In addition to the numerical attributes displayed on the panel, the abilities listed under Rorschach's skill section had also improved significantly, even though they weren't measured with precise numbers.
Take his X-ray vision and super hearing, for example.
Previously, his X-ray vision could only penetrate objects within a range of about ten meters. Anything beyond that distance was completely invisible to him. Now, however, his vision had expanded dramatically, allowing him to easily see through everything within a fifty-meter radius.
The improvement to his hearing was just as dramatic.
As long as Rorschach focused, he could now clearly hear conversations happening in distant rooms. At that moment, the discussion between Charles, Eric, and Moira inside the office reached his ears as if he were standing right beside them.
"We have to keep this entire matter to ourselves and pretend none of it ever happened," Moira said in a firm voice.
"No matter what William Stryker and that mutant team are doing, it has nothing to do with us. As far as anyone is concerned, we know nothing about it."
"What about Bradley?" Eric asked after a brief pause.
"We erase the relevant memories and send him away," Moira replied. "We'll treat it as if he was never here."
"And if Stryker keeps sending people after him?" Eric pressed.
"If Stryker really does that, then he must have his own reasons," Charles said slowly. "Eric, we shouldn't involve ourselves in someone else's business."
"The most we can do is send Bradley somewhere safe where he can live peacefully. Anything beyond that would be stepping too far."
The discussion inside the office grew heated.
Charles, Eric, and Moira argued back and forth for quite some time, each of them weighing the risks and responsibilities involved. Eventually, after exhausting nearly every possible argument, the three of them finally reached a decision.
Charles would erase Bradley's memories of meeting Eric and being brought to the CIA facility.
After that, Moira would secretly arrange for Bradley to be relocated to a safe place where he could start a new life.
The matter would end there.
Because the situation involved the son of a high-ranking CIA official, the three of them also agreed on something else—this entire incident would become a closely guarded secret.
No reports.
No discussion.
No records.
At least until they could determine whether Jason Stryker himself had anything to do with his son's actions.
For now, the only thing they could do was erase as many traces as possible before William Stryker had time to react.
If they were careful enough, perhaps the trouble would never find them.
…
Ohio.
A small amusement park on the outskirts of town.
What had once been a lively and cheerful place was now completely sealed off. Police tape blocked every entrance and exit, and patrol cars surrounded the area.
Several uniformed officers stood guard, preventing anyone from approaching the crime scene.
The distant sound of helicopter blades suddenly echoed through the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
An armed helicopter descended slowly from the sky before landing on the open field beside the park.
A young man wearing dark sunglasses stepped down from the aircraft.
It was William Stryker.
A tall man carrying two long swords strapped across his back had already been waiting nearby. When Stryker approached, the man greeted him casually.
"Sir, did your helicopter run out of fuel halfway here or something?" he said with a grin. "You're half an hour late compared to the scheduled time. Even if you're the commander, showing up this late—"
"Shut up, Wade," Stryker interrupted flatly. His voice carried a hint of exhaustion. "If I ever get the chance, I swear I'll sew your mouth shut."
He paused briefly before getting straight to the point.
"The scene hasn't been disturbed, has it?"
"Nope," Wade replied, shrugging. "This town is tiny, and the local police don't dare ignore orders from the military. The sheriff brought almost half his department to guard the place."
"Did you find anything useful?"
"Well," Wade said, scratching his chin, "two visitors from out of town showed up at the amusement park last night looking for Bradley. Some witnesses saw them fighting, but it was dark, so nobody could see clearly."
Then Wade's voice suddenly became animated.
"Oh, by the way, you really should see Victor's body, sir. His head was chopped clean off. Poor Victor…"
Wade continued rambling absentmindedly until Stryker shot him a cold glare.
Only then did Wade finally close his mouth, though his expression clearly showed that he still had plenty more to say.
Despite his personality, Wade was actually one of Stryker's strongest mutant agents. When he fought with both swords, he could easily defeat an entire platoon by himself.
More importantly, he was obedient.
Unlike Victor, who was notoriously difficult to control.
The only real problem with Wade was his constant chatter. No matter the situation, he never seemed able to stop talking.
"Anything else?" Stryker asked.
"Yeah," Wade replied. "Those two visitors asked several locals about Bradley before coming here. It looks like they were specifically searching for him."
Stryker frowned slightly.
Bradley was hardly an important asset. In fact, among the mutants Stryker had gathered, Bradley was considered relatively weak.
Why would anyone specifically target him?
For the first time, Stryker began to feel that the situation might not be as simple as it appeared.
"Sir, let me investigate this," Wade said eagerly. "I know you want to find the guy who killed Victor. Honestly, I'd also like to see whether his sword is faster or mine."
"No," Stryker said immediately, cutting him off. "Victor is dead now, which means you'll be taking over his duties. I'll leave the investigation here to someone else."
Then he added calmly, "Your priority is retrieving the serum we need."
"Fine, I can handle the Ghost mission," Wade said. "But what about Logan? I remember you had different plans for him."
"You don't need to worry about Logan," Stryker replied.
He pulled out a file and handed it over casually.
"Besides Ghost, there's another mutant I want you to recruit. I think you'll like his ability."
Wade glanced at the document, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Wow, this is awesome," he said excitedly. "This guy can shoot lasers from his eyes? That's incredible. I like him already."
"Then stop wasting time," Stryker said impatiently. "Go do your job. I'm going to speak with the witnesses."
…
Back at the CIA base.
On a quiet path shaded by tall trees, Rorschach and Charles walked side by side.
To anyone watching from a distance, the two looked like they were simply enjoying a leisurely stroll. In reality, they were discussing something far more serious.
"Rorschach," Charles said calmly, "I've already erased Bradley's memories related to meeting Eric and coming here. Moira will arrange for someone to secretly move him tonight."
"This matter is extremely sensitive. Everyone involved must keep silent. We cannot reveal anything to anyone."
Charles turned to him slightly.
"Do you have any concerns about that?"
"I understand," Rorschach replied without hesitation. His expression remained calm and composed.
"Good," Charles said with a small nod.
Then he mentioned something else.
"We'll also pause mutant recruitment for now."
He continued walking slowly along the path.
"Someone saw you and Eric at the amusement park. Stryker might discover something from that. Still, you don't need to worry—we've erased as many traces as possible."
"As long as you stay here at the base and avoid unnecessary exposure, nothing should happen."
After reaching a fork in the path, the two of them stopped.
"Alright, I should go," Charles said. "Moira is waiting for me."
He gave Rorschach a reassuring smile.
"Relax. Everything will be fine."
Charles then walked toward Moira and Eric, who were waiting in the distance.
Rorschach raised a hand and waved to them casually before watching the three of them disappear down the path.
"So they want to avoid Stryker?" Rorschach muttered quietly to himself.
He shrugged.
Honestly, he wasn't afraid of Stryker at all.
Remaining inside the CIA facility wasn't exactly what Rorschach wanted. After all, he had discovered that going out into the world sometimes triggered unexpected missions—just like what had happened at the amusement park.
If he stayed inside all the time, opportunities like that might never appear again.
Still, after thinking about it for a moment, he decided against acting recklessly.
Leaving the base now would only cause trouble for Charles and the others, and Rorschach had no interest in creating unnecessary problems.
Besides, his physical abilities had just improved dramatically.
This was actually the perfect opportunity to get used to his new strength.
There was another reason as well.
If his memory was correct, something major would soon happen at this base.
Instead of going out to search for opportunities, it might be better to simply wait for them to arrive on his doorstep.
.....
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