DOTM: Chapter 308/309

Chapter 308: Hand in Hand Towards a New Future

In the original plot, Sebastian was defeated by this move. Now, in a different place and under different circumstances, he still fell to the same attack.

The moment young Magneto demonstrated his precise control, turning metal into fine wires that silently approached and wrapped around the helmet, the outcome was already determined.

Without the protection of his helmet, Sebastian was powerless against Charles's mind control. Under control, he became a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, his life and death entirely in the hands of his enemies.

This seemed to prove that relying too much on specific equipment would eventually become a major weakness. No matter how powerful one's ability was, it was best to remain vigilant when facing the enemy. Otherwise, ending up like Sebastian—practically handing over one's life—would be inevitable.

What happened next was unsurprising. Magneto, Erik, pulled out the coin that held great significance to him.

Back then, Sebastian had captured Erik's mother and forced the young Erik to demonstrate his power, threatening to kill her if he failed.

This coin was the very tool used to force him to awaken his ability.

At the time, Erik had no idea he possessed powers, and had just awakened them with no ability to control them. Naturally, he failed to meet Sebastian's expectations, and his mother was killed before his eyes.

He had kept this coin with him all these years for this very moment.

Looking at the now-immobilized Sebastian, Erik didn't care whether the man could hear or see him. What he wanted was to vent the rage he had suppressed for decades.

The coin slowly floated through the air, inching toward Sebastian. Charles, standing nearby, tried to persuade Erik. After realizing Erik was ignoring him completely, he began considering other options.

Compared to the original plot, the current Charles had far more methods available.

He could control Erik to prevent him from killing Sebastian. However, just like in the memory he inherited, Erik had already obtained Sebastian's helmet, clearly anticipating this move.

He could also rush forward to stop Erik himself, or have Azazel teleport either Erik or Sebastian away. But was that really the right thing to do?

After a moment of hesitation, Charles made up his mind. He would follow his heart. He didn't want Erik to become a murderer.

Ethan didn't understand this way of thinking. Instead, he sympathized more with Erik's obsession with revenge.

As a child, avenging his mother's death was the most justifiable decision. Giving up hatred was, in his eyes, utter nonsense. So just as Charles was about to act, the young professor suddenly found a transparent, glass-like wall appear around him, enclosing both him and the Azazel he was controlling.

From an outsider's perspective, Charles and Azazel, who had been standing in the field, suddenly vanished. But everyone saw Ethan casually wave his hand just before that, making it clear he was responsible.

"What did you do?"

Moira was clearly agitated. She had already reached for her weapon, and by the look in her eyes, she would attack Ethan immediately if he didn't offer a proper explanation.

"Just stopping him from doing something he'd regret for the rest of his life."

He briefly explained that he had placed Charles and Azazel in a Mirror Dimension. In that isolated space, Charles could still see everything outside, though it was like looking through a layer of glass.

Ethan didn't block Charles's abilities, as doing so would also release Sebastian. His goal was simply to prevent Charles from physically intervening or having Azazel teleport Erik away.

Erik quickly realized what had happened. He calmly placed the helmet on his head, knowing Charles could no longer stop him. At the same time, he would never let Sebastian escape. This was his best and only chance at revenge.

With a slight nod to Ethan to express his gratitude, Erik finally sent the coin into Sebastian's skull.

At the moment the coin penetrated Sebastian's head, Charles, who had established a psychic link with him, also suffered immense pain. Ethan immediately severed their connection.

Now that Sebastian was dead, there was no need for Charles to endure the pain any longer. Charles's connection to the outside world from within the Mirror Dimension wasn't as strong as usual, so severing the link wasn't difficult.

Once Sebastian had completely fallen, Ethan dispelled the Mirror Dimension. When Charles reappeared, Moira, who had been extremely tense, finally let out a breath of relief. But seeing Charles clutching his head in pain, her body tensed again.

"What's wrong with you?"

