Everyone stared in stunned silence at the destruction Alex had caused. Now they understood why he was so hesitant to demonstrate his power and why he struggled with social interaction.
His ability was incredibly destructive, and he clearly had little control over it. That kind of power made him dangerous to be around, naturally limiting his contact with others and his social skills.
The red energy rings hadn't just sliced through the statue—they'd torn up a large section of the lawn and shattered several windows of the facility.
"Impressive power," Marcus commented quietly. Logan nodded in agreement. The ability was undeniably formidable.
If Logan had previously viewed these recruits as amateurs, Alex's demonstration had definitely changed his perspective.
"If he can learn to control that power, this mission might be easier than expected," Logan mused.
Though they'd been given limited information about their target, it seemed that someone with Alex's destructive capability could be a significant asset against Shaw.
At the thought, Logan relaxed slightly. He was looking forward to earning his substantial fee with minimal effort.
Marcus, however, knew better what they were up against. Shaw was a mutant who could absorb nuclear energy and redirect it. While Alex's ability was certainly powerful, it likely wouldn't pose a serious threat to someone with Shaw's capabilities.
What's more, Shaw had an associate who could teleport. Even if Shaw couldn't neutralize Alex's energy rings, avoiding them would be trivial for someone who could instantly disappear and reappear elsewhere.
Still, Marcus wasn't particularly worried about the mission failing. He and Logan had encountered other mutants on battlefields before, and they'd always managed to handle the situation through effective teamwork. Shaw's power might be formidable, but the two mercenaries had their own methods for dealing with enhanced individuals.
While Marcus and Logan were discussing the situation, Sean—who had earlier competed with Raven for the codename "Mystique"—stepped forward to demonstrate his own ability.
He positioned himself in front of what remained of the statue, pursed his lips, and emitted a piercing whistle. The high-frequency sound waves shattered the already damaged statue into smaller fragments.
Though his method of attack was straightforward, the destructive potential was unmistakable. A single sharp sound had been enough to pulverize solid stone.
After his demonstration, Sean raised his arms triumphantly and announced, "I've made my decision. My codename will be Banshee—the harbinger of death's wail to our enemies!"
Following Sean's example, the others continued to showcase their abilities, each display more impressive than the last. After settling on their own codenames, the group even suggested designations for Charles and Eric.
"I think we should call Charles 'Professor X,'" Raven proposed, "and Eric should be 'Magneto.'"
Her suggestion was met with enthusiastic approval from the others.
By the end of the session, everyone had received their official codenames:
Raven became "Mystique"
Sean became "Banshee"
Armando became "Darwin"
Alex became "Havok"
Angel retained her name
Hank was dubbed "Beast"
Marcus was called "Void"
Logan earned "Wolverine"
Charles was designated "Professor X"
Eric was christened "Magneto"
These were the identities they had chosen for themselves and their companions. The mood was electric with excitement as they contemplated the future that awaited them.
"We should celebrate!" Raven exclaimed. "To the X-Men!"
Her proposal was met with unanimous approval, and everyone raised their glasses in a toast.
"Although we're not officially part of your team," Marcus noted with a smile, "we're always up for a drink. Just remember, this is a CIA facility, and those agents tend to be rather uptight."
With that warning delivered, Marcus picked up his glass and left the room with Logan, seeking a quieter spot.
"What do you think of them?" Marcus asked once they were alone.
"Them?" Logan scoffed. "You weren't much different when I found you three years ago." He tilted his head back and downed his whiskey in a single gulp.
Marcus sat on a nearby bench, gazing thoughtfully at the night sky.
"You're right—they're too optimistic. That mindset will cost them dearly." He sighed. "But what does it matter to us? After this mission, I'm planning to buy a farm in Kansas. I can't be a war dog forever. What about you?"
Marcus was ready to settle down. After three years of globe-trotting and constant conflict, he'd had enough of that lifestyle.
"Me?" Logan pondered, puffing on his cigar. "Hard to say. I've lived this way for longer than you can imagine. If I had to settle somewhere, I suppose I'd become a lumberjack in the Canadian wilderness."
"Well, seems we both have similar thoughts," Marcus nodded. "Let's treat this as our retirement mission, then."
As they were talking, an angry voice interrupted from behind them.
"What happened here? Who destroyed this statue?"
"Looks like the show's about to begin," Marcus chuckled, nudging Logan as they turned to see Moira returning with Charles and Eric.
The three had been attending a meeting earlier. Though Marcus wasn't privy to the details, he could guess it had something to do with Shaw. Judging by their expressions, the meeting hadn't gone well.
Raven and the others, still riding high on their celebration, didn't immediately catch on to the tension and continued smiling.
"Alex and Sean did it," Hank admitted quietly.
"No!" Raven stepped forward proudly. "It was Havok and Banshee. We've all chosen codenames. We picked some for you too—Charles is Professor X, and Eric is Magneto..."
As she spoke, Raven finally noticed Charles's expression and trailed off. She'd never seen him look so disappointed.
"I expected better from all of you," Charles said softly before turning to leave.
They had brought these young mutants together for a critical mission, but instead of preparing, they were behaving like kids at summer camp.
"The rookies got scolded!" Marcus laughed. His amusement drew irritated glances from Moira and the others, but he met their gazes unflinchingly.
"Don't look at me like that, ma'am," he said. "We're mercenaries, not your subordinates. We're here to complete a job. What we do in our downtime is none of your concern."
Moira knew he was right, which only frustrated her more. Their relationship was purely transactional—she couldn't dictate how these hired guns behaved. She left with a sour expression.
Before following her, Charles paused as Marcus called out to him.
"Professor, has no one in this massive intelligence agency ever mentioned that your team consists entirely of untrained rookies?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "You can't expect military discipline from them without proper training. They're just doing what young people do."
His words gave Charles and Eric pause. They exchanged glances, recognizing the truth in what Marcus said.
"You're right. I apologize for my reaction," Charles conceded, addressing the group.
After Charles and Eric departed, Raven and the others approached Marcus and Logan.
"You were right—we are rookies," Raven admitted. "Would you be willing to help train us?"
"Of course," Marcus grinned. "They've already paid us, after all."