Escape from Death

Boom!

More than ten minutes later, a metal door was violently blasted open from the outside!

Under Miles's control, a Chimera "Collision" and a Sabretooth clone rammed headfirst into the tide of enemies ahead, clearing a path for everyone.

"Huff... huff..." Sam was panting relentlessly from exhaustion. His ability already consumed a great deal of stamina, and after charging all this way, he was completely spent.

"Stop!!" Dani raised both hands and shouted sharply.

Under her power, several Chimera mutants pursuing them closely went blank-eyed and fell into confusion where they stood.

Yet even so, more and more of those monsters kept appearing!

"Splash... splash..."

Miles activated the ceiling sprinklers, sending water pouring down and causing several of the fastest pursuers to slip and crash to the floor.

"Close the door!"

As they passed another doorway, Miles willed the door to come down, but a charging Colossus suddenly shouldered it up, preventing it from closing!

"You... can't escape..."

The Colossus clone forced out the words with difficulty.

"There are some that can talk?"

Miles gritted his teeth and was about to try controlling him when he saw a figure rush in from the side, its entire body resembling diamond crystal!

The White Queen clone!

"Hold her back!" Miles ordered the others. He knew that once the White Queen crystallized, she was immune to Mind Control!

Before anyone could react, however, the ceiling suddenly collapsed!

"Rumble..."

A gigantic crimson figure, seemingly forged from steel, wearing a thick metal helmet and standing nearly three meters tall, crashed down in front of them!

"Is that... a Juggernaut clone?!" Charlotte cried out.

Juggernaut's helmet could also block Mind Control!

At the same time, a crimson laser shot in from the distance and blasted Gideon, who had just arrived, away.

"Don't think of leaving... intruders..."

A Chimera with metallic wings landed in the distance. He wore an Anti-Mind-Control Headband and a pair of red quartz glasses!

Another conscious Chimera, codenamed Seraph—a warrior created by fusing the genes of the winged mutant Angel and the X-Man Cyclops!

Their path was blocked from both directions!

"Sam!!" Miles called out without hesitation.

"Grah!!!" Sam forced himself upright and turned into a cannonball once more as he shot forward!

At the same time, Gideon positioned himself behind Miles and pounced on the White Queen clone. He opened his mouth and sank his fangs into her diamond-hardened neck, refusing to let go even at the cost of his life!

Boom!!

On the other side, Sam, Cannonball, collided with the charging Juggernaut, creating an earthshaking crash!

"Urgh..." Sam let out a pained growl. This Juggernaut had stopped his charge through sheer physical strength alone!

No... I can't fall back...

Forward!!!

Sam gave everything he had and increased his energy output again! Yet even then, under Juggernaut's pressure, he was slowly being forced backward...

At that moment, Miles's eyes flickered, and he murmured, "Perfect timing..."

Mind Control!

The next instant, another Chimera, Stalker, suddenly emerged from the wall beside them. He had originally been about to attack Rebecca, but under Miles's control, he turned and grabbed Juggernaut, frantically draining his strength!

"Arghhh!"

Juggernaut roared in pain, his strength weakening involuntarily before Sam sent him flying with a headbutt!

Boom! Sam's cannonball energy ran out, and his body rolled uncontrollably to the other side. He braced himself against the wall and struggled to rise.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

On the other side, Seraph, who had caught up from behind, fired lasers continuously from his eyes as he rapidly closed in.

Miles glared at him, his gaze fixed firmly on the Anti-Mind-Control Headband.

Spurt!

Behind Seraph, a Chimera Night Demon suddenly emerged from the smoke. His eyes reflected the same icy gaze as Miles's, and with a swipe of his claw, he tore Seraph's headband apart!

"Not good!"

Seraph's expression changed, and then his face went completely blank.

"Next time, make that thing sturdier."

Miles muttered to himself as his psychic power moved again!

Having lost his protection, Seraph abruptly turned under Miles's control and fired lasers at the other Chimeras!

Sizzle... sizzle...

Crimson beams swept through the corridor, followed by a chorus of screams.

The White Queen clone was struck by the lasers. She screamed and threw Gideon away.

With Seraph holding them back, the group finally managed to shake off their pursuers for the moment.

"Huff..."

