Ignoring Jason, the first thing Ethan did was shut off the brain wave amplifier, ensuring it wouldn't activate.
But just as he reached to remove the helmet, Magneto stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"What's the problem?" Ethan turned to face him.
Magneto smirked. "Ethan, don't you think it would be a shame to let things end like this?"
"This is an opportunity," he continued, his voice smooth and persuasive.
"We can do something Charles would never approve of—use this device against ordinary humans instead." As he spoke, Mystique, now disguised as Stryker, walked into the room.
With Mystique's flawless mimicry, Jason couldn't tell the difference.
His half-paralyzed brain didn't even question the authenticity of the man standing before him.
Ethan's expression darkened. "And you think I'd agree to that?"
Magneto chuckled knowingly. "I know you better than Charles does. Honestly, you remind me of myself when I was younger. Maybe you feel the same way
—that's why you confided in me back on Liberty Island. I doubt you'd ever have that kind of conversation with Charles or S.H.I.E.L.D."
He took a step closer. "Before your abilities awakened, you saw yourself as a human evolutionist. And once you became a mutant, that belief only solidified."
Ethan spread his hands, laughing. "You're not wrong. I believe mutants are superior. Resisting the natural evolution of power is idiotic."
Ever since realizing he was in the Marvel Universe, that belief had never wavered.
In a world filled with constant threats, only power ensured survival. Opposing mutants meant opposing the future of humanity itself.
Magneto placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder, his expression one of approval. "Ethan, I knew you were a smart one."
Ethan raised an eyebrow and grabbed Magneto's wrist. "Can you at least let me finish speaking before making assumptions?"
He released Magneto's hand and sighed. "That's exactly why I don't agree with your plan. Let me ask you something—do you really believe Professor X could wipe out all ordinary humans using this device?"
"Impossible." Magneto didn't even need to think about it.
He had helped Charles build the amplifier; he understood its limits better than anyone.
"Unless Charles ascends to an Omega-level mutant, even if he exhausts all his mental power, at most, he'd eliminate a large portion of the population.
But once humanity's numbers decline past a certain point, their structure would collapse into chaos, weakening them further. They'd no longer be a match for mutants."
Ethan scoffed. "Are you serious? You, of all people, understand the connection between humans and mutants. Ordinary people can give birth to mutants, and mutant parents can have human children.
No matter how superior you think we are, we're still part of humanity. The mutant gene isn't some absolute dividing line—it's just another genetic trait, like blue eyes."
He crossed his arms. "Even if mutants dominated humanity, then what? Without the vast population of ordinary humans, the number of newly awakened mutants would dwindle. Can you guarantee mutants won't eventually fade into irrelevance?"
This was Ethan's stance on the matter.
He considered himself an evolutionist but not a supremacist.
Ethan believed in human evolution, but he never saw mutants as a separate species.
To him, mutants were simply an advanced branch of humanity, not an entirely different race. That belief had never wavered.
It was precisely because of this mindset that, when Coulson secretly ran a psychological evaluation on him, S.H.I.E.L.D. concluded that Ethan wasn't a dangerous mutant.
"I understand what you're saying, but things are different now." Magneto's voice was calm, yet there was an unmistakable edge to it.
For over half a century, he had fought against human oppression, witnessing firsthand the complex relationship between mutants and ordinary people.
That was exactly why, despite his ruthless methods, Magneto had always maintained a certain line he refused to cross.
After all, he had helped Professor X build the brain wave amplifier.
If Stryker could come up with such a plan, did anyone really think Magneto hadn't considered it before?
If he had wanted to, he could have done something far worse than Stryker. But he hadn't. Because even Magneto had limits.
And now, a human had dared to cross the very line even he wouldn't touch. That infuriated him.
"It's like a game," he said, his voice cold. "They broke the rules first. So now, I say we flip the board and see who really has the upper hand."
Magneto had never been one to back down from a fight.
Ethan, however, wasn't convinced.
"It's not that simple," he countered.
"The conflict between mutants and humans hasn't reached the point of no return yet."
He understood why Magneto felt this way, but unlike him, Ethan had knowledge of the bigger picture.
The world wasn't just mutants vs. humans—it was so much bigger than that.
Take the alien invasion of New York, for example.
Ethan didn't know the exact date, but with Iron Man already active, it was only a matter of time.
And if Magneto was too focused on waging war against humans, he'd be completely unprepared when real threats arrived.
"What do you suggest, then?" Magneto suddenly asked, his sharp gaze fixed on Ethan.
Even Magneto had to admit that he was growing older, and the future belonged to the younger generation.
Ethan was already establishing himself as a leader among young mutants, and Magneto wanted to know his perspective.
Ethan smirked.
He had been in this world long enough.
He had spoken with both Charles and Magneto, had dealings with S.H.I.E.L.D., and had climbed high enough to see the bigger picture.
"Eighty percent of ordinary humans carry the mutant gene. Instead of wiping them out, wouldn't it make more sense to focus on activating their potential?"
Magneto's expression darkened. "I tried that on Liberty Island. It failed. That method had a fatal flaw—it was unsustainable."
Ethan's smirk widened. "So you just gave up?"
Magneto frowned but didn't respond.
"I don't doubt your ability," Ethan continued.
"But why do you insist on doing this alone? There's strength in numbers. And don't underestimate human scientists. Because they lack powers, they rely on knowledge. Some of them are more eager for evolution than we are."
Magneto studied him carefully. "Are you suggesting we establish a research institute?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes."
Magneto sighed. "I've considered it, but…"
"But you can't," Ethan finished for him.
"Not with every intelligence agency and government watching you. You're too well-known, too closely monitored. Whether mutants love you or fear you, they're always watching. If you so much as try to disappear, they'll find you. The only way you'll ever get peace is if you end up back in a plastic prison."
Even Professor X, who had all the resources, had never pursued this path.
He was too busy teaching and mediating mutant-human relations to focus on advancing mutant evolution.
Magneto went silent for a long moment.
Then, he looked directly at Ethan. "So you're saying you can do it?"
Ethan shook his head. "Not alone. I know my limits. I don't have that kind of influence."
Then he leaned forward, his expression serious.
"But you have people in the Brotherhood with the right skills. Introduce me to a few of them. I can't promise miracles, but I can work behind the scenes. That much, I'm confident about."
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