Charles Francis Xavier?
The moment the voice echoed in his mind, Noah's body tensed.
His gaze snapped toward the side.
Smith stood a few feet away—calm, composed, and smiling faintly.
Too calm.
Noah immediately understood.
"Sorry," Smith said, though the tone and presence clearly weren't his own. "I'll need to borrow your friend's body for a moment to speak with you."
Noah narrowed his eyes. "Professor Xavier?"
The reaction was instant.
Surprise flickered across Smith's face. "You know who I am?"
"Enough," Noah replied. "Hard not to, with abilities like yours."
He set the weights down and hit the emergency stop. The machine hissed as it powered down, restraints releasing one by one.
Noah stepped free, rolling his shoulders as the pressure vanished.
Then he looked directly at Smith—at Xavier.
"You haven't been poking around in my head, have you?"
Xavier shook his head gently. "No. Not without permission."
Noah gave him a long look.
Not without permission… so you can, you just choose not to.
Still, he believed him—for now.
If Xavier had actually dug into his mind, this conversation wouldn't be happening so calmly.
Xavier studied him in return, a hint of fascination in his expression.
"Your mental presence is… remarkable," he said. "Far beyond normal. If I tried to force my way in, it would be like trying to invade hundreds of minds at once. You'd notice immediately."
Noah shrugged slightly.
At his current level, his perception had already reached a point where the world seemed to slow when he focused. His mind had simply kept pace with the rest of him.
He grabbed a bottle of soda from a nearby shelf, took a sip, and sat down casually on a metal step.
"So," he said, "what does the world's most famous telepath want with me?"
Xavier didn't waste time.
"There's a girl," he said. "Her abilities have just manifested. She panicked and ran from home. Now she's being hunted."
Noah raised an eyebrow.
"And this is my problem… why?"
"I would send my team," Xavier said, "but they won't reach her in time."
He paused.
"And… she's looking for you."
Noah blinked.
"…Come again?"
"She saw your interview," Xavier explained. "What you said about mutants. That you don't see them as monsters."
A faint, knowing smile crossed his face.
"That—and, I suspect, your public image—made an impression."
Noah exhaled slowly.
Right. That interview.
Didn't expect that to come back around.
"Fine," he said. "Start talking. Who is she, and why is she being hunted?"
"Her name is Marie," Xavier replied. "And she's being pursued by Sabretooth."
Noah's eyes sharpened.
That name clicked instantly.
So did everything else.
This lines up perfectly…
Sabretooth. A runaway girl. Sudden manifestation of powers.
That meant one thing.
Rogue.
Which also meant—
Magneto.
And if Magneto was involved, then somewhere out there…
There was a machine.
A device capable of turning ordinary humans into mutants.
Noah's interest spiked immediately.
"Last known location?" he asked.
Xavier paused, slightly caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.
"Fifth Avenue," he said. "Near St. Patrick's Cathedral. Sabretooth won't be far behind."
Noah stood up in one smooth motion.
"Got it."
Xavier watched him carefully. "Once you find her, please bring her to my school."
Noah didn't answer right away.
Then—
"Yeah, sure. Saving people, right? Sounds like a good cause."
His tone was casual, almost offhand.
But his eyes said something else entirely.
Opportunity.
"Don't worry," Noah added. "I'll handle it."
Xavier gave a small nod. "Thank you."
A moment later, the presence vanished.
Smith blinked, his expression snapping back to normal.
"…Boss?" he said, confused. "When did you get off the machine?"
"Don't worry about it," Noah replied, already heading for the exit. "I've got something to take care of. I'll be back in an hour."
And then—
He was gone.