Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing-Chapter 159: The Eve of the War

The news of Ororo's death hadn't been kept secret.

Every student at the academy knew. Their beloved teacher was gone.

Now, even Hank, who had always buried himself in the lab, working tirelessly on ways to counter human advancements, was forced to step forward and teach. Without someone at the front of the class, the school would eventually collapse.

As for Charles, who once taught history and psychology, was no longer able to continue. His body was deteriorating far too quickly. But despite everything, there was still one thing that gave him a sense of comfort.

Hank's research had finally stabilized.

One day, after finishing his lessons, the man walked into Charles's office.

"Charles, the students have completely rejected Jean. Even if we assign her as a teacher, there's no fixing this."

Ororo's death had been reported by Jean. Charles hadn't made his suspicions public; he hadn't told anyone that he believed Jean was the one who killed Ororo.

But even without that knowledge, the students saw the teacher they admired dead, while the one they disliked came back. It was only natural for them to feel resentment.

They placed all the blame for Ororo's death on Jean. It wasn't exactly a misunderstanding. They didn't know the full truth, but they weren't far off either.

"Has Jean really gone past the point of no return?" Charles murmured, letting out a long sigh. He had tried everything he could to pull her back, to make her truly stand with them before the final conflict arrived.

But he had failed.

Jean's personality was even more selfish than he had imagined. When the mutant community was strong, she had no problem acting as part of their team or carrying out her missions seriously. But now, with the entire mutant population on the brink of collapse, there was nothing left to hold her interest.

They were barely holding on, and someone like Jean wasn't going to offer help out of loyalty or duty.

Seeing the disappointment on Charles's face, Hank, his last remaining old friend, finally spoke.

"When are we starting the final plan? Alex and I are ready."

Alexander Summers. The older brother of Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops. A few years ago, he had joined Charles on a space mission, hoping to gain the human government's support under the guise of cooperation.

But that plan had fallen apart thanks to Martian Manhunter's interference. Since then, Alexander had been moving as a mercenary, gathering intel across the globe. He had become one of the mutant side's most important sources of information.

Now that even he had returned, it was clear the plan had reached its final stage.

"We should..." Charles began, then paused.

Lately, his mind had grown sluggish. Even with obvious problems, he needed more time than before to make decisions. Perhaps it was because of how many losses the mutants had suffered under his leadership over the years.

His confidence had slowly faded.

Just as Charles was caught in his thoughts, the oldest student at the academy, Peter, the Colossus, pushed the door open.

"Professor! Something's wrong!"

Both Charles and Hank turned to look at him.

After a few deep breaths, Peter said quickly, "Lorna... Lorna took Bobby, Kitty, John, and every student with combat-type mutant powers. They've all left the school."

"What?"

The unexpected news snapped Charles out of his troubled thoughts. His mind, for once, cleared up sharply, and he instantly realized what those students were planning to do.

"They... they want revenge for all the fallen mutants. It's either New York... or Gotham..."

Charles closed his eyes in pain. He was powerless. If he wanted to stop them, he'd have to unleash his full psychic power. But if he did, that human in New York would never allow it.

All he could do now was watch as those kids walked straight into death.

And the one truly at fault was himself.

Charles didn't try to shift the blame. Even if it was humans who would end up killing those children, he knew it was because of him. He was the one who had raised them with the belief that mutants were superior, destined to lead the world. If not for that, they wouldn't have made such a desperate choice after all the setbacks mutants had suffered.

His vision for the future of mutants—his education, his ideals—had ended up destroying the last embers of their kind.

Everything he had worked for over the past few decades was gone, like it had never mattered.

Even though there were still millions of mutants across the world, convincing those living among humans to abandon their lives and join their cause was nearly impossible.

"Charles..." Hank muttered.

"I'll go after them right now," He said. "You can't use your powers to bring them back, but if I move fast enough, I can catch up to them."

He turned to leave. Their jet had been destroyed, and they no longer had the resources to build another one. But they still had vehicles, and many of those kids didn't have powers that could help them travel quickly.

If he left now, he was sure he could catch them.

"I'm going too," Peter added.

As the oldest student and one already chosen as a future X-Men member, he had long developed a strong sense of duty.

But even as the two of them made their offer, Charles, after a moment of thought, slowly shook his head. "No. As painful as it is... this is a chance. A chance to start the final move together."

He had the opportunity to save those kids, but he gave it up. He turned their lives into the best moment for a final stand.

Hank stopped stopped in his tracks and looked at the professor with wide eyes.

"Charles... you can't mean—"

"I haven't lost my mind," Charles interrupted quietly. "This is the best shot we have. You, Alex, and Peter. Take Wolverine from the lab and head to Liberty Island. Bring the last piece of our plan with you..."

Hank still wanted to argue. He couldn't accept giving up on those kids. However, when he looked into Charles' eyes, saw the despair mixed with a final sliver of hope, he nodded.

That was how their generation of mutants had made it. Step by step, under the leadership of Charles and Erik, they had risen to greatness. Even though the past few years had drained their strength, the trust built over decades hadn't faded.

But that was Hank's belief. The other person in the room didn't share that view.

"Professor! I can't accept this!" Peter protested, unable to accept abandoning his fellow students.

He might be the oldest, but he was still a student. He knew exactly how bright and hopeful his classmates were. He couldn't stand by and watch Charles give up on them.

"Even if you won't back me... I'll bring them back myself!"

Without waiting for a response, Peter stormed out.

Moments later, the sound of a motorcycle engine roared outside the yard.

He had made his choice, rejecting Charles' plan to go save his friends.

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