章節 53: [53] Raven's Intelligence, Trask Industries
X-Enhancement Room
Professor X sat in front of the console, while Brian stood behind him, arms crossed.
"Brian, I received a telepathic message from Raven," Professor X said, his voice calm as he leaned back in the sleek, silver-white chair.
"What did Raven say?" Brian asked, showing no surprise.
It was no secret that Mystique, Raven Darkhölme, couldn't communicate telepathically. The real reason for this telepathic "message" was the telepathic network Professor X had recently established for the X-Men.
Using his telepathy power, Professor X had built a mental communication system that worked like an invisible phone network.
By simply focusing and calling Professor X's name three times in their minds, any member of the X-Men could instantly connect to him.
This telepathic network, now spanning the entire New York area, allowed seamless long-distance communication—provided they stayed within its range.
Just as Professor X was assisting Magneto in becoming a Level 4 Mutant earlier, he had received a telepathic "call" from Raven, who was out gathering intelligence.
"Raven uncovered information about Mutants in the White House," Professor X explained.
Brian's eyebrows raised slightly. "What kind of information?"
"Two days ago, Raven left Xavier Manor and infiltrated the White House using her shapeshifting ability. In the President's Office, she found a recently submitted document. It originated from a research company called Trask Industries."
Brian frowned, the name ringing a familiar bell.
Professor X continued, "The document detailed the confirmed existence of Mutants. More concerning, it stated that Trask Industries had captured two Mutants and was conducting experiments on them. Their abilities were described as... unusual."
"Trask Industries?" Brian echoed, his tone laden with curiosity.
His mind raced. He remembered encountering Bolivar Trask not too long ago at a CIA secret research and development base.
Back then, Trask was a relatively obscure scientist, desperately lobbying for funding for his pet projects.
Now, mere days later, Trask had seemingly skyrocketed to prominence, founding his own company and gaining enough clout to submit reports directly to the President.
Brian smirked. Bolivar Trask's meteoric rise? No way he pulled that off on his own.
Though Trask was undeniably a brilliant scientist—destined to one day become the creator of the Sentinels—he was far from adept in business or politics.
It was clear to Brian that Trask had someone powerful backing him.
Now Brian is very interested in Trask Industries and the two Mutants they captured.
"Brian... Brian?
What are you thinking about?"
Professor X looked at Brian, who seemed distracted, and asked with some confusion.
"I think the two Mutants captured by Trask Industries may have a very miserable life," Brian replied perfunctorily.
Hearing Brian's words, Professor X nodded in agreement.
"The information Raven got did not explain where the two Mutants were imprisoned. So, I want to use the brainwave enhancer to find the location of the two Mutants," Professor X explained briefly before picking up the helmet in front of him and putting it on.
Buzz.
As Professor X put on the helmet, the brainwave enhancer activated.
Red Mutant mind projections emerged in the X-Enhancement Room.
Professor X's mind connected with the consciousness of Mutants worldwide.
In just a moment, Professor X found the location of the Trask Industrial Laboratory and identified the two imprisoned Mutants.
"The two Mutants are imprisoned on Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania," Professor X said, removing the helmet with a grim expression.
Through the perspective of the two Mutants, he had witnessed the inhumane experiments conducted on them by the scientists at Trask Industries.
In that laboratory, Mutants were treated as nothing more than guinea pigs.
Even the usually gentle Professor X struggled to maintain his composure after seeing those experiments.
"Brian, I need you and Raven to go to Three Mile Island," Professor X said angrily, turning to look at Brian.
"Okay, Professor," Brian nodded. Then, with a calm expression, he added, "Do you want to destroy that research institute?"
Hearing Brian's words, Professor X's face changed, but he quickly sighed, suppressing the anger and hatred he felt for humans.
"Forget it. Just bring those two Mutants back," Professor X said, finally softening his stance.
"Professor X, you compromised with humans again," Brian said, patting Professor X's shoulder in a serious manner, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "You are taking Mutants into the abyss."
Brian looked at Professor X with pity before leaving the X-Enhancement Room.
