Outside Xavier's Mansion.
Having drawn their attention, Maverick waited patiently for a response. Through his Magical Sense, he observed the reactions of the three inside—a ripple of shock, followed by a sharp rise in tension.
Even though he had only released the barest minimum of his dominant spirit, it was still enough to make their skin crawl. After all, dominant spirit wasn't just pressure on the mind—it was the weight of another's will pressing down on your own.
Next, he saw Professor X wheel himself toward the large window, raising two fingers to his temple in that unmistakable pose any Marvel fan would recognize instantly.
Let's see which has the higher ground—my mental defense or the most powerful telepath.
With that thought, Maverick braced for the impact, and sure enough, he soon felt a powerful psychic force slam hard against his mind.
But that power was only strong against the average person, and against his overpowered mental barriers, it was more like a gentle knock than a battering ram against the door.
He chuckled inwardly, and then, instead of merely holding the barrier, his magic enveloped the telepathic threads coming from Xavier—like a superior will effortlessly overriding a lesser one.
Although he was being polite by not breaking into the mansion directly, that didn't mean he was about to let them mistake him for some average nobody.
---
Meanwhile, Charles Xavier was feeling like he had finally met his match. With his psychic abilities, it had taken only a moment to detect the lone figure at the mansion's outer gate, but when he reached out to see who this bold presence was, his telepathic probe slammed headfirst into what could only be described as an impenetrable wall.
What shocked him even more was that this was purely the power of the person's mind. It was the first time he had met someone who could negate his psychic intrusion so effortlessly, and it seemed even more effective than his friend's unique helmet, which scatters brainwave frequencies directly.
"Incredible..." Xavier couldn't help but mutter in praise under his breath.
His murmur did not go unnoticed by the man with superhuman senses, who also walked to stand in front of the window beside the man in the wheelchair.
He asked quickly, "Charles, did you find the enemy?"
"'Enemy' is a strong word," Charles replied without breaking focus, fingers still pressed to his temple as his psychic powers probed the unfathomable mental wall beyond. "Besides, it's not wise to label someone an enemy right away, Logan."
Logan didn't seem to care for the advice and brushed it off without a second thought. Charles was always like that—too cautious for his own good.
"Over there," said Professor X, nodding toward the gate.
Logan finally caught sight of the figure standing alone in the falling snow. He sniffed the air, but maybe because of the thick snowfall, his enhanced senses picked up nothing.
Ororo stepped up quietly behind Xavier's wheelchair, following their gaze toward the gate. Her eyes also landed on the distant figure.
"Looks like a young man," she murmured.
"Whatever," Logan growled, eyes narrowing. "Young or not, enemy or not—that presence is the most dangerous I've felt in a damn long time."
However, Charles still had the clarity to speak first before assuming anything. And just as he was about to suggest that one of them go outside to greet the visitor, he—along with Logan and Ororo—felt a subtle change in their perception.
It was faint at first, but then their vision began to distort—quite literally.
Their instincts flared, and without a word, they fell into stances ready for an attack. Logan's claws snapped out with a shink, and Ororo's eyes glowed white, her mutant powers surging to the surface.
Charles remained the calmest, still seated, fingers pressed to his temple.
But it was useless, as the "attack" happened nothing like the sort of what they had in mind.
Space stretched and twisted unnaturally, as if the room itself were being pulled like a rubber band. Lines warped. Angles bent. Everything in their perception began to twist into something it was never meant to be.
"Charles! What the hell is happening?!" Logan growled, but there was no response.
The Professor was silent, his face tense with concentration. His psychic link—something he had always held complete control over—now felt it was no longer under his command.
"Charles!" Ororo also called out, and panic was visible in her expression. "Are we under attack?! Is it that person—"
Before her words even finished, the daylight around them began to flicker, like a faulty lamp—and then it vanished, as if a switch had been flipped. Darkness swallowed everything.
"Did we get teleported?" Logan whipped his head around for an explanation, while his claws were ready for anything. "Where the hell are we?"
"There..." Charles whispered. His voice trembled as he shakily lifted a hand to point ahead.
They followed his gesture—and far, far away, something began to rise from the endless black horizon.
At first, it was just a silhouette. Then it kept rising. Higher. Taller.
It was not a mountain. Not the moon, nor even the sun.
