As soon as Sean finished speaking, everyone's attention shifted.
Darwin, Havok, and the others all turned to look at Raven. Even Charles couldn't help studying her a little more closely.
The resemblance between Raven and the blue-skinned woman standing nearby was simply too obvious.
Both had blue skin.
Both possessed shapeshifting abilities.
It was almost impossible not to suspect some kind of connection.
"I don't know! I really don't know her!"
Raven looked flustered under everyone's gaze. She quickly shook her head, trying to explain herself.
"I've never met her before."
"Then you must be the other shapeshifter," the blue-skinned woman said thoughtfully.
By now she had clearly reached the same conclusion. Her eyes lingered on Raven with open curiosity.
Before she could continue speaking, someone suddenly rushed forward.
Eric.
He grabbed the woman by the throat with explosive force and slammed her against a nearby car.
"Where is Shaw?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "Tell me. Where is he?"
At that moment Eric looked less like a man and more like a predator ready to tear something apart.
His eyes burned with naked hatred.
The killing intent pouring from him was impossible to hide.
Pinned against the car, the woman struggled to breathe as Eric's grip tightened around her neck.
"I… I don't know!" she gasped.
Her voice came out strained and uneven.
"I really don't know!"
"Lies!" Eric snarled.
His hand tightened further, veins bulging across his arm.
"You share his power. You must have some connection to him. Tell me where he is!"
The woman's face began turning pale as the pressure increased.
"Eric, that's enough!"
Charles stepped forward immediately.
"Stop right now. You're going to kill her."
He placed a hand on Eric's shoulder and gently pulled him back.
"Let me handle this," Charles continued. "You know I can read minds."
Eric hesitated.
For a moment the fury in his eyes seemed ready to explode again.
But eventually he released his grip and stepped aside.
The woman dropped against the car, coughing violently as she regained her breath.
Charles stepped forward to face her.
"You already know what I can do," he said calmly. "If you built a device to block telepathy, then you're well aware of my ability."
His voice remained steady.
"So you also know lying to me won't work."
"Go ahead," the woman said casually, shrugging slightly.
"Read my memory. See for yourself."
Charles lifted his hand to his temple and activated his power.
Moments later images began flashing through his mind.
Fragments of memory.
Conversations.
Brief glimpses of meetings and instructions.
The deeper he looked, the more his expression darkened.
When Charles finally withdrew from the mental connection, his face looked extremely grim.
Everything she had said was true.
She genuinely didn't know where Shaw was.
She wasn't even a real member of the Hellfire Club.
She had simply been hired.
A mercenary.
"Charles?" Hank asked anxiously.
Eric's eyes were fixed on him as well.
But Charles slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "She's telling the truth."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
"She doesn't know where Shaw is. She and the others were simply paid for the job."
"Damn it."
"Seriously?"
The frustration was immediate.
Everyone present had risked their lives in that battle. Some had even come dangerously close to death.
And now they were being told the entire operation had been pointless.
In situations like this, hired mercenaries rarely knew anything important. Employers never shared sensitive information with disposable assets.
Getting useful intelligence from them was nearly impossible.
"There must be something useful," Eric said stubbornly.
Charles looked genuinely regretful.
"I'm sorry, Eric. I didn't see anything that could help us."
Eric refused to accept that.
"No," he insisted, glaring at the woman again. "She can't just be some random mercenary. What's her connection to Shaw?"
His voice hardened.
"There has to be one."
Charles sighed.
"Her ability is imitation," he explained.
"Not just appearance."
"She can also copy the abilities of others."
Charles paused briefly.
"I know this is frustrating, Eric. I feel the same way. But we have to face reality."
"This mission failed."
"We were all fooled."
Eric clenched his fists.
"That's it?" he demanded.
Charles nodded slowly.
"That's it."
Bang.
Eric slammed his fist into the car beside him, the metal denting under the impact.
No one spoke for a moment.
Finally Moira stepped forward.
"We should leave," she said calmly. "The police will be here soon."
That was a very real concern.
Between the explosions, the gunfire, and the destroyed hotel entrance, it wouldn't take long before authorities arrived.
"What about her?" Darwin asked, glancing at the blue-skinned woman.
"She's coming with us," Eric said immediately.
His tone left no room for argument.
He grabbed the woman by the arm and dragged her toward the car.
Moments later the group began leaving the scene.
Only after everything settled down did Rorschach finally turn his attention inward.
The system interface appeared in his mind.
[Host: Rorschach]
[Age: 16]
[Speed: 85 m/s]
[Strength: 39.2 tons]
[Physique: 204 (average healthy adult male: 10)]
[Mental Strength: 162 (average healthy adult male: 10)]
[Current Template: Homelander – 5% unlocked]
[Abilities: X-Ray Vision (Basic), Super Hearing (Basic), Heat Vision (Basic), Flight (Unlocked)]
[Origin Points: 750]
Seven hundred and fifty Origin Points.
That number alone made Rorschach feel a surge of excitement.
It was the largest amount he had ever accumulated.
[Host possesses surplus Origin Points.]
[Would you like to enhance immediately?]
The system prompt appeared again.
This time Rorschach didn't hesitate.
"Enhance."
A new notification instantly appeared.
[Enhancement complete.]
[Homelander Template unlocked to 12%.]
The system panel refreshed.
[Host: Rorschach]
[Age: 16]
[Speed: 134.1 m/s]
[Strength: 97.5 tons]
[Physique: 274 (average healthy adult male: 10)]
[Mental Strength: 232 (average healthy adult male: 10)]
[Current Template: Homelander – 12% unlocked]
[Abilities: X-Ray Vision (Basic), Super Hearing (Basic), Heat Vision (Basic), Flight (Unlocked)]
[Origin Points: 50]
The increase was enormous.
Seven percent additional template progress had nearly doubled several of his attributes.
His speed had risen dramatically.
His strength had reached almost one hundred tons.
And those were only the measurable statistics.
Other abilities—like X-ray vision, super hearing, and heat vision—had also improved significantly.
His physical durability had increased even more dramatically.
Without needing any special tests, Rorschach already knew the result.
Ordinary weapons could no longer harm him.
He now truly possessed a body like steel.
From now on, most attacks could simply be ignored.
He could charge forward and crush opponents directly.
Another major improvement was the duration of his heat vision.
Previously the beams could only fire in short bursts.
Now they could last for nearly five minutes.
That single change alone elevated his combat power by several levels.
Overall, Rorschach felt extremely satisfied with the upgrade.
.....
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