Chapter 359: [463] - No More Negotiations

~ Support & Read 70 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Hawk's last punch landed, and the battered alloy door groaned. The metal couldn't hold anymore and finally gave way, ripping open from the force.

Inside the bunker.

Everyone inside, even Thaddeus Ross, stared in shock and fear at the breach. They saw hands grab the torn metal and pull it open, making a gap big enough for someone to walk through.

Hawk stepped into the bunker in his red tactical suit. His face showed no emotion under the harsh emergency lights.

The entire process happened in dead silence. Hawk didn't say a single word.

The alarms blared, metal screeched from the broken door, and everyone's heartbeat resonated in the tense room.

"..." Hawk looked over the frightened men in the bunker, then fixed his eyes on Thaddeus Ross.

Ross opened his mouth.

"MR. PHOENIX, WE CAN—"

Snap!

As soon as Ross spoke, Hawk moved. He appeared in front of the General, grabbed his throat, and squeezed.

Ross's face went stiff. His eyes met Hawk's, full of tension, fear, and a bit of desperate hope. The light in his eyes faded quickly.

Thud!

Hawk let go, and Ross's lifeless body fell to the floor, eyes still wide with shock. Hawk spoke in a calm voice.

"Negotiate?"

"Do I look like Magneto to you?"

The main reason these politicians and generals felt so bold and arrogant toward mutants was Professor X, a mutant who always sided with humanity.

Another reason was Magneto, the so-called mutant hawk.

Honestly, Erik Lehnsherr wasn't really a hawk at all.

If Hawk had to describe Magneto, he'd call him a defeatist instead.

Seriously... Did Magneto think a revolution was just a dinner party? He brought an army to the White House lawn and was close to winning. All he needed to do was finish the job.

And what happened? The President stayed safe, and after a talk from Professor X, Magneto simply gave up his big plan.

Christ, Magneto turned a fight for survival into something harmless. No wonder the government treated mutants like livestock.

If Hawk were in their shoes, he would treat mutants the exact same way.

'I could torture and experiment on your people over and over, and you wouldn't be a real threat. Even if you came to my door, it wouldn't matter. Professor X would talk you down, and you'd give up your weapons and act harmless.'

Hence, 80% of the mutants' problems were because of Professor X. The other 20% was Magneto's fault.

But Hawk wasn't either of those men.

Negotiate?

Negotiate my ass!

When I wanted to talk, you ignored me. Fine. Now that I'm fighting and you want to talk, it's my turn to ignore you.

Courtesy demands reciprocity.

It was only fair.

——————————

Hawk glanced at Ross's body, the eyes staring at the ceiling. He stomped down, crushing the General's skull. Then he looked at the others in the bunker and spoke coldly. "Contact the White House. Now."

The remaining generals exchanged terrified, bewildered looks.

Hawk tilted his head. "You have ten seconds. If the President isn't on that screen, every single one of you dies!"

"...CONTACT THE WHITE HOUSE! NOW!"

"HURRY!"

Ten seconds later.

The large screen in the bunker flickered to life. It displayed the interior of the Oval Office, framing the current temporary occupant sitting behind the historic Resolute Desk.

Hawk looked at the man on the screen and frowned.

"Great. Another Chief..."

"..." When Hawk showed no respect, the President's face grew serious.

"Ahem!"

The President cleared his throat, trying to look in control as he faced Hawk on the screen. Hawk stood in the Pentagon bunker, his foot on a corpse. "Mr. Phoenix. I assure you, the actions of Sentinel Services and the attack on you had absolutely nothing to do with the White House. William Stryker and Thaddeus Ross acted entirely on their own initiative!"

Passing the buck.

The Federal government had gotten very good at this.

Ten years ago, they did the exact same thing. They pinned everything related to mutant persecution on the dwarf—Bolivar Trask.

What else were they going to do?

Would they ever admit the government funded Trask to find ways to control and suppress mutants?

Don't be ridiculous.

They blamed everything on Bolivar Trask. The government claimed innocence, said it wanted peace, and insisted it had been fooled.

Just like right now... The only ones at fault were William Stryker and Thaddeus Ross. No one else. Certainly not the White House.

Hawk listened to the President's excuses and laughed.

Seeing Hawk smile, the President offered a diplomatic smile of his own.

"Mr. Phoenix, you have—"

Squish!

"AHHH!"

"Shit!"

"Fuck!"

Before the President could finish, Hawk moved. He appeared in front of another general, grabbed his head, and crushed it. The bunker filled with screams as the others backed away in fear. The President's smile vanished on the screen.

"Mr. Phoe—"

Squish!

"AHHH!"

"Jesus Christ!"

"..." The President fell silent. He watched the third body hit the floor, then looked at Hawk, who stayed expressionless. The room was completely quiet.

A moment later. Hawk let out a soft chuckle. He looked back up at the screen.

"Nothing else to say?"

"..." The President pressed his lips into a thin line.

Say something? What could he say? As an experienced politician, he knew Hawk was showing his power. Every time he spoke, Hawk killed someone. In that situation, what could he do?

"I figured you'd be just as dumb as the Chief back in my world. The one whose entire bloodline I nearly erased." Hawk stared at the silent President. "Didn't think you'd actually have a brain in that head."

Suddenly, his tone shifted.

"Except..."

"It doesn't matter!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hawk moved. A flash of red tore through the bunker, passing through the last survivors. Blood filled the air. When Hawk stopped, the bunker was empty.

Hawk looked at the President on the screen, the corner of his mouth ticking up.

"Since you're so smart, Mr. President. Take a guess. Why did I force them to call you?"

"..." The words hung in the air.

After seeing the bloodbath in the Pentagon bunker, the President quickly understood what Hawk meant. Terror filled his face as he stared at the screen.

But Hawk had already vanished.

"Oh, God."

"He's coming here—" Panic swept through the Oval Office. The President jumped up, slamming his hands on the desk and screaming in fear.

Piercing alarms blared throughout the White House. The automated air defense systems came online and prepared to fire.

Before the turrets on the roof could move, a streak of red light crashed down from the sky, heading straight for the White House roof.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!

There were no warnings or slow attacks—just a direct, unstoppable strike.

The reinforced dome broke apart the moment Hawk hit it. The red light kept going, smashing through every floor without slowing down.

At Federal Hall, the colossal chandeliers were reduced to crystal dust by the shockwave... In the Red Room, silk wall coverings were torn into ribbons... The Blue Room's antique furniture was violently flung and torn apart by the blast of air.

Concrete and steel deformed inward with ease, creating a massive hole through the White House.

Rubble, dust, and broken concrete poured down like a waterfall.

The entire process took less than half a second!

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

~# 70 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)