## Brotherhood Headquarters - Abandoned Industrial Complex, Northern Mexico
The facility that Erik Lehnsherr had claimed for the Brotherhood's operations looked like it had been designed by someone who understood that sometimes the most effective base of operations was the one that nobody wanted to visit. Rusted machinery filled cavernous spaces lit by flickering industrial lighting, and the whole complex carried the lingering smell of motor oil, metal shavings, and decades of mechanical decay.
It was perfect for housing a revolutionary organization that preferred to operate in the shadows.
Raven Darkhölme stood in the center of what had once been the facility's main assembly floor, her natural blue skin and distinctive features marking her clearly as Mystique rather than any of her carefully crafted human disguises. Around her, the Brotherhood's current roster went about their business with the focused efficiency of people who'd learned that survival depended on being prepared for anything at any time.
Pyro worked at a makeshift training station, his flames dancing between his fingers as he practiced precision control rather than the raw destructive power that came naturally to his mutation. Avalanche reviewed topographical maps of potential targets, his seismic abilities making him invaluable for operations that required structural modification. Toad maintained their transportation and communication equipment with the methodical attention to detail that kept them mobile and connected to intelligence networks around the world.
But all of that familiar routine felt hollow to Raven as she waited for Erik's return from his latest recruitment mission. Her mind kept cycling back to the events at the Virginia scenic overlook, replaying the confrontation between her children and forces that should have been allies rather than threats.
*Marcus absorbing abilities from both Sabretooth and Wolverine. Marie developing control over her powers through her brother's stabilizing presence. Both of them choosing to go with the X-Men rather than remaining in government custody or searching for their adoptive mother.*
The tactical implications were staggering. Marcus's absorption abilities were potentially more versatile than Marie's, with the added advantage of selective control that could make him exponentially more dangerous in the right circumstances. His telepathic immunity made him valuable to any organization that might face psychic opposition. And his apparent knowledge of things he shouldn't know suggested either significant intelligence gathering capabilities or something else entirely.
But underneath the tactical analysis, Dorothy D'Ancanto's maternal instincts were screaming that her children were safe. The X-Men weren't perfect, but they had a decades-long track record of protecting young mutants from the kind of government exploitation that had nearly claimed Marcus and Marie. Whatever else happened, whatever conflicts arose between the Brotherhood and Xavier's people, her children would be fed, housed, educated, and most importantly, taught to see their abilities as gifts rather than curses.
*Small consolation when you've just lost your family to the enemy.*
The sound of approaching engines broke through her brooding. Erik had returned from Chicago, where he'd been attempting to recruit a mutant whose electromagnetic manipulation abilities would complement his own. The success or failure of that mission suddenly seemed less important than the conversation they were about to have about her children's defection to Xavier's school.
Erik Lehnsherr entered the facility with the commanding presence that had made him a legend among mutants who believed that homo superior was destined to inherit the Earth. At seventy-one, he carried himself with the dignity of someone who'd survived the Holocaust, built a fortune through strategic manipulation of global metal markets, and spent decades fighting for mutant rights through methods that conventional authorities found deeply troubling.
Behind him walked a woman in her thirties with platinum blonde hair and the kind of predatory grace that suggested enhanced physical capabilities. Emma Frost, the White Queen, telepath and diamond-form mutant whose addition to the Brotherhood's ranks had significantly expanded their operational capabilities.
"Raven," Erik said by way of greeting, his accented voice carrying the weight of someone who'd been managing crises for longer than most people had been alive. "I trust your reconnaissance mission in Mississippi provided useful intelligence?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question, delivered in the same tone Erik used for discussing weather patterns or equipment maintenance. But Raven could hear the underlying expectation—he wanted a detailed report on Marcus and Marie's abilities, their potential value to the Brotherhood's cause, and recommendations for recruitment or elimination depending on whether they represented assets or threats.
What he was going to get instead was considerably more complicated.
"There have been developments," Raven said carefully, her tone carrying just enough warning to suggest that the conversation wasn't going to follow normal operational debriefing protocols.
Emma Frost's telepathic senses immediately picked up on the emotional undercurrents flowing between Raven and Erik, though Marcus's absorption of Logan's memories had taught him that Emma's powers were formidable but not unlimited. She could read surface thoughts and emotional states, but deeper psychological analysis required more intensive contact.
"Oh my," Emma said with the kind of aristocratic amusement that suggested she found other people's emotional complications entertaining, "this promises to be fascinating. Shall I give you privacy, or would you prefer an audience for your dramatic revelations?"
"Stay," Erik said without hesitation. "If the D'Ancanto twins represent a threat to our operations, Emma's insights will be valuable for strategic planning."
