S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Olive Branch

As a partner at a renowned law firm known throughout the United States, Attorney Olmo certainly had powerful connections. He accomplished what Jean and Ororo had exhausted themselves trying to achieve.

While Jean anxiously awaited Raven’s intelligence, Olmo called her and claimed that the military had relented, allowing staff from the Children’s Rights Protection Foundation to communicate with the children face-to-face.

Jean was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked him. "That’s wonderful, Attorney Olmo. Thank you. We’ll come over immediately. See you soon."

"Uh… Jean, you didn’t hear me clearly. I said they would allow ‘staff from the Children’s Rights Protection Foundation’ to enter the hospital and meet with the children. That does not include any Mutants."

"What? Why is that?" Jean asked in surprise.

"Because… don’t get angry yet, Jean. You know that the military has always discriminated against Mutants. They’re worried that you’ll use force to snatch the children away." Olmo was evasive, and the military’s actual words were clearly nowhere near this polite.

"This is ridiculous! If we wanted to use force, we wouldn’t have bothered going through legal channels in the first place! They’re slandering us out of thin air!" Jean shouted angrily.

"Of course I know that. But you also have to be more understanding. The military has always been full of conservatives. They’re like stones from a cesspit—smelly and hard. There’s simply no way to reason with them. Fortunately, we’ve made more progress than last time. Let’s take it one step at a time. We should confirm the children’s safety first, then worry about the rest. What do you think?"

Attorney Olmo coaxed her gently over the phone.

Jean took a deep breath and composed herself before saying slowly, "All right. I suppose this is the only way. I’ll leave everything to your friends."

"Don’t worry, Jean. This is their job, after all. They’re mothers too, and they’re all willing to do what they can for the children’s rights."

"Then I’ll wait for your good news."

Jean hung up, rubbed her tightly furrowed brow, and briefly explained the situation to Ororo. Then the two of them anxiously waited for the results of the visit.

Good news came one after another. They immediately received a message from "Raven," arranging to meet them somewhere.

The two of them left their residence and drove to the agreed location, an isolated café. As soon as they pushed open the door, they saw "Raven" sitting across from someone and drinking coffee.

Jean studied the person for a moment and immediately recognized him. He was a bald Black man with one eye, his features distinctive. He was none other than the famous Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.

She didn’t know what S.H.I.E.L.D. was getting involved in this time, so she glanced at "Raven" questioningly, signaling for an explanation.

Since they seemed to know me, that’s great. It saves me the trouble of introducing myself." Nick rose with a smile and exchanged pleasantries.

"Director Fury is well known in the upper circles of the supernatural world."

Jean politely held out her hand and shook Nick’s, then sat down beside him with Ororo.

A waiter brought coffee for the two of them. After he left, Jean took the initiative and asked, "May I ask what brings you here this time, Director Fury?"

"Regarding Xavier’s School, S.H.I.E.L.D. has intelligence you need." As Nick spoke, Natasha, sitting across from him, reached over and handed them a folder.

Jean and Ororo exchanged a glance. They assumed "Raven" had joined S.H.I.E.L.D., and they weren’t surprised in the slightest.

Although the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. were not subordinate to each other and had only an ordinary relationship, some people had joined the Avengers in a personal capacity, such as Wolverine Logan. So it was perfectly normal for "Raven" to become an Avenger as well.

Jean took the folder and opened it. Inside were the locations where Professor X and the others were being held separately.

Just as they had expected, all of them were being held at military bases. They weren’t in any hospital at all.

Ororo suddenly cried out, "Oh no! If the children aren’t in the hospital, then today’s meeting…"

"It was a trap!" Jean realized as well.

Jean hurriedly took out her phone and called Attorney Olmo. The moment the call connected, she shouted anxiously, "Attorney Olmo, cancel today’s meeting immediately! Today’s meeting is a trap!"

"What? Jean, we’ve already met one of the children. He’s sitting right across from us…"

Before Attorney Olmo could finish speaking, a roar suddenly came from the other end of the phone, followed by a tremendous explosion. The signal went dead.

"Damn it!" Jean hurriedly stood up. "We have to go save them!"

Ororo was anxious as well, but in this situation, there was nothing she could do.

"Where do we go? The military took them away and never told us the exact location."

The two of them turned their eyes toward Nick.

"Give me a few minutes." Nick picked up the phone and called one of his subordinates. After saying a few words, he hung up and gestured for them to sit. "Let’s sit and wait for now. Panicking won’t solve anything."

Fury’s composure affected Jean and Ororo. They sat back down and sincerely expressed their gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Director Fury. You’ve been a tremendous help this time. And Raven, we owe you thanks as well."

Natasha smiled sweetly. "I’m Natasha Romanoff, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Jean and Ororo’s expressions stiffened as they realized they had mistaken her for someone else. Their faces flushed bright red as they hurriedly apologized. "Sorry, Natasha. We thought…"

Natasha shook her head with a smile. "Raven is that Hansen from the Martial Arts School. If it weren’t for what you said yesterday, I wouldn’t have discovered it either. All I can say is that Mystique’s shapeshifting ability is truly outrageous."

Hansen’s records all genuinely existed. With S.H.I.E.L.D.’s capabilities, finding the real Hansen based on those records was not difficult.

There couldn’t possibly be two Hansens in the world. Mystique had been exposed just like that.

Jean and Ororo exchanged a glance, both extremely embarrassed. This time, they had effectively thrown their own "good sister" under the bus.

Mystique was a wanted criminal of the Federation. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. might not necessarily involve itself in the matter, based on their understanding of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mystique would almost certainly be targeted and monitored.

Nick broke the awkward silence and asked, "Jean, Ororo, would you be willing to join the Avengers?"

They were both veteran warriors with clear goals and firm convictions. Beating around the bush was pointless; getting straight to the subject was the most appropriate way to communicate.

The two exchanged a glance, somewhat hesitant.

"The X-Men have always dealt only with matters related to Mutants. We don’t get involved in ordinary people’s affairs."

"Director Fury, you know that Mutants are already suffering from widespread rejection. If we become too active, we’ll inevitably provoke even more fear and suspicion from high-ranking officials, which would harm the situation of Mutants."

"Is that so? What a shame." Nick sighed. "I understand your choice. However, I still hope that Mutants can make greater contributions when it comes to dealing with crises threatening Earth."

The phone rang. After answering it, Nick said, "Attorney Olmo is currently undergoing emergency treatment at Presbyterian Hospital."

Jean and Ororo hurriedly stood up, said their farewells, and left.

"Thank you very much, Director Fury. We’ll remember this favor. If you ever need us, give us a call. We can help in our personal capacities."