Firebird

"What’s going on?"

Everyone was stunned. Quicksilver blinked and said, "That direction… could the military’s secret base have blown up?"

"A military secret base?"

Magneto immediately asked. As America’s most wanted man, he was highly sensitive to such matters.

"Yes, there’s a military secret base nearby. I once wanted to sneak in and look around, but there were electromagnetic devices at the entrance. The moment I got close, I felt awful all over, so I didn’t go in."

Quicksilver replied. He was not actually much of a homebody. He often went out running and wandered around everywhere, since ordinary people could not see him anyway.

"Electromagnetic devices? So it’s a base researching mutants?"

A cold glint flashed through Magneto’s eyes. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Azazel, send us back first, then go investigate that place."

Azazel looked at Magneto in surprise. He was not going to check it out personally? Was it because he was worried about his son, or because his injuries had not healed yet? "All right."

Azazel did not ask further and prepared to teleport. At that moment, a massive firebird flapped its wings and rapidly flew toward them. As it flew, it sprayed flames down below, and the houses beneath it soon blazed fiercely.

Many of America’s small villas were built of wood.

Let us turn back time a little. At the military’s secret base, the major in charge of overseeing the mutant prison begged General Cassol, "General, you can’t abandon me. I’m innocent. I’ve done many things for you."

"You have indeed done many things for me, but you never should have revealed the truth in front of those reporters."

The white-haired old man, General Cassol, cursed, "And you especially shouldn’t have said my name. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?"

The major shouted, "That has nothing to do with me. I was controlled by Bert Wang. We can explain it to the public."

"Do you think the public will believe you? The military’s reputation has never been positive since the Vietnam War."

The mention of this made General Cassol furious. Those damned civilians had no gratitude at all. If the military had not defended America, America would have been destroyed long ago.

"It’s all that damned Bert Wang’s fault."

The major cursed. He sighed and slumped weakly into his chair. "General, I’ll take full responsibility and retire."

General Cassol said faintly, "Retirement alone won’t be enough."

As General Cassol spoke, the lieutenant who had gone to the Recycling Plant with the major quietly moved behind him. The major was so despondent that he did not notice.

"Not enough?"

The major froze, then asked in shock and fury, "General, am I supposed to go to prison too?"

"Not prison."

General Cassol shook his head and signaled for the lieutenant to act. Without a word, the lieutenant took out a rope and looped it around the major’s neck. Then he braced the chair with his foot and pulled backward with all his strength.

The major painfully clawed at the noose, staring at General Cassol in disbelief. General Cassol said, "There’s no other way. Only your suicide can calm this media storm. Go in peace. I’ll double the compensation paid to your family."

His face flushed red and unable to breathe, the major glared fiercely at General Cassol, his heart filled with unwillingness and hatred. Why should he be the scapegoat? Why should he die here?

He refused to accept it. He was full of hatred. He wanted revenge. He wanted to destroy everything.

At that moment, a voice brimming with resentment sounded in the major’s mind. "Are you willing to become a demon of Hell and destroy everything?"

The major immediately answered, "As long as I can take revenge, I’m willing to do anything."

"Very good. Go destroy everything you see."

The voice sounded again. Immediately afterward, countless strands of Black Qi, invisible to ordinary people, flooded into the major’s body. He felt himself growing hotter and hotter, as if he were about to burst into flames.

"Aah!" The major threw back his head and let out an ear-piercing scream. Then blazing flames erupted all over his body, making him look like a Human Torch.

The flames on the major’s body were incredibly hot. The rope and chair instantly burned to ash. General Cassol and the lieutenant were horrified. Was this a mutant awakening? "Shoot him! Kill him!"

As General Cassol backed away, he shouted at the lieutenant. The lieutenant was about to draw his gun when the major gave a vicious grin. The flames on his body spread madly, enveloping General Cassol and the lieutenant.

General Carol and the lieutenant let out miserable screams amid the flames and tried to escape, but after taking only a few steps, they were burned to ash.

"This feeling is wonderful. I’m going to burn down this base, burn down this world."

The major laughed wildly, using the flames to blast open the door. He then walked out of the office and burned everyone he saw. Although the soldiers in the base resisted desperately, they were no match for the major. Before long, the entire base had become a sea of fire.

The major was not satisfied. He walked to the base entrance and leaped hard, transforming into a huge firebird in midair before flying toward the nearby residential area.

