"Weiss, are you a Mutant who just joined the underground group?" Lorna asked, her eyes fixed on him with open curiosity. From the moment he had appeared to the second he carried her out of the detention center like it was nothing, everything about him felt unreal. Being on his back, shielded by that absolute confidence, had given her a sense of safety she had never experienced before, as if nothing in the world could touch her while he was there.
"I'm a student at the Mutant Academy," Liam said simply, his tone calm and unbothered.
"The Mutant Academy? You mean the X-Men?" Lorna's reaction was immediate, her brows lifting as the realization clicked into place.
"Then why did you come all the way here to save me?" she asked, unable to hide the expectation in her voice.
"Because Clarice wanted to come back and see her friends," Liam replied without hesitation, offering the reason as plainly as possible.
After hearing that, Lorna's expression faltered slightly, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face before she quickly masked it. For a brief moment, she had thought he came specifically for her.
"Clarice, thank you," Lorna said instead, turning her attention to her friend with a soft smile.
"No need to thank me. If it weren't for you, I would've been the one captured," Clarice replied, shaking her head as she smiled back.
That eased the tension, and Lorna's mood brightened again as she remembered how things had started between them. Saving Clarice back then had led to this moment, and now everything felt like it had come full circle.
The vehicle rolled steadily forward, its engine humming as they moved through the quiet outskirts. Before long, they arrived back at the underground stronghold hidden within the abandoned steel mill, its rusted structures looming like silent sentinels.
The Mutants who remained behind immediately gathered when they saw Lorna return safely, relief and excitement spreading through the group. Voices rose, laughter followed, and the heavy atmosphere that had lingered before was swept away in an instant.
To celebrate both her rescue and Liam's help, Thunderbird organized a small banquet that same night. It wasn't extravagant, but for people who lived on the edge, it felt more than enough. The space filled with chatter, clinking glasses, and the warmth of shared survival.
"Wes, seriously, thank you for this," Thunderbird said as he stood at the bar with Liam, raising his glass before downing it in one go. His gratitude was direct and repeated, but no less sincere for it.
"You've already thanked me a dozen times," Liam replied with a faint shake of his head, his tone relaxed as he took a sip of his drink. Then his eyes shifted slightly, curiosity surfacing. "By the way, why are you all still here? I mean, why not join the X-Men or even the Brotherhood?"
Thunderbird wasn't weak. In fact, his abilities and natural leadership made him more than capable of standing alongside heavy hitters like Storm or Cyclops. Staying hidden like this seemed like a waste.
Thunderbird exhaled slowly, leaning back against the counter as he considered the question. "I thought about it," he admitted, "but back then I met Lorna and the others…"
From there, he began recounting how their group had formed, how circumstances had pushed them together, and why they chose to remain independent instead of aligning with larger factions. Liam listened quietly, occasionally nodding while taking another sip, letting the story unfold at its own pace.
By the time the conversation wound down, several rounds of drinks had passed, and the night had grown deep. The noise of the celebration softened into scattered conversations and tired laughter.
Thunderbird clapped him on the shoulder with a firm grip. "Wes, I've got a room ready for you. Stay here for a while longer," he said, his voice carrying a note of genuine hospitality.
"No problem," Liam replied easily, nodding without hesitation.
There was no reason for him to refuse. With so many Mutants gathered in one place, this was practically a goldmine for his system.
The next morning came quickly, sunlight filtering weakly through the broken windows of the steel mill. The place felt quieter now, the aftermath of last night's celebration still lingering in the air.
Liam contacted Ororo early, briefly reporting the situation. When she heard that Lorna had been rescued, both she and Professor Xavier were visibly relieved.
What Liam didn't realize was that throughout the previous night, Xavier's telepathy had been quietly monitoring him from afar. If no report had come in by morning, they would have already been preparing for the worst.
"Morning, Lorna," Liam said casually as he stepped outside, spotting her not far away. He raised a hand in greeting, his expression easygoing.
"Morning," she replied with a bright smile, her mood noticeably lighter than before.
As she stood there, Liam's gaze shifted slightly, a subtle flicker passing through his eyes. Without any outward sign, he activated his system.
[Has the host checked in to Mutant Polaris?]
"Sign in," Liam confirmed internally without hesitation.
[Ding! Sign-in successful. Congratulations, host. You have obtained the super ability "Electromagnetic Force" and 100 experience points.]
Electromagnetic Force.
For a brief moment, even Liam couldn't hide his surprise. Of all the abilities he expected, this one ranked far higher than he had imagined.
Electromagnetism wasn't just another power. It was one of the four fundamental forces of the universe, a principle that governed matter at its most basic level. Magneto's abilities were rooted in it, but even he only scratched the surface most of the time, mainly manipulating metal.
But Liam knew better. He had seen what true mastery could look like.
In another timeline, after being enhanced by Apocalypse, Magneto had reached a level where he could influence the Earth's magnetic field itself. That kind of destructive potential was something Liam still remembered vividly.
And beyond that, electromagnetic force wasn't limited to controlling metal. It could be shaped into weapons, into energy, into something far more precise and devastating. The thought of compressing that force into a high-speed projectile—a railgun—flashed through his mind, sending a subtle thrill through his body.
For a second, he could almost feel his DNA reacting, as if the power was already settling into place. The urge to test it, to grab the nearest coin and fire it at hypersonic speed, was almost irresistible.
"What's wrong with you, Weiss?" Lorna asked, waving a hand in front of his face when she noticed him staring at nothing in particular.
"Ah, nothing," Liam said quickly, snapping out of it with a small smile. "Just remembered something good."
"Something good?" she repeated, tilting her head slightly, clearly unconvinced but not pressing further.
"By the way," Liam continued, shifting the topic smoothly, "have you ever thought about joining the X-Men?"
"Joining the X-Men?" Lorna hesitated, her expression tightening just a little. "But my father is Magneto."
She had known the truth about her origins for a long time, having learned it from her aunt. But that knowledge had never brought her closer to him. If anything, it had only deepened her resentment.
Magneto had abandoned her, and that was something she couldn't just ignore.
Because of that, she had never considered joining the Brotherhood, even though it would have been the most natural choice. At the same time, the X-Men stood as Magneto's direct opposition, and she hadn't found a reason to join them either.
As for the Hellfire Club, it remained a mystery to most, hidden in shadows with no clear way in.
That left her where she was now—working alongside Thunderbird and the others, building something of their own.
After hearing her explanation, Liam finally understood her situation more clearly. He studied her for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"In that case, I think you should join the X-Men," he said.
"Why?" Lorna asked, genuinely puzzled.
"You hate your father for abandoning you, right?" Liam said, his tone calm but deliberate.
"That's right," she admitted, nodding without hesitation.
"Professor Xavier and Magneto have been enemies for years," Liam continued, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice. "Wouldn't joining the X-Men be the perfect way to make things difficult for him?"
For a split second, Lorna froze, and then her eyes lit up.
The idea hit her immediately, sharp and appealing. Fighting against her father, opposing him directly, turning that resentment into action—it resonated with something rebellious deep inside her.
"…Alright," she said, a small but decisive smile forming on her lips. "I'll join."
"Welcome aboard," Liam replied, returning the smile.
In that moment, he could already picture Magneto's reaction when he learned that his own daughter had chosen to stand against him.
....
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