Chapter 125: Black Widow Invades the School
"So soon? It seems my Memory Charm has already been broken. S.H.I.E.L.D. does have some tricks up their sleeve."
After recognizing Black Widow, George quickly pieced together what had happened.
He had been practicing the Killing Curse in the simulated combat room when Professor X suddenly informed him that a suspicious agent had been spotted lurking near the school. Curious, George went to investigate.
And there she was—Black Widow, the same agent he had cast a Memory Charm on at the Alkali-Transigen facility.
Although Professor X had dropped from a Level 4 mutant to a Level 3, his experience and telepathic abilities still allowed him to cover the entire school like a radar. This meant he could detect anyone with ill intentions in the vicinity almost immediately.
"You want to play? Fine, let's play."
They were no longer the vulnerable group that had escaped the facility a year ago. Even against the renowned S.H.I.E.L.D., George wasn't particularly worried.
If pushed, he could simply use his Undetectable Extension Charm-equipped box to evacuate everyone, then storm S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and cause chaos.
After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have many heavy hitters at the moment.
Alternatively, he could drop the bombshell about HYDRA and let them tear each other apart.
Moreover, after a year of training, the young mutants like X-23 and the others had become quite proficient in using their abilities in combat.
Even without his direct intervention, the children, working together, could easily handle most ordinary humans.
"What should we do next? Should we relocate?" Professor X asked, turning to George.
Before George could answer, Wolverine unsheathed his claws.
"Relocate? If they dare touch a single hair on these kids' heads, I'll bury them all in the garden and use them as fertilizer!"
Professor X preferred to avoid conflict with the government whenever possible, as exposure would only lead to endless pursuit. Wolverine, on the other hand, was far less concerned and much more aggressive in his approach.
"No need to relocate. Let's play with them for a bit, then have a proper discussion."
George turned to the students standing behind him:
"Up until now, you've only practiced combat in the simulated training room. Today, we'll have a real-life battle.
If you perform well, I'll grant you a day off in a few days, and the professors will take you to the amusement park!"
"Principal, are you serious?" asked Ricktor, the oldest and most composed of the students, his voice filled with excitement.
Since Professor X had refused to take on the role of principal again, George had assumed the position, even though he spent most of his time in the basement studying magic.
"Of course. When has the principal ever lied to you?" George replied with a smile.
"Yay! Long live the principal!"
The young mutants cheered with joy.
After a year of education, they were no longer clueless children.
They knew what an amusement park was—they had seen it on TV and dreamed of visiting one.
But having endured cruel experiments, they understood how precious their current lives were. Unable to leave the school, they had never brought up the subject, knowing better than to ask.
"George, isn't this a bit risky?" Professor X asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
He wasn't worried about the children's safety during the battle. He trusted their abilities, and with their supervision, nothing would go wrong.
What concerned him was George's promise to take the children to the amusement park. Going there so openly would undoubtedly draw the government's attention, and possibly other organizations as well.
"Don't worry. In a few days, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government will have bigger problems to deal with. They'll be too busy to bother us."
George waved off the concern, unfazed.
He felt it was time to reclaim all of Professor X's assets and have the government lift the bounty on his head.
An hour later, a black van parked on the side of the road about five hundred meters from the school. Inside, several bespectacled S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were fiddling with complex equipment.
Meanwhile, Black Widow was observing the school's general direction through binoculars.
"Any progress? Have you detected anything unusual?"
"We've detected a strange magnetic field surrounding the area five hundred meters ahead. It's likely this field is disrupting our perception, preventing us from seeing the school," one of the agents explained after a series of adjustments, turning the monitor toward Black Widow.
"Look, according to our instruments, the school is still there. We've also detected numerous life signatures within the magnetic field. This must be where the mutants are hiding."
"Is there a way to bypass it and see the school?"
Black Widow frowned. She was certain the school hadn't moved, but the question was how to enter without being affected.
The agent adjusted his glasses:
"It's not difficult. Once we return, we can create devices to disrupt the magnetic field. With those, you'll be able to see the school normally."
"Good. Go back and start making them. Make as many as you can. I'll report to the Director and plan our next move."
Black Widow nodded, then instructed the driver to head back to the base.
By evening, as the sky darkened, Black Widow led three teams of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most elite agents to the woods across from the school's entrance.
"I'll go in first. Stay here and wait for my signal."
"Understood."
The combat-trained agents, graduates of S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, nodded in unison.
Dressed in her black tactical suit, Black Widow equipped the specially designed magnetic field disruptor and swiftly crossed the road, heading toward the school's perimeter wall.
With the device, she could now clearly see the school ahead.
For someone of her skills, scaling the wall and infiltrating the school should have been child's play.
"Ouch!"
But just as she grabbed the top of the wall to vault over, her face suddenly slammed into an invisible barrier, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Natasha, are you okay?" came the concerned voices of the agents through her earpiece.
Black Widow clutched her nose, wincing in pain as she stood up.
"I'm fine. Stay put."
She cautiously reached out to touch the wall again, only to find nothing there. Puzzled, she hesitated but ultimately decided to proceed, climbing over the wall and landing inside the school.
However, the moment she entered, a figure blocked her path.
"May I ask what brings you here so late at night, miss?"
The person standing in her way was none other than George.
(End of Chapter)