Miles shook his increasingly swollen head, carrying Madeleine on his back as he trudged forward with difficulty.

"Mm..." Madeleine, hovering on the brink of death, let out a pained groan.

We need to hurry... Madeleine won't last much longer...

Fighting and retreating all the way, they finally rushed into Observation Zone 1006. On either side of a corridor bathed in harsh white light stood more than a dozen observation rooms. Several mutant test subjects held there noticed the commotion and crowded against the glass to see what was happening outside.

Then they saw a group of strangely dressed teenagers charging through the corridor like a rampaging herd!

"This is the place!"

Miles took several deep breaths and shouted, "We're the X-Men. Which one of you is Miss Clarice?"

"That's me." One girl with purple tear-like markings and strange ears tapped on the glass, studying them curiously. "You're the X-Men? You all look pretty young."

"It's complicated, but yes, we are." Miles sighed and casually waved his hand. Clarice's room door opened automatically, and the collar around her neck snapped apart!

"..."

Clarice froze at the sight before asking, "Did you really come to save us?"

"That's right!" Miles nodded and waved his hand again.

The next instant, the doors to the other rooms opened in unison. Every collar snapped open and fell to the floor.

"...They really are the X-Men?!" a blond-haired boy shouted in disbelief.

"We're finally saved!"

The imprisoned mutants erupted in deafening cheers, but their joy at surviving the disaster lasted less than three seconds.

From the other end of the corridor came dense, heavy footsteps like beating war drums, making the floor tremble faintly.

Countless mutant Chimeras surged toward them like a torrent of steel and flesh!

"What are those things?!"

One of the newly freed men frowned deeply.

"They're enemies..." Miles said. Then he turned to Clarice. "Miss Clarice, please. Can you get us out of here?"

"I... I'll try!" Panic flashed through the purple-marked girl's eyes, but she immediately stretched out both hands.

A dazzling violet glow appeared in her palms, but it was extremely unstable, flickering and twisting violently like a candle flame in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

"Sorry... I haven't mastered my power yet. I need a little time..."

"Alright..."

Miles drew in a deep breath, his gaze slowly sweeping over his companions.

Everyone was truly nearing their limit...

Miles clenched his teeth and looked once more at the numerous Chimera Legion. "Everyone... buy us a little more time."

"Alright..." Sam staggered to his feet again, his eyes bloodshot. The young man from Kentucky had truly gone all out!

"Great ancestors, supreme spirits... bless us with victory..." Dani gritted her teeth, and behind her, the shadow of the Demon Bear slowly emerged once more...

"I'll go first."

The tall man stepped forward from the rear and stood in front of them. "I can't just stand by and watch you kids risk your lives..."

"You are...?" Miles asked instinctively.

"James Proudstar, Apache," the man said. "To be honest, we don't think much of you X-Men... but this time, thanks."

With that, the man gave an Indian war cry and charged forward in great strides!

"We're going too!"

"Let's fight these monsters!"

A mutant covered in scales waved at Miles, then clenched his fists and charged straight ahead.

The other mutants followed as well, throwing themselves into a chaotic battle against the incoming Chimera Legion.

Boom!!

A rhinoceros-like Chimera Collision had just charged close when Proudstar, Warpath, deftly sidestepped, grabbed its arm, used its momentum, and slammed it down with a clean, decisive shoulder throw, smashing the several-hundred-pound monster into the ground!

That single move was enough to show that this man was absolutely a warrior skilled in combat!

Smoke rose, and another Night Demon silently appeared behind Proudstar, its claws aimed at his back!

"Don't even think about it!" A sharp pain pierced Miles's mind, but his psychic power still activated without hesitation!

The Night Demon's body abruptly froze in midair, as though seized by an invisible hand.

The next instant, before Proudstar could react, a scorching blast of energy shot in from the side and accurately sent the Night Demon flying!

Miles turned and saw a young man whose entire body, clothes included, had turned an unnatural black as he slowly floated down.

"Roberto da Costa!" Noticing Miles's gaze, the youth introduced himself with considerable arrogance. "Thanks for this, X-Men."

"I'm Sunspot. My power is absorbing the strength of the sun!"

"By the way, who's that girl on your back? Your girlfriend?"

"She's an important companion."

Miles nodded, then noticed the blond-haired boy approaching from the side.