The moment the major flew away, the base exploded violently. A huge mushroom cloud rose into the sky, and the major became even more excited. He would destroy this damned world. He would turn everyone into ash.

In Quicksilver’s backyard, seeing the firebird ravaging the residential area, Quicksilver anxiously shouted, "Old man, what are you waiting for? Go stop that monster!"

"Why should I stop that monster? What do I care whether ordinary people live or die?"

Magneto said disdainfully. The last time he had acted was because Senator Cabo had wanted to destroy the world. Otherwise, he would have been happy to see those ordinary people die.

Quicksilver was stunned, then cursed, "And you still have the nerve to criticize me? You damned wanted criminal, let me go already! If you won’t save them, I will."

"Pietro, first figure out who our enemies are and who our own people are."

Magneto said, "Once we return to the Brotherhood, I’ll teach you properly."

"I don’t know who our enemies are, but I know those people are all my friends."

Quicksilver shouted, "I’ve run past them countless times. I know everything that’s happened to them. Aunt Geli likes selling rotten vegetables to others. Uncle Jack received a counterfeit bill last week and burned it himself. Mary just dumped her boyfriend because he was too crude…

"They’re all my friends. I’m going to save them."

Everyone was speechless. Azazel could not help but mock him, "You’re actually a peeping tom, aren’t you?"

Quicksilver was a little embarrassed. Magneto’s teeth hurt. Why did his son enjoy spying on people just like the Professor? Whose son was he, really?

"They’re not your friends. They’re just the people you spy on. If they knew the truth, they’d only have one thought: tearing you to pieces."

Magneto said impatiently, "Azazel, take us away."

As Quicksilver struggled with all his might, he shouted, "No! Magneto, if you help me save them, I’ll obediently return to the Brotherhood with you. Otherwise, I’ll run away every day. With my speed, you can’t control me at all."

Quicksilver’s mother also pleaded, "Erik, please save them. They’re all good people."

Magneto’s heart softened. "Fine, I can save them, but you must join the Brotherhood and obey my orders."

Quicksilver looked as though he was going all in. "Fine. So what if I become a wanted criminal? It’s not like I’m a good person anyway."

"My biological son. Definitely my biological son."

Magneto took a deep breath and waved his hand, removing the wires binding Quicksilver. Quicksilver hit the ground with a bang, cursed, then got up and rushed toward the sea of fire with all his strength.

In Quicksilver’s eyes, everything around him had become slow motion, including the flames. He nimbly dodged the fire, rushed into a burning house, and carried Uncle Jack to the entrance of his own home.

Then Quicksilver went elsewhere to save people. In just one or two seconds, more than a dozen people appeared outside his house. They looked completely bewildered, having no idea why they were there.

"This kid’s ability is quite good."

Magneto nodded in satisfaction. As expected of his bloodline. Azazel frowned slightly. With the other man’s speed, would he have time to teleport?

At that moment, the firebird transformed from the major noticed a group of people gathered outside Quicksilver’s house. Without hesitation, it immediately spewed down a ball of flame.

Magneto raised a hand, sending a solar panel flying into the sky to block the descending flames. Then he raised his other hand, and large amounts of nearby steel—appliances, rebar, shovels, and more—all rose into the air.

"Wow, that wanted criminal is really strong."

Quicksilver’s eyes lit up. "I wonder if he’s stronger, or if Mister Bert Wang is stronger?"

Quicksilver greatly admired Wang Bert. After all, he had achieved so much at such a young age. More importantly, he was incredibly rich.

"Go."

Magneto waved his hand, and all the steel objects shot toward the firebird in the sky. The firebird flew into a rage, its flames swelling wildly and transforming it into a giant fireball. The moment the metal objects approached the fireball, they melted into molten iron.

Immediately afterward, the firebird cried out, and the flames covering its body crashed toward Magneto below like a small sun.

"Good."

Magneto spread his cloak, and a black spike flew out, shooting at the giant fireball in the sky at high speed.

This black spike was a metal alloy Magneto had forged himself. It possessed immense hardness and an extremely high melting point. Even the enormous fireball could not melt it.

Under Magneto’s control, the black spike slammed heavily into the fireball. The fireball exploded with a boom, sending rolling shockwaves outward as countless flames splashed toward the ground. The residents of the neighborhood screamed and hurriedly fled.

