New X-Men (Rev.)

Three hours later, underground hangar.

The engines of the Blackbird gave a low roar, and the hatch slowly opened, the deep blue light reflecting the determined silhouettes of a few young people.

This was the first operation of the X-Men after their official reorganization.

Wolverine Logan led the team, which included Miles, Richter, Delia, and Charlotte. Charles stayed at the academy to provide remote assistance and continue maintaining contact with the authorities.

Miles was in a great mood today because he could finally go out and get some fresh air.

"Is this outfit the new X-Men uniform?" Charlotte looked curiously at the black-and-yellow-themed uniform she wore, moving her limbs slightly. "It looks pretty cool."

"The new-generation X-Men combat uniform uses unstable molecule material, which has good resistance to common physical and energy impacts. It has a built-in environmental regulation module that can assist the wearer in adapting to most extreme environments," Miles explained. "These were all concepts left behind by Mr. Hank, and Aurora and I only just finished outfitting them not long ago."

"Cool!!" Charlotte's eyes lit up. "What else is there?"

"Oh, and this." Miles took off the X-shaped badge on his chest. Following some manipulation on his part, the badge's power light turned on, projecting a palm-sized, light-blue 3D operation interface upward. "This is the X Terminal, equivalent to a miniature computer, communicator, and locator, with a built-in Aurora subprogram that can provide various suggestions for your actions. Also, as long as you are anywhere in the world with a network, you can contact Aurora's main consciousness through this terminal and then transfer to the academy base."

"That's freaking cool!!!" Charlotte couldn't help giving a thumbs-up, then asked immediately, "Can I play games on it?"

"Uh..." Miles thought for a moment and said, "The system for this thing was something I wrote not long ago. Once I make a universal simulator in a bit, it should be fine."

"Miles, you're my god!"

Fat little Bobby watched Charlotte fiddle with the new gadget from the side and said resentfully, "Why are only the few of them able to go! This isn't fair!"

"Who was the one whose simulated combat scores in the training room hit rock bottom a few days ago!" Richter said irritably. "Damn it... If Bobby hadn't been controlled by Miles so quickly, we definitely wouldn't have lost to their side!"

"It seems the previous defeat left a deep impression on you, Richter," Miles said casually. "Dealing with a mind control user and constantly watching out for teammates turning on you—isn't that common sense?"

"But the problem is Bobby switched sides way too fast!" Richter said through grates, "I suspect he didn't even have the slightest intention of resisting! Damn it... why doesn't Delia have mind control!"

"Are you blaming me, Richter?" Delia, off to the side, said ungraciously. "Fine, then the next time you get thrown up into the sky, I'm never saving you again!"

"Uh, I don't mean that... I mean, your ability is great! I mean..."

Watching these two start to deepen their bond oblivious to anyone else, Miles only felt a wave of nausea.

"Alright, alright, time to go."

Logan also walked over wearing a brand-new yellow-and-black uniform, interrupting the children's ruckus and beckoning them onto the aircraft.

"Hey, Logan, you're even wearing the yellow uniform, won't you try wearing the mask?" Miles asked suddenly.

"I somehow feel like you're not saying anything good..." Logan said offhandedly, unconcerned.

Meanwhile, Dani and Sam, who had just joined the academy, stood on the other side of the hangar, watching this group of companions wearing handsome uniforms walk onto that sci-fi-looking Blackbird, preparing to execute a mission they didn't yet understand.

In both of their eyes, a trace of an inexplicable gleam subconsciously flashed.

[Are those the X-Men?]

Thinking this, Sam asked Jonah carefully from the side, "Are those few the strongest among you guys?"

"Sort of, at least the scores from the last few simulated combats were like that," Jonah answered, then asked, "Right, you're Sam, right? I remember you said earlier that you're from Kentucky?"

"Um, yeah!" Sam nodded. "I'm from Cumberland County... Are you too?"

"Oh, no." Jonah shook his head. "I just remembered that once when I went to execute a mission, I ran into a really good hot dog joint in Kentucky. The sauce was very special, a bit spicy, but the afterkick was really strong."

"Do you remember which city it was in?" Sam said expectantly. "Maybe I've heard of it."

"Uh, sorry, don't remember." Jonah shook his head. "After all, I only stayed there for less than a day that time. I finished killing people and left..."

Sam: "Ah???"

The roaring engines of the Blackbird pierced the open sky, finally disappearing at the edge of the horizon.

Inside the base command room, on the huge tactical map, a light spot representing the aircraft was moving at high speed.

Charles sat in the seat before the map, closing his eyes slightly.

