"Thank you. Really," Reed said sincerely as he stood up, already preparing to leave.
"Not even a cup of coffee before you go?" Liam asked with a light chuckle, gesturing toward the drinks that had just been placed on the table.
"Thanks, but no," Reed replied, shaking his head. His mind was clearly elsewhere, consumed by concern for his family. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the bar.
Liam didn't try to stop him. He simply shrugged and took a slow sip of his coffee, watching Reed disappear through the door.
"Weiss, I don't quite get it. Why are you putting so much importance on the Strucker family?" Lorna asked, her curiosity finally surfacing after holding it in for a while.
Liam glanced at her and smiled faintly. "Didn't I tell you already? His kids are Level 4 Mutants. That explosion at the bar yesterday—that was their awakening."
"So that's it…" Lorna's eyes widened slightly. "Level 4 Mutants…"
She understood exactly what that meant.
Mutants at that level weren't just powerful—they were forces capable of shifting the balance of the world. Figures like Magneto, Professor Xavier, Apocalypse, and Wanda had all proven just how much influence a single individual could wield.
And above them, there was only one—Jean Grey, whose power had nearly brought about total destruction.
If the Strucker twins had just awakened and were left without guidance, the consequences would be unpredictable. Worse, if they fell into the hands of the wrong people, it could spiral into something far more dangerous.
While they continued talking, not far from them, a blonde woman subtly tilted her head, her ears catching fragments of their conversation. Her expression remained calm, but after a moment, she quietly stood up and slipped out of the bar without drawing attention.
Neither Liam nor Lorna noticed.
After staying a bit longer, the two of them returned to the underground headquarters. There was no time to waste—they needed to prepare for the night.
Because of Sentry patrol drones during the day, any movement had to be done under the cover of darkness.
…
Night fell quickly.
At the rendezvous point—an abandoned steel factory—the air felt cold and still. Dim lights flickered weakly overhead, casting long shadows across the rusted structures, while the surrounding darkness seemed to swallow everything beyond a few meters.
Liam stood with Clarice, Lorna, and Harry, waiting in silence.
After a while, Liam glanced around, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Weren't there four of us just now?"
"Yeah?" Clarice replied, giving him a strange look.
"Then… aren't we missing someone?"
"Missing who?" Lorna asked, confused.
Liam spread his hands. "Mr. Harry. Have either of you seen Mr. Harry?"
Clarice and Lorna exchanged a glance before Lorna pointed right beside him. "Isn't he standing right there?"
"…I think I might just be too dark," Harry muttered dryly.
"Oh!" Liam snapped his fingers as if realizing something. "So Mr. Harry is here. I was wondering who unlocked invisibility without using an ability."
It took a second, but then Clarice burst out laughing, and Lorna quickly followed, unable to hold it in.
Harry stood there in silence, his expression unreadable.
To be fair, dressed in black and standing in near-total darkness, he was almost impossible to see unless he moved or showed his teeth.
"Alright, alright, just joking," Liam said with a grin. "Don't take it personally."
"It's fine," Harry replied with a resigned sigh. "I've heard worse."
They passed the time like that, joking and talking, but as minutes stretched into an hour, the mood slowly shifted.
Half an hour had already passed beyond the agreed time.
Yet there was still no sign of the Strucker family.
"That's strange," Lorna said, frowning slightly. "Reed didn't seem like the type to be late."
"Maybe something held them up," Liam said, though even he felt something was off.
Just then, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and saw Thunderbird's name.
"Hey, Thunderbird?" Liam answered.
"The situation's bad," Thunderbird's voice came through, tense. "The Strucker family has been taken."
Liam's expression darkened instantly. "Taken? By who?"
"Not sure yet. Reed called for help, but the line cut off halfway."
For a brief moment, silence hung heavy.
Then irritation flickered across Liam's eyes.
Someone had just interfered with something he had already set his sights on.
"And the Sentry Secret Service?" Liam asked, his voice steady but sharp.
"Unlikely," Thunderbird replied. "We checked surveillance—no signs of their deployment."
Liam frowned.
If it wasn't the Sentry forces, then that narrowed it down significantly.
"…Then there's only one possibility," he said quietly.
In this area, aside from the Sentry Secret Service, there was only one group capable of pulling something like this off.
The Hellfire Club.
More specifically… her.
Liam's eyes narrowed slightly as the pieces fell into place.
A Level 3 Mutant known for her infrasound ability. With nothing more than her voice, she could generate low-frequency waves capable of incapacitating anyone caught within range. Victims would collapse in overwhelming pain, unable to resist.
Even Mutants weren't immune.
Her name was Reeva.
Her goal was simple—and completely insane.
A world ruled by Mutants, where humans no longer existed.
And the Strucker twins?
They were the perfect weapon for that vision.
Using their combined molecular manipulation, she could push them to unleash destruction on a scale that could threaten entire populations.
But Liam wasn't concerned about whether they could succeed.
Because he knew one thing very clearly.
This world… was far deeper than it looked.
....
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