"It can't be the first option," Ryuuto said flatly, arms crossed. "If the government's pretending I don't exist, that only means they've gotten bold enough to ignore what they fear. As for timing… yeah, it's possible. But right now, I couldn't care less about timing."
His eyes narrowed. "What I care about is the puppeteer behind all this. Someone with Telepathy is pulling strings—forcing Mutants to attack civilians. They're deliberately stoking hatred between the two sides."
Susan frowned. "That sounds like Magneto's style."
"The approach, sure," Ryuuto replied. "But Magneto doesn't use Telepathy. There are only a handful of Mutants who can. So, no—it's not him."
He pulled out his phone, flicking through data with practiced precision. "Mystique's nanobots are still transmitting. I tagged her before she disappeared. She's in the Corrence Mountains—the Brotherhood's main base. So, no, they're not the culprits either."
"That makes things… complicated," Susan said quietly. "If the mastermind doesn't show themselves, how do we track them?"
Ryuuto glanced at her, his smirk half amusement, half warning. "What do you think their endgame is?"
"Something on a global scale. Chaos, maybe. But I don't see what they gain."
"Not everything's about gain," Ryuuto said, voice dripping with irony. "Some people just want to watch the world burn… because it feels cool."
Before Susan could reply, the office door burst open.
Ryuuto's brow twitched. "You could've knocked."
A massive blue figure filled the doorway—Beast, or rather, Hank McCoy, panting as if he'd sprinted through the entire facility.
"Ryuuto, there's no time for manners," Hank said, his fur glistening with sweat. "The Senate just drafted a new Mutant Control Act. If it passes, Mutants will be legally hunted."
Ryuuto's tone chilled. "Go on."
"They're spreading fake scientific reports—claiming Mutants carry a 'doomsday virus.' They're calling it a biological time bomb that'll wipe out humanity if left unchecked. Once the report goes public, they'll activate the Bounty Hunter Directive. Anyone who kills a Mutant gets a reward—cash, status, even government insurance. It's madness." Hank's voice cracked. "If this goes through, the Third World War starts tomorrow. Mutants versus everyone else."
Ryuuto leaned back in his chair. "So… genocide, with paperwork."
"Exactly!" Hank slammed the desk. "Most Mutants aren't fighters. Half of them haven't even awakened their full abilities yet. They'll be slaughtered!"
Ryuuto tilted his head. "So tell me, Congressman. Any clue who's behind this sudden spike in anti-Mutant sentiment?"
Hank grimaced. "No. But I can tell you the hawks are in full control now. Even the President's gone from neutral to militant. They think humanity can only survive if Mutants are erased. They're even funding genetic labs to 'purify' the next generation—make sure no one's born with an X-gene ever again."
Ryuuto let out a humorless laugh. "Killing the future before it's born. How noble."
"Don't mock it, Ryuuto. Ordinary people are terrified. The death toll's over a million—and rising. Even if the Mutants aren't truly to blame, fear doesn't care about facts."
Ryuuto sighed. "So what do you want from me?"
"I need you to speak publicly," Hank said desperately. "You're respected by both sides. If you call for peace—tell Mutants to stand down—the Senate might reconsider. They're meeting soon. If you show leadership, maybe we can stop this before it becomes war."
Ryuuto stared for a long moment—then chuckled darkly. "Hank, I'm not a leader. Never claimed to be. And you're missing something crucial—those riots? Most of those Mutants weren't acting on their own will. They were being controlled."
Hank froze. "Controlled? Are you sure?"
"I've seen it myself. The survivors in the shelters can confirm it." Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. "You haven't been there, have you?"
"I'm a Mutant too," Hank said quietly, tugging down his collar.
Ryuuto's eyes widened at the sight of a metallic collar with a faint red light.
"…Is that a detonator?"
Hank nodded grimly. "The Senate let me stay in Congress under one condition. I wear this. They said it'll only activate if I use my abilities."
"You actually agreed to that?" Ryuuto stared in disbelief. "You're walking around with a bomb on your neck!"
"As long as I don't use my powers, it's inactive," Hank said wearily.
"My god…" Ryuuto pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're the calmest man I've ever seen wearing his own death sentence. Are you trying to win a Darwin Award?"
Hank exhaled heavily. "Mock me all you want. Just tell me how you knew the Mutants were being controlled."