Xavier Institute
Professor Xavier was watching the news report on TV with keen attention. A faint smile played at his lips as the images showed Tony Stark surrounded by reporters.
"It's truly unexpected to see someone attacking Tony Stark in broad daylight," Charles remarked, his tone laced with irony. "If he were willing to hire a mutant as a bodyguard, I believe that sort of thing would never happen again."
He tilted his head, casting a glance at the other man in the office. "Wouldn't you agree, Logan?"
Logan, who was leaning casually against the side of the window, took a slow drag from his cigar before replying.
"That's a little too naïve, Charles. Sending a mutant to babysit the rich and powerful? That's not a job, that's an invitation to a headache." He smirked wryly.
Professor X sighed, well accustomed to Logan's biting humor.
"I was merely speaking casually. Your sense of humor is as terrible as ever."
Logan shrugged, exhaling a cloud of smoke without bothering to acknowledge the comment.
Suddenly, Charles narrowed his eyes, focusing on the screen.
"Logan… correct me if I'm wrong, but… is that Jean?"
Logan leaned forward to take a look, and for a brief moment, the cigar nearly slipped from his mouth. Although the report centered on Tony, the camera clearly caught other figures in the background — a blond man with red eyes, flanked by two women.
And the one on the left… was unmistakable.
"Yeah. That's her," Logan confirmed, his expression growing more serious. "And if I'm not mistaken, that's the same guy she went to meet the other day."
Professor X arched an eyebrow, visibly unsettled.
"But… why would Jean be standing next to a man… and so close to him?"
Logan turned to him, frowning as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Charles, didn't you agree to let Jean move out? She's an adult. Isn't it normal for her to be close to someone?"
"Yes, but…" Charles hesitated, his expression a mix of confusion and mild indignation. "I didn't know she had moved in with a man. I thought her friend was… a woman!"
The silence that followed was almost awkward. Logan raised an eyebrow and scoffed.
"You really believed that without asking anything else? And you say I'm the careless one."
Charles averted his gaze, uneasy. He knew he'd given his permission without looking into it — simply trusting Jean's word. Now, however, the situation felt very different.
"What if this man is dangerous?" he muttered, more to himself than to Logan. "But… he managed to suppress Jean's hidden power… He might be a mutant, and maybe even stronger than an Omega-level…"
Professor X began running through a hundred possible scenarios, each worse than the last. Logan, sensing where the conversation was heading, took a step back.
"Don't look at me like that, Charles. If you're thinking of sending me over there, forget it. I'm not getting involved."
"Logan—"
"No." Logan cut him off sharply, exhaling another puff of smoke before heading to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to talk to Eric. I think it's time we speed up that plan for the future of mutants."
And with that, he disappeared down the hallway, leaving Charles alone — and with a growing sense of unease.
That night, Professor X didn't sleep a wink. And every time he woke, he asked himself the same question three times over: Why didn't I ask more questions?
---
The Next Morning
The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting golden beams across the room. Arthur slowly opened his eyes, feeling the soft warmth of two bodies beside him. Gwen and Jean were still fast asleep, their faces relaxed, breathing in a slow and steady rhythm.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. The sight of the two, even in their exhaustion, was strangely charming. He shook his head in amusement.
"They really thought they could beat me…"
The night before, their attempt to "challenge" Arthur hadn't lasted long. In the end, both had lost, and he'd even had to give them a few potions to help them recover. Gwen would be back to full strength once she woke up; Jean, however, would probably need several more hours of rest.
After washing up, Arthur stepped into the backyard to begin his morning training. The crisp air and the distant sound of birds accompanied him.
A little later, Gwen stirred. Turning and seeing Jean still deep in sleep immediately brought back memories of the night before. A flicker of irritation mixed with admiration crossed her face.
"Not even together could we beat him…"
Jean's deep slumber was proof enough of how intense Arthur had been. Gwen, on the other hand, had recovered more quickly thanks to her powers.
Wearing only one of Arthur's oversized T-shirts, she wandered into the backyard — and found him lounging lazily on a deck chair, eyes half-closed toward the sky. Without hesitation, she dropped onto him, clinging to him like an octopus finding its favorite reef.
"You know I'm all sweaty, right?" Arthur remarked, raising an eyebrow, though he made no effort to push her away. "And shouldn't you be at the university today?"
"There's an outdoor concert this afternoon." Gwen rested her chin on his chest, eyes sparkling. "I want you and Jean to come with me."
Arthur smiled. "Of course."
At his answer, she snuggled even closer, subtly inhaling his scent — something between the clean fragrance of soap and an unmistakable note that was uniquely his.
"Gwen…" Arthur murmured, his tone lightly reproachful. "This isn't the time for your perversions."
"It's always the time for my perversions, Arthur," she shot back with a mischievous smile, no longer bothering to hide her playful touches.
At that moment, Ruby's projection silently appeared behind them. She said nothing, but the gleam in her digital eyes betrayed a hint of jealousy. After a few seconds, she vanished without either of them noticing.
Once Gwen had had her fun, she got up, washed, donned her Spider-Woman suit, and left.
Arthur watched her go, a smirk curling his lips.
"Next time, I'm going to ask her to wear that suit…"
"…"
"Ruby," he called. "Do you still have the data on Skynet's liquid metal?"
The projection reappeared.
"[Yes, master. The complete T-1000 data is still stored.]"
The T-1000 — made of liquid metal, capable of shapeshifting, creating weapons, and withstanding extreme temperatures before re-forming. Arthur could already see the possibilities.
"Can you use that metal to make a suit for Gwen?"
"[Yes. And depending on the base metal, the suit can be enhanced.]"
Arthur's eyes lit up. "What if we used Vibranium?"
"[That would be the best choice. However, it is extremely rare and only available on the black market at a very high price.]"
Arthur smiled confidently. "Money isn't an issue."
With the gold stored in the Gate of Babylon, he could buy not just the Vibranium, but half the black market — and with the help of a certain bald crime boss, he'd get whatever he wanted.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."