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Shaw felt upset by Ivan's words. Though he resisted believing it, he knew Ivan wouldn't lie about such matters. Finally, gritting his teeth, he said, "Regardless, we've reached this point, and I won't give up. If you're here to persuade me, save your breath."
"I'm not asking you to give up, just to prepare yourself mentally for the possibility of failure. Join me on a trip, I have something for you that could increase the chances of survival and success in our plan."
Quickly locating Red Devil, Ivan used teleportation to bring the three to the underground base on Skull Island. The first sight that met Shaw was the rebirth cradle for mutants.
Although the cradle had been in existence for years, Ivan had not informed Shaw until now. It wasn't intentional, but to alleviate Shaw's concerns, Ivan decided to explain.
Learning about the cradle's function left Shaw wide-eyed. With it, mutants could have a second life, and certain desires could be fulfilled. However, Ivan promptly dismissed the idea of repeated resurrections. Offending entities controlling death was not something to take lightly, and Ivan had already restrained their actions to avoid unnecessary trouble.
While Shaw didn't fully comprehend the situation, he sensed its gravity from Ivan's serious expression. He changed the topic, inquiring about the island.
Surprised and pleased to hear about over 500 mutants on the island, Shaw discovered they had formed a village, using their abilities to help Ivan in exchange for necessities. Some mutants chose to erase memories of their past experiences on the island, letting Ivan re-establish their identities for a return to normal life. Many sought revenge, but Ivan didn't dwell on the outcomes, recognizing the futility of continuing to invest energy in those pursuits.
Despite the numerous mutants on Skull Island, the majority were first- and second-level, with only a few third-level mutants and one fourth-level mutant—a young man in his twenties, hailed as a genius doctor. His ability focused on healing rather than attack, demonstrated by a quick and effective experiment conducted by Ivan.
Shaw noticed the mutant who was a genius doctor from Ivan's information and immediately thought of recruiting him. However, Ivan rejected the idea. The mutants on the island had chosen to stay there because they had experienced too much suffering and were unwilling to return to a world that had made them miserable. While bringing injured individuals to the island for treatment was acceptable, convincing them to leave was out of the question.
After lingering outside the rebirth cradle for a while, Shaw reluctantly left. Ivan had brought him here for a different purpose, and the cradle was merely incidental.
Ivan led Shaw to the outside of a warehouse. After entering the password, the door opened automatically, revealing numerous peculiar items, dozens of which were invented and manufactured by Ivan over the years.
In front of Ivan's iron frame hung figures more than two meters high. Their bodies were slender, covered in scales, with only two shining eyes on their heads and no mouth or nose.
"Crack"
Ivan snapped his fingers, causing the tall figures to split open from the abdomen, revealing a hollow interior. It turned out to be a set of one-piece armor, a battle suit.
"This is the mutant suit I created, inspired by a mutant named Mystique. Mystique has scales on its surface and can change into anyone's appearance. After cracking her genetic secret, I upgraded it to replicate the abilities of other mutants."
The so-called mutant suit was based on the sentinel robot that had slaughtered mutants in the future, but Ivan's arrival altered many events. Ivan wasn't overly concerned about the sentinel robots, as the Red Queen's superintelligence could easily control them. Ivan explained the suit's neural connections, and brain wave receiving devices, and demonstrated various ability conversions, turning into a metal, diamond, fire, ice, and even growing wings.
Shaw was fascinated by the ever-changing mutant suits. Although he had encountered mutants before, they were relatively weak, and he now regretted not recruiting them. The production cost and speed were the key concerns for Shaw.
"There are only 20 sets here, all hardcover editions. If they're ordinary, we can produce tens of thousands within half a year without impacting our other industries. However, having more battle suits is futile since there aren't enough mutants to operate them. Besides, revealing such technology could trigger conflict between mutants and humans, and internal conflicts among mutants may escalate into a civil war" Ivan explained.
Shaw nodded, understanding the unavoidable circumstances. Simultaneously, he became even more determined to implement his plan, to unite all mutants and create a better world.
In the end, Shaw chose one of the most advanced mutant suits from Ivan. Today, he wore the skin underneath, and the head shield.
Returning with the mutant suit, Shaw felt more motivated. Understanding the suit's role for mutants, he envisioned dominating the entire Earth with a sufficient number of mutants, fostering hope for the future.
Ivan sighed in relief after Shaw put on the mutant suit. Despite years of practicing Ivan's energy absorption and body-strengthening methods, Shaw's body, while strong, wasn't invulnerable. Now, with the battlesuit providing an additional layer of protection, and its automatic defense function, any attempts by Magneto to harm Shaw were thwarted.
In the original story, Shaw's defeat and death at the hands of Magneto were due to carelessness and the loss of the psychic-blocking helmet. Now, the mutant suits created by Ivan had their psychic defense function, and Shaw's imagined black hole in his mind disabled Charles's telepathic abilities.
As the day of the plan's implementation approached, Shaw busied himself with high-level government contacts, threats, and bribes daily. Ivan's calculations and the support of the Black Queen within the Hellfire Club eased some pressure on Shaw.
Observing his father's busy schedule, Red Devil became a reliable means of transportation, using his abilities to carry Shaw around daily. Ivan, though acknowledged for his intelligence, admitted his lack of expertise in political matters. Nonetheless, he remained unfazed, having his calculations and patiently waiting for the right moment, which came when he heard that Shaw would meet Colonel Hendry at a Hellfire Club stronghold in Las Vegas. The time Ivan had been waiting for had arrived.