Morgan and the others took a fast flight to the Soviet Union, passing through checkpoints and landing discreetly along with a specialized team assigned to accompany them on the mission.
They were supposed to go directly to the residence of the Soviet defense chief, where he was expected to meet with Shaw. However, before that, they had to contact the informant who worked with Morgan and Artoria. They needed to be sufficiently prepared, as their enemy was not someone who could be confronted with conventional weapons.
Morgan led the way. She was an agent affiliated with Chaldea and registered with SHIELD, which granted her authorization to access the agency's database and contact agents. That was how she made contact with Fury, who provided his exact location.
They arrived at a makeshift base in a nearby town with a population of no more than three digits. It was a small settlement. On the outskirts, inside a modest house, Fury was waiting for them, using it as a temporary residence.
"It's good to see you're doing well, Fury. I hope you haven't blown up a historical monument recently."
"If it wasn't my best moment, you don't have to mention it. Let's go inside quickly before anyone gets suspicious."
After Morgan's brief greeting, everyone entered the residence. Even though it was a small town, too many people gathering in one place would raise alarms. For that reason, the CIA team secured the perimeter, leaving only Charles, Erik, Morgan, and Moira to proceed inside.
Once inside, Fury cleared the kitchen area, pushing the dining table into the center of the room to create a larger working surface. He closed the blinds and windows to ensure complete isolation. Returning to the group, he placed a luminous metal cylinder at each corner of the table, atop a tablecloth decorated with hexagonal patterns. He pressed a few buttons on a device resembling an Alcatel phone, and a holographic projection of the target location appeared above the table.
The image flickered and lacked clarity at times, but it was sufficient to display the enemy perimeter.
"This technology is… impressive."
"The CIA isn't even close to creating something like that."
Charles and Moira praised it, the latter visibly bewildered.
"I'm glad to know we're progressing fast enough, but let's not get distracted. Our executive is here."
Fury said, pointing at the Soviet defense chief's mansion. With a wave of his hand, the hologram zoomed in, highlighting the perimeter detection zones and heavily guarded areas.
"What are these?"
Erik asked, referring to several red dots positioned at blind spots.
"Agents of the Red Room. Black Widows stationed to intercept any intrusion. They're lethal assassins and extremely difficult to evade. They use mind blocking devices, so Professor Charles, it's likely your abilities won't work on them."
"Before… it seems you're using something similar."
Charles commented after Fury's explanation, noticing the interference he had experienced when attempting to read Fury's thoughts. Fury smiled.
"You're not the first telepath I've encountered, Mr. Charles. As a SHIELD agent, precautions are necessary."
Fury said proudly.
"SHIELD? Is that the name of your organization?"
"Wasn't it mentioned by Director Artoria?"
"She said she worked for an organization, but didn't give us details."
"Then I won't say more. If you want answers, it's best to hear them from her. Let's sit down and assess the situation."
Fury ended the discussion, making a mental note of Artoria's preference for discretion.
"Miss Morgan should be able to bypass the area's security network. She's done it before."
"Of course it's not difficult," Morgan replied, "but we still have to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. I don't have my sister's intuition, but something tells me things may not go as smoothly as we hope."
She had sensed traces of magic upon arriving in the country, magic that felt disturbingly familiar.
"We'll adapt as needed. Director Carter anticipated escalation and has already sent reinforcements for damage control."
They finalized the plan before moving toward the private residence of the defense chief.
After passing the checkpoint, Morgan deployed a mobile air territory with advanced concealment. A simple shadow reflection spell wouldn't have sufficed due to the number of people present.
They waited.
Soon, a helicopter landed in the front yard. A man and a woman exited. Mastermind and Shaw's assistant, Tessa. Shaw himself was absent.
Erik was visibly irritated. Charles took control of a nearby guard's mind to investigate.
Listening in on the conversation between Mastermind and the Soviet defense chief an elderly man in his sixties, Charles confirmed Shaw wasn't present and informed the others. Erik grew angrier.
"There's nothing we can do about that," Fury said. "But we still have a chance to obtain the information we're missing."
He activated his communicator.
"Reinforcements have surrounded the area at a safe distance. Close enough to prevent escapes, far enough to avoid detection."
"That's enough for me."
