a heated debate about the Kent family — and about the mutant issue.
"If this is truly a conspiracy by the Kent family, then we should just deal with them. Why must we escalate it to the entire mutant population?"
"You're far too naïve!" A gray-haired Black general sneered. "Magneto and Professor X hold immense influence among the mutants. If they rally their people before we act…"
"Hold on. We haven't even confirmed whether this alleged Kent conspiracy is real — or whether the mutants truly intend to wage war against us!"
"Hah! Haven't mutants always been a threat?"
"Exactly. Mutants have always been a danger. We should never have relaxed our guard!"
"This is our chance — an opportunity to eliminate the threat once and for all!"
"No. Taking action without evidence is nothing but murder!"
"Murder? How many people have those monsters harmed? This isn't murder — this is removing a high-risk element! It's to protect more lives! Can you honestly say they're not a threat?"
"And how much blood will spill? How many will die?"
"Do you really think mutants are unbeatable? Don't forget — we have weapons designed specifically for them!"
"You—!"
The President rubbed his temples. Seeing the argument rising toward a boiling point, he shouted:
"Enough! Quiet!"
The clashing generals grudgingly fell silent with dissatisfied grunts.
"If — and I do mean if — we take necessary precautions now and employ our special weapons… can we win?"
His gaze shifted toward the Secretary of Defense.
Upon hearing the question, a flicker of excitement appeared in more than a few pairs of eyes.
The Secretary of Defense pondered briefly before responding.
"If we fully deploy the weaponry created from the Purification Serum, we could eliminate the vast majority of mutants. If we treat this as a war… we can achieve victory."
"What about casualties? Have you calculated the potential consequences if top-level mutants like Professor X or Magneto retaliate without restraint?"
"Heh." The Secretary of Defense chuckled lightly. "The Purification Serum is not our only weapon."
Sentinels.
A weapon long developed in secret — far more targeted than the Purification Serum.
Whereas the Purification Serum merely suppressed mutant powers and resulted in mild detainment, Sentinels were built for slaughter and extermination.
Of course, very few were aware of their existence, and at this stage, they had yet to be deployed.
Most importantly, the Sentinel program still had many issues to resolve.
But fortunately, over the past few days, breakthrough after breakthrough had been made.
Thinking of this, the Secretary of Defense decided that once the meeting was over, he would head to the Sentinel lab to check its status — and prepare for its deployment in battle.
Receiving his answer, the President's eyes turned cold.
"Prepare to establish communication with Xavier's School and Future Tech Corporation. Tell Professor X and Magneto to cooperate with our investigation."
Prepare.
The Secretary of Defense's eyes lit up. He clearly understood what prepare truly meant.
He paused, then turned toward the silent man beside him — Ross.
"Ross. Take the Guardians with you. Have them ready for combat at any moment."
Ross gave a quiet nod.
"Everyone, move."
The President spoke flatly, then stood up and left the room.
The others followed shortly after.
The Secretary of Defense slowed his steps, coming alongside Ross. He patted him on the shoulder.
"This operation will be in the hands of your Guardians. You can handle your team, right? I heard some of them have… strong resistance to certain actions."
Ross shot him an indifferent glance and nodded. "That's none of your concern."
"Come on now — your unit was under my jurisdiction before. Just a bit of concern — perfectly normal."
Defense Secretary Leon Cohen gave a low chuckle, patted Ross again, and walked away briskly.
He exited the White House, entered his private vehicle, told the driver his destination, then closed his eyes in the backseat.
This situation was dangerous. War was on the verge of breaking out—
No.
To be precise — war was inevitable.
He scoffed inwardly.
Those damned mutant freaks had no right to live in this world.
This was the chance — to eradicate them all.
He thought of his daughter, disfigured and injured because some mutant awakened their powers — and rage boiled within his chest.
Half an hour later, the car stopped.
"Sir, we've arrived."
Leon Cohen opened his eyes, straightened his clothes, stepped out, and told the driver:
"Wait for me here."
"Yes, sir!"
Leon Cohen strode toward the research facility before him.
Officially, it was a military lab working on fighter jets and similar technologies.
In reality — its true project was the Sentinel program.
