Feeling the surge of power spreading through his body, Rorschach suddenly had the overwhelming urge to find an open space and test his new strength.
But he was currently squeezed inside a moving car with several other people.
Testing his abilities here would obviously be a terrible idea.
So he forced himself to suppress the impulse.
"Over twenty tons of strength now," he thought quietly. "If I remember correctly, Spider-Man in the Avengers universe is around twenty tons too."
The comparison made him smile inwardly.
When he had watched the movies in his previous life, he had been amazed by Spider-Man's strength. Peter Parker could hold a massive ferry together with his bare hands and even stop a moving train.
And now…
Rorschach could probably do the same.
As for the durability of his body, he could only estimate for now. Bullets might still break the skin slightly, but they likely wouldn't penetrate deeply anymore.
With another mission or two, he suspected that even bullets might not leave a mark at all.
At that point, his body would truly deserve to be called steel.
Just as Rorschach was enjoying the feeling of his new strength, another notification appeared in his mind.
[Template Unlock Progress Reached 5%]
[Heat Vision Ability Available]
[Unlock Now?]
Rorschach froze for a moment.
Then he instinctively sat up straighter in his seat.
Heat vision.
Finally.
Ever since his rebirth, that had been the ability he wanted most.
After all, what kind of Homelander would he be without heat vision?
Compared to abilities like super hearing or X-ray vision, heat vision was far more practical in combat. It was destructive, versatile, and incredibly convenient.
If he had possessed it earlier, the fights with the Red Devil and Riptide would have been far easier.
One glance.
That would have been enough.
Just as he was about to respond, the car suddenly slowed down.
The slight inertia pulled him forward and interrupted his thoughts.
The vehicles gradually rolled to a stop along the roadside.
Everyone had decided to regroup for a moment and discuss what they should do next.
Bang.
Bang.
Car doors opened and closed as the seven mutants gathered on the quiet street.
They all looked slightly disheveled.
After everything that had happened, the entire day felt surreal.
"Getting hunted by a lunatic killer," Siren said with a tired laugh. "What an unforgettable day."
"Yeah," Darwin added dryly. "And the best part is that the lunatic might come after us again."
He spread his hands helplessly.
"He slaughtered everyone at the base. I doubt he'll just give up."
The mood darkened immediately.
Everyone understood how serious the situation was.
"We need to figure out what's going on," Angel said firmly. "Charles and Eric must know something."
He crossed his arms and frowned.
"They've been investigating some mutant recently. That guy tonight might be the one they're after."
The others nodded slowly.
It sounded reasonable.
Unfortunately, Charles had never shared many details with them.
"Rorschach," Angel continued, turning toward him. "Do you know anything?"
The others followed his gaze.
Among them, Rorschach was the most likely to have heard something.
"Not much," Rorschach replied calmly. "I only know his name is Shaw. He's the person both the CIA and Charles have been searching for."
He paused briefly.
"And he's extremely dangerous."
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
They had already experienced that firsthand.
"Looks like we'll have to wait for Charles and Eric to come back," Hank said with a sigh.
After discussing the situation briefly, they quickly reached a simple conclusion.
First, they needed to disappear for a while.
Find somewhere safe.
Lay low.
And wait for Charles and Eric to return.
But another problem appeared immediately.
Where could they go?
Most of them were practically broke.
Despite their unusual abilities, they were still people from the lower levels of society. Taxi drivers, dancers, petty criminals, and even former prisoners.
Only Hank had something resembling a stable career.
Renting a place for seven people simply wasn't realistic.
"Actually…" Raven said suddenly with a mysterious smile.
"If we need somewhere quiet to hide for a while, I know a place."
Everyone looked at her immediately.
"Where?"
"The place where I grew up."
…
Half an hour later.
"Raven… you're joking, right?"
"This is the place you were talking about?"
"Raven, this isn't a house. This is a castle!"
"Oh my God."
The group stood outside the enormous gates of Xavier Manor, staring at the massive building beyond them.
Their jaws practically dropped.
The place looked more like a royal estate than someone's home.
"Did you grow up here?" someone asked in disbelief.
"Are you secretly a princess or something?"
Even Rorschach, who already knew Charles's background, couldn't help admiring the view.
Charles Xavier truly was ridiculously wealthy.
Unlike many mutants, Charles came from one of the few genuinely wealthy families in the Marvel world.
The future Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters would eventually be built right here on this property.
The Blackbird jet.
The Cerebro system.
The advanced training facilities.
All of them required immense funding.
And the school itself operated more like a charity. The students never paid tuition, yet their food, housing, and education all had to be covered.
For years, Charles would personally finance everything.
The man was unbelievably rich.
"Actually, you misunderstood," Raven said with a grin.
"This isn't my house."
Everyone stared at her.
"It's Charles's."
The revelation stunned them again.
They had always suspected Charles came from money. His refined manner, elegant clothing, and natural aristocratic demeanor made that obvious.
But none of them had imagined he was this wealthy.
After everything they had experienced that day—the chaos at the CIA base, the escape, and the tension of the chase—the group was completely exhausted.
It was already well past midnight.
Aside from a few final comments about Charles's unbelievable fortune, no one had the energy left for anything else.
Raven quickly led them inside and began assigning rooms.
Within minutes, everyone retreated to their rooms to rest.
.....
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