More than ten minutes later, in the academy woods, Rebecca, who was practicing her ability control, suddenly heard Charles's voice ring in her heart.

"Rebecca, get ready, we have guests coming."

Before long, three black cars silently drove into the academy gates and stopped in front of the main building.

Led by Rebecca, several government agents wearing sunglasses and business suits entered the academy headmaster's office and met Professor Charles Xavier.

"Sorry to intrude, Professor Charles Xavier." The leading government agent nodded earnestly toward Charles, took a secret deep breath, and then asked carefully, "A few minutes ago, we received news—did the Bird of Prey take off?"

"Yes," Charles answered. "I have already submitted a written report on the specific situation to the state government. Although our action this time is urgent, it should completely comply with the protocol."

"We've already confirmed this with Mr. Governor." The agent nodded, the tone of his speech turning abruptly and becoming exceptionally solemn. "But you know, we care more about another matter."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

"'Little Miles' shouldn't be on that plane, right?"

The agent asked somewhat nervously.

"Of course." The smile on Charles's face remained unchanged. "He's currently in his room researching a chip."

"That's good." The agent secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then continued, "However, according to established protocol, we still hope to see him in person... You know, this isn't distrusting you, just to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Oh, I understand." Charles nodded. "No problem, please follow me."

Soon, the government agents saw the person they were looking for in the academy lounge.

"...Are you satisfied now?"

Miles, standing before the crowd with his hands in his pockets, put on an ugly, foul expression. "If nothing's the matter then scram already, hope your asses have a fun time tonight, assholes."

With that, Miles flipped these people off and walked back on his own.

"Sorry, gentlemen." Charles spoke up. "You know how it is, Miles has a rather special personality."

"It's fine, we understand." The agent returned a professional smile with an expressionless face. "In that case, we'll be heading back first."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Professor Charles Xavier."

A minute or so later, the Blackbird arrived in West Virginia.

"So, those government fools already went to look at the academy?"

On the Blackbird, the real Miles also learned about the government agents seeking out the academy a short while ago.

"Originally I didn't want to do this either, but unfortunately... over the past year, I've submitted four travel applications for you to the federal government, but none of them ever succeeded." Charles still wore that unperturbed smile.

With Charles's ability, as long as he was willing to lend a hand, it was simply impossible for anyone to find out Miles was there.

The existence of the Westchester Protocol was to a certain extent just a tacit understanding established between the federal government and the Xavier Institute, a point both the government side and the institute knew in their hearts.

"Mind Illusion, huh..." Delia watched Charles converse with Miles and sighed with emotion. "I've always wanted to try it too, it's just a pity it always feels so hard..."

"Don't dwell on these too much, Delia." Charles comforted Delia, saying, "Every psychic user has areas they excel at and areas they don't. Your control over telekinesis is already very strong in its own right."

"Uh... I'm a bit unclear on what you guys are talking about." Richter off to the side voiced his puzzlement. "Since you're all psychic users, are there really different types?"

This question successfully drew everyone's attention over.

"Of course they're different." Miles glanced at him. "Telepathy itself is a very broad classification, used to refer to 'telepathic' abilities, as well as many kinds of application methods derived from that foundation."

He extended a finger and tapped his own temple. "The most common is mind control, and Professor is the representative in this regard. He can make you see, hear, and believe anything he wants you to believe."

Saying this, Miles pointed at Delia next. "Then there's telekinesis, like Delia—pure physical interference. From lifting a feather to tearing down a building, theoretically there's no upper limit, it all depends on individual output."

"Aside from that, there are fields like 'Mind Illusion', 'Hypnosis', 'Psychic Blast', 'Psionic Weapon', and so on... The 'Electronic Signal Manipulation' I excel at is also like this, considered a very niche kind, and just like other abilities, they belong to derivative applications of 'telepathy'."

"What I excel at is telekinesis," Delia said, then sighed. "It's a pity that apart from that, my development in other areas is very poor, and in the field of 'mind control' I fall far short of Miles and Professor."

"But I don't excel at telekinesis either, Delia." Miles lamented. "'Telekinesis' is one of the most practical abilities. Theoretically speaking, as long as your control over telekinesis is sufficient, you can practically accomplish anything."

"Perhaps you can continue practicing for a period of time." Delia said, "As far as I know, every psychic user should more or less be able to master 'telekinesis', though the specific effects will also differ."

"I feel like that's still a bit too far off for a Delta-level ability user like me..." Miles sighed. "I've also been continuously trying to develop my ability this whole time, but the problem is that for a year... my psychic power doesn't seem to have shown any signs of growing."

