"It's not that we don't want to rescue Lorna—it's that we don't even know where she's being held." Thunderbird answered Liam's earlier question with a helpless expression, his voice carrying the weight of frustration that had clearly been building for days. The lack of information had paralyzed them more than any enemy ever could.
"But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Marcos snapped from the side, his emotions barely contained. The tension in his posture made it obvious how deeply he cared about Lorna, and the idea of waiting any longer was clearly unbearable to him.
Thunderbird didn't respond immediately. He fell into silence, his jaw tightening slightly as he wrestled with the reality of their situation. Without knowing Lorna's location, there was no plan to make, no move to take, and no fight they could win.
"I'll handle it," Liam said calmly, breaking the stalemate.
Thunderbird looked at him sharply. "Handle it? You think you can find where she's being held?"
Clarice's eyes lit up with cautious hope as she turned toward him. "Liam… you really can?"
Liam gave a small shrug. "Maybe I can't. But Professor X definitely can."
That single name shifted the atmosphere instantly.
The X-Men still held enormous influence among mutants, and Professor X's telepathic abilities were widely regarded as unmatched. If anyone could locate Lorna, it would be him.
"Professor X…" someone murmured, and the tension in the room eased just a fraction.
Thunderbird nodded firmly. "Then we're counting on you."
"It's what we should be doing anyway," Liam replied with an easy smile. "Mutants look out for each other."
In truth, his reasoning went deeper than that. Lorna was Magneto's daughter, and if Magneto discovered she had been captured and tortured by human authorities, the consequences would be catastrophic. Mexico City wouldn't just suffer—it could be torn apart.
And once that happened, the fragile balance between mutants and humans would collapse completely.
That wasn't something Liam wanted to see. At least for now, he was firmly on the mutant side of the board.
Without wasting time, he stepped aside and contacted Storm, quickly explaining everything they had just learned. Storm's reaction was immediate. The moment she heard that Magneto's daughter had been taken, she understood the gravity of the situation and escalated it straight to Professor X.
"Liam, don't act rashly," Professor X's voice came through the line, calm but firm. "I'll locate Polaris as soon as possible. Once we have her position, then we can proceed with a rescue."
"Don't worry, Professor. I understand," Liam replied.
He meant it. Acting blindly would be pointless anyway—they didn't even know where to go yet. He vaguely remembered fragments from the timeline, but nothing clear enough to rely on.
After ending the call, Liam turned back to the group and gave a reassuring smile. "It's done. If Professor X is on it, we'll have Lorna's location soon."
"That's great!"
Relief spread through the room almost instantly, the earlier heaviness lifting as hope returned.
"Liam… thank you," Clarice said softly, her voice carrying genuine gratitude.
"No need," he replied casually. "It's nothing."
Thunderbird stepped forward, clapping him lightly on the shoulder before gesturing around. "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone properly."
He guided Liam through the group, naming each member of the underground organization and briefly explaining their abilities. As Liam observed them, he quickly assessed their overall strength.
Most of them were weak—first or second-level mutants at best. Their abilities had potential, but they lacked development, control, or raw power. Even the strongest among them, Thunderbird and Polaris, had only just reached the threshold of third-level mutants.
Thunderbird, however, stood out.
His abilities were remarkably well-rounded—enhanced hearing, heightened perception, superhuman strength, and a body that bordered on indestructible. It was a full-spectrum physical evolution, the kind of ability that didn't have obvious weaknesses.
Liam couldn't help but feel a flicker of interest. If he could sign in and acquire that power, the boost to his own capabilities would be significant.
Unfortunately, he had already used his sign-in for the day.
He'd have to wait until tomorrow.
Still, looking around at the group, he realized there were quite a few useful abilities here. Staying for a while and systematically collecting them didn't sound like a bad idea at all.
Not long after, his phone rang again.
Storm.
He answered immediately, listening carefully as she relayed the information. When the call ended, he turned back toward Thunderbird, who was already watching him with barely restrained urgency.
"Well?" Thunderbird asked. "Where is she?"
Liam nodded. "They found her. She's being held in the mutant detention wing at the Garland Detention Center."
The reaction was immediate.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Marcos stepped forward, already moving toward the exit. "Let's go get her!"
"Stop." Thunderbird's voice cut through sharply, halting him mid-step.
"The Garland facility is under Sentinel Services control," he continued, his tone steady but serious. "It's heavily guarded, and it's built specifically to contain mutants. We can't just charge in blindly."
That was the reality of it.
The facility wasn't just a prison—it was a specialized containment center designed to neutralize mutant threats. The Sentinel Services had spent years developing weapons and countermeasures specifically for situations like this. Against those tools, most mutants stood little chance.
Liam nodded slightly, acknowledging the point. Thunderbird clearly deserved his leadership role—he wasn't ruled by emotion, even in a situation like this.
Still, Liam stepped forward.
"If we go in like that, yeah, it won't work," he said calmly. "But that doesn't mean it's impossible."
Thunderbird's gaze sharpened. "What are you getting at?"
Liam met his eyes. "How confident are you that you could get Lorna out if you broke in?"
The question hung in the air.
Thunderbird frowned, clearly considering it. The truth was obvious—he wasn't confident at all. Breaking in without a plan would likely get them all captured… or worse.
Around them, the others fell silent. Most of them lacked real combat capability, and against specialized anti-mutant weaponry, their powers might not even matter.
A direct assault wasn't just risky—it was suicidal.
Unless Magneto himself showed up, there was no chance of forcing their way through.
And those who tried would just be walking into a trap.
Liam's mind turned as he recalled something important.
Within Sentinel Services, there was a mutant under the control of Dr. Campbell—Thunderbird's own brother, Gus.
The name might not mean much to most people, but his ability certainly would.
He could disrupt electrical systems.
More importantly… he could suppress mutant powers entirely.
Once a mutant's ability was nullified, they were no different from ordinary humans.
....
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