NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65: 65
'.....'= Thoughts
"....."= Conversations
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Before Hulk and Juggernaut could continue fighting, a group of people appeared in the clearing, though they were clearly not in their best condition. Some were sighing in relief while others frowned with rage and unwillingness.
Juggernaut looked at the unconscious Magneto floating near Charles and his face scrunched up in anger. Still, he didn't make any move as their leader was already down and many of their mutants were in no condition to fight.
Though it didn't appear so, Juggernaut was not a complete blockhead and acted like a leader in the absence of Magneto. Seeing that they were already defeated and any further confrontation would lead to losses on their side, he decided to take a step.
Even though Magneto wouldn't be happy with it, Juggernaut knew that it was the right thing to do.
Reluctantly, he looked at Charles and nodded at him. Although the man in front of him appeared harmless, he was actually the most dangerous person present in the group.
With the helmet on his head preventing any type of mind reading or mind controlling powers, he wasn't so sure in front of Charles. Additionally, his teammates didn't have any abilities that could block Charles' mind controlling powers, so he decided not to risk it.
Soon, Charles handed the unconscious Magneto to the mutants from the Brotherhood who walked towards Juggernaut, while Hulk quickly transformed back into Banner and rushed in the direction of his pants.
"Before you leave, I want to show you something. Although it doesn't completely prove Bobby's innocence, it still depicts the involvement of a third party in the entire fiasco," Phil interjected as he tried to explain the situation where Magneto's family was murdered by Bobby, even though Bobby was controlled in doing all the murder by some sort of sorcery. Neither Phil nor the mutants knew anything about sorcery or even knew what it was.
Phil took out a device from his pocket, clicked on it, and a hologram-like recording showed in front of everyone of a mall where the murder actually took place.
As Bobby entered the mall, a person wearing a hoodie bumped into him. He then apologized to Bobby and went on his way.
Bobby didn't doubt that person and it seemed like an honest mistake to him. He didn't feel anything at that time. However, the people watching the entire scene through the recording could see Bobby's eyes turning red and then returning to their original color.
"Who is that?" Juggernaut asked, his brows furrowed in confusion as he watched the holographic recording.
"We don't know. We've been trying to trace the origins of this person. We believe this person is the one who manipulated Bobby into committing those crimes," Phil explained, his voice filled with a bit of frustration at the lack of progress in their investigation.
"In every camera, the face of the person seemed to be blurred, and he disappeared completely after he went to a washroom in the mall. Even after searching through the entire mall along with the cameras, we seemed to have found no trace of this person," Quake continued.
Phil nodded, "Exactly, and that's why we need to find this person and bring them to justice. They're the real threat here, manipulating mutants to further their own agenda."
Juggernaut frowned after looking at the paused recording, not completely believing Phil, as the entire recording could be forged.
Suddenly, Bobby, who stood behind Charles along with the other X-Men, came forward and said to Charles, "Please allow me to do it."
Charles looked at Bobby and firmly rejected his idea, saying, "No, it could cause more harm and pain to you."
His tone allowed no room for negotiation, however, Bobby seemed to be in no mood to listen; his eyes gleamed with stubbornness.
While others were confused at what was transpiring in front of them, they had no idea what Bobby was suggesting and Charles was rejecting.
Bobby had seen the face of the man who had bumped into him at the mall. However, whenever he tried to remember his face, he would feel an immense pain in his mind, as though his head was being ripped apart from the inside.
"Please, Professor, I don't know what that man did to me or what he left inside my head," Bobby pleaded, his voice filled with determination.
Charles sighed, understanding Bobby's urgency but also worried about the potential consequences of delving into such memories.
"Bobby, I understand your need for closure, but the risk is too great. We don't know what kind of mental blocks or traps this man may have left in your mind. It could be dangerous for you to go digging around in there," Charles explained, his tone filled with concern.
Bobby's eyes reflected his frustration and desperation as he looked at Charles. "I can't just sit back and do nothing, Professor. I need to find out who this man is and what he did to me. I won't rest until I have the answers," he declared, his voice unwavering.
The other X-Men exchanged worried glances, unsure of what to do in the tense situation unfolding before them.
Charles considered Bobby's words for a moment, weighing the potential consequences against Bobby's determination. Finally, with a heavy heart, he nodded and said, "Alright, Bobby. But I will be with you every step of the way. We'll proceed with caution, and if it becomes too much, I will pull out immediately."
For Charles, the wellbeing of his student was more important than knowing the identity of the person. However, as he looked into Bobby's eyes, Charles knew that if he didn't agree, Bobby would make desperate choices, which in turn would harm him more.
Bobby nodded, grateful for Charles' understanding, and the two of them moved to a quiet corner to begin the delicate process of unlocking the memories that would lead to the appearance of the person who had controlled him to commit such a horrendous deed.
As the rest of the X-Men looked on with concern, hoping for a positive outcome, they knew that whatever happened, they would be there to support Bobby through the difficult journey ahead.
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