"He chose to save me…" Captain America murmured, his hand pressed against his chest. Truthfully, he didn't understand it. Why would Professor Xavier, one of the world's greatest telepaths and the moral compass of mutantkind, choose to save him instead of himself?
If anyone could have prevented this catastrophe, it was Xavier. With his power, he could have erased every memory of New York from the minds of billions, or subtly reshaped human will so that the city's destruction would be ignored entirely.
But if Xavier had done that, he would no longer have been the man the world respected.
"Did he foresee the nuclear strike?" Steve finally asked. "He must've read the enemy's thoughts with telepathy, right? If so, couldn't he have altered their minds to stop them from carrying out the attack?"
At once, Blink's expression hardened. Her violet eyes flared with anger as she snapped, "The Professor would never invade someone's mind—or control another person's will!"
Her sudden outburst startled Steve. Realizing she had overreacted, Blink quickly covered her mouth, took several deep breaths, and continued more softly, "The Professor always taught us that power must be bound by principle. A strength without restraint becomes tyranny—and nothing is more terrifying than losing control of yourself."
Steve bowed his head slightly. "You're right. I owe you an apology."
He understood now. If Xavier had truly used his gift to manipulate humanity, then the dream he devoted his life to—the peaceful coexistence of mutants and humans—would have been hollow. He would have become no different from Magneto, who believed in mutant domination through force.
True heroes didn't use their power to rule others—they used it to protect them.
Though Xavier was gone, his ideals remained untarnished. In that sense, he would always be the greatest leader of the X-Men.
Steve straightened his posture. "All right, then. Let's focus on the present. I assume we're at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, right? Why am I waking up in what looks like a regular house?"
Blink's expression faltered. "Sorry. The school isn't… operational right now."
Steve nodded slightly. Xavier had mentioned that Cyclops, Storm, and the other core X-Men had stayed behind to handle internal matters. He hadn't expected, however, what Blink said next.
"Originally, Magneto was planning another campaign to split the X-Men apart," she said, her tone uneasy. "Cyclops and the others were busy dealing with that. But now…" She hesitated, unsure whether to smile or sigh. "Now, they've joined forces."
Steve blinked, sure he had misheard. "Wait—who's joined forces with whom?"
"Magneto and the X-Men," Blink replied gravely.
The words hit him like a thunderclap. It was as shocking as being told that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra had merged into one. Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants and the X-Men had fought for decades—ideological enemies as deep as any war. Cooperation between them sounded impossible.
"And they've joined forces… against who?" Steve asked cautiously.
Blink looked him straight in the eyes. "Against the U.S. government."
Steve's heart sank. "What…?"
Seeing his confusion, Blink sighed. "I'd better start from the beginning."
---
One hour earlier.
The air in Washington was tense enough to shatter. The U.S. Department of Information had called an emergency press conference. The hall was overflowing with reporters, their cameras flashing in a frenzy, while rows of armed soldiers stood behind them, holding live weapons.
At the podium stood a government spokesperson in a crisp black suit, his face pale but composed. He glanced at the reporters and then at the sea of restless civilians beyond the barricades.
"Citizens of the United States—"
He never got past his first sentence.
A barrage of shouts erupted instantly.
"Was it an enemy attack?!"
"Where is the President?!"
"Who authorized the launch codes?!"
Every journalist shouted over the other, microphones jabbing forward like weapons. Under normal circumstances, they would have shown at least a semblance of restraint. But this wasn't a normal press briefing—this was about the death of New York, and their editors had given them a single order: Get the story, or don't come back.
"Silence!" the spokesman barked, slamming a fist against the podium. Soldiers stepped forward, rifles raised. The metallic click of loaded chambers brought the chaos down to a tense murmur.
Even so, the crowd still buzzed like a swarm of hornets.
The spokesman realized then that sticking to the carefully written political preamble would only get him killed. He skipped straight to page two of his speech—the section marked Essential Information Only.
"According to our investigation," he began, his tone flat and mechanical, "the nuclear event was the result of an organized act of domestic rebellion."
That single phrase ignited the room like a spark in a powder keg.
"Domestic rebellion?! By who?"
"How did rebels gain access to nuclear launch systems?"
"If it was a rebellion, why strike an already-evacuated city like New York?!"
"Quiet!" he shouted again, his voice cracking. The soldiers cocked their rifles in warning, and the hall slowly fell into uneasy silence.
The spokesman inhaled deeply, then read from the page.
"Based on evidence gathered at the scene, the rebellion involved multiple groups—including the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and other enhanced individuals. These groups coordinated an assault against a U.S. Navy carrier fleet conducting routine exercises off the coast of New York. In the ensuing conflict, American soldiers fought bravely and succeeded in repelling the enemy. However, one of the insurgents—Deadpool—infiltrated our nuclear launch facility in North Dakota, resulting in the detonation that destroyed New York City."
The hall exploded again.
"What?! Are you saying the superheroes betrayed the United States?"
"No comment," the spokesman replied quickly. "I'm simply reporting the facts of the investigation."
"Then the so-called 'nuclear accident'—was it intentional? Why target New York?"
"We can't confirm intent," the spokesman said coldly. "It may have been deliberate, or the result of internal sabotage. Further investigation is ongoing."
"Are the perpetrators still alive?" another reporter demanded. "Will they strike again?"
"We haven't recovered any bodies," the spokesman admitted. "At present, their status is unknown."
"And if they return—?"
He raised a hand, cutting them off. "We are prepared for every possibility."
But the murmurs of disbelief spread like wildfire through the room.
By the time he stepped down from the podium, the headlines were already writing themselves—
"U.S. Declares Superheroes Traitors!"
"Government Blames Avengers for Nuclear Disaster!"
"Mutants Branded Enemies of the State!"
And beyond the barricades, as the news reached the enraged public, the first stones were thrown.
....
T/N: yo guys where is the support for the new fic. It's already there look.