Inside Charles's office, tension buzzed like static.
Ryuuto sat at the desk, posture calm but eyes burning behind his faint smile. Around him gathered Susan, Natasha Romanoff, Jean, Tony, and the other students who hadn't fled the chaos.
Out in the hallway, Wolverine leaned against the wall, cigarette dangling from his lips as he stared at the night sky. He hated crowded rooms, but even he glanced back once in a while — something big was about to happen.
Tony stood over a glowing holo-screen, fingers flying across invisible keys. His A.I. network wormed its way through every major broadcast node.
"Just a few more seconds," he muttered, lines of code reflecting in his eyes. "Once I override the signal routers, we can hijack every feed in the country — maybe even a few overseas."
Ryuuto raised the mug Jean had poured for him and took a slow sip.
He was the one about to speak, yet everyone else looked more nervous than him.
Susan finally broke the silence. "You really plan to go through with this?"
Ryuuto set down the cup. "If the world's going to call us monsters, it's time they heard a monster's voice."
Tony cracked a grin. "There it is — dramatic as hell. Alright, the virus is uploaded. Once you start, the system will keep the broadcast open for fifteen minutes max. After that, government techs will scrub us out. Make it count, Red Mirage."
Ryuuto stood, straightened his jacket, and nodded. "Thanks, Stark. Let's show them what truth looks like."
Natasha crossed her arms. "Then we're officially outlaws."
"Guess that makes us family," Ryuuto said lightly. "Remember — anyone who wants to destroy the X-Men… is our enemy."
"Broadcasting in three… two… one."
The feed went live.
Across America, televisions glitched — programs froze, and suddenly, Ryuuto's face appeared, smiling faintly under the studio lights. Viewers blinked, confused. Soldiers scrambled. Officials screamed into radios to cut the feed.
But they were already too late.
Ryuuto leaned forward slightly, voice calm but carrying a weight that silenced even his allies.
"People of the world — good evening. My name is Ryuuto. I'm speaking from Axville Academy for the Gifted, and yes… I am the current captain of the X-Men."
The internet detonated.
Some panicked, dialing emergency lines, convinced a terrorist had hijacked national TV. Others froze in disbelief. And in countless corners of the world, mutants hiding among ordinary lives stopped what they were doing — eyes wide, hearts pounding.
For years they'd lived in fear. Now, one of their own was standing up on global broadcast.
Ryuuto paused deliberately. He wasn't stalling — he was commanding attention.
He let the silence stretch, the kind that makes the world lean closer.
Within minutes, social media exploded:
"A mutant's on live TV!"
"He's calling himself the X-Men's captain!"
"Turn it on, quick!"
And so they did. From apartments to diners, from military bases to college dorms, the world watched the Red Mirage stand against the storm.
Meanwhile…
A small-town police station burned under cold moonlight.
Bodies sprawled across the floor, metal twisted like melted wax — Magneto had struck again.
He sifted through computer records, eyes glowing faint red as metal keyboards bent to his will. Mystique tapped at another terminal, her smirk faintly visible under the flickering lights.
"Magneto," she said, "you might want to see this."
"I'm not here for distractions," he growled. "Check the missing-persons database. Wanda's disappearance has to be recorded somewhere."
Mystique ignored him and gestured at the monitor. "You'll want to make an exception. Your little student just hijacked every broadcast signal on the planet. Calls himself Captain of the X-Men. Looks like he's declaring war on the U.S. government."
Magneto froze mid-gesture. Even Quicksilver turned from the carnage to look at the screen.
On it, Ryuuto's calm face flickered, fearless beneath the static of rebellion.
The world had a new symbol — and every power on Earth was now watching him.