Phoenix's Guarantee

After seeing the Blackbird circling above the forest in search of a suitable landing spot, Richard put away Masamune and used Flash before the Blackbird even landed.

The next second, he vanished from the boulder and appeared inside the Blackbird's cabin.

The cabin was not particularly spacious, but quite a few people were seated inside.

Besides Phoenix, Richard saw Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Sabretooth, Clarice, and the mutant children rescued from the Third Underground Floor last night.

Whether it was Phoenix and Wolverine or Cyclops and Storm, they all looked much like he remembered.

After sweeping his gaze over everyone, he said to Phoenix, "I don't like people using Telepathic Sense on me."

"If anyone tries to invade my mind, I'll do everything I can to kill them."

Although Phoenix had only used Telepathy to pinpoint his location and had not invaded his mind, he still felt it necessary to give her a warning.

The moment he finished speaking, Wolverine, who was seated beside Phoenix, rose to his feet with an unfriendly expression and strode straight over to him. He snarled, "Kid, watch your tone. Jean only wanted to know where you were!"

Phoenix's boyfriend was not Wolverine, but Cyclops, who was currently piloting the Blackbird.

However, after hearing Richard's words, Wolverine immediately warned him, as though he were Phoenix's boyfriend instead.

"You were the ones who were rude first."

"Victor and Clarice already told you that I didn't want to see you."

"Using Telepathy to locate someone who doesn't want to see you—is that the X-Men's way of doing things?"

Richard looked calmly at the hostile Wolverine and replied unhurriedly.

In terms of strength, Wolverine was far stronger than Sabretooth.

But he was only stronger than Sabretooth.

Even with Adamantium in his body, Richard had dozens of ways to defeat him.

Killing him completely would be a little more troublesome, but it was still possible.

Wolverine had never been some gentle middle-aged man, and Richard's words made his expression even more unfriendly.

Just as he tried to grab Richard by the collar and give him one final warning, Phoenix spoke up.

"Logan, don't!"

At Phoenix's voice, Wolverine immediately lowered his raised hands.

After stopping Wolverine from continuing to threaten Richard, Phoenix stood and walked over to him. With an apologetic expression, she said, "It was wrong of me to use Telepathy to locate you without permission. I apologize. I'm sorry!"

Seeing Phoenix apologize to him so sincerely, Richard said slowly, "Let it go this time. Now tell me, why were you looking for me?"

"If you want me to return to the School for Mutants with you, there's no need to ask. I have no intention of going to New York right now."

Although Professor X was not a bad person, Richard had no intention of dealing with him at the moment.

Or rather, he could already guess what Professor X would say when they met.

Given Professor X's personality and methods, he would definitely be like those elderly do-gooders, persuading Richard to fight for the rights of the Mutant Race or use his abilities to help others.

Phoenix, Cyclops, and the others were free to follow Professor X's arrangements. Richard had nothing to say about that.

But he had no intention of joining them.

Strictly speaking, as a transmigrator, the fact that he had not considered becoming Homelander in this world already made him a person of considerable moral character.

"The professor means no harm. He only wants to meet with you and have a conversation."

"We're not here to arrest you, nor are we here to help the Department of Mutant Affairs."

"Besides, I can guarantee that even if the Department of Mutant Affairs learns that you came to the school with us, they will never make a move against you."

"If you don't want to be wanted, we can also have the Department of Mutant Affairs revoke the S-level Wanted Order on you."

Unlike Wolverine, the moment Phoenix heard Richard say that he disliked others using Telepathic Sense on him, she understood that he responded better to kindness than force.

Moreover, she had realized that Richard was not as difficult to deal with as she had imagined.

She could tell from the fact that he had put away Masamune before flashing into the cabin.

"I don't think Charles and I have anything to talk about right now."

"As for the guarantee you mentioned..."

Richard paused and pointed at the mutant children. "I rescued them from the Sentinel Robot Maintenance Area at the Los Angeles Branch last night."

"Whether you knew about it or not, just seeing what they went through makes it hard for me to believe your guarantee."

Although the X-Men had not joined the Department of Mutant Affairs, given their capabilities, it would not have been difficult for them to learn what the department did to the mutants it captured.

If they truly knew nothing, that could only mean they did not care that much about the mutants outside.

Phoenix fell silent after hearing Richard's words.

A few seconds later, she continued, "It was indeed our oversight that they suffered such inhuman treatment."

"I know that no matter what I say now, it will be difficult for you to believe us, but I still hope that you—"

Before Phoenix could finish, an urgent, piercing alarm suddenly rang out inside the cabin.

"We've been locked onto by missiles!"

Storm's voice immediately rang out.

"Missiles?"

Phoenix and Wolverine's expressions turned incredibly grim when they heard Storm's words.

They were currently over United States territory.

That meant the ones firing missiles at them were either the United States military or special agencies like the Department of Mutant Affairs and S.H.I.E.L.D.

The X-Men's Blackbird had been registered with the authorities and military. There was no chance of it being mistaken for an aircraft from another country.

"Looks like the X-Men aren't all that important in the eyes of the authorities and military."

Richard's voice sounded.

Just as Phoenix was about to say something, he turned to Clarice and said:

"Open a Spatial Gate. Take these little ones and leave immediately. This aircraft might not be able to evade the missiles."

"Alright!"

Clarice replied without any hesitation.

She raised her right hand and threw out a mass of purple Spatial Energy, immediately creating a Spatial Gate leading into the forest.

The moment the Spatial Gate took shape, Wolverine and Sabretooth picked up the mutant children from their seats and passed through it, leaving the Blackbird.

After Richard and the others had exited the cabin, Storm and Cyclops immediately piloted the Blackbird through a series of evasive maneuvers.

"They should be after me."

"If they hadn't known I was on the aircraft too, they probably wouldn't have risked completely offending Charles by attacking you with missiles."

As soon as he finished speaking, Richard took Masamune out of the System Space.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing him draw Masamune, Wolverine watched him warily and immediately extended his Adamantium Bone Claws.

"Relax. I'm not interested in you."

"The one I'm dealing with is the person on that aircraft."

Richard raised Masamune and pointed it toward the distant sky.

Following the tip of Masamune, Wolverine saw nothing.

Of course he saw nothing, because the surrounding trees blocked his view.

Richard could see it because he had Plundered Super Vision, which possessed farsight and X-ray Vision, just last night.

In the direction Masamune pointed, there was a Black Jet that looked somewhat similar to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjet, except it bore the emblem of the Department of Mutant Affairs.

Inside the aircraft were three Mutant Agents dressed in black combat uniforms, their expressions exceptionally stern.

There was no need to guess. They were undoubtedly elite agents who had rushed over from other branches or the headquarters of the Department of Mutant Affairs.