As the unrest in Gotham gradually settled, a yacht quietly approached Liberty Island under the cover of night. However, the low hum of its engine still caught the attention of the island's security.
Flashlights in hand, several guards made their way toward the dock.
"Who's there? The Statue of Liberty isn't open for visits yet. Come back in the morning," one of them called out.
Though their tone was calm, each guard kept a hand close to their holstered weapon, ready to act if anything seemed off.
They called out a few more times, but the yacht remained completely silent. Not a single light flickered from within.
"Could be one of those billionaire yachts," one of them muttered. "Maybe someone forgot to anchor it, and it just drifted over."
With no response at all, the tension eased slightly. After all, the men working night shifts here weren't afraid of ghosts. What scared them more was someone wielding a Glock 47.
One of the braver guards stepped forward, gun drawn, and carefully opened the yacht's cabin door.
Inside was total darkness. Nothing was visible.
"Flashlight. Someone shine some light for me."
The guard was cautious. He kept both hands on his weapon and called out for one of his companions to illuminate the area instead of doing it himself. But even that level of alertness wasn't enough to save him from what was about to happen.
A second later, his face was flooded with a crimson glow. Then, a thick red beam blasted out from the yacht, instantly vaporizing the guard's head.
The man behind him didn't fare much better. Half his shoulder was sliced clean off.
"Ah!!!"
That was the moment they realized the enemy they faced might be far worse than someone with a Glock. In a panic, they all turned and tried to flee.
But on top of the yacht, a giant figure stood watching them with eyes that glowed brightly in the dark.
Beast leapt into the air. His sharp claws and powerful physique made quick work of the injured guard, tearing him clean in half.
The rest didn't last long either.
Once Havok stepped out from the cabin, his chest releasing bursts of concentrated laser energy. Within moments, every guard outside the Statue of Liberty was dead.
After the battle ended, Logan stepped out of the yacht, casually biting down on a freshly lit cigar.
Seeing how relaxed he was, Havok scowled. "Logan, you should've joined us in the attack."
His tone was sharp with irritation, but Logan remained indifferent.
"Join you?" he replied, exhaling a puff of white smoke. "Against these guys?"
He casually stepped over a guard's corpse. "If you need my help just to deal with them, then you might as well give up now. You think this is enough to start a war against human society?"
Havok's expression darkened. Red light began to flicker across his skin, his power simmering just beneath the surface.
"You wanna say that again?"
The threat was real. He looked ready to blast Logan right then and there.
"Enough, Alex. Let it go."
Beast, who had just finished wiping some blood off his fur, walked over and placed a hand on the mutant's shoulder, calming him down.
Turning to Logan, he continued, "But you'll help us take control of the Statue of Liberty, right?"
Logan didn't argue. Now wasn't the time for him to break away from the group.
"Alright," he murmured.
Beast nodded, satisfied with the response. "Good. That's what I wanted to hear."
He turned and headed back into the yacht, hauling out a massive machine large enough to fit a person inside. Then he carried it toward the interior of the Statue of Liberty.
What none of them realized was that their every move had already been caught, and was now playing on a monitor inside the White House.
...
Washington, D.C., inside the White House.
Though it was well past working hours, the President remained at his desk.
It was the year 2000, an election year. Yet, he wasn't worried about his own votes. Ever since 1993, thanks to the rapid rise of LexCorp, his seat in the Oval Office had been rock solid.
Now, his two terms were nearly over. By American tradition, there was no possibility for him to run again. Still, the new President wouldn't take office until January of the following year. Whatever happened until then would still be his responsibility.
As his term neared its end, all he wanted was to get through these final days peacefully. He didn't want any major conflict erupting within the United States.
Unfortunately, that hope was shattered. With William's help, they had used LexCorp's satellites to monitor the country's situation, but what they saw only made things worse.
"So, Mr. Stryker," the President asked, his eyes fixed on the footage, "what exactly is your plan?"
He had been among the first to recognize LexCorp's rise, and had provided them with massive support, forging an inseparable partnership. Naturally, he wasn't a fool.
Even now, with the situation slipping out of his control, he didn't panic. Because he understood one thing clearly: someone else needed America to remain stable even more than he did.
That person wasn't William Stryker standing before him, but rather the one behind him. The man whose company had quietly infiltrated nearly every aspect of American society.
Lex Luthor's ambitions for the presidency were no secret. Everyone could see it. And all the leading candidates for the next term? They were backed by LexCorp. That company needed a stable America more than he did, so their plans could continue without interruption.
Just like the footage now playing on the screen in front of him. It had been captured from space, using LexCorp's own satellites.
William stepped forward and offered a sealed file.
"On that note, Mr. President, I'd like you to take a look at this."
He wore a faint smile as he handed it over. Gotham had been attacked by mutant children. Liberty Island was now under siege by mutants from Xavier's school. The conflict between humans and mutants was now laid bare for the world to see.
And the document in his hands was the final blow to push the President into making his decision.
"According to this file, we've learned that Charles, the telepathic mutant, uses a brainwave amplifier known as Cerebro. With it, he could disable every person on Earth, turning them into vegetables in an instant. That power, Mr. President, is more dangerous than nuclear weapons."
William didn't say much more. After the brief explanation, he gave the President time to process it.
"Sigh…" After a long pause, the man let out a deep breath.
"What do you want?"
"I want full executive authorization. There's only one way to eliminate this threat: a decapitation strike. Only when this mutant named Charles Xavier is dead will the American people, and you, Mr. President, be free from this constant threat to your lives."
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