Prison of the Mind.

Professor Xavier continued to keep Escanor under telepathic control, preventing him from regaining consciousness. The injured but surviving members of the X-Men returned to their base, hidden from the eyes of ordinary people. As always, the basketball court split apart, revealing the entrance to a secret underground hangar where the X-Jet descended smoothly.

How had the students not noticed what lay beneath the court all this time? Every time the jet returned, its massive turbines roared, and the ground trembled slightly. But Xavier skillfully masked it with his telepathic abilities, creating the illusion of an ordinary schoolyard.

The unscathed members of the team helped their wounded comrades reach the medical wing. Here, in the heart of the school, was an advanced facility capable of healing even the most severe injuries in mere hours. It was technology far beyond what ordinary hospitals or even S.H.I.E.L.D. could offer. The medical bay was where Hank McCoy, better known as Beast, spent much of his time conducting research. He studied mutant genetics, hoping to one day find a way to rid himself of his beastly form. It pained him to know that others saw him not as a man, but as a monster.

Escanor was placed in a special prison designed for the most dangerous villains. Such cells were rarely used most powerful criminals were handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D., while others were rehabilitated through training and therapy but an exception was made for him. He was bound in reinforced restraints that completely restricted his movements. The cell was also equipped with a power dampener, limiting his abilities. This was necessary to ensure the safety of the school and everyone within it.

Professor Xavier made sure all security measures were active before cautiously releasing his telepathic hold on Escanor's mind, allowing him to wake up. Wolverine, Kitty, and Rogue stood nearby, ready for anything.

Rogue stepped forward cautiously but hesitated before speaking, realizing she needed to choose her words carefully.

"Who were those people... the ones who took him and killed my his family?" Her voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. Escanor's memories full of pain and fury had seeped into her mind, as they often did due to her powers.

Professor Xavier took a deep breath, averting his gaze.

"We don't know who's behind this," he said gently. "Those men were just mercenaries. They were following orders, but who gave them we have yet to find out."

Wolverine clenched his fists, his expression darkening.

"This ain't the first time mutants have been taken," he growled. "Someone's playing a game against us. And I'll find out who even if I have to follow a trail of blood."

Xavier frowned slightly.

"We need to uncover the truth not for vengeance, Logan, but for our future," he said with quiet determination.

Kitty, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly perked up and waved her hands dramatically, mimicking an explosion.

"Did you see that fireball? He just launched it into the air and BOOM! Everything went up in flames!" Her voice was a mix of excitement and unease.

Wolverine snorted, rubbing his shoulder as if recalling old wounds.

"In terms of raw strength, he's on par with Juggernaut," he muttered. "And that ain't exactly good news."

"Yes, his powers remain a mystery to us," Xavier said thoughtfully, resting his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair. "But I can say with certainty that they depend on the sun. As soon as the clouds covered the sky, our attacks started to have an effect. That means here, in isolation, he's significantly weakened. And as for what will happen at night… we'll find out soon enough."

Meanwhile, in the cell, Escanor began to regain consciousness. His eyelids twitched before slowly parting, letting in the dim light of the room.

POV Escanor

The intrusion into my mind was so overwhelming that I lost all control over my body. The sensation was unbearable. My will fought back, but the force was like a raging current, sweeping everything in its path.

I couldn't resist directly, but I tried to use my power to lead them down false trails within the depths of my consciousness. Amidst the chaos, I ran past one of the many doors. Suddenly, I froze. A voice came from behind it one I knew too well to be mistaken.

"Escanor, get down from that tree this instant!" the voice called. Full of worry and care, it belonged to her... my mother.

With a trembling hand, I reached for the doorknob. The sensation felt so real I could feel the cold metal beneath my fingers. Slowly, I turned it, and the blinding, flickering light gave way to scenes from the past.

I was a child again. High above the ground, balancing on a thin branch, I leapt playfully from one to another. The wind tousled my hair, and my heart swelled with the joy of freedom. Below, on the ground, stood my mother. Her face was stricken with fear, tears streaming down her cheeks. She desperately tried to climb the tree, but each attempt ended in failure. Finally, she stopped, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture.

"Escanor, my boy, please, come down from there," her voice was filled with both worry and tenderness.

"No! It's fun up here!" I called back, ignoring her pleas.

I saw her tears, heard the desperation in her voice, but childish excitement and stubbornness won over. This moment had seemed so simple then, but looking back now, I understood the weight of my actions.

If I could, I'd kick my younger self down from that tree, knowing now how much pain I had caused her. I hadn't felt fear, but she had. She had worried and suffered for both of us. Only now did I realize just how much trouble I had put her through with my reckless antics, how deeply she had worried because of me.

"If you come down, I'll buy you some ice cream," she tried to bargain, looking up at me with hope.

"Not now!" I shouted cheerfully, leaping onto another branch.

But my joy didn't last long.

The branch beneath me cracked and snapped. I barely had time to react before plummeting down, branches breaking under my weight. At the last moment, I managed to grab onto a thicker limb, halting my fall.

