"Hoo…"
Seeing the iconic red beam, Colin slowly closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
"Cyclops."
After a moment, he tightened his grip on Ryan and turned around. Two figures in black combat suits had appeared silently inside the ruined building, a man and a woman. Behind them, a bald old man in a wheelchair observed everything calmly.
Colin's gaze swept across the three of them.
The X-Men.
"So it was you," Colin said flatly, "I was wondering who had the ability to destroy a place like this so cleanly."
With their arrival, there was no need to ask what happened to the other mutants. Any riots would have been suppressed easily by Cyclops. As for the remaining soldiers and researchers, Colin glanced at the blood-soaked ruins, the outcome was obvious.
"Doctor," Colin said, glancing at Ryan, who had begun struggling excitedly upon seeing the newcomers, "looks like your saviors are here."
For a brief moment, Colin seemed to consider something, then suddenly,
Boom!
He slammed Ryan straight into the wall. The impact folded the man into the concrete with a sickening crack of breaking bones. Ryan's body went limp instantly, unconscious from the pain.
"Unfortunately," Colin said coldly, "they don't seem capable of saving you."
"You,!"
Cyclops reacted instantly, but Colin had moved too fast. Storm's eyes widened as thunder rumbled faintly overhead, dark clouds beginning to gather. Scott raised his hand toward his visor.
The atmosphere turned tense in an instant.
Colin stood casually, but every muscle in his body was coiled tight.
"Enough."
Professor X's calm voice cut through the tension. Scott and Ororo hesitated, then lowered their guard.
Colin narrowed his eyes. "Don't provoke me."
Without waiting for a response, he pulled Ryan out of the wall and walked deeper into the base, toward the underground reactor.
"Professor!" Scott turned sharply. "Why didn't you stop him?"
He gestured angrily at the carnage around them.
"Look at this, his methods are brutal, inhumane. Are we really going to bring someone like this into the school?"
Professor X did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Ororo.
"What do you think?"
She hesitated. "No… I think he might have had his reasons."
The Professor nodded slightly, then looked back at Scott.
"To be a leader, you must not judge things from a single perspective. If you have not experienced his suffering, you have no right to demand kindness from him."
Scott froze.
"Among the mutants we rescued," the Professor continued, "the youngest was five years old. They also caused chaos. Were they cruel?"
Scott opened his mouth, then stopped.
He understood.
"I saw his memories," Professor X said quietly, "what he endured might break most people."
His voice softened.
"We bring him back not to control him, but to save him, before he loses faith completely and becomes like Erik."
Silence fell.
"I understand," Scott said finally, "I'll apologize to him."
Underground, Reactor Level
Ryan hit the cold metal floor, barely conscious.
"My legs… I can't feel my legs…"
Panic flooded his face.
Colin stepped on his chest. "What does that matter?"
He looked down coldly. "Do you want to live?"
"Yes, yes, I do!" Ryan nodded frantically.
Colin smiled faintly. "Good."
He pointed toward the reactor room. "Put on a protective suit, go inside, and turn the valve three hundred times. If you come out alive, I'll let you go."
Ryan did not hesitate. "Okay!"
He crawled desperately and dragged out a heavy radiation suit.
"Wait."
Colin tossed a thin coat onto him. "Wear this instead."
Ryan froze. "…This isn't a protective suit."
Colin chuckled. "Didn't you say this setup was perfectly safe?"
Ryan's face turned pale.
He understood.
There was never any intention to let him live.
"Stryker won't let you go," Ryan muttered bitterly.
Colin did not respond.
Ryan crawled into the reactor room.
A moment later, Colin stepped back out.
Of course, he never intended to let Ryan complete the task. That would have been too merciful.
He wiped the blood from his hands and glanced back at the reactor.
"Shame… I can't take this with me."
The military would arrive soon, and he was not strong enough yet to ignore them.
Not yet.
Surface
When Colin returned, the three were still waiting.
He instinctively tensed.
"Relax," Professor X said gently, "we mean no harm."
Before he could respond, Scott stepped forward.
"I owe you an apology."
Colin studied him for a moment. "Fine. Just don't get in my way."
Ororo stepped forward next.
"We've relocated the rescued mutants about twenty kilometers away. They'll be taken to our school, the Xavier Institute. It's a safe place, no experiments, no discrimination."
