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*****
At Mike's house, he took out two red envelopes and handed them to Gwen and Luke.
"These are red envelopes, a blessing from elders."
Luke wasn't sure whether he should accept it, but when he turned and saw his father a little drunk, his small face darkened.
"Take it!"
Gwen took the red envelope and shoved it into Luke's hands, winking. "My dad won some money today."
She shook the envelope. "There's something good inside."
Luke felt a bit embarrassed and thanked Mike, "Thank you, Uncle Mike."
"You're welcome."
Mike smiled and patted Luke's head.
The little guy was handsome and polite, quite likeable.
Turning to John, Mike asked, "Can you still walk?"
John blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts, nodding slowly. He staggered to his feet, but without warning, bent down suddenly at a ninety-degree angle and loudly shouted, "Mike! Thank you for believing in me!"
Mike froze for a moment, quickly grabbing John before he could topple forward. He turned to Luke and said, "I'll take you both home."
"Okay!"
Mike carried his neighbor and took him back to their house. After briefing Luke on a few things, he turned and left.
Back home, he watched TV with Gwen for a while. After she went to bed, Mike took out three red envelopes and placed them in the room upstairs where Clark and the others stayed.
Although the three of them were grown up now, in Mike's eyes, they would always be kids.
Once the envelopes were placed, Mike stood at the door.
"Happy Spring Festival, kids."
He whispered softly, then closed the door.
...
Bang!
The door in front of them was pushed open, and four people, walking with heavy steps, entered the luxurious hall of Hellfire.
Inside the hall, the Black Queen, dressed in tight black leather, smiled fake sweetness when she saw the four of them.
"My dear compatriots, I'm so glad to see you," she said.
She stood up, her gaze landing on Eric, her eyes flashing with temptation as her red lips curled into a slight smile. "So, you're Magneto?"
Eric nodded coldly. "Yes."
She swayed her hips as she walked toward him, circling around him, and then placed a hand on his chest.
Eric's eyes narrowed, and he took a step back.
The Black Queen paused for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
"Are you that scared of me?"
Before Eric could answer, she gently licked her lips and added, "You're so tempting, I can't resist."
Eric remained expressionless but cursed her in his mind.
The Black Queen raised her hand again, but before she could touch him, Fire Poison spoke up. "Black Queen, what's our mission this time?"
The Black Queen paused, glancing at Fire Poison.
His heart shrank.
"Ha!"
The Black Queen chuckled softly and walked over to the sofa, sitting down. "Let's sit down and watch."
Once the four were seated, she pressed a button on a map on the table, infusing it with life force. The map lifted and unfolded in her control, flying to Eric and the others.
On the map, there was a red circle drawn around a location, and it was marked as...
New York?
The four of them were stunned.
Seeing their reactions, the Black Queen smiled, clearly pleased with their expressions.
Sonic couldn't help but speak up. "Black Queen, going to New York with our numbers—don't you think we're lacking in strength?"
She had meant to say they were walking into certain danger, but she was afraid the Black Queen might turn her into dust for saying it.
Fire Poison nodded in agreement.
The Black Queen smiled faintly. "This time, we're not only collecting life force in New York. There's an even more important objective."
The four of them froze in surprise.
The Black Queen crossed her legs and leaned on her hand, propping up her chin. "We're going there to eliminate the mutant opposing us."
The four of them were shocked, and Eric's heart skipped a beat.
Had Charles finally slipped up, revealing his tail?
The Black Queen's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's right. He's in New York. I'm fairly certain of it."
"That person is a threat. He must be eliminated as soon as possible."
Eric spoke in a deep voice, "May I ask where the information came from?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fire Poison and the others gasped.
No one had ever dared to ask the Black Queen like that.
The Black Queen became dangerous, her voice low and threatening. "Are you questioning my judgment?"
"No!" Eric answered calmly. "I just want to confirm the reliability of the information. The risks this time are significant."
The Black Queen gave a soft hum, and just when Fire Poison and the others thought she might take action, she suddenly laughed. "You're really adorable."
"From the moment we first encountered that mutant, we've had more than a dozen operations, each in different locations."
As she spoke, she reached for a red marker on the table, manipulating it to rise and fly over the map. She marked each location with the pen.
She continued, "Some of the operations didn't involve that person, but in most of them, that person appeared."
Several locations were marked with bright red "X"s.
She then smiled at the group. "Since my operations are always last-minute, some distant locations were impossible for him to reach, but the closer we got to New York, the faster he appeared."
Considering this, even if the opposing mutant wasn't in New York, he would still be within the surrounding area. If they stirred things up in New York, the mutant would inevitably show up.
Everyone nodded in understanding.
But Eric suddenly spoke up. "The fact that he's blocked so many of our operations is no coincidence!"
Fire Poison was startled. "Are you saying there's a traitor in Hellfire?"
"Someone's sharp after all," the Black Queen said coldly. Her gaze sharpened. "So, without knowing who the traitor is, we'll go straight to New York, catch the mutant off guard, and eliminate him."
Sonic, worried, said, "But with a traitor among us, if the enemy gets word in advance and sets up a trap, won't we be walking right into it?"
"Giggle!" The Black Queen laughed. "That's why, aside from the four of you, no one else knows the location. I've already sent them all on a plane."
"Besides, don't you trust my strength?"
The four of them were stunned, and the Black Queen continued, "They're ready and waiting for us."
With that, the Black Queen stood up and, with no room for argument, said, "Let's go, everyone. Fight for me!"
The four exchanged glances, their eyes showing the bitterness they felt. They nodded in agreement and followed the Black Queen out.
The others didn't know the target location, and the four who did were with the Black Queen. To her and her companions, there was no chance of information leaking.
But... Eric had entered the hall without his helmet.
---
*New York, X School.*
Charles removed the helmet that was connected to the brainwave machine, gazing at the vast spherical space around him. A smile spread across his face.
The brainwave machine arrived just in time!
Eric had informed him of this meeting beforehand, so he had used the machine to link their minds, effectively participating in the meeting.
"So, Charles?" Hank McCoy asked with concern. "Did you find them?"
"I found them. Their target is me, and they're on their way to New York right now."
Hank McCoy's heart skipped a beat. "We need to notify S.H.I.E.L.D. We have to take action now."
Charles smiled and nodded.
(End of chapter)