"Magneto, are you interested in rescuing your fellow Mutants with me?"
After leaving the X-Enhancement Room, Brian went directly to Magneto.
He told Magneto about the mission to rescue the imprisoned Mutants, believing that he didn't need to explain further.
As expected, when Magneto heard that human scientists had imprisoned Mutants for research, he was furious.
It reminded him of his painful childhood when he was imprisoned and experimented on by Sabastian Shaw.
Without a moment's hesitation, Magneto made his decision.
"Let's go," Magneto said, storming out of the room without even asking Brian where they were headed to rescue the Mutants.
Brian smiled faintly.
Magneto's enthusiasm wasn't surprising, but Brian's own motives were entirely different.
He wasn't particularly concerned about rescuing the two unfortunate Mutants. His true goal was to acquire their abilities.
As for saving them? That was merely a bonus.
This was why Brian had specifically approached Magneto, who had just ascended to become a Level 4 Mutant.
Free muscle, wasn't that perfect?
Let Magneto handle the fighting upfront while Brian stayed in the shadows, ready to plunder the abilities of the imprisoned Mutants.
This time, Brian intended to get what he wanted without breaking a sweat.
Under Brian's insistence, a supersonic jet was quickly prepared at Xavier Manor. The man wants a cool ride after all.
Moments later, the aircraft took off and roared over the White House in Washington, D.C.
At an altitude of 10,000 meters, Magneto stared at Brian, who was comfortably seated in the pilot's seat, with a look of disbelief.
"Brian, when did you learn to fly a plane?" Magneto asked, clearly puzzled.
Without much thought, Brian replied casually, "Do I really need to learn? Isn't it enough that I have hands?"
Magneto: ????
Magneto was left speechless, questioning reality itself as Brian ignored him entirely.
Unbeknownst to Magneto, Brian had already mastered the mechanics of a supersonic jet. Back when he recruited Hank, he had studied the blueprints for such aircraft and, with his Sylar mind, learned to build and operate one in no time.
For Brian, learning how to fly it was just another checkbox in his long list of abilities.
"This speed is unacceptable. Magneto, use your ability to accelerate the plane," Brian said disdainfully, glancing at the control panel.
The jet was currently cruising at Mach 2, a speed that felt agonizingly slow to him. To Brian, flying with his own wings would have been faster.
Hearing this, Magneto's expression darkened slightly. Brian's casual orders grated on his nerves, but he complied nonetheless.
Extending his hands, Magneto activated his magnetic field ability.
The invisible force surrounded the aircraft, amplifying its momentum.
Boom.
The jet broke the sound barrier once again, its speed soaring to Mach 4 in an instant.
Under Magneto's control, the Mach 4 supersonic fighter executed various complex tactical maneuvers at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
Upon arriving over Washington, D.C., Brian abruptly opened the cockpit door.
"What are you doing?" Magneto shouted, his voice laced with both confusion and irritation as he watched Brian leap from the plane.
Brian: "I watched a movie...."
"What the fuck! at least stop the plane first, you lunatic!" Magneto's curses echoed in the cockpit.
But Brian paid no attention to him. He had no concerns about Magneto crashing the plane. After all, Magneto's control over metal made such a scenario laughable to Brian.
As Brian plummeted through the sky, he did not activate his four-winged Angel form. Instead, he allowed his body to fall freely through the extreme conditions of the descent.
The pressure, heat, and intense speed triggered his adaptive evolution.
Boom!
Brian's body struck the ground with the force of a meteorite.
Half of the White House building collapsed instantly from the impact.
The earth quaked as a deep crater, at least ten meters wide, formed at the point of collision.
Moments later, an arm emerged from the rubble.
Brian climbed out of the crater, his body unscathed, as though nothing had happened.
At that moment, Brian had evolved yet again.
His body still maintains flesh and blood.
It looks no different from before evolution.
But only Brian knows.
His body has evolved a new ability: Impact transfer.
When his cells made contact with the ground, they transferred the falling energy from his body directly into the surface.