She paused.
"You're powerful. We'd like you to join us."
Colin shook his head.
"My ability is special. I need radiation to grow stronger."
He gave a faint, awkward smile.
"I doubt your school has a reactor."
Scott and Ororo exchanged looks.
"…No," Scott admitted, "it doesn'
"So, sorry about that."
Colin smiled. "Maybe I'm better suited for,"
"No, child."
Professor X suddenly stepped forward, interrupting him.
"I learned from Ryan that you obtained the hard drive containing his nuclear test data. Is that true?"
Colin nodded. "Yes."
"Would you mind letting me take a look at it?" Charles asked gently. "If not, we can simply copy the data on the Blackbird. Would that be alright?"
"That's fine."
Colin's eyes flickered, but he agreed.
"Let's go. The military is coming," Charles said with a faint smile.
The Blackbird
Outside the main building, Scott waved his hand.
A massive fighter jet disengaged its optical camouflage, revealing itself.
"What a beautiful aircraft," Colin said, taking a few extra glances.
"This is the X-Men's transport," Ororo replied. "If you ever change your mind, I'll give you a proper tour."
"Ororo, give him some time," Charles said calmly. "Perhaps next time we meet, he'll have an answer."
"Next time?" Ororo frowned slightly.
Reunion
As the hatch opened and Scott stepped aboard with the hard drive, a figure suddenly ran out.
"Colin!"
The boy rushed over, eyes sparkling.
"Wow, you've changed so much! You look way better now,definitely more handsome than that guy with the sunglasses!"
"I knew you let yourself get captured on purpose! You're amazing!"
"They said you wiped out the entire base by yourself! That's why we survived!"
Colin laughed.
"Haha… I told you before,if something like this happened, you should hide. Did you listen?"
"Yeah… I listened," the boy muttered, avoiding eye contact.
"Sure he did," Ororo said dryly. "When we arrived, he was yelling and firing spikes at soldiers."
"You little,"
Colin chuckled, patting his head.
Parting
"The data has been copied," Scott said, stepping down.
"Then I'll be going."
Colin took the hard drive.
"Wait! Aren't you coming with us?" the boy asked, grabbing his sleeve.
"I'll visit later," Colin said with a small smile. "But I've got things to do first."
Reluctantly, the boy let go.
Colin turned, got into the car, and soon disappeared into the distance.
Back on the Jet
"Professor… you're not actually planning to build a reactor at the school, are you?" Scott asked.
"Why not?" Charles replied casually. "It won't cost much."
Scott swallowed the words he was about to say.
"So that's why you wanted the data…" Ororo realized.
"Rich people," she sighed. "I'll never understand."
On the Road
Driving alone, Colin opened the Titan Codex.
Godzilla's page was fully illuminated.
But the others… wouldn't even open.
"I can't even see what the next Titans are… how am I supposed to unlock them?"
He frowned.
"Godzilla feeds on radiation… so do the MUTOs. Then why haven't they activated?"
"And Kong…"
He paused.
"Don't tell me I need to climb the Empire State Building with someone…"
Slap!
He smacked himself.
"Focus."
Still, he grinned.
"As long as I keep absorbing radiation… I'll get stronger."
A New Threat
The base was gone.
His enemies were dead.
But one name lingered,
Stryker.
"Scary," Colin muttered sarcastically.
Impact
Music blasted through the car.
Then,
BOOM!
Something crashed onto the roof.
The entire vehicle shook violently.
"What the hell?!"
Colin stepped out.
On the roof lay,
A man.
Half-naked. Unconscious.
"Huh… not a hammer?"
Colin checked his pulse.
Alive.
Unharmed.
"…What kind of body is this?"
Shrugging, he tossed the man into the backseat.
Hours Later
A small motel room.
Bruce Banner woke up.
"Did… Hulk bring me here?"
"Yo, you're awake."
Colin lay nearby, smiling.
"Did you save me?" Banner asked.
"Yeah. You fell out of the sky and wrecked my car."
Banner froze.
"I… might not be able to pay you."
"It's fine," Colin waved it off. "Not my car anyway."
"...What?"
"I was planning to sell it in New York."
Banner sat up instantly.
"You're going to New York?"
End of Chapter
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