บท 584: Rejection and Acceptance
Erik turned his head towards the light screen, too lazy to respond. Powerless rage was useless; what he needed now was to calmly understand all the secrets behind this. Once he returned, he would naturally find a way to deal with his enemy. Even if the other fled to the ends of the earth, he wouldn't give up!
In the video, after learning about the conspiracy, Charles Xavier immediately agreed to Moira's plea for help and went to the CIA headquarters with Raven. Charles, with his scholarly demeanor, revealed the existence of mutants to the gathered heads of the secret service and informed them that due to the emergence of nuclear energy, more and more mutants would appear due to genetic mutations.
Amusingly, the secret service heads present all treated Charles's "truth" as a joke, becoming increasingly impatient. Even when Charles demonstrated his mind-reading ability, they remained unconvinced until Raven transformed and revealed her blue-skinned true form, finally shocking the group of dim-witted officials.
The situation became even more ridiculous when, after their shock, the first reaction of these officials was to plan to imprison both Charles and Raven!
Seeing this, Erik couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What a bunch of idiots! Look at their ridiculous behavior. These people will be eliminated by the new era sooner or later!"
He then thought to himself, this Charles Xavier is really naïve, actually going to the authorities to 'surrender'. Isn't he afraid of being used as a lab rat? Or does he have some kind of reliance?
Logan was also puzzled: "They are secret agents and know nothing about mutants? Stryker could assemble a special team of superhumans and secretly conduct the Weapon X program. These agents should know more about mutants."
Not only them, but other viewers outside the light screen also laughed mockingly, saying: "Look, a bunch of good-for-nothings only interested in eating, drinking, and having fun, yet they run the country's largest intelligence agency. They take our tax money just to throw parties and chase women, without doing any real work!"
"Radiation from nuclear energy can trigger genetic mutations? Oh my god, there's a nuclear power plant near my home. Will I wake up one morning as a freak?"
"Isn't this a good thing? Those superpowers are so cool. If I gained them, I could be a superhero like Spider-Man, Batman, or Iron Man, fighting crime and earning respect!"
"Honestly, I also wish to have supernatural powers. Maybe mutants are really the next step in human evolution... If we all had superpowers, we wouldn't be so vulnerable when facing alien invaders like Thanos or Ego!"
Because the Quiz game had exposed so many heroic deeds and videos, people in this repeatedly baptized world mostly embraced mutants with optimism and acceptance, unlike the rejection, fear, and worry in the X-Men world.
Fear often comes from the unknown. It's normal for people to fear and guard against the unknown. Before Iron Man revealed his true identity, most superheroes operated incognito, understanding that even their good deeds would lead to social rejection and doubt due to their powers.
Batman and Superman are examples; despite protecting cities and fighting crime for free, they are still seen by many as monsters to be rejected and even despised.
But after the exposure from the Quiz game, people had a better understanding of these superheroes, appreciating their greatness and relatability. With enough understanding, fear and dread naturally dissipated, leading to more acceptance of superheroes.
The issue with mutants was similar. In the X-Men world, ordinary people are easily scared by the powers and appearances of mutants, but in the world baptized by the Quiz game, people are used to big events and are less likely to be shocked.
Many even believed that mutant abilities weren't frightening at all. Mind-reading and shapeshifting seemed trivial; the former could get a stable job at the police station, and the latter would be a great spy, causing no significant harm. What's there to worry about?
But soon, those who thought this were proven wrong. In the video, the negotiation between Charles, Raven, Moira, and the CIA heads fell into a deadlock, about to erupt into conflict. At that moment, someone chose to believe them, calming the small commotion.
Moira was dissatisfied with the bureaucracy's sluggishness and chaos, complaining to her superior that the priority should be finding the dangerous Sebastian Shaw. Suddenly, she noticed her superior wasn't moving, nor were the others in the corridor, as if time had frozen.
Moira was unaffected. Just as she was bewildered, Charles's voice appeared in her mind, reassuring her that it was his little trick and suggesting she join him in capturing Sebastian Shaw.
Seeing this, Erik Lehnsherr widened his eyes. This was far more powerful than mind-reading; people under Charles's control were like puppets... How did he do it?
Clearly, Charles Xavier didn't freeze time but put people in a frozen state, and it was a range ability that could be used remotely. This showed how dangerous mutant powers could be to ordinary people, making mutants seem like an evolved form of humanity!
While Charles negotiated with the authorities, Erik Lehnsherr found his enemy's location using his methods. He killed two former military officers who were once comrades and learned that Sebastian Shaw was on a ship.
Driven by revenge, Erik Lehnsherr found the ship, lurking underwater, eyes fixed on it. He hoped to end his years of hatred and pain here!
Erik Lehnsherr clenched his fists outside the screen. Not yet the accomplished Magneto, he felt some tension and excitement, hoping his future self would achieve revenge. Just then, the video paused, and a question popped up:
[Can Erik Lehnsherr kill Sebastian Shaw on this ship and avenge himself?]
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