"There are Inhumans. Metahumans. Monsters. Demigods. Actual gods. Aliens. Eternals. And probably several other species humanity hasn't even properly discovered yet."
A faint amused breath escaped me.
"So the idea that mutants are somehow destined to stand above everyone else and rule the Earth…"
I tilted my head slightly.
"…sounds like a pretty massive stretch."
Though internally, I couldn't help feeling slightly awkward saying that while both Jean and Wanda were standing nearby — two people who, depending on how strong they eventually became, could probably dominate the planet almost effortlessly if they really wanted to.
Down below, however, my words had caused complete confusion.
"Inhumans? Wait… what was that other thing?" Tabitha muttered blankly.
"I-I think he said aliens," Jubilee whispered, eyes widening. "Please tell me aliens aren't actually real."
Roberto gave an awkward laugh.
"Okay yeah, now he's definitely making stuff up."
The reactions weren't limited to the rescued mutants either. Even several members of the X-Men and the Brotherhood looked visibly unsettled by what I had just said. The idea that mutants weren't even close to being the only superpowered race on Earth clearly wasn't common knowledge.
"Hmph." Magneto's expression hardened again. "And what exactly are you suggesting then? That we do nothing? That we continue allowing mutants to be hunted, experimented upon, and oppressed simply because opposing the world is… difficult?"
His fist clenched tighter as magnetic energy crackled subtly around him.
"No," he said sharply. "Mutantkind must rise and fight. Fight humanity if necessary. Fight the world itself if that is what it takes to secure our future."
"There's no need to fight the whole world," I countered immediately, gesturing toward him.
Then I turned my other hand slightly toward Professor Xavier.
"And there's also no need to blindly embrace everyone and hope humanity changes overnight either."
That earned a few surprised looks from the X-Men.
"There's a third path," I continued calmly, bringing my hands together. "One that isn't built on fear and bloodshed like yours… but also isn't dependent on idealistic faith alone."
I looked directly at Magneto.
"A path that's actually realistic."
Magneto studied me carefully now, his scrutiny far more intense than before.
"And you believe you have found this 'path'?" he asked slowly. "This supposed answer to the survival of mutantkind?"
There was skepticism in his voice—but also genuine curiosity.
"Then go on, Aeon," he said, spreading his arms slightly. "Tell us your grand solution."
I could feel nearly everyone listening now.
Professor Xavier. The X-Men. The rescued mutants. Even Wanda and Pietro had their full attention fixed on me.
"It's something I've already been doing from the beginning," I answered.
Magneto's eyes narrowed.
"You mean this… hero act of yours?" he said dismissively. "Wearing masks. Saving humans. Chasing their admiration like some trained symbol meant to entertain them?"
"Not admiration," I corrected firmly. "Trust."
I clenched my fist lightly.
"The point isn't to become celebrities. It's to become pillars people can rely on. Real heroes."
Magneto scoffed openly at that.
"And what happens," he asked coldly, "when they discover what you truly are?"
The air around him grew heavier.
"What happens when the same humans you save realize that you are different? That you are mutant?"
His voice dripped with bitterness now, every word carrying the weight of lived experience.
"Humans turn on one another over race, borders, religion, language… over differences far smaller than this. And you believe they will simply accept an entirely new species standing among them?"
His magnetic aura flared violently for a moment.
"No, Aeon. The moment humanity's fear outweighs its gratitude, they will turn on you as they always do. They will curse your name, burn your symbols, and hunt you just as they hunt the rest of us."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"The hatred rooted inside humanity cannot be 'saved.'"
"…Have you ever heard of idol culture?" I asked with a sigh.
Magneto visibly paused.
"…What?"
"Idol culture," I repeated, spreading my arms slightly. "The way people obsess over celebrities, heroes, influencers… the way they idolize them. Admire them. Want to meet them, touch them, become like them."
I gestured casually downward toward the younger generation gathered below us.
"Humans have always had a tendency to worship symbols. Athletes. Actors. Superheroes. They become emotionally attached to them regardless of logic."
Magneto and even Professor Xavier looked genuinely baffled by where I was going with this. Honestly, seeing both of them equally confused almost made me laugh. Maybe this entire concept sounded ridiculous to people from their generation.
The younger crowd, however, looked far more understanding.
Jubilee especially looked like she immediately got what I meant.
In truth, Magneto's arguments weren't entirely wrong. Fear was dangerous. Human prejudice was real. Which was exactly why my own plans regarding mutants had never relied purely on goodwill or idealism.
It was layered.
Media influence. Public perception. Internet culture. Political leverage. Economic dependency. Controlled information flow.
I had been preparing for this possibility for years now, ever since learning about the dormant X-Gene in my own body. Because unlike most people here, I understood exactly how ugly this Marvel world could become for a Mutant if things spiraled the wrong way.