My mother, seeing that I was safe, let out a sigh of relief only to clutch her chest moments later and sink onto the grass, clearly in distress.

Seeing that something was wrong, I scrambled down immediately, rushing to her side.

"Mom, are you okay? Should I get Dad?"

"No... I'll be fine," she rasped, breathing heavily. Unsteadily, she got to her feet and walked toward the house without looking at me.

I stood there, frozen, realizing that I had hurt my mother not physically, but in a way that cut just as deep.

"I'm so sorry… I won't do it again," I whispered, a lump forming in my throat, before quietly following her home.

From that day on, I never climbed trees again.

Wiping away the tears that had welled up, I closed the door. Now was not the time for memories. An enemy had invaded my mind, and I needed to drive them out.

I spotted a shadow flicker around the corner and immediately gave chase. You won't be running for long.

With every turn, new images from my past emerged before me.The shadow I was chasing slipped behind one of the doors. My blood boiled with rage how dare it roam so freely within my mind?

Without hesitation, I burst inside and found myself in a school hallway. My school. Empty, devoid of a single soul. Only from one of the rooms came voices shouts, as if echoing from a distant memory.

I strode toward the door, grabbed the handle, and pushed it open. A bright light flooded everything. Before me stretched a school stadium, filled with roaring crowds cheering for their children. I remembered this. This was my first interschool championship.

I stood at the front of the field, positioned as the main striker and center player.

"A momentous day, isn't it?" a voice spoke from behind me.

I turned. Sitting beside me in his wheelchair was the professor.

"You should get out of my mind before I regret sparing you," I spat, making no effort to hide my irritation.

"And yet, perhaps we should talk?" he suggested calmly, as if oblivious to my anger.

"What do you want from me?" I growled through clenched teeth, suppressing the urge to lunge at him.

"Nothing. I only wish to help you understand that emotions, left unchecked, can lead to tragedy. I see your grief, and I can comprehend your pain. I've lost those dear to me many times. And yes, I, too, have been consumed by the desire for revenge. But I overcame it," the professor said evenly.

"Don't they deserve vengeance? They dared to destroy my family… for what?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to steady it.

"Haven't you realized? You are a mutant. And there are those who fear our kind, who seek to eradicate us. You've stood out from your peers your entire life," he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

"So, it's my fault?" I asked, fists clenching. His words made sense, but did that justify murder? Was their fear reason enough?

"Don't blame yourself," the professor said gently, his gaze filled with sympathy.

Doubt gripped me. I turned back to the memory unfolding before me.

The game had lasted nearly three hours and was drawing to a close. Our team was exhausted. Despite my dominance in the first half, the opposing team had begun focusing all their efforts on shutting me down, dedicating more and more players to marking me. The score was nearly even.

Another round. We lined up; possession was ours.

By now, I could tell my teammates were completely drained. They barely had the strength to continue. I, however, still had enough for one last decisive push.

The whistle blew, and the play began. I passed the ball back, then exploded forward in a sudden burst of speed, knocking down two defenders in my path. They collapsed with dull thuds, writhing in pain, while I leapt over them without hesitation. The rest of my team fought to break through the defense.

I rushed forward. It felt as if I had eyes on my back I turned at the perfect moment to catch the pass. The instant the ball was in my hands, I bolted toward the goal. The opposing defenders tried to stop me, but they lacked the strength and speed to keep up.

I tore through their ranks, leaving behind everyone who dared to stand in my way. Only a few meters remained until the touchdown. The last defender stood before me, his knees trembling. I crashed into him at full speed, pushing forward. Stretching out my arm, I touched the ball to the ground.

A tense silence hung over the stadium, as if the entire world had frozen in anticipation. Then, the final whistle blew, and the stands erupted with thunderous cheers and applause.

Removing my helmet, I felt the glow of glory enveloping me. The crowd celebrated me as a hero. I was the star of the match, and thanks to my efforts, our team had secured victory. I saw my parents descending from the stands, ready to congratulate me on my triumph.

But as I basked in the ovation, my gaze accidentally met that of my teammates. They stood off to the side, covered in dust and sweat, exhausted and worn out. Their efforts, their contributions to our victory, had gone unnoticed. All the glory belonged to me alone.

Their faces bore expressions of bitterness, their eyes filled with envy. At that moment, I understood why I had never been able to form true friendships with them. We were merely acquaintances, connected only by the game, nothing more.

From that day forward, my ego only grew. I became more convinced that those around me were insignificant compared to me. Perhaps that was what led me to such tragic consequences.

The scene before my eyes abruptly changed. I was now in an office, seated on a couch. A small table with a cup of tea stood in front of me.

"Care for some tea?" he offered kindly, gesturing toward the cup across from me.

I cautiously took a sip. The taste was unmistakably real, though I knew this was all just an illusion.

"Very convincing, isn't it? The mind is a fascinating thing, full of mysteries," Xavier observed, watching me intently.

