The Game of Secrets

An ordinary, unremarkable office. Behind a massive dark wooden desk sat a man, deeply engrossed in a pile of papers. His appearance was striking at first glance. His head, disproportionately large compared to his body, seemed almost as if it had been attached to a fragile child's frame. Yet this strange physique did not diminish his imposing presence. A perfectly tailored business suit and thick-rimmed glasses created the image of an intellectual accustomed to making decisions.

[image]

POV Bolivar Trask

The financial pressure is mounting. If I don't deliver results, my projects will be shut down. They just don't understand. This is not another military toy. This is our chance at survival.

Mutants. They have already surpassed us. They walk among us, invisible, elusive. We cannot even recognize them until it's too late. They are a threat we cannot afford to ignore. Only my project can stand against them. Only it can save the world.

But now all this pointless digging into expenses. Time is running out. The priority is to launch the prototype. To prove its effectiveness.

I set the papers aside and stood up from the desk. Leaving my office, I headed to the workshop.

There, amid the gleam of metal and the scent of machine oil, stood my masterpiece. Almost finished. Almost perfect.

Two and a half meters tall, a reinforced body equipped with the latest sensors. This was my answer to the mutants. The only problem was the power source.

We had tried everything: lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, even experimental generators. But the result was always the same. Autonomous operation for less than ten minutes. Unacceptable.

Two hours. I need at least two hours of stable performance. Ideally five.

In the corridor, I noticed my partner. We had worked together for quite some time, but our approaches were vastly different. I studied mutants, striving to understand their nature and their weaknesses. He wanted only one thing: to destroy them.

Colonel William Stryker. A man whose life had been shattered by his own mutant son. His wife had died, and since then he had dedicated himself to fighting those he deemed a threat to humanity. He now led Weapon X, a program designed to create the perfect soldiers. Emotionless, invulnerable, ready to follow any order.

Noticing me, Stryker gave a curt nod in greeting.

"Good to see you, Colonel Stryker," I addressed him, keeping my tone polite.

"And I'm absolutely delighted to see you," he replied, his smile broad but strained.

His demeanor was always an odd mix of friendliness and barely concealed menace.

"Are you here because you missed me, or do you have business?" I asked, preferring to get straight to the point.

"Business. And I think you'll find it interesting," he said, handing me a flash drive.

I took it, examining it closely.

"What's on it?" I asked, my curiosity growing.

"Better see for yourself," he answered cryptically.

"Excellent. Then let's go to the workshop. I was headed there anyway," I said, gesturing toward the door.

With the flash drive in hand, I continued down the hallway.

The workshop. No, that word was too modest for this place. A vast pavilion filled with people hard at work. This was where my masterpiece was being developed, the robot that would change the course of history. Cutting-edge equipment and the latest technologies allowed us to move faster than I could have imagined just a few years ago.

In the corner of the pavilion was a small office. Blueprints were piled high on the desks, while computer screens flickered with schematics and models. I stepped inside, closed the door behind me, and inserted the flash drive into the slot.

A video file appeared on the screen.

I pressed "play" and recognized them immediately.

The X-Men. That's what they call themselves. In reality, an independent combat unit operating beyond government control. They fly around the world, interfering in conflicts, and if they wanted to, they could take out the president without anyone even noticing.

In the video, they stood facing another mutant. He was massive, with an impressive physique. There was clearly a conversation happening between them, but even without sound, the tension was palpable.

The fight began suddenly. Blows exchanged. I watched every movement closely. His wounds healed instantly regeneration at the highest level. Strength? High enough to take on multiple X-Men at once.

But one detail caught my attention: his skin. Practically invulnerable. Only adamantium could pierce it.

Then everything changed. Storm clouds appeared on the video, and the mutant weakened. The X-Men almost defeated him, but suddenly, a ball of fire flashed across the screen. The shockwave was powerful enough to rival a nuclear explosion.

The clouds dissipated, the sun broke through, and the mutant regained his strength. More than that he became even stronger. He effortlessly overpowered the X-Men. Then the footage cut off.

