New York, Brooklyn, early morning.
Brian's home.
After the destruction of the CIA headquarters, Brian brought Professor X and the others to his house.
The reason for this was simple—Brian's home was located very close to the CIA's secret research base where Beast Hank was believed to be.
Thus, Brian's home became a temporary base for the X-Men.
At this moment, inside Brian's home, Brian and Raven emerged from the bedroom like a pair of lovers. They ran into Magneto, who was seated in his wheelchair, casually sipping a cold beer.
"Brian, can't you two be quieter?" Magneto grumbled, tossing a bottle of iced beer to Brian, his expression filled with mild dissatisfaction.
"We were already very quiet. In fact, I'm pretty good at this," Brian shrugged, giving Magneto a tired look before pointing at the beer in his hand, gesturing playfully.
Magneto's eye twitched at Brian's remark, feeling slightly irked.
In most areas, Magneto might still hold his ground, but in this particular regard, he was certain no man in the world could compare to Brian.
Brian was undeniably strong.
Click.
Magneto looked at the beer in Brian's hand, and the ring of the beer can opened immediately
Brian took a sip of the cold beer and frowned slightly.
"Tch.. Not cold enough," he muttered, throwing another jab at Magneto.
It was clear that Magneto wasn't as useful as Iceman would have been in this situation.
Magneto: ???
Magneto stared at Brian, utterly confused as to why he was being criticized again.
"Magneto, with your eavesdropping skills, why not just find yourself a woman?" Brian joked, clearly bored when his earlier remarks weren't acknowledged. He then casually led Raven toward the living room.
"Don't push it," Magneto grumbled under his breath, taking a sip of his beer in frustration.
He cursed Brian softly, feeling both annoyed and helpless.
Magneto glanced down at his still-bandaged body and shook his head. He was still recovering from his injuries.
Yesterday, Magneto's use of his abilities had caused the wound on his shoulder to reopen.
Now, he couldn't even move a finger. Finding a woman was out of the question—he couldn't even take care of himself at the moment.
Brian completely ignored Magneto's grumbling and brought Raven into the living room.
On the sofa, Professor X sat with a complicated expression, watching the TV.
The news broadcast displayed urgent headlines.
Last night, the CIA headquarters was struck by a massive tornado, resulting in 142 deaths and 240 people injured to varying degrees.
The CIA administrative building had been split in two by the tornado, and several other buildings suffered severe damage.
Many senior CIA officials were reported missing in the aftermath of this catastrophic event.
"Good job, Professor X~," Brian said with a smirk, gently patting Professor X on the shoulder, his praise sounding ..sincere?
"Shut up, Brian!" Professor X snapped, his voice filled with frustration. Brian's "kind" praise was like a sharp knife twisting in his chest.
Professor X turned to glare at Brian, but Brian, as usual, paid no attention, completely unfazed.
"Brian, I won't casually use my mind powers again," Professor X suddenly said, his expression serious.
He hadn't slept at all the previous night.
The abuse of his telepathic abilities on ordinary people weighed heavily on his conscience.
When he saw the news this morning, Professor X fully grasped the potential consequences of casually altering the memories of others.
And finally, he reached a conclusion:
There were no consequences.
That realization terrified him the most. He had discovered that with his telepathic abilities, he could do whatever he wanted without repercussions.
Once that thought crossed his mind, it lingered like a shadow, a dangerous temptation that refused to go away.
In the end, Professor X had to use his telepathic powers on himself to erase that dangerous notion from his own mind.
He realized that he was standing on the edge of a dangerous path—one wrong step could lead him astray.
That's why he knew he needed a strong guiding principle to restrain himself.
And that belief was simple: he would never invade another person's mind without their permission again.
"I hope you'll supervise me, Brian," Professor X said, his tone serious after sharing his concerns.
"Why do you want me to supervise you?" Brian asked, uninterested in Professor X's ideals but more curious about why he was chosen for the role.
"Because my powers won't work on you, only you could stop me—kill me—if I ever fall into darkness," Professor X replied with absolute confidence.
During their first battle with the Hellfire Club, Professor X had witnessed Brian's immense potential firsthand.
In terms of mutant power levels, Brian had already surpassed the limits of a Level 5 mutant. He had reached the legendary Omega level.
According to Darwin's "prophecy," an Omega-level mutant was, in essence, a god walking the earth.
That's why Professor X was sure that only Brian, with such power, could stop him if he ever strayed too far.
"Don't worry, Charles. I'll make sure to kill you if it comes to that," Brian replied with a serious tone, his words carrying a double meaning.
"Thank you, Brian," Professor X said with genuine gratitude.
Brian simply gave him a light pat on the shoulder, as if it all went without saying.
"Alright, boys, enough with the heavy talk—it's time to recruit Hank the Beast," Raven, who had been leaning comfortably in Brian's arms, chimed in, breaking the somber atmosphere.
Professor X looked at Raven for a moment.
Then, to her surprise, he gently took her right hand and placed it in Brian's.
"Brian, I'll leave Raven in your care from now on," Professor X said.
Brian smiled mischievously.
"Professor X, Magneto, you've been NTR'd," Brian said with a teasing grin.
Professor X: ???
Magneto: ???
Both Professor X and Magneto looked utterly confused. Even Magneto, who had just wheeled himself into the living room, seemed slightly off-kilter.
Neither of them knew exactly what "NTR" meant, but they were certain it wasn't a good thing.
For some reason, both of them had the sinking feeling that they had somehow become the victims of something unpleasant.
"Fuck."
"Don't push it."
Professor X and Magneto broke down simultaneously.
Professor X flipped Brian off, while Magneto, frustrated, began levitating various metal objects in the room and hurling them at Brian in protest.
Ding Ding Dang Dang.
Brian's skin instantly shifted to a dark brown, rock-like texture.
His adaptive evolution ability made him immune to physical attacks, effortlessly deflecting the objects thrown by Magneto.
"Alright, let's focus on the Beast," Professor X sighed, realizing he couldn't harm Brian. He then steered the conversation back to their mission.
"As this is our first mutant recruitment for the X-Men, we need to approach it with a gentle attitude," Professor X said, glancing pointedly at Brian to emphasize his words.
"Are we going together next?" Raven asked, turning to Professor X.
"Erik's condition has worsened, so I need to take him to the hospital. This time, you and Brian will handle the X-Men recruitment. You already know the location of the CIA's secret base," Professor X replied, casting a glance at Magneto.
"Nope, I'm a veteran of the X-Men. How can I miss out on the first mutant recruitment?" Magneto protested, completely disagreeing with Professor X's arrangement. He believed that, as a member of the X-Men, he should be involved in the recruitment mission.
"Erik, do you really want the newcomers to see you looking like a mummy?" Professor X always knew how to hit Magneto where it hurt.
Upon hearing this, Magneto immediately deflated, his enthusiasm fading.
"No… We need to recruit a mutant with healing abilities next," Magneto muttered to himself, secretly deciding that once Beast Hank was on board, he would prioritize finding a mutant who could heal him.
"Let's go meet this Hank guy now," Brian said, confirming the plan without any further discussion.
Without wasting time, he leaped into the air, and the four angelic wings extended from his back. Grabbing Raven, he took off, leaving the house behind as they set off for their mission.