Raven felt a familiar surge of irritation at Erik's assumption that everything ultimately came down to strategic value and threat assessment. Ten years of raising Marcus and Marie had apparently created emotional attachments that her Brotherhood training hadn't prepared her to handle.
"The twins manifested significant abilities three days ago," she began, falling back on operational reporting as a way to organize information that felt too personal for clinical analysis. "Marie D'Ancanto demonstrates uncontrolled life force absorption with memory transfer capabilities. Her first manifestation put a human male into a coma and left her traumatized by the uncontrolled absorption of his experiences."
"Classic absorption syndrome," Erik observed. "Potentially valuable if she can be taught proper control. What about the brother?"
"More complicated," Raven admitted. "Marcus D'Ancanto absorbed abilities from both Victor Creed and James Howlett during a confrontation with Weapon X forces. His power appears to be selective absorption with conscious control over what abilities he acquires and retains."
Emma's eyebrows rose slightly. "Selective absorption? That's remarkably rare. Most absorption-type mutants struggle with involuntary activation throughout their entire lives."
"Furthermore," Raven continued, "he demonstrated tactical awareness and combat effectiveness that shouldn't be possible for an untrained sixteen-year-old. His decision-making patterns suggest either significant intelligence or access to information that he shouldn't possess."
Erik's expression shifted to the focused attention he reserved for discussions of mutants whose abilities might be game-changing for the broader conflict between homo sapiens and homo superior.
"Controlled absorption from multiple sources," he mused. "If the boy can integrate and retain abilities permanently, he could potentially acquire a comprehensive power set that would make him one of the most dangerous individuals on the planet." He paused, considering tactical implications. "Have you made contact? Assessed their willingness to join our cause?"
This was the moment Raven had been dreading since watching her children board the X-Men's Blackbird. The moment when she had to choose between her loyalty to Erik's vision of mutant supremacy and her love for two teenagers who deserved better than being treated as weapons in a war they hadn't chosen.
"They're at Xavier's school," she said simply.
The silence that followed was the kind that preceded explosions, natural disasters, or the collapse of carefully constructed plans. Erik's face went through several expressions—surprise, anger, calculation, and finally a cold fury that suggested someone was going to pay dearly for this development.
"You allowed Xavier to acquire two of the most potentially powerful young mutants we've encountered in years," he said quietly, his voice carrying the kind of controlled rage that was more terrifying than screaming. "Mutants that you were specifically tasked to monitor and recruit."
"I wasn't there when their powers manifested," Raven replied, her own voice taking on a dangerous edge. "I was three states away coordinating the Trask Industries operation that you assigned as a higher priority than protecting my children."
"Your *children*?" Emma interjected with sharp amusement. "Oh, this is even better than I thought. The infamous Mystique has developed genuine emotional attachments to her cover identity's family. How wonderfully human of you."
Raven spun toward the telepath with lethal intent radiating from every line of her body. "Careful, Emma. My children are off-limits for your psychological games."
"Ladies," Erik said with the tone of someone accustomed to managing volatile personalities in high-stress situations, "we have more immediate concerns than exploring Raven's attachment issues."
He moved to a wall-mounted display and activated a holographic interface that showed satellite imagery of Xavier's school, complete with tactical annotations marking known defensive capabilities, personnel rosters, and estimated response times for various X-Men team configurations.
"Two absorption-type mutants with complementary abilities," Erik continued, his voice taking on the lecturing tone he used when explaining strategic concepts to newer Brotherhood members. "The girl's uncontrolled powers make her vulnerable to psychological manipulation—tell her she's a monster long enough, and she'll believe it. Use her guilt over harming others to drive her toward our cause."
"The boy is more complicated," Emma added, studying the tactical display with professional interest. "Selective absorption suggests significant mental discipline and self-control. More difficult to manipulate, but potentially more valuable if recruitment succeeds."
"Erik," Raven said carefully, "before we start planning extraction operations, there's something else you need to understand about Marcus."
"Which is?"
Raven took a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to reveal would fundamentally change how Erik viewed the twins' strategic value—and potentially put them in more danger than government hunting parties or Weapon X operations.
"He's telepathically immune," she said. "Charles Xavier couldn't establish mental contact with him even using Cerebro's amplification systems. Complete resistance to psychic intrusion or manipulation."
The implications hit Erik like a physical blow. In a world where telepaths like Charles Xavier and Emma Frost could potentially influence or control almost anyone, complete telepathic immunity was beyond valuable—it was game-changing.
"How is that possible?" Emma asked, her aristocratic composure slipping slightly. "Natural telepathic resistance usually manifests as partial immunity or selective blocking, not complete invisibility to psychic contact."
