Essex Corporation

One day later, New York.

At nine in the morning, a slightly worn yellow school bus crossed the Queens District Bridge, slowly drove onto Roosevelt Island, and finally stopped before the global headquarters of Essex Corporation.

"Keep this with you." Miles handed everyone an X Terminal and said solemnly, "I rushed these out over the past few days. From now on, no matter what you're doing, remember to carry this on you. It has a tracking function. If anything happens, the rest of us will come to support you as quickly as possible!"

Everyone nodded and carefully put them away.

"Okay, get off."

The sound of the bus doors opening rang out, and Miles's group got off one after another. This visit was led by Logan and Caliban. The group included Miles, Madeleine, "Wraith" Charlotte, "Moonstar" Dani, "Cannonball" Sam, and "Sharkman" Gideon.

"What an incredible place," Sam, who had come from the countryside, muttered as he looked at the sight before him.

Before them, the massive Essex Tower pierced the sky. Its cold glass-and-steel curtain walls reflected blinding patches of light beneath the sun, and the entire building radiated an inhuman, absolute sense of order.

Unlike Sam, Miles frowned deeply as soon as he stepped off the bus and instinctively looked toward Madeleine.

Madeleine looked back at him and nodded.

"Dani, do you feel anything?" Miles asked "Moonstar" Dani.

"Mm." Dani nodded as well. Her ability was Telepathy too.

Within the psychic perception of the telepaths among them, beneath Essex Tower lay an unimaginably enormous "Psychic Black Hole." Like a hollow void that blocked all thought and perception, it completely enveloped an underground area spanning tens of thousands of square meters, forming an utterly silent vacuum that cut off all psychic sensing.

Miles could vaguely detect signs of electronic equipment operating deep within that "black hole," but the sensation was distant and indistinct. Even when he tried to affect it with Electronic Signal Manipulation, there was still no response at all.

Clearly, this was a "fortress" built against telepaths.

Miles even vaguely sensed that, within that mass of "blackness," there seemed to be a pair of cold eyes slowly examining them.

"Charles, what is this?" Miles asked Charles, who was far away at the Institute, in his mind.

"Unbelievable... This is a 'Psychic Shielding Zone.' Essex Corporation actually possesses this kind of technology!"

"A 'Psychic Shielding Zone'? An area capable of blocking psychic power?" Miles continued asking.

"That's right. It can isolate the effects of all psychic abilities. Even I have no way to directly sense what is hidden there. Do you know about Magneto's helmet? It's something similar, except this covers a much larger range."

"Your Telepathy covers such a wide range. You never noticed anything unusual here before?"

"I can't possibly inspect every inch of this city in detail, Miles," Charles replied. "Especially when this Psychic Shielding Zone is hidden deep underground."

"Shit, what a pain..." Miles gritted his teeth.

Well, considering Essex Corporation's level of research into mutant genes, it was not hard to understand that they could develop a device to guard against psychic detection.

Miles had originally thought they could casually take a stroll through the place and walk away with all of Essex Corporation's secrets. Clearly, it would not be that easy.

"Good morning, Mr. Logan, and everyone from the Xavier Institute."

An enthusiastic yet capable female voice interrupted their shock. A graceful dark-haired woman in a tailored business suit approached them with a smile, followed by several equally efficient-looking administrative staff.

"Cecilia Reyes, Chief Operating Officer of Essex Corporation." She took the initiative to offer her hand and shook Logan's. "We've been expecting you."

"Hello, Ms. Reyes." Logan stepped forward and shook her hand. His expression gave nothing away as he simply nodded.

It had to be said that after all the upheavals of his life, Logan was indeed far more steady now than he had appeared in his younger days.

"By the way, Professor Xavier didn't come with you?" Ms. Reyes asked.

"You know how he is. He always has other matters to deal with," Logan replied.

"That's a shame. Mr. Obadiah had been looking forward to having lunch with Professor Xavier." Reyes apologized, then continued, "In that case, please follow me. I'll be showing you around Essex Corporation. If any of the students have questions, feel free to ask. I'd be happy to answer them."

"We'd be honored," Miles said, offering a timely bit of flattery.

At the same time, Caliban, walking at the back of the group, quietly exchanged glances with Richter and Jonah. He silently mouthed, "Mutant."

Caliban meant that Ms. Reyes before them was also a mutant.

Miles, who heard this, stirred slightly and nodded, abandoning the idea of directly probing Ms. Reyes's mind.

Afterward, under Ms. Reyes's guidance, they crossed the plaza and headed toward the grand entrance of the headquarters building.

As they entered the magnificent lobby, a huge portrait of the founder hung on the wall directly opposite the entrance. Nathaniel Essex in the portrait had a lean face and a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, looking wise and benevolent.

"This is the founder of Essex Corporation, Mr. Nathaniel Essex." Ms. Reyes's tone was filled with heartfelt reverence. "One of the greatest geneticists of the twentieth century, as well as a great philanthropist. His lifelong dream was to use genetic science to create a future without disease or defects for humanity."

"One of the founding purposes of our corporation was to serve the broader mutant community." At the corporation's affiliated medical center, Ms. Reyes explained slowly, "Many people do not know that the world's first hospital specifically established for mutants was founded by Mr. Nathaniel in Egypt in 1986."

"Rebirth Serum is precisely our latest product. It was designed specifically for natural-born mutants and can restore mutant genes that have lost their activity for one reason or another to their peak state..."

Throughout the tour, Miles's Telepathy operated at full force, like an invisible net frantically scanning and collecting every piece of data within the building outside the "Psychic Black Hole" zone. Yet he gained very little.

Aside from the materials Aurora had previously found, all key servers and laboratories seemed to be located in the underground area they could not reach.

