Xavier Institute
Charles stared at the screens before him, once again trying to establish telepathic contact with Jean Grey. A slight furrow of his brow betrayed his frustration, yet there was no trace of despair on his calm face.
He sighed and shut down the mental interface.
"That was to be expected…" he murmured.
"I can't detect her location, but I think I know where she is."
For a moment, silence ruled the room. Soon after, however, a faint smile appeared on his lips, as if he were serenely accepting the situation.
"Perhaps this is what's best for her."
For the first time in a long while, Charles Xavier allowed himself to question his own choices—and to acknowledge his mistakes.
"I was so certain that I knew what was best for everyone that I didn't even realize I was taking away their right to choose their own paths," he murmured to himself.
---
The following morning — Arthur's house
The golden morning light filtered through the bedroom curtains. Arthur woke slowly, still feeling Jean's gentle warmth beside him. She slept deeply, her red hair tangled across the pillow. The previous night had been emotionally intense.
Arthur rose carefully, covering her with the sheet before quietly leaving the room.
A few minutes later…
The door creaked softly. Jean appeared in the living room, wearing casual clothes, her hair tied in a simple ponytail, a calm expression on her face.
"Good morning, Arthur," she said with a yawn, smiling gently.
Arthur, sitting at the table with a mug of coffee in his hands, lifted his gaze and returned the smile.
"Good morning. Come have breakfast— you still like pancakes, right?" Arthur asked as he set a plate of pancakes in front of her.
"Yes," she replied as she sat down beside him.
"Can you give me a ride to the Institute?"
Arthur nodded calmly.
"Of course, no problem."
Jean smiled softly and began having breakfast with Arthur.
---xXx---
Already in the car, as Arthur parked near the Institute, Jean leaned over and kissed his cheek, a shy smile on her lips.
"I could invite you to come in, but you know… Logan would try to turn you into sushi," Jean laughed.
Besides, Anna can get a bit over-the-top when he's around, and I'd rather avoid that for now, Jean thought.
"I appreciate the concern—Arthur sushi isn't on today's menu," Arthur laughed as he said goodbye to Jean.
---xXx---
Meanwhile…
The NYPD was organized chaos. Officers rushed back and forth, radios blaring, reports being issued every minute. Everyone was searching for one thing:
The Lizard's location.
Unfortunately, so far nothing had been discovered. It was like trying to find a needle in a wheat field.
Still, as ineffective as it was, searching the sewers remained the only viable option at the moment.
Back in his office, George was hunched over the city's underground maps—a complex web of tunnels and connections. His eyes followed the lines traced across the paper, trying to decipher where Peter might be hiding.
After several hours of work, however, all he gained was overwhelming exhaustion. He rubbed his eyes, worn out.
That was when the door burst open.
"Dr. Connors…?"
George looked up. Connors entered, out of breath, as if he had run all the way there.
"Captain Stacy," he said, catching his breath. "I… I know where Peter is going to carry out his plan."
"What?"
George stood up immediately. The scientist went straight to the desk, grabbed a glass of water, drained it quickly, and began rifling through papers until he found the city map.
"I thought about it all day yesterday," Connors said.
"If Peter wants to turn the entire population into reptiles, he needs a place that can affect everyone at once. Something big. At first, I thought he might contaminate the water supply system…"
"A reasonable hypothesis," George agreed.
"It's a vulnerable point."
"Yes, but it's not enough. If he activates the device from the top of the tallest building in the city, the serum will spread across the entire city like a cloud within moments. It's the fastest and most effective method for mass infection."
George followed Connors's finger to the indicated location.
"The Freedom Tower…"
It was the tallest building in New York at the time.
"That's right. If Peter is heading there, it means we don't need to keep wasting resources and time searching the sewer system. We need to act now," Connors concluded.
"Dr. Connors, are you certain?" George asked seriously.
"Absolutely," Connors replied.
George reflected for a few seconds, then picked up the office phone and spoke firmly:
"We're on full alert. Gather all available officers. We're holding an emergency briefing."
---
Xavier Institute
At the Institute, Jean went straight to Charles's office after classes.
"Professor?"
Charles looked up and smiled when he saw her. His telepathic senses immediately picked up on Jean's emotional shift.
My debt to her keeps growing, Charles sighed inwardly, though a gentle smile remained on his face.
"Jean, please come in. Have a seat," Charles said.
"Professor, I… I'd like to live outside the Institute for a while."
"You want to live with your 'friend,' don't you?" Charles chuckled softly.
Jean immediately grew nervous, realizing he already knew what she wanted.
Did he read my thoughts? Jean wondered.