"Unknown," Raven admitted. "But I observed Professor Xavier's failed attempts to reach him during the confrontation with Sabretooth. The boy's mind was completely closed to telepathic access."
Erik was quiet for a long moment, processing the tactical implications of a mutant who could absorb abilities from multiple sources while remaining immune to psychic influence. Such an individual could potentially stand against telepaths, governments, and other mutants without fear of mental manipulation or control.
In the right hands, Marcus D'Ancanto could tip the balance of power in the mutant-human conflict.
In the wrong hands, he could become a threat to mutant supremacy itself.
"Extraction operation," Erik said finally, his voice carrying the weight of absolute decision. "Both twins, maximum priority. Xavier's people will be expecting conventional assault or stealth infiltration. We need something they won't anticipate."
"Erik," Raven said quietly, "they chose to go with the X-Men. They weren't captured or coerced—they made a conscious decision to seek Xavier's protection and training."
"Because they were frightened children making decisions based on incomplete information," Erik replied dismissively. "Once they understand the broader implications of the mutant-human conflict, they'll recognize that integration and cooperation are impossible. Homo superior and homo sapiens cannot coexist peacefully—one species will dominate, and the other will be enslaved or eliminated."
"And what if they disagree with that assessment?"
Erik's expression hardened into the kind of cold certainty that had driven him to decades of conflict with Charles Xavier's more moderate approach to mutant rights.
"Then they'll learn through experience," he said simply. "The world will teach them that humans fear and hate what they cannot understand or control. Xavier's dream of peaceful coexistence will crumble under the weight of reality, and when it does, they'll seek us out for the strength to survive in a world that wants them dead."
Emma nodded approvingly. "A long-term strategy. Allow Xavier's people to invest time and resources in training them, then extract them after they've become disillusioned with the integration approach. Very efficient."
But Raven was thinking about Marcus's impossible knowledge, his tactical awareness, his apparent understanding of threats and opportunities that no sixteen-year-old should possess. Whatever was driving his decision-making process, it wasn't the naive optimism that Erik attributed to Xavier's students.
*He knows something we don't,* she realized. *Something about the future, about the conflict, about what's coming. And he chose Xavier's side anyway.*
"There's another possibility," she said carefully. "What if Marcus D'Ancanto knows exactly what he's doing? What if his choice to join Xavier's school is based on information we don't have?"
"Such as?"
"I don't know," Raven admitted. "But Erik, in forty years of covert operations, I've learned to recognize when someone is operating with superior intelligence. The boy's tactical decisions, his preparation for the government pursuit, his strategic positioning during the confrontation with Sabretooth—none of it fits the profile of a frightened teenager making panicked choices."
Erik considered this carefully. His own experiences during World War II had taught him to recognize the difference between lucky amateurs and trained operatives, and Raven's assessment carried the weight of someone whose survival had depended on reading people accurately.
"If the boy has access to intelligence networks or precognitive abilities," Erik said slowly, "that changes our approach significantly. Enhanced strategic value, but also enhanced threat potential if his loyalties remain with Xavier's cause."
"Precisely. Which means extraction operations carry significant risks beyond the tactical challenges of penetrating the school's defenses."
Emma studied the satellite imagery of Xavier's school with renewed interest, her mind already working through psychological profiles and manipulation strategies that might be effective against telepathically immune targets.
"There are other approaches," she said thoughtfully. "The sister remains vulnerable to mental influence, and their empathic connection means that manipulating her emotional state could indirectly affect his decision-making processes."
"No," Raven said flatly, her voice carrying a dangerous edge that made both Erik and Emma look at her with surprise.
"I beg your pardon?" Emma asked with arctic politeness.
"Marie D'Ancanto is off-limits for psychological manipulation," Raven stated with absolute certainty. "Whatever strategies we develop for recruiting the twins, they will not involve exploiting a traumatized sixteen-year-old girl's emotional vulnerabilities."
"Raven," Erik said carefully, "your personal attachments are affecting your tactical judgment. The girl's psychological state is a legitimate strategic consideration."
"My personal attachments are the only thing preventing me from walking out of this facility right now and finding a way to warn Xavier's people that you're planning operations against children I raised for ten years," Raven replied with cold fury.
The confrontation might have escalated into the kind of violent disagreement that occasionally erupted between strong-willed Brotherhood members, but before anyone could draw weapons or activate powers, alarms began sounding throughout the facility.
"Perimeter breach," Toad called out from his monitoring station. "Multiple contacts approaching from the southeast. Military vehicles, enhanced individuals, government signatures."
