At first, the X-Men found the concept of parallel Universe travel difficult to accept.
It sounded too unscientific and completely contradicted common physical knowledge.
However, the moment they heard that Wade was a Mutant, they instantly accepted the fact!
So he was a Mutant; suddenly, it all made sense!
As long as it involved Mutants, nothing was impossible; even time travel wasn't strange.
"Pro... Professor, why exactly did you travel to this World?"
Scott looked at Charles in the wheelchair, his expression somewhat complex.
After all, their own Professor X was still lying in the infirmary, yet here he was, calling out to another Professor.
This feeling... was strangely exciting!
"You can just call me Charles."
Charles smiled gently: "Don't worry. We came here for a simple reason: just to find a safe sanctuary, a place that can accommodate these children and keep them from fleeing anymore."
Scott's gaze then shifted to the group of Mutant children who had traveled here with Darian and the others, his expression hesitant.
Although Charles was also Professor X, he was, after all, from another Universe, and they couldn't rashly take in a group of travelers with unknown identities.
Scott spoke after some deliberation: "I'm afraid we'll need to wait until our Professor wakes up before we can make a decision."
"Of course."
Charles nodded gently, expressing his understanding.
Seeing him so reasonable, the X-Men couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
If this group had tried to force their way in, given the Telepathy abilities Charles had displayed, they probably wouldn't even have had time to think about resisting.
Young Logan said eagerly: "Since the academy is in no danger, shouldn't we hurry up and find a way to save Rogue?"
Reminded by him, the X-Men finally remembered the main task, each of them looking troubled.
With Professor X currently unconscious, they had no way to track Rogue's whereabouts unless Jean, who was also a Telepathy user, used the Cerebro.
But this would undoubtedly place a huge burden on her, and the other teammates didn't want to let her take that risk.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Charles suddenly spoke: "It seems you are facing some difficulties right now?"
Scott hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest: "Magneto has captured our student, Rogue. He wants to use her abilities to activate a device capable of turning humans into Mutants. We want to stop Magneto, but since the Professor is currently in a coma, we have no way of locating him."
Charles smiled slightly: "If you don't mind, I can help with that."
The few X-Men were slightly stunned, then a light flashed in their eyes.
That's right, one Professor X had fallen, but wasn't there another Professor X?
Scott didn't hesitate and said solemnly: "Then I'll have to trouble you."
"No trouble at all. It just so happens that I'd like to see my old friend as well."
There was a hint of nostalgia in Charles's tone.
The situation was urgent. Scott had Ororo settle those Mutant children, and then he immediately took Charles to the academy's underground Base.
Scott had intended to lead the way, but he found that Charles was even more familiar with the place than he was, acting just like he had returned to his own home.
Well, in a sense, this was indeed his home.
Arriving at the core level where the Cerebro was located, the identity verification system automatically scanned Charles's face and passed him easily.
This system was quite intelligent; even though there were many more wrinkles on Charles's face, it could still recognize his identity.
This was thanks to the fact that the Charles from both Worlds looked almost identical.
If it had been the younger version of Charles that Darian knew, to say nothing else, he wouldn't even have passed the hairstyle check.
Charles entered the control pod of the Cerebro and activated the global scanning mode, while the others waited outside.
With nothing else to do, Young Logan sidled up to Old Logan and asked in a lowered voice about things in the future.
Although Charles had transmitted a portion of memories to him and even unlocked the memories he had lost, many details remained blurry, and he needed to get things clear.
Old Logan did not hide anything regarding this and told him everything he knew without reservation.
"You mean... Jean loses control in the future, and then I kill her!?"
"Yes. At that time, there was no better choice."
Old Logan sighed, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Jean, his eyes complex.
Young Logan also couldn't help but look over as well.
The gazes of the two Logans were simply too intense, causing Jean to look away in embarrassment.
Scott: (Angry) No, this is my girlfriend, what is with those deep, affectionate gazes of yours!?
Wade nudged Darian next to him with his elbow and blabbered loudly: "I bet five cents that the Jean of this World will be won over by Young Logan sooner or later. With the old guy's private walkthrough, isn't this basically guaranteed to crush that Cyclops?"
