American comics: Intercepting the female superhero, the symbiote is invincible

"Now you understand." Charles's voice pulled Lorna back to reality. "Eric needs my abilities to activate the protocol. But he needs me dead even more."

The pulse wave continued to spread. One after another, the Sons of Dawn exploded. Their mechanical cores formed eerie green clouds in the air.

Wendy suddenly screamed and fell to her knees. The scar on her wrist split open completely, revealing a sophisticated miniature device inside.

No! Ron lunged forward. When did they...?

"Let's start in Red Skull's lab," Charles said calmly. "Eric planted triggers at every crucial juncture."

He turned his wheelchair to face Lorna. Including you. My dear.

Lorna's blood instantly turned ice-cold. What does that mean?

The key within you isn't just a weapon. Charles pointed to her chest. It's the activation switch for the final protocol. When you absorb that drop of blood, the countdown begins.

Strange suddenly drew a broken magic circle. Whatever game you're playing, it's over!

(Li Zhao) The magical energy struck Charles, but was stopped halfway by an invisible barrier—Nina. Her new arm fully extended, forming a perfect circular force field.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. Real tears welled in her mechanical eyes. "I'm part of the agreement too."

For the first time, Charles's expression showed weariness. We're all tired. Aren't we?

He raised his revolver. This time, he aimed for Lorna's heart.

Only you can end all of this.

A gunshot rang out.

Chapter 172 The Final Key

Gunshots echoed through the ruins.

Lorna did not fall.

A metal bullet hovered half an inch above her chest, spinning and emitting a piercing buzzing sound.

"You've forgotten who I am." Lorna's pupils turned completely metallic. Her hair moved without wind. "I am Magneto's daughter."

Charles smiled. There was a sense of relief in his smile. No. Darling. I did it on purpose.

The bullet suddenly changed direction and fired at Wendy at an even higher speed!

Ron's suit fragments instinctively formed a barrier. But the bullet liquefied upon contact, seeping into the device embedded in Wendy's wrist.

The girl let out a heart-wrenching scream. A green light, identical to that of the Dawnbringer, emerged beneath her skin.

Now. Charles's voice suddenly became young and strong. The two keys were finally in place.

　257 Wendy floated into the air. Her eyes became pure data streams. But the voice that came from her mouth was Magneto's:

Charles, you've been putting it off for far too long.

Strange attempted to cast a spell, only to find his hands crystallizing. Damn it! He had used Wendy's body as a medium.

Nina's mechanical arm suddenly gripped Charles's neck. But it was too late. Wendy—or rather, the Magneto consciousness that had taken over her body—had already raised her hand.

The entire New York City power system overloaded simultaneously. Countless electronic devices unlocked automatically. All screens displayed the same countdown:

(bdff) 00:05:00

Five minutes later, Magneto's voice came through Wendy's mouth: The global gene pool will be fully reorganized. Mutants will usher in a true dawn.

Lorna charged at Wendy. The magnetic field erupted at full power. Get out of her body!

The moment the two forces collided, space itself warped.

Lorna found herself standing in a pure white space. Opposite her was a younger version of Magneto. He wore the classic purple suit, but his eyes looked as tired as an old man's.

This is where?

"Deep within your consciousness," Magneto whispered. "We don't have much time."

He waved his hand, revealing holographic images—hundreds of parallel Earths. Each was enveloped by some enormous entity, like insects encased in amber.

The observers are not the enemy. They are the cleaners. They obliterate any civilization that might threaten the multiverse. (Image shifts.) Showing the quantum structure of mutant genes. Our abilities come from contamination from a higher dimension.

Lorna's mind went blank. You mean...

Mutants are a mistake. They need to be corrected. Magneto smiled bitterly. Ironically, isn't it? The cause I've dedicated my life to... is actually a tragic misunderstanding.

A countdown appeared in the white space:

00:03:14

What is the Son of Dawn?

The vaccine. Magneto's figure begins to blur. The mutant genes are rendered harmless. But Charles discovers a more brutal truth...

Space suddenly tore open. Charles's voice came from the crack:

He's lying! The observers are the ones who've been corrupted! Eric has been brainwashed!

Magneto roared, trying to seal the rift. But Lorna had already heard enough.

So who among you is telling the truth?

None of that matters anymore. Magneto suddenly calmed down. The key had been activated. The only question was—who would press the button?

He reached out his hand. A blood-red control panel appeared in his palm.

Make a choice, daughter. Trust your father's plan, or heed Charles's warning?

In the real world, Ron watched as Lorna and Wendy floated in the air, enveloped in a green energy cocoon.

Strange's body had crystallized up to his waist. They clashed in the realm of consciousness...

Chapter 173 Is this a performance?

