Saiki Kusuo eventually got his piping-hot dinner.
While Logan and Charles were talking, he directed Hank to prepare a sumptuous meal for him.
After being released from the control, Hank saw the table full of food and Saiki Kusuo sitting beside him. He was so shocked that he almost lost control and unleashed the beast within him.
After a long conversation, the despondent Charles had been persuaded by Logan. He wanted to help, but Raven trusted Erik, not him.
Charles's face looked as sour as if he'd been cuckolded right in front of him. "She's no longer my innocent little sister either. Her body and soul belong to someone else."
Logan knew that Raven would become Erik's right-hand woman in the future.
So he suggested, "Then let's rescue Erik and have him persuade Raven. I know where Erik is being held."
Charles was incredulous. "Are you kidding? That guy isn't the type to cooperate willingly. And do you know where he's being held? His crime was assassinating the president. The place he's locked up in is so secure, not even a fly could get in."
Saiki Kusuo also thought it was troublesome. "Don't you have mind control? Just brainwash Raven."
Charles righteously refused, "No! Leaving aside the fact that I've lost my powers, even if I had them, I wouldn't do that. Because I promised Raven I wouldn't use telepathy on her!"
And his abilities hadn't reached the point where he could freely brainwash others.
"Then how about I brainwash her?"
"No!" Charles refused again. "Tampering with someone's memories without permission is against the law."
(What gives you, of all people, the right to say that, when you casually read other people's minds?)
Rejected, Saiki Kusuo secretly planned to brainwash both Raven and Charles, but in the end, he decided to rescue Erik and let him persuade Raven.
Logan's suggestion was to find Pietro to help, but while they were planning their move, Saiki Kusuo had already efficiently brought Erik out.
"Kid, your ability is really useful," Charles praised Saiki Kusuo. Then, his expression changed, and he warned Erik with a fierce look, "Erik, if it weren't for the dire circumstances, I would definitely make you stay there and atone for your actions. So you'd better behave. If you dare to cause trouble, I'll have Hank bite your throat out!"
Hank, whose name was called, was stunned for a moment, then tried to put on a ferocious expression.
Charles's words were met with Erik's very antagonistic "heh heh."
"Don't worry, I don't have my helmet now, and my life is in your hands. I won't cause trouble."
Erik did seem much more docile, but as a telepath, Saiki knew that this troublemaking Magneto was not docile at all.
[Once I find Raven, I'll brainwash her and have her join me in taking out those guys researching Sentinels.]
[Those two siblings are both easy to fool. Just play the emotional card, and they'll obediently listen.]
[Do you think that just because you rescued me, I'll be grateful? How naive. As a man of presence, how could I possibly let those damn humans go?]
He was truly… as middle-school as ever.
Logan: "…"
Hank: "…"
Charles: "…" He turned to Saiki Kusuo, who had rescued Erik. "I think this guy is beyond saving. Maybe we should just keep him locked up."
Erik looked surprised. "Didn't you lose your telepathy?"
"It was me," Saiki Kusuo admitted honestly. Not only had he heard it, but he'd also used telepathy to let everyone else hear it.
He said to the worried Charles, "Don't worry. If he doesn't behave, I'll just brainwash him into being your lackey. Or I could let him experience my curse ability."
Is it really okay to say that in front of the person involved?
Erik raised an eyebrow and asked, "…For example?"
"For example, I could make you trip on flat ground right now," Saiki Kusuo said expressionlessly, looking at this fearless, provoking guy.
And then Erik promptly tripped on flat ground and face-planted.
Erik wiped the blood from his nose and stubbornly stood up. He didn't seem surprised or embarrassed, he just said with a look of regret, "To have such an ability and only use it for such petty tricks is a complete waste."
"Oh? Then what should I do?" Saiki Kusuo asked for guidance humbly.
"Curse all humans to die, or curse everyone on Earth except mutants to perish."
"What's the difference between those two curses? And I'm also human."
"You're a mutant."
"Essentially, I'm still human. So are you."
"No, I'm not human."
Erik felt like something was a bit off about what he'd just said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Charles couldn't stand their idiotic conversation any longer. He tried to steer the topic back on track.
"Now is not the time to discuss whether you're human or not. We have important matters to attend to. We need to stop Raven before she makes an irreversible mistake."
"Before we go find her, Professor, could you please use Cerebro to help me find someone?"
Saiki Kusuo wasn't interested in finding Raven. He'd already done what he needed to do. He might as well take this opportunity to find Kitty and get the stone.
But clearly, Charles didn't want him to have his way.
Even though he'd decided to help, and had overcome the shadows of losing his loved ones and his legs, Charles still hadn't overcome the shadow of his telepathy.
The responsibility was too heavy and too tiring. He had struggled for so long, only to have his efforts destroyed in the end. He didn't want to pick up his abilities again and shoulder that responsibility once more.
But Saiki Kusuo clearly wouldn't let him escape. He thought for a moment, then walked up to Charles and whispered in his ear.
"When you were 12, your parents weren't home. You were scared of the thunder, so you went to Raven's room to sleep with her."
Charles had a bad feeling.
Saiki Kusuo continued, "But a loud thunderclap scared you so much that you wet the bed. Afterward, you felt embarrassed, so you blamed it on Raven, making her take the fall. Raven felt bad about it for a full ten years."
Charles: "…I never told anyone that embarrassing story!"
Saiki Kusuo's lips curled into a smug smile. "The future you told me. He said that if you didn't listen, I should tell Raven about it."
What the hell kind of thing is that to do? As if you are not going to be embarrassed! Future me!
Charles was instantly speechless with anger. Saiki Kusuo, seeing this, felt that such a threat alone would only barely make him agree. Without resolving his inner conflict, Charles's superpowers wouldn't be able to reach their full potential.
So he sighed and used telepathy to transmit all the heart sounds he could hear to Charles.
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