"Hmm, perhaps because you were injured too severely before?"

Delia thought for a moment and was about to continue speaking when her expression suddenly changed.

Almost at the same time, Miles's expression changed as well.

Then, the two of them looked at each other, and after confirming that the other had also sensed it, both wore terrified expressions.

"Miles, we're getting close!"

Aurora's voice rang out. "Five kilometers ahead, the target is fighting the army!"

"I already feel it..."

Miles muttered to himself. "What terrifying psychic power... Damn it, what kind of mutant level is this?"

As they continually advanced toward the battlefield, not only the two psychic users Miles and Delia, but even Logan—who had been dozing against the cushion the whole time—seemed to have sensed something as well, snapping his eyes wide open.

"Jean?"

Logan subconsciously muttered to himself.

Spruce Hill, atop the mountain wilderness.

"This is Squad 35, the target is charging toward us! Ahhh--!!"

Inside the communicator, the shrill screams were torn to shreds by electric current, finally transforming into a dead, busy signal.

A blazing red energy torrent submerged everything. There was no explosion, no impact. That combat commander's body, along with the cover and trees in front of him, silently melted away in that terrifying energy erosion, as if they had never existed.

"Hoo, hoo..."

The curtain formed by dust and heatwaves was torn apart by an invisible force, and a fiery red figure slowly rose from within, hovering two meters above the ground in midair.

That looked to be a girl of only around fourteen years old.

She wore a form-fitting white research bodysuit, outlining the slender frame of the young girl. A head of red long hair burning like fire danced wildly in the scorching heat waves, crimson eyes burning with the terrifying fire of soul-devouring terror.

"Fire!!"

Someone roared desperately.

"Da-da-da-da-da..."

The moment she first appeared, countless bullets converged into a net of death from all directions, collectively unleashing themselves toward her silhouette.

However, as the girl's gaze swept past, that dense barrage of bullets seemed to crash against an invisible wall, completely solidifying, stalling, and halting at a distance of two to three meters near her, before falling powerlessly and clattering to the ground in a heap.

Throughout the entire process, her body didn't even move a fraction.

"Good god... what kind of monster is that..."

A soldier hiding behind an armored vehicle chattered his teeth, muttering with a hoarse throat.

The next second, he watched helplessly as that god-like figure slowly flew toward a higher vantage point, before transforming into a crimson meteor in his field of vision, dragging a long tail of flames and slamming fiercely in the direction where he was!

He didn't even have time to let out a scream.

"Boom--!!!"

The blazing red energy impact scattered wildly toward the surroundings like a furious tide.

The soldier's figure instantly turned to ashes. The heavy composite armor of the two M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles originally beside him began to warp, turn red, and subsequently melt and drip down like a candle, finally thoroughly gasifying amidst a blinding white light.

The energy impact retained its momentum, sending all approaching soldiers, vehicles, and fortifications flying!

Just this momentary impact resulted in casualties no fewer than twenty people!

"Hoo--"

A "Javelin" anti-tank missile dragged a long trail of fire, roaring over from the distant position.

Seeing this, the girl raised her hand indifferently.

Invisible telekinesis instantly enveloped that fatal missile, pressing it tightly in midair and rendering it unable to move.

Subsequently, she slowly closed her five fingers.

"Boom!!"

The missile detonated on command.

However, the explosive fire and shockwave—sufficient to blast through a tank—were forcibly gathered inward and compressed by an invisible force, forming an extremely unstable, wildly burning fireball in a space less than half a cubic meter.

The fireball thrashed wildly, finally completely subsiding amidst a muffled implosion.

Having finished all this, the girl's expression remained indifferent, discarding the scorched wreckage of the rocket launcher onto the ground as if she were casually tossing away trash.

Her figure slowly hovered once more, drifting toward those completely collapsed soldiers.

Just like a reaper of death descended from hell!

The Blackbird hovered in stealth mode at a high altitude two kilometers away.

Inside the cabin, on the real-time image of the tactical screen, that glaring crimson light and shadow made everyone's expressions sink.

"Phoenix Force?"

Logan muttered, his expression unprecedentedly solemn.

"She's just like Jean, consumed by the power of the Phoenix. We have to figure out a way to help her regain her sanity!"

Saying this, Logan walked a few steps to the rear cabin of the Blackbird, preparing to jump down directly and join the combat.

At the same time, Miles asked Charles far away at the academy through the main control computer of the aircraft: "Is this our mission target, Charles?"

"Are you sure she's an enemy the few of us can handle? What kind of mutant level is she anyway?"

