"That's good."
There was disappointment in Erik's voice—undeniable, sharp. His tone was laced with sarcasm.
"I expected more from you."
Charles shook his head slowly, exhaling through his nose, clearly disappointed—but when his eyes landed on Rorschach, his tone softened.
"Not you, Rorschach. You've handled yourself well."
The Demon, the Ravager, and the Kraken all glanced at Rorschach. Quiet shame flickered across their faces.
Maybe they had gotten carried away.
Angel folded her arms, hovering just above the ground, her wings fluttering behind her.
Tch. Who does he think he is, anyway? Just because Charles and Erik trusted him?
"Rorschach, could you come with us a moment?" Mora called over, waving him aside.
Rorschach nodded, already guessing what this was about. He followed Mora, Charles, and Erik across the lawn to a quieter part of the compound.
"Rorschach," Erik said, his expression serious, "we've tracked Shaw's people to a Soviet facility. The plane leaves in an hour."
He paused, then added, "We'd like you to come with us."
Rorschach didn't answer immediately. He already knew this was a false lead. Shaw wasn't there—only the White Queen, his right hand. But the real prize, Shaw himself, would show up soon enough.
He had to be ready for that.
"Erik, I appreciate the trust. I really do," Rorschach said carefully. "But lately, something's been… off."
Charles raised an eyebrow. "Off how?"
"My eyes. Every now and then, it's like they're burning. Like something's about to break out of me."
He wasn't lying—just planting seeds. It would give him an excuse for what would come next.
"Have you had Hank look at you?" Mora asked, concerned.
"I was planning to," Rorschach nodded. "I'll check in with him soon."
Charles stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Alright. Stay here. Rest. We'll handle this mission—and when we get back, we'll run some tests."
"I'll be here," Rorschach promised.
They exchanged brief goodbyes, and Rorschach watched them walk off toward the hangar.
But he didn't return to the lounge right away. He had work to do. If Shaw was really coming, the base needed to be ready.
—
Back in the lounge, the air was weirdly stiff.
No more joking, no more posturing.
The mutants who had been rowdy just minutes ago now sat straight, quiet, suddenly very aware of themselves.
Kraken even picked up a chair that had been knocked over earlier.
It felt like when kids get scolded and don't know what to do after—just a bunch of awkward silence.
"Okay, this is officially weird now," Raven muttered, clearing her throat.
"Who does Charles think he is, our dad?" Angel scoffed, folding her arms tighter.
"We did kind of destroy the place," Kraken said under his breath.
"Like... political vandalism," Alex—The Ravager—added with a sheepish smirk.
"And the party?" Kraken asked, hopeful.
"Dude," Hank sighed. "The party's been over."
He walked to the center of the room and started picking up the mess. Without another word, the others joined him.
No one asked where Rorschach had gone. It wasn't the first time Charles and Erik pulled him aside. Everyone knew they saw something different in him.
The rest of them? They were just starting to realize actions had consequences.
As they cleaned, a quiet tension hung in the air. A few of them—Raven, Hank, even Kraken—started wondering if maybe… just maybe… it was time to grow up.
Meanwhile, the Ravager and Darwin sat off to the side, pretending to play a video game—though it was obvious they were just avoiding eye contact.
—
Elsewhere, inside one of the base's offices...
Two CIA agents were locked in a tense discussion.
"We still can't pinpoint Shaw's location?"
"No. That's why Charles and Mora are going to investigate."
The senior agent turned to look out the window—when a strange sound caught his attention.
Snap.
He turned too late.
A red-skinned creature appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his partner and vanishing in a blink.
"What the hell—?"
He barely had time to register what was happening before the same figure reappeared behind him, grabbed him by the collar, and—
Flash.
Suddenly, he was in the sky—hundreds of feet above the base.
Then: nothing.
The creature let go.
Wham.
His body hit the ground like a dropped bag of bricks.
—
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Thuds echoed across the compound.
The young mutants—still inside—heard the noise and ran to the windows.
Rorschach didn't move.
He already knew.
Shaw was coming.
This was just the beginning.
One by one, bodies rained down from the sky—CIA agents dropped like broken toys into the courtyard, smashing into the ground below.
Thump.
The first one landed, sprawled in a pool of blood.
A chorus of screams erupted behind the windows.
Even with their powers, most of them were just kids. No real combat experience. No idea what true violence looked like.
This?
This was war.
And it was only just getting started.
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