Agent Phil was already on the verge of swearing under his breath. Among everyone stationed at the base, he was one of the very few who truly understood how terrifying Leon was. The moment he spotted the red-haired woman walking beside him—Jean Grey—his face twisted into a strained grin that looked more like a grimace.
"What the hell… what the hell is he doing here?" Phil muttered under his breath, staring through the windshield. His thoughts raced as he processed the situation in front of him. "And he even brought Grey with him. Two omega-level mutants… no, that's not even accurate anymore. One omega-level mutant, and the other one… something beyond that."
His throat felt dry as the realization sank in deeper. If the intel he had heard was even partially true, then the man walking casually toward their restricted zone might have already surpassed the classification system they relied on. Omega-level used to mean the upper limit of mutant power, but Leon had shattered that concept long ago.
"How the hell are we supposed to resist something like that?"
While Phil was still wrestling with his thoughts, a soldier sitting beside him leaned over and asked casually, "Sir, should we move in and capture those two people directly?"
"Chet!"
Phil nearly jumped out of his seat. A cold sweat instantly broke out across his back, and he turned sharply toward the soldier with a glare that could have burned holes through steel.
"Shut up!" he snapped. His voice dropped to a tense whisper as he pointed through the windshield toward Leon. "Don't you dare think you can take those two down. They're not opponents you can deal with. None of us here can."
The soldier blinked, clearly confused by the reaction. Phil inhaled slowly, forcing himself to speak in a more controlled tone.
"I'll tell you one thing so you understand the situation," he said quietly. "See that man? He might very well be the strongest mutant in the world. If he wanted to, I have every reason to believe he could erase every single one of us here with nothing more than a thought."
"Sss…"
Several people inside the vehicle instinctively sucked in a breath of cold air. The statement sounded absurdly exaggerated, yet none of them dared laugh it off. Everyone in the car knew Phil's personality—he wasn't someone who made dramatic claims without reason.
For a moment, nobody spoke. The air inside the armored transport became strangely tense as the soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, waiting for Phil's orders.
Meanwhile, Phil himself was sweating.
No one present understood Leon's temperament better than he did. Years ago, when he had led a team to capture Leon under direct orders, the result had been a massacre. The men he brought had been killed without hesitation, without negotiation, and without the slightest flicker of mercy.
The memory still haunted him.
That cold decisiveness. That terrifying indifference.
It had left a shadow in Phil's mind that never truly faded.
Finally, he rubbed his temples and spoke into the communicator. "Alright. Inform everyone immediately—no confrontation with him under any circumstances. Keep your distance and maintain visual observation only. Nobody fires a shot unless I personally give the order."
"Sir… if that's the case…" another soldier began hesitantly. "Then what about the thing inside the base…"
Before he could finish the sentence, Phil cut him off.
"I know what you're about to say," he said, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "But once that man shows up here, your mission becomes impossible. Even if we retreat right now, headquarters won't blame you."
He paused, then added in a quieter voice.
"To be honest, if it were up to me, I'd already be ordering a full withdrawal. The moment he appears, everything is out of our control."
"Is he really that terrifying?" someone asked from the back of the vehicle, unable to hide the doubt in his voice.
Phil didn't feel like explaining further.
"This is someone many of you have probably heard about already," he said flatly. "I can't give you more details. Just follow my orders."
"Yes, sir!"
The convoy soon slowed to a stop roughly ten meters in front of Leon and Jean. Phil forced himself to step out of the vehicle, though every instinct in his body told him to stay inside.
If there was one person he least wanted to meet face-to-face, it was Leon.
The psychological shadow from their previous encounter still lingered in the back of his mind. Just thinking about it made his chest tighten.
But orders were orders.
Leon noticed him approaching. His eyebrows lifted slightly as a faint smile appeared on his face. The expression was calm, almost friendly, yet Phil found it strangely unsettling.
He coughed awkwardly before speaking.
"Mr. Leon," Phil said cautiously after walking closer. "The area ahead is currently under military blockade. If you don't have urgent business here, I'd like to ask you to leave."
Leon didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he glanced casually around the convoy. More than thirty heavily armed soldiers were positioned nearby, rifles ready though none were aimed directly at him. Several of them had already recognized who he was, and quiet whispers spread through the formation.
Seeing Leon's gaze sweep across the soldiers made Phil's mouth twitch slightly.
That look…
It was the same one he remembered from their first encounter.
Cold.
Indifferent.
A gaze that didn't seem to regard human life as something particularly valuable.
Leon finally spoke.
"I'm here for what's inside," he said calmly. "Are you sure you want me to leave?"
Phil's scalp tingled.
His fists tightened instinctively, but after a long moment he could only let out a tired sigh.
"…Fine," he said helplessly. "What exactly do you want to do?"
"Nothing complicated," Leon replied with a shrug. "I just came to take a look. I'm not interested in who that thing belongs to or what you plan to do with it. I'm simply curious."
He glanced toward the direction of the base facility.
"I'll look at it and leave."
Phil blinked.
"Really?" he asked, unable to hide the sudden relief in his voice.
Leon shrugged again, clearly too lazy to elaborate further. Without another word, he walked past Phil and continued toward the base.
Phil stood frozen for a second before quickly grabbing his walkie-talkie.
"Everyone spread out," he ordered urgently. "Don't block the path in front of him."
The soldiers already felt uneasy watching Leon approach. When they heard Phil's order, many of them visibly relaxed. The convoy quickly moved aside, vehicles pulling to both sides of the road while the soldiers stepped back to clear the path.
No one dared stand in Leon's way.
Leon and Jean walked at an unhurried pace. It took them more than ten minutes to reach the base entrance. Whether Phil had already contacted them or not, the security personnel stationed there offered no resistance.
Armed guards stepped aside respectfully as Leon approached. Several even nodded in silent acknowledgment, their posture stiff with caution.
With that quiet but unmistakable deference, the two of them walked straight into the facility's central area as if they owned the place.
Just before they entered the inner section, a staff member hurried forward to stop them.
"Sir… ma'am…" he said nervously. "Please put on protective clothing before entering."
Leon waved his hand dismissively.
"No need."
Without slowing down, he walked past the man and headed directly into the central facility.
.....
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