At the entrance of the Typhon Building, several familiar figures stood beneath the glow of the city lights. Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Professor Charles Xavier, and Jean Grey had all gathered outside, their attention fixed on the towering structure in front of them.
Logan narrowed his eyes at the building, his brows drawn together in irritation. The faint scent of metal and concrete filled the night air as taxis passed along the street behind them.
"Where the hell are we?" he muttered. "And what's Rogue doing here?"
Professor Xavier had originally intended for Logan to remain at Xavier's School. Magneto had been searching for him recently, and letting him wander around New York wasn't exactly the safest idea. Unfortunately, Logan had ignored the advice and insisted on coming anyway.
Scott adjusted his visor and glanced up at the building's sign.
"What, can't you read?" he replied dryly. "It says Typhon Building right there."
Logan shot him a sideways glare.
"Then maybe you can explain why Rogue came here," he said sharply.
Scott folded his arms and shrugged slightly.
"We'll figure that out once we find her."
Logan snorted. "Easy for you to say."
"Enough," Storm said firmly before the argument could escalate.
She stepped between them and looked up at the towering building with a troubled expression. A faint breeze rustled her white hair as she crossed her arms.
"I have a bad feeling about this," she admitted quietly. "Something about this place doesn't feel right."
Meanwhile, Professor Xavier had already begun searching for clues. With a brief sweep of his telepathic ability, he located the memory of Rogue in the mind of the building's doorman.
Within seconds, he had the information he needed.
"Follow me," he said calmly.
The group entered the building and headed straight for the elevators. Xavier guided them upward as if he already knew the layout by heart, his wheelchair gliding smoothly across the polished floor.
Soon the elevator doors opened onto the top floor.
A massive lobby greeted them, decorated with luxurious furniture and wide windows overlooking the city skyline. At the center of the room sat a large sofa, and on that sofa lounged a young man holding a wine glass.
He raised the glass slightly when he saw them arrive.
"Well," the man said with a relaxed smile, "it looks like my security system is about as useful as a pile of garbage. Welcome, the famous X-Men."
His gaze lingered on Professor Xavier for a moment.
"Oh, and Professor," he added casually, "you're not allowed to poke around in my mind."
Charles regarded him with calm curiosity.
"Who are you?" he asked politely. "And how do you know who we are?"
Out of respect, Xavier didn't immediately attempt to read the man's thoughts.
The young man shook his head lightly and smiled.
"My name is Ethan Voss," he said. "And technically speaking, I suppose you could consider me one of your kind."
With a small gesture of his finger, the wine bottle on the table suddenly floated into the air. It tipped gently and poured more wine into his glass before settling back down.
Cyclops immediately stepped forward.
"You're a mutant?" he asked.
"You could think of it that way," Ethan replied calmly. "But mutant abilities are only one small part of what I can do. I have plenty of other powers that would probably be difficult for you to imagine."
Scott frowned behind his visor.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Ethan took a slow sip of wine before answering.
"It means I'm stronger than you," he said casually. "I have greater ambitions, broader responsibilities, and I contribute far more to humanity."
Scott's jaw tightened slightly.
Out of courtesy, he didn't argue back immediately, but privately he began to wonder if this man might be completely insane.
Storm and Jean exchanged puzzled glances, equally unsure how to respond.
Wolverine, however, had no patience for philosophical speeches.
"Cut the crap," Logan growled. "I don't care about your ego. Where's Rogue?"
Ethan stood up and walked toward him slowly.
"Do you really care about Rogue?" he asked with a faint laugh. "Even if you found her, what exactly would you do?"
Logan glared at him.
"I'd take her back to the school," he replied immediately. "I brought her there. That means I'm responsible for her."
Ethan's expression suddenly darkened.
"You stabbed her through the neck," he snapped. "Then she got kicked out of the school. And now you're telling me you want to take responsibility for her?"
He stepped closer and stared directly into Logan's eyes.
"What's your plan? Stab her again?"
Wolverine exploded with anger.
With a metallic snap, his adamantium claws shot out from his knuckles and clamped around Ethan's collar.
"Logan!" Jean shouted.
Professor Xavier raised a hand quickly.
"Logan, stop," he said firmly.
Logan hesitated, though the claws remained dangerously close to Ethan's throat.
Charles then turned toward Ethan with a serious expression.
"Mr. Voss," he said calmly, "I hope you understand that Logan never intended to hurt Rogue. Xavier's School exists to protect mutants. We would never deliberately expel a student. There must have been a misunderstanding."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
Of course there had been a misunderstanding. The one who chased Rogue away had been Mystique disguised as Bobby Drake, and the real consequences of that deception were only just beginning.
Ignoring Wolverine's claws entirely, Ethan turned his attention back to Professor Xavier.
"There's something I've always wanted to ask you," he said.