"In my opinion, maybe Old Logan himself is rekindling old feelings and intends to step up personally to have a cross-World, grandfather-granddaughter style romance with Jean."
Darian was also one to stir up trouble for the fun of it.
"Buddy, you don't understand. Regardless of gender, people fundamentally like things that are younger and fresher, just like me—I'll always love eighteen-year-olds."
"I think Jean just has a thing for this type; otherwise, how could she have fallen for a weather-beaten old man like Logan at first sight?"
"Makes sense."
The two of them went back and forth, completely ignoring the stiff expressions of those around them.
Especially Scott, whose face was green with envy, his optic blasts turning so red they were almost bursting through his visor.
Just as Scott was about to lose it, the door to the control pod slid open, and Charles slowly rolled out in his wheelchair.
"I've found him. Erik... Magneto is on the Statue of Liberty. The adjacent Ellis Island is hosting a UN summit, gathering many World leaders.
I speculate that his goal is to turn the World leaders at the UN summit into Mutants, thereby hijacking the global political stance."
Jean added in a hurried tone: "But Magneto doesn't know that the forced transformation technology he possesses has a fatal flaw.
Forced transformation will only lead to the collapse of the human genetic chain.
If his plan is truly implemented, not only will those World leaders be in trouble, but it will even affect the entire New York.
By then, it will inevitably trigger social chaos, and there will be no room for maneuver between Mutants and humans left!"
Scott nodded: "In any case, we must stop Magneto's conspiracy!"
[NPC Scott Summers has issued a new quest to you]
[Quest: Unexpected Turn]
[Objective: Head to the Statue of Liberty and disrupt Magneto's plan before he makes a mistake]
[Rewards: EXP +2000, X-Men Favorability +20, Random Item *1, Random Equipment *1]
What the hell is "Unexpected Turn"!
Darian thought he was already used to the nonsensical style that would pop up from the game system from time to time, but seeing this quest name, he still felt speechless.
After locating Magneto, the X-Men began to formulate a battle plan, with Charles and Old Logan participating as well.
After all, they had been X-Men for decades and were highly experienced.
Especially in the field of dealing with Magneto, no one present was more professional than them; they were simply not comparable to young people like Scott who hadn't been working for many years.
Seeing the two seniors taking the lead, Scott, the X-Men team leader, decisively relinquished command.
What more was there to say? Just sit back and let them carry the team!
After the battle plan was set, everyone dispersed to begin their final preparations for departure.
When Scott and the others put on the X-Men's iconic black leather combat uniforms, Darian stroked his chin, looking left and right, always feeling like something was off.
"Wait, you're all wearing black; it looks too out of place when put together with our style. Change into something else."
Darian pointed at the tomato-and-egg combination of Old Logan and Wade, which stood in stark contrast to the lifeless black style of the X-Men.
Scott was stunned for a moment and said with some difficulty: "This is our standard equipment for field missions; we only have this set of uniforms."
"No problem, I have other uniforms here."
Darian chuckled and pulled several gaudy uniforms out of his game inventory, tossing them to the X-Men.
These were all X-Men cosplay costumes Darian had picked up from the previous parallel World; they were from the same series as the Wolverine uniform Old Logan was wearing.
Scott looked at the yellow-and-blue uniform in his hands, his mouth twitching slightly.
"I think the one I have now is fine."
Young Logan nodded; on this matter, he and Scott had reached a rare consensus.
Darian urged: "Don't forget, this territory is temporarily under the control of our Hellfire Club, and I call the shots. Hurry up and change. If you dally any longer, I'll tie you and Logan together face-to-face."
Scott: "..."
Logan: "..."
The two of them simultaneously imagined that scene, instantly feeling a chill, and immediately went to put on the uniforms in their hands.
Jean and Ororo, the two women, didn't have much resistance; instead, they found it quite interesting and readily went to the changing room.
Wade sidled up to Darian: "Hey, buddy, are you really Hellfire Club?"
Darian nodded: "Of course, I am the current Black King of the Hellfire Club."
Wade chuckled: "Then are you familiar with the White Queen? I don't mean that brat from *X-Men Origins: Wolverine* who hadn't grown up yet; I mean that big sister with the broad-minded personality."
