#434 - X-Men vs Hyperion (2)

"You can't leave."

Hyperion descended from the sky, looking slightly disheveled. His flowing golden cloak had vanished, torn to shreds by Cyclops' earlier laser attack, prompting Hyperion to discard it.

"Get out of my way," Gambit said, his eyes narrowed. One hand rested on Yang Le, while the other held a playing card crackling with magenta energy.

The others, though silent, displayed their abilities. Scott placed his hand on his visor, Illyana raised her Soulsword, and Colossus carefully held Yang Le, allowing Ororo to unleash her powers.

"This is your final warning, human vigilante," Ororo threatened coldly. "If you continue to interfere, I cannot guarantee my next attack will target you and not the nearby city."

The mutants were indeed temporarily unable to deal with Hyperion, but that didn't mean he was invincible, especially since he wasn't without vulnerabilities.

"Are you insane? Do you want to start a war, mutant?" Hyperion asked, astonished. Seeing Ororo's unwavering resolve, he realized she was serious.

"Humans have always been the ones wanting to start a war!"

Ororo became agitated upon hearing Hyperion's words. Having endured human experimentation and imprisonment, she viewed humans as oppressors.

Hyperion was unaware of her past. While he understood emotional instability in the face of injured comrades, threatening innocent lives crossed a line. In Hyperion's eyes, Ororo had become a criminal.

"I can hear your companion's heartbeat," Hyperion said, glancing at Yang Le in Colossus' arms. His Eternals physiology, enhanced by cosmic energy, allowed him to hear heartbeats without being close.

Among the rapid heartbeats, one was faint. Presumably, it was Yang Le, missing a shoulder. However, Hyperion found Yang Le's heartbeat peculiar. He had heard the heartbeats of many injured people, but none like Yang Le's. Unable to understand it, he attributed it to Yang Le's unique constitution. After all, he had never met a plant person before.

The roar of an engine drew Hyperion's attention to a strangely shaped aircraft. It must be the reinforcements the mutants had called for. However, Hyperion was unconcerned. Even Howard Stark, with his Stark Industries technology, could only annoy him with minor tricks. He doubted current Earth technology posed any threat.

"Cyclops, what's Fire Swamp's condition?" Jean's voice came over the comms, lacking its usual carefree tone, revealing her anxiety.

Fire Swamp was Yang Le's codename, like Cyclops or Gambit. They typically used codenames during missions. Gambit had even offered to help Yang Le choose one, but Yang Le declined, using his real name instead.

"Not good," Cyclops said, placing his hand on Yang Le's chest, feeling for the faint heartbeat. "I don't know how much longer he can last."

Jean, sitting in the copilot seat, hesitated for a second before resolutely saying, "Take care of Fire Swamp. I'll handle that guy."

"What?" Cyclops looked at the aircraft in astonishment. "Wait, Jean!"

Hyperion frowned slightly. His hearing allowed him to overhear Jean and Scott's conversation. Before he could figure out how Jean intended to help, he felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Ugh!" Hyperion clutched his head, looking at the hovering aircraft in shock. "Another mind-controller?"

After the 616 Incident, human animosity towards mutants reached new heights. Almost all mutants, regardless of their abilities, were labeled as pests. However, like pests, mutants were categorized, and humans voted on the perceived danger of mutants with different abilities.

Unsurprisingly, mind and mental ability users topped the list, despite Professor X's efforts. This gave people a clear understanding of the potential danger of not just mutants, but all superhumans.

Reportedly, the 616 Incident led to a surge in public support for superhuman regulation. While some agreed, others opposed it.

Many superheroes had stepped forward to protect the public during the 616 Incident. Superheroes typically hid their identities to protect their loved ones from retaliation or avoid disrupting their lives. Those who received protection shouldn't create problems for those providing it.

The debate over superhuman regulation raged online, but the government remained silent, as if nothing was happening. Ultimately, those without power couldn't change anything, and time eventually faded the issue.

However, the general public's fear of mutants with mind and mental abilities remained ingrained. Whenever such a mutant was discovered, if Magneto and his followers didn't find them first, there was an 80% chance they would find a corpse.

Scott had already collected the bodies of four fellow mutants rumored to have mind abilities. Once, he lost control and beat up a police officer because Hank deciphered the interrogation room footage and discovered the officer had abused the deceased mutant before his death. He and Gambit were cornered in the police station by the army.

Magneto came to bail them out, but not before killing the police officer. Magneto used the guns of the arriving soldiers and all the guns in the police station to execute the bastard. The medical examiner found only a small amount of human tissue among the bullets, not even an ounce.

Moreover, Magneto severed the police chief's hand for inadequate supervision. The government didn't react to Magneto's oppression, remaining silent even after such a commotion. There were no reports, and nothing could be found online, as if nothing had happened.

Since then, Scott understood that true justice came from strength. To protect Jean in this society, he had to become strong enough.

But Scott wasn't strong enough yet. He couldn't blind an entire country on his own. Exposing Jean's existence at this time was undoubtedly dangerous, which was why he was so anxious when he heard Jean was going to use her powers.

"Ugh!" Hyperion's question went unanswered. Jean simply intensified her assault on his mind. At that moment, Beast Hank's voice came over the comms.

"Don't waste time. While Jean holds him, let's run!"