In the screen, for the first time, the future where Logan originated was revealed—a future dominated by Sentinel robots massacring mutants.
The footage, however, was brief, showing only a handful of figures. Aside from a prone Logan, the only familiar face was the elderly Erik. The others, including the beautiful young woman who facilitated Logan's time travel, were unfamiliar.
It wasn't hard to guess that the mutants by Logan's side in that future were likely survivors hunted down by the Sentinels. Charles was probably among them, though the camera didn't show him.
Before viewers could examine more closely, the footage shifted to the "past."
Raven's situation was just as dire as Logan's. Surrounded by reporters and cameras, her identity as a mutant was publicly exposed. With an injured leg, she had no choice but to display her shapeshifting ability in front of everyone, limping away in a desperate escape attempt.
But she didn't get far—Erik caught up with her.
Though Hank and Charles tried to stop him, Hank hadn't transformed into Beast, and Charles had lost his telepathy. Two against one, they were still no match for Erik and were easily shaken off.
Erik descended slowly from mid-air like a god, and with a wave of his hand, he manipulated the bullet lodged inside Raven's body to pull her back toward him.
His methods were powerful, mysterious, and brutally cruel. In the midst of Raven's cries of pain, the bullet embedded in her was forcibly extracted again.
Seeing Raven's agonized face on screen, Charles clenched his fists in fury. If not for the energy barrier separating him, he would've already thrown punches at Erik in rage.
Erik, naturally, noticed Charles' hateful glare but didn't seem to care. He believed his future self hadn't made a major mistake—only that he had been too reckless. In hindsight, it would've been better to take Raven somewhere remote and safe before "sacrificing" her to minimize fallout.
In the video, his mind was filled with murderous intent. Ignoring the onlookers and press, he levitated the bullet into his palm and pointed it at Raven, who now wore a pleading expression. One flick of the wrist and that bullet could pierce her throat, ending her life.
But just then, another blue figure dropped from the sky—it was Hank, unable to suppress his transformation any longer. With brute strength, he tackled Erik, sending the two of them crashing into a nearby fountain.
Once transformed, Hank had more than enough strength to overpower Erik. He pinned Erik down with both hands around his throat, holding him underwater.
This only stirred the reporters even more. First the blue-skinned woman, now two more superpowered beings—this was a breaking story! Flashbulbs went off like strobe lights, and cameras captured every second of the mutant confrontation, spreading the footage across the world within moments.
After this battle, the existence of mutants was bound to become public knowledge. Although Charles, Erik, Logan, and Hank had prevented Raven from assassinating Trask, they had also sent the world into an unknown, fog-covered future.
Offscreen, Logan couldn't help but grumble, "This all went to hell because of Erik. It was a simple mission, but he completely lost control! The real mistake was saving that bastard!"
Erik snorted in response. "Have you forgotten? In that future footage, you were the one who insisted on breaking me out. And what did you do in that mission, Logan? You're lying there unconscious the whole time."
He wasn't wrong. Logan, affected by a temporal consciousness disruption, had fallen into disarray. Even after regaining awareness, he had no memory of what he had done during the episode.
Logan's condition was oddly similar to the "dreamwalking" magic that Wanda and Stephen had used in the previous footage—projecting their souls into alternate versions of themselves across the multiverse. Logan, however, had projected his future consciousness into his past body.
In his confusion, Logan nearly attacked Charles.
An anxious Charles, rattled by Erik's betrayal, also grew suspicious. Maybe Logan had lost control due to some kind of substance? Possibly the same one Charles himself had been taking?
Meanwhile, in the future, the young mutant girl who had been accidentally slashed by Logan fought through the pain to stabilize the situation. "I've got him under control," she announced.
The camera cut to the bald Charles, who looked relieved. But when he turned to the visibly strained girl, there was a flicker of concern in his eyes.
Back in the past, Logan gradually regained his senses—but the moment had already passed. As he and Charles exited the building, the news was everywhere.
The existence of mutants had not only caused a media firestorm, but also triggered deep concern in governments worldwide.
At the White House, the President summoned top military leaders and advisors to discuss a response. Among them was the dwarf scientist, Trask. While the others were baffled by this sudden upheaval, Trask seized the moment.
He detailed the abilities of the mutants exposed during the incident: Erik's control over metal and Raven's shapeshifting. Then he warned the President and military leaders of the potential threat—Erik could manipulate nearly every weapon in their arsenal, and Raven could infiltrate any institution. She could, in theory, even impersonate the President and launch a nuclear strike.
It was then that he introduced his Sentinel Program. With everything laid out so precisely, the President barely hesitated before approving government and congressional support for Trask's plan.
At this point, Charles could no longer hold back. He glared at Erik furiously. "Look what you've done! We could've changed a tragic future, and now everything we fought for has gone to waste!"
Erik, however, remained calm. "I figured you'd realize what kind of ending this would be as soon as you saw the title. Don't worry, Charles. We still have a chance."
Logan also gave him a hard stare. "You mean... you're still planning to hunt down Raven?"
Erik shook his head. "No. She's injured. Her DNA has probably already fallen into Trask's hands."
It was just a guess—but soon after, the video confirmed it.
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🎉 Shoutout to Eduardo Miguel Sanchez Arteaga! 🎉
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