X-Men — Dark Phoenix

Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr sit in a quiet room in Xavier's former school, now called Delta. The walls still retain echoes of their former comfort, but the air is thick with tension. A chessboard sits on a low table, the pieces frozen in a half-forgotten game. Neither is in a hurry to make a move: words are more important than the game right now.

They stare silently at the television screen. The report is muted, but the subtitles speak for themselves: "The US government is launching mass production of Sentinels—protective robots designed to protect ordinary citizens from the threat of aggressive mutants." The footage changes: factories, rows of metal giants, officials with serious expressions.

Charles frowned slightly, his fingers barely tightening on the armrest of his chair. He believed in the possibility of coexistence, but reality whispered more and more insistently that the world wasn't ready for it. Eric, on the other hand, sat motionless, as if carved from stone, his gaze a bitter "I told you so." For him, these robots weren't protection, but a death sentence, a sign that humanity would never accept mutants.

"Do you think they really believe this will solve the problem?" Charles asks quietly, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Eric grins, but there is no humor in it.

"They believe in the power of iron and code. That they can lock a threat in a box and press a button. But fear doesn't go away, Charles. It just finds new forms."

The Minister of Defense's statement appears on the screen: "The Guardians are the guarantee of every citizen's safety." Eric snorts and turns away, as if he can't bear to watch any longer.

— A guarantee of safety... for them. But for us, it's a countdown clock.

Charles slowly moves his gaze from the screen to his friend—an old friend with whom their paths have diverged so many times.

"We can't let them decide everything for us. If the Guardians become the law, if they start dictating who deserves to live freely and who doesn't... we must be prepared."

Eric finally makes a move in the chess game - sharply, confidently.

— Ready?