Clues

Xavier Institute, hallway.

Clarice, "Blink," nervously followed Magneto out of the activity room under everyone's curious gazes.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, she noticed that Magneto's palm seemed strangely swollen.

Is Mr. Erik sick?

"Miss Clarice."

Magneto's voice pulled Clarice back to reality. He continued, "If I remember correctly, your ability allows you to open portals to other places?"

"Yes, but they have to be places I've been to before," Clarice added.

"Good." Magneto nodded, then said, "I need you to do me a favor."

"Uh, where do you want to go?" Clarice asked.

"Take me to the Essex base," Magneto said. "I have something to discuss with Obadiah."

Montana, Rocky Mountains, Johnson Secret Base.

After the prison break involving Magneto last night, the entire Johnson base was now on the highest alert and undergoing an emergency inspection by its superiors.

Interrogation rooms, equipment rooms, command rooms... every critical area was packed with people, and the air reeked of tension and sweat.

Inside the archives, rows of filing cabinets stretching to the ceiling stood like a steel forest. Dozens of officers were bent over the vast sea of documents, checking data day and night.

Suddenly, one officer sorting through the files stiffened. He put down the ledger in his hands, turned toward another filing cabinet, and began searching through the base's old work logs.

Not far away, his colleague, a records officer, seemed to receive a silent command as well. He set aside his work and began reviewing the base's personnel movement records.

At the same time, in different corners of the base—the surveillance room, command center, lounge... dozens of officers simultaneously put down their work. Under the control of some invisible consciousness, they silently began searching records within their respective authority.

They were looking for the same thing.

And in one room, a man who had just finished being interrogated suddenly froze and slowly raised his head.

"I am Christopher..."

he murmured slowly.

Inside the Blackbird, Miles pressed his fingertips lightly to his temple, his brow deeply furrowed. His telepathic power spread like an invisible net, controlling dozens of people from several kilometers away as they sifted through mountains of paper documents for clues.

After being burned a second time by Phoenix Fire, his telepathic power had grown tremendously again. Its maximum range was now close to fifty kilometers, with faint signs that it might rise to an even higher level.

Controlling nearly a hundred people at once while multitasking through each of their assignments was something he had never even imagined before. Yet now, he found it effortless, nowhere near his limit.

"I've controlled Christopher Lopez, but he doesn't seem to know anything. There's nothing abnormal in his memories... In his memories, he doesn't know Jennifer, 'Hummingbird,' at all..."

"Normal high school graduate, applied for a job, got married, has one daughter, doesn't smoke, barely even drinks..." Miles muttered. "His memories are so clean, he's practically an honors graduate from the Vatican Monastery..."

"So he doesn't actually have a problem?" Dani asked from beside him.

"No. The fact that there's no problem is the biggest problem. This is the United States. How could anyone live their whole life like a blank sheet of paper..." Miles rubbed his forehead helplessly. "My guess is, if he really is connected to that Mr. '♦,' then the guy here is most likely a clone... He and his brothers are all experts in genetic cloning!"

Charlotte sighed helplessly. "But doesn't that mean the trail has gone cold again? We can't interrogate a clone who knows nothing."

"Look at it another way. At least we've confirmed that something is definitely wrong with this Johnson base..." Miles continued. "Let's keep looking..."

"Unfortunately, because Logan and the others caused such a huge mess yesterday, the power system here was damaged, and the data servers have all been shut down. Luckily, the paper records haven't been fully transferred yet..."

As Miles expanded his consciousness, the movements of the dozen controlled officers in the base archives suddenly accelerated. The rustling of flipping paper merged into one continuous sound.

Fragments of incomplete information slowly flowed into Miles's mind.

"There's one detail. Christopher took an extended leave more than three months ago, for a full week. A few days after that, Mr. Erik was transferred here..."

"The timing is somewhat coincidental."

Miles fell silent for a moment, then issued another command as if speaking to himself. "Pull up the detailed transfer and escort records for Mr. Erik from three months ago!"

Following his command, a controlled captain in the records room several kilometers away walked to the deepest part of the filing cabinets and stopped in an inconspicuous corner. He moved aside a box of old reports, revealing a case marked with a bright red "X."

The file was removed and quickly reviewed beneath the dim lights of the archives.

Every page of records and every passage of text was clearly projected into Miles's mind through Telepathy.

"During the escort three months ago, Mr. Erik was kept under collar control the entire time. Led by a military unit, he departed from Canada and landed at Hamilton Airport..."

Miles paused slightly. "That's strange."

"Hamilton Airport is over a hundred kilometers from here. Why didn't they land directly at this base? Does a base this large not even have a runway for planes?"

"Could there have been some reason they had to travel that stretch by road?"

Miles's expression shifted as he realized another possibility.

The clue he was looking for might not be inside this heavily guarded base at all... but along that ground escort route spanning more than a hundred kilometers!

With that question in mind, Miles continued remotely controlling the officer and searching through the files.

In the archives, pages rustled beneath the dim lights.

"They first landed in Hamilton, then switched to ground transport for a secret escort... The route was proposed by General Rums of the Department of Defense Advanced Research and Special Assets Command."

