Bab 599: Ideological Conflict
Under Charles' telepathic abilities, a long-forgotten memory slowly surfaced in Erik's mind, as if he had momentarily returned to a time in his childhood when he was genuinely happy. Unbeknownst to him, tears welled up in his eyes. Until now, Erik—known to the world as Magneto—had always been seen as strong and unyielding. However, no matter how strong a man is, there are moments when he sheds tears.
Since being imprisoned in the concentration camp and witnessing his mother's murder, Erik had been consumed by intense anger and pain. These emotions constantly reminded him of his need for vengeance, fueling his growth. Yet, these dark memories and emotions had lingered for so long that Erik subconsciously forgot he had ever experienced happiness, even if that joy was fleeting. It was a brief but bright light in his childhood, a beacon in his life.
"Your emotions are far richer than you think, Erik. You aren't only driven by pain and anger; there is also light and goodness in you. I can sense it. When you fully embrace these memories, you will gain a power unmatched by anyone—even me," Charles encouraged, seizing the moment.
Erik fell silent, clearly moved by Charles' words.
However, in the eternal space beyond the screen, Erik raised an eyebrow and shook his head, saying, "Charles is a great teacher, but some of his ideas, I can't agree with. No one chooses to endure pain; it's forced upon us. But there's no denying that pain can awaken our potential, granting us greater power. Logan, you should understand this well."
Logan frowned but said nothing. Deep down, he somewhat agreed with Erik's perspective. Both he and Erik had pasts filled with pain, and they had both drawn strength from that suffering. The difference was that Erik seemed to have become accustomed to it, while Logan sought change.
Wolverine lived in darkness but yearned for the light. To him, light meant protection. Charles's words to Erik in the video were precisely about that—protecting precious memories, protecting loved ones, and safeguarding a bright future. With unwavering belief, one could unleash an unparalleled power.
In the video, Erik finally accepted Charles' teachings. After calming his emotions, he used his abilities once more to control the enormous radar. This time, the radar shifted visibly—it worked! He had succeeded!
Professor X had truly lived up to his reputation, even helping Magneto elevate his abilities. The results of this training seemed promising. But outside, the global situation was becoming increasingly dire. Thanks to Sebastian Shaw's manipulations, tensions between the nuclear superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, were growing, brewing a terrifying storm beneath the surface.
Charles, Erik, and their team knew it was their turn to act. Everyone was determined to stop Sebastian Shaw. During this time, Hank ran tests on Raven's blood samples and discovered that her cells were incredibly active, giving her the ability to retain her youth. Additionally, her blood helped Hank develop a serum that could mask the outward appearance of mutants.
This had been Hank's dream for a long time. He was highly self-conscious and insecure about his appearance, especially his beast-like feet, which would draw ridicule and mockery if exposed. Even among fellow mutants, like Havok, he had been teased about his large feet. After all, mutants like Havok, Banshee, Magneto, and Professor X could easily blend into normal society if they didn't reveal their powers. They wouldn't have to deal with suspicion or fear from the public.
But for mutants like Hank and Raven, it was a different story. Their appearances made them stand out, making it difficult to blend in. Because of this shared experience, Hank and Raven had developed a close bond, both understanding what it felt like to be judged for their looks. With the serum derived from Raven's blood, Hank had finally created a way to conceal their mutant traits. Naturally, the first person he wanted to share this good news with was Raven. He thought she would be as excited as he was, eager to look like a "normal" person again.
However, to his surprise, Raven's attitude had shifted.
Previously, Raven had been just as sensitive and self-conscious about her blue skin as Hank was about his appearance. But after several conversations and encouragements from Erik, she had started to change her mindset. As Erik had once told her, "You want society to accept you, yet you don't even accept yourself."
Erik had helped Raven find a sense of pride in her identity as a mutant, allowing her to embrace who she truly was. She began to understand that being a mutant wasn't something to be ashamed of. It was, in fact, a badge of honor—mutants were the next stage in human evolution! As a result, Raven tried to convince Hank not to be so focused on his appearance, but the conversation didn't go as she had hoped. The two of them ended up having a disagreement, leaving them at odds with each other.
On the other side, Erik and Charles—once close friends—were also beginning to clash, or more accurately, they had always had a fundamental ideological conflict.
Their vastly different life experiences had shaped their opposing attitudes and personalities. Take their current mission to deal with Sebastian Shaw, for example. While both agreed that Shaw needed to be stopped, Charles wanted to prevent Shaw's plans and thwart his schemes. Erik, on the other hand, had every intention of killing Shaw as an act of vengeance.
But their deepest ideological divide lay in their visions for the future of mutants. Erik was a realist. He understood that if they fought Shaw and caused too much chaos, the existence of mutants would inevitably be exposed to the world. Once that happened, he predicted that mutants would face rejection and suppression from human society. He even suspected that if they managed to defeat Shaw, human governments and military forces would soon turn their weapons on them.
Charles, however, didn't share this outlook. He believed that the future for mutants lay in peaceful coexistence with humans. Mutants and humans needed to accept and embrace each other. By stopping Shaw's plot, Charles hoped to demonstrate that mutants could cooperate with humans, working together for a better future.
Undoubtedly, Erik had become the radical voice within the mutant community, heavily influenced by Shaw's own ideology of mutant superiority. He saw mutants as the next evolutionary step, superior to ordinary humans. Meanwhile, Charles represented the moderate perspective, advocating for cooperation, inclusion, and integration into human society rather than confrontation.
Both men were unyielding in their beliefs, and neither could convince the other to change. Yet, with a major battle looming, their ideological differences had to be set aside for now. Their immediate focus was on stopping Sebastian Shaw's reckless plans and preventing global catastrophe.
The storm was on the horizon, and they all knew that the coming conflict would not only decide the fate of the world but also shape the future of the mutant race.
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