That night, New York became the stage for two major incidents.
And, as expected, both reached S.H.I.E.L.D. almost instantly.
After all, monitoring every anomaly, every threat, and every disturbance in the United States was part of the organization's duty—and eliminating risks before they turned into catastrophes was its specialty.
Nick Fury remained in his command room, motionless, his brow deeply furrowed. The cold glow of the screens reflected across his face, his single eye fixed on the two massive projections before him. Each displayed a different scene, both troubling.
On one screen, Hammer drones controlled by Ivan Vanko were being "hijacked" by J.A.R.V.I.S. with impressive ease.
Fury let out an almost inaudible grunt.
"I didn't expect J.A.R.V.I.S. to have evolved this far..." he muttered.
In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, the information on Ivan Vanko was far more complete than what Tony Stark had. Fury knew Ivan would never have followed such a dark path if not for the resentment inherited from his father—and his obsession with avenging Howard Stark's legacy.
But that wasn't his biggest problem.
His gaze shifted to the second screen, and his expression hardened.
There they were.
"The X-Men..." Fury whispered, as though the very word carried its own weight.
The video showed the mutant team acting in the middle of Times Square, alongside an equally striking figure: Spider-Woman.
It was strange, unsettling. To Fury, this didn't match at all with the careful, discreet profile of Charles Xavier.
Maria Hill, standing nearby, broke the silence:
"The X-Men's actions are spreading like wildfire online. Forums, social media, livestreams... Every minute, more people are talking and sharing. If we don't get control of this now, they'll dominate the online discussion."
Fury looked at her calmly, but his jaw tightened.
"And Congress will smell the opportunity..." he finished.
Hill nodded gravely.
The specter of the Mutant Registration Act hung like an old shadow. That bill had been dormant for years, and all it would take was a spark of collective hysteria to bring it back to the political stage.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had never opposed the proposal. On the contrary, internally many saw it as a tool to maintain order. But Hill feared the inevitable: the reaction of the Brotherhood of Mutants. If provoked, they would turn any measure into fuel for new conflicts.
The balance between mutants and the government was like cracked glass—still whole, but ready to shatter at the slightest wrong touch.
"It doesn't make sense for Xavier to expose himself like this," Fury said, thoughtful, breaking the tension. "It's not his style."
After a few seconds of silence, he made a decision:
"Hill, block every single piece of online public opinion related to the X-Men. I want it wiped from the net."
"Understood."
"And one more thing... closely monitor Xavier's Institute's IP. If there's any suspicious movement, I want to know before they even breathe."
Fury had no proof, but suspicion gnawed at him. Maybe Xavier was planning something bigger, something beyond simple public appearances. Still, showing up empty-handed and accusing without evidence would be foolish.
"Last time, I had Magneto as an excuse to pressure them," he muttered aloud. "Now, I've got nothing."
Maria Hill hurried off to carry out his orders. Fury remained in front of the screens, watching, until one of the feeds showed Tony Stark defeating Ivan with remarkable ease.
Fury crossed his arms and murmured, almost ironically:
"As expected of Howard's son... Updating an armor to this level in so little time..."
Ten minutes later, Hill rushed back, her voice urgent:
"Director, we've got a problem. We couldn't erase a single video or post about the X-Men."
Fury raised his eye, incredulous.
"What?"
"Someone completely blocked us."
The silence in the room grew heavy. The idea of anything slipping out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control was unthinkable. And yet, it was happening.
---
Meanwhile, at the New York Police Department, Jean Grey was leaving the precinct after cooperating with officers. The night air brought her a brief sense of relief, but her phone buzzed before she could even take two steps outside.
"Ruby? What happened?"
The reply came immediately, almost with pride:
[Just now S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to erase posts related to the X-Men. But I blocked everything.]
[Oh, and they also tried to trace Xavier's Institute's IP, but don't worry. I already took care of it.]
Jean couldn't help but smile softly.
"Thank you, Ruby."
After hanging up, she focused and opened her mind, quickly connecting with Charles Xavier. The news left the Professor momentarily stunned, but soon a relieved sigh escaped his lips.
He realized that his decision to let Jean move out had been the right choice. Without the unexpected support of her lover, perhaps his plans would never have even begun to take shape.
Paradoxically, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s interference only reinforced Xavier's conviction that he was on the right path.
---
At Xavier's Institute, the Professor had gathered not only the veteran X-Men, but also selected students. The atmosphere was tense, but also filled with expectation.
"Is everyone ready?" he asked, his calm voice filling the room.
From the top of his desk, he retrieved a carefully prepared document and handed it to Ororo.
"Distribute this to everyone. Each of you must have a copy."
Ororo passed the sheets around while Xavier explained:
"Reply in separate posts, using different accounts. The messages must be clear and focused on the X-Men's rescue missions. Show the public that our priority is saving lives."
