"Based on the satellite images taken by S.H.I.E.L.D. yesterday, we know the location of their stronghold."
A holographic projection shimmered in the center of the cabin, displaying a 3D structural map of the Weapon X base. It was a dockside warehouse, but according to intelligence, underground facilities, which housed Weapon X, were hidden beneath it.
With this information, Cyclops decisively began assigning tasks. Everyone (except the White Queen) was clad in their yellow and blue combat suits, awaiting his command.
As for Cyclops, he didn't really have much of a plan. His idea was simple: just take Spider-Man and Silk, blast through the Weapon X stronghold, grab the gene splicer to cure Spider-Man, and arrest all of Weapon X's personnel.
Peter, who was listening in, was stunned. He hadn't expected Cyclops's command style to be like this—no tactical analysis, no contingency plans, not even an escape strategy mentioned. But Cyclops was unconcerned: Why do I need a plan with a troop advantage? Just F2 and A-move, and it's done!
"Move out!"
So, a bewildered Peter squeezed into a Quinjet with everyone else. It didn't take long for them to fly above a warehouse, which, according to S.H.I.E.D. intelligence, was the location of Weapon X.
"Stay here with them, Jubilee."
As the hydraulic hiss of the loading ramp filled the cabin, blinding sunlight poured in. Logan was the first to approach the opening. Before jumping, he looked at Jubilee and instructed her, then took a deep breath and leaped out of the Quinjet.
Cyclops chuckled as he watched Wolverine jump, then smiled in agreement with his sentiment: "Stay up here, kids. Hank, take care of them!"
One by one, the X-Men jumped from the plane. Only Beast remained, piloting the jet. When he saw Peter looking at him, he explained helplessly, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not like them; I can't fall hundreds of meters and still bounce back."
This was true. The others, upon jumping, displayed their various powers. From 300 meters up, Cyclops adjusted his falling posture. His quartz glasses glowed with a dangerous red light, and a crimson concussive blast slammed into the ground. The concrete warehouse vaporized in the energy beam, revealing a cold, metallic bunker below.
Logan landed first. A few hundred meters was nothing more than temporary pain for him, with his healing factor and Adamantium skeleton. Colossus was second; his metallic muscles allowed him to fall from hundreds of meters without harm, even creating a large crater on the bunker's surface.
Iceman created an ice slide in mid-air, landing to the side. The White Queen landed steadily with her telekinesis. Finally, Cyclops, after using his optic blasts to slow his descent, landed gracefully at the bunker entrance, saying, "To me, my X-Men!"
"Even though I'm not down there, you all know I'm an X-Man too." In the cockpit, Beast adjusted the jet to automatic hover, looking at the camera feed and speaking helplessly to Peter and the others. He pointed to his self-designed yellow and blue suit, shaking his head.
Jubilee asked with great interest, "Can you design a suit for me?"
"When the academy reopens, if you want to join the X-Men and after a few months of training, maybe." Beast didn't completely extinguish Jubilee's hope. "But not now."
Peter was surprised to find Cindy watching the X-Men's battle with Weapon X intently. He'd thought Cindy wasn't interested in such things, only preferring to read.
"The S.H.I.E.L.D. handbook says that if you encounter a superhuman conflict without explicit orders to intervene, you need to observe their actions in real-time to determine the intervention time."
Cindy noticed Peter's gaze and offered an explanation. Jubilee, standing nearby, heard this and popped her bubblegum, then curiously asked, "What about the parts S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't specify?"
Cindy was momentarily stumped. She had never considered what to do if S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't give instructions.
Shifting back to the battlefield, the five X-Men saw the bunker's large door open. Leading the charge was Daken, followed by Deathstrike and Domino, and finally, Deadpool.
As for Ajax, he still didn't show himself. Only a drone flew out, emitting an irritating voice.
"Well, well, lookie here! Isn't it the X-Men? I thought Colonel Stryker had you all fragmented back then. Now there's only half of you left, and you still plan to fight my Weapon X?"
"If I'm counting correctly, you have fewer people than me, Ajax."
Cyclops said, gesturing to the White Queen. She slightly frowned, then shook her head.
"The opponent has telepathy. I can only roughly determine his location."
Ajax had telepathy?
This revelation astonished not only the X-Men but also a few of Weapon X's own members. They had no idea Ajax was a mutant, let alone that he possessed telepathic abilities.
As for Cyclops, he was secretly relieved that he had brought the White Queen to their side in time. Facing a telepath, having a telepath on your team completely changes the battle.
Of course, Emma hadn't completely earned his trust yet, but Cyclops was different from the Professor; he was willing to choose more adventurous strategies to fulfill the Professor's ideal. Even if it meant putting a knife to his own heart, if that knife could kill enough enemies before piercing him, it would be worth it.
As for telepathy, the X-Men all had psychic shields and anti-brainwashing training left for them by the Professor, so at least in the short term, the White Queen wouldn't be a threat.
As for the Weapon X crew... while surprised, they didn't react much. After all, they had no morals to speak of. Their only concern was whether Ajax had been controlling them with telepathy, but that was something to deal with later.
So, for now, the X-Men still held the advantage.
But why did the other side seem so fearless?
The answer was simple.
"You're not the only one with reinforcements, Cyclops. I also got a little... help from others."
Flames erupted from a distant S.H.I.E.L.D. stronghold building, and simultaneously, Peter's and Cindy's Spider-Senses blared intensely. Peter immediately yelled for Beast to maneuver and dodge.
A shining meteor shot out from the S.H.I.E.L.D. building, then plunged towards the Weapon X bunker. As it dropped two things, the meteor streaked toward the Quinjet.
Beast hit the emergency brakes at top speed, but the object still shattered the Quinjet's wing. Left with no choice, Beast yelled "Look out!" and began an emergency landing towards the sea.
The dropped individuals were, naturally, Sabretooth and Omega Red, who had been imprisoned at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Mister Sinister had long known the location of the S.H.I.E.L.D. stronghold. He specifically waited until Cyclops and his team departed before having the modified Original Human Torch raid S.H.I.E.L.D., rescue these two, and then take care of Spider-Man and the others on the plane, creating a numerical advantage for himself.
"Now, whose math is bad, Cyclops?"