She assumed Ethan had done something, but Charles quickly explained that he was fine, just suffering from overuse of his powers.

The details? He wouldn't explain them to Moira. This was tied to the ideological conflict between him and Erik.

Ethan noticed that after the Mirror Dimension was dispelled, Charles, due to his severe headache, had released his control over Azazel. The teleporting mutant had already slipped away, or perhaps was hiding somewhere, silently observing the situation.

Ethan didn't know much about Azazel and had no idea how he felt about his companions. If he was still nearby, he was likely trying to rescue the White Queen, Emma.

Ethan ignored Azazel and Riptide, who were both currently nowhere to be seen. He patted the silent Erik on the shoulder. "Feel like a heavy burden's finally been lifted?"

Erik said nothing. He did feel something similar in his heart, but thinking of Charles's repeated efforts to stop him, he wasn't sure if what he did was right or wrong.

"It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, as long as you don't regret your decision."

"I won't regret it."

Erik said this with conviction. No matter what anyone said, he didn't believe killing that man was something to regret.

"Go thank your friend."

Erik looked at Charles nearby, then at the tense special forces around them. He once again found himself standing at a crossroads.

From the future Charles had shown him, he understood what kind of future mutants might face. But was Charles's chosen path really what he wanted?

Erik was conflicted, but when he saw Charles, still in pain and barely able to stand, he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

Especially now, when Charles had just helped him kill Sebastian.

Erik silently took off the helmet and walked over to Charles. "I don't know what kind of decision the me from that world would make. But I'll help you, just like you helped me."

Logan watched as Erik and Charles looked at each other with deep emotion and felt even more certain that this world was drastically different from his own. Magneto and Professor X hadn't separated over ideology. Instead, they seemed to be determined to move forward together. Maybe this world really would have a different future.

"I'm suddenly looking forward to what this world might become."

Ethan also walked back, but his gaze flicked between Charles, seated and being supported by Moira, and Erik kneeling on one knee before him. What he was really looking forward to was Moira suddenly pulling out a pistol and unloading a full clip into Erik.

"I'm more looking forward to some more exciting scenes."

Logan was speechless. Ethan's sudden shifts in behavior were sometimes amusing, but at a moment like this, one so serious and emotional, he strongly resisted playing along with Ethan's nonsense.

"What's next?"

"Next? We definitely can't stay here."

The CIA base they had been using was massive, spanning an entire complex. But now, due to Magneto's large-scale attack, it had been completely reduced to ruins. Even though the enemy had been dealt with, there was no way they could continue staying here.

In the original plot, they had left this place after the attack and moved to the mansion left by Charles's family, which would later become the prototype for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Now, with Professor Charles having inherited future memories, he knew the challenges his future self would face, and how he and his companions had dealt with them. Among those solutions, founding a special school to care for and educate young mutants was one of the most important steps.

The rebirth of that school was almost inevitable now. This group of young mutants around them would undoubtedly become the first batch of students. And once they matured, they would become the first generation of teachers, helping to guide future young mutants.

Charles, after resting for a while and feeling much better, finally stood up. Logan looked at the professor walking freely and suddenly felt a little unaccustomed to the sight.

The professor in his memory was always in a wheelchair. But in this world, that fate might never come to pass.

Even if they encountered a paralyzed Charles, with Ethan's current capabilities, he would certainly be able to heal him. Now that they had formed a bond of friendship, if something happened to Charles in the future, Ethan would definitely help if he happened to visit and saw the situation.

"A Magneto who no longer goes to extremes and shows hostility toward humans, and a Professor X who can walk freely… this really is quite the change."

Ethan stroked his chin and glanced at Charles, who had just walked over.

"And with a full head of hair."

Charles, who had still looked weak just moments before, suddenly lit up and stared at Ethan with a deadly serious expression.

"No one is touching my hair!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 309: Suddenly Became Calm

After eliminating Sebastian, the CIA quickly sent reinforcements.

They must have received word that the greatest threat had been removed. Rather than calling it a rescue, it was more accurate to say they came to take the White Queen away.