As a result, the energy that would have otherwise caused severe damage to his body was redirected, leaving him unharmed.
This explained the massive destruction to the ground—Brian's fall was devastating not because of his body but because the ground absorbed the impact for him.
"It's a pity this ability only works for the energy generated by falling. It can't transfer other types of injuries," Brian muttered, brushing the dust off his body.
He then looked skyward as a supersonic plane descended.
As the plane neared the ground, an invisible magnetic force arrested its momentum, suspending it mid-air.
From the open hatch, Magneto descended gracefully, his arms extended, using his powers to steady himself.
With a soft crash, Magneto landed beside Brian.
However, their arrival had not gone unnoticed.
A team of fully armed soldiers quickly surrounded the two Mutants, their weapons trained on them.
At the rear of the group, a young man in a colonel's uniform stared at them with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"What kind of monsters are these two?" he murmured, his voice betraying both fear and awe.
One of the soldiers stepped forward and saluted crisply.
"Colonel Stryker, please issue a combat order."
"They don't seem normal..."
The man who had just spoken was Colonel William Stryker, the same man who would one day create the cool and shiny Wolverine!
At this point in time, however, Stryker was just an unknown colonel responsible for guarding the White House.
"Colonel, your orders, sir!?"
"Kill them!"
At the soldier's reminder, William Stryker snapped out of his stunned state and gave the order, his face twisted in fear.
But no sooner had the words left his mouth than all the soldiers surrounding Brian were flung backwards uncontrollably.
Spulch! Sclch! Splatter!
Screams echoed through the air as soldiers were hurled skyward, only to plummet back down from a height of 100 meters.
In mere moments, the once-formidable formation was reduced to chaos, leaving William Stryker standing alone before the wreckage of the White House.
"Colonel William Stryker, right?"
Brian stepped forward, his voice calm yet menacing. He extended a hand, and with a casual motion, Stryker was hoisted off the ground and into Brian's grip.
"S-Sir, no offense..." Stryker stammered, his voice trembling with terror.
Moments ago, Brian had effortlessly wiped out an elite team, and the sheer display of power had left Stryker shaken to his core.
As the colonel braced himself for death, Brian suddenly released him, letting him fall to the ground with a thud.
William Stryker, after all, was destined to play a crucial role in acquiring Adamantium for Wolverine.
Brian had plans for him—plans that ensured Stryker would live for now.
Stryker was still a very capable individual.
In the Wolverine plot, Stryker managed to capture numerous Mutants.
"By the way, Colonel Stryker, are you married?" Brian asked casually, breaking the silence.
While Stryker was still reeling from the fact that he was alive, Brian's sudden question caught him off guard. He blinked in confusion but quickly answered, sensing his life still hung by a thread.
"Not yet."
Hearing this, Brian frowned slightly. "Find a woman as soon as possible and have children," he said, his tone oddly serious.
Stryker stared at him, bewildered.
He had no idea why Brian was giving him such personal advice.
Brian, however, had his reasons.
Though William Stryker himself was not a Mutant, his future son, Jason Stryker, would possess an incredibly powerful ability—illusion manipulation. Jason's illusions were so strong that even Professor X had difficulty distinguishing reality from them.
Under Stryker's confused gaze, Brian suddenly opened his mouth and released a massive sound wave.
"Mystique, we should go," he called out, his voice booming like thunder. The deafening sound forced everyone in the White House to cover their ears.
"Homelander, you've evolved another Mutant ability?" Magneto asked, his hands pressed over his ears as he looked at Brian with envy.
"Yes, my body has evolved another ability," Brian replied seriously.
Moments later, a young woman with flaxen hair and dressed in a white-collared outfit emerged from the shadows, a mischievous grin on her face. She threw herself into Brian's arms.
This woman was Raven Darkhölme.
Without giving a second glance to the chaos they had left behind, the three boarded the supersonic aircraft and took off, leaving behind a group of confused and terrified White House officials.
As they ascended, Brian connected to the telepathic network.
—"Professor X, come out and clean up the mess,"— he said, sending a telepathic message.
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