"Wait, do you know what you're saying?" Ororo suddenly grabbed his collar, her angry face almost touching his nose. "You want me to hide behind you, to pray that Magneto doesn't kill you while you're fighting, and then smile at your family and make up a lie that you might be home late?"
"You selfish, arrogant jerk, have you ever thought about my feelings? Have you ever considered things from my perspective?"
At this point, she slapped Zhou Yi hard and turned to rush out of the room without looking back.
Zhou Yi touched the spot where he had been slapped, a wry smile on his lips. For a woman to go to such lengths, it meant she truly loved him. But from his perspective, wasn't he showing his love for her by doing this?
Turning to look at the other woman who was standing with her arms crossed, the wry smile on Zhou Yi's face deepened a few shades.
"I don't suppose you're going to say the same thing to me!"
Jean Grey sighed and stepped forward. She first touched Zhou Yi's face, then spoke with a tone of regret.
"You should know why Ororo slapped you. Honestly, if I could, I'd want to do the same, but I don't have the right. To be honest, I envy her."
"I know!" Zhou Yi held Jean's hand. "Jean, I know your feelings, so please understand me. I truly don't want you to get hurt. You are too important to me. I'd rather get hurt myself than see anything happen to you!"
"Then we feel the same way. We also don't want to see anything happen to you." Jean Grey took Zhou Yi's hand and placed it on her chest. "You are very important to us too, so you should know what kind of decisions we will make."
"Alright, alright! I won't say anything more. But I truly hope you can protect my mother and them. I don't know what kind of damage my fight with Magneto will cause to this city. With you protecting them, I'll feel much more at ease!"
"Yi!" Jean Grey gave him a chiding look, interrupting his words.
Zhou Yi smiled helplessly. He knew his little tricks were useless in front of this clever woman. Smart people seemed to need little communication; sometimes, a single glance could solve many problems.
The two exchanged a smile, seemingly understanding each other's feelings.
And where they couldn't see, Ororo quietly closed the door. She had originally intended to come back and persuade him further, but now she was completely at a loss for words. Her mind felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer, completely losing the ability to think.
Quietly taking two steps back, Ororo covered her mouth and resolutely turned to leave. This time, she never looked back.
Everyone was waiting, waiting for Magneto's response. And once the response arrived, it would mean the beginning of a battle. This was a battle concerning the fate of Mutants. If Zhou Yi won, it would mean the failure of Magneto's plan. His crazy plan would be curbed, and he himself would have to sit before Zhou Yi and reconsider his plan.
If it really came to that, Zhou Yi believed that even if he was the leader of the Mutants, he would have to seriously consider the feasibility of his plan. Because in front of the victor, the loser has no right to speak. Even if he was the King of Mutants, it was the same in this regard. Ultimately, power still reigned supreme in their World.
But if Zhou Yi failed, Magneto would acquire Rogue, completing the most crucial part of his Mutant proliferation plan. The mutation of human leaders into Mutants was a foreseeable outcome for him. However, the subsequent problems were unknown to him. The collective death of the leadership due to genetic collapse could very well trigger a real war.
A war between Mutants and humans. Once such a thing happened, individual power would be infinitely diminished to a certain extent. No matter how much confidence Zhou Yi had in himself, he didn't believe he could dictate the direction of the war, and from any standpoint, he would be in a dilemma.
This was also why Charles hoped Zhou Yi could join in to stop Magneto; he had to do it. Zhou Yi also agreed with this point.
Time was passing quickly, and Zhou Yi was waiting for Mystique's return. He believed that with Magneto's confidence, he would never refuse his challenge, and that would be his only chance to reverse this plan. He wasn't fighting alone; he never was.
After a long wait, as deep night was about to arrive, a remarkably radiant woman knocked on Zhou Yi's door.
Zhou Yi opened the door, stared at the woman for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "You are, Mystique?"
The radiant woman smiled brightly at him, turned around generously, and asked.
"How do I look? Not bad, right, my Darling little man!"
"If you follow the news, you'll find that this star has undergone many plastic surgeries. All her external features are false and strange." After staring at her for a while, Zhou Yi finally expressed his opinion. Although he didn't know why this Great Master of espionage had such an attitude towards him, in some ways, he really couldn't treat her with the attitude he used for enemies. It was all because of that night.
"Is that so? Humans are indeed a hypocritical race, not even daring to admit their true appearance?" In front of Zhou Yi, Mystique transformed into another form again. This time, she became an old man with a sinister appearance.
