Seeing the future is a big deal. Even in the risky X-Men world, or back in Alex's world before the zombie apocalypse, fortune tellers were highly valued. If their predictions were spot-on, people gladly paid a fortune.
So, when Shaw learned about Alex, he wanted him on his side. But first, he needed to test if Alex's foresight was real. This raid was the perfect chance. If Alex's predictions were accurate, they'd have an ambush waiting. If not, his power wasn't that great, and Shaw could crush Eric and the team easily.
Seeing Shaw's thorough plan, Emma stayed quiet. She nodded, left the Hellfire Club, and prepared for her assigned task.
Soon, Emma signaled everything was ready. In the early morning, while the castle slept, Shaw, Janos, and Azazel teleported inside.
Azazel's power was deadly. Wielding twin blades, he took out CIA agents one by one, teleporting to their sides. He could even grab someone, teleport thousands of feet up, and drop them—a simple way to kill.
But the castle was ready. Except for a few unlucky agents, those dropped from the sky were saved by Sean and Angel, who soared to catch them.
"Shaw, you're here," Eric growled, his hatred urging him to attack.
"Wait, Eric!" Charles said quickly. "Your job is Azazel. Take him out."
Only Eric's metal control could stop Azazel's teleportation. Eric nodded, learning from his last reckless move. He raised his hand, and the ground shook. Steel ropes buried underground burst up, weaving into a tight iron net.
Azazel's teleportation was strong, but the ropes trapped him. He teleported thousands of feet up, but the ropes—and Eric—came too, binding him.
"What!? You want to die with me?" Eric shouted, gripping the ropes as they fell.
Die together? Azazel refused. He teleported back to the ground, Eric still holding tight. Charles was right—Eric's power could trap Azazel unless Azazel risked mutual death.
Meanwhile, Janos summoned tornadoes in his palms, their destructive force massive. But Lucas fired a sharp energy blade, slicing toward him. It could cut a car in half. Janos dodged, thrown off balance.
Charles noticed Emma's absence and felt uneasy. With Azazel trapped, Shaw's team had no escape. Charles tried to control Shaw's mind, but Shaw's helmet blocked his telepathy.
"His helmet stops my powers," Charles said, frustrated. "Hank, handle him."
Hank nodded, grabbing a 100-pound iron rod and swinging it at Shaw.
The mutant team had the upper hand in numbers and strategy. Eric neutralized Azazel, cutting off Shaw's retreat. Angel and Lucas overwhelmed Janos. Hank's heavy rod forced Shaw to dodge constantly.
The fight ended quickly. Shaw, Janos, and Azazel were captured.
"Shaw, I never thought you'd be mine," Eric said, his eyes burning with vengeance. He raised an iron chain, ready to strike.
"Wait, Sebastian Shaw must face trial for his crimes!" Moira said, stepping forward. The CIA needed Shaw alive to expose his nuclear plot, not just dead.
"You think you've got me?" Shaw said confidently, despite being bound. "Arguing over my fate already?"
"You've got no way out," Eric snapped, pausing his argument with Moira.
Shaw ignored him, looking at Charles. "You read minds, don't you? Check Azazel and Janos's memories."
Charles frowned, touched his temples, and gasped. "No! You had your people lock missiles on us?"
The team paled. Missiles targeted the castle?
Eric smirked. "Just missiles? Watch me—"
But space flashed, and Azazel teleported away with Eric.
"My plan was to have Azazel take Eric," Shaw said, smiling. "You made it easier by pairing them."
The team's faces fell. Without Eric, the missiles could destroy them.
"Eric's gone, but so is Azazel," Charles said. "You're still trapped."
Shaw shrugged. "Either we all live, or we all die. You ready to die with us?"
Eric might've chosen death to take Shaw down, but Charles hesitated.
"What do you want?" Charles asked, staring at Shaw.
Shaw didn't answer directly. "You knew we'd attack and prepared. My guess was right." He paused, then asked, "So, who's Alex?"
