The X-Men, the Brotherhood, Apocalypse's team, and the remnants of the Hellfire Club—the main forces of mutantkind—were all gathered at the Hydra base.
Apocalypse had attempted to dismantle a captured Sentinel, only to find it impossible. A magnetic interference field on its surface nullified his powers. Upon learning of the Sentinels' ability to replicate and adapt, the surviving mutants were gripped by panic. They were facing an army of robots that could combine the powers of Pyro, Iceman, Colossus, and Cyclops. It was like facing a legion of Level 4 mutants.
Wade, remembering Alan's words on the island, demanded, "You said there was a spy. Who is it?"
"She is…" Alan's gaze swept across the room. "The Exile, Riven!"
Who? The only Raven anyone knew was Mystique. All eyes turned to the red-haired, blue-skinned woman.
"Don't you dare slander me!" Mystique defended herself. "How could I possibly be a spy?" She was renowned in the mutant community for her tireless fight for their rights. Many had been helped by her.
"You lunatic! How can you prove Raven is a spy? If you can't, I won't let you off easy!"
"Anyone who slanders Mystique is an enemy of the Brotherhood of Mutants!"
"I think you're the spy! How did you know they were Sentinels the moment they appeared?"
The members of the Brotherhood immediately began to vehemently defend Mystique's honor.
Alan, unperturbed, pulled a carrot from his armpit. "I am a staunch anti-American fighter," he said calmly. "So I couldn't possibly be a spy. As for why I say Raven is the spy, it's simple. I've seen the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past. The dwarf scientist, Dr. Trask, used Raven's genes to develop the Sentinels' elemental replication and mimicry abilities. Since Raven is here and perfectly fine, there's reason to suspect she's a spy."
Uh… This guy is insane. What's all this about a movie? Does he even hear himself talk?
However, among the crowd were those with keen intellect and sharp observation. The Sentinels' mimicry ability was strikingly similar to Mystique's; when they changed form, their surface rippled with a feather-like pattern. But it made no sense for Mystique to be working for the government.
Wade proposed another theory. "Is it possible they just collected a sample of Raven's blood for their research? I mean, I come home missing arms and legs all the time."
"That's certainly a possibility," Alan mused, stroking his chin. "In that case, only one person can give us the answer."
"Who?"
"Logan."
The accusation shifted again, this time to Wolverine, who was quietly smoking a cigar in the corner. Alan strode up to him. "Your consciousness traveled back from the future, didn't it?"
"…" Logan stared at him, completely baffled. "I am who I am. I've always been myself." He extended his three adamantium claws, a clear warning to stop the baseless accusations.
"Oh, right," Alan said, remembering a key detail. "If you had traveled back, you'd still have your bone claws."
"I can prove Mystique's innocence," a mutant stepped forward, explaining that he could read and share memories with others.
"Read his memory too, not just Raven's!" someone else suggested.
"I have no problem with that," Alan said, shrugging his shoulders and readily accepting the challenge.
The group unanimously chose Magneto as the witness. He was known for his ruthlessness, especially towards traitors. If it was confirmed that Mystique was a traitor, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her, regardless of their past.
In a few moments, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Mystique was proven innocent. Then, the telepath placed one hand on Alan's shoulder and the other on Magneto's. Less than a minute later, both the telepath and Magneto recoiled, blood pouring from their noses. They stared at Alan in absolute horror.
"What did you see?" Apocalypse asked, intrigued. Their reaction was extreme.
"I saw three cats arguing," Magneto said, his voice trembling as if he'd just watched the most terrifying horror film. "And then they turned their heads, and all their faces were his!" He shuddered. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never attempt to enter Alan's mind again. It was just too bizarre.
"I didn't even feel anything, and you're already done?" Alan sounded disappointed. He had been looking forward to someone invading his mind again, remembering how Charles had gotten a nosebleed. "Ray of Humiliating Failure!" With a casual flick of his fingers, he shot a healing beam at them.
"Your powers haven't disappeared?" Apocalypse was certain the syringe had been full of the neutralization serum. Logically, Alan should have become a normal human.
"It's probably because of my recessive genes," Alan explained. Apocalypse didn't press the matter further. In this time of crisis, a healer was too valuable.
