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"Mr. Joseph�"
S.H.I.E.L.D had clearly planted audio surveillance devices near the pit, because the moment Joseph introduced himself to the crowd, Nick Fury, dressed in his signature windbreaker, heard every word loud and clear.
He approached the flaming pit calmly, his typical stern expression softening into something that almost resembled a smile.
"It's an honor for us to attend the opening ceremony of Xavier's School," he said, with measured courtesy.
Joseph returned the gesture with a bright, disarming smile.
"And I'm sure Principal Charles will be thrilled to learn that the legendary Director Nick Fury graced the event personally."
The two menâwho had silently played chess against each other through intermediaries and surveillance feeds for yearsâwere now finally face to face.
Surprisingly, there was no tension in the air.
Joseph's smile was sincere.
And Nick Fury's own friendliness wasn't fake either.
Despite his growing apprehension about Xavier's School and the sheer power it now wielded, Fury had concluded that Joseph and the X-Men were not Magneto. They didn't crave war with humanity. That made a relationshipâhowever uneasyâpossible.
In fact, S.H.I.E.L.D had even benefited from recent events. The exposure of General Ross had allowed them to seize influence over the super soldier program and consolidate power.
So, whether it was the surveillance outside Moira MacTaggert's house or tonight's dramatic appearance at the pit, Fury had only one true goalâ
Establish direct communication with Xavier's School.
He wanted to understand what this new generation of Mutants was planning.
"You know who I am?" Fury asked, eyeing Joseph with curiosity.
"For an honorary principal to be put in charge of the school's grand opening⊠you must be quite someone."
"I'm honored by Principal Charles's trust," Joseph replied lightly, his gaze brushing past the S.H.I.E.L.D agents lurking behind Fury. "Besides, this is just the orientation for new students. The actual opening ceremony will be held inside the academy."
Fury raised an eyebrow. "Then perhaps you'd be kind enough to show us the way?"
His tone was polite, but his interest was obvious.
There were easily over a thousand Mutants gathered here. How on earth was Xavier's School going to transport them?
Not just Furyâeveryone present was thinking the same thing.
Joseph didn't keep them waiting.
The four flaming mirror images of himselfâstanding at north, south, east, and westâmerged into one. Then he levitated above the center of the fiery crater.
He looked around at the gathered crowd.
"To all prospective students," he called out, "jump down. I'll take you to the academy."
The moment the words left his mouth, the flames under his feet blazed higher.
A wave of heat rolled through the air.
Everyone froze.
"Jump⊠down?" someone muttered.
Lorna Daneâknown to some as Polarisâblinked in disbelief. A seasoned fighter who had taken on gangsters alone at sixteen, she was no coward. But even she felt the hairs on her neck rise at the idea.
The crater was enormousâat least three kilometers wideâand the flames burning inside looked hot enough to melt steel. The sheer intensity distorted the air above it.
There was no way this wasn't dangerous.
No matter how brave they were, no Mutant could shake off the instinctive fear of death.
Joseph's voice echoed again, deeper now, almost haunting through the flickering heat.
"This is the academy's first test."
"If you jump, you will earn your place. If you refuse, you may return the way you came."
Silence fell like a shroud.
No one moved.
The Mutants looked to one anotherâsome panicked, others hesitant. Many parents gripped their children tightly, torn between fear and hope.
Even Nick Fury's confident expression darkened slightly.
Logically, he knew this was a test. There was no way Xavier's School had gathered so many people just to incinerate them.
StillâŠ
There was knowing it was a test, and actually jumping into fire.
His one good eye narrowed. A psychological trial... Joseph, are you recruiting studentsâor soldiers?
The flames roared, untamed and intense. The pit seemed bottomless.
Time slowed.
No one dared to move.
Joseph said nothing else.
He simply waited.
And thenâ
A figure stepped forward.
From the western crowd, Warren Worthingtonâthe young man known as Angelâsuddenly sprinted toward the edge.
With a defiant cry, he leapt.
"I'm not a monster!!"
