"That complete and utter lunatic..."
Moira clenched her teeth, snatched up the red encrypted telephone on the desk, and shot Charles a sharp look.
"I'm reporting the deadly threat in Cuba to the CIA's top brass immediately and asking the military to exercise restraint! Charles, in the end, we're still counting on you!"
"Conventional forces simply can't handle Shaw and his men with all their bizarre abilities."
Moira drew a deep breath, a note of anguish in her voice.
"Only you can stop him before the nuclear button is pressed!"
Charles fell into a deathly silence.
If Erik were still here, perhaps his terrifyingly destructive control over magnetic fields could have given them a fighting chance.
But now Erik had left, and Hank had followed him to Vought.
The only mutants remaining in the CIA camp were Charles himself and Alex Summers, whom they had just gotten out of a special prison.
The two of them alone, against Sebastian Shaw's team of mutants preparing to destroy the world with nuclear bombs?
That would be marching straight to their deaths!
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Charles's mind.
"Wait... Erik!"
Charles abruptly raised his head, a flicker of hope kindling in his deep eyes.
Erik had a blood feud with Shaw. He would never stand by and watch Shaw carry out his scheme.
And Erik now worked for Vought International!
Besides, that inscrutable Vought boss had previously hinted that he intended to go after Shaw, too.
"Moira, we absolutely can't do this alone. We have to ask Vought for help!"
Charles spoke rapidly, his mind racing.
"I have a plan! Hasn't Vought International always wanted to step into the spotlight and make a name for itself? Then we'll work with them and build them a stage that draws more attention than anything