In the light-screen footage, Wolverine helped Jean Grey and the other two, almost single-handedly clearing the entire base. After finishing the job, he departed quietly—leaving no name, no trace.
Jean Grey and the others successfully rescued Mystique, Quicksilver, Hank, and Agent Moira one after another.
At that moment, the experienced Raven naturally became the pillar of the group. She led them to a special aircraft inside the base, had everyone change into uniforms along the way, and then boarded the craft, heading straight for Cairo.
During the flight, Jean Grey, Quicksilver, Cyclops, and Nightcrawler were all visibly nervous to varying degrees. Raven encouraged them, and the footage ended there.
---
In the Eternal Space, Natasha Romanoff smiled.
"I like her—Raven. And Erik, you were right. She has real leadership qualities. She deserves the title of hero."
Erik Lehnsherr shrugged.
"If you ask me, she's more suitable to be the headmaster of that school than Charles. At the very least, she'd teach those little brats how to fight."
Tony Stark laughed and teased,
"They're heading off to fight you, Erik. Don't you feel even a little ashamed?"
Erik sneered.
"Why should I? What my future self does has nothing to do with who I am now."
Bruce Banner scratched his head.
"Why does that sound… kind of wrong?"
Homelander nodded vigorously.
"Exactly! Erik, I completely agree with you!
Even if everything shown in these videos is real, it's still something our future selves did. You could even say it's just another parallel timeline. In any case, it has nothing to do with who we are right now!"
Tony Stark shook his head.
"You can lie to others if you want, but don't lie to yourself—that's meaningless. Of course, Homelander, this doesn't apply to you, since you can't fool anyone anyway."
In Tony's view, Magneto might be a villain, but at least he was redeemable. As for someone like Homelander—only brainwashing could ever make him safe to release.
---
At that moment, a new question appeared on the light screen:
[Who caused Professor Charles Xavier to lose all his hair?
A: Erik Lehnsherr
B: Jean Grey
C: Warren Kenneth Worthington III
D: En Sabah Nur]
---
"Does this even count as a question?" Tony Stark spread his hands.
"I always thought Charles just had a severe case of hair loss."
Even Erik Lehnsherr nearly laughed.
"What a pity Charles isn't here. His expression would be priceless."
Bruce Banner scratched his head again.
"Does Professor X losing his hair actually affect him? I mean—does it make him stronger, or weaker?"
"Stronger, probably," Tony said thoughtfully.
"Yes—Charles got stronger after going bald."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted to option D.
Apocalypse could enhance mutant abilities. From the future footage, it was clear that Charles Xavier could connect to the entire world's minds without a Cerebro helmet precisely because of that enhancement.
So… did that power come at a cost?
Like losing all his hair?
Natasha Romanoff said seriously,
"Charles's powers are linked to the brain. Maybe his mental strength increased so much that it caused the hair loss?"
She couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed.
"God, this is ridiculous. Why are we even discussing why someone went bald? Isn't that a bit rude?"
Erik chuckled.
"I don't think Charles would mind."
The atmosphere was lighthearted—except for Homelander.
He didn't care about jokes. He wanted useful information, but the others were clearly holding back around him.
'Damn it.
Do they all think I can only copy answers?
This time, I'll think'
---
The countdown began.
Homelander ignored everyone else and slammed the answer button first.
Erik, Tony, and Natasha followed, but they were a fraction too slow. The fast-answer right went to Homelander.
He was visibly tense. The score gap was small now—every fast answer mattered. One correct answer could turn the tables; one mistake could end his chances entirely.
"This question…"
He didn't hesitate for long.
"I choose D!"
Tony's eyebrows shot up—this felt dangerous. Still, he chose D as well. Erik, Natasha, and Bruce followed suit.
Then the results appeared:
[Congratulations to player Homelander for a successful fast answer! +4 points.
Player Tony Stark, player Erik Lehnsherr, player Natasha Romanoff, and player Bruce Banner answered correctly. +1 point each.]
The answer was revealed—everyone got it right.
Homelander was ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hahaha! Erik, Natasha—just wait! I'll surpass you both soon!"
Although the 4 points weren't enough for an instant overtake, he was now only two points behind Magneto in second place, and five points behind Natasha in first.
After several wrong answers earlier, Homelander had thought victory was impossible. Now, hope had returned.
'Hold on. Just hold on—and there's a chance.'
Tony Stark curled his lips.
"I told you—you won't get your chance."
Homelander laughed.
"No. The one who's truly finished is you, Tony Stark. Second from the bottom—if this were the last quiz game, you'd already be eliminated."
Tony's face fell.
Why did his luck have to be this bad—bad enough to let Homelander gloat?
---
After the question, the light screen played the corresponding footage. The scene shifted to the outskirts of Cairo.
Apocalypse gazed at the distant city and spoke in a low voice:
"This place was meant to be the center of the universe… but they betrayed me. Now, I will return everything to its proper order."
He slowly raised his arms in a gesture of worship toward the sky. His pupils turned white—his power activating.
Almost instantly, buildings and vehicles throughout the city began to disintegrate, as if they had endured tens of thousands of years of erosion. With a gentle sweep of the wind, everything crumbled into sand.
As terrified screams echoed, the yellow sands swirled and gathered toward the city center, piling up at a visible speed.
In the blink of an eye, a colossal pyramid rose from the ground, towering before everyone's eyes.
....
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