"So… the me in the video is actually from fifty years in the future?"
Logan's eyes widened. He felt that the future revealed by this round of the Quiz game was far more significant than the last!
Erik was equally surprised, though he shook his head and replied, "Not necessarily. It might just be your consciousness or memories from fifty years in the future that have traveled back to your body in the past. I know it sounds unbelievable, but mutant abilities are always mysterious like that. Perhaps with the help of some mutant, you were able to come back fifty years into the past."
The two didn't stay shocked for too long. After multiple rounds of the quiz game, their capacity to accept the extraordinary had greatly expanded. Time travel? Not really something worth freaking out about anymore.
But the information revealed in this future video was staggering. Logan had come from fifty years in the future, and it was hinted that this journey back through time was orchestrated by Professor X himself.
From their brief discussion, it wasn't hard to deduce that Logan's goal was likely to change a historical event to rewrite the future. But what exactly had happened fifty years later that would compel Professor X to resort to such a dramatic act of time travel? And what did it have to do with Raven?
On the other side, Wanda and Peter were also struggling to make sense of this time-travel scenario.
However, compared to the inexperienced Peter Parker, Wanda, who had participated in the Quiz game multiple times, was far more knowledgeable. After thinking for a moment, she said, "This reminds me of when the Avengers traveled to the past to search for the Infinity Stones..."
She briefly explained the battle between the Avengers and Thanos, and speculated that in the mutants' world, there must also be some apocalyptic disaster in the future—one dire enough that it prompted Logan to go back in time to alter history.
And as it turned out, this was indeed the case, as the video continued to reveal.
Logan explained to Professor X and Hank the reason for his time travel. It turned out that the U.S. government had obtained Raven's blood cells, which they used as a key component to develop a weapon specifically designed to target mutants—the Sentinels!
Mass-produced Sentinel robots were created as the ultimate bane of mutants, equipped with various powers that allowed them to hunt down mutants all over the world.
At first, the Sentinels only targeted mutants. But later, they began identifying mutant genes even in ordinary people, leading to regular humans also becoming victims of Sentinel attacks.
And, naturally, those in power who controlled the Sentinels exploited them to eliminate their opponents and consolidate their grip on the world.
According to Logan, the threat posed by these Sentinel robots to both mutants and the world at large was devastating and unimaginable. And the origin of the Sentinel Program was closely linked to Raven. Logan's mission was to stop Raven's assassination attempt to alter the course of the future!
Hearing these truths left Charles visibly stunned.
He slumped back onto the couch, a complex expression on his face. "Even if I believe you and am willing to help... Raven won't listen to me. Her heart and soul already belong to someone else."
Both the Logan and Hank in the video, as well as the viewers outside of it, could hear the sadness and bitterness in Charles's voice—an almost defeated resignation.
Erik smirked slightly. He hadn't expected that, in the future, taking Raven under his wing would impact Charles so deeply.
Logan, on the other hand, was more focused on something else: his future self seemed to have an unusually close bond with Professor X. What exactly had he gone through?
At this point, the Logan in the video dropped another bombshell. "I know who Raven will listen to... we need Erik."
Currently, Erik was locked up, accused of attempting to assassinate the president. Logan's suggestion clearly implied that he wanted Charles to break Erik out.
But Charles was still bitter about Erik's past actions, and without knowing the truth behind the assassination attempt, he assumed Erik was the culprit. He scoffed, "He brought this upon himself!"
Charles, who had been somewhat willing to help, immediately changed his mind and walked away.
Logan frowned and called out to him, "You're just going to leave? The Professor I know would never abandon a lost soul, and he would never turn his back on someone he cares about."
Charles paused for a moment, then turned back, staring at Logan. "I remember now. A long time ago, we came to you for help. Now, I'm just returning the favor with the same words you gave me back then—go to hell!"
Charles's mood was foul, and his usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be found. But Logan, even coming from fifty years in the future, hadn't lost his fiery temper.
Grabbing Charles by the collar, Logan snarled at him, "Listen to me, you coward. I've been through hell and watched so many good people, friends, family, die. If you're going to give up and do nothing, you'll end up facing the same tragedy. Got it?"
Logan was trying to use his own experiences to persuade Charles, but all he got in return was a cold response: "Everyone dies eventually."
With that, Charles turned and left. Hank sighed, "I told you. The Professor isn't here anymore."
Logan's eyes sharpened as he looked at him. "What happened to make him like this?"
Although Logan seemed to know Charles very well, he was clearly unaware of what had happened to him at this point in time. It was obvious that Logan's journey back in time had been rushed, leaving him unprepared. From this, it was easy to infer that the situation fifty years in the future was urgent and dire.
Hank didn't hide the truth from him. "Charles lost everything—Erik, Raven, his legs… He built this school, this lab, but after just one semester, the situation in the Vietnam War worsened, and many students and teachers were forcibly conscripted. It broke him."
Charles was a strong-willed person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to maintain a kind and righteous heart despite the ugliness he had seen through his telepathy. But even the strongest people can be beaten down.
One blow after another pushed Charles to shut himself off. He began using the serum Hank had developed, mixing it with alcohol, increasing the dosage to numb himself. This allowed him to regain the ability to walk, but at the cost of silencing his telepathy and psychic abilities.
Without external intervention, Charles might continue drifting aimlessly in this state for some time.