Chapter 99 – Mutants: Enemies of the World

November 17th.

At a press conference held at the White House, the spokesperson addressed the public, elaborating on the series of "horrifying" and "infuriating" events that had recently taken place in Cuba.

> "Like many of you, I was stunned and couldn't believe it at first. But the facts are undeniable. We are not the sole masters of this planet."

> "Among us may exist a group of individuals with extraordinary powers—mutants. Extremely dangerous, and very real."

> "Yes, mutants exist!"

> "We must confront this harsh reality."

> "Just one mutant with the power to control metal was enough to destroy our entire fleet. So what about the others? What abilities do they possess? What kind of power do they wield?"

…

Even the always-smiling President personally addressed the media, expressing condolences over the fleet lost off the coast of Cuba. But alongside his grief was unmistakable fear—fear of this newly exposed group: mutants.

He urged every American to stay vigilant, warning that this group posed an unprecedented threat.

Panic erupted across the nation.

Shock rippled around the globe.

To most, the U.S. Navy symbolized the world's greatest military power, the very foundation of America's superpower status.

Back during the height of the U.S.-Soviet standoff, the U.S. had deployed 68 air squadrons, 8 aircraft carriers, and a total of 90 warships into the Cuban Strait—a superfleet powerful enough to flatten a small country.

And now, that fearsome force had been annihilated by just a handful of people?

If it hadn't come directly from the White House, with the President swearing on live TV, who would've believed such a thing?

Not long after America's official announcement, the Bear Country followed suit.

They too held a press conference to address their citizens and other nations closely following the incident. They confirmed the truth: their fleet had been destroyed—by mutants.

Just like that, a once-unknown term—mutants—exploded into global consciousness.

Once dismissed as myth or comic book fiction, mutants were now headline news, viral on every screen.

Even three-year-olds were being taught that mutants were terrifying monsters. "If you see one," they were told, "call the police immediately."

"Wipe out the mutants!"

"Down with the mutants!"

"Protect our nation!"

Shortly after the official statements, protests erupted across both countries. In many cities, crowds gathered in front of the White House and the Kremlin, petitioning their governments to take immediate military action against this "dangerous threat."

Chaos swept through both nations. Civilians were gripped with fear. Gun and ammo sales skyrocketed overnight, shelves swept clean.

No one needed to say why people were buying weapons. The reason was obvious.

Mutants had become public enemy number one.

---

Inside a luxurious villa...

> "Since the President's speech, cities have descended into panic. Right now, everyone's asking the same question—how many mutants are out there? Where are they hiding?"

On the large television screen, a female news anchor in professional attire was reporting on the mutant situation. Behind her was a chaotic scene—angry protests filling the streets.

Raven and Hank were sitting in the spacious living room, nestled in the comfort of the sofa, but neither could relax. Their brows were furrowed so tightly they looked like dried chrysanthemums in late autumn.

"How did it come to this?"

"How did this happen?!"

Raven couldn't take it anymore. Frustrated, she stormed up to the television and began flipping through the channels.

But it was pointless.

No matter how many channels she changed, every one of them was reporting on the same thing: mutants.

Mutants were now dominating the airwaves.

> "Alex... I know it's a little late to say this, but maybe Charles was right. I should've tried harder to stop you and Erik."

Hank's frown deepened as worry filled his face. He, too, looked like a withered autumn chrysanthemum.

They had known when Alex and Erik took out the two fleets that backlash was inevitable. But even so, they hadn't expected it to be this bad.

They had been caught completely off guard by just how severe the consequences were.

Mutants had become pariahs—rats on the streets, chased and hated by all.

If things kept going this way... was there any future left for mutants?

Hank regretted it.

Raven regretted it, too.

Seeing their fellow mutants being thrown into such chaos and suffering—unless one was as extreme as Erik—it was impossible not to feel some remorse.

But what about Alex?

Did he regret it?

No. He didn't.

Even if he could go back, Alex would still do the same thing.

Things might look bad now, but when had mutants ever had it easy?

Even if he and Erik hadn't destroyed the fleet, would the U.S. have ever left mutants alone?

Never. That's just human nature.

When people are faced with power they can't control, their first instinct is to destroy it.

In the original timeline where Alex hadn't interfered and Erik was stopped by Charles—what happened then?

Mutants were still captured, dissected, experimented on. Forced into war. Targeted by an endless stream of anti-mutant weapons. They even invented robots that could scan and identify the X-gene.

What changed?

Nothing—except the violence was a little more subtle.

Of course, Alex's actions were partly responsible for the current chaos. Without his involvement, Erik would never have succeeded in destroying the fleet.

So no, Alex wasn't going to wash his hands of it.

He had stirred the storm—and he wasn't about to walk away.

> "Alex, what do we do now?"

"We have to do something, don't we?"

"Alex, tell me. What's your plan?"

Raven's voice trembled with urgency. She stood before Alex, pleading for answers.

> "At this point... what can we do?" Hank muttered in defeat, shaking his head.

> "No, Hank," Alex said, eyes steady and calm. "There's still something we can do."

At his words, both Raven and Hank looked up, eyes suddenly alight with hope.

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