The Tide Turns

"What? No S.H.I.E.L.D. agents allowed within the Mutant School's grounds, no surveillance of mutant students or their families, and no disruption of your lives.

Professor Charles, aren't these demands of yours a little excessive?

As S.H.I.E.L.D., an organization responsible for maintaining peace and security for all humanity, we have the right to intervene against anything that threatens humanity's safety!"

Nick Fury replied angrily.

For some reason, ever since they had come down to negotiate face-to-face, he had found Professor X's attitude far more forceful than before, with all sorts of conditions that he found utterly baffling.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had already stepped in, yet they still wanted to live as they had before? How was that possible?

"Even if the attack on the president truly had nothing to do with you, there's no denying that this Kurt of yours was the one who carried it out. He does possess the ability to teleport, and that alone is a threat.

Professor Charles, I can agree to your other demands, but there is one condition: information on all mutants must be filed in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, so we can respond promptly if danger arises.

Of course, I can guarantee that all materials related to mutants will exist only in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database and will not be leaked to any other agency, including the CIA and the FBI!"

Nick Fury laid out his final bottom line.

"Director Fury, let me make this clear as well: that is impossible. Most mutants are not as dangerous as you imagine. On the contrary, they have constantly faced all kinds of dangers brought about by humans.

If a crisis truly occurs because of mutants, you can notify me. I will lead my X-Men to deal with it."

Professor X decisively rejected Nick Fury's demand, because this was his bottom line as well.

"Professor Charles, you need to understand that if this fight continues, the ones who will ultimately lose will be you. I am only willing to negotiate with you here because I do not want things to spiral out of control."

Nick Fury's tone began to harden as well.

Professor X did not trust him, and he did not trust Professor X either. Handing control over the dangers posed by mutants to mutants themselves was a joke.

Besides, they currently held the upper hand. He believed that if they held out until the end, Professor X would be the one forced to compromise.

As Nick Fury's words fell, the atmosphere instantly turned tense.

Just as the situation was about to erupt, a cold voice suddenly shattered the deadlock.

"Charles, I told you long ago. Humans have always been like this. They always fear beings different from themselves, and sooner or later, they will wipe out all of us mutants. Now you should see the truth, shouldn't you?"

"Magneto!"

At the sound of that voice, Nick Fury's pupils contracted. He turned to look at Magneto, Mystique, and Hawking stepping down from the Quinjet.

Only then did he realize that Hawking's continued absence was not because he had been changing clothes inside the aircraft.

He had somehow slipped into the Quinjet right under Fury's nose and rescued Magneto and Mystique.

"I let my guard down."

Nick Fury hurriedly turned to Captain Marvel beside him.

"Get him!"

Snap!

Magneto snapped his fingers, and the Brainwave Disruptors around the necks of Nick Fury, Captain Marvel, Captain Carter, and every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent instantly shattered.

They immediately fell into a state of paralysis, as though time itself had frozen.

Hawking had not freed Magneto so they could join forces against Captain Marvel. With his current strength, even if they teamed up, they would have no chance of winning.

His goal was to have Magneto destroy the Brainwave Disruptors, allowing Professor X's terrifying mind-control abilities to take effect.

"Erik, they do not represent all humanity. Don't give up on humanity completely like this."

Professor X replied with a smile.

Magneto merely shook his head and said nothing more. He could not persuade Charles, and Charles could not persuade him.

As old friends and old rivals of several decades, they understood each other better than anyone.

"Ah!"

At that moment, Captain Marvel let out an angry roar and broke free of Professor X's mental control.

"I advise you not to move. Otherwise, they may all lose their lives."

Hawking was not surprised. He raised a hand and pointed at the frozen Nick Fury and the others.

Because Captain Marvel had absorbed the immense energy of the Light-Speed Engine, she could barely even be considered human anymore. The energy within her was off the charts, and her resistance in every aspect was terrifyingly strong. She had virtually no weaknesses.

Thus, while Professor X's mental control could affect her, it could not decisively restrain her.

"What do you want?"

Captain Marvel looked at Professor X with a grave expression.

She naturally knew the abilities of Magneto and Professor X. Even if she was faster, she knew she could never be faster than Professor X's thoughts.

Besides, Hawking, who could transform into a giant ape at any time, was standing nearby, along with Magneto, who was no pushover either.

"We simply do not wish to be disturbed, nor do we wish to start a war with humanity. Please tell Director Fury that in two days, I will bring Colonel Stryker and evidence of his crimes to your headquarters for a proper discussion."

After leaving those words behind, Professor X led everyone onto the aircraft.

Only after the X-Jet had completely vanished from the sky did Nick Fury and the others fully return to normal.

"Fury, are you all right?"

Captain Marvel immediately stepped forward in concern.

Nick Fury looked at all the mutants and the X-Jet, which had suddenly vanished from the surrounding area. A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes before he understood and looked toward Captain Marvel.

"Professor X used his ability?"

"Yes. He asked me to tell you."

Captain Marvel nodded and gave him a rough account of what had just happened.

After hearing it, Nick Fury could not help sighing.

"It seems the Avengers need to be assembled as soon as possible."

"Director Fury, I actually think what Professor Charles said makes sense. They are victims too."

At that moment, Captain Carter walked over with her shield in hand.

Influenced by Steve, the man she had once loved, her views clashed somewhat with those of the current Nick Fury. She had originally come to help capture the mutant who had attacked the president.

But from the looks of things, the real mastermind did not seem to be the mutants.

Had she known this beforehand, she would not have helped Nick Fury fight. She would have been better off searching for the missing Steve or visiting Bucky, who was already bedridden with serious illness, at the hospital.

In 1945, to stop Red Skull from releasing Hydra from the Different Dimension, she had pushed Hydra into the Different Dimension alone and fought with all her strength to kill it there.

She had promised Steve that they would go dancing together after she came out. Yet when the portal opened again, she did not see Steve, Howard, or Bucky. Instead, she saw a bald, one-eyed Black man.

He called himself Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. was the former Strategic Scientific Reserve.

And tragically, while only a few short minutes had passed in the Different Dimension, fifty-five years had already gone by outside.

Howard was dead. Bucky had grown old. And her beloved Steve Rogers had disappeared fifty-five years ago, with his whereabouts still unknown.