With the traitor issue unresolved, the three factions sent representatives to discuss how to deal with the Sentinel crisis. Cyclops, Charles's star pupil and the X-Men's leader, represented his team. The remnants of the Hellfire Club, now homeless, had split and joined the Brotherhood and Apocalypse's faction for protection.
While the others deliberated, Alan took action.
"Little maniac, you know what's going on, don't you?" Wade said, a knowing look on his face. He suspected Alan was hiding many secrets.
"It's obvious that an extraterrestrial force is involved," Alan said seriously. "If the Sentinels weren't developed from Mystique's genes, then there's only one other answer."
"What's that?" Wade asked.
"The Skrulls' Secret Invasion," Alan guessed. "The Skrull Empire in the Andromeda Galaxy has been planning to invade Earth for a long time. Their racial talent is mimicry and replication. I can't think of any other enemy that fits the bill."
"Now you're bringing aliens into this?" Wade was shocked.
"What's the big deal? Earth has always been a disaster magnet. An alien wearing his red underwear on the outside is worshipped as a hero here. We humans are very progressive," Alan joked. Wade knew he was referring to Superman, but at this point in time, Superman was probably still in diapers.
"Don't worry. Everything is under control," Alan said confidently, striding towards Black Widow's quarters. Wade followed him in.
Natasha was in a bathrobe, enjoying a glass of red wine. Since joining Hydra, she hadn't been on a single mission, mostly just serving as a background character.
"Black Widow, I brought your ex-husband to see you," Alan said, making himself at home. He grabbed a handful of ice from the bucket, dropped it into a wine glass, and took a small sip. As a man of principle, Alan strictly adhered to his no-alcohol policy.
"Long time no see, Scarlett," Wade said, plopping down and calling her by the actress's name.
Natasha, who had been slightly tipsy, lost her mood completely. She rolled her eyes. "What is it?"
"Don't be so distant. We're so close, it's like we're a team." Alan's demeanor shifted from playful to serious. "The organization has an important mission for you."
"Time, place, objective," Natasha asked, her expression professional.
"See? That's a pro," Alan said to Wade, who nodded in agreement.
"Investigate Trask Industries. Find out if they're manufacturing the Sentinels, and locate their factories." Alan then asked, "Do you need your ex-husband's cooperation?"
"Doesn't matter. As long as he doesn't get in my way." Natasha stood up, about to untie her bathrobe.
Instantly, Alan and Wade leaned in closer, their eyes wide with anticipation.
As the bathrobe came off, it revealed her iconic black leather catsuit underneath. The two of them slumped back in disappointment.
"What did you want to see?" Natasha asked with a playful smile.
"I wanted to see if a man running at the speed of light in circles could run into himself," Alan blurted out nonsensically.
"You should ask the Flash to try that. He might be able to do it," Wade suggested seriously.
Only Natasha was suited for this investigation. She wasn't a mutant, and she was a seasoned professional spy. With the six Winter Soldiers as backup, the mission would be a breeze. Wade would only mess things up.
Alan, now the head of Hydra, and Natasha, his second-in-command, could access intelligence to minimize risks and command Hydra agents for support.
They went down to the sub-level. The Sentinels were controlled by a smart network. Alan couldn't exactly go find the child version of Tony Stark and force him to create J.A.R.V.I.S. That would be cruel. And he couldn't find Cyborg, who was probably still a tadpole. The only option was Dr. Zola.
The lights flickered on, and the mainframes whirred to life. Dr. Zola's pixelated face appeared on the monitor.
"I have finally awaited the coming of the new century, the fourth—"
"Can't you change your line?" Alan interrupted.
"You again? Why did you wake me?" Zola's voice was full of annoyance.
"I woke you up to work. If you don't help, the world is going to be destroyed, and the Fourth Reich will be destroyed with it." Alan wasn't exaggerating. The Sentinels were constantly upgrading and evolving. They could detect the hidden X-gene in humans and would follow a "kill on sight" directive.
After Alan explained the situation, Dr. Zola said awkwardly, "I can't help you. My system is on a closed local network. I don't have internet access."
"I've already thought of that," Alan said with a grin. "We'll just install a wireless router."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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