There was just one person left who hadn't received the gadgets. I knocked on the door and waited.
The door opened, and standing before me was Ororo. She wore the same black, skintight suit as the others — except hers was adorned with a flowing black cape.
Her blue eyes met mine, framed by her deep, mocha skin and her hot figure which was being hugged tightly by the suit. I was seriously tempted to turn on my Focus's X-ray mode and uncover all the secrets she had been hiding behind those sexy clothes.
"Luke," she greeted, in a soft but strong voice. "Did you need something from me?"
That was definitely the wrong question to ask a guy who was still trying to reign in his lust from earlier.
"Yeah," I said, forcing my mind to behave. "You looked kind of troubled back in the lab, so I thought I'd check in on you."
She exhaled softly and turned, rubbing her forehead. "I was… unsettled. Thinking about young girls like Katrin — locked away, experimented on." Her tone grew quieter, as she walked back inside, but there was an undercurrent of thunder in her words. "It pains me deeply to see such cruelty."
"I want to say it's because she's a mutant," I replied, stepping into the room, "but that wouldn't be true. There are people out there who'll make others suffer just to gain something for themselves."
Ororo moved gracefully toward the window, her cape swaying behind her. She reached out to touch the blue flower blooming in the small pot on her windowsill. "Yes… cruelty does not discriminate," she murmured. "Humanity seems far too skilled at finding new ways to hurt one another."
My mind drifted to Anya — and the night Daredevil and I intercepted that cargo. If we hadn't, who knew what would have happened to those girls. I had done everything I could since then to fight human trafficking, but the scale of it was so enormous… It was like trying to fight the tide.
"Still," I said quietly, "not everyone's like that. There's good out there too. But this situation is different… targeting mutants, experimenting on them—their goal doesn't seem to be just cruelty—it's control. They're trying to use mutants somehow… and that kind of thinking is dangerous for all of us." I muttered, knowing from my meta-knowledge how irrational mutant hate could become.
"Yes," Ororo replied, her voice low but resolute. "We must do everything in our power to rescue those taken—and ensure that those responsible face justice."
A faint gust of cold air swept through the closed room, stirred by her emotion.
"I'm of the same mind," I said, holding out my hand as a small portal shimmered to life. "On that note… here. I've been meaning to give you these."
Her eyes softened as I handed her the gadgets. "You've been busy," she said with a faint smile.
"I figured these might come in handy on missions. Oh, and careful with the ability enhancers—they might not do much for someone as powerful as you," I said with a chuckle.
Ororo listened patiently as I explained each gadget's function. Her focus never wavered; she even asked thoughtful questions whenever something wasn't clear.
"I'm always amazed," she said finally, a faint smile curving her lips. "For someone so young, your brilliance shines brighter than most. I can only imagine what heights you'll reach one day."
"Yeah…" I replied with a wry smile.
That was the thing about Ororo—she was interested in me, but not in the way I might have hoped. Her fascination was with my inventions, my powers, my mind… not me. To her, I was still the young genius, someone with potential rather than someone to look at that way. And it definitely didn't help that I had just gone on a date with Jean today—someone Ororo practically saw as a little sister under her care.
Still, I was sure that sooner or later, she would realize just how big I really am!
"It's the Professor," Ororo said suddenly, closing her eyes for a moment before looking at me. "He's summoning us to the lab." She quickly donned the gear I had just given her, before moving out.
"I was wondering what was taking him so long," I said, walking beside her. "If he'd taken any longer, I was about to suggest we find the place ourselves."
"I'm certain the Professor has his reasons," Ororo replied evenly as we joined the others heading toward the lab.
When we arrived, I stopped mid-step. Standing in the center of the room was Katrin—no longer in her hospital garb, but clad in a sleek black X-Men field suit identical to everyone else's.
"Hey, that suit fits you really well," I said, walking over to her.
"R–really? Thank you," Katrin said shyly, her tail swishing nervously behind her. "It vasn't really necessary, though."
"No way—like it was totally necessary, my blue friend!" Kitty piped up, looping an arm around Katrin's shoulder. "I mean, we're going on, like, a secret mission! You can't go on a stealth op without a matching stealth outfit!"