Erik moved to the tactical display with the fluid efficiency of someone accustomed to facilities being discovered and attacked by hostile forces. "How many?"
"Estimate twelve to fifteen personnel, plus air support inbound. Configuration suggests Weapon X operational parameters."
*Stryker,* Raven realized with growing dread. The Colonel had apparently decided that losing Sabretooth and failing to acquire the D'Ancanto twins warranted escalation to direct assault on Brotherhood positions.
"Evacuation protocols," Erik ordered, his personal conflicts with Raven instantly set aside in favor of ensuring organizational survival. "Essential personnel and equipment only. We relocate to the secondary facility in Arizona."
As the Brotherhood began their practiced evacuation routine, Raven found herself thinking about Marcus and Marie, safe within Xavier's school while government forces attacked the very people who might have offered them an alternative path. The irony wasn't lost on her—Erik's plans for recruiting her children were being interrupted by the same forces that had driven them to seek Xavier's protection in the first place.
*Perhaps the boy's strategic intelligence extends to recognizing which side offers the best long-term survival prospects,* she mused as she gathered her essential equipment and prepared to relocate yet again.
Twenty minutes later, as the Brotherhood's convoy disappeared into the Mexican desert while Weapon X forces stormed an empty facility, Raven made a decision that would have surprised both Erik and Emma if they'd been able to read her thoughts.
She was going to Westchester.
Not to extract her children for the Brotherhood's cause, but to ensure that they remained safe from the government forces that were apparently escalating their anti-mutant operations. If Erik wanted the D'Ancanto twins for his war, he could recruit them honestly, through demonstration of superior ideology and strategic vision.
But Mystique would be watching from the shadows, ready to protect her family from anyone who threatened them—Brotherhood, X-Men, or government agencies that saw young mutants as weapons to be collected rather than people to be nurtured.
After all, some things were more important than the cause.
Even for someone who'd spent decades fighting for mutant supremacy, family came first.
*Dorothy D'Ancanto had taught her that lesson well.*
---
*As Raven drove north through the American Southwest, her encrypted communication device buzzed with a message from an unknown sender:*
*"The pieces are moving faster than expected. Your children are safe for now, but larger forces are converging. The real game is about to begin. - A Friend"*
*She deleted the message without responding, but couldn't shake the feeling that Marcus D'Ancanto wasn't the only one operating with impossible knowledge.*
*The mutant-human conflict was about to enter a new phase, and everyone's carefully laid plans were about to be tested by realities that no one had anticipated.*
*Including cosmic refugees with video game systems and omnipotent beings who monitored the fates of reincarnated souls.*
—
## Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters - Main Entrance
The circular driveway that led to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was paved with the kind of attention to detail that suggested serious money backing serious intentions. Ancient oak trees lined the approach, their branches creating a natural canopy that filtered late afternoon sunlight into patterns of gold and green that danced across the Blackbird's windscreen as Logan brought the aircraft in for final approach to the mansion's private landing area.
Marcus pressed his face to the passenger window, drinking in his first real-world glimpse of one of the most important locations in the Marvel Universe. The mansion itself was exactly what CJ's comic book knowledge had prepared him to expect—Georgian architecture that spoke of old money and older traditions, sprawling grounds that could have housed a small college, and an overall atmosphere of dignified sanctuary that made it clear this was a place where people came to learn rather than hide.
But seeing it in person, knowing that he was about to walk through doors that had welcomed thousands of frightened mutant children over the decades, made it feel more real than any comic book panel could have conveyed.
**[SYSTEM ALERT: ENHANCED INDIVIDUALS DETECTED]**
**[SCANNING XAVIER'S SCHOOL GROUNDS...]**
**[MULTIPLE SIGNATURES IDENTIFIED: 47 ENHANCED INDIVIDUALS]**
**[POWER LEVELS: RANGING FROM MINOR MANIFESTATIONS TO OMEGA-CLASS POTENTIAL]**
**[NOTABLE CONTACTS: 3 HIGH-PRIORITY TARGETS IDENTIFIED]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: STRATEGIC POWER ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE]**
Marcus felt a familiar mixture of anticipation and ethical uncertainty. The system was identifying potential absorption targets, but these weren't enemies or threats—they were fellow students and faculty members who were about to welcome him into their community. Using his powers to steal abilities from people who trusted him felt morally complicated in ways that absorbing from Sabretooth hadn't.
But then again, his absorption was selective and apparently undetectable. And if he was going to help protect the school and its students from the threats he knew were coming, he would need every advantage he could get.
*Strategic necessity,* he told himself, though the rationalization felt thin even to his own ethical standards.