"Madeleine, can you try forcibly breaking through the Psychic Shielding Zone?" Miles asked Madeleine.

"No." Madeleine shook her head, her face somewhat pale. "My power isn't enough either."

"Shit..." Miles cursed under his breath, then casually asked Madeleine, "You don't look too good. What's wrong?"

"I... probably didn't sleep well last night."

"I see." Miles nodded and did not think much of it. After all, many people at the Institute had been having nightmares lately.

By noon, after the tour, Ms. Reyes arranged for everyone to dine at the luxurious restaurant on the top floor.

Only then did the true owner and chairman of Essex Corporation, Mr. "Obadiah Essex," finally make an appearance.

He looked to be in his fifties, vigorous and healthy, with a warm smile.

"Mr. Logan, welcome, everyone." Obadiah's voice was steady and magnetic as he extended his hand. "My father often mentioned Professor Xavier while he was alive. May I ask how the professor has been recently?"

"He's fine," Logan answered perfunctorily.

"That's wonderful. I hope I can pay him a visit someday as well..."

As Mr. Obadiah and Logan chatted warmly, Caliban sensed him again and again, then quietly gave another signal: ordinary human.

An ordinary human?

Miles was doubtful. After hesitating briefly, he directly extended his psychic power toward Mr. Obadiah.

Very quickly, Miles frowned.

Caliban was right. "Obadiah Essex's" thoughts truly showed nothing unusual. Most of his mind was occupied with reports on corporate operations, future investment directions, and plans for charitable work, with a smaller portion devoted to family, entertainment, and Hollywood lovers. As far as he knew, the underground levels housed ordinary biological genetics laboratories. Everything was normal to a terrifying degree.

"Miles." At that moment, Madeleine suddenly spoke beside him. "I think... he looks a lot like my father."

"Your father?" Miles froze, then pressed, "Dr. Stasis?"

"Mm." Madeleine nodded.

"...Don't expose anything yet. We'll talk once we're out."

Soon, the full-day tour ended at three in the afternoon. Ms. Reyes personally saw them to the entrance. Both sides chatted and laughed, and host and guests parted on excellent terms.

More than ten minutes later.

"Madeleine said Mr. Obadiah looks a lot like her father, Dr. Stasis."

On the school bus leaving Roosevelt Island, the atmosphere inside immediately grew much heavier as Miles's words fell.

Even Charles, who had been watching this place through Telepathy the entire time, could not help asking Madeleine in his mind, "Are you sure, Madeleine?"

"There's no mistake." Madeleine replied, "He really looks very much like him."

"Madeleine, how much do you know about your father?" Miles asked.

Because they were afraid of upsetting Madeleine, they had rarely asked her about her past or Dr. Stasis before this. But now, this clearly seemed extremely important!

"I... don't know much about him either." Madeleine fell into her memories. "I grew up in the laboratory. In my memories, he was always busy. Especially over the past few years, he had rarely appeared in the laboratory. I could only feel that he seemed to have always been... disappointed in me."

"Disappointed?" Miles's thoughts stirred. "Do you know why he was disappointed?"

"I don't." Madeleine shook her head. "Every time I was tested, I did my best to meet his requirements, but... he never said anything."

"Ability tests? Your telekinesis?"

"And... the Phoenix Force," Madeleine replied.

Miles vaguely realized something.

"Then do you remember how the accident happened at the laboratory?" Miles continued asking.

"That..." Madeleine instinctively clutched her head, feeling a little headache. "I can't remember very clearly... My power went out of control, and then there was an explosion in the laboratory. Then a lot of people suddenly came to catch me. I was scared, but I couldn't control myself... Then I killed all of them..."

"Then I just... kept running... Ugh!!"

"Alright, don't say any more." Miles patted Madeleine on the shoulder. "Madeleine, are you feeling unwell? Once we get back to the Institute, do you want Aurora to give you a full physical examination?"

"No." Madeleine shook her head. "It's nothing. I just feel bad sometimes. I'll be fine after resting."

"..." Miles shook his head, then asked Charles in his mind, "Charles, did ATHENA provide any detailed information on Dr. Stasis? Something isn't right with Madeleine's condition."

"Very little. His identity seems to be classified. We can't even find a complete photograph of him," Charles replied. "What about your side? Can Aurora find any clues through the network?"

"Some." Miles answered as if speaking to himself. "According to Aurora's investigation, the 'private defense contractor research facility' where Madeleine was initially discovered actually had a military background. It also seemed to have been a direct project under that former Secretary Harrison who had already been removed from office."

"Based on that, as the project leader, Dr. Stasis must have ties to the military hardliners who have now lost power," Miles said slowly. "The problem is that Ms. Ritts and the ATHENA office can't possibly be unaware of this, yet she doesn't seem to have any intention of telling us..."

"She wants to use us." Logan, who was driving with a cigar between his teeth, spoke irritably. "Fuck, Charles, is this the partner you needed?"

"I knew from the start that Ms. Ritts had her own agenda." Charles was not surprised and continued, "But we have our own agenda as well. As for now... you should come back first."

"Go back now?" Miles was surprised. "I was planning to look around beneath the island after nightfall, see if there were any drainage outlets or ventilation shafts."

"The situation has gone somewhat beyond our expectations," Charles said. "Based on what Madeleine said, if Mr. Obadiah, the man in control of Essex Corporation, truly has ties to Dr. Stasis, then we can be certain that the ATHENA office has another purpose."

"They first commissioned us to find Madeleine, then asked us to investigate Essex Corporation... It's practically as though they were guiding us to discover this ourselves..."

"I smell a conspiracy. This could very well be a trap. We need to handle it carefully!"