"Shaw… we finally meet again."
Rorschach stepped calmly into the chamber, smiling faintly as if he hadn't noticed the cold killing intent radiating from the man in front of him.
"Rorschach, forget about me—kill him!"
Eric struggled violently in Shaw's grip, shouting with stubborn determination despite being completely overpowered.
Shaw sighed and shook his head.
"I have to admit, hearing that makes me… disappointed," he said, looking at Eric with the expression of someone pitying a foolish child.
"You're still clinging to those meaningless emotional bonds. Those people are inferior beings. Your mother included."
Eric's eyes burned with rage.
Shaw continued speaking with absolute conviction.
"We are the future. We are the next stage of human evolution. This world belongs to us."
He leaned closer to Eric, his voice filled with quiet arrogance.
"I helped you become who you truly are. You should be grateful."
"Let Eric go," Rorschach said calmly.
His voice remained steady.
"And I'll show you what the real future of human evolution looks like."
Shaw's attention slowly shifted toward him.
"Compared to Eric, you are… impressive," Shaw admitted. "In fact, in some ways you may even surpass me."
His gaze hardened.
"Which is exactly why you must die."
Then he glanced at Eric again, his expression filled with contempt.
"As for you… you're nothing more than a clown."
BANG!
With a casual motion, Shaw threw Eric aside like discarded trash.
Eric crashed against the wall and dropped to the floor.
To Shaw, Eric had already lost his value.
What Shaw truly enjoyed was watching Eric's desperate fury—the helpless rage of someone who wanted revenge but lacked the power to achieve it.
Outside on the beach, Charles suddenly opened his eyes.
"It's Shaw!"
A flash of excitement crossed his face.
For a long time Shaw's presence had been completely hidden from Charles's psychic senses. But shortly after Rorschach entered the submarine, that mental barrier had weakened.
Now Charles could finally feel Shaw's presence again.
Although he still couldn't fully read Shaw's thoughts, the connection itself was enough.
"It's Rorschach," Charles murmured.
Something Rorschach had done must have disrupted Shaw's shielding.
Charles wished he could tell him to keep doing whatever had broken the barrier—but unfortunately, Rorschach had always been immune to his telepathic communication.
So Charles chose the next best option.
He connected directly to Eric's mind.
"Eric," Charles said inside his consciousness. "I can sense Shaw now. Did Rorschach do something?"
Eric paused in confusion.
What had Rorschach done?
Thinking back, Eric realized there had only been one action.
Rorschach had blasted open the sealed chamber.
Suddenly Eric understood.
The chamber had been designed to block Charles's psychic abilities. By breaking the wall, Rorschach had created a flaw in that protection.
"That's it!"
Eric immediately raised both hands and focused on the surrounding metal.
CLANG!
CLANG!
Pieces of the chamber began vibrating violently.
Using his magnetic powers, Eric smashed the metal structure repeatedly, damaging the shielding walls even further.
The once perfectly sealed room began collapsing under the assault.
Shaw simply watched and shook his head.
"So you've finally started thinking, Eric," he said with a sneer.
"But it doesn't matter anymore."
After absorbing the nuclear submarine's reactor energy, Shaw had grown far stronger.
He no longer feared being exposed.
However—
While Shaw's attention was fixed on Eric—
Rorschach moved.
WHOOSH!
His body blurred as he accelerated to near supersonic speed.
Before Shaw could react, Rorschach's hand shot forward and tore the helmet from Shaw's head.
Shaw's power allowed him to absorb energy, but it did nothing to enhance his reaction speed.
Combined with the momentary distraction caused by Eric, he never even saw the move coming.
One moment the helmet was there.
The next—
It was gone.
A chill ran across Shaw's forehead.
"Damn it!"
He lunged toward Rorschach immediately, trying to retrieve the helmet.
Without it, he was defenseless against Charles.
"Well done, Rorschach!" Eric shouted.
Then he called out mentally.
"Charles—now!"
Charles had already been waiting.
His telepathic power surged forward instantly.
Shaw froze.
Mid-step, mid-motion—his entire body locked in place like a statue.
It was as if someone had pressed pause on reality itself.
"Rorschach… thank you," Eric said quietly.
Then he walked slowly toward Shaw.
His expression was complicated.
"Shaw… we've finally reached this moment."
Eric stared directly into Shaw's eyes.
"I know you can still hear me."
His voice grew colder.
"I agree with one thing you said. Mutants may truly be the future."
He paused.
"But you killed my mother."
The hatred in his voice was unmistakable.
Eric lifted his hand.
He intended to kill Shaw.
But suddenly—
His body froze.
He couldn't move.
Charles had intervened.
"Eric," Charles's voice echoed in his mind. "Listen to me. Killing him won't bring you peace."
"It will only stain your hands with blood. And you'll carry that burden forever."
"Charles—not now!" Eric shouted furiously.
"Get out of my head! Don't interfere!"
"Eric, control your anger," Charles insisted desperately. "Don't let it control you. You're better than that."
"Shut up!" Eric roared.
"Don't get in my way!"
The frustration boiling inside him was unbearable.
His enemy—the man who had destroyed his life—stood helpless right in front of him.
And yet his own ally was stopping him.
"Eric…"
TSSSS!
A sudden flash of heat vision cut through the room.
Rorschach's beams struck Shaw directly in the head.
Two smoking holes appeared instantly.
Charles, still connected to Shaw's mind, felt the wave of agony as Shaw's consciousness collapsed.
"AH!"
Charles screamed involuntarily as the psychic backlash surged through him.
.....
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