I frowned.

"And what exactly am I supposed to take from this?" I asked, turning to Stryker. He wouldn't have shown me a mutant battle without a reason.

"I thought you were smarter than that," he said with a smirk.

"Let's skip the riddles," I cut in, irritation creeping into my voice. "We already have enough problems."

"Fine. You know we track and capture interesting mutant specimens. This one is special. We've been watching him for a while, and it turns out we were right. Until yesterday, he was strong, sure, but now he's become exponentially more powerful. He managed to defeat some of the most powerful mutants," Stryker said, pointing to the blond figure on the screen.

"And why is that surprising?" I shrugged, masking my growing irritation. "Mutants manifest their abilities at different levels. This one just happened to be stronger than the others. I don't see why this concerns me."

"Well, if you're not interested," Stryker said, feigning disappointment, "I can leave."

He reached for the flash drive, intending to pull it out.

"Alright, explain," I sighed, feeling a headache creeping in. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and adjusted my glasses. The pressure of my work was starting to dull my intellect.

"He wields the power of the sun. Isn't that an opportunity for our project?" Stryker's voice carried a triumphant note.

"Don't forget, our project needs to maintain constant vigilance. Why would I need useless junk that doesn't work at night?" I said coldly, though internally, I acknowledged the potential. But I was striving for perfection.

"You're smarter than me, yet you fail to see the obvious," Stryker replied with a sly grin.

He rewound the video and paused at a specific moment. The screen displayed the mutant holding a glowing sphere in his hands, a miniature sun.

I froze. How had I overlooked this? The power of the sun in his hands...

"This is exactly what we need. If we can harness that core, our Sentinels could run autonomously for months. A thermonuclear reactor… Yes, this is worth our attention. But how do we get it?" Without realizing it, I gestured animatedly, already calculating the possible applications of such energy.

"That's a different conversation," Stryker said with a grin, clenching his fist as if crushing invisible enemies. "It's time to strike the mutants."

"And how do you propose we pull that off?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. My Sentinels weren't fully operational yet, and his Weapon X program was still in its infancy.

"We have an ally, one who rivals the X-Men in strength. He just doesn't know it yet," Stryker said, opening another file.

On the screen appeared an image of another omega-level mutant Magneto.

I studied the image intently. This was a real plan. Pit mutants against each other, seize the advantage, and rid the world of a common enemy in the process.

"I like this plan," I said, feeling a surge of energy. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

POV Escanor 

My life changed so rapidly that I barely had time to process what was happening. Now, I was in a place where everyone possessed a unique gift. Turning any object into a grenade? Easy. Changing one's appearance or teleporting anywhere in an instant? Just another day here. Compared to these talents, I sometimes felt lacking. But that feeling quickly disappeared the moment my favorite activity began training.

Another turret shattered into pieces under my strike. Scanning the battlefield, I was satisfied to see that nothing remained of the obstacle course but wreckage. At first, it was amusing, but now it had become boring.

"The test is over. Could you stop destroying everything, please?" came the voice of Beast or as he was officially called, Hank McCoy.

I gave a brief nod toward the observation deck.

I've been at this school for two weeks now. After a few days of contemplation, I realized that I needed to master my powers and properly prepare myself. Maybe I would even find a way to rid myself of my weakness at night. Only then could I follow my own path and track down those responsible for my family's death.

The mutant school turned out to be like any regular high school with the same kids and similar problems. However, there was one strange thing: despite everyone having powers, conflicts were rare and quickly resolved. It seemed suspicious to me. No doubt, Professor Xavier the world's most powerful telepath had a hand in it. Though I wasn't convinced that the teachers here were truly good. Either way, I wouldn't be staying long.

Although... I might make an exception for one person. There she was. Her outfits always attracted attention, as if she enjoyed it. She clearly had no shame in showing off her body, collecting admiring glances.

"Your strength is impressive. And, just between us, you can stop tormenting that obstacle course now," said Ororo, nodding toward Hank, who was already fussing over the damaged turret. "If you keep this up, someone's bound to have a nervous breakdown. He's tired of fixing everything," she added with a smile.

