Secret Purpose

Cassandra asked again, "Can we use this footage to formally accuse the U.S. military? Aren't you on fairly good terms with someone?"

After thinking it over, Henry shook his head. "Leaving aside whether that young master would be willing to help, even if Tony Stark stepped in to handle this, the U.S. military might just smooth things over and muddle through.

"Because to outsiders, I simply collapsed from an unexplained episode. The footage doesn't show any Mutant using an ability at all, so it can't serve as a reason for me to kill them.

"Even though this footage has been restored, we can't claim that interference caused noise in the original footage at some point, and that this is proof of a Mutant using an ability. There is no strong connection between the two.

"Besides, all this video evidence was obtained illegally, so it would be legally disputed. I can't resolve this through legal channels at all. Combined with their identities, they're practically forcing me to settle this privately."

"Mind control?" Gilgamesh frowned. "Henry, is that why even you fell for it? Is there no way to defend against it?"

"His ability is unusual. He creates a fake world, then uses what happens in that world to guide those who fall for it into doing what they want. If my personality weren't so stubborn, I might have yielded to his ability."

"What do they want you to do?" Cassandra caught the key point. "Do you know?"

"Assassinate the President of the United States."

...None of those present were recluses cut off from the world. They understood the weight carried by the words "President of the United States." Cassandra looked stunned. "Are you serious? What would he gain from doing that?"

Henry shouted, "C-Sis, display the Weapon X Program files."

The