This old man had very deep eye sockets and sharp grey-blue eyes. His expression was very serious, and his slightly pursed lips revealed his resolute character. Although the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deep, they were always concealed by the vitality in his eyes.
His posture was also extremely stiff, and his gait and bearing were so perfect that they were almost Alien Species-like. This meant his strictness was not only towards others but also towards himself.
A coat somewhat like a formal suit was worn on his body, covered by a trench coat that completely enveloped him. His silver-white hair was neatly combed back, and a deep red helmet was worn on his head, like a king's crown.
"This is Magneto, the leader of the Mutants? Truly impressive!" Zhou Yi exclaimed, which made the old man opposite nod slightly.
"Thank you for your compliment, young man." Like his appearance, his words were also very deep and powerful, containing an unshakeable belief.
However, for Zhou Yi, who knew the true identity of the person in front of him, speaking to a disguised person like this felt incredibly awkward. He twisted his neck and asked.
"Do you think this is necessary? Or is this Mr. Erik's way of intimidating me?"
"You're thinking too much, Darling." Magneto, impersonated by Mystique, shook his head and said solemnly, "I believe this is a sign of respect for you. The power you possess is worthy of us doing this. This is something not only I, but Erik also agrees with."
"Well, that truly makes me feel exceptionally honored. However, since you want to respond to me in this way, can I assume that Mr. Erik has agreed to my challenge?"
"Before that, Darling, Erik wants me to ask you a question, and he hopes you can answer it truthfully. Of course, I think so too."
"Alright, please ask!" Zhou Yi nodded, also curious to know what question Magneto would ask in such a situation.
"Erik asked me to convey to you, why don't you join our Mutant family and fight for the future of Mutants?" The disguised Magneto's eyes were sincere and powerful, revealing a captivating personal charisma. "If you are willing, a powerful Mutant like you could completely replace me and become the Dominator of the future World, the new generation leader of Mutants."
Zhou Yi didn't disbelieve Magneto's promise. He already had a relatively clear impression of what kind of person Erik was through Charles. Although this person had a strong sense of utilitarianism, when it came to the future of Mutants, he could truly be selfless. For the future of this race, he had the resolve to sacrifice everything. A mere leadership position was truly not in his eyes.
However, Zhou Yi ultimately shook his head.
"Please thank Mr. Erik for his kindness, but I am not a Mutant. Many people can attest to this! So I am not qualified to take his place."
"Then why? Why do you still involve yourself with Mutants? As an outsider, you should have an outsider's awareness. This is an internal issue for Mutants. You are a Superhero for humans, not for Mutants. You shouldn't get involved."
"Is this also Mr. Erik's intention?" Zhou Yi was puzzled. Magneto shouldn't be so indecisive; this didn't fit his impression.
"This is my intention, after all, our relationship has progressed to an intimate level, hasn't it? I wouldn't want you to die at Erik's hands." Seeing Mystique, in the guise of an old man, wink at him, Zhou Yi's body involuntarily shivered; he was utterly disgusted.
"Please, don't talk to me like that." Turning his head away, Zhou Yi tried his best not to look at that sight. However, he was quite pleased with Mystique's words. "Thank you for your concern, but I have reasons why I must get involved. I am, after all, a human Superhero, and Magneto's plan is too dangerous. I might not care about the safety of those high-level leaders, but I cannot sit idly by and watch a war break out, with innocent people being dragged into it. So, please tell me. Mr. Magneto's reply to my challenge."
"One moment before sunrise, the Eiffel Tower!" Collecting herself from her unusual behavior, Mystique regained Magneto's proper solemnity. "Defeating the strongest enemy in the most significant place in Paris is undoubtedly the best choice. This is true for both you and Erik."
"Very good, please tell Mr. Erik for me. I understand. Before sunrise, I will arrive there with Rogue!"
Mystique transformed again. This time, she manifested as a beautiful woman with black, shoulder-length hair and dazzlingly fair skin. Compared to her initial appearance, this form was much more natural and much more beautiful. However, Zhou Yi was skeptical of this appearance; no one knew Mystique's true form, or whose appearance she was showing. Even Magneto didn't know this.
"I will convey your words to Erik." The black-haired beauty gazed deeply at Zhou Yi. "And I will make sure Erik spares your life, I promise!"
"Thank you!" Zhou Yi shrugged. Although he didn't know why so many people thought he would fail, he still had to thank her.
The black-haired beauty blew him a kiss and left the room. Zhou Yi then stood up. Black armor enveloped his entire body; he was ready for battle.
Once dawn broke, everything would be decided. Would Magneto continue to Dominator all things Mutant, or would a new era begin? Everything would be decided in this battle.