"I can't do anything for now either."
Everyone returned to the X-Mansion with the captured Shadow King.
Professor X examined the situation, rubbed his brow, and was at a loss as to how to rescue Rogue, whose body had been taken over by Shadow King.
"My mental power cannot enter Rogue's mind to check on her condition.
I don't know if she's alright."
"It's this helmet. It keeps Shadow King from coming out, and our psychic power can't penetrate it either."
Jean Grey lowered her hands, which had been assisting in concentrating psychic power, but even with all her strength, she couldn't break through the helmet's force field.
"So what do we do?"
With the two most powerful psychics in the X-Mansion helpless, Storm, worried about Rogue's safety, looked anxiously at Rogue, who was bound by Adamantium chains.
Shadow King, gagged, raised his chin, looking mockingly at everyone, his eyes unable to convey a single meaning—"You caught me, but you're helpless."
Rogue's consciousness was suppressed by the evil Shadow King, and no one knew if she was alright.
"Perhaps we can try removing the helmet to see if Jean and I can work together to expel Shadow King and seal him outside of reality." Professor X hesitated, then looked back at Russell, asking for his help to remove the helmet.
"Are you sure?"
Russell raised an eyebrow. The helmet was certainly easy to remove.
But Professor X and Jean Grey had not teamed up against Shadow King before.
Even two against one, they hadn't gained any advantage.
Although Jean Grey's abilities were far more than that, not to mention Phoenix Force, if she simply unleashed her Omega Mutant potential, she could easily deal with ten Shadow Kings of this level.
However, she was not stable.
"This..." Professor X was actually at his wit's end, afraid that if Shadow King was trapped for too long, he would become enraged and kill Rogue, leading to a mutual destruction.
Now, after Russell's question, his heart wavered even more.
"I do have a method, but I don't know if it's feasible."
Russell pondered for a moment, then said.
"What idea? Tell me quickly..." Storm excitedly grabbed Russell's arm, as if clutching a life-saving straw that could save Rogue.
Wolverine and Cyclops's eyes lit up.
Russell's abilities were powerful, and he was the one who subdued Shadow King. When he said he had a solution, hope rose in everyone's hearts.
"Of course, I can't say it here..."
Russell smiled and glanced at Shadow King.
Were they going to conspire loudly in front of Shadow King?
The triumphant look on Shadow King's face stiffened.
Does this guy really have a solution?
"Your method is completely unreliable. The upgrade of the Cerebro won't be successful in a short time. Jean and I should just try our best."
Just half an hour later, the group returned, Russell awkwardly rubbing his nose, and Professor X and the others all shook their heads.
Before Shadow King could think further, they acted quickly, as if they had planned it in advance.
Russell raised his hand, manipulating the helmet covering Rogue's head to disintegrate.
Shadow King immediately regained his freedom, and instantly, two powerful psychic forces swept over him, attacking from both sides, attempting to restrain him.
"Haha, just you two!"
Shadow King didn't have time to think, nor did he care if it was a trap. This was indeed his only chance to escape.
As a mental entity, being trapped within a person's body, unable to project mental energy, was akin to a shark accustomed to roaming the ocean being confined to an aquarium, struggling even to turn its body.
Now seeing a glimmer of hope for escape, Shadow King didn't hesitate. He immediately broke free from Rogue's body, shattered the psychic barrier jointly erected by the two, and flew towards the ceiling, turning back with a triumphant look.
"Just wait, humans..."
"Now!"
Professor X placed his hand on Russell's shoulder, sharing his vision through telepathy.
"I see you!"
Russell suddenly turned his head, a smile on his lips, and his playful gaze made Shadow King's heart skip a beat, instantly sensing something amiss.
Creak!
He reached out and clenched his hand in the air.
The massive dark metal plating, already pre-arranged, crushed the wall, twisting to form a sealed iron box, which then rapidly contracted, becoming increasingly thick.
"No... no..."
Shadow King realized he had been tricked, and his last desperate psychic scream vanished into the room.
"It worked."
Wanda's expression was joyful.
As long as this monster called Shadow King was not properly dealt with, everyone would find it difficult to rest easy.
No one wanted their loved ones' bodies to be occupied by a madman who wanted to destroy the World.
"I... where am I? Wasn't I on my way to Manhattan? I feel like I had a terrible nightmare..."
Rogue's consciousness stirred, and she groggily opened her eyes, unsure of what had happened. Storm quickly asked her if she was uncomfortable anywhere.
Finally, an incredibly thick, perfectly sealed, gapless psychic-insulating alloy cube floated over, hovering in Russell's hand.
"I'm taking this with me."
He turned to the others and said.
"Taking it?"
Wolverine and the others looked at each other.
Normally, for such a dangerous individual, the X-Men would only feel at ease if they themselves were guarding him.
However, considering that Russell was the one who subdued Shadow King and rescued Rogue from his clutches,
They had no standing to ask Russell to leave Shadow King behind.