"Department of Defense Advanced Research and Special Assets Command..." Miles repeated the lengthy official name, suddenly recalling something else.

The unit they had encountered earlier at the Aegis Bioscience Research Center had been a subordinate force of this department. The forged military order Aurora had used back then had also been issued in this department's name.

It seemed to fit again.

"Aurora," Miles called out once more, "investigate General Rums. I want his full profile."

"Processing." Aurora's cold electronic voice came from the Blackbird's console, highly efficient. "Rums Stuart, sixty-four years old, lieutenant general in the Department of Defense..."

"There is one detail about his family worth noting. Five years ago, his twelve-year-old grandson Jim was diagnosed with congenital brain cancer. Several medical experts declared that he would not live past fourteen... But two years ago, Jim miraculously recovered. He is still attending high school without issue, and his physical rating is A+..."

"Ah... miraculous genetic technology. Looks like I found the right person after all. What a relief." Miles rubbed his head. "Keep digging, Aurora. I want to know who General Rums contacted more than three months ago!"

"Understood. Two minutes."

Aurora replied.

While Aurora processed the data, Miles's thoughts shifted as well. A panoramic map of Hamilton instantly appeared on the main computer's holographic display, precisely marking every location that the escort convoy had passed through more than three months ago.

Miles stared fixedly at the route that stretched dozens of kilometers along Hamilton's outskirts, his mind racing.

A top-secret escort had not flown directly to its destination. Instead, it landed in the nearest city and continued overland. That made no sense in itself. Unless... they were not trying to hide, but trying to complete something at a specific location.

So far, every clue seemed to point toward this "Magneto Escort Operation"...

"Miles, I've organized it."

As Aurora spoke, she displayed a long list of names before Miles.

"Maria Green, Mr. Rums's wife..."

"Jossen Walter, Mr. Rums's adjutant..."

"Robert Brown, director of the Department of Defense office..."

"Emily Taylor, director of the Biotechnology and Genomics Office..."

"Jones Stuart, Mr. Rums's eldest son..."

Family, colleagues, subordinates... Miles's gaze swept rapidly down the list. These were all expected social connections, completely worthless.

Until his eyes slowly moved lower and finally locked onto one name.

Then Miles gave the order. "Aurora, investigate 'Emily Taylor'!"

"Understood." Aurora continued the investigation.

"Hey, why her?" Charlotte asked curiously.

"Because she heads the Biotechnology and Genomics Office," Miles replied. "And three months ago, the Vorgan Building where that office was located stood halfway along the escort route."

Miles tapped the air with his fingertip. The map instantly enlarged, and a flashing red dot appeared precisely at a bend halfway along the route.

"And more importantly..." Miles said slowly, "not long after that escort ended, the entire office relocated for unknown reasons!"

Clearly, something was wrong.

"Aurora, continue investigating Emily Taylor and the Biotechnology and Genomics Office!"

"The Biotechnology and Genomics Office belongs to the Department of Defense Advanced Research and Special Assets Command and is responsible for mutant genetic analysis and research." Aurora's report came quickly. "Its original location was the Vorgan Building on the outskirts of Hamilton, but the entire office relocated for unknown reasons after that escort operation. Afterward, rumors began spreading that the Vorgan Building was haunted."

"Haunted?!" Miles froze. "Was that their reason for relocating?"

"Department of Defense troops are afraid of ghosts too?" Dani muttered in surprise.

"Miles, there's something else."

Aurora added, "Sophia Taylor, Emily Taylor's daughter, was once Christopher Lopez's lover..."

One was the woman in charge of a government office. The other was the supervisor of a secret base more than a hundred kilometers away...

"Hah... I knew it..." Miles snapped his fingers. "Christopher's own memories contain nothing about this. That guy really is abnormal!"

A replaced clone, a powerful general, an illogical escort operation, a genetics research office located in the middle of the route that had conveniently relocated, and a lover hidden beneath false memories...

At that moment, all the clues connected perfectly.

"Our investigation here is over. Let's go." Miles looked around at the others, then ordered Aurora, "Head for the Vorgan Building!"

"Understood."

With the roar of its engines, the Blackbird took off again, entered stealth mode, and vanished beneath the sunlight.

Inside Johnson Secret Base, nearly a hundred officers all felt dazed for a moment. Then they looked at the ledgers in their hands, muttered in confusion, and returned to their respective work.

They still had plenty to do over the next two days.

As the Blackbird flew toward Hamilton, Aurora's investigation continued running at high speed in the background.

"Miles, I found some additional unusual information about the Biotechnology and Genomics Office."

"What is it?"

"Records show that over the past year, they have frequently cooperated with multiple genetics research institutions across the country to purchase valuable genetic samples. The most unusual transaction was... several months ago, they purchased a mummy from Egypt."

"A mummy?" Miles froze again and sharply asked, "Where did they buy it?"

"Ramesses Medical Center in Cairo, Egypt."

"And what is this Ramesses Medical Center?"

"Ramesses Medical Center is one of Egypt's top private medical institutions, famous for genetic therapy and treating difficult illnesses..."

