That said, whether it was Erik or Charles, both had to admit—if it was Alex, they could accept it.
In fact, they each breathed a subtle sigh of relief.
At least it wasn't Erik or Charles who took the boy. That would've been the worst-case scenario.
For Erik, though Alex's methods were more restrained, they were still a far cry from Charles' laughable ideals. In Erik's view, Alex had completely abandoned that useless pacifist nonsense.
You could see it clearly from how Alex infiltrated the Intelligence Bureau, or the way he subtly manipulated Laughing Boy.
So while Erik still thought Alex was a bit too soft, he also respected him.
Charles felt similarly.
Even though Alex had helped Erik destroy two fleets during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he had since remained strangely "low-profile"—quiet, well-behaved, and never stirring up trouble.
Not like Erik, who seemed hell-bent on fanning the flames of conflict between humans and mutants every single day.
So when Vincent chose to go with Alex, Charles was actually relieved. At least it wasn't the worst outcome.
—Well, if Charles actually knew everything Alex had been up to, he might not feel so at ease.
But up to now, without his Cerebro amplifier, Charles had no idea about Alex's larger operations behind the scenes.
"You've awakened a new power, Alex?" Charles looked at him in genuine surprise.
Erik, too, stared in astonishment.
Back in Cuba, Alex couldn't even fly. How long had it been? And now he could just soar through the air?
Were they even real mutants? Born with just one ability for life?
Meanwhile, Alex was awakening new powers every other week, and they were always insanely strong ones.
It was enough to make anyone green with envy.
"I was surprised too," Alex shrugged with a helpless smile. "I kind of… just awakened it by accident."
Charles: "…"
Erik: "…"
Seriously? That's what he's going with?
How could someone flex this hard with a straight face and not get struck by lightning?
"Well then," Alex looked at the two with a casual grin. "Charles, Erik—if you'll excuse me. Vincent, come here."
He waved Vincent over, who rushed to his side without a second thought, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Alex, are we really gonna fly together?" Vincent asked excitedly.
"Of course. I didn't bring a car. We're not walking home, right? Hang on tight," Alex said with a grin.
Vincent eagerly clung to him, wrapping his arms around Alex's waist—and even used his plant-based powers to extend a few vines, winding them around Alex for added security.
He wasn't taking any chances of falling mid-flight.
"Well then—see you around, everyone!"
BOOM!
With a wave to the gathered mutants, Alex launched into the sky.
A shockwave cracked through the air as he shot upward like a missile, vanishing into the clouds within seconds.
"So jealous… That's real flight," Banshee murmured, staring up at the sky in awe.
His own flight relied on sonic gliding—not even close to Alex's raw propulsion. That? That was the real deal.
"This freak… he's even more overpowered than before," Havok muttered.
Even in the past, Alex had been terrifyingly strong, outclassing most mutants by a wide margin.
Now that he could fly on top of that?
There was basically no one who could go toe-to-toe with him anymore.
Still, no matter what, having someone this powerful on the mutant side—and someone who wasn't constantly trying to start a war like Erik—was undoubtedly a good thing.
---
BOOM!
With a familiar sonic boom, a figure slammed into the ground with force.
"We're here, Vincent," Alex said, smiling down at him.
Vincent loosened his grip and looked around with wide, excited eyes. Already buzzing from the experience of flight, his excitement only grew.
"Where… where is this place?"
Having grown up in the slums, Vincent had never seen anything this grand or majestic in his life. His jaw practically dropped.
"This—" Alex said, gesturing around them, "—this is your home now. Come on. Let's go inside."
He led the elated Vincent through the doors of the main stronghold.
Inside the hall, Raven, Hank, Emma Frost, and Copycat were already waiting.
When they saw Alex return successfully with the endangered young mutant, all of them lit up with excitement.
"Everyone, this is Vincent. Starting today, he's part of our family too," Alex said warmly.
"Raven, would you mind showing him around?"
"Of course. Come with me, Vincent," Raven replied with a smile.
She guided the wide-eyed teen away, introducing him to Hank, Copycat, and the others. She took charge of explaining the layout of the base and helping him settle in.
All of it—none of it was something Alex needed to worry about.
That's what the housekeeper was for.
Once everything was arranged, Alex gathered everyone together to make an important announcement.
"Everyone," he said, "do you remember when I mentioned William Stryker?"
He'd brought it up before—how he planned to destroy Stryker's base and rescue the mutants imprisoned there. Naturally, the group already knew some details.
Stryker, the man who captured and experimented on mutants, was someone they all despised.
Unfortunately, the bastard had been hiding far too well. Even when Alex had Serena deploy a large number of agents to investigate, they turned up nothing.
But now… something had changed.
"You've found that bastard?" Raven asked, eyes blazing.
"Yes. We've finally got a lead. I'm going to check it out personally," Alex nodded.
"I'm coming with you!" Raven said immediately, her voice full of anger.
"Count me in too! You think I'd miss something like this?" Copycat chimed in, eyes gleaming.
Even Emma Frost quietly stepped forward, expression calm but firm. This was something she wasn't about to stand on the sidelines for.
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