Capítulo 179: C175
"With all due respect, I don't think the government trusts us enough yet," Professor Xavier said calmly, addressing the underlying concern with precision.
He could allow his students to join Nick Fury's team, but there was a lingering danger that weighed on his mind: humanity's deep-rooted prejudice against mutants. While the public might remain silent, their opinions often followed the tides of manipulated narratives and public sentiment. What truly concerned Xavier wasn't the people—it was the federal government.
The prejudice of government officials toward mutants was no secret. For decades, high-level initiatives had sanctioned experiments targeting mutants, atrocities drenched in blood and tragedy. Could the federal government claim ignorance of such events? No one could answer with certainty. Until Xavier could trust the motives at play, he would not risk sending his students into a potentially hostile situation.
Nick Fury, catching the hesitation in Xavier's demeanor, leaned forward, planting his hands firmly on the desk. His single eye locked onto the professor's, his voice resolute.
"The team I'm creating exists solely to protect this world. No one has jurisdiction over it." Fury's tone was firm and unyielding. "It doesn't follow orders from any government, and it answers to no one. As long as I'm Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., that independence will be protected."
He straightened, his expression shadowed by concern. "Charles, the world is changing—faster than either of us could have predicted. I feel it. Crises are brewing, spreading like wildfire. While the federal government and the military are busy scheming for power, I need a team strong enough to face what's coming."
The room grew quiet as Fury's words settled. Those standing nearby exchanged uncertain glances, their expressions reflecting a mix of intrigue and doubt.
After a long silence, Xavier finally broke it, posing a question with careful deliberation. "So, who exactly do you have on this team?"
Fury met his gaze without hesitation.
"That woman burdened with fractured personalities? That young man grappling with self-blame because of something you said? Tony Stark?" Xavier's tone was light, but the implications were clear.
Fury's jaw tightened. "They're not perfect, and they're not the answer to everything," he admitted. "But they're the best we've got. And I trust them to rise to the occasion."
"I hope your trust in them remains steadfast," Xavier replied, his voice tinged with a faint warning.
Finally, after a moment's pause, Xavier gave a slow nod. "Very well. I will allow it."
His agreement wasn't just for Fury's sake—it was an opportunity to shift public perception and address the prejudice mutants had faced for so long.
As for whether Fury would deceive him, Xavier was confident in his own abilities. Should Fury ever betray that trust, Xavier knew there was no force on Earth that could resist him when necessary.
Johnny Blaze hadn't been in a good mood lately.
To be fair, his mood had been sour ever since he agreed to join the Brotherhood. The trouble stemmed not from his decision, but from the fiery entity residing within him. As Ghost Rider, the Flaming Skeleton Knight, Johnny found himself compelled to transform at night, seeking out and delivering vengeance to the wicked.
At first, this wasn't an issue. Hunting down and punishing heinous criminals felt like a natural extension of his existence. Promoting good and eradicating evil—it was almost poetic. But problems arose when his instincts turned toward his newfound "allies."
From the Brotherhood's leader, Magneto, to members like Sabretooth, Mystique, and the junior recruits, none were spared from the Ghost Rider's judgment. In his fiery eyes, they were all sinners, steeped in blood and guilt, worthy only of his penance stare and a one-way trip to hell.
Inevitably, every night he transformed, Johnny would set off to hunt his Brotherhood comrades. Predictably, this never ended well. Despite his supernatural powers, he was no match for the Brotherhood's unique and varied abilities. Magneto, in particular, was far too powerful. The Skeleton Knight would launch his attack only to find himself overpowered and, more often than not, suspended in the air by Magneto's unyielding chains of metal.
It became a grim cycle. Johnny would heal during the day, transform again at night, and promptly pick a fight. Magneto, exasperated, would defeat him yet again. The Brotherhood began to treat these nightly beatdowns as routine, while Johnny himself descended into despair.
Sure, he had an iron will. But waking up every morning bruised, restrained, and subjected to the disdainful gazes of his Brotherhood "peers" was enough to make anyone spiral into depression.
Ironically, the one silver lining in this endless cycle of humiliation was that Johnny eventually learned how to control his Ghost Rider form. He began to master his transformations, gaining a measure of sanity while in his skeletal state. This newfound control should have been a cause for celebration.
But Johnny's happiness was short-lived.
As the Ghost Rider, his Penance Stare allowed him to see things that most humans couldn't: the state of a person's soul and the weight of their sins. This sight became a curse. The Brotherhood, riddled with corruption and malice, was unbearable to look at. Each night, his instincts urged him to judge and punish them, while his reason forced him to hold back.
This constant battle between instinct and reason took a toll on Johnny.
Finally, unable to endure the torment any longer, Johnny approached Magneto with a straightforward request: to leave the Brotherhood. He explained his reasoning with uncharacteristic honesty.
To his surprise, Magneto, known for his domineering nature, agreed without hesitation. Perhaps he was simply tired of having to clean up Johnny's nightly chaos, or maybe he recognized that the Ghost Rider didn't belong among the Brotherhood's ranks. Either way, Magneto's willingness to let him go was a relief.
And so, Johnny Blaze walked away, carrying the weight of his fiery curse but relieved to leave behind the Brotherhood—and the constant struggle that came with it.
Free at last, Johnny Blaze rode his cherished motorcycle all the way to Texas, hoping to rediscover his true self—and perhaps reconnect with the woman he once loved.
Life in Texas suited him. Living with his girlfriend brought a rare sense of peace, a reprieve from the chaos of his curse. For a while, everything felt calm and uncomplicated.
But peace is fragile.
One fateful night, everything changed when someone—or rather, something—came knocking on Johnny's door.
In a modest apartment tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of Texas City, Johnny lounged on a battered sofa. The room was cluttered, a reflection of his inner turmoil. A half-empty bottle of beer rested in his hand as he stared at the TV, its muted program doing little to distract him. He was alone tonight—his girlfriend, a reporter, was working out of town for the next few days.
The night seemed uneventful, save for the constant battle within him to suppress the fiery transformation clawing at his soul. But then, a strange and eerily familiar sensation crept into his heart.
It wasn't fear, nor anger—though it bore traces of both.
Johnny set the beer aside and sat up straight, his senses sharpening. Something was coming. Something he couldn't ignore.
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