"She isn't an enemy, Miles." Charles's figure appeared on the screen. "She's our kin, a poor child who has lost herself. She needs help."

"Fine, fine, she needs help!" Miles raised his hands helplessly. "But the problem is, what are we supposed to do? Are you sure that when we get close to her, we won't just be casually squeezed into lumps of minced meat by her?"

"I will help you suppress her," Charles said. "Before she wakes up, what you need to do is stop those armies and prevent any further conflict between the two sides!"

"Phew... That makes it much easier to talk."

Miles breathed a silent sigh of relief, his tense shoulders also relaxing.

He turned his head and said to his fully armed companions, "Let's go, get ready for action."

"Fuck..."

A grunt who had just been blown flying by the explosive shockwave cursed, climbing out of the mud pit looking covered in dirt.

He spat out the mud and sand in his mouth, laboriously picked up the M249 Machine Gun that had rolled to the side, once again targeted that fire-engulfed figure into his crosshairs, and was about to pull the trigger.

"Rumble..."

Right at that moment, the ground beneath his feet transmitted a violent tremor.

Immediately following, patches of ground swelled up without warning, growing upward as if endowed with life, transforming into thick earthen walls within a few short seconds and precisely cutting off the shooting line of sight for all the soldiers.

"Hey-hey, this is Squad 23, the situation has changed..."

Elsewhere, a commander had just wanted to try reporting to headquarters, only to discover that nothing was left in the walkie-talkie except a string of crackling electric current busy tones.

All their communication signals had been thoroughly jammed at the same time.

In the center of the battlefield, within the narrow space encircled by earth walls, the girl burning all over with energy slowly lowered her head, casting an icy gaze at the unfamiliar figures surrounding her.

"Madeleine? Is that your name?"

Miles took the lead to ask, "Hello, girl, we are the X-Men, and there's something we need to talk about..."

Seeing the unfamiliar figures continuously approaching, the flames in Madeleine's eyes suddenly surged violently, and destructive power gathered in her palms, instinctively about to launch an attack.

Yet just before the energy was about to erupt, she suddenly shuddered all over, her hands clutching her head in agony.

"Ugh..."

An even more powerful psychic force crossed a distant space, descending directly into her mental world!

"Hello, Miss Madeleine, I am Charles Xavier, you can call me Professor Charles Xavier."

Charles's voice resounded in her mind, "Don't be afraid, child, we are here to help you..."

Following Charles's remote mental suppression, the rioting energy around Madeleine began to subside slowly like a receding tide, and the fiery light in her eyes also dimmed somewhat.

At the same time, however, Miles's expression shifted.

He keenly perceived that outside the earth wall, unfamiliar auras were rapidly approaching this direction.

"Nobody move, squat on the ground, put your hands up!!"

At the breach in the earth wall, a line of fully armed soldiers raised their guns, cautiously walking in and quickly surrounding everyone.

As Madeleine's power gradually subsided, the army that had gained a moment to breathe finally had the opportunity to approach this core area, attempting to regain dominance.

"Mutants..."

The leading officer looked at the group of strangely dressed young people before him, muttering through clenched teeth before slowly raising his muzzle to begin aiming.

This was a battlefield, and he instinctively wanted to control the situation here.

Yet the next moment, his body shuddered violently, and his own arm unexpectedly turned the gun muzzle uncontrolled, aiming it right at his own chin.

The officer's eyes widened instantly, and cold sweat gradually beaded on his forehead. He wanted to shout, only to find his throat feeling blocked, unable to emit even a trace of sound.

"I hate being pointed at with guns, dammit..."

Miles's icy gaze swept across all the soldiers, finally lingering on the gun-toting officer.

As his psychic power activated, the indicator lights on all nearby military equipment went out in unison, and the engines of tanks and armored vehicles emitted reluctant wails before completely shutting down, all electronic weapons losing their function in a single instant.

Simultaneously, a kilometer away in the Blackbird, the rear cabin door opened silently.

Dozens of Flying Dragon drones personally modified by Miles poured out in unison, like an expeditionary swarm of bees, whistling as they flew toward the battlefield!

"Wait, stop!"

Right at this tense moment, a person looking like an officer suddenly rushed over from the rear with a small squad, holding his hands high to signal he harbored no hostility.

"I am Josen Kona, adjutant of Task Force 77! X-Men, we are not enemies, everyone calm down, don't shoot!"

Everyone's gazes converged on him in unison.

Following his command, those soldiers controlled by Miles looked at each other and slowly lowered their muzzles; the adjutant named Josen seemed to command considerable prestige here.