"Once an idol culture like that fully takes root," I continued, "people stop caring about superficial labels. Human. Mutant. Different race. Different background. It stops mattering as much once someone becomes their hero."
I pointed lightly toward myself.
"If the greatest heroes in the world are mutants, then eventually the public perception of mutants changes with them. Fear gets replaced with admiration. Admiration becomes normalization."
Several of the younger mutants below looked visibly thoughtful hearing that.
"The future I'm aiming for," I said calmly, "is one where mutants aren't feared as monsters or rulers…"
A faint smile crossed my face.
"…but admired enough that society naturally accepts them as part of itself. And for that to happen—"
Suddenly—
A sharp crimson warning flashed violently across my Focus vision.
Before I could even process it—
Something slammed into my chest.
BAM!
For a split second, it genuinely felt like my heart had stopped.
The world blurred violently around me as my body was blasted out of the sky and hurled far across the island.
BOOOOM!
The ground exploded beneath me as I crashed through it, a crater forming around my body from the sheer impact.
Pain.
Real pain.
Every nerve in my body screamed at once.
For a brief moment I couldn't even breathe properly. My chest felt caved in, several ribs shattered instantly under the impact despite my enhanced durability. The front portion of my armored suit had been completely blown apart, twisted metal and sparks scattered around the crater.
"HAAAH— AHH—"
I sucked in ragged breaths as my healing abilities kicked into overdrive, desperately trying to repair the damage. Flesh knitted itself back together painfully fast, but something felt… wrong.
Slow.
My powers weren't responding properly.
My hearing rang violently.
My vision doubled.
A concussion.
Great.
Fortunately, the Focus device was still operational.
"Aeon!" D.A.I.S.Y.'s voice rang out immediately, urgent and worried. "Your body has sustained severe damage. Multiple fractures detected, heavy internal trauma, and signs of a concussion. Your biological recovery systems are active but appear to be functioning below expected output."
So it wasn't just my imagination.
"I attempted to warn you," she continued quickly, "but the hostile target accelerated abruptly before I could complete the alert. The individual approached the island at extreme velocity and engaged immediately upon arrival."
"Haaah…" I coughed up blood inside the helmet, forcing myself upright slightly within the crater as my blurred vision slowly began stabilizing again. "Wh-Who the hell… was that…?"
D.A.I.S.Y. answered immediately.
"It appears to be an old acquaintance of yours."
The ringing in my ears gradually faded enough for distant sounds to return — worried voices shouting from the shoreline.
Jean.
Marie.
Scottie.
The others were already rushing toward me as fast as they could.
But my attention had already locked onto the figure hovering in the night sky above the crater.
A woman floated there effortlessly, arms slightly at her sides as the wind whipped around her. She wore a dark green bodysuit, the fabric fitting tightly around her sexy figure. Wild auburn hair flowed behind her, the distinctive white streaks framing the front of her face standing out sharply under the moonlight.
Even from this distance, her hostility was palpable.
No.
More than hostility.
Killing intent.
It rolled off her in suffocating waves as her green eyes remained fixed directly on me.
"…Rogue," I muttered, recognizing her instantly.
Anna.
Marie's twin sister.
I had already clashed with her once before during my first encounter with the Brotherhood. Since she hadn't appeared earlier tonight, I had honestly hoped she wasn't part of this operation.
Clearly, I had been wrong.
And judging from the fact that she had just flown all the way here on her own…
She definitely wasn't the hidden mutant presence I had sensed aboard Magneto's ship earlier.
Still…
The sheer level of hatred in her eyes toward me felt strangely personal.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Anna's furious voice exploded across the battlefield as she shot toward me through the air like a missile.
"No, Anna!" Marie shouted in panic, sprinting toward us as fast as she could.
Anna didn't even look at her sister.
"Stay outta this!" she snarled viciously, stopping momentarily.
But honestly…
That brief interruption was all the time I needed.
My brain had already processed dozens of possible outcomes the moment I saw Anna. Fighting her here, in the middle of two already hostile groups, while the rescued mutants were still nearby, would turn the entire situation into absolute chaos instantly.
So instead—
I made a decision.
Space behind me distorted as I opened an Air portal.
And without hesitation, I stepped backward straight into it.
Anna, already charging toward me at full speed and blinded by rage, followed immediately after without even thinking.
"ANNA WAIT—!"
Marie's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.
The portal was already beginning to close.
But she still lunged forward desperately—
and barely managed to dive through a split second before it sealed shut completely.
Silence.
For one stunned moment, everyone on the beach simply stared at the empty space where the portal had vanished.
The X-Men looked completely blindsided by how abruptly everything had happened.
Then—
A low amused chuckle escaped Magneto.
"Hm… well," he said calmly, floating higher as he looked down upon the now scattered and distracted X-Men, "now that the hindrance has removed itself…"
A satisfied grin slowly spread across his face.
"…perhaps we should continue where we left off."