"You're makin' her uncomfortable," Marie drawled, gesturing toward Kitty's arm.
"I am not!" Kitty huffed, quickly releasing Katrin.
Jean stepped forward with a gentle smile. "How's the suit? Comfortable? It might feel strange at first, but we figured wearing the same uniforms would help us feel more connected as a team. And trust me—those suits are much more durable than they look."
"It feels… nice to vear something different after such a long time," Katrin admitted, tugging nervously at the collar. "Though… maybe just a bit tight." She fidgeted, trying to hide her chest, which the form-fitting material wasn't exactly subtle about. "I guess I've just gotten used to loose clothes, ja?"
"I totally get that," Jean said quietly, leaning in with a reassuring smile. "We'll have Helen adjust it for you later, okay?"
While the girls continued chatting with Katrin, I made my way over to Helen for a quick word, who was tinkering with the broken inhibitor collar on one of the lab tables. Across the room, Scottie was discussing mission logistics with Ororo, while Logan leaned against the wall—clearly irritated about something, as usual.
As the door slid open, all conversation in the room died down. Professor Xavier entered, rolling silently into the center of the lab with a grave expression.
"Did you find the location, Professor?" Scottie asked immediately.
"Yes," Charles said solemnly, "But I'm afraid the rescue will not be a simple affair."
"What do you mean, Professor?" Ororo asked, concerned.
"When I used Cerebro to search those islands, two of them showed nothing unusual. But the third…" He paused, rubbing his temple. "I encountered resistance. A kind of mental barrier surrounding the entire island—it blocked my psychic probing."
"Was it like my Psychic Immunity?" I asked, leaning forward curiously.
"No, not quite that severe," Xavier replied, shaking his head. "It was… artificial. More like a constructed wall—something similar to the mental-blocking devices you once showed me, Luke—but this one covered the whole island."
"So they have some kind of machine that's blocking mental surveying," I muttered, a bit stunned at the level of their technology. "But that means—"
"That they've taken precautions for telepaths," Jean finished, her eyes widening.
"Wait, does that mean they like know about you, Professor?" Kitty asked, her voice rising in surprise.
"I'm not certain," Charles said. "I've encountered other telepaths before—perhaps they're defending against one of them. Still, even with Cerebro amplifying my powers, it took considerable effort to pierce the barrier. Once I did, I saw it… a massive facility hidden beneath the island."
Logan crossed her arms, her expression dark. "So that's our target, huh? Good. Let's stop talkin' and start hittin'."
"Hold on," Scottie said firmly. "Professor, did you find anything else? Katrin mentioned the guards stationed there."
"Yes," Xavier said gravely. "The facility is heavily guarded. There are too many guards, all carrying advanced weaponry. There were also numerous scientists, or at least… they looked like scientists. Their minds were strange—foggy, dulled, as if their free will had been dampened." He muttered deep in thought.
Katrin's tail curled nervously behind her. "And… my friends? Did you see them?"
"Yes," Xavier said softly. "There were many mutants—most appeared around your age. But I also sensed two adults who stood out. One, a woman, her mind was… clouded, much like the others. The other…" He hesitated, his brow furrowing. "His mind burned with rage and hatred. It reminded me of you, Logan—when we first began our sessions. But his fury was… far worse."
"Hmph." Logan looked away, scowling, the muscles in her jaw tightening.
"It must have something to do with those videos Katrin mentioned—the ones they were forced to watch every day," Helen conjectured, her voice thoughtful yet grim.
"Wait—are they like seriously mind-controlling people?" Kitty asked, eyes wide. "What kinda horror show is this?"
"Whatever it is, we can't waste any more time," Marie said firmly. "We gotta go and save 'em."
"Yes," Professor Xavier said, straightening in his chair. "Let's move out, X-Men. But remember—we must proceed with caution. It's clear they're prepared for a fight."
"Ha! They better be," Logan growled, cracking her knuckles with a feral grin. "They should be worried about me, not the other way around."
"D.A.I.S.Y. will stay in touch with you, Helen," I said as everyone began to file out. "If anything unexpected happens, she'll guide you through what to do next."