Humanoid in shape… but massive. Unfathomably massive. A towering colossus cloaked in a surface that looked like the night sky itself. Galaxies spun across its chest. Stars blinked in and out of existence across its face.
And it was still only halfway risen. From the waist up, it already filled the sky.
They stood frozen, heads raised, gazing up at the godlike being's eyes, like twin full moons—overwhelmed by its sheer scale.
"No…" Charles muttered. "This can't be real…"
He took the stance of concentration once again and defiantly pushed his psychic powers to the limit.
"Logan, Ororo, come close and hold on to me!"
The two followed his order and each grabbed a shoulder from either side.
"Close your eyes and concentrate on me!"
They did, and after a while, their eyelids sensed light once again, causing them to blink open.
They were back.
It was the same room. The same snow-covered morning.
"Huff... huff..." Charles gasped, wiping sweat from his brow. "What a... terrifying illusion..."
Logan turned to see his friend looking exhausted, as if he had just run a marathon.
"Are you... saying that it was all just an illusion?"
"I can't explain it any other way," Charles said between deep breaths.
"Impressive. As expected of the most powerful telepath on the planet... Charles Xavier."
That voice rang out again, as clear as ever in their ears.
This time, however, they were more clear-headed and managed to think before reacting on instinct. All three had the same thought and glanced out the window.
This wizard seeks an audience with the leader of the mutants. The voice rang clearly in their ears.
"Is he talking to us?" Ororo asked. "And what's a wizard?"
"A mage," Logan responded. "Been a while since I've met one of their kind."
"Yes," the professor nodded in agreement. He wasn't unfamiliar with the term wizard. As a man whose main ability was reading other people's minds, he knew more than most about the hidden secrets of the world.
"Are you being serious? Wizard... like, magic?" Ororo asked, looking at them like they were joking.
"What's so strange about magicians, Ororo? You're someone who can manipulate the weather itself... there's no reason wizards shouldn't exist."
"You talk like you know something I don't," Ororo said, glancing at Charles for an explanation.
"I will explain in due time. For now, Ororo, please go and receive our guest."
"Me?" She pointed a finger at her chest.
"Yes," Xavier replied thoughtfully. "I do not believe this individual is an enemy… it should be fine."
"Charles, you're kidding, right?" Logan looked at him like he had just heard the biggest joke. "Did you forget how he dragged all of us... including you, the telepath... into that ungodly illusion?"
Charles did not know how to explain otherwise, but somehow he truly felt this person was not an enemy.
So, after a while of back-and-forth arguments between them, Ororo finally agreed. She opened the window, stepped out, and flew directly toward the outer gate.
Although she agreed, her powers were on full alert, ready to react the moment she sensed any hint of danger. The moment of being looked down upon by that godlike being still lingered vividly in the back of her mind. Illusion or not, she had never felt so powerless in all her life.
---
Everything happening in Xavier's office had been under Maverick's watch the entire time.
And finally, someone was stepping up to answer the damn gate.
He saw a woman about his age gliding down toward him, hand outstretched, eyes glowing white—like an angel descending straight from the skies—and landing gracefully just a few steps in front of him.
She didn't say anything at first, just stared, maybe sizing him up. And to him, it came off almost cute, so he shot her a sly grin.
But his reaction seemed to have rubbed her the wrong way.
"Wizard?" she asked, not even bothering to hide the edge in her voice.
Maverick nodded slowly.
The door opened the next moment, but he didn't see any movement from her. Probably remote-controlled from inside, he thought, then shrugged the thought off.
She turned and walked toward the entrance, gesturing for him to follow. Thick layers of snow parted automatically with every step she took. He wasn't sure if she was showing off or just being kind.
Whatever. He shrugged again. The mansion was huge. It took half a minute to get from the outer gate to the main building. Without a word or pause, she led him straight up to the top floor—to Professor X's office. He saw no one else along the way; most were asleep in their rooms.
Finally, he saw the man he had come to meet. Not James McAvoy, and definitely not Patrick Stewart—but the classic characteristics of Charles Xavier were all there. He had seen at least four portrayals of the man in the movies back in his previous life, so the vibe was unmistakable.
Logan, on the other hand… was shorter than he expected. Is this a comic-accurate Wolverine? That was the first thing that crossed his mind.
Ororo moved to stand on the left side of the desk, Logan took position on the right, and Charles sat calmly in the center, behind the desk.
"Friend from the world of magic," Charles said with a welcoming smile, "welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."
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