The patter of dripping water woke the sleeping professor. He opened his eyes, and his blurry vision gradually cleared as a figure emerged from the darkness.
"William..." he called the other man by name.
The familiar Mind Power he had used so often instinctively reached out from his consciousness, only to strike what felt like a solid wall. An inexplicable wave of dizziness reverberated through him. Feeling the strange device on his head, the professor realized that humanity had found a way to restrain his power.
"This is called a Neural Inhibitor. It is enough to prevent you from using your abilities." Stryker pointed at his own brain and smiled smugly. "Charles, this feeling of weakness isn't too bad, is it?"
He had waited a long time for this day. In the past, Stryker had always been wary of the Mutants' tremendous strength, especially Professor Charles. His Mind Power was impossible to guard against, and there had been no easy way to deal with it.
"What did you do to Hank?" The professor thought of the companion who had come with him to the White House and asked anxiously.
"He should be thanking me." Stryker sneered. "I spared him from wearing that beastly hide any longer. He's normal again now."
The professor moved his hands, only to find himself firmly bound to the wheelchair. Remembering what he had seen before losing consciousness, a chill slowly spread through the old man's heart.
"William, why are you doing this?" The professor tried to reason with Stryker. He knew the root cause of the man's hatred for Mutants. "You wanted me to cure your son, but being a Mutant is not a disease. It comes from genetic changes. It is also human evolution."
"Shut up, Charles!" Stryker, who had remained calm until then,