The boy pointed at Madeleine and asked, "Bro, is your companion hurt?"

"Yeah." Miles nodded, then asked, "And you are?"

"Maybe I can offer some help," the boy said. "My name is Joshua Foley, Elixir. My power is healing others."

"Joshua..." Miles searched through the data in his mind and learned that the boy before him was indeed a healer. He nodded uncertainly, carefully laid Madeleine down, and supported her against the wall.

"Please," Miles said.

Joshua extended his palm. Golden light radiated from his entire body as a soft life energy gathered in his hand, which he then slowly pressed against Madeleine's shoulder.

As Joshua's healing energy entered Madeleine's body, her complexion finally improved considerably.

"...That's an incredible power," Miles said instinctively. "Are you a doctor?"

"No, I just happen to have this ability." Joshua shook his head before adding, "There's something strange about her body... A terrifying energy is constantly devouring her life force. I can only do my best to heal her injuries. I can't do anything about that energy."

"This is enough." Miles nodded and said slowly, "That's the Phoenix Force, a power none of us truly understand yet... Just do your best. At least you can make her feel better."

As they spoke, Madeleine's burning body gradually began to return to normal, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Miles..."

Madeleine looked into Miles's eyes and murmured his name. She was just about to say something...

The next instant, the entire base shook violently as a terrifying telekinetic storm swept through it!

"This is..."

Feeling that familiar psychic presence, Miles's eyes widened!

Obadiah Apocalypse!

He had fully recovered!

"Everyone, come to me!!"

Clarice called out loudly. After numerous attempts, she finally succeeded in tearing open a sufficiently large violet spatial portal in front of her!

On the other side of the portal was the Roosevelt Island Bridge at night!

"Go!"

Without hesitation, everyone rushed in and passed through the portal one after another, successfully escaping at the final moment before Obadiah's presence descended!

"Huff..."

The salty night wind poured into their lungs, carrying the dampness unique to the great city.

Miles's legs gave out, and like the other mutants who had survived the ordeal, he almost simultaneously collapsed onto the cold surface of the bridge.

Before the relief of survival could even settle in, it was drowned beneath bone-deep exhaustion.

"Huh, who are those people?"

Streams of vehicles sped past them. A few drivers even poked their heads out and curiously stared at the strange group that had suddenly appeared.

"Shit!" Sunspot Roberto viciously gave one car the middle finger, then muttered, "I need to contact my father and have him pick us up as soon as possible... Damn it, I lost my phone!"

"Thank God, I'm actually alive..."

A pale woman who had just been rescued knelt on the ground and murmured, "I need to contact Ritts... and... that gentleman..."

Meanwhile, after leaving the underground area that blocked signals, Miles's X Terminal finally rang with Aurora's voice again.

"Miles, where are you? The signal I'm receiving is unstable!?" Aurora sounded extremely anxious.

"This should be the Roosevelt Island Bridge." Miles looked around. "What about you? How are the Professor and Logan doing?"

"We're carrying out a special mission. We're almost done..." Aurora asked again, "Miles, did you escape from beneath Essex Corporation? What about the others?"

"Yeah, we're all fine. We even brought some friends out with us..." Miles continued, "Wait a moment. We'll find a car and leave..."

Before Miles could finish speaking, his pupils suddenly contracted!

Not far ahead of them, in the direction of the bridge exit leading toward Queens District, a blue-violet spatial portal tore open from thin air once again. Immediately afterward, that mountain-like figure stepped out from it.

"Obadiah Apocalypse" fixed everyone present in his icy gaze.

Behind him, the masked Ms. Reyes stepped forward slowly. At his side stood numerous intelligent Chimeras and cloned mutants, including cloned versions of the "White Queen," "Colossus," "Wolverine," "Beast"...

After that came the countless Chimera Legion soldiers, continuously pouring out of the spatial gate and cutting off their retreat!

"Fuck..."

Miles cursed under his breath, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Then he suddenly realized something and instinctively looked to the side.

"...Madeleine?!"

At some point, Madeleine's eyes had once again turned a blood-red color, faintly radiating an ominous aura as she faced "Obadiah Apocalypse" from afar.

Obadiah remained unmoved by Madeleine's gaze.

At the same time, a "♠" symbol slowly emerged on his pale forehead.