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******
When was the last time he met with Peggy Carter…?
Mike thought for a moment.
Ah, right—it was before he moved to New York, about two and a half months ago, nearly three months now.
He remembered Peggy Carter glaring at him back then, looking so furious it seemed like she might keel over any second.
Since that incident, he hadn't received another call from her.
She'd lost too badly.
Probably ran out of money.
Hopefully, she didn't lose her entire retirement pension.
Otherwise, the old lady would be out begging in the streets.
"Mike? Hurry up and answer! We're short one for a game!"
Peggy Carter urged impatiently.
"I'm not coming. I've got things to do!"
Mike refused.
Peggy Carter's card skills were atrocious.
"What, are you scared?"
"Scared?"
Mike raised an eyebrow. "With your lousy card playing, you think I'd be scared?"
"My card skills are lousy!?"
Peggy Carter's voice stretched with indignation, making Maria beside her cover her ears in exasperation.
"Not coming, not coming!"
Mike insisted. "I've got stuff going on right now. I'll play with you all when I have time."
With that, he gave her no chance to respond and directly hung up.
Seriously…
Had he known she'd get hooked, he never would've whimsically taught her and Maria how to play mahjong when they came over for dinner after Peggy's retirement.
But when he said he had things to do, he wasn't making excuses.
He truly was busy.
These past few days, he'd been closely monitoring Fox.
Half a month ago, right after Christmas, Fox from the Fraternity had approached Cross's son, Wesley.
That meant the Fraternity, pressured by Cross's relentless actions, had initiated their countermeasures.
Cross was incredibly strong—Sloan knew this well.
So he sent Fox to recruit Wesley, who had natural talent as an assassin, planning to train him and have him take down Cross.
Because Wesley was the one person Cross wouldn't kill.
Recently, Wesley had already started training and, thanks to his innate abilities, was quickly mastering assassination techniques.
Wesley was learning fast. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Sloan sent him after Cross. That's why Mike had been keeping an eye on them during this time.
After all, he had already decided to save Fox, and since Cross was technically his apprentice—and he didn't have much else going on—it made sense.
He habitually glanced over at the Fraternity's textile factory and, seeing Wesley still deep in training, deactivated his super vision.
Wesley and Charles…
In the previous world, it seemed like they were played by the same actor. But here, they only looked about thirty percent alike.
From temperament to appearance, Charles completely outshone Wesley.
Thinking of how Wesley had been cheated on, Mike couldn't help but shake his head.
That poor kid—truly unfortunate.
...
Time passed day by day, and Gwen gradually adjusted to her new school.
Mike's life settled into a steady, peaceful rhythm.
Finally, after more than twenty days, something stirred Mike's spirit as he watched events unfold.
At the train station—
Fox and Wesley, following a clue Cross had deliberately left, were led there by Cross's former partner.
Cross stood at the door of the last train car, waiting for his partner's signal.
Wesley…
Cross's expression was dark and heavy.
Damn it—they were using his son.
Ever since Fox from the Fraternity first approached Wesley, Cross had wanted to explain everything to his son. But the Fraternity's people had kept a tight watch on him, giving him no chance.
After several confrontations, he had no choice but to find a way to create an opportunity for the two of them to be alone.
Using the remaining bullets he had, Cross lured Wesley to his former partner, who then, according to their plan, led Wesley to the train station.
With a scruffy beard and an unkempt appearance, Cross looked like a disheveled, down-and-out middle-aged man, but his eyes were sharp and fierce.
As the train slowly began to move, he saw two figures sprinting toward it.
Fox—Fox—and his son.
The moment he saw his son, Cross's eyes narrowed, and a powerful killing intent surged toward Wesley.
Wesley's steps faltered. He had no time to call out to Fox, who had already run ahead. Taking long strides, he rushed toward the accelerating train. Just as the conductor was about to close the door, Wesley caught a glimpse of Cross disappearing into the train.
Yanking the conductor aside, Wesley dove into the train and began searching for Cross.
Meanwhile, realizing Wesley had disappeared, Fox dashed out of the train station, jumped into a car, and began pursuing the train.
As the train picked up speed, Wesley grew increasingly agitated.
Though he had natural talent as an assassin and was progressing quickly, he was still sorely lacking in experience.
After all, he was just a rookie who had been training for barely over a month.
Before long, he lost track of Cross. In his panic, he mistakenly pulled a gun on the wrong person, causing a wave of chaos and screams among the passengers.
He grew flustered, repeatedly apologizing—completely unlike an assassin.
A pair of eyes watched Wesley's retreating figure with a trace of pain.
This child was never meant to live this kind of life, never meant to face blood and bullets.
Taking a deep breath, Cross approached Wesley from behind. Just as Wesley sensed something was wrong and turned around, Cross seized the hand holding his gun, and the two began grappling in the train car amid the passengers' screams.
"Wesley!"
Cross pinned Wesley down, his deep voice cutting through the commotion.
Wesley struggled wildly, his only thought to kill the man in front of him.
"I—"
Just as he uttered the first word, Cross's eyes narrowed sharply, and he forced Wesley to the ground.
Bang!
A bullet shattered the glass, passing through the spot where Cross had just been.
It was Fox.
Climbing to his feet, Cross planned to lure Wesley into another car, but as soon as he stood, he saw a smiling face—and his expression shifted dramatically.
How could it be him!?
How could he be here!?
Why was he on this train? Had the Fraternity sent him?
Cold sweat broke out across Cross's back as he pointed his gun at the man.
But the next instant, he stood frozen in place like a puppet.
To be precise, everyone in the car had stopped moving.
On the other side, Wesley, dizzy from the blow to his head, saw the gun lying nearby and reached for it.
Clack!
A foot stepped on the gun.
Startled, Wesley looked up.
A smiling face—and Cross, standing stiffly like a puppet.
Murderous intent flared in Wesley's eyes. Without thinking, he yanked at the gun.
Unexpectedly, that foot lifted lightly.
Thud!
Wesley fell flat on his back.
Watching the scene unfold, Mike couldn't help but curl his lips into a grin. Then, with a thought, his psychic power surged and froze Wesley in place.
In fact, Mike had boarded the train at the same time as Wesley. He had used the Professor X card to activate psychic powers, making everyone on the train subconsciously ignore his presence.
Mike turned to look outside the train. Spotting Fox driving alongside, he waved casually, then used his psychic power to stop her car and make her wait there.
Finally, he controlled Wesley and Cross, guiding them toward the train car's door.
(End of Chapter)