The Blackbird settled onto the mansion's private helipad with the smooth precision of advanced technology operated by someone who'd made this landing hundreds of times before. As the engines wound down, Marcus could see figures emerging from the mansion's main entrance—the welcoming committee that would provide his first face-to-face contact with characters who had been fictional heroes to CJ Smith but were now real people with real lives and real vulnerabilities.
"Nervous?" Marie asked through their empathic connection, though she could already feel the mixture of excitement and anxiety radiating through his emotional state.
"Terrified," Marcus admitted honestly. "These people are legends where I come from. It's like meetin' your childhood heroes, except they're gonna expect me to be a normal teenager instead of a fanboy who knows way too much about their personal lives."
Professor Xavier emerged from the Blackbird's cabin with the calm efficiency of someone accustomed to managing complex social dynamics, but Marcus could see the subtle signs of concern in his expression. The telepath was still bothered by his inability to establish mental contact, and the implications of that immunity were probably creating strategic uncertainties that Charles wasn't comfortable with.
*He's right to be concerned,* Marcus thought. *I'm probably the most dangerous person he's ever invited into his school, even if I don't mean any harm.*
The welcoming committee consisted of three individuals who made Marcus's borrowed heart skip several beats as CJ's comic book knowledge supplied context and personal significance that he couldn't share with anyone present.
Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy stood near the mansion's front steps, his blue fur and dignified bearing immediately identifying him as the Beast. At thirty-five, he carried himself with the intellectual confidence of someone who held multiple advanced degrees and had spent decades studying the genetic foundations of mutant abilities. His appearance was exactly what Marcus had expected—leonine features, pronounced canine teeth, hands and feet adapted for both delicate manipulation and incredible physical feats.
But more importantly for Marcus's current purposes, Beast possessed one of the most useful ability sets in the Marvel Universe: enhanced physiology that combined superhuman strength, speed, and agility with intellectual capabilities that bordered on genius-level intelligence.
**[TARGET IDENTIFIED: DR. HENRY MCCOY]**
**[ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY: STRENGTH/SPEED/AGILITY PACKAGE - SUPERIOR TO LOGAN'S VERSION]**
**[ENHANCED INTELLECT: GENIUS-LEVEL COGNITIVE CAPABILITIES]**
**[RECOMMENDED ABSORPTION: ENHANCED INTELLECT - PERMANENT STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE]**
Standing beside Beast was a young man who looked to be about seventeen, with dark hair and the kind of serious expression that suggested he'd been forced to grow up faster than most teenagers. Scott Summers—Cyclops—wore distinctive ruby quartz sunglasses that served both fashion and functional purposes, containing the optic blasts that he couldn't control without technological assistance.
Scott's presence surprised Marcus slightly. In most comic continuities, Cyclops was significantly older than this, but apparently this timeline had compressed ages or altered recruitment patterns in ways that put him closer to Marcus and Marie's apparent age group.
**[TARGET IDENTIFIED: SCOTT SUMMERS]**
**[OPTIC BLAST CAPABILITY: CONCUSSIVE FORCE PROJECTION]**
**[LIMITATION: REQUIRES RUBY QUARTZ FOR CONTROL - TECHNOLOGICAL DEPENDENCY]**
**[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: ABSORPTION WOULD GRANT CONTROLLED VERSION WITHOUT TECHNOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS]**
**[RECOMMENDED ABSORPTION: STRATEGIC RANGED COMBAT CAPABILITY]**
But it was the third member of the welcoming committee who made Marcus feel like he'd been hit by lightning.
Jean Grey stood slightly behind Scott, her red hair catching the late afternoon sunlight like burnished copper. At sixteen, she was still growing into the incredible telepathic and telekinetic abilities that would eventually make her one of the most powerful mutants on Earth. But even now, Marcus could sense something vast and barely contained lurking behind her green eyes—a presence that felt older and more cosmic than the teenage girl who served as its host.
CJ Smith had carried a comic book crush on Jean Grey/Phoenix for years, and seeing her in person was like every adolescent fantasy and cosmic terror wrapped into a single, overwhelming package.
**[TARGET IDENTIFIED: JEAN GREY]**
**[TELEPATHIC ABILITIES: MODERATE TO HIGH LEVEL]**
**[TELEKINETIC ABILITIES: MODERATE TO HIGH LEVEL]**
**[WARNING: ADDITIONAL PRESENCE DETECTED - COSMIC ENTITY CLASSIFICATION]**
**[PHOENIX FORCE: DORMANT BUT ACCESSIBLE]**
**[EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED: ABSORPTION MAY TRIGGER UNWANTED ATTENTION FROM COSMIC FORCES]**
**[RECOMMENDED ABSORPTION: PHOENIX CONNECTION - UNPRECEDENTED POWER POTENTIAL]**
Marcus felt the system's analysis like a strategic briefing overlaid with teenage hormones and cosmic significance. Three absorption opportunities, three incredibly valuable ability sets, and three people who were about to trust him enough to shake his hand.
