Homelander: New Legacy

[149] : General Stryker

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Compared to Charles, Erik's perspective remained as extreme as ever.

In any universe, Erik's mutant supremacist ideology never truly changed, likely shaped by his traumatic childhood experiences. Even in worlds where Magneto seemed more restrained, the lingering thought of eradicating humanity always simmered beneath the surface.

Charles, on the other hand, consistently believed in peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans. Even now, he maintained that those who wanted to destroy or oppress mutants represented only a fraction of humanity.

This belief was bolstered by the many humans who risked their lives to help mutants, often facing persecution by their own governments for doing so.

Speaking about his old friend, Charles couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Among the original X-Men, only a few remained alive. The rest had either passed away or left, including many of Charles' students.

The second generation of X-Men wasn't much better off—apart from Storm, Nightcrawler, and Logan, few remained active.

Even the newer generation had suffered heavy losses, leaving Charles to tolerate Erik's presence, despite their ideological clashes, and allow him to stay at the school.

Switching topics, Charles turned to Roger and said, "Let's not talk about him anymore. You likely have your own tasks to attend to today, don't you?"

"You know?" Roger asked, surprised.

"Apologies, I 'overheard' your friend's thoughts," Charles said apologetically.

By "friend," Charles meant Tony Stark. Unfamiliar with how mutant powers worked, Tony's mind was an open book to Charles, who could easily pick up his thoughts without much effort.

Roger found this intrusion somewhat impolite, but more pressing matters were at hand. He replied to Charles' earlier question:

"Yes, I plan to acquire the Sentinel production data."

"Then go ahead," Charles encouraged.

"You're not going to stop me?"

Roger raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why should I stop you?" Charles countered. "If you've made this decision, it means you're committed to protecting both worlds. Sentinels, regardless of what they've done, are merely tools in human hands. If a tool can be used to protect the world, what's wrong with that?"

Charles spoke with a calm yet profound tone.

Looking at Charles' warm expression, Roger couldn't shake the feeling that Charles would support him no matter what he chose to do—as if Charles had unwavering faith in him.

Roger wasn't sure where this impression came from, but Charles' support gave him some much-needed relief.

"I may not be a perfect protector," Roger admitted, "but I will ensure the safety of both worlds, and yours as well. It's my responsibility."

"Then go for it," Charles encouraged with a smile, wheeling himself away from Roger's room.

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Not long after Charles left, Tony appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame.

"That bald professor's ability is quite the headache," Tony remarked. "Looks like I'll need a device to block psychic intrusion."