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Chapter 223: The Hidden Hand – The Fall of the Base Mutants
🕑 Added 2025-07-24 17:07:35 +0000 UTC
"Alright, Charles. What’s going on?"
Alex didn’t waste time. As soon as everyone was seated, his voice dropped—serious, direct.
It wasn’t just Raven. He’d caught the faint flicker of unease in Charles’s expression. And after all this time, he knew how to read him.
"Emma and the others are in trouble."
Charles didn’t sugarcoat it.
"Emma’s in trouble?"
"What happened?"
Alex’s brow furrowed, his body tensing instinctively.
Emma Frost and Copycat had been systematically dismantling research facilities targeting mutants. Between Emma’s psionics and Copycat’s infiltration skills, they were one of the most reliable strike teams in the field.
Even fortified military compounds shouldn’t have posed much of a threat.
And if they’d somehow been outmatched? Retreating should’ve been well within their capabilities.
But now…
Something had gone wrong—silently, and completely.
"About thirty minutes ago, Emma reached out to me telepathically," Charles explained. "But she didn’t send any words or thoughts—just made contact, then abruptly severed the link."
"I tried reaching her again after that. No response."
Alex’s frown deepened, the implications sinking in.
There was no question—Emma had been compromised.
But how?
What had cut off a telepath like Emma so completely?
Was it technological—some kind of psychic dampener or shielding device?
Or was it another telepath? One strong enough to overpower her before she could react?
Or worse…
Had she been taken before she even had the chance?
None of the possibilities were comforting.
"Raven, do you know where Emma was headed?" Alex asked, turning to her.
He was the undisputed leader of the base, but his style leaned toward strategic oversight, not micro-management.
Raven, on the other hand, handled the day-to-day logistics and personnel operations.
"They were heading to Brooklyn," Raven answered grimly.
Her relationship with Emma wasn’t hierarchical, so her knowledge was limited—but it was enough.
Silence followed.
Alex and Charles exchanged a glance. They didn’t need to speak.
Cerebro.
The group rose and quickly made their way to the Cerebro chamber.
As they walked, Charles let out a resigned sigh. "All of this feels so familiar. Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me by taking Hank?"
Alex almost smirked. Almost.
After Hank had left with Alex, Charles had been left with a half-finished Cerebro—more blueprint than machine.
He had eventually found others to help complete it, but it was a shadow of what it could’ve been.
Because Hank McCoy wasn’t just another scientist. He was irreplaceable.
"Charles, you know that even though I chose to leave with Alex, I never stopped being willing to help you."
Hank adjusted his glasses as he stepped up beside them. His voice was calm, but sincere.
Choosing Alex hadn’t meant cutting ties—it had meant choosing a path.
"Alright, enough talk," Raven snapped. "Charles, find Emma."
Charles gave her a solemn nod and stepped into position. He lowered the Cerebro helmet onto his head as Hank moved swiftly to activate the system—flipping switches, fine-tuning settings.
This wasn’t just a routine check. Emma’s disappearance had shaken even the most seasoned among them.
Click. Click. Click.
Lights flickered to life across the console.
In a matter of seconds, Charles’s consciousness, amplified by Cerebro, extended outward—sweeping across the eastern seaboard.
Brooklyn was the target.
"Anything?" Raven asked, watching him closely.
Charles’s jaw clenched.
"Bad news first—I can’t find Emma or anyone on her team."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"And the good news?" Hank asked, voice low.
"There’s a location in Brooklyn blocking my telepathy. Like... a void."
Everyone immediately understood.
That had to be it.
"Gear up. I’m heading there now," Alex said without hesitation.
He turned on his heel, already moving.
"Wait, Alex."
Charles pulled the helmet off and stepped forward. "I’m going with you. That void—I can’t tell if it’s caused by technology or another telepath. We’ve seen both before."
Alex’s mind flashed back to the telepath he’d encountered during Liz’s recruitment mission.
It was a real possibility.
"Hank, prep the jet," Alex ordered. His tone brooked no argument.
If there was a telepathic threat involved—especially one strong enough to block Emma—then it wasn’t something he could ignore.
Alex himself might be immune to such attacks, but not everyone on his team was.
He had people depending on him.
And right now, someone had made a move against them.
He intended to find out exactly who.
And he’d make sure they regretted it.