It felt like the universe's most ethically complicated pop quiz.
"Marcus, Marie," Professor Xavier said as they disembarked from the Blackbird, "welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I'd like you to meet some of our faculty and students."
Beast stepped forward with the kind of warm, paternal smile that immediately put nervous teenagers at ease. "Dr. Henry McCoy," he said, extending a large, fur-covered hand. "I teach biochemistry and genetics, among other subjects. Welcome to our little sanctuary of learning."
Marcus shook Beast's hand, feeling the system immediately activate as skin contact established the connection necessary for selective absorption. The interface materialized in his peripheral vision, offering the same options he'd seen in the analysis.
**[ABSORPTION OPTIONS - DR. HENRY MCCOY]**
- **ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY** *(Strength/Speed/Agility - Redundant with Logan's abilities)*
- **ENHANCED INTELLECT** *(Genius-level cognitive capabilities - Unique)*
- **ENHANCED DEXTERITY** *(Superhuman coordination and manual dexterity)*
- **ACROBATIC ABILITY** *(Enhanced spatial awareness and movement capabilities)*
**[CURRENT ACTIVE SLOTS: 2/3 OCCUPIED]**
**[AVAILABLE SLOT: 1 REMAINING]**
**[SELECT ABILITY FOR ACTIVE INTEGRATION]**
*Enhanced intellect,* Marcus selected without hesitation. If he was going to help protect the school from the threats he knew were coming, he'd need every cognitive advantage he could get.
**[ABSORPTION COMPLETE: ENHANCED INTELLECT ACQUIRED]**
**[INTEGRATION LEVEL: 1%]**
**[WARNING: INTELLECTUAL ENHANCEMENT REQUIRES SUSTAINED MENTAL ACTIVITY FOR OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT]**
**[ACTIVE SLOTS: 3/3 - MAXIMUM CAPACITY REACHED]**
The change was subtle but immediately noticeable. Marcus felt his mental processing speed increase slightly, his pattern recognition capabilities sharpen, and his ability to maintain multiple trains of thought simultaneously expand beyond normal human parameters. It wasn't dramatic—1% integration meant he had maybe a hundredth of Beast's intellectual capabilities—but it was enough to make complex tactical planning significantly easier.
"Thank you, Dr. McCoy," Marcus said, releasing the handshake while Beast looked at him with mild curiosity. "I'm lookin' forward to learnin' everything you're willin' to teach."
"Scott Summers," the young man with the ruby quartz glasses said, stepping forward to offer his own handshake. "I coordinate some of the tactical training programs, and I help newer students adjust to life at the school."
Marcus shook Scott's hand, feeling the familiar tingle of system activation while trying to maintain casual conversation that wouldn't reveal his knowledge of Cyclops's future leadership role with the X-Men.
**[ABSORPTION OPTIONS - SCOTT SUMMERS]**
- **OPTIC BLAST** *(Concussive force projection - High strategic value)*
- **ENHANCED DURABILITY** *(Resistance to own power's recoil effects)*
- **TACTICAL AWARENESS** *(Combat leadership and strategic planning)*
- **RUBY QUARTZ COMPATIBILITY** *(Technological interface optimization)*
**[WARNING: ACTIVE SLOT CAPACITY REACHED]**
**[ABILITY WILL BE STORED IN INVENTORY FOR FUTURE INTEGRATION]**
**[SELECT ABILITY FOR INVENTORY STORAGE]**
*Optic blast,* Marcus decided. Ranged combat capability would be invaluable, and the system's promise of controlled activation without technological dependency made it superior to Scott's version.
**[ABSORPTION COMPLETE: OPTIC BLAST STORED IN INVENTORY]**
**[INVENTORY: 1/∞ ABILITIES AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE INTEGRATION]**
**[INTEGRATION AVAILABLE WHEN ACTIVE SLOT BECOMES AVAILABLE]**
"Thanks, Scott," Marcus said, noting the slight look of confusion that crossed the young man's face as the handshake ended. "I appreciate any help you can offer with adaptin' to all this."
Scott nodded, though Marcus could see him trying to process a vague sense that something had happened during their handshake—nothing threatening or unpleasant, just a subtle shift in his own energy levels that he couldn't quite identify.