"Enough talking. Stop these games. Release me, or I'll erase you from existence," I said coldly.

"You could try. Your power is an enigma to me," he admitted with a slight smile. "You have no mental defenses, yet entering your mind and influencing you takes an immense amount of effort. Truthfully, I'm barely holding on."

"Then just a little longer, and I'll wake up. And when I do, you'll regret ever stepping into my head," I warned, locking eyes with him.

"Unlikely. For your own safety, we've isolated you," he replied calmly.

"For my safety?!" Rage flared within me like wildfire. My hand gripped the armrest, splintering it into shards. A surge of power and the table before me shattered into pieces.

The professor didn't even flinch. His composure only infuriated me further.

"Perhaps I misspoke," he said gently. "Allow me to explain something."

I hesitated but sat back down. The fury burned inside me, but reason told me that if I was truly restrained, escape wouldn't be possible.

Xavier, still unshaken, continued,

"First, let me tell you who we are. My name is Professor Xavier. I founded a school for mutants people with unique abilities. We strive to help those like you master their powers and learn to control them."

The world around us shifted in an instant. Now, we sat in a beautiful garden, overlooking a grand mansion that resembled an ancient castle.

"Although most mutants are peaceful, some choose to use their abilities for harm. To counter them, there exists a team the X-Men, whom you've already encountered," he said, watching me as if expecting a reaction.

"They weren't particularly strong," I scoffed.

"Yet they managed to defeat you," he countered.

"Only because of you. If not for your interference, they'd all be dead by now," I snarled.

"Perhaps," the professor nodded slightly. "But I am their mentor, and I cannot allow them to perish."

"I don't see why I shouldn't try to break free and deal with them again," I muttered.

The professor let out a heavy sigh, pausing for a moment as if weighing an internal decision. Then, finally, he spoke:

"Very well, I will tell you who you faced and why they came for you."

He paused again, gathering his thoughts before continuing:

"We still don't know exactly who is behind this organization. They have numerous branches and divisions scattered across the world. Even those working within often lack full clarity about whom they truly serve. This makes our investigation exceedingly difficult."

I listened in silence, staring at him intently.

"You are a unique case," the professor went on. "I was able to read part of the memory of one of the people you killed. It provided some insight, but not the full picture. They noticed you as a child. Even then, you stood out, and it's possible that secret experiments were conducted on you. However, they never identified you as a mutant. Until yesterday, you weren't one. Only now has your X-gene fully activated."

The professor studied me carefully.

"These people didn't know your secret, but they wanted to uncover it. That is why they abducted you. You are not the only one many children are subjected to the same treatment."

His words struck harder than any blow from the X-Men.

"And you do nothing, despite claiming to protect mutants?!" I snapped, my voice laced with anger and bitterness, feeling my fury rise once more.

"As much as I wish to protect everyone, I simply cannot," the professor answered softly. "When it comes to children we manage to find, I try to convince their parents to send them to my school. Sometimes it works. But, unfortunately, even among parents, there are those who reject our help."

His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed deep exhaustion.

"I cannot control the entire world. Though… I could."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing warily.

The professor simply raised a hand and touched his temple, his gaze growing increasingly contemplative.

"I am an Omega-level mutant," he said, his voice steady but carrying an underlying power. "With Cerebro, a device that amplifies my abilities, I can control the minds of every human on the planet. I could create any reality I desire. But I restrain myself. Because that path leads to destruction. I believe peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants is possible."

His words left me frozen. The man sitting before me possessed unimaginable power. If he was telling the truth, then only his self-restraint kept him from seizing control of the world. But why? Why choose this path when he could change everything? At the same time, the thought burned within me if he had used that power, maybe my parents would still be alive.

I lowered my gaze, trying to hide my emotions, but the rage still found its way out.

"I won't abandon my revenge," I said coldly. "And I won't forgive you for trying to stop me."

A storm raged inside me. The guilt over my parents' deaths only fueled my desire for vengeance.

"I understand," the professor said quietly, and in his voice, there was something deeply human, almost vulnerable. "You are starting to wake up. We will speak again… in reality."

His figure slowly began to dissolve, like mist dispersing into the air. The world around me faded into darkness. But this darkness wasn't cold. Heat washed over my back. The sun warmed my inner world, granting me its necessary warmth. I closed my eyes.

"At least you will always be with me," I whispered.

A sudden jolt my eyes snapped open.

I was in a room. A transparent glass wall stood before me. Behind it, like watchful observers, stood Wolverine, Kitty, Rogue, and Professor Xavier. I tried to move, but quickly realized my arms and legs were bound by strange restraints. The very air of the room seemed to weigh down on me, pressing against me with an invisible force, as if the atmosphere itself was against me.

"You are currently in my facility," the professor's voice rang out. "Have you considered enrolling in my school? I can help you unlock your potential, harness your abilities… and give you protection."

Author's Note

Once again, Professor X's powers do not fully affect Escanor. He has immunity to any influence. These were merely the most vivid memories in his mind.