After another long journey,
the mutants returned to Xavier's Manor.
Charles, Erik, and Moira were away for the time being. The three of them had to take Mimic Cat to the CIA for interrogation and detention, so they would not be back until later.
"Darwin, did you see how I performed? I beat that beast-like guy until he could barely breathe!"
"Give me a break, Alex. I remember he nearly killed you, and Rorschach saved you in the end, right?"
"Exactly. What do you have to brag about? I haven't even told you all about my performance yet!"
"What performance? Getting chased around like a rat by that guy who blasted air waves?"
The young mutants chatted and laughed as they headed inside, every one of them looking incredibly excited.
Especially when talking about their own heroic performances, they could not help gesturing wildly.
Indeed.
This trip to Manhattan had been a complete and utter failure. Apart from wasting time, energy, and stamina, they had not gained a single useful thing.
At first, they had indeed been extremely frustrated and angry.
They had even been nervous and afraid during the battle.
But now?
What they felt more than anything was excitement!
For these young people, it had still been their first time fighting others for real.
The rush of adrenaline, the feeling of walking along the edge of life and death—there was no way to truly understand it without experiencing it firsthand.
"You all still have the nerve to talk? It looked like Rorschach handled everyone by himself, didn't he?"
Raven looked at the people boasting to one another and could not help curling her lip as she struck at them from the side.
That one remark took the wind out of everyone's sails.
Yeah.
Thinking it over carefully,