With a slight shift in expression, Miles manipulated the gun-wielding officer to drop his rifle onto the ground, then released his mental control over him.

The tense atmosphere finally eased somewhat.

"Not enemies? Tsk, well that's a pity..."

Captain Miles Josen scoffed coldly.

"It seems you came for the Red Phoenix too." Adjutant Josen ignored Miles's taunt, walking straight over. "But I'm sorry, we can't let you take her away. She is our mission objective!"

"She's ours too."

With a calm expression, Miles said slowly, "So, are we going to have a fight first to decide whose she is?"

"...I actually hope we don't make any more meaningless sacrifices, mutant," Josen said earnestly. "Besides, you must know this was our fight to begin with, and you lot just barged in and horned in!"

"Yet all I saw was you guys getting beaten like stray dogs, and you only had the guts to come over and snatch people after we pacified the girl!"

Miles sneered.

"She caused us massive losses, and there has to be an accounting today!" Adjutant Josen said solemnly.

"Well, that sounds wonderful," Miles said with an envious tone. "I've been dying to do that sort of thing myself, too, only the old man wouldn't allow it..."

"I'll say it again, mutant..." Adjutant Josen took a deep breath, slowly making a gesture signaling an attack. "Now, stand aside!!"

At Josen's command, all the soldiers once again raised their muzzles to aim at the X-Men in unison!

"Tsk, same old routine."

Miles curled his lip in disdain, then lightly snapped his fingers.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

A black cloud composed of dozens of Flying Dragon drones swarmed over, hovering above all the soldiers' heads. Barrel after black, hollow muzzle tilted downward, silently staring down the soldiers on the ground in a standoff.

"Now, it's my turn to speak." Miles spoke slowly. "Scram if you don't want to die. Now!"

Adjutant Josen looked at the sheet of death-emitting steel swarm in the sky, his complexion shifting repeatedly.

Then he drew a deep breath, cast a glance of inscrutable meaning at Miles, and without hesitation turned around.

"Let's go!"

Watching that troop of soldiers gradually retreat, everyone finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"I honestly thought we were about to have a real fight just now." Richter wiped the cold sweat from his brow and remarked.

"Charles wouldn't let us fight. If a situation truly got out of hand where things were unmanageable, he would definitely step in."

Miles spoke offhandedly, then cast his gaze toward the other side.

Following Charles's period of soothing, the rioting energy around the girl had completely subsided, initially returning to normal.

"Miles." Charles's slightly fatigued voice resounded in Miles's mind. "She should be waking up soon..."

"So, who on earth is she, Charles?" Miles asked inwardly. "That terrifying energy just now, was it the Phoenix Force?"

"Obviously, she is a clone of Jean Grey, and thus inherited a portion of the Phoenix Force. But that power within her is extremely unstable and incomplete... it can only be considered a embryonic form," Charles explained. "Jean's true Phoenix Force is far more powerful than hers. If it were the fully awakened Phoenix Force... I wouldn't have had any chance to enter her mental world just now."

"That sounds truly terrifying," Miles remarked. "A new host for the Phoenix Force... No telling which mad scientist could manufacture such a monster..."

"Ugh..."

Madeleine slowly opened her eyes, the dazzling sunlight making her somewhat uncomfortable.

Then what greeted her face were several unfamiliar figures casting concerned gazes. Seeing this, she instinctively wanted to raise her hands to shield her face, only to find her whole body as if drained of strength, lacking even a shred of vigor.

"Hello, Miss Madeleine."

Delia gently extended a hand toward Madeleine. "We are the X-Men, your kind."

"...Hello." Madeleine hesitated for a moment, instinctively extending her hand and being gently pulled up by Delia.

Following that, she steadied her stance, sizing up the few people before her somewhat nervously.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Richter." Richter gave a friendly greeting, then pointed at the others, saying, "He's Miles, that's Charlotte, the one in the yellow clothes is Logan. We're all just like you, mutants... Have you ever heard of mutants?"

"I know." Madeleine nodded. "I heard my father talk about them in the laboratory."

"A laboratory?" Miles asked. "Which lab did you grow up in?"

"I... can't remember clearly. My father... ugh!"

As Madeleine spoke, she suddenly clutched her head in pain, some chaotic fragments flashing through her mind. "Right... the laboratory... it's already been destroyed... Someone... someone wants to kill me!"

"Someone wants to kill you?" With a shift in his expression, Miles was about to press for details when he suddenly whipped his head around.

The mountain wilderness was quiet, completely empty.

Thus Miles furrowed his brow deeply.

An illusion?