Chapter 4
"The Brotherhood of Mutants, I ask you to leave immediately, in the most serious terms. The dignity of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the country cannot be provoked! If you insist on attacking, we will make you pay an unbearable price!"
Nick Fury stepped forward, gripping a loudspeaker in his hand. His single eye was locked onto the mutants standing in the central hall, his expression cold and unwavering.
"The price?" The sturdy mutant at the center of the group laughed, a deep and guttural sound. "What a joke! The Brotherhood of Mutants has never been afraid of threats or intimidation. We have over forty brothers here right now. What kind of price do you think you can make us pay? Are you planning to nuke the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. base just to get rid of us? Sounds like a great idea! Maybe the radiation will even give birth to more of our kind. We wouldn't lose anything at all!"
He turned to his fellow mutants, raising his voice. "Brothers, do you hear the call of the Brotherhood? Do not panic, do not be afraid! We never abandon our own! If you can, focus on your location, visualize it clearly. Our brother here, gifted in telepathic communication, will find you. Together, we will pull you out of this abyss!"
Howard Stark hid behind a pillar, his sharp eyes scanning the scene. His finger rested on the trigger of a small, sleek pistol.
What the hell is going on? he thought. Who the hell authorized the capture of mutants? Weren't they supposed to be handled by the FBI? And where did these mutant bastards even get their intel? How do they even know the location of this facility? Unless... S.H.I.E.L.D. has a mole.
His lips pressed into a thin line. That possibility wasn't far-fetched at all.
Nick Fury was thinking along the same lines. Without Magneto, the Brotherhood of Mutants didn't have the power—or the nerve—to directly assault S.H.I.E.L.D. They were reckless, but not fools. They wouldn't walk into a trap without backup or an ace up their sleeve.
He instinctively reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against the communicator.
Should I call Carol?
Then he hesitated.
Carol Danvers had just left Earth. If he called her back now, she would probably punch him in the face before dealing with the Brotherhood.
Not worth the risk.
His gaze flicked around the hall, analyzing his options.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents are out on assignments. Our remaining forces won't be enough to deal with these mutants. Firearms are unreliable against some of them, and powerful explosives can't be used in an enclosed space like this base. What the hell do we do?
Nick Fury gritted his teeth. They needed a plan.
The Brotherhood wasn't waiting for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s response. One of the mutants, a lanky man with arms that stretched unnaturally long, suddenly lunged. His hands clenched around a massive axe, swinging it down toward Fury from above.
"Nick, watch out!"
Howard fired. A bright red laser shot from his pistol, hitting the mutant's axe mid-swing. The impact sent the weapon flying backward, forcing the mutant to stumble.
"Damn!" The mutant hissed, his elongated arms retracting to normal length. He inspected the burned area on his skin where the laser had grazed him. "What kind of weapon is that?! It burns like hell!"
A female mutant, standing nearby, rushed to his side. "George, are you okay? Do you need healing?"
"I'll live, Joanna. Save your strength for the others. They'll need it more than me." George flexed his fingers, wincing slightly at the pain. "I probably won't be able to fight as well anymore, though."
Nick Fury glared at Howard. "I knew it! That little pistol of yours was never just a regular gun!"
Howard smirked, twirling the weapon in his fingers. "What can I say? I like to be prepared."
"Watch your back!"
Howard's warning came just in time. Fury spun around, unloading a rapid burst of bullets from his pistol at the purple-skinned mutant sneaking up on him. The mutant staggered back but didn't bleed.
"Howard, we've got a problem! Mystique might have already infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Howard's expression turned grim. "Mystique?" His mind raced. He thought back to the nurse from earlier.
No... That nurse...
"Nick, hold on! I think I know what she looks like now!" Howard turned on his heel and sprinted toward the secured room where Li Ji was being kept.
As he ran through a corridor, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent suddenly stepped in front of him. Howard barely had time to react before the agent tackled him, pinning him to the ground and wrenching the pistol from his grasp.
"Tsk, what a beautifully crafted weapon," the agent mused, twirling the laser gun in his hand. His voice carried an almost playful lilt. "You don't mind if I keep this, do you?"
Howard grimaced. Even though he knew the truth, it was still unsettling to hear Mystique's voice coming from a man's body.
"Not very gentlemanly of you," he muttered.
Mystique smirked. "Who cares about being a gentleman? Charles never understood a woman's needs, but Marx... he's different."
"You're delusional," Howard shot back. "And if you think I'm handing over that controller, you're dumber than I thought."
Mystique's eyes gleamed. "Oh? Is that so?" She trailed a hand down Howard's leg, fingers slipping into his pocket.
Howard gritted his teeth.
"Raven, what the hell are you doing?!"
The elevator at the end of the corridor dinged open. A group of men stepped out, led by none other than Professor Charles Xavier.
Mystique immediately pulled away, her expression shifting into wary surprise. "Charles?"
Howard took the opportunity to roll out from under her grasp. He scrambled to his feet, relieved to see Jarvis among the newcomers.
"Jarvis! You're okay!"
"Mr. Howard," Jarvis said, nodding. His expression was calm, but his hands were resting on the weapons at his belt.
Charles stepped forward, his eyes narrowing at Mystique. "Raven, what the hell is going on? Have you all lost your minds?"
Mystique folded her arms. "Where's Marx?"
"You tell me," Charles shot back. "Your brothers are attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. Do you even realize what you're doing?"
Mystique scoffed. "Saving our own."
"And starting a war in the process?"
"Maybe."
Howard exhaled sharply. "This is just fantastic." He turned to Jarvis. "Please tell me you brought backup."
Jarvis nodded. "More than you could hope for."
Howard smirked. "Good. Then let's put an end to this mess."