"I agree. They've already started to bore me," I replied, smirking slightly.

"You still have sparring matches. Wolverine is eager for a rematch," Ororo remarked.

My rivalry with him kept escalating. It seemed like he couldn't stand me. Perhaps it was because I constantly mocked him during our sparring sessions. It drove him into a frenzy, and he wouldn't rest until he managed to wound me. Only the intervention of the other X-Men prevented our fights from ending in something more... permanent.

Sometimes, I wondered if I should just toss him somewhere far away. Like, into the sky. I was curious how long it would take him to return. Every encounter we had outside the ring turned into a verbal clash. Not exactly bloody, but the furniture definitely suffered.

Honestly, I couldn't care less about him, but I refused to tolerate his rudeness.

"Weakness breeds envy," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"From the outside, it just looks like two kids fighting over a toy," Ororo replied, giving me a playful glance.

Turning away, she headed toward the exit, leaving me lost in thought.

I hesitated. It seemed our rivalry really did look like childish nonsense from an outside perspective. Hm, maybe it was time to put an end to it. I'd just ignore him from now on.

Without lingering any longer, I followed after Ororo. Catching up to her, I fell into step beside her.

"Where are you headed?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I need to see the professor, then teach a couple of classes. By the way, you have lessons too. Don't forget to attend them," she reminded me with a slight smile.

We reached the elevator. I let her go in first, then stepped in after her and pressed the button. The space was a bit cramped for me due to my height and build, but I did my best to get comfortable.

"How long have you been a teacher?" I asked, trying to learn more about her. If I wanted to catch her attention, I needed to understand her better. I had already found out that she was single and not in a romantic relationship. That meant I had a chance. Though my age might be a problem. But honestly, I didn't look thirteen, nor did I feel that young.

"For a very long time," Ororo replied after a brief moment of thought. "I was quite young when I met Professor Xavier. Back then, he helped me understand myself, and eventually, he unlocked my full potential."

"From what you're saying, he seems like a good person," I noted, keeping the conversation going.

"Yes, I can judge him by his actions. He genuinely tries to do what's best for us," she said warmly.

Maybe he really was as good as she claimed, or maybe his mistakes were just conveniently forgotten. By this point, we had stepped out of the elevator and were walking down a long corridor.

"So, most of the time, you work as a teacher?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation flowing.

"For the most part, yes," Ororo replied. "But I often help people by preventing hurricanes or floods. Sometimes, the world needs us as X-Men."

Her words made me think. Strange. Why had I never heard any news about hurricanes suddenly vanishing or disasters being averted?

"You know, I never really heard much about superhumans before. It was mostly something out of comic books," I admitted.

"We try not to stand out," she explained. "S.H.I.E.L.D. helps cover for us in many ways. In return, we assist them with criminals who have superhuman abilities."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" I repeated, frowning. Another secret organization? Just how many of them existed in this world?

"They're a top-secret government agency. Their goal is to identify and neutralize global threats," Ororo explained calmly.

"I've never heard of them," I said, genuinely surprised.

"They're good at staying hidden," she said as we stopped in front of the professor's office door. She then turned to me. "Thanks for walking with me."

"You're welcome. See you later, then," I replied with a slight smile.

The office door suddenly swung open, but there was no one behind it. A few seconds later, a man stepped out, his expression grim. When he saw us, he froze for a moment, studying me carefully before walking away. Despite his age, he moved with confidence and an energy that was unexpected for someone so old.

"Ororo, Escanor, come in," the professor invited us.

Why did he want to see me?

"Professor, what was Magneto doing here?" Ororo asked, her voice filled with concern.

Xavier took a deep breath and turned his wheelchair toward the window. The view overlooked the mansion's courtyard, where a man stood at the gates. He looked almost like a wild beast his clothes were worn, his thick, unkempt beard and messy hair adding to the effect. Nearby, Wolverine stood, watching the stranger with clear irritation. Though, to be fair, that expression was pretty standard for Logan.