His white wings burst open, instinctively shielding him as he dove headfirst into the pit.
And thenâŠ
The fire parted.
The flames opened into a glowing tunnel, enveloping him in protective light.
He vanished.
Untouched.
"Did⊠did he make it?" someone whispered.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Eyes widened. Some mouths fell open in disbelief.
Then a second voice rang out.
Lorna Dane pushed her way forward, smirking.
"Well, I'm not about to be outdone."
She threw her hair back and dove.
"Let's see what's so special about this mystery school!"
Moments later, Clarice FergusonâBlinkâfollowed with a whisper of a prayer.
"God, please let this be worth itâŠ"
In the north, James Madroxâthe Multiple Manâreadied himself to jump.
But a blur shot past him.
A woman, faster than his eyes could track, jumped before him like a flash of lightning.
"What the hellâ?!"
He cursed and followed immediately.
Suddenly, it was like a dam had burst.
One by one, then in groups, the Mutants around the crater began to jumpâsome laughing, some screaming, others sobbingâbut all leaping forward.
The flame swallowed them, and the pit accepted them.
"Haha, this place is wild!"
"If you're scared of fire, you're not ready for anything!"
"Fear just means there's something to overcome!"
"I can't wait to see the school!"
And from somewhere in the crowd: "Logan! You old bastard, I'm coming for you!"
It was Remy LeBeauâGambitâhis voice unmistakable.
Soon, even the Mutant children who had clung to their parents couldn't contain themselves.
"Mom, Dad⊠can I be a great Mutant too?"
Young Carl looked up, his face trembling with emotion.
His parentsâordinary humansâmet each other's gaze.
They hesitated only for a moment.
Then they nodded.
"We're going with you."
Together, hand in hand, they jumped.
Joseph saw it.
And his smile grew.
"The Mutant race⊠how can we not rise, when such courage lives within us?"
More and more teenagers stepped forward, their fear transforming into resolve. Families began to leap in groups.
From his observation point, Coulson was speechless.
"A child that young⊠still jumps?"
"Why?"
No one had an answer.
Except Fury.
He spoke quietly.
"They're jumping⊠for freedom."
Coulson turned to him, stunned.
And for once, the hardened director of S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed⊠almost moved.
It wasn't just about courage.
It was about release.
This wasn't just a jumpâit was a metamorphosis. A transformation from fear and secrecy to hope and pride.
A leap not just into flamesâŠ
But into the light.
This Joseph⊠he's dangerous, Fury thought grimly.
He may be the true mastermind behind everything.
Joseph, of course, didn't read minds.
But he was watching the last few hesitant souls.
Roughly seventy to eighty people remained.
Some were adults. Others were children. Their eyes darted between the fire and the sky. Some trembled. Some cried.
One young man stepped forward, tears in his eyes.
"Senior⊠I want to join. But I'm terrified of fire. Please, just don't make me jump. I'll do anythingâplease, trust me!"
Others echoed the plea.
Some of the teenagers fell to their knees, openly begging.
Joseph's mirror images reappeared, one at each corner of the pit.
All four spoke in unison.
"No."
"Return home. Be ordinary citizens. The world of Mutants is not for you."
The fire around the pit suddenly contracted, pulling inward like a heartbeat collapsing.
The path had closed.
Even if they changed their minds, it was too late.
"Senior!"
Their cries went unheard.
Joseph turned toward Nick Fury, and with a flick of his hand, the flames reshaped into a narrow path leading toward the Quinjet.
"Director Fury," Joseph said with a polite smile, "shall we?"
He glanced at the other agents behind him.
"If any of your team wish to accompany you, they're welcome."
Fury shook his head firmly.
"No. Just Coulson will do."
He couldn't afford to look like a fool, storming a school ceremony with a full tactical squad.
Dignity matters, even for S.H.I.E.L.D.
And so, with the world watching, the opening ceremony of Xavier's Schoolâled by Josephâcame to a blazing, unforgettable crescendo.
A single leap had changed the fate of Mutantkind.
And nothing would ever be the same again.
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