To ensure secrecy, the Sentinel development was hidden underground. Even the researchers working above had no idea another facility lay beneath their feet.
Leon Cohen entered the base, stepped into a secured elevator, underwent verification — and instead of rising, the lift descended deep underground.
Tens of meters down, the doors opened.
A scene of intense activity unfolded.
Scientists in lab coats hurried about. Machinery and mechanical limbs were being transported back and forth. Even mutant corpses were scattered among the equipment.
Leon Cohen ignored all of it, walking straight into the office of the project lead — demanding to see the latest Sentinel prototype.
There it stood.
A towering figure of pitch-black alloy, scales of metal covering every inch like reptilian armor.
Wires upon wires were connected to its body.
"How is it? Have the programming issues been resolved?"
Leon Cohen ran his hand across the Sentinel's surface.
"Progress has been swift recently."
The project lead's voice carried barely hidden excitement.
Sentinels — machines of war built to kill mutants.
To counter the variety of mutant abilities, Sentinels were designed with the capability to replicate powers. But that functionality required immensely complex combat logic.
"How fast?" Leon Cohen frowned. "Give me a precise timeframe."
"At the current pace, barring unexpected complications — three months."
"Three months? Too long!" Leon Cohen's tone grew sharp. "Accelerate the schedule. The Sentinels may be needed very soon."
Hearing this, the researcher stiffened, then nodded rapidly.
Leon Cohen let out a soft laugh and turned away.
The two men left the room.
Inside the now-empty chamber, the motionless Sentinel — which should have remained dormant — suddenly lit up.
Two red beams flashed in its dim eyes.
A flicker of data ran across its system.
Then, silence once more.
Xavier's School.
All the teachers were gathered in the staff room.
Charles held the phone to his ear, listening to the warning from the Avengers. His expression was solemn. He thanked them repeatedly.
They had long anticipated this situation — but receiving a reminder at such a crucial moment spoke volumes about where the Avengers stood.
Charles ended the call and exhaled softly, looking toward the gathered staff.
Their faces were equally grave.
Seeing them, Charles gave a helpless smile.
"I can sense your doubts."
Facing their questioning eyes, Charles nodded slightly.
"Yes — Erik, Magneto… is my brother."
The leaked information had already confirmed this beyond dispute. There was no point denying it.
However—
"To say that we are plotting to lead mutants into war against humanity? That the Kent family is planning to wipe out mankind? That is… laughable!"
Derision filled Charles' voice.
The teachers nodded firmly.
They knew about Cerebro. If Charles truly wished to destroy humanity — he could have done so alone.
Logan frowned.
"Then why did Erik hide his identity? Why become Magneto?"
Charles let out a weary sigh.
"Back during the Hellfire Club era, Erik joined them as Magneto in order to gain control — to restrain their more violent mutants."
"When the Black Queen died, he left and established the Brotherhood."
"As you've seen, after he founded the Brotherhood, their actions changed drastically. They no longer targeted civilians. They focused on rescuing persecuted mutants."
"He became Magneto to restrain those who hated humans — not to destroy humanity."
"Furthermore, his involvement with Hellfire helped create this school."
Ororo blinked in confusion.
"What does the founding of the school have to do with that?"
Emma spoke softly.
"Charles wanted to establish the school. But in the eyes of many, a mutant academy would be seen as a threat. However — if a hostile force like the Brotherhood existed…"
Ororo's eyes widened.
"They would treat Xavier's School as a countermeasure against the Brotherhood — and thus allow it to be built?"
Charles nodded.
"Exactly."
The two brothers — one representing the light, the other the shadow — had sacrificed far more than others could ever imagine, all for the future of mutant-human coexistence.
Especially Erik…
He carried the name Magneto, enduring countless curses.
And now, with that single leaked message — everything they had worked for was in ruins.
When that realization settled in, the room filled with complicated emotions.
Admiration. Regret. Sadness.
Smack!
Remy LeBeau and Logan suddenly slapped themselves hard across the face.
As the others turned in surprise, Remy spoke stiffly.
"We've cursed Magneto many times. That slap was our apology."
At that, the other X-Men glanced at their own hands…
(End of Chapter)