Erik rose, rushing toward the compound. Charles tried to stop him but failed.
"They'd better move, or he'll have all the fun."
Morgan said, floating lightly as she followed him. The others had no choice but to follow.
Erik quickly dispatched the common soldiers but met resistance when facing the Black Widows.
They were assassins, not soldiers. Agile and precise, they evaded everything Erik threw at them. He tried manipulating the metal in their clothing, but they anticipated it, dispersing the tension and counterattacking. For a young and inexperienced Erik, the fight was frustrating. He managed to keep them at bay, but the battle stalled.
Fury arrived, exploiting a blind spot and incapacitating one Widow with a powerful hook. The balance shifted. Erik immobilized the others using nearby metal, while Fury removed the mind blocking devices, allowing Charles to incapacitate them.
No firearms were used. Metal bullets were useless against Erik, and Fury avoided noise to prevent alerting the compound.
As for Morgan and Moira
"Ara, ara. What do we have here?"
Floating before Morgan was a woman with pale green skin, twisted horned helmet, white robes, and a wooden staff topped with a glowing sphere.
"You remind me of Morgan Pendragon. Or should I call you Morgan le Fay?"
Her voice dripped with hatred.
"I remember you. You were that arrogant brat who tried to stop my sister and me during the siege of Paris, then ran away like a stray dog. I assumed you died in a ditch. What was your name again? Colorí? Bespermi?"
"It's Margali!"
The woman screamed, her magic distorting the space around her.
Margali Szardos, a former witch from Paris, had been recruited by Hydra during World War II to counter Morgan and Artoria.
She was powerful, talented enough to rival Stephen Strange, but three factors led to her defeat:
Her power wasn't at its peak.
Morgan wielded primordial cursed magic.
Artoria was an anti-magic juggernaut.
The humiliation lingered for decades.
"Don't think your sister will save you this time."
Margali concentrated magic in her hand.
"I don't need her to crush a cockroach."
Dark energy seeped from Morgan as a magic circle formed beneath her feet.
Moira escaped toward Charles. Erik coordinated troop extraction.
Margali attacked first.
Morgan countered.
Serpents, barriers, butterflies, illusions, shattered worlds.
Spectral knights overwhelmed Margali.
Morgan struck her down.
"Okay, let's end this charade."
Reality returned.
Margali screamed as cursed magic enveloped her.
Morgan waved as crystalline spears formed.
Margali stabbed herself with a golden dagger before being impaled.
"I escaped. She'll be a nuisance later."
Morgan entered the compound.
Meanwhile, Charles and Erik faced Mastermind's illusions, escaping through sheer telepathic resistance.
They reached the private room
Only to be greeted by two women and kicked in the face.
Tessa, Shaw's assistant and an expert martial artist, cornered Erik to the point where he struggled to properly use his powers. Alongside her, Black Widow hidden there to protect the head of defense pursued Charles, who was unable to defend himself, not only because he didn't know how to fight, but also because he was restraining Mastermind to avoid being trapped in his illusions.
If it hadn't been for Moira, who seized the opportunity to grab the Black Widow from behind and incapacitate her with a stun gun, and for Fury entering through the window and matching Tessa's abilities, the situation would have gone much worse. This allowed Erik to take advantage of the opening and imprison both Tessa and Mastermind.
"Well, this one's the closest to Shaw. She's all yours, Charles."
Erik said, pointing toward Tessa, who was hanging from the chandelier. The others were incapacitated to avoid interference, especially from Mastermind.
Charles didn't hesitate and entered Tessa's mind. There was some interference, but he ultimately obtained what he needed.
Shaw's plan was not to start a nuclear war. Instead, he intended to use armed conflict as a façade to replace nuclear weapons with new electromagnetic interference technology, creating a chain reaction that would disable global technology and then exploit the chaos that followed.
This would be achieved through new antennas deployed worldwide by Shaw's company, generating global interference while his own landmarks remained protected.
Charles saw all of this, along with many additional details including the reason Shaw himself hadn't appeared.
"We need to get back quickly."
Charles spoke as if he wanted to flee the place immediately.
"Calm down, Professor. I don't know what you saw, but Director Artoria is there right now. You'd better explain Shaw's plan and clear these people's names before this turns into an international disaster."