Seeing that its attack had failed, the firebird became even angrier. It beat its wings hard, firing flaming feathers densely downward like rain. Magneto’s expression changed, and he hurriedly had Azazel take Quicksilver’s mother away from the area.

As for Magneto himself, he flew diagonally into the sky, narrowly avoiding the flaming feathers—his shoe soles contained metal, which he could control.

"Damn it."

Seeing the flaming feathers coming down, Quicksilver panicked. He hurriedly moved over a hundred survivors out of the area. Fortunately, it was working hours and there were not many people around. Otherwise, even Quicksilver would not have been able to save everyone.

Bang, bang, bang… The flaming feathers struck the ground and exploded one after another, turning the entire neighborhood into a sea of fire. The survivors who had escaped by luck could not help covering their faces and crying. Their homes were gone.

Floating in the air, Magneto loudly asked the firebird, "What kind of monster are you?"

"I’m not a monster. I’m an American major."

The flames on the firebird condensed into a humanoid form. Then the major shouted furiously, "This world is full of mistakes. I’m going to destroy this world, destroy everything."

Magneto was stunned. "Destroy the world? What is your relationship with Senator Cabo?"

"We are both servants of our master. For our master, for ourselves, we will destroy this world."

The firebird stopped wasting words and gathered flames into fireballs, blasting them at Magneto. Magneto snorted coldly, and nine black spikes flew from his body. They crisscrossed through the air with incredible agility, detonating every fireball.

"This firebird isn’t as strong as Senator Cabo. I should be able to kill it."

Magneto reached out, preparing to form the metal below into a giant. At that moment, his chest suddenly tightened, and he smiled bitterly. His injuries had not healed.

"Looks like I can only stall for time until the X-Men and Bert Wang get here."

Magneto sighed and controlled the nine black spikes to attack the firebird. The firebird continuously fired fireballs to blast the spikes away. Man and bird fought fiercely in the sky without pause, exploding fireballs everywhere.

Meanwhile, at the America Mutant Affairs Management Department headquarters in New York, an employee reported to the director, Beast Hank, "Director, satellites have detected a high-energy reaction in the outskirts of New York. It appears mutants are engaged in battle."

"Send the satellite images over."

Hank immediately said. The employee did so, and soon everyone saw images of Magneto battling the firebird.

After looking through several photos, Hank frowned. "From the looks of it, the firebird attacked a neighborhood, and Magneto is stopping it and saving the people there."

The office fell silent. One employee reminded him, "Director, that’s Magneto, not Iron Man."

"I also find it unbelievable. No matter what, we need to eliminate that firebird first."

Hank shook his head and said, "I’ll contact the X-Men. You contact Psylocke and Iron Man and have them go provide support."

The X-Men had already registered with the Mutant Affairs Management Department and possessed certain authority.

"Yes."

The employee immediately called Wang Bert and Psylocke. After Wang Bert saw the satellite images, he wasted no words. He teleported to Psylocke’s side and took her with him to the outskirts.

At the same time, the Professor received Hank’s call for help. After thinking for a moment, he summoned Nightcrawler and asked, "Can you teleport everyone to the outskirts of New York?"

Wearing a priest’s robe and completely different from before in both spirit and bearing, Nightcrawler said confidently, "No problem. In fact, I can teleport anywhere in America."

The Professor was surprised. "Your ability has improved so quickly?"

"Because I’m no longer lost. We mutants are Angels sent by God to save the world. I will do everything I can to fulfill my mission."

Nightcrawler spoke with a holy expression. The Professor and Jean both turned their heads away, unable to face Nightcrawler because they feared they might reveal the truth.

Reincarnated Angel, my ass. Wang Bert made all that up.

"Good. Jean, find Storm and Cyclops. Prepare to depart."

After thinking for a moment, the Professor added, "Also bring Human Torch and Iceman. Their abilities are well suited to the current situation."

Human Torch John and Iceman Bobby were the next generation of X-Men trained by the Professor, and both had excellent potential.

"All right."

Jean nodded and went out to find them. The Professor hesitated for a moment, then said to Nightcrawler, "Kurt, you may encounter your father, Azazel, on this mission."

"My father? Azazel is my father?"

Nightcrawler froze, then excitedly asked, "Professor, really? Will I really get to meet my father?"