"Me?" Alex froze when Shaw asked for him.
Shaw had set up a deadly trap, missiles locked on everyone. He clearly came to negotiate, but why single out Alex?
As Shaw spoke, Sean, Lucas, Angel, and the others turned to Alex. Shaw followed their gazes, spotting him. He was surprised by Alex's youth.
"I'm Alex," Alex said, stepping forward. "What do you want with me?" Unsure of Shaw's motive, he stayed cautious.
Alex hadn't fought in the battle, staying on the sidelines. His metal control, limited to 20 pounds, was too weak to join the mutant clash. His bystander role made Shaw more certain of his identity.
Shaw studied Alex with interest. "Mutants have wild powers, but yours is almost godlike. I'm intrigued. Want to join the Hellfire Club?"
"Don't refuse yet. Stall him…" Charles's voice echoed in Alex's mind.
Charles needed Alex to distract Shaw while he stopped the missiles. From Azazel and Janos's memories, Charles knew Emma's location and the missile controls.
Alex would never join Shaw. His "foresight" was just knowledge of the X-Men story, centered on Charles and Eric. At the Hellfire Club, he'd know nothing about Shaw's plans. If Shaw realized Alex was useless, he'd be done for.
But Charles's plan sparked an idea. "I don't know much about the Hellfire Club," Alex said. "Since you're inviting me, tell me about it."
"Alex!" Raven and the others gasped, thinking he was tempted.
Shaw paused, surprised, then explained the Hellfire Club's members and its belief that mutants should rule over humans.
"Sounds like mutants' powers make us special," Alex said, nodding to keep Shaw talking. "Can I see your palm? I need to check if your future's worth following."
"Sure," Shaw said, extending his hand. He'd never let an ordinary person near, but Alex's "foresight" was harmless, proven by his lack of fighting.
Alex grabbed Shaw's hand, pretending to study it, buying time.
Meanwhile, Charles secured Janos's body, entered the castle, and reached Cerebro, the mind-boosting device. He prepared to challenge Emma's control over the missile base. With Cerebro, Charles believed he could overpower her telepathy and stop the missiles, winning the fight.
But as Charles powered up, Azazel teleported in, striking Charles's head with a knife handle. Charles collapsed, unconscious.
Azazel grinned, vanishing from the castle. Moments later, he reappeared outside with Emma.
"How!? Eric had you!" Hank shouted, shocked to see Azazel free.
"Heh, I planned to have Azazel take Eric," Shaw said, smirking. "I set a trap just for him."
Far off, in a plastic-walled building, thugs with plastic weapons and non-metal guns surrounded Eric. Shaw had prepared this to counter Eric's powers. Luckily, Azazel's teleport brought the steel cables, letting Eric fight back by controlling them. Without them, he'd be powerless.
"Charles, you there?" Alex thought, still pretending to read Shaw's palm. The situation had flipped. He got no reply, and his heart sank.
Raven and the others also waited for Charles, tense.
"The mind-reader tried using a device to boost his powers, but I knocked him out," Azazel said coldly, gripping his blades.
The team's hopes crashed. "No way!" Hank roared, swinging his 100-pound iron rod at Emma.
Emma turned diamond-hard, blocking the rod. Her telepathy hit Hank, making him clutch his head in pain. Her mind powers and diamond form completely shut him down.
Without Charles, Emma's telepathy was unstoppable. Lucas and Angel attacked, but Janos and Azazel countered them.
"Alex, let's pause the palm-reading," Shaw said, pulling back his hand to join the fight.
Shaw absorbed Lucas, Sean, and Angel's energy attacks, turning their powers against them. The mutant team couldn't hold up.
In moments, they were defeated. Emma's telepathy crushed Hank, while Shaw and Janos overpowered the rest.
"This is bad," Alex thought, watching the team fall.
He saw the problem: Emma's powers stopped Hank, who could beat Shaw. Shaw crushed everyone else. It all hinged on Emma.
Then, Alex had a spark of ideas—a way to turn the tide.