Then Jean Grey stepped forward, and Marcus felt his borrowed teenage biology respond to proximity to someone who had been CJ Smith's fictional ideal of feminine perfection. She was beautiful in the kind of effortless way that made Hollywood actresses spend fortunes trying to achieve naturally, but it was her eyes that held his attention—green depths that seemed to contain wisdom far beyond her sixteen years.
"Jean Grey," she said with a warm smile, extending her hand. "I teach some of the newer students how to manage telepathic abilities, and I help coordinate social activities around the school."
Marcus hesitated for just a moment before taking her hand. Absorbing abilities from Beast and Cyclops had felt like strategic necessity, but taking something from Jean Grey—especially something as cosmically significant as the Phoenix connection—felt like crossing a line that couldn't be uncrossed.
But then the system's analysis reminded him of exactly what was at stake.
**[PHOENIX FORCE: COSMIC ENTITY OF UNLIMITED POWER]**
**[CURRENT STATUS: DORMANT IN JEAN GREY]**
**[ABSORPTION OPPORTUNITY: ESTABLISH CONNECTION WITHOUT FULL AWAKENING]**
**[STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE: COSMIC-LEVEL POWER AVAILABILITY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS]**
**[WARNING: PHOENIX FORCE ATTRACTS ATTENTION FROM COSMIC ENTITIES]**
**[DECISION REQUIRED: UNPRECEDENTED POWER VS. UNPRECEDENTED RISK]**
Marcus made his decision and shook Jean's hand, feeling the now-familiar system activation overlaid with something vast and ancient stirring at the edges of his consciousness.
**[ABSORPTION OPTIONS - JEAN GREY]**
- **TELEPATHIC ABILITIES** *(Mental communication and mind-reading)*
- **TELEKINETIC ABILITIES** *(Object manipulation through mental force)*
- **EMPATHIC SENSITIVITY** *(Enhanced emotional perception)*
- **PHOENIX CONNECTION** *(Dormant cosmic entity link - EXTREME POWER POTENTIAL)*
**[WARNING: PHOENIX CONNECTION CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RISKS]**
**[COSMIC ENTITIES MAY DETECT ABSORPTION]**
**[POWER LEVEL: POTENTIALLY UNLIMITED]**
**[CONTROL DIFFICULTY: EXTREME]**
**[RECOMMENDED: ALTERNATIVE SELECTION]**
Marcus ignored the system's warning and selected the Phoenix connection anyway. If he was going to face cosmic-level threats, he needed cosmic-level power available, even if it came with proportional risks.
**[ABSORPTION COMPLETE: PHOENIX CONNECTION STORED IN INVENTORY]**
**[WARNING: COSMIC ENTITY AWARENESS POSSIBLE]**
**[INVENTORY: 2/∞ ABILITIES AVAILABLE]**
**[PHOENIX FORCE: DORMANT BUT ACCESSIBLE IN EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES]**
The moment the absorption completed, Marcus felt something ancient and impossibly powerful brush against his consciousness—not hostile, but curious about the new connection that had just formed. For just an instant, he glimpsed cosmic fires that could ignite stars and consume galaxies, felt the weight of responsibility for life and death on a universal scale.
Then it was gone, leaving only the faintest echo of cosmic presence and the absolute certainty that he'd just changed his fundamental nature in ways he couldn't begin to understand.
Jean released his handshake with a slight frown, her telepathic senses detecting the same vague sense of energetic shift that Scott had experienced, but amplified by her superior sensitivity to psychic phenomena.
"That's... interesting," she said quietly, her green eyes studying his face with newfound attention. "There's something unusual about your psychic signature. I can't quite read it—it's like there's static where your thoughts should be."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Marcus said, trying to project casual confidence while his mind reeled from momentary contact with cosmic forces. "Must be some kind of natural resistance."
Professor Xavier wheeled closer, his expression shifting to professional interest. "Jean, what exactly are you sensing?"
"It's hard to describe," Jean replied, still studying Marcus with telepathic focus. "There's definitely intelligence there, but it's... layered, somehow. Like multiple people thinking at once, but organized rather than chaotic." She paused, her frown deepening. "And there's something else. Something that feels very old and very... large."
*Phoenix recognizing Phoenix,* Marcus realized with growing unease. *She can sense the connection even if she doesn't understand what it means.*
**[SYSTEM ALERT: TELEPATHIC DETECTION RISK]**
**[JEAN GREY'S ABILITIES APPROACHING DISCOVERY THRESHOLD]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: DEFLECT ATTENTION, AVOID EXTENDED PSYCHIC CONTACT]**
"Must be all that comic book readin'," Marcus said with forced lightness, falling back on the partial truth that had served him well in previous conversations. "Tends to clutter up the mental landscape with fictional characters and storylines."
