Stryker's secret base lay beneath the dam at Arcadia Lake. He had chosen this place partly because it was hidden and unlikely to be discovered, and partly to guard against enemy invasion. If Mutants tried to force their way in, they would be met with ten thousand tons of floodwater. Even someone as powerful as Magneto or Professor Charles would be smashed to pieces by the impact.
The Dam Base was especially lively tonight. Inside the massive transport planes, Mutant children injected with anesthetics were treated like zoo animals, herded by soldiers into cages before being sent into the base's cells.
Besides the majority of the Mutant children, there were also some young people. Having lost the protection of the X-Men and the professor, these fledgling eagles who had yet to weather any storms were swept up by Stryker in one fell swoop, with none escaping. Unlike in the original timeline, where Wolverine Logan had led Iceman Bobby and the others in a desperate breakout, allowing them to narrowly escape through the tunnels.
Perhaps it was the flutter of a butterfly's wings. The Liberty Island incident had never occurred, and Wolverine Logan had set off early in search of his memories, never lingering long at the academy. This left the undermanned Mutant school with no one capable of stopping Stryker. Against those highly trained elite soldiers, even extraordinarily gifted Mutants could not withstand the anesthetic agents and Adamantium bullets.
"Sergeant White, why haven't I seen Colonel Stryker?" Sean, dressed in a white uniform, looked at the Mutant children being thrown into cages and asked softly.
The young noncommissioned officer with camouflage paint on his face glanced at him, wariness in his eyes. "The colonel is still dealing with some minor matters."
Sean was not surprised by the vague answer from