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As the meeting progressed,
Logan initially seemed indifferent, brushing off the discussion.
But as they delved deeper, even he realized the gravity of the situation.
So much had happened in the future.
He'd joined the X-Men, and over a decade later, he'd reversed the future to save mutantkind.
But even after reversing the future, mutants only enjoyed a few decades of peace before being wiped out again.
This time, it was worse. Humanity had found a more efficient way to eliminate mutants at the root.
For 25 years, no natural mutants were born. The older mutants either died of old age or were captured and executed.
In the end, only Logan, Caliban, and Professor X remained, clinging to each other.
And they were old.
Caliban, an albino, had no combat skills.
Professor X suffered from Alzheimer's, often losing control. He couldn't lead and might kill his own people at any moment.
Logan's healing factor weakened, his strength faded, and he began to age. To provide for the three of them and Professor X's medication, he had to take odd jobs.
Their only asset was a rented car for a pickup service.
Even a few street thugs could give him trouble.
Logan couldn't believe it.
Even Beast and Scott, hearing it for the second time, were overwhelmed with emotion, unsure how to respond.
"I have a question. If you can travel to another universe, why not find out what happened in the past?" Logan asked skeptically.
He couldn't imagine sacrificing so much for someone like Professor X.
"In the world before Days of Future Past, as soon as I arrived, Sentinel robots surrounded me. Each Sentinel was as strong as a full-fledged X-Men member—maybe stronger."
"The X-Men could take down hundreds of Sentinels, but Sentinels are disposable. They're made of non-metallic materials and replicable genetic data. A single factory can produce tens of thousands daily."
"Once engaged, they copy your abilities and adapt to counter them, leaving you helpless."
"For example, against Iceman, they transform into a flame-like body. Against Colossus, they become fully metallic."
"This ability has limits—it can't replicate external powers like mind control, metal manipulation, or weather control. But it's enough to destroy mutants."
"Imagine trying to fight—or even talk—under that kind of pressure."
The others frowned.
No wonder mutants went extinct in the future.
They couldn't imagine how powerful Sentinels would become after absorbing so many mutants.
No one could confidently face a hundred such enemies.
"As for the world after reversing the future, its timeline diverged from ours. What's the point of sharing details?" Norin countered, spreading his hands.
"Don't lose hope. That's just another universe. Ours has foreseen the problem, and the future will be different," Charles said, trying to lift the mood.
But his encouragement fell flat. The room was heavy with despair. No one could feel good knowing their fate was so grim.
"How will the future be different? Whether it's reversed or not, destruction awaits us. So what do we do?" Logan snapped, his temper flaring.
"We've discussed this before. Norin made some good suggestions, and we realized our previous approach had flaws."
"Starting today, we'll redefine our plan to face future crises."
Faced with life and death, Charles openly admitted his philosophy had failed.
While he'd improved the mutants' situation to some extent, the core issue remained.
Mutants were still discriminated against, still misunderstood. They had no voice and could only beg for recognition from those in power, hoping they'd see that humans and mutants didn't need to be enemies.
But one-sided appeasement was just groveling.
People wouldn't value you or treat you as equals.
They'd exploit you for all you're worth, then destroy you without a second thought.
Therefore, according to the new plan, they had to step out of the shadows—no more hiding and begging for scraps. They would rely on their own strength to make their voices heard.
Even if it meant fighting.
War for peace. War for dignity.
Charles projected the plan he'd discussed earlier onto a screen.
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the hum of the projector.
Beast and Logan, attending the meeting for the first time, were stunned by Norin's ideas.
They'd never considered such approaches.
The "Braindead fans" plan, celebrity packaging, buff stacking... These wild ideas made them wonder what Norin's brain was made of.
You could call them illogical or unrealistic, but the reality was right in front of them.
Yet, they felt unreliable, like unconventional gambles.
Still, given the mutants' dire situation, they seemed worth a shot.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
---
"Hank, what do you think?" Charles asked Beast.
Hank was one of the smartest mutants, with solid combat skills and years of experience in the X-Men.
"It's... unconventional, but feasible. If it works, it could significantly improve the mutants' situation," Hank said cautiously.
Though brilliant, Hank focused too much on science and too little on human nature. Otherwise, mutants might not have faced extinction.
"Then let's proceed. First, we'll form a group. I'll call it Group X."
"The group needs access to publicity channels and high-quality assets."
"I'll transfer all my properties to Group X to fund its development."
"We'll also select a tentative team of seven, called the Super Seven, as the public face of the group. Norin, would you like to join?"
"No."
Norin refused without hesitation.
The Super Seven might be hailed as heroes, but they were little more than zoo animals—performing for the crowd, playing idols, and drowning in PR.
He preferred to stay behind the scenes, enjoying the benefits while leaving the headaches to others.
Charles was disappointed.
Norin's strength, intelligence, and looks made him the perfect leader for the Super Seven. Just standing there, he could make women scream.
A few public appearances and demonstrations of power would earn countless fanatics.
Half the world might change its view of mutants overnight.
The codename Charles had chosen for Norin was Dawn—symbolizing hope and the rising sun.
Norin's presence was hope and light for mutants.
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"Though I won't join, I have other suggestions."
Norin's refusal was firm, but his follow-up made Charles's eyes light up.