If Shin hadn't already prepared the list of demands, the X-Men would probably have ended up working for nothing again.
After Professor X spoke a few words, everyone's thoughts aligned. In truth, there was little to argue, facing Galactus, everyone on Earth essentially stood on the same side.
Even though these mutants had no trust in the government or the military, with Wolverine and Shin acting as their guarantors, they believed the American government wouldn't betray them at this critical moment.
As for the conditions to be negotiated with the military behind the scenes, Professor X kept those discussions from the younger mutants. Perhaps he wanted to preserve their idealism.
Though Shin thought this overly sentimental approach would do more harm than good, it was the mutants' internal matter. He didn't interfere with the X-Men's decisions.
"Okay, Wanda, there are so many of us. Can you teleport everyone together?" Shin asked, scanning the group.
Wanda gave a slight nod. "Let me give it a try." As she spoke, her eyes narrowed slightly and a faint red light flickered. A crimson whirlwind surged from her body, sweeping over everyone leaving behind only an empty lawn.
At that moment, a massive red whirlwind also appeared in the large experimental base that had been studying the Silver Surfer and his silver surfboard. A moment later, the whirlwind vanished, revealing nearly twenty figures, Shin and the X-Men had arrived.
"This is truly a very convenient ability," Professor X said to Wanda with a smile. "Last time, my child, I recall you didn't yet have this power. You've clearly worked hard to develop it."
Wanda smiled slightly and cast a subtle glance, though not discreet, toward the two Phoenix hosts.
"Professor Charles, welcome," said the bald-headed scientist, stepping forward to greet them. General Ross, standing behind him, looked a bit stiff but still forced a smile.
"Of course. This is a disaster threatening the entire planet. Whether mutant or human, we must naturally unite," Professor X replied with a calm smile.
Shin gave Wolverine a meaningful look, and Wolverine immediately understood it was time to play the 'bad cop'. He stepped forward and growled, "Professor, you want mutants and humans to unite but not everyone thinks that way!"
"We mutants can't be expected to battle our enemies while constantly looking over our shoulders!"
As soon as he said this, Nick Fury looked up at the sky in silence and quietly stepped back a couple of paces.
His relationship with the X-Men wasn't bad. In fact, since he aimed to recruit superhumans for the Avengers Initiative, he had always treated the X-Men with courtesy. He had no intention of taking the blame for the military's sins.
General Ross's face turned red it was hard to say whether from anger, shame, or a rising urge to transform into the Red Hulk. After thinking for a moment, he finally said, "That was the work of certain individuals in the military who failed to see the bigger picture. The military deeply regrets what happened..."
"Regret? Using mutants in experiments, causing the deaths of our kind, you think regret can erase that?" Wolverine's face darkened.
"We will severely punish those officers who failed in their duties. I assure you, you'll get a satisfactory answer," General Ross said through gritted teeth.
"You said it!" Wolverine sneered. "Why wait? Deal with it now. Our demands aren't even that high. We don't want you to execute him but you will publicly read out his crimes on television and in the papers!"
This was the strategy Shin had suggested. On the surface, it seemed like a concession not taking William Stryker's life. But for a zealot like Stryker, public condemnation was no different from a death sentence. He would never submit.
At that point, whatever action Stryker took, whether resisting or activating his Weapon X project, would sever his ties to the military and government.
With his identity stripped and no safe haven, Stryker would be forced to act out in desperation. When he did, the X-Men, especially Wolverine, would have an easy justification to eliminate him and be seen as upholding justice.
General Ross's expression looked troubled, but he still gave the order. In truth, he felt little internal resistance.
The military was divided into many factions. Stryker's anti-mutant division and Ross's gamma-powered super-soldier division were far from allies.
Both sides operated in the field of biological experimentation, competing fiercely for resources and personnel. Talent was limited, research budgets were fixed, and each gain by one side came at the expense of the other. The fact that they hadn't already come to blows was a miracle of restraint.
So, Ross sold out Stryker without hesitation and even felt some hidden satisfaction in doing so.
Although Stryker only held the rank of colonel and Ross was now a general, the Weapon X program, despite its high cost and low success rate, had at least produced visible results.
Ross's own "Titan Program" had produced him, the Abomination, and the Hundred-Armed Giant. Aside from Banner, the original accidental Hulk, there had been no breakthroughs since Shin's faked death.
Among the results, only Ross himself was relatively stable. The Abomination retained some personality, but his already violent temperament had grown even darker. The Hundred-Armed Giant had no intellect at all. And Bruce Banner's Hulk had the intelligence of a child, driven purely by rage and utterly unreliable.
Given this, military resources had been steadily shifting toward Stryker's program. But now that Stryker was finished, one major competitor had been removed. Even if the Weapon X program wasn't dismantled completely, it would no longer compete for the same resources. Ross certainly had no reason to be genuinely upset.
At most, he feigned a bit of anger to protect his image and maintain the illusion of military unity.
In this time of crisis when most of the U.S. leadership had either vanished or gone underground General Ross held nearly unchecked power. Just thirty minutes later, all of William Stryker's black-ops files were aired on national television and published in newspapers. The military officially expelled him from service.
*******************************
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion
90+ Advance Chapters Now Available!