At the same time, Moira, as an active agent, had to submit a detailed report, truthfully recounting everything that had occurred.

As for Charles and the others, they were ignored.

The CIA didn't know how to deal with Charles's group, or rather, they hadn't reached an internal consensus: should they be treated as a threat and eliminated? They had just helped solve a major crisis, and judging by their previous actions, they appeared to be super-powered individuals aligned with the government.

Furthermore, the abilities displayed by Charles and Erik made high-ranking CIA officials feel conflicted. On one hand, they were wary, but on the other hand, they also saw it as a good thing to have such powerful individuals on their side. Who knew what kind of trouble might arise in the future? Perhaps the abilities of these people could be the key to resolving it.

Take this crisis as an example. Without Charles and Erik helping to uncover the truth and eliminate the mastermind, Sebastian Shaw, the two nuclear superpowers—the United States and the Soviet Union—would have been provoked into a serious conflict by a small group of instigators, potentially dragging all of humanity into a nuclear war.

But ultimately, the same problem remained: some people firmly believed that mutants posed a threat to ordinary humans, so they strongly opposed 'recruiting' Charles and the others.

It could be said that the two factions were locked in a stalemate. Those in power lacked a unified position, and the attitude they finally displayed was one that ignored the efforts and contributions of Charles's group.

The young mutants didn't understand the complexities involved. Hank, who did understand, chose not to say anything to avoid upsetting his companions. Charles, equipped with knowledge and memories of the future, understood the key issues but didn't care.

"Compared to being directly targeted as monsters, the current situation is much better."

The lack of a definitive stance meant that there were still internal voices supporting them. If they continued to work hard, perhaps they could secure a better living environment for mutants.

Even if they couldn't be treated completely the same as ordinary people, at the very least, they shouldn't become enemies of humanity.

"My personal suggestion is that your mutant academy should cooperate more with the government. Politicians are actually quite pragmatic. If you keep mutants isolated, they won't care about objective truths or facts. They'll simply treat you as the enemy, because that's what a lot of people expect, and it boosts their popularity."

Ethan shrugged. "They use you as stepping stones to climb higher."

He walked alongside Charles through the expansive manor, discussing future matters along the way.

"I originally thought that staying away from such matters would prevent mutants from becoming tools in others' power struggles, but it turns out I was far too naive."

Charles didn't have a better answer. He had originally hoped to keep mutants far from conflict, thinking that this would keep them out of trouble. But reality had proven that even if you didn't seek trouble, it would still come to you.

As the mutant population grew, it became impossible to hide them. The social conflicts caused by various superpowered crimes weren't something they could avoid simply by hiding and running a school.

So, living in hiding was not an option. It was a dead end. History had already proven that.

Since they couldn't hide, it was better to step into the spotlight. Ethan suggested that after Charles founded the X-Men, he should use his substantial financial resources to form alliances with select politicians. The X-Men should become a formally established special police force focused on dealing with superpowered crimes, steadily gaining public trust through righteous and commendable actions.

"Don't try to make the X-Men an independent vigilante group outside the system. That'll only bring trouble—for both you and all mutants, Charles."

Sometimes, the difference between being a group of righteous individuals and being seen as a dangerous violent gang is exactly that.

Many of the things Professor Charles did in his previous life were questionable. While lamenting that the public wouldn't accept mutants, he also ran his own little kingdom. In that place, mutants only answered to Charles and completely ignored the Constitution, criminal law, and various laws of the United States. They recognized only Professor Charles, regardless of who the president was. In such a case, whoever held office would want to crush you.

"Can doing all this really lead to a better future for mutants?"

"At the very least, it ensures that mutants won't become public enemies of humanity, driving everyone to try and wipe them out completely."

Charles fell silent. He could doubt whether this path would succeed, but he couldn't deny that his previous way certainly hadn't.

They continued walking around the massive estate. When they returned to the main entrance, they saw Erik reading a book on the lawn.

