"Charles, has Shaw found us?"
Raven's voice rang out, her expression grim as she stared at Charles and asked in a low voice.
But Charles shook his head. "I didn't sense any psychic probing. My powers are being blocked... Honestly, this is the first ti I've ever encountered sothing like this. But I suspect—it's not a telepath we're dealing with."
If a telepath had noticed Charles scanning the area, they would've imdiately launched a counter-probe.
The complete lack of response was abnormal.
After a brief exchange with Erik and the others, they ca to a more reasonable conclusion—whoever was inside was likely using so kind of device to shield themselves.
And if that was true... it was bad news.
"No point overthinking it. Since we're already here, let's see this through!"
Erik had run out of patience. He stripped off his coat, ready for action.
Charles, Moira, and Alex exchanged glances, each one nodding in agreent.
There wasn't much else they could do anyway—unless they were willing to storm the hotel.
Backing out just because Charles couldn't use his powers would've been a joke.
"Raven, you're staying behind."
Just before they moved out, Charles turned to Raven and said sternly.
He'd grown up with her. There was no way he'd let her rush into danger.
And honestly, her abilities wouldn't be much use in an enclosed space like a hotel.
"Charles…"
Raven clearly wasn't happy. The way he singled her out made her feel useless.
"This isn't the ti to argue. We need soone to watch our backs and handle support." Charles cut her off firmly.
He then turned to Hank. "Hank, you stay with Raven. This is just as important. If anything seems off, I need you both to spot it and warn us imdiately, got it?"
"I understand, Charles."
Hank was far more rational. He knew this was the right call.
If things got ugly, he and Raven would just be liabilities.
And tactically speaking, sending the entire team inside was a terrible idea. If it was an ambush, they'd all be wiped out.
So Raven and Hank stayed behind.
The rest of the mutants followed Charles, Erik, and Moira toward the hotel.
With Charles's powers blocked, everyone was on high alert, moving carefully.
But even after they entered the hotel lobby, nothing seed out of place.
Guests milled about, and the front desk staff busily checked people in. Everything appeared perfectly normal.
"You've finally arrived."
Suddenly, a voice called out.
A very familiar voice.
Sebastian Shaw—the Black King.
Everyone looked up toward the second-floor hallway, where a man in a perfectly tailored suit stood holding a wine glass, looking as smug as ever.
From his perch, he looked down on them with a confident, calculating smile.
One by one, everyone in the lobby turned to stare at Shaw.
Their expressions turned grim.
It was obvious now—this was a trap.
But even so, they had no choice but to walk right into it.
After all, this was the first real chance they'd had to catch Shaw in a very long ti.
"It really is Shaw?" Alex frowned in surprise.
They'd all seen the news—tensions between the US and the Soviet Union were reaching a boiling point. The missile crisis was on the verge of erupting.
Shouldn't Shaw be busy manipulating both sides from the shadows? What was he doing here?
Sothing didn't feel right.
But the man standing before them was unmistakably Shaw.
"Shaw…" Erik growled through clenched teeth.
He looked up, eyes locked on the Black King with seething hatred.
The tension in the air began to spike—literally. The chandeliers above them trembled. Loose tal objects throughout the lobby began to vibrate.
Confused hotel guests began to panic.
"Erik, not now! There are civilians here!" Charles shouted.
Erik sneered. He raised his hand and gestured toward the chandeliers.
Clang!
Crash!
All of them exploded in a burst of flying tal and shattered glass.
"Ahhh!"
Screams rang out as the lobby descended into chaos. People fled in every direction.
In monts, what had been a bustling hotel lobby beca completely deserted.
Erik waved his hand again.
Bang! Bang!
The main entrance slamd shut, sealing the building off from the outside.
Crisis contained.
Charles frowned. Erik's impulsive, explosive nature had never been more obvious.
There were far less dramatic ways to clear out the lobby. In fact, Charles had already been planning to do just that.
[New Mission Generated:]
[Mission Objective: Foil Sebastian Shaw's Ambush Sche]
[Reward: 700 Origin Points]
As the tension mounted, a string of system notifications rang out in Alex's mind.
Finally, another mission!
His eyes lit up. And this ti, the reward was seven hundred Origin Points—more than all his past missions combined.
Alex couldn't be more pleased.
Coming to Manhattan had definitely paid off.
"Well, soone's got a temper," Shaw said, his voice smooth and asured.
He smiled down at them with arrogant poise. "My mutant brothers and sisters, I know why you're here—but I'm still willing to offer you a choice."
"Stand with . Help usher in a new era for mutants. Reclaim the place in this world that we deserve."
"Or… stand against ."
"This will be your only chance to choose wisely."
"I don't show rcy to enemies."
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