"Eric, Rorschach, let's go!"
As soon as the announcement came that the president's speech was about to begin, the relaxed mood instantly vanished. Everyone straightened up as if a silent command had passed through the room, and the tension that had been hanging in the air all day finally snapped tight.
Charles didn't hesitate. He waved for his two friends and hurried back inside the mansion, his pace noticeably faster than usual. Over the past few weeks, the standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union had escalated to an almost unbearable level, pushing the world closer and closer to the edge.
In fact, many people already believed that if war broke out tomorrow, no one would be surprised.
The fate of the nation hung in uncertainty, and the entire country was waiting for a clear answer from its leadership. Because of that, the president's address had become a matter of national attention. Naturally, the mutants gathered at Xavier's mansion were paying just as close attention.
Especially since they knew the truth.
They knew that Sebastian Shaw—the Black Emperor—was manipulating events behind the scenes, and despite their efforts, they had failed to stop him.
Not only Charles and Eric were aware of the gravity of the moment. Moira had already notified the mutants who were still in training around the estate, and one by one they quickly gathered in the living room.
Within minutes, everyone had assembled.
"I really hope this speech brings some good news," Sean Cassidy muttered quietly.
He stood behind the sofa with his arms folded, staring intently at the small television placed on a stool in front of them. His voice carried the faintest trace of a prayer, as if he were trying to convince himself more than anyone else.
"Man… I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this."
Alex Summers leaned lazily against the wall and spoke in a slow, gloomy tone. His expression looked as though he had already predicted the worst possible outcome.
Darwin glanced sideways at him. "Why would you think that?"
Alex snorted lightly. "Because the world is full of bad things, and good things almost never happen. Look at everything we've been through lately. Doesn't it always end the same way?"
"Alex," Raven said with a sigh, "this isn't the time to start being pessimistic."
Before the conversation could continue, Moira suddenly raised her voice.
"Shh! Quiet, everyone. It's starting!"
The room instantly fell silent.
All conversations stopped, and every pair of eyes turned toward the small television screen. The flickering light illuminated the tense faces gathered around it.
On the screen, the president began his address.
"From the perspective of national policy, any vessel that crosses the embargo line surrounding Cuba will be regarded as an attack by the Soviet Union against the United States."
His tone was firm and unwavering.
"In response to such aggression, the United States will retaliate with full force and without hesitation."
The speech continued, but the atmosphere in the living room grew heavier with every word.
The situation was clearly heading in the direction no one wanted to see.
Even though everyone had anticipated this possibility long ago, hearing it confirmed so bluntly still left a bitter taste in their mouths. The looming shadow of global war seemed to creep closer with each passing sentence.
"I knew it," Alex muttered again, shaking his head as if this outcome had always been inevitable.
"Shaw has to be there."
Eric's voice cut through the tension, calm but absolutely certain.
Alex looked at him with mild confusion. "How can you be so sure?"
Charles answered before Eric could respond.
"Because two superpowers are facing each other there," he said quietly. "And Shaw wants to start World War III. There's no way he'd miss an opportunity like that."
As he spoke, Charles's brows were drawn together tightly. The deep crease between them made him look far older than usual, like someone carrying a weight too heavy to bear.
Among everyone present, Charles was perhaps the one who least wanted to see humanity plunge into war.
"Enough watching politicians talk," Eric said abruptly.
His expression hardened, and a ruthless determination flashed across his face. "We need to start preparing for tomorrow."
With those words, he turned without another glance and walked toward the door.
Sean blinked in confusion. "Preparing? Eric, what exactly do you mean?"
He called out loudly from behind, clearly still trying to process what Eric had just implied.
Hank pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his normally gentle face now filled with resolve.
"Sean," he said calmly, "why do you think we've been training all this time?"
There was a brief pause before he finished the sentence.
"We're going to stop him."
Sean's eyes widened.
"Wait… tomorrow?" he asked in disbelief. "You mean we're going to Cuba?"
He had always known that a confrontation with Shaw was inevitable, and mentally he had prepared himself for that moment. Still, the sudden realization that they were about to travel to a foreign country and face the Black Emperor head-on tomorrow left him momentarily stunned.
"Yes," Charles confirmed solemnly.
"We're going to Cuba."
He slowly looked around the room, meeting the gaze of each mutant standing there.
"This is our only chance."
The weight of those words settled over everyone like an invisible burden.
They had already fought Shaw twice before, and both encounters had ended in crushing defeat.
The first time had been disastrous. Everyone except Rorschach had been completely overwhelmed by the Black Emperor's terrifying power.
The second time hadn't gone much better. Shaw himself hadn't even appeared, yet his followers had nearly wiped them out anyway.
Those two humiliating defeats still lingered in everyone's memory like dark shadows.
Even though their abilities had improved dramatically since then, the thought of facing Shaw for a third time still filled many of them with unease.
Seeing the tension on their faces, Charles suddenly smiled.
"Relax, everyone," he said reassuringly. "What are you worried about?"
He turned and pointed toward the quiet figure standing nearby.
"We have Rorschach."
The room grew still for a moment.
Then several expressions began to change.
That was right.
Rorschach.
While the group had suffered two complete defeats against the Black Emperor, there had been one constant exception.
In both confrontations, Rorschach had struck Shaw hard.
Especially the second time. Rorschach had single-handedly destroyed the enemy's plan and turned the entire situation around.
For many of them, he had become the symbol of hope.
"With Rorschach here," Raven said with a confident smile, "what is there to be afraid of?"
Her faith in him seemed almost instinctive.
All eyes gradually turned toward him.
Facing their expectant gazes, Rorschach spoke in a calm but decisive voice.
"I can guarantee one thing."
"This time, Shaw will lose."
There was no arrogance in his tone, nor any hint of boastfulness.
After all, Rorschach knew how the story ended.
In the original timeline, Shaw would ultimately die at Eric's hands.
However, as that thought crossed his mind, another realization quickly followed.
The conflict between the mutants and Shaw had already changed significantly because of Rorschach's interference.
For example, two of Shaw's most powerful subordinates—Azazel and Riptide—had already been killed by Rorschach long ago. Even Angel had never betrayed them this time.
In other words, the "Black Emperor camp" they would face in Cuba would likely be very different from before.
But even so, Rorschach felt completely confident.
The reason was simple.
He had become incredibly strong.
At his current level, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that among mutants, he had almost no rivals.
Well… at least among mutants at this stage.
Aside from Shaw himself—someone Rorschach still couldn't kill directly—he was confident that any mutant Shaw sent could be dealt with easily.
And as for Shaw?
Rorschach already knew his fatal weakness.
As long as Shaw's helmet was removed, Charles could invade his mind without resistance. Once that happened, the so-called Black Emperor would immediately become powerless.
When you looked at it that way, there was really nothing to fear.
"You heard him," Charles said with a relaxed shrug, turning back to the younger mutants.
"Rorschach said it himself."
Sure enough, hearing Rorschach's personal assurance had an immediate effect.
The anxiety that had been weighing on everyone began to fade, replaced by renewed determination. Their spirits lifted noticeably, and the gloomy atmosphere in the room finally began to clear.
.....
Read the next chapter on my p@treon for free.
Paid members can get more than 60 chapters.
Link: [email protected]/GalaxyWonder