X-Men and Cooperation

The atmosphere inside the cabin was somewhat subtle.

Wolverine Logan sprawled out in a seat, eyes closed to rest, seemingly unconcerned with everything around him.

Cyclops Scott Summers, wearing his signature ruby-quartz visor, piloted the jet while glancing into the cabin from time to time.

Jean Grey appeared much gentler, observing Harry with a hint of curiosity.

As for Storm Ororo Munroe, her gaze fell mostly on the red-and-black figure who was currently carrying Lady Deathstrike and acting unusually quiet.

"Wade? Why are you... so well-behaved today?"

Ororo (Storm) couldn't help but speak up, asking with a touch of curiosity.

It was the first time she had ever seen Deadpool act this obedient...

"Boss Osborn gave the word. He said as long as I play nice and help him deal with this chick, he'll consider helping me see if there's any hope for this handsome face of mine. This is a matter of my lifelong happiness!"

Deadpool grinned, speaking with a hint of excitement.

As he spoke, he patted the backside of Lady Deathstrike, whom he was carrying on his shoulder, and gestured toward Harry with his chin.

Storm's mouth twitched upon hearing this. Well, that was classic Deadpool.

No wonder this guy came looking for Harry Osborn...

"Alright, jokes aside, let's talk business.

So, why were the X-Men there? This couldn't have been a coincidence, right?"

Harry smiled at the remark, then looked toward Cyclops and Jean Grey to ask.

"We have been tracking the movements of William Stryker.

Because he previously had technical collaborations with your Osborn Group, we were worried he might use your research results to target mutants.

And according to intelligence provided by... our mole, Stryker has successfully developed an X-Gene Inhibitor.

Furthermore, his next target was you, Harry Osborn.

He planned to attack you and then frame the mutants for everything, inciting an all-out war between ordinary humans and mutants."

Jean Grey nodded, taking over the explanation.

Harry's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this; he wasn't surprised that they knew these things.

After all, the mutants had a top-tier spy like Mystique in their ranks...

What surprised him was the reason behind the old man William Stryker's assassination attempt.

Because of his cooperation with William Stryker, he also knew quite a bit of intelligence regarding mutants.

Unlike the worldview of the X-Men film series, the mutants in this world were not directly exposed to the public eye.

This was not hard to understand, as in the X-Men movies, humanity faced no external threats and naturally had no organization like S.H.I.E.L.D.

But this world had Hydra, aliens, and the high-level human authorities, along with S.H.I.E.L.D., naturally maintained a relatively mild attitude toward mutants.

His cooperation with Stryker was limited to technical exchanges, with the Osborn Group providing theoretical support in biotechnology and genetic engineering.

Stryker, in turn, provided certain special biological samples—namely, fragments of the X-Gene.

Both sides actually knew very little about the other's specific research projects and progress.

He hadn't expected that Stryker had actually managed to create an X-Gene Inhibitor.

Given Stryker's deep-seated hatred for mutants, once he possessed such a weapon, his next move would naturally be to find a way to eradicate them completely.

But due to the current climate, he needed a reason to move against the mutants...

And he, Harry Osborn, was the "fuse" carefully selected for that purpose.

Because of the birth of the miracle cancer drug, he was currently a global sensation, a savior in the hearts of countless people, and a walking reputation printer.

If he were to "die in a mutant attack," and Stryker were to manipulate public opinion behind the scenes while inciting the public by revealing the existence of mutants, there was a ninety percent chance he could ignite the panic and anger of ordinary people, subsequently pushing through various harsh anti-mutant laws.

At that point, if radical mutants like Magneto jumped out to go head-to-head with humanity, Stryker could reveal the X-Gene Inhibitor at the perfect moment, easily wiping out organized resistance forces like the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants in one fell swoop.

As for the remaining scattered mutants, they would be no threat and would only end up as lambs for the slaughter.

What a brilliant move to pull the firewood from under the cauldron and kill with a borrowed knife!

Even if an accident occurred and Harry Osborn was lucky enough not to die, from William Stryker's perspective, a genius scientist who had suffered a mutant attack would likely turn toward the anti-mutant camp out of anger and fear, becoming a sharp blade for him to use against mutants.

No matter how you calculated it, Stryker wouldn't lose.

The only variable was that Stryker could never have dreamed that Harry Osborn had not only "read the script" in advance and recognized Lady Deathstrike's identity, but also possessed an unreasonable piece of black technology like the X-Kryonaut to withstand the attack.

"I understand."

"Thank you for your help."

Harry nodded slightly, expressing his gratitude to Jean Grey.

Even if the X-Men hadn't come, he likely wouldn't have been in any real trouble.