"Very familiar, she is my secretary."
Wade gasped.
So jealous... oh no, so envious!
Soon, the X-Men, having finished changing, assembled.
Their style was completely refreshed; it was no longer the uniform, dull pitch-black as before.
Various bright colors converged, full of the vitality of retro comics.
Little Laura's eyes lit up as she watched.
These were simply the X-Men who had run out of a comic book!
Everyone didn't delay any longer and boarded the X-Men's dedicated blackbird sr-71 fighter jet one after another.
As the roar of the engines pierced the night sky, this sci-fi-looking black jet quietly rose from the hangar and sped off in the direction of the Statue of Liberty.
But soon, Young Logan showed obvious discomfort.
"Logan, you get airsick?" Ororo asked in surprise.
Young Logan fought back the nausea: "I didn't before, but after those memories came back, this problem came back with them."
Good grief, amnesia can even make airsickness disappear.
Darian couldn't help but think of a news story about a person with Alzheimer's who forgot they had Alzheimer's and recovered all their memories, as if they had glitched Earth's bug; it was somewhat similar to Young Logan's situation.
Beside him, Old Logan looked at his younger self's miserable state and shook his head.
He commented with the tone of someone who had been through it all: "Still too young, can't even handle this little bit of turbulence... bleh!"
The jet happened to pass through a pocket of air currents, jolting violently, and Old Logan almost threw up.
Darian: "..."
You two are basically six of one and half a dozen of the other, what are you acting tough for?
The Statue of Liberty.
At the mouth of New York Harbor, there was an inconspicuous little island.
Perhaps not everyone knew this island, but if one mentioned the World-famous statue standing on it, everyone would know it; it was the island where the Statue of Liberty, holding the torch, was located.
At this moment, on the torch platform of the Statue of Liberty, which stood several thousand meters high, a temporarily built metal device occupied most of the space.
Standing in the core control area of the device was a man wearing a deep blue cape and a metal helmet.
His white hair was combed meticulously, his expression serious, and he looked like he had excellent swordsmanship.
Every gesture he made was filled with an intense sense of pretentiousness.
This person was none other than Magneto, Erik!
In the very center of the device, Rogue's hands were tightly locked by metal rings, and she sat on the ground unable to move.
She struggled in vain, her voice trembling: "Let me go, please, don't do this!"
"You don't need to be afraid."
Magneto turned around and said slowly: "Your ability is not a curse, but a key—a key to opening a new era.
You will use your ability to change the fate of all Mutants, and you, my fellow, are the hero of all Mutants!"
"I don't want to be this hero. I can give this honor to you; you be the hero!"
Rogue was crying in fear; she was truly terrified.
She had seen with her own eyes Magneto use this device, and even with a range of less than ten meters, it had almost caused him to collapse from exhaustion.
And now, Magneto wanted to use her ability to replicate other Mutants' abilities to activate this device and cover the entire New York.
One could imagine just how great the cost would be!
She would definitely break!
Magneto shook his head: "No, this honor belongs only to you.
I have another mission; Mutants still need a true leader to guide them forward."
Shameless!
When it comes down to it, isn't it just asking me to go die for you!
Regardless of Rogue's crying and screaming, Magneto remained unmoved, gazing at the churning sea in the distance, squinting his eyes.
The next moment, several micro-cameras floated silently from his side and flew rapidly downward.
Through the real-time image on the screen in front of him, he could clearly see a black fighter jet suddenly appear out of thin air.
"Persistent as a ghost."
Magneto snorted coldly.
He hadn't expected that after he had raided Charles's home, this group of X-Men could still accurately find this place.
The fighter jet hovered, and the hatch opened.
Several figures leaped down one after another, landing around the Base of the statue.
However, what met Magneto's eyes was not the capable black combat uniform he had expected, but rather groups of gaudy, brightly colored, and variously styled cosplay costumes.
Especially conspicuous was Scott, the X-Men team leader handpicked by Professor X, who was currently wearing a blue-and-yellow bodysuit, and underneath it, he was actually wearing bright yellow briefs.
Magneto: "..."
That guy Charles isn't around, so this group has started to let loose?