"Understood. Good luck out there," Helen said, lowering her head slightly—her tone tinged with guilt.
"Hold the fort for us, Helen," Ororo said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And maybe have some late-night snacks ready for our new guests. I imagine they'll be hungry."
Helen gave a soft chuckle. "I'll see what I can do. Hopefully they won't mind a healthy serving of vegetable soup."
"I'm sure they'll love it," Ororo replied with a smile before leading the team out.
Helen followed us partway down the hall to see us off, her warm eyes watching as we descended into the underground passage toward the hangar.
As we walked, I handed Professor Xavier a few of the gadgets I had made. He accepted them—but he was still ungrateful as he rejected my offer to modify his wheel chair.
I had even offered to upgrade it—something sleek, high-tech, maybe even a little Batman-esque. Hell, I was willing to call it the X-Mobile instead of the Batmobile! But no—Professor Traditionalist Xavier refused.
Seriously, old people really should try to keep up with the times. Can you imagine the look on criminals' faces if a bald Batman rolled up in a transforming wheelchair of doom? With his shiny head gleaming under the moonlight and a telepathic voice whispering, I am Batman—it would've been legendary!
Still pouting over the rejection, I followed the others as we made our way to the hangar through an underground passage from the mansion.
"So, like, how are we all going to fit in this plane?" Kitty asked. "Didn't you say the X-Jet only has six seats? We're, like, nine people."
"We can just stand inside, genius," Marie said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh—ha, yeah, of course," Kitty replied with a wry smile.
"That won't be necessary," I said, grinning as I opened up a portal. "I brought something else from Watson Tower. Everyone except the Professor is invited to fly with me."
"So childish," Scottie muttered as Professor Xavier just rubbed his forehead.
"Oh! Me, me!" Kitty said, bouncing forward. "I've always wanted to go through a magic portal!" She practically dove right in.
"I'd like to come too," Marie said, stepping in after her.
Jean seemed to be hesitating. Meanwhile, I invited Katrin to come with me since I still had to give her the gadgets. She agreed with a nod.
"Alright, we'll be right behind you guys. Also, don't forget to use the Anti-Cognitive Masks—it's better if no one recognizes us. And Logan, you too, please," I said, glancing at her.
"Sure, bub. First time I'll be putting on makeup," she grumbled irritably.
I waved at them and stepped through the portal.
"Luke, this ship is like so spacious!" Kitty exclaimed the moment I appeared inside.
"Yeah, see? I told you my Ghostwing's way better than the Blackbird," I said with a grin, glancing at Marie, who chuckled and nodded in agreement.
Of course, I had already modified the Blackbird a bit—with Helen's help—adding those retro-reflective panels it desperately needed for invisibility.
"It's so dark out there, I didn't even realise how late it's gotten. Oh look—the basketball court just opened up! They must be leaving!" Kitty said, peering through the cockpit window.
"D.A.I.S.Y., follow them and keep a communication line open," I asked aloud, knowing that the Ghostwing can still track them. "Also, tell them not to land on the island yet—I've got a better plan."
"Understood," D.A.I.S.Y. replied instantly, taking control of the Ghostwing and smoothly tailing the Blackbird.
I motioned for Katrin to follow me and showed her the section where I had stored all the gadgets from Watson Tower. The portals I had opened earlier to hand out gear had actually been linked to the Ghostwing, which had been hovering invisibly above the mansion the whole time.
"This iz all—how do they say in English?—so cool!" Katrin said with a wide smile as she fastened the utility belt around her waist.
It was honestly kind of cute seeing her smile like that—so bright and innocent. She really was the perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover. While explaining how the gadgets worked, I took the opportunity to ask her more about the place we were heading to and her other mutant friends.
By the time we finished chatting, both the Blackbird and the Ghostwing had reached the island. I thanked Katrin for answering my questions and opened a link to Scottie and Charles, relaying my plan. They discussed it briefly and gave me the green light.
"I'll be back soon," I said to a worried-looking Marie as I sat down in the chair, closed my eyes, and prepared for a little Astral Stroll.
***
The First EX Chapter has been added as a free chapter.