Chapter 138: The Unexpected One

Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:

patreon.com/Draco_

******

Charles fell silent, while Erik chuckled and continued, "Besides, your personality and abilities make you far more suited to dealing with 'those people' than I am."

"But…" Charles said anxiously, "What you're planning is far too dangerous!"

"And... if we're talking about enemies, isn't the Black Queen still around?"

"Don't be foolish!" Erik replied calmly. "What the school needs is a trustworthy enemy, one with limits—not someone like the Black Queen, who takes pleasure in killing and thrives on chaos."

An enemy like her would cause unimaginable casualties when the time came for battle.

"Besides, the Black Queen is actually the key to successfully establishing the school."

Using the Black Queen as the ultimate adversary to serve as the foundation for the school's creation?

Tsk, these two really know how to turn a situation to their advantage.

Mike smirked to himself.

"Dad!" Charles turned to Mike urgently. "Say something to Erik!"

Mike scratched his head helplessly and said, "What do you expect me to do? Lock him up? Break his legs?"

Charles fell silent, quickly regaining his composure.

They weren't children anymore. If they could be stopped that easily, then their resolve wasn't strong enough to begin with.

Compared to Charles's deep concern, Erik seemed completely unbothered.

He had already mapped out his entire plan.

Among mutants, the Hellfire Club, led by the Black Queen, held absolute power. As for the White Queen, she was far more low-key in comparison, keeping a much lower profile than the Black Queen, who openly battled humans and led mutants in crime. Aside from them, the remaining factions were nothing more than small splinter groups.

The Black Queen had to be eliminated. Only by dealing with her could he take over the Hellfire Club and gain control over the mutants under her command.

This way, he wouldn't just eliminate the threat of Hellfire and impose order on the mutants—he would also establish a long-term adversary for the school.

It was the perfect plan, a decision he had made long ago.

"Alright!" Erik said with a smile. "Don't you trust my abilities?"

Charles jumped to his feet, shouting, "This isn't about trust! Do you even understand how dangerous this is?"

Watching Charles's emotional outburst, Erik felt a warmth spread in his chest. He spoke in a soft tone, "I'm your older brother. How could I let you take this risk instead?"

Charles stiffened, his eyes stinging as if dust had gotten into them, his throat tightening.

"…I understand."

His voice was barely above a whisper as he slumped onto the sofa in defeat.

Erik sighed inwardly, then suddenly raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What's this? Are you so moved you want to cry? Do you need a—"

Before he could finish, Charles shot him a glare and pulled him into a tight hug.

Erik froze for a moment before the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

Mike, watching the two, felt a sense of relief but suddenly slapped the table with a loud smack, snapping, "What, so just because I'm quiet, you think I don't exist?"

Both brothers stiffened before hurriedly sitting up straight, forcing out sheepish smiles.

"Of course not, Dad!"

"Wouldn't dare!"

Mike scoffed lightly and said, "Go ahead and do what you need to do. If you run into trouble, tell me. I'll always have your backs."

"Even if I become a criminal?" Erik asked in a low voice.

Mike grinned and said, "Yes. Even if you become a criminal."

Erik broke into a bright smile.

Now he felt reassured. Now he was satisfied.

But he also understood—above all else, their connection to Mike, their relationship as a family, could never be exposed. If it was, everything would end before it even began.

"Worried about our relationship being discovered?"

Mike saw right through Erik's thoughts in an instant.

Erik and Charles exchanged a glance before nodding.

Over the years, they had left behind too many traces. If someone with enough interest started digging, their family ties could easily be uncovered...

Mike waved a hand dismissively. "Leave that to me."

With that, he stood up. "Give me a moment—I need to make a call."

Picking up his phone, he walked to the side and dialed a number he had rarely used.

The phone rang a few times before the other end picked up.

"What's going on? What made you suddenly think of calling me?"

The voice on the other end was filled with curiosity and confusion.

"I need a favor."

Hearing the weight in Mike's voice, the person on the other end became serious. "Go on."

"Erase some traces for me."

"What traces?" 

"The traces of my relationship with Charles and Erik, as well as any evidence of their lives over the past years." 

Hearing this, the person on the other end of the call was taken aback. In a hushed tone, he asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?" 

His sharp instincts as an agent told him that this was something big. 

"I..." 

"Say no more. I'm coming to you!" 

This wasn't the kind of conversation to have over the phone. Even though he was confident that no one could eavesdrop on his calls, he still refused to discuss it like this—especially after what he had learned from Mike about S.H.I.E.L.D.… 

"No nee—" 

Before Mike could finish his sentence, the call was cut off. 

His face darkened. 

That guy was getting more and more paranoid—it was practically an illness at this point. 

If he had known that telling him about Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. would turn him into this, he would have kept his mouth shut. 

Mike let out a sigh and walked back into the living room. As soon as Charles and Erik looked over, he said, "Wait for him to arrive." 

"Who?" 

Charles asked curiously. 

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director—Nick Fury." 

"What?!" 

Charles cried out in shock. 

They knew that Mike was acquainted with Nick Fury—they had even met him before. But… he was now the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.! 

Wouldn't letting him in on their plans be too risky? 

Erik frowned. "Dad, can we trust him?" 

Mike chuckled. "Do you two think you're doing something evil? If you succeed, this will be a good thing for S.H.I.E.L.D.—and for the entire world." 

Many people had a poor impression of Nick Fury, calling him devious and manipulative. 

But really, wasn't that exactly what a top intelligence officer was supposed to be? 

Nick Fury was cunning, but he had always acted with the world's safety in mind. 

He often came across as ruthless, but in the original storyline, when Hawkeye was brainwashed and stole the Tesseract, Fury still chose to trust him after he regained his senses—even taking responsibility for him afterward. 

At the end of the day, Nick Fury was just an ordinary man. Yet he was more determined to protect the world than most. 

And to Mike, Nick Fury wasn't just an ally—he was a friend. A friend he could trust. 

Charles and Erik exchanged uneasy glances, still hesitant. 

Seeing this, Mike smirked. "Don't forget Charles's ability. If he shows up and Charles senses that he can't be trusted, he can simply erase his memory of this conversation." 

Hearing that, the two brothers nodded. 

(End of Chapter)