Magneto, as Ororo had called him, stepped beyond the gates and soon disappeared from view. Logan remained where he was, his tense posture suggesting he was ready to fight at any moment.

"Erik is growing more and more dissatisfied. It seems he's preparing for more drastic actions," the professor finally said, looking away from the window.

"Did something happen?" Ororo asked, her concern evident.

"Yes. Raven infiltrated one of the government's databases and discovered records of barbaric experiments on mutants. It seems that the same people who tried to abduct Escanor are behind these experiments," Xavier explained.

"We must find these laboratories and free our people!" Storm declared firmly, her voice rolling like thunder, promising a coming storm. From the look in her eyes, it was clear she was ready to go right now, to fight her way through if necessary to rescue the mutants.

"We're working on it, Ororo," the professor replied calmly, though there was a note of exhaustion in his voice. "Our enemies are covering their tracks well."

"That's why Magneto was here?" Ororo clarified, tension evident in her tone.

Xavier hesitated before nodding.

"Yes. Erik is tired of hiding. He wants people to fear us. He believes fear will make them leave us alone. But that will only lead to war." The professor shook his head, as if rejecting that path even in his thoughts. "He came to propose an alliance. Together, we could reveal ourselves to the world."

"And what's so bad about people knowing about you?" I blurted out unexpectedly.

Xavier gave me a long, thoughtful look.

"In an ideal world, nothing. It would be the right thing to do. But the world is far from ideal. People won't understand us. They will only see what makes us different from them. That will create an even greater divide, more fear, more hatred." He averted his gaze, as if looking back on a past filled with too much pain. "A quiet peace is better than open conflict."

"Then what do we do?" Ororo crossed her arms, her gaze heavy, almost accusing.

"We wait. And we keep searching for information," Xavier said with regret.

Ororo frowned, her displeasure impossible to miss. She let out a bitter sigh and, without another word, headed for the door.

I remained standing, but my hesitation was brief. Stay with the professor, waiting in silence? Or follow her the one who was ready to take action right now? The choice was obvious. I turned and went after Ororo.

"Why are you so upset?" I asked, catching up to her.

Ororo slowed her pace but didn't look at me right away.

"Sometimes, I just don't understand him." She sighed as if trying to collect her thoughts. "Xavier is a good man, but he stands by too often, doing nothing."

Her voice faltered slightly, and she seemed to get lost in memories.

"As a child, I lived in a poor neighborhood. The kids and I had to find food however we could. Back then, I dreamed that someone would come and help us all. Someone strong. Someone who could change things." She fell silent, lost in thought.

I listened but felt awkward. Ororo had clearly been through a lot. What could I possibly say? My childhood had been completely different. I had a family, comfort, and I rarely had to face hardships. Only recently had I learned what true loss felt like.

"It's much better now, right?" I tried to encourage her.

She looked at me and gave a small smile, but in her eyes, I could still see the fire of the past burning.

"Yes... Sorry for burdening you with my problems." Ororo shook her head as if brushing off the weight of old memories. Her voice lightened as she added, "I have classes to teach. And you, by the way, have lessons too."

With that, she handed me a piece of paper.

"Here, almost forgot your schedule."

I took the sheet, thanking her. Her smile was infectious. Well, winning your heart is still ahead of me. No one said it would be easy.

Once she disappeared around the corner, I glanced at my schedule. My eyes immediately caught on some strange subject names.

"'Teamwork Development'? 'Ability Control'?" I muttered, frowning. "What kind of school is this?"

I walked down the empty corridors, heading to my first class. Summer vacation was in full swing, and yet, instead of enjoying a break, I was stuck learning. But this place was clearly more than just a school.

The halls felt nearly deserted. Most students had gone home for the summer. Only those with nowhere to return to had stayed behind. That thought stung, leaving a heavy feeling in my chest.

This school held far more secrets than I could have imagined. And I was only beginning to uncover them.

Author's Note

until chapter 16 of the X-Men storyline.