Downtown New York
The X- Men looked up at the newcomer, the robotic Sentinel. Named after the citadel's guardians, it towered over the mutants and raised its hand.
"There's no mind behind it, that doesn't mean there isn't a consciousness controlling it from afar," Charles said.
"Or could it be operating under an advanced AI? That head looks big enough to house a supercomputer!" Hank explained.
"You'd better put your diamonds back on," Warren told Emma.
"It's draining my stamina, unless you want me to turn into coal I won't be able to use my powers for a while," she replied.
"Those gears in the legs look vulnerable," Bobby said.
He threw his hands forward, spraying an icy mist over the Sentinel's leg joints.
"Hostile action, activating takedown protocols," the Sentinel said .
He fired a burst from his hand, and Hank lunged at Bobby, knocking him down. Beast leaped up, lifting Bobby onto his shoulder.
"The alloy they're using must be cold-resistant," Hank commented as he bounced off a fire escape and launched himself toward a rooftop.
Warren picked up Emma and flew upward. Charles rolled between the Sentinel's legs, avoiding his hand. Although he disliked his wheelchair, he had plenty of practice maneuvering it. His physical therapist suggested he try out for the Olympics, and while Charles would have been open to the idea in the past, his mission was too important to allow for that kind of distraction.
"If only you could see me now, Amelia," he thought.
As they turned the corner of the alley, Charles accessed the minds of the others on the street. They were beginning to clear it, looking at the robotic Sentinel and fearing the worst. He took to the rooftops, chasing Bobby and Hank. Beast leaped to another rooftop, with Bobby squealing with joy on his shoulder. The boy found the experience amusing, and even Hank smiled. Warren and Emma, however, were much more serious, regarding the situation with the same caution Charles had seen during his days at the UN. Rolling down the street into the crowd, Charles focused his telepathy, widened his range, and looked for a blind spot.
"A machine like that would still need a crew to oversee it and perform repairs in the field," Charles thought.
He narrowed the search to an area his powers couldn't perceive. Not without obscuring the view of passersby. A cargo truck, located about ten blocks away. The alloys used in its construction blocked Charles's powers. He couldn't determine what machines or crew were inside the cargo area, and there was no driver. Certain metals could block Charles's abilities.
"Angel, leave Emma on the street and go where she tells you, maybe we can disrupt the machine. Hank, Bobby, keep distracting her," Charles ordered with his telepathy.
"No problem, Professor," Bobby said, hitting the Sentinel in the face with another blast of ice mist.
The Sentinel fired another burst, this time hitting the roof and throwing Beast and Iceman into the building. Outside, Stryker slammed his car door, watching as the Sentinel reached through the hole he'd made in the building.
"Damn, what the hell is going on here? The Sentinel wasn't approved for deployment," he said.
Wraith and Maverick exited the vehicle behind him and exchanged worried glances.
"We have mutant operatives in the field, I repeat, we have mutant operatives in the field," Stryker shouted into his communicator.
"Easy, Stryker , did you think I wouldn't include an IFF in my design?" a voice asked over the radio.
" Trask ! " Stryker growled .
Sentinel 's video feeds and the monitors displaying the integrity of his creation.
"Anyone wearing the MRD uniform is exempt from the Sentinel 's targeting systems," Trask said with pride in his voice.
However, unbeknownst to the great inventor, Charles Xavier could "hijack" more senses than just sight. He wound his way into an alley, rolling until he reached an area occupied by homeless people. Altering his perceptions to appear as one of them, Charles focused on contacting the X- Men .
"Warren, a change of plans. We'll return to where we had our previous battles," and an ally Charles knew would be very useful. "Spider-Man!"
"AGH!" Peter yelled, falling into a roof vent. "What? Oh my God, is that you?"
"Spider-Man, you can call me Professor X, my team and I will need your help, please listen carefully."