Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Mystique Takes Action
Thirteenth Street.
Outside the apartment where Alan used to live.
A scruffy-looking homeless man slowly approached from the edge of the street, leaning lazily against a streetlamp.
He gazed at the high-rise apartment building before him and said softly, "Are you sure only that woman named Anna is living here now?"
"Alan has already moved out?"
"Of course, my intel is never wrong."
"Your task is simple—control the woman named Anna first, then impersonate her to get close to Alan."
"Bring Alan to the Brotherhood of Mutants."
Clearly, this ragged homeless man was none other than Mystique, Raven Darkholme, of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Mystique squinted her eyes and asked, "And then?"
"Do I kill him and take his form?"
"Of course not. Your ability is still a superpower. If suppressed, your true form could be exposed."
"Bring him to the Brotherhood. If he refuses to join us..."
"Then he'll face the consequences."
Although Mystique was irked by the dismissal of her powers, she knew the reasoning wasn't wrong.
"Didn't we say not to act rashly since the people from Xavier's School contacted him?"
The voice on the other end of her earpiece continued, "Charles was turned away by him."
"Even the people at Xavier's think Alan is just another anti-mutant elitist."
"So there's no need to worry."
With no interference from Xavier's School, Mystique was at ease and smirked, "Then I'll bring Alan back."
"Good, waiting for your success."
The call ended, and Mystique leaned against the streetlamp, pretending to nap as she waited for Anna's return.
After a while, a few gunshots caught Mystique's attention. As a member of the Brotherhood, she was highly sensitive to the sound of firearms.
Instinctively alert, she glanced toward the alley behind her, where the shots had come from, then looked up at the still-dark windows of the apartment.
With a flicker in her eyes, she stood and walked toward the source of the gunfire.
Not long after Mystique left, Anna's car slowly pulled up in front of the building.
Having just returned from Helen's place, Anna had also heard the gunshots as she neared Thirteenth Street, close to Alan's apartment.
Stepping out of the car, she glanced around. "Seems like this place is never at peace."
"Life was much better before."
The current danger-filled atmosphere of New York made Anna yearn for the two peaceful years she had spent in the other countries.
In that place, some people might go their whole lives without ever hearing a gunshot.
You could even stay out all night without worrying.
Such luxuries seemed impossible in New York.
Composing herself, Anna adjusted her coat and looked up at the building. "Cold-hearted, leaving just like that."
"And Gwen didn't stay with me either."
"Girls just grow up and leave..."
Muttering to herself, she walked toward the entrance of the building.
In the dark alley...
Several robbers stood over Gwen, who lay motionless on the ground after being hit by bullets.
"We... we killed Spider-Woman?"
"Boss, yes..."
"We killed Spider-Woman!"
The robbers grew increasingly excited.
Spider-Woman had become a thorn in the side of nearly every criminal in New York.
Every felon or mobster longed for Spider-Woman's demise.
There were even bounties circulating on the black market, offering high rewards for Spider-Woman's head. Proof of authenticity would not only earn a hefty sum but elevate one to a legendary status among the criminal underworld.
This showed just how hated Spider-Woman was in New York's underbelly.
"Boss, quick!"
"Take her and drag her to the black market."
A henchman eagerly suggested, "With Spider-Woman's head..."
"These jewels are nothing."
...
T/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but it is what it is 🤷♂️