Ever since Ethan told young Magneto that reading more would make him stronger, Erik had started carrying a book with him everywhere. Even without magnetic field enhancements, Erik's learning ability far surpassed that of ordinary people. He had already reviewed pre-high school material on his own and was now working through university-level courses, primarily focusing on physics, with some astronomy and other subjects mixed in.

"I just worry that mutants will become tools for certain people. That we'll give everything, yet still not get the outcome we hoped for."

Charles's concern wasn't unfounded. After all, everyone knew what kind of people those were—utterly devoid of integrity or trust.

"That's why you can't just keep appeasing them. You have to show some strength when appropriate."

Charles was terrible at that. Despite having the ability to wipe out humanity in an instant, people still treated him like someone they could manipulate. Every time Charles tried to smooth things over, he only emboldened those kinds of people.

"Not everyone can be reasoned with. Many people act in the name of justice while secretly pursuing dirty goals. Do you think reasoning works on people like that?"

Take the Weapon X project, for example. Those people constantly pushed the mutant threat narrative, stirring up public hostility. Was it really to protect humanity? Don't kid yourself. They just wanted a legitimate excuse to arrest mutants and conduct all sorts of unethical experiments.

With people like that, a hundred arguments are useless. They aren't interested in reason. The simplest solution is to eliminate them.

"But wouldn't that just make some people more wary?"

"Good. It's good for them to be wary of you. At least they'll know not to provoke you. You've inherited memories of the future, and those memories should have taught you something."

"What?"

"Did more young mutants under your care get captured, or were more Brotherhood mutants captured?"

Charles was speechless again. Obviously, it was his side that got captured more often. The other side knew that even if they took his people, he wouldn't retaliate—at most sending the X-Men to rescue them. As for revenge? That never even crossed his mind.

But if you provoked Magneto, he'd blow up your entire family in minutes. No discussion.

"Now Erik is standing with you, and I believe he'll be more than willing to do the things you don't want to do but must be done."

Charles nodded helplessly. Perhaps this was indeed why Erik had chosen to stay?

He began thinking about events that would happen in the coming decades and several important future allies.

It was currently 1960. Jean Grey, the Phoenix, wouldn't be born for a few more years, and her powers wouldn't awaken until much later. Cyclops and Storm were also expected to be born soon. He needed to start making preparations, monitoring the status of these children to ensure nothing happened to them before they could grow up.

Ethan was thinking along similar lines. The original trilogy's setting was around the year 2000, but that timeline was overwritten by Days of Future Past, so it could be ignored.

Right now, he was in the world of the new trilogy. The first film had a clear historical anchor—the Cuban Missile Crisis—placing it in 1960, which was his current time.

The second film, Days of Future Past, involved two timelines. The future timeline could be ignored. The younger Charles's era was clearly set in 1973.

Although Apocalypse didn't state the time explicitly, there was a telling detail. A few young mutants went out to see the newly released Star Wars: Episode VI, which came out in 1983.

Ethan was calculating all this while considering whether he could still gain anything here. Quietly experiencing the plot and profiting from it was impossible. The time gap of over twenty years left him with no immediate options.

His control over the space-time orb was steadily improving, and eventually, he would surpass that time limit. But at present, he still couldn't stay for more than a year.

All things considered, the only option seemed to be releasing Apocalypse early—but what was the point? Apocalypse could enhance mutant abilities, but Ethan wasn't a mutant.

Besides, Apocalypse was egocentric and severely chuunibyou. He wasn't someone you could talk to reasonably.

"Let Charles or the future Dark Phoenix deal with Apocalypse, that idiot."

Setting Apocalypse aside, many familiar X-Men hadn't even been born yet. Even if he wanted to abduct a few mutants, there were no targets.

Ethan suddenly didn't know what to do.

Aside from chatting with Charles every day and imagining the future, he focused on absorbing the mental energy Old Charles had left him, steadily growing stronger.

(To be continued.)