"Well."
Under the sharp gazes of the American high command, Alex looked perfectly calm, not a hint of panic on his face. He simply spread his hands. "I guess I don't need to introduce myself, do I?"
"For those about to die, no introduction is necessary," Emma Frost added nonchalantly by his side.
"Emma…" Alex gave her a helpless smile. "You know I didn't mean it like that, but…"
He paused. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"…You're not wrong. Quite a few people will die here today."
The words were bloody, but their tone was casual—light, almost joking.
As if none of the powerful people in the room even existed.
As if this was just another day.
Arrogant. Unbelievably arrogant.
The high-ranking officials were all infuriated by Alex and Emma's brazenness.
Did these two mutants even understand where they were?
Did they have any idea who they were talking to?
Bang!
A furious general slammed the table with his palm, pointing straight at Alex and Emma, roaring, "Who the hell gave you the guts to act like this here? Do you even understand what you're doing?"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, his vision blurred. A violent rush of air surged into his throat, nearly choking him.
He wasn't the only one. The others around the round table also felt a sudden gust sweep through the sealed room, like a shadow flashing past.
Rustle!
The wind scattered documents across the table. Their suits and hair were blown into disarray, making them stagger and fumble.
And when they finally regained their senses—
Shock and fury painted their faces.
Because the general who'd just spoken out… was now dangling in midair.
Alex was holding him up by the throat with one hand.
"Guh… guh…"
The general couldn't breathe. His face was bright red, veins bulging grotesquely as he kicked and struggled like a lamb caught in a wolf's jaws.
But no matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.
Alex's grip was too strong.
"You seem to have forgotten your place."
With the general still clutched in one hand, Alex's gaze swept over the room with lazy disdain. "You're used to being the top of the food chain. In your world, everyone grovels before you. You bark orders, and the world obeys. But in front of me…"
He raised a finger on his free hand and waved it slowly.
"You're ants. So… anyone else here need a reminder of where they stand?"
Silence.
A cold, paralyzing silence fell over the room.
Everyone was stunned. Eyes wide, they stared in disbelief at the struggling general in Alex's grip.
He actually did it…
He laid hands on a general!
Even though they'd heard Alex had taken down an entire intelligence base solo, seeing it firsthand was still beyond anything they could mentally process.
This was utter lawlessness.
"You threatening us?" the Secretary of Defense asked in a low, cold voice after a long beat of silence, locking eyes with Alex.
"Yes," Alex answered without hesitation, his voice like steel.
The Secretary's breath caught. He almost choked on his own fury.
He began to tremble.
The others were on the brink of collapse too, some nearly biting their tongues in rage or disbelief. None of them had ever seen arrogance on this level.
"My God! Let him go—Smith is going to die!"
A Homeland Security official couldn't take it anymore and shouted when he saw the general, Smith, already unconscious, eyes rolled back.
But Alex didn't move. It was like he didn't hear a thing.
"This is absurd!" the Secretary barked. "The United States does not negotiate with terrorists! If you think you can intimidate us into—"
"Emma?"
Alex cut him off, glancing over at the White Queen.
Emma gave a small nod.
"Well then."
Alex smiled—a cold, merciless smile that sent a chill through the room.
A sense of dread settled over everyone.
"Mr. Secretary, thank you for your service to your country."
Zzzrrt!
Twin beams of searing red light shot from Alex's eyes, striking the Secretary of Defense square in the chest.
The blast sent him flying into the wall with a loud crack, then crumpling to the ground.
He didn't move.
Two gaping holes had burned straight through his torso.
Clean through. Dead. Instantly.
"Secretary!"
"Mr. Secretary!"
"Don't—no—!"
Chaos erupted in the room.
People rushed over to check on him—then froze.
Shock. Disbelief. Denial.
The Secretary of Defense… was dead.
Finally, fear crept into the eyes of the high command. Their gazes shifted toward Alex, now tinged with dread.
This man… was insane.
And he would kill.
"You're a monster!" someone finally screamed. A congressman, red-faced, trembling, pointed a finger at Alex. "A demon—nothing but a murderous freak!"
"A demon?" Alex sneered. "That's rich."
"Two weeks ago, my brothers and sisters risked their lives to save your fleet—to save this country. And what did you decide, right here in this room?"
"You wanted them dead."
"You wanted to kill the very people who saved you. And now you call me the monster?"
"You hypocritical pieces of shit."
Smack!
In a blink, Alex appeared in front of the congressman and slapped him across the face with a force that echoed through the room.
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