"Logan, you don't look so good," Jean asked with concern.
Cyclops noticed a slight change in his expression. He had already suspected Logan's intentions toward Jean, and now, Jean's attitude toward Logan was also a little off. He intervened, stepping between them and handing Logan a pack of military rations.
Logan gave Cyclops a confused look, then glanced down at the food in his hand. In the end, his stomach decided for him, and he began eating. "Have you found a way back yet?"
Cyclops shook his head. There were no airports here, and if there were, they could have had X Professor's private jet flown in.
Logan didn't say anything more and focused on his meal.
Outside, it had already gotten dark. They would have to spend the night at the dam, surrounded by ice sculptures. The faint-hearted might hesitate, but everyone present wasn't one to shy away.
Magneto had been injected with the antidote twice and was looking much better. Late that night, Mystique woke up. She quietly placed Magneto in a wheelchair, intending to escape. If anyone came to pick them up, they would still have to endure prison once they got back to New York, so leaving quietly was the best choice.
She tiptoed away, but Liu A'dou, who had been keeping an eye on them, saw and quietly followed. Once they were outside the dam, Liu A'dou called out to Mystique, "After everything we've been through, you're not going to say goodbye? You won't make any friends this way."
Mystique pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Liu A'dou. This was the gun she had casually picked up from the hallway earlier. "We were never friends. You X-Men pretend to be benevolent, but humans have been ruthless toward us mutants, and yet you still try to protect them. We're not on the same side."
"You don't need to be so harsh, and don't be so heartless with that gun pointed at me. I'm not here to bring you back." Liu A'dou tossed over two military coats. "Don't catch a cold. We'll meet again someday. I hope you'll realize mutants are also human and are a part of humanity's future. As the pioneers, your role is to accumulate experience for the generations to come, not to keep fighting. If the entire history of mutants is written as a series of wars against humanity, killing people, with nothing but violence and brutality, how are you any different from beasts?"
"Blood is the only way to demand rights for mutants," Mystique said, her conviction clear. She believed that only through bloodshed could humanity learn to truly respect mutants, to fear them.
"Then you haven't achieved anything. Only barbarians like wolves and tigers solve problems with force. Over time, you mutants will start to see yourselves as beasts. Even if there are no ordinary humans, you'll be the ones who lead civilization back to barbarism." Liu A'dou said firmly. "Think about it. It's the 21st century now. There are many ways to solve problems without resorting to violence."
Liu A'dou turned to leave. Mystique put on her coat, covered Magneto with it, and pushed his wheelchair into the night wind, heading deep into the woods.
"Liu, why didn't you stop them?" Wolverine and Cyclops had both woken up. "Do you know what Magneto is going to do? He won't change."
"We'll stop him when the time comes. Don't worry, you X-Men are always ready," Liu A'dou said, without looking back.
"..." They were speechless.
But they had already left, so there was nothing more to say.
The next morning, before the sun rose, they were awakened by the loud sound of an engine. Stepping outside, they saw the bald-headed director clutching his stomach, injured, arriving to speak with them. "Professor X, how's it going?"
"Director Nick, long time no see." Liu A'dou realized that they were probably going to owe S.H.I.E.L.D a favor after all this.
Nick had brought the latest vertical takeoff aircraft. "Agent Ada, you did well this time," Nick said, acknowledging her. By sticking to the right course, she had helped the X-Men prevent a racial massacre, achieving something significant.
This was Stryker's research base, and Nick was the first to arrive. He ordered the agents to thoroughly inspect both the inside and outside of the dam. He stood next to the frozen Death Goddess, tapping on the ice, feeling regretful. If it weren't for the X-Men's partnership, he would have recruited more mutants to see the extent of their power.
On the other side, Nightcrawler had regained consciousness. Although he was still somewhat resistant to others, with Professor X's help, they managed to convince him to return to the X-Mansion. Stryker's son had turned into a vegetable and would be sent to a special care facility under S.H.I.E.L.D., where he would likely remain for the rest of his life.
The agents discovered three vats of liquid Adamantium in the research facility, which was a significant find. Adamantium was one of the hardest materials on Earth.
Captain America's shield was also made from a form of Adamantium. It was created by combining raw Adamantium with iron and a special metal from the Black Panther's kingdom, making it an irreplaceable and unique alloy. This metal, also known as Vanadium Alloy or Vibranium, was a form of primal Adamantium.
However, Wolverine's body contained a different form of Adamantium, as it had fused with his genes. This combination allowed the metal in his body to have bone-like characteristics, enabling self-healing. This version was called Adamantium Beta.
Adamantium was a precious material, and Liu A'dou had plans to steal it. But it would be suspicious to act too quickly, so it was better to let S.H.I.E.L.D. take it first. He could find another opportunity later.
Adamantium was difficult to synthesize and costly to produce. Even Iron Man's father and son could only use it for key components in their suits. No matter how rich Tony Stark was, he couldn't afford to make his whole suit out of Adamantium. Plus, with his rapid suit upgrades, he wouldn't have enough Adamantium to waste. It would be more cost-effective to research electromagnetic shields instead.
When Director Nick saw the Adamantium, he smiled. Many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research labs needed this metal, and it would serve them well. Seeing how Stryker had wasted it, Nick felt a pang of sympathy.
The research facility also contained extensive files on mutants, which were all confiscated. Many of these mutants were criminals that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been dealing with for years. While looking through these disturbing photos, they were repulsive. Wolverine, especially, clenched his teeth, frustrated that Stryker had already died.
"Professor, I guarantee that research like Stryker's will never happen again," Director Nick said seriously.
Tears welled up in Professor X's eyes. Before Stryker became the Defense Secretary, he had been conducting experiments on mutants, many of whom were children. Back in those days, mutants were largely unknown to the public. Communications weren't as advanced, and the media ignored the mutants living on the fringes of society. As a result, mutants' safety was not guaranteed, and predators carried out inhumane experiments on them.
Liu A'dou felt that one shot taking down Stryker was too easy for him, but he also knew that such things would happen less and less in the future. With growing public awareness and advancing technology, the chances of mutants facing such abuse would decrease. However, there would still be outliers, and that was why the X-Men existed—to be ever-ready.
"Scum," Liu A'dou cursed.
"It's a shame he's dead. Otherwise, I'd love to break every bone in his body myself." Even the usually composed Cyclops was furious.
Everyone was filled with righteous indignation, but the true mastermind was already dead, leaving them with nowhere to vent their frustration. It added to their sense of hopelessness. Death was too easy for Stryker.