章節 147: [146] : Mystique Stirs Trouble
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"Ugh..."
Lying in the bedroom Charles had arranged for him, Roger let out a long sigh.
What he thought would be a simple task of retrieving a stone and leaving had now turned into a significant dilemma.
Charles was right—taking something that didn't belong to him came with responsibilities, regardless of whether one was a hero or not. This was just basic decency that any reasonable person would uphold.
The Soul Stone wasn't Roger's to begin with, nor were the other stones in his possession.
Of course, these stones didn't originally belong to anyone, so there wasn't much harm in Roger taking them. But the Soul Stone was different—it was the cornerstone and protective barrier for two worlds, as set by Andrea. Taking it could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Therefore, this required serious thought.
"Come to think of it, I'm not even sure if this multiverse crisis Andrea mentioned is real…"
It was only now that Roger began to question Andrea's claims. The crisis in the multiverse was solely based on her words, and Roger had yet to encounter any world-ending calamities.
So far, everything he had faced was still within the bounds of the original narrative. Nothing had gone significantly off track.
This gave Roger reason to doubt Andrea's warnings. Maybe she had been mistaken, or perhaps the multiverse's impending collapse had resolved itself and didn't require his intervention.
But while he had no proof that the multiverse was collapsing, he also had no evidence to prove that it wasn't.
Having collected three Infinity Stones already, only now did Roger start doubting their implications. This was pure escapism on his part.
Deep down, he knew he simply didn't want to shoulder the responsibility of protecting two worlds.
After all, "responsibility" was one of the hardest burdens to bear.
Knock, knock, knock.
While Roger was mulling over the Soul Stone dilemma, a knock came at the door. Using his x-ray vision, he saw Jean standing outside.
Adjusting his thoughts, Roger put on a smile, opened the door, and asked, "Jean? What's up?"
Jean didn't reply. Instead, she stepped into the room and, quite suddenly, hugged Roger!
"???"
The unexpected embrace left Roger momentarily stunned. While he'd hugged women before—Maeve, Himiko, Nebula—those were during flights. But a hug this sudden and out of the blue? That was a first.
Caught off guard, Roger gently pushed Jean away and asked, "Jean? Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell, or… did someone bully you?"
Jean's unusual behavior made Roger think she'd been mistreated at the school. However, recalling their reunion earlier, she hadn't seemed upset or troubled...
Roger couldn't make sense of what was happening.
Though the lighting in the room was dim, Roger's enhanced vision allowed him to clearly see Jean's expression.
Her cheeks were flushed, and there was an unusual shyness in her demeanor. After a moment, she softly said, "No, I… I just missed you so much."
"...Huh?"
Looking at her, Roger couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Jean continued, "Being apart from you these past days… I've realized how much I hate it when you're not around. That's why I…"
Before she could finish, Roger's expression grew cold. Interrupting her, he bluntly asked, "Who are you?"
Jean looked up, feigning confusion.
Roger firmly gripped her shoulders and asked, enunciating every word, "Who. Are. You?"
The shy expression on "Jean's" face vanished, replaced by a playful smirk tinged with scrutiny. She chuckled and said, "I guess I overplayed it, huh? But from my observations, that girl does seem to have feelings for you."
"Whatever Jean's feelings might be, she'd never say something like that. I know her better than you do."
Roger spoke resolutely. Pushing the woman in front of him away, he continued, "You're Mystique, aren't you?"
As Roger's words landed, the woman's skin shimmered like scales, morphing into the familiar form of Mystique, who stood before him with a sly smile.
Seeing that it really was Mystique, Roger exhaled deeply in relief.
Mystique laughed. "So, you weren't entirely sure just now, were you?"
"No, I was certain."
Roger denied her claim. He stepped back and sat on the bed, looking up at Mystique as he asked, "What do you want from me? Why impersonate Jean to deceive me?"
"I just wanted to see the person Andrea chose."
"You know Andrea?"
"She's my ex-girlfriend. What do you think?"
"!?"
Roger's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't heard of Mystique being interested in women… Then again, he vaguely recalled someone mentioning that Mystique was bisexual.
Shaking his head, Roger decided not to dwell on her preferences—it wasn't relevant to him anyway.
Sighing, Roger asked, "Now that you've seen me, what's your impression?"
"Hmm…"
Mystique eyed him up and down before replying, "Barely passable."
"Can I ask what criteria you're using?"
"Well…" Mystique said, suddenly walking over to Roger and, without hesitation, sitting on his lap. Smiling, she added, "The standards for a partner, of course."
"Wait, wait, wait—hold on!"
With Mystique now so close, Roger could even smell the faint perfume on her—whether it was something she had applied or simulated was unclear.
Either way, Mystique's teasing behavior made Roger break out in a cold sweat.
Having never been in such a situation before, Roger didn't know whether to push her away or let it be.
Seeing his flustered reaction, Mystique laughed. Instead of moving away, she wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders and asked, "Hold on for what? Or… do you not like how I look now? How about this?"
As she spoke, Mystique's scales shimmered, and she morphed back into Jean's form.
Roger's eye twitched as he muttered, "That's… not what I meant…"
"Hmm? You don't like this either? What about this?"
Her form changed again, this time resembling her younger self. And before Roger could respond, she transformed once more—this time into Andrea's image.
"Or do you prefer this? Is this your type?" Mystique teased.
"Enough!"
Tapping into the Reality Stone connected to him, Roger gently but firmly pushed Mystique to the other side of the room without harming her.
Looking slightly irritated, he said, "If you have something to say, just say it! And weren't you Andrea's girlfriend?"
"You didn't catch the part where I said ex-girlfriend? When she decided to leave this world, we broke up."
Mystique reverted to her original form, speaking calmly.
"Then what's your deal now? Are you here out of spite, trying to mess with the person Andrea chose?"
"Pfft, mess with you? Is that what you think?"
Mystique chuckled, clearly amused by Roger's irritation.
Taking a deep breath, Roger forced himself to stay calm and asked, "So what's your intention?"
"I told you—I'm looking for a strong partner. Don't believe me?"
"Nope."
Roger answered decisively.
He had been using his super-hearing to monitor Mystique's heartbeat. Aside from a brief spike when he first called out her identity, her pulse had remained steady.
This was not the reaction of someone excited or genuinely seeking a partner.
"Alright then," Mystique said with feigned disinterest.
"Let me put it this way—I just want a reasonable excuse to follow you when you leave."
"...Follow me?"
"Of course. I want to find Andrea, and since you're the only one who can freely travel between worlds, I have to stick with you."
"Then why use this approach?"
"Well, wouldn't joining your team as your girlfriend make the most sense?"
Mystique smirked mischievously.
Her calm heartbeat made it impossible for Roger to discern whether she was joking or serious.
This version of Mystique, a master spy surpassing even Black Widow, had unparalleled control over her emotions and heartbeat.
Seeing Roger's silent glare, Mystique shrugged and said, "It seems you don't trust me yet. No matter—we have plenty of time."
With that, Mystique stopped her teasing and left Roger's room.
As she opened the door, she came face-to-face with the real Jean Grey, who seemed about to knock.
Jean froze, her hand hovering mid-air, unsure of what to do.
Mystique, noticing Jean's reaction, smiled slyly and turned back to Roger.
"Sweet dreams tonight," she said, waving playfully before strutting away.
Jean stood frozen, watching Mystique leave. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, a complicated mix of emotions churned in her heart, leaving her feeling unsettled.
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