Ethan Cole hadn't contacted Lorna for quite some time. The situation in New York had grown chaotic, and during that period she had never taken the initiative to reach out either. Even so, Ethan had always kept track of her movements through Svija's monitoring systems, quietly observing from afar without interfering.
What puzzled him was that during the most intense stage of his conflict with the world, Lorna had seemingly disappeared. There had been no trace of her activities, no public appearances, and no signals that pointed to where she might be. Even Svija's data network couldn't uncover anything substantial, which made the silence all the more unusual.
So when news suddenly surfaced that she had reappeared—and not only that, but had joined forces with Magneto to stop a falling asteroid—it caught Ethan completely off guard. Of all the developments he had anticipated, that one had never crossed his mind.
He leaned back slightly, considering the report as the pieces tried to fit together in his head.
"Can I contact her?" Ethan asked calmly.
Svija's voice answered immediately through the communication system. "Yes, sir. Her phone is currently active. Would you like me to establish a connection with Miss Lorna?"
Ethan nodded slightly. "Do it."
A moment later, the faint dialing tone echoed in his ear. The call connected quickly, but the line remained silent for several seconds after it was answered. Ethan didn't speak at first, waiting patiently while the quiet stretched between them.
Nearly half a minute passed before Lorna's voice finally came through.
"Why are you doing this?"
Her tone sounded slightly muffled, as if she had been speaking softly or perhaps holding something back. Even so, there was no obvious sadness in her voice, only confusion mixed with a complicated set of emotions.
Ethan responded with steady calm. "Nothing complicated. I'm just not satisfied with how this world works."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Didn't you say something like that before? You said I might be someone capable of changing the situation for mutants. What I'm doing now can be considered a way of pushing that change forward, even if it happens from the side."
Silence filled the call again.
After a long pause, Lorna let out a soft sigh.
"I don't know anymore," she admitted quietly. "I honestly don't know if what you're doing is right or wrong."
She hesitated before continuing.
"Eric came to see me. He asked me to fight for mutant rights alongside him. I didn't agree, but I didn't refuse either. I just told him that if a real crisis appeared—something no one else could solve—then I would help."
Ethan listened without interrupting.
"That's your choice," he said after a moment. "And I respect it."
His voice softened slightly, though it still carried the same quiet certainty.
"But there's one thing you should remember. You're my girlfriend. I'm not going to hurt you, and I won't allow anyone else to hurt you either. After this situation settles down, I'll assign some people to protect you."
He continued calmly.
"No matter what you decide to do next, I won't stop you. Think of it as part of your own journey."
Lorna didn't respond with anger or resentment. In her view, Ethan's actions were not something unforgivable, and the complicated environment she had grown up in had likely shaped that perspective.
"I know," she replied softly.
Her voice paused again before continuing.
"I'm just… confused right now. I don't know what kind of choice I should make. I'm not even sure whether I should devote myself to the mutant cause at all."
She took a slow breath.
"I've been separated from mutant society for a long time. Eric only found me because of everything happening around you. To be honest, he only cares about mutants and himself. In his mind, I'm probably nothing more than a useful assistant."
Her tone grew quieter as she spoke, revealing a trace of disappointment she hadn't fully hidden.
Ethan could almost picture her expression through the phone.
"You should understand something," he said gently. "There's no absolute right or wrong in this world."
He continued thoughtfully.
"What I'm doing might look dramatic from the perspective of this planet, but if you place it on the scale of the universe, it's actually insignificant. The only reason it feels so extreme is because I'm different from everyone else here."
He paused briefly before adding something more direct.
"Besides, what I'm doing isn't that different from what Eric wants."
Lorna remained silent, listening carefully.
"He wants mutants to rule the world," Ethan continued. "I just want to see what humanity is capable of becoming. If people refuse to change, then I'll force them to adapt."
His tone carried neither anger nor arrogance—only a matter-of-fact certainty.
"You don't need to worry too much about Eric's motivations. He's always been someone who uses whatever methods are necessary to reach his goal. Don't expect fatherly affection from him, because that's not the kind of person he is."
Then Ethan's voice softened again.
"But there's something you can trust completely. No matter what kind of changes I bring to this world, as long as I'm here, you'll always be safe. Whether on Earth or anywhere else, I'll do everything I can to make sure you feel secure."
He paused before finishing the thought.
"And if you really don't want to get involved in any of this, then find somewhere quiet and step away from it all for a while."
A faint sound of amusement escaped Lorna.
She could clearly feel the concern behind Ethan's words.
"Thank you," she said gently. "But I might not follow that advice."
Ethan chuckled softly.
"That's fine. I respect whatever choice you make."
"But you haven't asked me what choice I'm actually going to make," Lorna said suddenly.
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly before smiling.
"Alright," he replied. "Then tell me. What are your plans?"
Lorna took a breath before answering.
"Eric talked to me for a long time. He kept telling me about fighting for mutants and protecting the future of our kind. But honestly, those aren't the things I want."
Her voice grew steadier.
"What I want is something simple."
There was a brief pause before she asked quietly,
"I want to be cared for by the person I love. Can you give me that?"
Ethan didn't hesitate even for a second.
"Of course," he said immediately. "That's something I should do."
Lorna's response came just as quickly.
"Then my choice is simple."
She spoke with calm certainty.
"I want to be with you."
The answer caught Ethan slightly off guard.
For a moment he simply blinked, processing what she had said.
"Why would you decide that?" he asked honestly. "You do realize I'm currently standing against the entire world."
He let out a small breath.
"If this were another era, people would probably label me as a tyrant or something worse. In the eyes of most of the world, I'm the villain right now."
He paused before asking quietly,
"Are you sure you want to stand beside me at a time like this?"
"Yes," Lorna replied without hesitation.
"This was my decision even before today. I just didn't know how to say it out loud."
Her straightforward answer made Ethan laugh.
That directness was exactly the same as he remembered. Lorna had always been someone who spoke honestly once she made up her mind, and the determination in her voice reminded him of the woman he had first met.
"Alright," he said with a grin. "Then I'll come pick you up."
Her decision felt like a form of support, even if she hadn't framed it that way. Ethan rarely allowed himself to dwell on emotional attachments, but having someone willing to walk beside him still carried its own quiet meaning.
"Okay," Lorna replied.
She was just about to tell him her location when something changed behind her. A faint movement caught her attention, and she quickly turned around.
Standing only a few steps away from her was Ethan himself.
"Wow—!"
She covered her mouth in shock, staring at him with wide eyes.
Ethan chuckled at her reaction.
"Come on," he said, extending his hand toward her.
Instead of taking it, Lorna rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.
Ethan froze for a moment before wrapping his arms around her in return. He didn't know exactly what she had gone through during the time they had been apart, but it was clear that Magneto hadn't given her the affection she might have hoped for.
Gently patting her head, he smiled.
"Since you've made your choice, don't regret it later."
"I won't," Lorna said softly. "Life will be better from now on. I don't want to go through that kind of confusion again."
Ethan nodded.
"That's only natural," he said quietly. "I promise you."
.....
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