Nina suddenly knelt down. The mechanical eye projected a holographic recording—

That was Charles's last memory before the device was implanted.

In the scene, Magneto, tears streaming down his face, embraces his dying friend. "Forgive me, Charles. But only your psychic abilities can deceive them."

I understand. Charles smiled weakly in my memory. Let me be your traitor. Let the observers believe we're fighting amongst ourselves.

The record stops abruptly.

Ron's blood turned ice-cold instantly. Good heavens... was this all a performance?

The countdown has reached its final sixty seconds.

Inside the energy cocoon, Lorna opened her eyes.

I've made my choice.

She grabbed both Magneto's and Charles's hands at the same time. The three figures merged together in the bright light.

My choice is—

Outside. The moment the countdown reached zero.

The entire Earth fell silent for a second.

Then all creatures carrying the mutant gene, including the Sentinel robots, simultaneously emitted a dazzling green light.

When the light faded, Nina found her mechanical arm had reverted to its original flesh and blood form.

Ron's clover mark on his chest disappeared.

And the clouds in the sky, for the first time, revealed a pure, azure blue.

The morning light pierced through the clouds.

Lorna stood atop the ruins of the Chrysler Building. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, which had returned to normal.

There were footsteps behind me.

So... this is the ending you chose? Ron's voice was hoarse and weary.

He raised his arm. The skin that had once been covered by the Xuanming Body was now intact. But a metallic sheen faintly flowed between his knuckles.

This isn't the end. Lorna didn't look back. It's a new beginning.

The whole of New York City awoke in the sunlight. But something had changed forever.

A newsboy on the street corner waved his newspaper. The headline read: "Global Mutant Abilities Have Collectively Disappeared!"

"You reset all the mutant genes?" Ron walked over to her.

No. Lorna finally turned around. Her pupils shimmered with an eerie golden-green hue in the sunlight. I freed them.

In the distance, Strange was checking on Wendy. The girl was sleeping peacefully. The scar on her wrist had faded into a normal scab.

Nina walked over. Her mechanical eye transformed into a regular prosthetic eye. The Observer left. What did they take with them?

"A lie," Lorna whispered. "A lie that Father and Charles wove their whole lives—mutants are a disease. They need to be cured."

···Requesting flowers····· ·····

She raised her hand. A piece of metal flew up from the rubble, but vaporized before it touched her fingertips, dissipating into shimmering particles.

The ability remains. It's just no longer restricted by the X gene.

Ron frowned. What did that mean?

It means... Strange suddenly interjected. His hands have fully recovered. Any human can awaken abilities. It's no longer determined by bloodline.

.. ..... ....

Nina's breathing quickened. "You've crossed the line between mutants and humans?"

Lorna gazed at the horizon. Flocks of birds flew by. Their flight paths suddenly and strangely formed the shape of a DNA helix. Then they quickly dissipated.

My father wanted to use the Sons of Dawn to protect a select few. I chose a different path—

"Let everyone have a chance to become the dawn." Ron suddenly understood. He tried to summon the Mystic Body, but only managed to stir up a gust of wind. "It seems I need to relearn."

A commotion arose from beneath the ruins.

A group of citizens surrounded Charles, who was receiving treatment. Some of them suddenly had sparks coming from their palms. Others floated a few centimeters into the air.

In the chaos, a familiar figure vanished through the crowd.

Chapter 174 What else do you want to do?

Sean Cassidy's white suit was stained with blood, but his smile remained elegant.

A brilliant game. Miss Dane. He bowed slightly. The Hellfire Club salutes you.

Lorna's aura tightened instinctively. What else do you want to do?

He was just there to deliver a message. Sean handed over a broken piece of metal. Before the observer left, someone intercepted it.

The metal plate was engraved with coordinates and a timestamp: "257" 30 days later.

Strange took the metal plate. His expression changed drastically. This was...

An invitation. A dangerous glint flashed in Sean's single eye. From a true enemy.

A sudden gust of wind swept up the metal sheet. The sheet turned to dust in Strange's hand.

But Lorna had already memorized the coordinates.

It points to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. A place that shouldn't exist.

Magnus was right. She murmured to herself. The game had only just begun.

Wendy woke up at that moment. Her first words stunned everyone:

They didn't leave... they ran away.

The girl's eyes transformed into a stream of data, like an observer's. But they returned to normal in an instant.

Ron instinctively shielded Lorna. What did you do to her?

"It wasn't me." Wendy shook her head weakly. "It was them... who left a message in my mind..."

She suddenly grabbed Lorna's hand. The instant their skin touched, a holographic image was projected directly in front of everyone—

In the pitch-black depths of space, countless Earths float like specimens within an amber-colored energy field.