Chapter 93: Suspicious Red Devil
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After confirming that his father was fine, Ivan felt a sense of relief. Previously, he had been concerned that his actions might attract the World's consciousness and lead to unforeseen consequences. Through this incident, Ivan came to understand a crucial truth – the World consciousness, much like the Dao of Heaven in the myth of the Great Desolation, cannot be changed in general. However, as long as one doesn't overstep and maintains a certain degree of control, small adjustments are possible.
Returning to the cradle of rebirth, Ivan marveled at the structure resembling crisscrossed vines, each bearing large "fruits." Although he had seen it countless times, pride would flicker across Ivan's face every time. This cradle stood as one of his most successful creations.
His gaze then shifted to one of the "fruits" – a black figure curled up in a transparent culture capsule with a diameter of over one meter. The label "05232" was affixed to the outside of the capsule.
"Queen Red, how is the 05232 mutant?" Ivan inquired suddenly.
A beam of light projected from above, unfolding to reveal an image of a little girl in the red queen. In a clear voice, she responded, "The 05232 mutant, codenamed Darwin, has been resurrected successfully, in good health, and can be awakened at any time."
"That's good. Extract him now and attend to his body tonight. Bring him to me tomorrow morning. I have something to discuss with him in person."
"I am pleased to serve you, Dr. Ivan." A robotic arm, more than ten meters long, emerged from above, grasped the No. 05232 culture capsule, moved it to a conveyor belt, and sent it to another room.
Ivan turned away and left. Today, he engaged in multiple battles against Wonder Woman, Eric, and others. Despite his strength, Ivan felt a bit fatigued. People brought him food, and after enjoying a hearty dinner, he retired for the night to rest.
Early the next morning, Ivan, having just finished washing up, sat down in the reception room when news came from the Red Queen that Darwin had arrived.
Upon seeing the slightly uneasy Darwin walk in, Ivan greeted him with a smile,
"Armando... um"
"I'll call you Darwin. Now that you've awakened, I believe the Red Queen has provided you with a general overview of the situation. The decision is now yours to make. You can choose to leave or stay here. Typically, to safeguard the secrecy of this place, all memories related to it would be erased. However, your situation is a bit unique.
You were part of the X-Men before, and Charles, the founder of the X-Men, possesses psychic abilities enabling him to view memories in others' minds. I'm concerned that even if your memories are deleted, there might be flaws that he could uncover. Therefore, we need to add a few more layers of insurance. I hope you can understand."
Darwin relaxed a bit at this point, nodded, and said, "To be honest, it all seems a bit unbelievable to me right now. There are souls in this world and ways to resurrect the dead. I understand the importance of this and the significance it holds for mutants. I am willing to cooperate with all your efforts."
"That's good. Let's make your choice now. I already have a sense of it from your tone, but you should state it yourself."
"Although I'm grateful for the second chance at life you've given me, I choose to leave and return to the X-Men team," Darwin spoke with a firm expression, clearly having made up his mind.
Ivan remained expressionless, revealing no signs of joy or anger. "This is your freedom, and I won't stop you. Can you share the reason for your decision?"
"I was an orphan. Growing up, I struggled to make a living but faced discrimination due to personal issues. I didn't have any goals until I joined the X-Men. For the first time, I felt I had achieved something meaningful in my life, and I don't want to give that up."
In truth, Darwin didn't mention another reason. He vividly remembered his death until he heard what Shaw said. At the time, he didn't care. Now, reflecting on it, it was clear that Shaw knew he would be resurrected. There must be a lot with Shaw here. He didn't want to have anything to do with Shaw anymore.
"So that's the case. I wish you success in achieving your goals. Come with me. The next step is to erase your memory, and then I will send you to the mansion where Charles is. Charles possesses telepathic abilities, enabling him to alter other people's memories. There weren't many witnesses to your death initially, and as long as he's willing to help you, modifying the memories of a few people can eliminate these hidden dangers. Come with me."
Ivan stood up, turned, and walked to the next room. Darwin followed without hesitation, not worried that Ivan would harm him. This was the opponent's territory, and if he truly intended harm, he could have attacked when Darwin was unconscious. Considering that he was rescued by the other party, there was no reason for an attack.
After Ivan had Darwin drink the magic potion he had prepared, he asked him to lie on a bed, holding his temples with both hands and modifying some memories. Once he was certain that Skull Island wouldn't be exposed, Ivan reached out to lift Darwin and used the shape-shifter phantom to transport him to a castle. Ivan threw Darwin onto the lawn, deliberately triggered the alarm in the castle, and promptly hid in the shadows.
