"Rorschach, we're planning to leave immediately to capture Shaw."
Charles spoke calmly, but his expression was serious.
"There's something you should know first. This operation no longer has the support of the CIA. Agent Moira is still suspended, which means this will be a private operation."
He looked directly at Rorschach.
"Whether you participate or not, I think you deserve to know that in advance."
Although Charles said this fairly, there was still a faint expectation in his eyes.
He would never force Rorschach to go.
But if Rorschach chose to stay behind at such a critical moment, Charles would inevitably feel disappointed.
After all, both he and Eric had always placed great hopes on Rorschach.
"I understand," Rorschach replied without hesitation.
"So when do we leave?"
To him, this was the perfect opportunity.
If Shaw was truly involved, the mission system might trigger new rewards.
And besides, he had been living at Xavier Manor for free all this time.
If he refused now, that would be rather shameless.
The moment he spoke, both Charles and Eric visibly relaxed.
A faint trace of satisfaction appeared on their faces.
"We should call the others as well," Eric added.
Charles hesitated.
"Eric… they aren't ready yet."
The training over the past weeks had definitely improved everyone's abilities.
But in Charles's opinion, they were still far from being ready for real combat.
Even Eric himself often relied purely on rage to unleash his powers.
Under normal circumstances, he could barely deflect bullets.
The others were even less experienced.
"Charles," Eric said firmly, "when Shaw attacked the CIA base, do you think he cared whether we were ready?"
"Reality is cruel."
He crossed his arms.
"Can you guarantee they'll be ready the next time danger appears?"
"In my opinion, they're ready now."
Moira nodded in agreement.
"Eric's right. You can't protect them forever," she said. "And we need their help."
Charles fell silent.
After a long moment, he finally nodded.
"Alright."
Soon afterward, all the young mutants gathered in the living room.
Charles explained that they had discovered Shaw's location.
"I know all of you remember what happened at the CIA base," Charles said seriously. "If anyone wants to stay behind, I will completely understand."
For a moment, the room was quiet.
The memory of the previous battle still lingered in everyone's minds.
That fight had nearly killed them.
Then Alex Summers suddenly spoke.
"Go? Of course we're going."
He crossed his arms confidently.
"I've been waiting for this day."
Mystique spoke next.
"Count me in."
Her voice carried a quiet determination.
"I'm not going to stay behind like some helpless kid."
Once those two stepped forward, the others quickly followed.
Even though many of them still looked nervous, none of them backed out.
Charles and Eric exchanged a brief glance.
Both of them saw the same thing in each other's eyes.
Relief.
The training had finally begun to pay off.
"Alright," Eric said as he clapped his hands.
"Everyone prepare yourselves. We leave in twenty minutes."
The mutants dispersed quickly.
Some looked excited.
Others were tense.
Moira watched them leave before turning to Charles and Eric.
"Do you really think we can catch Shaw this time?"
Eric's answer came immediately.
"There's no 'if.'"
His eyes hardened.
"We will catch him."
…
Two hours later.
A plane from New York landed in Manhattan.
The group of mutants stepped out of the aircraft one by one.
"Manhattan is freezing," Sean Cassidy muttered as he rubbed his arms. "If Shaw's really hiding here, maybe he's planning to rob Wall Street."
"You can ask him after we capture him," Alex replied casually.
"Yeah," Darwin added with a grin. "And if he doesn't answer, we'll ask again."
His clenched fist made the meaning perfectly clear.
The long journey had helped everyone relax slightly.
The earlier tension had faded.
That was a good sign.
Outside the airport, Moira had already arranged transportation.
Several vehicles were waiting.
Everyone climbed in, and the convoy drove through the city streets.
After passing through several districts and making multiple turns, the cars finally stopped on a quiet street.
A small hotel stood nearby.
From the outside, it looked completely ordinary.
"You all wait here," Moira said as she stepped out of the car.
She walked down the street for several hundred meters before sitting casually on a wooden bench beneath a crooked tree.
It looked like she was simply resting after a long walk.
A few minutes later, a middle-aged man passed by.
He didn't stop.
As he walked past her, he made a subtle gesture with his hand.
Moira nodded slightly.
Then the man continued walking until he disappeared down the street.
Moira returned to the car.
"I've confirmed it with my contact," she said.
She pointed toward the hotel.
"Shaw is inside."
Eric's eyes immediately lit up.
"Charles."
Charles understood the signal instantly.
He closed his eyes and placed two fingers against his temple.
His mind expanded outward as he attempted to scan the hotel.
After several seconds, he opened his eyes again.
His expression had turned grim.
"That's bad news," he said quietly.
"My ability can't penetrate the building."
Eric's lips curled into a cold smile.
"That sounds like good news to me."
If Charles's telepathy was being blocked, there was only one logical explanation.
Shaw was inside.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for such protection.
"Could they have another telepath?" Moira asked anxiously.
That possibility worried her.
If Charles couldn't see inside, no one would know what they were walking into.
"Maybe," Charles admitted. "I'm not sure."
He sighed softly.
"I'm sorry. I might not be able to help much during the operation."
His powers were built around telepathy.
If that ability was neutralized, he was essentially just an ordinary man.
.....
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