Chapter 131 - 128 | Task Force X.
"Victor, guess how long your brother could last?"
A big, burly man asked.
His name is Fred, and his code name is 'Blob.'
His own strength is endless, and his physical defense is fantastic. He once tried to punch back a shell fired by a tank.
Usually, besides Sabretooth, this guy was also one of the sparring partners.
He is mainly responsible for taking punches and giving Luke practice punches.
"Jimmy said … 20 minutes."
Sabretooth crossed his arms in front of his chest; this was his first achievement.
The demon-like Major General had been beating him for over 20 minutes. It almost drained him.
When he walked out of the training room, his legs were weak, as if he had lost all his strength.
"I think he could last a little longer than you."
A Texan man laughed.
His name is John, and his code name is 'Kestrel.'
Like Azazel, he can move instantly, but the range was much smaller than the other party.
"I think so too."
The last speaker was a young girl named Kayla, code name 'Silver Fox,' who can control other people's thoughts through physical contact.
These mutants are the suitable candidates found by S.H.I.E.L.D recently.
They had all revealed their identities before, so the agents quickly discovered them.
As Luke led S.H.I.E.L.D, the attitude towards mutants wasn't as brutal as Bolivar Trask or William Stryker.
He prefers to use gentle tactics, to package himself as a kind man —— unless he was facing a cranky old man, he would fight and skip the small talk.
One hit, and it's over!
Therefore, these mutants, who have special abilities, are favored by S.H.I.E.L.D. They completed their recruitment without much resistance.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that Bolivar had been taken under Luke's wing.
Mutants in the twentieth century encountered two crises. First, they were captured by Bolivar as the material for studying sentinel robots;
Second, Stryker's research on 'Weapon X' also persecuted and massacred them on a large scale.
The mutants, which the capitalist society hadn't educated, hadn't reached a serious level of hostility towards humans and the military for the time being.
Sabretooth was quiet; he didn't think his brother could be better than him.
When it came to killing people and fighting, it's apparent that he should be better.
"Phew, Victor, your brother is such a stubborn guy."
After the warm-up period, Luke walked out of the training room with a satisfied expression.
Sabretooth glanced at the time, 34 minutes.
'Damn, I lost to that weak Jimmy!'
Sabretooth, an older brother, was a little upset and took the initiative to apply for a beating, "General, do you want to continue? I can hold on longer!"
Luke was refreshed and had a good vent. He looked at him strangely. What's going on?
Addicted to being beaten?
"You've been a sparring partner for a week now, Victor. Are you sure you want to continue?"
Luke asked.
"Yes! It's an honor to fight with you, General!"
Sabretooth nodded. How could he lose to Jimmy?
He had to prove himself!
It doesn't matter if he was beaten!
Luke raised an eyebrow and wondered if he had brainwashed Sabretooth.
Considering the positive attitude of the other party, the Major General, who had just completed his warm-up, couldn't reject him.
"Well then, I hope you'll make some progress."
Luke turned and walked into the training room, and Victor eagerly followed him.
Crackle!
Rumble!
The violent sounds penetrated through the training room; even with its excellent sound insulation, it transmitted outside.
The rest of them looked at each other. Fred, the 'Blob,' closed his eyes and showed some sympathy.
Having been a punching bag a few times, he could imagine Sabretooth's tragic end.
Forty minutes later, the spar was over.
Luke was full of energy as he strode out.
The mutant brothers weren't so bad; he could force him to exert 50% of his powers.
Anyway, as long as he doesn't cut off their heads and crush their hearts, they could heal quickly.
"Okay, the exercise is over."
Luke clapped his hands, ignored Sabretooth and Wolverine lying inside, cleared his throat, and said, "Let's get to know each other. My name is Luke Cavill. You should all have heard of this name. In the days to come, you can call me sir or General."
The free and scattered mutants, who had been separated from each other, stood together and listened attentively to the young General's words.
They have heard a lot about Luke since S.H.I.E.L.D recruited them.
The other party is a celebrity, a war hero, Superman, and other titles. Like a bright halo, incomparably dazzling.
In addition to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s identity and powerful personal strength, he was a person no one could provoke.
After all, not every mutant is as violent as Sabretooth.
"The existence of mutants is no secret to S.H.I.E.L.D."
As Luke talked, he took out Constantine's 'Expert in Deception' skill card and used it.
"Many people may think you're freaks and deviants, but that's not true. Mutants are just a branch of the evolutionary path of humankind; you're no different from us."
"Genetic evolution has given you special abilities, not for hiding or escaping —— it's an innate mission!"
"Join the military, serve your country, and put the power you have to reasonable use. That's the future of mutants!"
"…"
Constantine's ability to fool, coupled with Luke's pep talk, quickly made these young mutants' blood pump and emotions stir.
Compared to Sebastian Shaw's extreme theory, the world belonged to mutants and rebellion against human tyranny; the Major General's speech is much more moving.
However, the latter didn't overemphasize loyalty to the country but put S.H.I.E.L.D and himself in a higher position.
"General, will we be sliced up by Dr. Trask?"
Big Fred asked.
Every mutant had this concern.
"Why would he slice you up? You're all valuable assets of S.H.I.E.L.D. You are trained, nurtured, and spent money on every day … These expenses are almost comparable to several bombers."
Luke seemed to find it ridiculous and asked rhetorically, "Did I spend all this money just to put you guys on the autopsy table?"
Fred scratched his head and smiled.
The Major General's answer made him feel relieved and gave him a sense of belonging in S.H.I.E.L.D.
"General, are we still free?"
Kayla, the young girl, raised her hand like a student and asked.
"I'm sorry, but no."
Luke shook his head.
"You can go out and have regular holidays, even travel around the world. But you still belong to S.H.I.E.L.D, from mind to body."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the federal government has different views on mutants. Some people think you are freaks and are ticking time bombs."
"S.H.I.E.L.D provides you with protection from trouble and asks something in return."
"Obey orders and never betray until retirement. This is the price."
Luke didn't just take a gentle tone.
He was hard when he needed to be hard, soft when he needed to be soft. Both go hand in hand!
This is the basic quality of a leader.
"Understood, General."
Kayla silently put down her hand.
Luke took an extra look at the young girl, not because she was pretty.
According to the information from S.H.I.E.L.D, the other party had a sister named Emma Frost, the 'White Queen' of the Hellfire Club.
The sisters were similar to Sabretooth and Wolverine, and both had identical mental abilities.
"Starting from today, you have all been incorporated into Task Force X."
Luke said seriously.
"The only task is to search and track a secret organization called the Hellfire Club."