chapter 12

"I am a Councilor! What do you want to do?"

The blond man shouted loudly, his face full of fear.

"Councilor William, of course, we know you are a Councilor," came the calm reply.

"If you weren't, I wouldn't be looking for you."

The voice that spoke was hoarse but dignified. It belonged to an old man encased in a large machine, who looked upon the restrained Councilor with intense gravity.

"What do you want to do?!" William repeated, his voice trembling. He felt as though he were being stared at by a wild beast, and his fear deepened.

"I don't want to do anything… except give you what was given to us."

The old man paused and added with cold determination, "I wonder—if you become a Mutant, will you still be so high and mighty?"

Standing on the giant machine, he placed his hands on its railings. Instantly, energy surged into the core. The massive iron ring at the center began to rotate, spinning faster and faster. From its center, a blinding white light burst forth.

"Aaaah!"

Magneto let out a cry of agony from within the machine.

The machine was draining his life force. That energy was being condensed and transformed, brewing into something unknown.

Buzz!

A thunderous humming filled the chamber as the machine reached peak operation.

Boom!

A brilliant explosion of light erupted from the core of the machine.

The Mutants nearby stood unaffected, but the restrained Councilor—William—screamed as though his body were being ripped apart. Pain coursed through him like fire, only to vanish as quickly as it came.

Drenched in sweat and panting, William stared at his hands in horror.

"What… what have you done to me?!"

Magneto, supported by Mystique—Raven—stood weakly and answered, "I made you one of us. From this moment on, you're a Mutant too."

"No! No, this can't be happening!"

"I don't want to become a monster like you!" William cried out in despair.

"Monster?" Magneto's voice was cold.

"You'll understand the meaning of that word soon enough. Take him away."

Two grotesque-looking mutants seized William and dragged him from the chamber.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked gently, her eyes full of concern.

Magneto shook his head. "I'm too old to survive the toll of this machine. It's killing me."

"Then what do we do now?" Raven asked, her voice filled with unease.

Magneto turned toward her, eyes filled with grim purpose.

"We need to find a child—one who can help us revive our people."

He paused.

"With her power, we can fulfill our dream."

He struggled to straighten himself.

"Let's go. Gather the others. We're heading to the Mutant Academy."

"Once we find Alanna, our long-term objective can be achieved."

Hearing the words "Mutant Academy," Raven's expression turned hesitant.

Seeing her conflict, Magneto added,

"Raven, in any journey toward greatness, sacrifices are inevitable."

"But don't worry—I won't bring harm to our kind, and I won't hurt my old friends either."

Raven relaxed at his words and turned to leave.

Magneto stood in silence, staring off into the distance, lost in thought.

Mutants are among the most powerful beings on the planet.

If one were to ask who among them was the strongest, most would answer Magneto, leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, and Professor Charles, head of the X-Men.

One controlled magnetic fields with devastating precision. The other possessed the ability to control minds.

These two men led the largest and most influential factions within the Mutant world.

However, their ideologies could not have been more different.

Magneto harbored deep resentment toward humans. He dreamed of wiping them out. In contrast, Charles took a softer approach—seeking coexistence and peace.

And yet, when it came to Mutants, Magneto was far more inclusive.

Even Professor X, for all his wisdom, could not hide a subtle bias against those whose appearances deviated from human norms—Mutants like Raven or Toad.

Magneto, however, saw no difference. All Mutants were his brothers and sisters. It was this unwavering solidarity that inspired loyalty among his followers.

Mystique, Toad, Sabretooth, and others all served under his command with unwavering faith.

With this ragtag team of loyal followers, Magneto made his move—marching straight toward the rear of the Mutant Academy.

Even with their small numbers, the Academy knew it was in trouble.

The alarm blared, echoing through the halls.

All the students were quickly ushered underground into a heavily fortified shelter, while the X-Men assembled at the front of the Academy to confront the threat.

The main fighting force of the Academy consisted of:

Scott, also known as Cyclops, whose eyes emitted powerful lasers.

Alanna, the Phoenix Girl, whose abilities were immense and terrifying.

Ororo, known as Storm, who controlled the weather.

Logan, or Wolverine, with his unbreakable claws and healing factor.

And, of course, Professor Charles, the telepathic leader.

Though Magneto's team seemed weaker on paper, the X-Men knew better than to underestimate him.

Magneto alone was equivalent to a battalion.

"Erik, you promised me you'd never come here," Charles said, his voice cold as he sat in his wheelchair.

"Hand over Alanna," Magneto replied calmly, "and I'll leave. We won't hurt the children."

"You can trust me, Charles."

Though his tone was mild, every hair on Logan's body stood on end.

"Impossible!" Charles snapped.

"Erik, you knew I'd never let the children come to harm."

"You've already broken your promise just by showing up!"

Magneto sighed. He hadn't wanted it to come to this. He had once contributed to the very Academy he now threatened—donated funds, offered knowledge.

This place held personal meaning for him.

But for the dream—the future of Mutants—he was willing to sacrifice even that.

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