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 soone 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 accustod to Logan’s biting humor.
"I was rely speaking casually. Your sense of humor is as terrible as ever."
Logan shrugged, exhaling a cloud of smoke without bothering to acknowledge the comnt.
Suddenly, Charles narrowed his eyes, focusing on the screen.
"Logan... correct if I’m wrong, but... is that Jean?"
Logan leaned forward to take a look, and for a brief mont, the cigar nearly slipped from his mouth. Although the report centered on Tony, the cara clearly caught other figures in the background — a blond man with red eyes, flanked by two won.
And the one on the left... was unmistakable.
"Yeah. That’s her," Logan confird, his expression growing more serious. "And if I’m not mistaken, that’s the sa guy she went to et 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 soone?"
"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 Oga-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 like that, Charles. If you’re thinking of sending 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 , I’m going to talk to Eric. I think it’s ti 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 ti he woke, he asked himself the sa question three tis over: Why didn’t I ask more questions?
---
The Next Morning
The morning sun stread 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 amusent.
"They really thought they could beat ..."
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 imdiately brought back mories 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 co with ."
Arthur smiled. "Of course."
At his answer, she snuggled even closer, subtly inhaling his scent — sothing 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 ti for your perversions."
"It’s always the ti for my perversions, Arthur," she shot back with a mischievous smile, no longer bothering to hide her playful touches.
At that mont, 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 ti, I’m going to ask her to wear that suit..."
"..."
"Ruby," he called. "Do you still have the data on Skynet’s liquid tal?"
The projection reappeared.
"[Yes, master. The complete T-1000 data is still stored.]"
The T-1000 — made of liquid tal, capable of shapeshifting, creating weapons, and withstanding extre temperatures before re-forming. Arthur could already see the possibilities.
"Can you use that tal to make a suit for Gwen?"
"[Yes. And depending on the base tal, the suit can be enhanced.]"
Arthur’s eyes lit up. "What if we used Vibranium?"
"[That would be the best choice. However, it is extrely 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 cri boss, he’d get whatever he wanted.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain , try to throw those pathetic power stones at . Let’s see if even your insolence can amuse a king."
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