After a while, the jet soon landed within a complex of buildings that looked like a castle.

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

The secret base of the X-Men.

Harry followed Wolverine and the others off the jet, while Deadpool continued to dutifully carry the unconscious Lady Deathstrike.

Inside the school, a middle-aged man sitting in a wheelchair, with a gentle face but eyes that seemed to perceive everything, was waiting quietly.

Seeing that conspicuous bald head, Harry naturally recognized the man's identity at a glance: Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X.

"Welcome, Mr. Osborn."

"There are some things I would like to discuss with you in private."

Professor X spoke with a smile, looking at Harry.

The surrounding X-Men heard this and tacitly stepped back a certain distance.

"Wade, keep an eye on her. Don't let her cause any trouble."

Harry nodded and said to Deadpool.

"Don't worry, boss! Unless she wants to taste my vintage, long-preserved foot skin!"

Deadpool patted his chest in assurance, carrying Lady Deathstrike off to the side.

In the spacious reception room, only Harry and Professor X remained.

"Professor, you specifically invited me here and requested a private conversation. I imagine it's not just because of the threat from Stryker."

Harry didn't beat around the bush and took the initiative to speak.

"Hmm. Before we discuss other matters, I am very curious: what is your actual view on mutants, or rather, people like us?"

Professor X took a deep breath and asked.

"I don't have any prejudice against mutants, especially people like you."

Harry replied truthfully upon hearing this.

This wasn't flattery; Professor X could use Cerebro to instantly control every human on this planet. Possessing such power without abusing it was enough to prove his character.

"..."

Hearing this, Professor X breathed a slight sigh of relief. He had been worried that the other party might have been influenced by Stryker and harbor some bias against them. Because of his abilities, he could sense that the young man before him was not lying.

"Furthermore, according to my research, the root of so-called mutant abilities lies in an extremely complex and highly evolved genetic code. With my current level of technology, I still cannot fully decipher all the mysteries of this gene."

Harry paused, then threw out a conclusion that shocked Professor X even more.

"But I can conclude that this special gene sequence is not a product of the natural evolution of Earth's life. Instead... it is the result of artificial intervention by a more advanced civilization."

"Artificial intervention? You mean... we mutants were created by some higher civilization?"

"Why? Is it to use us... as weapons?"

Hearing this, Professor X's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling, and his hands, resting on the armrests of his wheelchair, tightened involuntarily. The current academic community, himself included, believed they were the next stage of human evolution. But this young man was claiming that mutants were the product of artificial intervention? If anyone else had said this, he might have dismissed it, but coming from the mouth of Harry Osborn, he couldn't help but believe it. As a scholar born into the field of genetics himself, he naturally knew how formidable this young Mr. Osborn was.

"The possibility of them being weapons is low."

"The awakening of mutant abilities possesses great randomness and uncontrollability. The method of awakening, the type of ability, and the upper and lower limits of strength are all filled with uncertain factors. If viewed as a weapon, the stability and reliability of such a weapon would be at a disastrous level."

Harry shook his head, denying Professor X's guess, before continuing.

"Compared to weapons, I am more inclined to believe that mutants... or rather, this special X-Gene, is more like a massive experiment. A higher civilization sowed the seeds in ancient times. Then, they quietly observed, wanting to see what kind of strange and varied abilities this gene could evolve in different individuals, and to what inconceivable extent it could expand the potential of life."

"Experimental subjects..."

Professor X muttered to himself, the expression on his face complex and unreadable.

This answer, while still sending a slight chill down his spine, was undoubtedly far better than being a "weapon."

At the very least, the meaning of their species was not created for the sake of slaughter and destruction...

He took a deep breath, and the look he cast toward Harry held a bit more relief and a bit more approval.

He had invited Harry Osborn here partly to protect him, to prevent him from falling victim to William Stryker again;

On the other hand, he also wanted to show the friendly side of Mutants to this genius scientist who held immense global influence, hoping to secure a powerful ally—or at the very least, to ensure he would not become an enemy.

At least for the moment, his goal had been achieved...

There was even an unexpected gain: obtaining information regarding the origin of their species...

And just as Professor X's thoughts were surging, Harry's voice sounded once again.

"Professor, since we both face a common enemy and have no fundamental conflict of interest with each other.

Then, is there a possibility of cooperation between us?"

Upon hearing this, Professor X suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.

Harry Osborn had actually taken the initiative to propose cooperation with them!

"Cooperation?"

Professor X steadied himself and asked, "Mr. Osborn, how do you... wish for us to cooperate?"

A meaningful arc curled at the corners of Harry's mouth.

"It's very simple."

"For the first step, let's start by completely resolving the trouble that is William Stryker..."