Wanda nodded slightly, her gaze sharpening as her eyes shifted into the Mangekyō Sharingan. With a single glance toward the Wakandans from the border tribe, the effect was immediate.
The men who had been arguing halfheartedly with the African natives froze, their expressions flickering with conflict before they suddenly stepped forward.
"Dear guests, may I ask what you require?" one of them said, his voice calm and precise, the words spoken in clear English.
Storm raised an eyebrow in surprise. A moment earlier, these people had been pretending they barely understood a word outside their own dialects. Clearly, their arguments with the Africans were little more than a facade.
"Take us to Wakanda's central city," Wanda commanded, her tone calm yet absolute. "And on the way, explain what has changed in Wakanda recently."
Storm glanced at her, taken aback. Having lived so long under the shadow of Professor X and Jean Grey, she was accustomed to treating mental manipulation with great caution. But here was Wanda, wielding her powers without hesitation, her expression composed and unbothered.
Storm couldn't help but feel both admiration and envy.
For her, using abilities in America always came with restraint and second-guessing, especially with public fear of mutants looming constantly overhead. But Wanda seemed free of such burdens. Her decisiveness carried its own allure, though it reminded Storm just how much the X-Men had been shackled by external pressures.
Bidding farewell to the African guides who had escorted them, the group followed the Wakandans from the border tribe deeper into the wilderness. Soon, they reached what looked like an abandoned site of cracked stone and scrub brush.
Then one of the Wakandans pressed twice on the beaded bracelet circling his wrist. A ripple of blue light flashed through the air, and suddenly the barren land ahead peeled away like a veil. A massive gate opened in the void, revealing the hidden splendor of Wakanda.
Of course, it wasn't magic or space-folding, it was simply the product of an energy shield combined with optical camouflage. Beyond the barrier, the hidden nation stretched forth, its skyline bristling with futuristic towers.
At first glance, it looked like the city of tomorrow. But as Shin's eyes narrowed, he noticed the cracks in the illusion. The skyscrapers rose tall, yet the city's planning was chaotic. Streets zigzagged at awkward angles, and the maglev transportation lines cut uneven paths across the buildings. Shops selling vibranium-based devices stood side by side with stalls hawking woven goods. To an untrained eye, it might seem dazzling, but to someone accustomed to true order, it was jarringly mismatched.
As the group entered through the shimmering barrier, eyes turned toward them. The sight of people with skin tones different from the usual Wakandan complexion was enough to draw stares, but none of the glances were openly hostile.
Storm frowned at that. "Strange," she whispered. "Wakanda has always been described as closed and fiercely xenophobic. Yet here we are, walking straight into their secret city without them reacting violently. Why?"
Shin activated his super vision and super hearing, sweeping across the bustling streets. "Simple," he murmured. "Because these Wakandans have already seen outsiders before us. And not just a few."
Storm's eyes widened as she caught his implication. "The Brotherhood of Mutants?"
Shin gave a slight nod. With his enhanced vision, he had already counted at least seven to eight hundred mutants moving about the city. Many were gathered in clusters, dressed differently from the locals, their distinctive appearances unmistakable.
Though it wasn't the full might of Magneto's Brotherhood, it was certainly their fighting core. While the organization likely boasted over ten thousand followers worldwide, most were sympathizers and peripheral members. Here, it seemed Magneto had brought his most capable warriors.
Shin's vision sharpened again, and his breath caught. There, within a large Wakandan laboratory, stood Magneto himself, his silver hair gleaming as he adjusted a machine of intricate design.
But what drew Shin's eyes even more was the sight of the figure within a transparent pod behind him. A tall, blue-skinned man floated inside, hooked up to a network of cables and glowing machinery.
Shin's pupils contracted. "That… that's Apocalypse."
Shock hit him like a hammer. Apocalypse, the so-called first mutant, one of the most dangerous beings on Earth, lay submerged and unmoving in Magneto's laboratory. His massive frame, once brimming with menace, was now limp, sustained only by life-support devices.
Shin clenched his jaw, struggling to process it. "No wonder Apocalypse hasn't been causing trouble recently. He's been captured. By Magneto."
He thought quickly, trying to piece it together. Apocalypse was powerful, yes, but mutants tended to rely heavily on offense, often neglecting defense. With proper strategy and numbers, even someone like him could be subdued. Perhaps it had been a surprise attack. Perhaps Apocalypse had still been weakened from his last major battle. And if he had sought to recruit more Horsemen while still wounded, it could have left an opening for the Brotherhood to strike.
Still, the idea that Magneto's forces had managed to take him down was unsettling. If true, it meant Magneto's Brotherhood had grown more organized and dangerous than ever before.
"I've seen enough," Shin finally muttered. He turned to Wanda. "Wanda, take us directly to Magneto. I'll give you the coordinates."
He closed his eyes briefly, then pushed the image of Magneto's exact location into her mind through a psychic link. Wanda's lips curved in a faint smile as she accepted the information.
Without hesitation, crimson energy flared around her. The red light wrapped around the group, distorting the air before swallowing them entirely. In an instant, the streets of Wakanda vanished.
The Wakandans nearby barely gave them a second glance. To them, strange powers had become almost commonplace with the Brotherhood's arrival. Whether it was teleportation, fire manipulation, or weather control, it all blurred together as mere "mutant magic."
Inside the lab, Magneto adjusted the dials of his machine, his brow furrowed in concentration. The hum of power filled the air, the glow of vibranium energy casting shifting shadows across the walls. Then, without warning, a crimson light burst behind him.
He whirled around, his eyes narrowing sharply. A group of figures stood where none had been a moment earlier—Shin, Wanda, Pietro, and Storm among them.
Magneto's face tightened, a rare flash of unease passing across his features.
"Who… are you?" he demanded, his voice low and wary.
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Now available - Chapter 622: Equipment