"I hope you dispose of it properly, Infinitoid."
Professor X nodded seriously, indicating he had no objection.
"Of course, it's best if this disgusting guy never appears in this World again."
Waving his hand to remove the Adamantium chains from Rogue, Russell prepared to place this metal cube on Mars, burying it deep within the Earth, ensuring that ordinary people could not access it.
However, he didn't plan to mention this; a secret known by more than one person is no longer a secret.
Professor X and all the X-Men thanked Russell and Scarlet Witch for their assistance, which saved the World, and promised that if they ever needed help in the future, the X-Men would repay them.
"Cough, cough, th-thanks for saving me."
Finally, Rogue was among those seeing them off, awkwardly expressing her gratitude, no longer displaying the fiery eagerness to fight Russell she had before.
After her teammates informed her, she knew that she had been controlled by Shadow King and had fought Russell, only to be subdued by him, and that Russell had saved her.
In her hazy nightmare memories, Rogue remembered being out of control, and some of her memories could corroborate this.
"[Shadow King Consciousness Tentacle Template acquired]"
"Just Shadow King's consciousness tentacle?"
Leaving the X-Mansion, and on the way back to Genosha with Scarlet Witch, Red Tank, and the imprisoned Black King, Russell glanced at his panel.
But that's right.
A fully realized Shadow King is a multiversal mental entity; merely defeating one of its tentacles that penetrated a reality naturally couldn't grant its full power.
"The biggest gain this time is still Rogue's template."
Russell clenched his hand.
This time, Russell could be said to have experienced a surge in power.
Disregarding Magneto with his Adamantium enhancements, Rogue's template would become his strongest and most comprehensive template, surpassing Homelander.
And the ability to drain others' life energy through touch, with a certain possibility of acquiring their abilities, seemed to hold great potential.
"Omega-level Mutant abilities, Rogue's power might not be able to absorb them, but abilities of lower levels should be no problem."
Russell looked back at the unconscious Black King, who was confined in an Adamantium cage.
...
A top-secret underground military Base in the United States, codenamed 'Homo Sapiens'.
The President's private jet landed on the runway disguised as an abandoned factory. As the cabin door opened, biting cold wind, laden with snowflakes, poured in.
The President's face was colder than the weather, darker than the overcast sky. He strode down the gangway, his black overcoat flapping in the wind, followed by a team of tense Secret Service Agents.
"Where is Bolivar?" His voice was squeezed through clenched teeth.
"In Test Area Seven, Mr. President," a military officer stood at attention and replied, "Dr. Trask is ready to demonstrate the latest Sentinel to you."
The President didn't respond, merely striding towards the elevator, his knuckles white—just over ten hours ago, he had watched on the strategic command center screen as nuclear missiles were remotely activated, and launch procedures automatically initiated.
If not for Professor X and his students rescuing those mind-controlled soldiers at the last moment, the entire World might now be in ruins.
And all the evidence pointed to Mutants.
Professor X called the White House to explain the incident.
The X-Men's intervention was once again timely.
"But what about next time? To entrust the fate of all humanity to the hope that Mutants will still be infighting, and still be able to pull humanity back from the brink of destruction in time?"
The President, with a grim face, was escorted by bodyguards, striding rapidly underground to the observation room of Test Area Seven.
On the other side of the one-way glass was a huge metal cage.
Three Mutant prisoners huddled in a corner, with inhibitor collars around their necks and special alloy shackles on their wrists and ankles.
"Mr. President." Bolivar Trask turned around, his eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses gleaming with calm confidence. "Welcome to witness the future."
"Your plan had better be truly reliable."
The President looked at him coldly: "This isn't the first time, Trask. Last time it was Magneto, and that young Mutant called Infinitoid, causing chaos at the military Base.
This time is even worse—someone almost launched all the nuclear bombs in the World!"
"I suppose you finally understand, Mutants are not a 'manageable' nuisance," Bolivar smiled. "They are a species that must be eradicated, or humanity will eventually suffer because of them."
The President was silent for a moment, then looked at the prisoners on the other side of the glass: "So, is your 'solution' ready?"
Bolivar pressed a button.
The ceiling suddenly opened, and a colossal object slowly descended—a new Sentinel Robot, standing nearly three meters tall.
It had a streamlined metal body, and its face was a smooth black metal panel, with no other features except for a pair of cold eyes, giving off an unnerving "gaze."
"Only this?"
The President frowned.
Bigger isn't always better.
But in weaponry, this often holds true, such as large-yield missiles and aircraft carriers, which embody this principle.
The original Sentinel Robots were the size of skyscrapers, clearly intimidating, capable of deterring rogue Mutants, which was why he approved the Sentinel program.
"It will not disappoint you, Mr. President," Bolivar's usually calm and restrained voice trembled with a hint of excitement as his perfect masterpiece was reflected in his glasses.