Fury argued, forcing Charles to steady himself. He took a deep breath.
"…Okay. This is what I know."
Charles then explained everything.
On the other hand, with Artoria
"Well, that's all. What else do you want me to tell you?"
In the same room where the young mutants were gathered, Artoria sat at the front of the circle. The youngsters looked at her attentively, like children at a campfire listening to an old man's stories ironically fitting, as she truly was one. Artoria spoke of her adventures during World War II and her battles alongside Captain America.
"Artoria, I've never seen you in a dress before, not even in London! We should go shopping sometime and get you one! I think you'd look amazing!"
Raven said enthusiastically, making Artoria grimace.
As Raven said, Artoria had never worn a dress. Most of her wardrobe consisted of formal suits and athletic undergarments, and for sleep she wore only a loose nightgown.
Despite living as a woman for so long, Artoria still retained a masculine mindset. Wearing a dress… simply wasn't an option.
"I'm not cut out for that kind of thing, and I don't like it either."
Artoria answered politely, lightly deflecting Raven's enthusiasm.
They continued talking undisturbed. The facility had been discreetly evacuated earlier. Then Artoria sensed a shift in the atmosphere, and her intuition sent a clear warning.
She stood suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. Without speaking, she moved to the window and stared outside.
"Guys, stay still and don't stray from me."
Artoria dragged a chair to the center of the room and sat, eyes fixed outward.
"Is something wrong?"
Darwin asked nervously. The temperature had dropped noticeably.
"We may have uninvited guests soon. I advise you not to leave this place."
Everyone tensed. They didn't know who was coming, but if Artoria was warning them, it meant danger. They stayed close to her the safest place possible.
Then everything spiraled out of control.
A tornado formed in the CIA backyard, destroying the machine that amplified Charles's powers. Explosions echoed throughout the facility, and the floor trembled.
Panic spread, but Artoria remained calm, sipping wine from the bottle she carried. Seeing her composure steadied everyone.
"BOOOM!!"
A massive, grotesquely obese figure crashed through the building, landing belly first before standing up, each step causing a mini earthquake. The red devil from the Coast Guard ship appeared beside him, lurking in the shadows and watching Artoria intently.
Silence fell.
No one moved.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
"My, what a disappointment. I expected resistance, but it seems no one was home."
Sebastian Shaw entered as if it were his own house, smiling like a salesman.
"Well, this is an interesting gathering. Why wasn't I invited?"
He joked casually, despite his genocidal intent.
"Miss Artoria, I thought you'd be with your sister. Still, it's nice to see you. By the way, where's the telepath?"
Azazel replied that Charles wasn't present. Shaw removed his helmet.
"I won't need this then. It's protection against telepaths."
"My name is Sebastian Shaw, and I'm not here to hurt you. Your destruction is not my desire."
He launched into his villain monologue talk of kings, destiny, unity.
Artoria rose from her chair.
"Kings? Ruling the world? Unity? You don't even understand a quarter of what that means."
Her presence was overwhelming.
"You know nothing of the sacrifices, the responsibility, or the burden of ruling. You are not worthy of ruling anything."
She stepped in front of the young mutants.
"Fight destiny but never with the same weapon it uses against you."
Hope ignited within them.
Shaw's smile vanished.
"Confusion."
He ordered then was lifted into the air.
"You won't interfere."
Artoria restrained Shaw while dodging Azazel's poisoned thorns. Her familiars pursued Azazel.
The young mutants fought.
Blob was resilient. Darwin and Alex struggled until Banshee attacked with sound waves. Blob fell, and Alex blasted him away.
Riptide caused chaos. Hank improvised with antennas.
"Angel, shoot the bases!"
Hank climbed, rewired the antenna.
"Raven! Now!"
"Miss Artoria, please!"
Artoria launched a lightning spear, electrocuting Riptide and collapsing the storm.
"That's Bigfoot!"
Blob returned. Azazel injured Angel. Hank caught her.
Artoria ended it.
Blob slammed. Azazel trapped. Shaw dropped.
"Leave. Next time will be war."
Shaw fled.
Artoria healed the wounded.
"Have confidence," she said.
Dawn rose on the horizon.
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