Charles nodded slightly.
"What is it?"
"Can your school really protect mutant children forever?"
Xavier answered without hesitation.
"Of course. That's exactly why I founded the school and created the X-Men."
Ethan tilted his head.
"And if there were a better place for mutants," he continued, "somewhere safer and more suitable than your school… would you allow them to leave?"
Charles paused for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"There is no better place for them."
Ethan placed a hand dramatically against his forehead.
"Oh my God," he said in mock shock. "Are you seriously that confident?"
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
Xavier's expression darkened slightly. Wolverine quietly retracted his claws. Cyclops looked up at the ceiling as if studying the lights, and Storm began inspecting her fingernails.
Jean cleared her throat.
"That's an unfair thing to say," she said sharply. "The professor has dedicated his entire life to helping mutants. What exactly have you done for them? What gives you the right to criticize him?"
Ethan stepped back casually and raised a finger.
A glowing portal instantly formed in the air.
"I'm not going to list my accomplishments," he said calmly. "Instead, I'll show you what I can do for mutants."
The portal shimmered quietly before them.
The X-Men looked at it carefully, but none of them seemed particularly shocked. After all, they had encountered all kinds of strange powers before.
Logan even snorted in disbelief.
"Looks like a trap," he said. "We're not stupid enough to walk into that."
Ethan stepped halfway through the portal and smirked.
"I thought you'd be braver than that," he said. "If that's the case, stop bothering Rogue. And don't talk about taking responsibility for anyone."
If Ethan had been in their position, he would never have stepped through such an obvious trap.
Fortunately for him, Wolverine was standing right there.
Logan was the type of man who constantly threw himself into danger because he believed he couldn't die. With just a little provocation, he would charge forward without thinking.
Exactly as expected.
Without saying another word, Wolverine launched himself forward.
His claws extended as he leapt through the portal and slashed directly toward Ethan.
"Logan!" Scott shouted, but it was too late.
"That idiot!" Storm exclaimed. "He knew it was a trap! Professor, why didn't you stop him?"
Charles frowned deeply.
"I tried," he said slowly. "But I wasn't trying to stop Logan. I was trying to stop Ethan Voss."
Scott blinked in surprise.
"He has telepathy too?" he asked. "But the power he showed earlier looked like telekinesis."
Jean stepped forward thoughtfully.
"Is he like me?" she asked. "Telepathy and telekinesis at the same time?"
Professor Xavier's voice grew serious.
"When I attempted to read his mind," he explained, "I encountered something extraordinary. His mind is surrounded by a barrier stronger than anything I've ever felt. It's like an impenetrable wall of steel. I've never experienced psychic resistance at that level before."
He paused briefly.
"I didn't have time to stop Logan."
Storm looked worried.
"If he's that powerful, Logan could be in serious danger."
Charles remained silent for a moment as he considered the situation.
Finally, he sighed.
"I can't abandon him," he said. "Stay here. I'll go after Logan."
Storm, Scott, and Jean immediately objected.
They insisted that Professor Xavier was the core of the entire team. Without him, neither the X-Men nor the school could function.
After several minutes of heated discussion, Scott finally raised his hand.
"Storm, Jean," he said firmly, "you two stay here and prepare to support us."
He turned toward the portal.
"The professor and I will go in, rescue Logan, and come back immediately."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, Wolverine had already arrived at a small pavilion on top of a mountain.
The sun was setting, casting warm golden light across the surrounding landscape. The view was breathtaking.
Ethan stood nearby watching him calmly.
The moment Logan crossed into the Divine Kingdom, Ethan instantly felt the realm react again. His connection with the world deepened as the system absorbed and analyzed Wolverine's power.
Within seconds, Ethan understood exactly what he had gained.
The ultimate version of Wolverine's regenerative ability.
It was so powerful that, theoretically, even a single drop of blood could regenerate an entire body.
Ethan was in an excellent mood.
Before Logan could charge at him again, he raised both hands.
"Wait," he said quickly. "I apologize for what I said earlier. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Honestly, you're a responsible person. A good person. I was just talking nonsense before."
Logan froze.
He stared at Ethan with a suspicious look.
For once, he wasn't sure what to do. Should he punch this guy for insulting him earlier, or just accept the apology?
Before he could decide, Ethan stepped forward and pointed toward the town below the mountain.
"Rogue is down there," he said calmly. "There's a bonfire festival tonight. She's already joined the celebration."
Logan's eyes narrowed.
"I want to see that with my own eyes."
He immediately started heading down the mountain.
"Wait," Ethan called.
Logan stopped and turned around.
"You trying to stop me?" he asked coldly.
His claws extended again with a metallic snap.
Ethan pointed casually toward the still-open portal behind them.
"Aren't you curious," he said with a faint smile, "whether your friends will come to rescue you?"