Soon, information on the Ramesses Medical Center in Egypt appeared before Miles.

Then his gaze locked onto one particular line.

"Founder: Nathaniel Essex."

A fragment of memory exploded in Miles's mind. It was something Miss Reyes had said while introducing the Essex Corporation: "Many people don't know that the world's first hospital specifically for mutants was founded by Mr. Nathaniel in Egypt in 1986."

Ramesses Medical Center, founder: Nathaniel Essex; founded: 1986.

So this is the hospital founded by Nathaniel himself for mutants...

And then they provided a mummy to the Biotechnology and Genomics Office in Hamilton...

Miles let out a long breath and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

Countless clues twisted and connected wildly in his mind like rapidly growing vines.

Because of his grandson's genetic illness, General Rums crossed paths with Emily Taylor of the Biotechnology and Genomics Office.

Emily Taylor's daughter was Christopher Lopez's lover, and behind Lopez stood the mysterious Mr. "♦."

Magneto's escort route happened to pass the office under Emily's control—the Vorgan Building.

After the escort incident ended, the office relocated in haste, and rumors that the Vorgan Building was haunted immediately began spreading...

Haunted...

Haunted?!

At that moment, a terrifying speculation—one Miles himself scarcely dared believe—surfaced in his mind.

"Aurora..."

Miles suddenly went pale, his voice trembling as he said, "Contact Charles..."

But before he could finish—

Bzzzt—!!

The Blackbird's main screen suddenly went black, then filled with strings of meaningless garbled characters.

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, underground base.

Outside the Mind Control Room, the space in the hallway warped and shattered without warning.

A deep-purple rift tore open from nothingness, swiftly expanding into an irregular spatial portal.

Clarice, "Blink," stepped out first, her face slightly pale.

Close behind her came the cold-faced Magneto, along with a tall, terrifying figure—"Obadiah Apocalypse."

Crackle...

The instant Obadiah stepped onto the metal floor, the entire Xavier Institute seemed to be struck by an invisible current!

The lights began flickering wildly. Piercing alarms rang throughout the underground base, and every surveillance screen turned to static.

Using Electronic Signal Manipulation, Obadiah was unconsciously releasing powerful interference into his surroundings. He did not even need to actively do anything. His mere presence was enough to cripple modern technology.

Amid the chaotic alarms, a calm synthesized electronic voice suddenly sounded, as though it had seeped directly from the wiring in the walls.

"Unknown signal intrusion detected... Initiating Second Escape Protocol."

"Hmm?"

For the first time, Obadiah showed an interested expression. With Electronic Signal Manipulation, he could sense that a rather intriguing "data lifeform" was hidden within the underground mainframe.

He raised his hand, seeming to intend to seize that stream of data directly from the central system.

However, Aurora reacted faster. Before Obadiah could lock onto her, her core consciousness had already instantly transferred through a preset network channel, completely escaping Xavier Institute.

The traces of the data stream vanished without a trace.

"Hmph..."

Obadiah snorted in displeasure.

"You may leave now, Clarice," Magneto said to Clarice.

Clarice nodded. Still shaken, she opened a small spatial portal and left.

After sending Clarice away, Magneto turned to Obadiah. "Begin."

Obadiah looked at him and nodded.

Crack—

Under Obadiah's control, the door to the Mind Control Room slowly opened before them, revealing the enormous, mysterious spherical chamber inside. At its center, atop a raised platform, the helmet-like Cerebro lay quietly.

Just as the two prepared to enter, another figure hurried over.

"Erik!"

Charles's gaze passed over Obadiah and fixed deeply on his old friend, his voice filled with disbelief and suppressed anger. "What is going on?"

"You still don't understand, Charles." Magneto answered expressionlessly. "This is the best way."

"Whether it's improving Cerebro or waiting for Miles to grow stronger... neither can be accomplished in a short time. But the problem is... our enemies won't give us that much time!"

"Besides, I can't bear it... watching humanity constantly strip away our living space while I can only stand by and watch it happen, powerless to do anything!"

"You know this, Charles. I will never compromise with humanity. Not before, and certainly not now!"

"We need Obadiah's Electronic Signal Manipulation to use Cerebro to find every Leech Factory on Earth! Then I will personally... completely destroy Project ATHENA."

After hearing Magneto's explanation, Charles fell silent.

He knew Erik might be right, but...

"But the price of all this is... Obadiah will use Cerebro to locate mutants all over the world." Charles looked at Obadiah and asked seriously, "You know very well what this means, Erik... You're betraying our people!"

"No." Magneto shook his head before saying, "This is only cooperation."

"You would rather cooperate with our enemy?" Charles's eyes widened.

"He is not our enemy," Magneto replied. "Humanity is!"

With that, Magneto turned without hesitation and stepped into the Mind Control Room alongside Obadiah.

"No, wait..." Charles hurried after them. "Erik, we have a better way..."

Boom!!

Obadiah waved a hand, and a terrifying psychic blast struck Charles, sending him flying!

Then the doors of the Mind Control Room slowly closed behind them with a heavy boom, shutting everything out.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

Charles clutched his agonizing chest and struggled to his feet against the wall.

"Erik..."