The alarm set off a flurry of activity in the castle. After a while, Beast (Hank) rushed out and was shocked to find Darwin lying on the lawn. He assumed it was a prank by mutants with special abilities or perhaps Raven's mimicry. He shouted and screamed, but no one believed that the person before them was Darwin. Even when Darwin tried to explain, it fell on deaf ears, as everyone vividly remembered his death.
Only when Charles personally examined Darwin's brain did they finally confirm his identity. The revelation left everyone dumbfounded. They had witnessed Darwin's death, the kind that involved broken bones. How could he be alive now? Some even questioned if their initial observations were an illusion.
Regardless, Darwin's return to life was a cause for celebration among the X-Men, even if it posed some challenges for Charles afterward.
As the X-Men were rejoicing, Magneto was feeling uneasy. Meanwhile, the White Queen observed Red Devil, Magneto, Riptide, Angel, and Mystique with suspicion. The two groups, which had confronted each other in China and Canada, found themselves in an unexpected situation.
"Azazel, tell me your real purpose," the White Queen demanded, casting a murderous look at Red Devil.
To understand this situation, we must go back to when Magneto and Charles parted ways. Magneto took Red Devil to the CIA headquarters and freed the detained White Queen. After some persuasion, the White Queen chose to seek refuge with Magneto. With Red Devil's assistance, everyone reached a temporary stronghold. When the White Queen heard about Shaw's death, she was mentally prepared, but the revelation that Ivan was still alive caught her off guard. Red Devil, in response, showed an extremely vigilant look, confusing Magneto and the others.
"I said, Emma, don't be so serious. We're all of the same kind. Do you think I would side against you?" Red Devil rolled his eyes and spoke.
At this point, Magneto attempted to defuse the tension, stating, "Yes, We are all of the same kind, brothers and sisters. I've decided to turn our organization into a mutant brotherhood. We are companions, not enemies. We must help each other. Emma, you can't just doubt your brother."
However, the White Queen showed no signs of relaxing and continued to stare at Red Devil. She voiced her concerns, "No, You don't understand. I've been with Shaw for the longest time and know more things. Although Azazel is Shaw's subordinate, in reality, he is loyal to Ivan. If there's a conflict between Ivan and Shaw, he will stand by Ivan without hesitation. As long as Ivan is alive, he will never rebel, unless there are other motives."
At this moment, Angel, puzzled, interjected, "Don't you have telepathy? Just go directly into his brain, check it out, and you'll understand everything."
The White Queen's face turned solemn, and she replied gravely, "Exactly. Finally, we've reached the crux of the matter. I can't read his thoughts. Not only him but also Shaw and Ivan. Though the three of them are distinct individuals, they somehow share a means to block my telepathy."
Hearing this revelation, the rest, including Magneto, immediately became wary of Red Devil. The three of them having the ability to resist telepathy simultaneously seemed suspicious, and there must be a deeper reason for it.
"Tell me specifically how they defended against your telepathy," Magneto inquired after a moment.
"The three of them have different defense methods. In Shaw's case, there appears to be a black hole in his brain. When my spiritual power entered his brain, it was instantly obliterated by the black hole. I was injured once because of it. Since then, I haven't dared to invade his brain again." Reflecting on the experience, the White Queen shuddered, grateful that Shaw didn't intentionally harm her, or the consequences could have been much worse.
Magneto nodded, Charles also had a similar experience.
"Go on."
"Ivan's situation is the most peculiar. Even when facing Shaw and Azazel, my spiritual power can still enter his brain, but some anomalies prevent me from reading their thoughts. However, with Ivan, my mind can't even penetrate his brain. I tried once, and it felt like hitting a stone."
If Ivan had been present, he would have told her that his brain development level had surpassed 35%, and his mental power was a hundred times stronger. Attempting to invade his brain with just telepathy was a futile endeavor. The White Queen should consider herself fortunate that her previous psychic intrusion failed; otherwise, Ivan's psychic recoil could have left her mentally incapacitated.
"Lastly, with Azazel, I can invade his brain, but then I encounter a peculiar spatial obstacle, like a maze, making it impossible for me to access his thoughts."
After hearing the White Queen's account, everyone's attention turned to Red Devil. At this juncture, suspicion clouded the room, and Magneto addressed him sternly, "Azazel, give us an explanation."
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