"Ugh~"
A fatigued Silverfox slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Brian and Raven still energetic, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
The pain she had sought to escape caused her to lose consciousness several times during their shared experience.
"Was that dream of him saving me and then ... was that really.. "
But now, as the golden light of the evening sun warmed her skin, she felt a sense of rebirth—a reminder that she was still alive.
"I... it was all real. I'm no longer bound at that place... I.. I'm really.."
Moved by the moment Kayla began to cry tears of joy.
"Kayla, it's all over now," Brian said, approaching her with a gentle smile. He softly patted her head and spoke in a warm, reassuring tone. "Your life has entered a new chapter."
"Thank you, Brian," Kayla said, her face filled with gratitude.
From body to mind Kayla had now been completely reshaped by Brian. She regarded him as her guiding light.
"All right, put on your clothes. I'll take you for a tour around Xavier Manor," Brian said with a smile.
With a light snap of his fingers, clothing automatically appeared and fit seamlessly onto both Brian and Kayla.
As for Raven, she had no need for clothing—her ability to shapeshift allowed her to mimic any outfit effortlessly.
Half an hour later, after a brief tour to familiarize themselves with Xavier Manor, Brian suggested that Kayla take some time to rest.
Meanwhile, Brian made his way to the X-Mansion's Cerebro chamber.
Inside, Professor X was seated at the console, staring into space, lost in thought.
Brian walked up quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder, startling him out of his reverie.
"Oh? Brian, why are you here?" Professor X asked, glancing up at him with a faint, reluctant smile.
"What's wrong, Professor?" Brian asked, ignoring the question and instead directing one of his own.
"Ah.. I have some disagreements with Eric."
Hearing Brian's inquiry, Professor X really shifted his attention.
"Erik believes we should meet humans with an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," Professor X said with a helpless sigh.
"Magneto's idea is perfectly reasonable. What's wrong with it, Professor?" Brian responded with a shrug, his tone calm and agreeable.
Professor X's eyes widened in surprise.
"You think so too, Brian?" he asked, clearly taken aback. He had never expected Brian to align with Magneto's ideology.
Brian remained composed as he explained, "If everyone in the world were poor, and you alone possessed incredible wealth, but you were weak—so weak that even a three-year-old child could push you around—what do you think would happen next?"
Professor X listened intently, his expression serious.
Brian continued, his voice measured. "Those poor people would swarm you. They'd rob you of everything you have. And if they couldn't take enough, they'd likely tear you apart."
He paused, letting the analogy sink in before concluding, "This is the reality for mutants. They have extraordinary abilities, but as a whole, they are too weak to defend themselves. That's why humans exploit and oppress them."
Professor X's pupils contracted as Brian's words struck a nerve.
He began to grasp why Magneto had grown so disillusioned with him.
Brian's logic was hard to refute. Professor X's continuous efforts to seek compromises with humans had, in many ways, left mutants more vulnerable.
It had emboldened humans to become even more aggressive in capturing mutants and suppressing their powers, even resorting to collars designed to neutralize mutant abilities.
If not for Magneto's displays of mutant power, Professor X realized, mutants might have been wiped out altogether. Humans would have easily dominated and eradicated them without resistance.
"There are still many among humanity who can understand and accept mutants," Professor X said after a long silence.
He sighed and fell into contemplation, silently acknowledging that while Brian's words were harsh, they were undeniably true.
But he still had a little fantasy about humans.
Professor X firmly believed that only a small group of humans harbored hatred toward mutants. Most humans, he thought, could learn to accept them.
"As long as you believe that, Charles," Brian said with a shrug, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.
Professor X's philosophy was deeply ingrained, and Brian knew that a few words wouldn't be enough to sway him.
Realizing this, Brian decided not to push further. Instead, he thought it better to focus on finding mutants with abilities that intrigued him.
"This topic is too heavy, Professor. Let's focus on something more productive—recruiting mutants," Brian said with a chuckle.
However, Professor X's response wiped the smile from Brian's face.
"Brian, I think we should put our recruitment efforts on hold for the time being," Professor X said.
Brian frowned. "Why?"
Professor X's expression grew serious. "We don't have much time. The Hellfire Club is fanning the flames of tension between the Soviet Union and America. The Cold War is escalating, and war seems inevitable. I believe we need to concentrate all our efforts on stopping their conspiracy."
Brian crossed his arms, clearly disagreeing. "No, Charles. I think it's precisely because we need to stop the Hellfire Club that we should focus more on recruiting powerful mutants."
He gestured emphatically as he continued. "The strength of our X-Men is still far too weak compared to the Hellfire Club."
Brian reached out with his right hand, placing it on Professor X's arm, and activated Kayla's ability.
Kayla possessed the power to make others obey her will by touching their skin and using words. When Brian replicated her ability, he immediately pushed it to its maximum potential.
The Persuasion Ability advanced to Level 5—a Mutant ability so potent that even Professor X was subtly influenced by it.
After hearing Brian's words, Professor X paused to consider them. Then, as though swayed by some unseen force, he nodded in agreement.
"Brian, you're right. We should prioritize recruiting more mutants," Professor X said.
With that, he donned his Cerebro helmet, connecting his mind to the global network of mutants.
"Professor, I think our first priority should be finding a mutant with a perspective-based ability," Brian suggested. "The X-Men already have excellent combat capabilities, but we lack a strong auxiliary mutant. Father Asa was exceptional in that role, but, unfortunately, he's no longer with us."
Brian's voice carried an unusual weight, a compelling force that made Professor X instinctively agree.
"You're absolutely right, Brian. The X-Men need an perspective mutant," Professor X replied, nodding as he began using Cerebro to search for a mutant with such an ability.
After a minute of scanning, Professor X stopped and removed his helmet.
"I'm sorry, Brian, but I couldn't find a mutant with a perspective-based ability," Professor X said, his words landing like a bolt from the blue.
The smile that had just formed on Brian's face froze in place.
"Are you certain, Professor?" Brian asked again, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
"Yes," Professor X replied firmly. "There are more than 40,000 mutants worldwide, but none of them have awakened an ability related to perspective."
His decisive tone left little room for hope.
Brian's expression darkened. "What about mutants with abilities like X-ray vision or scanning? Something close to what we're looking for?"
Still unwilling to give up, Brian asked again.
"No. There isn't a mutant that matches that description either," Professor X said after another brief search with Cerebro.
A few minutes later, Professor X shook his head again. "I'm sorry, Brian."
"Fuck," Brian muttered under his breath, cursing for the first time in weeks.
The absence of a mutant with perspective-related abilities frustrated him deeply. Were all mutants this disappointing? He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Then, a thought came to him—Apocalypse.
The ancient mutant had spent millennia searching for a telepathic ability similar to Professor X's but never succeeded in finding it.
This alone was evidence that not every ability was readily available, no matter how powerful or desirable it might be.
'It seems that for now, the only way to acquire abilities is by extracting them directly from the brain,' Brian thought with a resigned sigh.
Although having a perspective-based ability would have made his goals much easier, he realized it wasn't essential. It would have been a great convenience, but it wasn't strictly necessary.
"Anyway, I shall get going now.." he muttered to himself.
it all comes back to cutting the brain.
________
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