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There was no denying itâNick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was a master of political maneuvering.
When it came to the complex situation surrounding Mutants, there was no one with a clearer, more ruthless understanding of the dynamics at play.
Yes, public sentiment toward Mutants had improved dramatically in recent weeks. Thanks to repeated public exposure, successful interventions by the X-Men, and cleverly steered social discourse, more and more ordinary citizens had begun to trust Mutantsâeven admire them.
But at the end of the day, public image was just thatâan image.
Intangible. Fleeting. Largely symbolic.
If Mutants wanted to truly step into the lightâto operate openly and legally under the sunâit would take far more than online approval or street-level admiration. They would need something monumental:
Government recognition. Legal legitimacy.
But that was never going to happen.
Because the moment Mutants were officially acknowledged as a legitimate social class, with rights and political status, it would shake the foundations of modern society. The global political system, built upon human institutions, couldn't survive the formal rise of a population with superhuman abilities.
Imagine it:
A man like Wolverine, nearly unkillable, joins a police force. How many criminals would he take down in a year? Would he ever be off-duty?
Professor X, capable of reading minds, becomes a judge. What crime could remain hidden from him?
Cyclops, with his laser beam eyes, walks onto a battlefield. One sweep could turn the tide of a war. Wouldn't he be a national hero overnight?
And what about the others?
Mutants with speed, strength, elemental powers, or reality-warping abilities. Once such people entered government agencies or public service, who could stop them from rising quickly? From infiltrating leadership positions?
What then would remain of governance by and for ordinary people?
This was the real reason behind the fear.
The people in powerâpresidents, senators, generalsâthey would never willingly hand over control. Not to anyone, least of all to those born with powers they could neither replicate nor regulate.
They would fight tooth and nail, even if it meant plunging the world into chaos, to maintain their grip.
It was also why, despite not officially enforcing the Mutant Registration Act, governments across the world still secretly researched ways to control, suppress, or neutralize superhuman abilities.
Because they knew, deep down, they didn't have the upper hand.
And they were biding their time.
But what none of them expectedâwhat no amount of strategy could predictâwas the rise of Joseph.
Unlike Magneto, Joseph didn't declare open war on humanity. And unlike Professor X, he wasn't interested in compromising for breadcrumbs of acceptance.
Joseph saw clearly what others missed.
He didn't charge forwardâhe advanced when the enemy retreated.
He boiled the frog slowly.
And now, the heat was rising.
From the very next day after the Abomination's rampage through Twister City, the internet and the streets exploded with outrage. Videos of Hulk battling Abomination flooded social media. Footage of military helicopters circling while civilians ran for their lives went viral.
And with it, a new chant was born:
"Monster Maker, Get Out of Twister!"
It started online.
Then it hit the streets.
For the first time, outrage didn't remain confined to comment sections and livestreams. People physically marched through city squares, holding up signs, protesting in front of government buildings and military installations.
The uproar was far more intense than the Stryker scandal.
This time, it wasn't about a secret program targeting Mutants.
This time, the military had created a monster that nearly wiped out half the city.
People were terrified.
Some even began lumping General Ross and Wilhelm Stryker together, calling for both to be tried for crimes against humanity.
And just when the military thought the situation couldn't get worse...
A bombshell dropped.
On the third day, the most unexpected person stepped into the spotlight.
The Global Daily aired an exclusive interview between top reporter Eddie Locke and a woman who calmly introduced herself on camera:
"I'm Moira MacTaggert. Former CIA officer. I once headed the agency's Special Operations Division before retiring."
A hush fell across living rooms nationwide.
She wasn't just anyone.
She was the very same woman featured in the X-Men documentary.
Charles Xavier's former lover.
And her appearance on live TV was less of an interview and more of a battle cry.
"The military has spent decades creating dangerous weapons," she said, eyes fierce. "Meanwhile, the X-MenâMutantsâhave risked their lives to protect innocent people."
Her voice trembled as she continued.
"I'm a 70-year-old retired woman who lives not far from Broadway. I don't want to die in my sleep because some green monster comes crashing through my roof."
Then came the dagger:
She announced she was suing General Ross.
For endangering her life and property.
She had filed an official lawsuit in federal court.
And more than thatâshe was demanding the formation of a Mutant Affairs Bureau, a new federal institution tasked with regulating, supporting, and recognizing Mutants.
She wanted the X-Men to be turned into a legal, government-backed organization with full law enforcement authority.
The effect was immediate.
Moira MacTaggert wasn't a power-hungry senator. She wasn't a young rebel. She was a respected, retired public servant. And she had nothing to gain from thisâexcept a safer world.
Her sincerity struck a chord.
Almost overnight, the streets filled with new energy. Protests turned to movements.
People signed petitions. Online campaigns soared. Hashtags trended across every platform:
#PublicTrialRoss
#LegalizeMutants
#XMenForJustice
Even more lawsuits flooded into the courts.
"The military can't protect us!" they shouted. "Let the X-Men do it!"
"The White House must stop shielding their own!"
"The Mutant Affairs Bureau must be established now!"
And for the first time in decades, the Mutant issue wasn't about fearâit was about hope.
The desire for protection. The longing for justice. The willingness to entrust safety to those who had proven they could deliver it.
Twister City had been traumatized.
And the people wanted change.
Back in Washington, panic spread through the halls of power.
Inside the White House, top brass from the Pentagon, intelligence community, and administration gathered for an emergency meeting.
The footage played on repeat.
Moira's face on every screen.
Protests outside their windows.
The clamor of change growing louder by the hour.
"Has she lost her mind?!" a general barked, slamming his fist on the table. "How the hell did we let a traitor rise so far in the CIA?!"
"This is sabotage!" another shouted. "She was Xavier's lover, for god's sake!"
But before anyone could respond, a fresh bombshell hit the room.
Catherine Bergert, Chief Superintendent of NYPD's 17th Precinctâhad publicly voiced her support for Moira's proposal.
And even worseâ
New York State Court had officially accepted the lawsuits.
Presiding over the case?
Judge Kate Mara.
Someone recognized her immediately. "Isn't that the same woman who served Tony Stark a subpoena during the Senate hearing back in the day?!"
"Yes," another snapped. "And now she's ruling over a case involving the military. Wonderful."
More chaos erupted.
"She's a mutant, isn't she?!"
"No! Her records are clean. She used to be an executive officer in the courts. She got promoted after the President assassination plot was exposed."
"What about Catherine Bergert? She was the one who arrested Stryker!"
"Same deal. Her public record's spotless. She earned that promotion."
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then, all at onceâ
"DOG-DAY MILITARY!"
"ROSS IN DOG DAYS!"
The chorus of cursing echoed down the halls.
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