"No, I didn't read your thoughts," Charles said suddenly.
"Huh?" Jean blinked, confused.
"Don't look at me like that—your desire is written all over your face. Anyone could see it," Charles laughed.
"Do what you think is best. You're already a responsible adult—you have the right to live wherever you want," he added.
"Thank you, Professor," Jean smiled softly.
"No need to thank me. Tell me, when do you plan to move?" Charles asked.
"Today, after classes, if possible."
"No problem. Do you need help with the move?" Charles asked.
"No, I can handle it myself," Jean replied.
"All right. Never forget that the Institute's doors will always be open to you."
Jean made a half-amused face.
"Professor, I'm not running away. I'm just… just moving."
"I know, but it never hurts to say it," he replied with a smile.
Jean laughed. After talking for a few more minutes, she said goodbye and left the office.
---xXx---
New York Police Department
The room was full of officers. Detectives, precinct captains, tactical analysts, and even an FBI representative were seated around the table. George Stacy entered alongside Dr. Connors, carrying an enlarged copy of the city map. The room fell silent at once.
"All right, let's begin," George said bluntly, positioning himself at the front of the room.
"I've received extremely important information."
He gestured for Connors to step forward. The scientist spread the map across the table and circled an area with a red marker.
"This is the Freedom Tower," Connors began. "If Peter is planning to release the mutagenic serum, this is where he'll do it."
A tense murmur rippled through the room.
"Are we sure about this?" one of the lieutenants asked.
George answered before Connors could.
"I trust Connors's word. Unfortunately, no one here knows Peter—or that device—better than he does."
"So what's the plan?" another asked.
George pointed to the whiteboard and quickly sketched the building's structure and the surrounding perimeter.
"Our first priority is to isolate the area. We need to evacuate the surroundings within a radius of at least four blocks. No one in, no one out."
"That'll draw attention," an officer said. "It'll be on the news in seconds."
"Let it be," George replied firmly.
"It's better to deal with public panic than with a hundred humanoid lizards," he added.
"We'll need two tactical teams: one for the lobby and one for the rooftop. Peter no longer thinks like a human, and he's stronger and faster than anyone here. We can't treat him like a common threat. If he reaches the top with that device, we're finished."
Connors stepped forward.
"The device needs time to charge. He'll have to climb up, position it, set the angle, and initiate dispersion. That's our window."
"How much time?" someone asked.
"Five to ten minutes—maybe less if he's well prepared."
George turned to the FBI representative and the SWAT members in the room.
"You'll have two minutes to neutralize him as soon as he appears. No negotiation."
They nodded.
"We'll place some snipers on the adjacent buildings. If we spot him, we might be able to take him down before he reaches the top."
"And if he's already up there when we arrive?" another officer asked.
"Then we pray the climbing cables hold and that you can reach him before the entire city turns into a reptile zoo," George replied coldly.
The room fell silent for a moment.
"And if it's… still Peter in there?" someone murmured from the back.
George looked at Connors. The scientist lowered his gaze, hesitant.
"Peter… may still be in there, at some level. But at this point, the Lizard is in control, and we have no way to turn him back into a human without a cure… Unfortunately, I can't create one without the serum he possesses," Connors replied.
George turned back to the team.
"From this moment on, forget who he was. Our mission is to protect this city. If he appears with that device, shoot to kill."
Everyone nodded in silence.
George glanced at his wristwatch. 8:28 a.m.
"Based on his previous attacks, we still have a few hours before he makes his move. Mobilize the units. Now."
Immediately, everyone moved to prepare for the mission.
George stayed behind, staring at the map. His eyes fixed on the building marked in red.
"Peter… why are you doing this?"
Beside him, Connors murmured,
"Because he believes he's saving the world."
George didn't answer.
He simply turned and left the room.
---xXx---
New York Sewers
Amid the sewer channels stood a laboratory assembled from stolen university parts, repurposed equipment, and recycled lab technology—everything fitted together with obsessive precision. At the center of the chaos, the Lizard worked with meticulous movements, his claws manipulating the components with unnatural dexterity.
His body was a grotesque mix of scales and tense muscle, yet his eyes—though reptilian—shone with cold intelligence.
"Humanity is sick…" he muttered to himself, his voice distorted and guttural.
"…trapped in fragile bodies, in limited minds. I can cure them… I can free them."
"Tonight… the world will be reborn into a new era…"
With a muffled roar, he began his preparations. That night, the world would enter a new stage of evolution—and New York would be the first step.
He had a clear objective.
And nothing would stop him from achieving it.
(End of the chapter)