"Many scientific advancements are due to flashes of inspiration.
But this time, I wonder if fate used my hand to create such a perfect creation."
After the Mother Mold was destroyed and all the secretly manufactured giant Sentinels in Genosha were annihilated, he was dispirited for a while, even occasionally drinking out of frustration.
But for some reason, during that time, his inspiration suddenly flowed like divine aid, and various breakthroughs needed for the creation of a new Sentinel appeared in his mind.
Even as he just began to conceive of a new Sentinel, design blueprints would appear in his mind, incredibly smooth.
If it weren't impossible for any Mutant to want to see such a terrifying weapon as the Sentinel come into existence, he might have even thought his mind was being disturbed by Mutants.
"Oh? You rate it so highly?" The President was surprised.
Bolivar said no more, and pressed another button.
The Mutants in the cage began to stir. Their inhibitor collars were deactivated, and a muscular behemoth roared, tearing off his collar and shattering his alloy shackles.
Another Mutant raised his palm, unleashing a laser energy blast that destroyed his own collar, then helped another Mutant break free from his collar.
"Begin demonstration." Bolivar ordered.
The Sentinel's panel suddenly lit up with a crimson glow.
The hulking Mutant roared and charged forward, his fist, carrying enough force to punch through a tank, slammed into the Sentinel's head.
Crack!
The new Sentinel raised its palm to catch the punch, its crimson electronic eyes scanning and recording. Its strength suddenly surged, crushing the strong Mutant's wrist bone, and its other iron arm slammed the man to the ground like bursting a water bag.
The man spewed blood, his sternum completely shattered!
"The new Sentinel can instantly replicate Mutant physical abilities," Bolivar explained, "and optimize them."
Whoosh whoosh!
Several energy lasers struck the Sentinel's body, causing no pain. Just as it was about to turn around, a strong wind hit it, and it took a punch, staggering heavily.
A Mutant had suddenly turned invisible at some point, disappearing from the room, and was moving at extremely high speed.
The Sentinel's head rotated 180 degrees, its eye sensors lighting up with ultraviolet spectrum, instantly locking onto the invisible Mutant's heat signature. It opened its palm.
An energy laser identical to the previous Mutant's erupted, incinerating the invisible Mutant into charcoal.
"It can also absorb energy-based abilities," Bolivar smiled, "and with greater power."
"Let me go, please let me go!"
The last Mutant, seeing that he couldn't harm the monster in front of him and that his teammates had been killed, knelt in despair and begged for mercy.
But the Sentinel didn't hesitate. Its arm transformed into a sharp alloy blade, and it decapitated him with one strike.
Blood splattered on the one-way glass, like a cruel abstract painting.
The President's Adam's apple silently bobbed.
"Mr. President, are you satisfied?" Bolivar said softly.
He walked to the control panel and pulled up the warehouse footage. Dozens of crimson electronic eyes lit up: "The first batch of fifty units has been manufactured. As soon as you give the go-ahead, we can immediately expand the production line.
With just a thousand Sentinel Robots, I am confident I can eliminate ninety-nine percent of the World's Mutants within three months!"
"You are truly a genius, Dr. Bolivar. I shouldn't have doubted you.
The previous Sentinel Robots and the current Sentinel are a generational leap. It's hard to imagine that you've iterated the Sentinel project so dramatically in such a short time."
The President was shocked and hesitant.
Staring at the red dots, then at the blood dripping on the glass, his hand clenched and unclenched.
But when he turned back to Bolivar, there was no hesitation in his eyes. "Do what you must, Dr. Bolivar."
"There is no longer any obstacle in our way!"
"The World almost ended, and a new wave of anti-Mutant sentiment is rising." The President spoke, "'Witch hunts' are resurfacing around the World, hunting down all hidden Mutants. Some countries have already rushed through mandatory sterilization laws for Mutant gene carriers."
"Mutants will soon have nowhere to hide."
"To my knowledge, the recently emerged Infinitoid, a Mutant more powerful than Magneto, and Magneto himself, are secretly plotting to establish a nation in Genosha."
A cold glint flashed in the President's eyes.
"Your new Sentinel's increased production should still be able to come in handy."
"Infinitoid, Magneto, establishing a nation?"
Hearing the location Genosha again, Bolivar narrowed his eyes. It was there that he suffered a humiliating defeat, losing all previous achievements of the Sentinel project.
But it didn't matter; he now had something better.
"Magneto thinks he's well hidden, but his extensive procurement for establishing a nation and transforming the entire country cannot escape the notice of anyone with a keen eye.
A large viewing platform is being built in the capital of Genosha, and it is expected to be completed within half a month..."
The President's words hinted.
"It seems we can give them a grand gift precisely when they announce their nation's establishment."
Bolivar sneered. In the one-way glass, his perfect creation—the new Sentinel Robot—stood silently in a pool of blood, a perfect killing machine, its eyes gleaming with ruthless intent.