----
After Tony left, Nolan turned to Professor Xavier with a casual smile. "So… planning to use the Illuminati to dismantle the Sentinel Program?"
Charles offered a polite shrug. "Just one possibility. Stark's vision mirrors my own in some ways. But he's thought farther ahead than I have. Maybe it's time I broaden my perspective."
"You all love your ideology," Nolan said, waving off the conversation to shift gears. "Let's change the subject. What brings you to me today, Professor?"
"This."
Beast, a.k.a. Hank McCoy, opened his tablet and played video footage of Nolan unleashing the storm on the rooftop.
Charles had seen it and immediately rushed here.
Tony may have assumed the storm was Nolan's natural ability, but Charles knew better. Nolan had acquired blood samples from both Ororo Munroe (Storm) and Bobby Drake (Iceman). The storm manipulation? It was, unmistakably, Ororo's gift.
This changed everything.
It forced Charles to rethink decades of assumptions about the X-gene. If mutant powers weren't unique if they could be replicated—then what did that mean for their place in the world?
As for Magneto… he remained silent, disturbed.
To him, the X-Gene was sacred divine. A unique gift from nature that sets mutants apart as the next step in evolution. It was not meant to be copied.
It was the foundation of his belief that mutants would someday replace humanity. That belief had driven him to form the Brotherhood.
But now Nolan had shattered that foundation.
Someone had found a way to reproduce mutant powers.
"I see," Nolan said lightly. "So, what exactly do you want from me?"
"How did you do it?" Charles asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"It's a long explanation," Nolan replied. "How about I show you? Come to my lab you'll understand more when you see it."
"We'd be honored."
---
Inside Nolan's lab, Charles and Hank stood stunned as they stared at a fully rendered genome projection of Nolan's complete breakdown of the X-gene, including Charles' own.
"This," Nolan explained, "is what the X-Gene looks like. At its core, it's just DNA. A sequence. Nothing mystical about it."
"Genes are about selective expression. That's how biology works. If you isolate the pathways and control the expression, you can mimic the outcome."
"In other words recreating mutant powers isn't just possible. It's easy. That's the power of genetic engineering."
"So that's why you studied Logan?" Hank asked.
"Exactly. The regeneration tech on the market the healing sprays, the self-repair bandages? All based on his genetic profile."
"Every mutant is a vault of knowledge," Nolan continued. "Their X-Gene is the key to breakthroughs that could help billions."
"You!" Magneto snapped.
The metals in the lab began to rattle and hum, vibrating with tension.
He hated that word: research.
He had been locked in a lab once. A prisoner, a specimen, a freak. He'd watched his mother die in that hellhole. And now this man was casually talking about experimenting on mutants?
Charles quickly extended his telepathy to calm Erik.
"He's not just talking about Logan," Erik growled. "If we let him live, more mutants will end up in his lab."
The Sentinel Program had always been a threat, but now? With Nolan's research, Erik feared it might actually become perfected.
That couldn't be allowed.
One death, he thought. One execution. Problem solved.
Suddenly, metal scalpels, syringes, scissors, and all surgical tools in the lab were lifted from their trays, hovering like blades of vengeance aimed straight at Nolan.
A sharp clang followed. Every single object crashed harmlessly to the floor the moment it struck Nolan's body.
Nolan smiled.
"If you were still in your prime," he said, "I might've taken a step back. But now…"
BOOM!
A sonic boom echoed in the lab.
Erik tried to retreat but in a blink, Nolan was already in front of him, gripping him by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"You're too old to be this angry," Nolan said coolly. "Stress shortens your life."
"My powers why aren't they working on you?" Erik rasped, trying to summon control over the magnetic field around Nolan.
"Magnetic suppression tech. Custom-designed. Generates high-frequency magnetic interference scrambles the field around my body."
"And that armor?" Nolan continued, glancing down. "Vibranium alloy. Your current strength can't penetrate it."
He looked Erik in the eyes. "You're impulsive. Unstable. And far too emotional for someone with that kind of power. Tell me why do you think Charles is still talking to me?"
Suddenly, the lab's walls began to twist and shudder. Steel plating ripped itself free, floating ominously behind Erik.
"Enough, Erik!" Charles shouted, finally losing his composure.
A telepathic wave exploded from his mind. He'd had enough he needed answers, not blood.
Erik wasn't wearing his psychic-blocking helmet. Charles' mental grip latched onto him instantly.
But Charles' eyes widened.
He'd tried to hold both Erik and Nolan still but the moment his mind touched Nolan's, it bounced off something powerful. Something… familiar.
"You copied my powers too?" Charles asked in disbelief.
"What did you expect?" Nolan replied, his voice calm. "I don't gamble with my life. And I don't rely on other people's kindness. Especially not yours."
Logan and Beast stepped between Nolan and Charles protectively.
Just then, the lab phone buzzed. Max's voice came through the intercom.
"Boss! We've got a jet hovering over the tower looks like Xavier's students showed up."
Nolan chuckled.
"Looks like your cavalry's arrived. So, Charles… should I finish this? Take you all out before your powers return?"
Charles' face turned grave. "Nolan… we didn't come here to fight."
Nolan sighed. "Fine. But you challenged me and lost. So it's only fair I take a souvenir."
He picked up a syringe from the floor, jabbed it straight into Erik's pulmonary artery, and drew a vial of blood without hesitation.
Tossing Magneto to the ground like discarded scrap, he glanced at the remaining X-Men.
"I was actually looking forward to working with you people. But clearly, you still think you're superior."
"Let's see how proud you are," he added coldly, "when the Sentinels come knocking."
----
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