Beast chuckled approvingly. "Ah, a fellow intellectual! I'd be delighted to discuss the intersection of popular culture and psychological development sometime. The impact of narrative structures on cognitive development is a fascinating area of study."
*And now I have the enhanced intellect to actually keep up with that conversation,* Marcus thought with growing appreciation for his strategic theft of Beast's cognitive abilities.
"I'd like that very much, Dr. McCoy," Marcus replied honestly. "I got a feelin' there's a lot I can learn here."
As they walked toward the mansion's main entrance, Marie fell into step beside Jean, her natural shyness warring with curiosity about someone close to her own age who seemed completely comfortable with telepathic abilities.
"Is it hard?" Marie asked quietly. "Hearin' other people's thoughts all the time?"
Jean smiled with the kind of understanding that came from personal experience with invasive abilities. "It was, when I first arrived here. But the Professor taught me how to build mental shields, how to control when I listen and when I don't. It takes practice, but it's definitely possible to have privacy when you want it."
Through their empathic connection, Marcus felt Marie's surge of hope. The idea that powers could be controlled rather than simply endured was revolutionary for someone who'd spent three days believing she was too dangerous to touch other people.
"What about you, Marcus?" Scott asked as they approached the mansion's front doors. "What kind of abilities are you working with?"
It was an innocent question, the kind of thing anyone would ask a new student at a school for gifted individuals. But Marcus felt the weight of incomplete truths and cosmic complications pressing down on him as he tried to formulate an answer that wouldn't immediately raise red flags.
"Absorption type," he said finally, settling on the technical classification that covered the most important aspects without revealing the full scope of his capabilities. "Similar to Marie's, but with some differences in how it manifests."
"Absorption abilities can be particularly challenging to master," Beast observed with professional interest. "The psychological impact of experiencing other people's memories and abilities can be quite overwhelming for young mutants."
*If only you knew,* Marcus thought, feeling the stolen intellect already beginning to organize and integrate the enhanced cognitive patterns he'd absorbed. *But then again, maybe it's better that you don't.*
The mansion's main foyer was exactly what CJ's comic book knowledge had prepared him to expect—elegant architecture, expensive furnishings, and an overall atmosphere that suggested this was a place where learning and personal growth were valued above all else. Students moved through the space with the easy confidence of people who'd found their place in the world, their ages ranging from early teens to young adults, their abilities spanning the full spectrum of mutant manifestations.
It was beautiful, welcoming, and absolutely terrifying in its implications.
Because Marcus knew what was coming. He knew about the Sentinels, about government registration programs, about cosmic threats that would test every person in this building. He knew about the political pressures that would eventually force these peaceful educators to become soldiers in a war they'd never wanted to fight.
And now, thanks to his strategic theft of abilities from three of the school's most important figures, he had the power to potentially change some of those outcomes.
The question was whether he was prepared for the consequences of that kind of intervention.
**[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]**
**[POWER ACQUISITION PHASE: COMPLETE]**
**[ACTIVE ABILITIES: 3/3 SLOTS OCCUPIED]**
**[INVENTORY ABILITIES: 2 STORED FOR FUTURE INTEGRATION]**
**[CURRENT POWER LEVEL: SIGNIFICANT AND GROWING]**
**[WARNING: ENHANCED CAPABILITIES WILL ATTRACT ATTENTION FROM MULTIPLE FACTIONS]**
**[NEXT PHASE: INTEGRATION AND MASTERY]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: LOW PROFILE DEVELOPMENT WHILE BUILDING STRATEGIC ALLIANCES]**
**[LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE: PREPARE FOR COSMIC-LEVEL THREATS]**
As Professor Xavier began the formal tour of the mansion's facilities, Marcus found himself walking through halls that had housed some of the most important figures in mutant history, surrounded by people who would eventually become legends in their own right.
CJ Smith's dream of being part of the X-Men universe had become reality.
Now Marcus D'Ancanto had to figure out how to survive it.
---
*End of Chapter 6*
*As the tour continued through Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Marcus couldn't shake the feeling that cosmic forces were already beginning to take notice of his presence. The Phoenix connection hummed quietly in his inventory, a dormant power source that could save or damn them all depending on how it was used.*
*And somewhere in the back of his enhanced intellect, Beast's stolen cognitive capabilities were already working to integrate and optimize the growing collection of abilities that made Marcus D'Ancanto one of the most potentially dangerous individuals on the planet.*
*Whether that danger would serve to protect or destroy the people he'd come to save remained to be seen.*
*But one thing was certain: the Marvel Universe would never be quite the same.*
---
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