Marvel: A Lazy-Ass Superman

Chapter 157: Chapter 157 – A Woman’s Request ( Bonus )

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Raven’s yellow eyes glowed faintly in the infirmary light. She listened to every word Hank had said about Xavier, the White House, and their fruitless search. Then, with a sharp edge in her voice, she asked:

”And Jean? Has anyone actually found her?”

”Scott, Ororo, Kurt—they’re all out looking. Some of the older students have gone to sniff out leads as well,” Hank replied.

”In other words... no one has found her yet.” Raven gave a humorless chuckle. ”Perfect.”

She shifted against the pillows, her muscles straining with the effort. Hank quickly adjusted the motorized bed to raise her up, meeting her halfway so she didn’t have to fight her own injuries.

”Hank,” she said, staring him dead in the eye, ”I need you to find Jean. Bring her back. Keep her safe.”

He blinked. ”But everyone’s already out there searching—Scott, Ororo—”

”That’s not enough,” Raven cut him off coldly. ”I don’t trust Charles.”

Hank froze. ”What? Why?”

”Because I’m sick of watching men like him weigh lives on a scale. Sacrifices for the ’greater good,’ they call it. Who’s to say Charles won’t decide that Jean is expendable if it keeps the mutant cause afloat?”

”Charles would never—” Hank started, but even he couldn’t finish the sentence. Not convincingly.

Raven’s temper flared, and with it, the monitors around her began to beep erratically. ”Do you want me to remind you? I tried to take down Trask, to stop the damned Sentinel program before it began. And what did you do? You listened to that time-traveling Wolverine who told you my actions would doom the future. Erik even said I was too dangerous to live. Erik! He wanted to kill me! Tell me, Hank—before that moment, would you have ever believed it?”

Hank’s shoulders slumped. ”...Wolverine said if Trask got your DNA, the Sentinels would become unstoppable. That’s the only reason—”

”So that’s your justification?!” Raven snapped, her vitals spiking again. ”That’s why it was okay to put a bullet in my head?”

”No! Of course not!” Hank rushed closer, his big hands hovering helplessly. ”I’d spit in the face of anyone who tried that again, I swear. Just—just calm down, Raven. Please.”

Slowly, with deep, controlled breaths, she forced herself to ease back into the bed. But her eyes burned with a cold, merciless fire.

”You see now why I don’t trust Charles. He’s no different from Erik—arrogant, blind. Look at him lately. Sending the X-Men to run errands for the government, no matter how suicidal, no matter how pointless. We’ve risked our lives for problems that weren’t ours, and what do we get? A handful of medals. That’s his idea of ’reward.’ It’s reckless. It’s unfair. And you—” she jabbed a finger at Hank, ”you just keep believing in him. Over and over. How many times before you realize he’ll let you down?”

”Alright,” Hank said quickly, trying to steady her rising pulse. ”Alright, Raven. Tell me what you want me to do.”

Her answer was sharp as a blade: ”Find Jean first. Protect her. Don’t hand her over to anyone—not Charles, not Erik. If anyone tries to stop you—aliens, the U.S. government, whoever—knock them down. Hard. Can you promise me that?”

Hank faltered. To defy Charles, Magneto, and the entire U.S. government in one stroke? It was madness. It was suicide.

But Raven saw the hesitation in his face, and she began tearing at her IV line. ”If you won’t, then I will—”

”No, no!” Hank nearly fumbled the monitors in his panic, grabbing her wrists gently but firmly. ”I’ll do it. I’ll find Jean. You just—please, rest. Let me handle it.”

She studied him for a long, suspicious moment before slowly relaxing back into the bed. ”Good. Then listen carefully. Find Henry. If he wants to prove he isn’t one of those aliens, let him fight them. Drag him into the light where we can see him, not lurking in shadows.

”And go to Erik.”

Hank stared at her. ”Wait—you don’t want to hand Jean over to him, but you do want his help?”

Raven’s lips curled into a grimace. ”He owes me. Tell him the past isn’t over just because he’s hiding on Genosha. If he doesn’t step up now, I’ll make sure he pays for it later.”

Hank couldn’t help the flicker of grim amusement in his chest. Delivering that message would be... entertaining.

”Fine. I’ll tell him. Is that all?”

”No.” Raven’s voice was iron. ”Take Scott, Ororo, Kurt. All of them. Don’t leave anyone behind for Charles. He doesn’t get to play his games with other people’s lives.”

Hank exhaled. She really was mobilizing everyone. For a moment he pitied both Charles and Erik.

He tucked her blankets back into place, fussing like an old friend. ”Anything else?”

”Yes.” Her hand slipped out from under the covers, weak but insistent, gripping his fingers. ”Promise me you’ll bring Jean back whole. She’s carrying a burden that was never his to bear. Protect her from anyone who’d use her. She needs us now more than ever.”

”I know,” Hank said softly, tucking her hand back under the sheets.

”And Hank?”

”Yes?”

”You come back too. All of you. What we’re doing—it can’t be built on sacrificing our own.”

Her simple words sank deep into his chest, warm and steadying. For the first time all day, Hank managed a real smile. ”Don’t worry. We’ll all make it back. Together.”

Raven gave him one last warning, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. ”If Charles follows you, be careful of his ideas. And don’t—ever—trust the U.S. government or their military. You can’t imagine the things they’re capable of in the dark. Things that would make even the Devil himself look innocent.”

Hank swallowed hard, that smile faltering. But he nodded. ”I understand.”

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