Scott Summers received the document and examined it in silence. The instructions were simple, almost bureaucratic, but they carried enormous strategic weight.
He frowned, confused. Was this the true face of the mutants' future missions? Not bloody battles, not clashes against enemies, but a war of narratives and opinions?
Still, a strange sense of relief swelled in his chest.
Maybe, just maybe, this was better.
No constant fighting.
No getting hurt, nor watching others get hurt.
And for the first time in a long while, Scott allowed himself to think that the future didn't look so bad.
---
The night was quiet when Jean finally arrived at Arthur's house. From the outside, everything seemed calm, but when she stepped into the living room, she was met with a scene that drew a curious, almost amused expression from her.
Arthur sat on the couch, leaning back against the cushions, holding a fan of colorful cards with a seriousness that was almost comical. Across from him, Gwen stared back with equal intensity, as if they were in the middle of a deadly duel. The center of the table was covered with a pile of discarded cards, while a single word glowed on the TV screen behind them, echoing ironically in Jean's mind:
UNO.
Arthur, his face stern, threw down a card. Gwen immediately answered with another, grinning victoriously.
Jean raised an eyebrow, incredulous.
"Do I... really need to ask? What exactly are you two doing?"
Arthur sighed deeply, clearly annoyed, and dropped his cards as though he had just lost an honorable duel.
"It's just... one of those games," he began, rubbing his forehead. "The kind where the loser has to... do whatever the winner says."
Gwen couldn't hold back a mischievous giggle, leaning forward slightly.
"No Mercy, as he called it. I don't think he expected me to be this lucky with the cards."
Jean crossed her arms, feigning reproach, though a mischievous smile curved her lips. She walked slowly toward Arthur, each step carrying a mix of teasing and allure. Gwen, still seated, watched the scene with curious eyes, clearly entertained.
When Jean finally stopped by the couch, she leaned in gently, placing her hand on Arthur's shoulder, her smile unwavering.
"So... this is how you two spend your time when I'm not around?" she said lightly, though her tone carried weight.
Arthur smiled back. Gwen, beside them, covered her mouth, laughing quietly, as if watching a private play.
Jean leaned even closer, her voice soft yet sharp, like a blade hidden in melody:
"Consider yourself beaten."
The silence that followed was broken only by Gwen's muffled laughter, which soon spilled into open giggles. Arthur, in turn, raised one hand in surrender, muttering with a mix of resignation and irony:
"I really should have expected this..."
Jean gave his shoulder a light squeeze, satisfied, while Gwen savored every second of the spectacle.
Jean kept her hand firmly on his shoulder, still smiling.
"So that was the game?" she asked, glancing at the discarded cards. "The loser... does what the winner says?"
"Exactly," Gwen answered before Arthur could open his mouth, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "And, for the record, he wasn't doing very well."
Arthur looked up, indignant.
"I was strategically waiting for the right moment to turn the tables."
Jean narrowed her eyes, still smiling.
"Of course you were." She leaned even closer, her face nearly touching his. "But you know, with me here, I think the game just got more interesting."
Arthur sighed and cast a quick glance at Gwen, who was now laughing openly, nearly sliding off her chair from amusement.
"Oh, no, no..." Arthur said, raising his hands as if innocent. "You can't just jump into the middle of the game and start making the rules!"
Jean's fingers trailed across his shoulder, giving a light squeeze as she whispered near his ear:
"Who said I was asking for permission?"
Gwen couldn't resist and clapped, laughing hard.
"This is better than any movie I've ever watched."
Arthur dragged his hand down his face, defeated, and muttered:
"I should've played Monopoly..."
Jean rose slowly, with the calculated calm of someone who knew she was in control, and gathered the cards Arthur had dropped.
"Here's what we'll do," she said, shuffling with ease. "From now on, we're three players. And since you two were playing No Mercy... well, now it's going to be truly merciless."
Arthur sighed theatrically, though he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.
"I'm pretty sure I'll regret this."
"No doubt about it," Jean replied, winking at him.
Meanwhile, Gwen leaned back on the couch, crossing her legs, watching the two like a privileged spectator, eager to see where that UNO match would go.
Arthur, however, couldn't help muttering under his breath, low enough for only Jean to hear:
"Considering the way you barged into the game... I've already lost."
Her hand on my shoulder and that smile reminded me of that meme from my past life... Arthur thought.
Jean bit her lip, satisfied, and handed the cards back to him with a teasing smile.
"Then you're playing it right."
Gwen let out another burst of laughter, shaking her head.
"I knew coming here tonight would be worth it."
------------
He lost
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Next chapter begins the Fate/Apocrypha arc. If you have ideas, send them in.
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."