In the video, Magneto and Professor X had temporarily set aside their old grudges.
The next day, their plane landed smoothly in Paris, where a major military summit was set to take place. Both Vietnam and the United States were planning to begin peace talks there, and military officials from other countries were also attending.
Due to the ongoing Vietnam War, the eyes of the world were focused on this summit. The dwarf scientist Trask planned to use this opportunity to sell his mutant threat theory to the gathered military officials and gain their support to promote his Sentinel Program.
He had no idea that danger was closing in.
Inside the Eternal Space, Erik and Charles were both intently watching the video, their eyes locked onto the dwarf—this man was the greatest and most dangerous enemy of mutants.
Bolivar Trask left a lasting impression at first glance. He wasn't even as tall as the conference table. It was hard to believe that such a clownish-looking dwarf, who looked like he belonged in a circus, had managed to develop powerful robots designed to wipe out mutants.
Judging by Trask's appearance alone, it was almost laughable—his short stature wrapped in a formal suit, thick glasses on his face, and perfectly combed hair gave him the comical look of a child pretending to be an adult.
But once he started speaking, all mockery and underestimation vanished.
From his tone and demeanor, it was clear that this small man possessed immense confidence, lofty ambitions, and an iron will.
He methodically explained the threat mutants posed to the attending generals and experts, introducing his Sentinel robots. Besides their powerful weaponry and mobility, their most crucial feature was their ability to detect and lock onto mutants in the vicinity.
During the demonstration, Trask produced a small device. As he showed it to the attendees, the device suddenly began flashing red—indicating the presence of a mutant among the military officials present!
When he aimed the device at a Vietnamese general, the red light blinked faster and faster, confirming that the general was indeed a mutant.
The general, a man, looked nervous under the growing stares of the crowd. "There must be some mistake," he stammered.
But Trask replied with unwavering certainty, "No, my machine doesn't make mistakes. What exactly are you?"
A nearby American military officer responsible for security immediately pulled out his gun, pointing it at the suspicious Vietnamese general. Other security personnel quickly closed in.
Trask stopped them, warning, "Don't shoot!"
Just as they were about to apprehend the general, his body began to morph from the fingertips up. In the blink of an eye, the uniformed man transformed into a mysterious blue-skinned woman.
She wore no clothing—her thick, armor-like skin served the purpose. This blue-skinned assassin was none other than Raven, the shapeshifter known as Mystique!
Her plan had been to assassinate Trask during the summit, but she hadn't expected him to unveil a device capable of detecting mutants. Her flawless disguise was exposed on the spot.
With her stealthy assassination attempt ruined, Raven had no choice but to go on the offensive. She fought the security team head-on.
Outside the screen, Charles stared wide-eyed at the agile, lethal figure in the video. The graceful, feline movements of the blue-skinned girl felt entirely unfamiliar to him.
In his memories, Raven had always been a sweet, innocent, and clever sister to him. But now, in this not-so-distant future, that sister had become a dangerous warrior—a top-tier assassin.
Unlike Logan, who marveled at her combat skills, Charles only felt heartache.
He had raised Raven since childhood. If anyone knew how fragile she used to be, it was him. Watching her transform from a soft, delicate girl into a lethal killer, he couldn't begin to imagine the pain and suffering she must've endured.
Erik noticed the change in Charles' expression and understood what he was thinking. He said in a deep voice, "Charles, you know very well—every fledgling bird and young beast must eventually face danger on their own. They have to learn to hunt and kill."
Charles gave him a cold look and muttered, "I wanted her to stay a gentle girl forever, living a peaceful and happy life."
Erik let out a mocking laugh. "Come on, Charles. This world is survival of the fittest for people like us. I didn't turn Raven into this. Humanity did. She was forced to learn how to protect herself."
Charles fell silent for a long moment, then whispered, "I'll do everything I can to give them a peaceful sanctuary..."
It was in that moment he finally understood why his future self would found a school for mutants. It was his way of creating a safe haven for children like Raven.
Back in the video, Raven's combat skills were truly exceptional. Unarmed, she took down several burly security guards, then performed a sliding tackle that knocked down a nearby U.S. officer. She seized his pistol and aimed it straight at Trask.
But at that crucial moment, Erik, Charles, Logan, and Hank arrived just in time, calling out to Raven and changing the course of history.
Unfortunately, the downed American officer took advantage of the distraction and struck with a stun baton, electrocuting Raven. Her body convulsed violently before collapsing onto the conference table.
But now that Erik and the others were on the scene, they weren't about to let a mere soldier get away with that. With a wave of Erik's hand, the electric wires wrapped around Raven flew off her and lashed back onto the soldier, shocking him until he collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Charles rushed forward and caught Raven in his arms, speaking to her gently. They hadn't seen each other in years, and the reunion was full of emotion. After all, they had grown up together, as close as childhood sweethearts.
Just then, Logan noticed the young officer lying on the floor. The moment he saw the man's face, a wave of painful memories crashed over him—memories of being submerged in a tank of nutrient fluid inside a cold laboratory, as liquid adamantium was slowly, agonizingly injected into his body...
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