A grand, classical-looking manor stood quietly in the suburbs of New York. From the outside, it appeared serene and unassuming. Few knew this place's true nature—it was the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, commonly known as the legendary X-Mansion.
Outside its gates, a young man arrived at a calm pace, his eyes scanning the building with quiet intensity. His deep, heterochromatic pupils shimmered faintly under the sunlight. This was Kurogai.
"So, this is the X-Mansion. Just like I remembered—grand, traditional..."
Kurogai muttered to himself with admiration. Truthfully, he hadn't known the exact location of the mansion. He only recalled that it was an old manor somewhere in the outskirts of New York, and that its owner was Charles Xavier. That information had been enough. With a subtle push using his abilities, he influenced a local government employee to quietly reveal the coordinates.
As Kurogai stood outside the gates, a voice suddenly called out behind him.
"Young man, this is private property. No unauthorized access. Please leave."
Kurogai turned to see a young man in sunglasses standing sternly nearby. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He had already recognized him. Unless he was mistaken, this was Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops.
Kurogai stepped forward slightly. "You say this is private property. What if I want to visit?"
His tone was casual, but the underlying intent was clear—he was provoking him. After all, Kurogai already knew that gaining access to mutant DNA would likely put him at odds with the X-Men. Mutants held their genetic secrets tightly, and Professor Xavier wasn't someone who would allow that kind of experimentation.
Still, Kurogai wasn't here to fight—not yet. He had his own latent mutant ability to uncover, and the X-Mansion was the best place to learn how. But if a bit of conflict helped him collect what he needed... all the better.
"No visits allowed," Scott replied curtly. His brow furrowed. "Turn around and go back."
The X-Men had a policy of avoiding violence unless absolutely necessary, especially against perceived civilians. But Scott didn't know who he was dealing with.
Kurogai took a step closer, voice low and mocking. "Let me guess. You're hiding something in there. Maybe... mutants?"
Scott's expression darkened instantly. Without another word, he whipped off his sunglasses. A crimson beam of concussive energy exploded from his eyes toward Kurogai.
But Kurogai's own eyes flashed—a five-pointed magic seal formed instantly, summoned by his Copy Eye.
Mirror Dimension Barrier.
A shimmering wall of energy appeared in front of him, catching the optic blast head-on. The laser bounced off the barrier—and shot back.
Scott barely had time to react. He dove to the side, but not fast enough. The redirected beam clipped his shoulder, tearing through muscle before blasting into a nearby tree. The impact caused the massive trunk to fall—and it came crashing down onto Scott, knocking him out cold.
Kurogai raised an eyebrow, bemused. "Didn't expect that. You survive your own optic blast, only to get knocked out by a tree."
He moved toward the unconscious Scott without hesitation. Placing his hand on the bleeding wound, Kurogai quietly extracted a sample of mutant blood. The essence of Scott's genetic structure, safely obtained.
---
Inside the mansion, Professor Charles Xavier sat in his wheelchair, quietly reading in his study. His peaceful expression shifted. His mental link with Scott triggered an alert—he was injured.
"Ororo, something's wrong. Scott's down. He's just east of the academy. Go now."
The message echoed telepathically into Storm's mind. She responded instantly.
"Understood."
She raced out, lightning beginning to crackle faintly around her as she summoned the winds.
Meanwhile, in the lower levels, Jean Grey had also sensed the disturbance. She didn't waste time. She left her experiment behind and sprinted through the halls—not toward the battle, but toward the students.
Activating the emergency protocol, she began ushering them into hidden passages beneath the school—standard evacuation procedure in case of a hostile incursion.
Everything unfolded like clockwork. Despite the surprise attack, the X-Mansion moved with discipline and calm.
---
Back outside, Storm arrived just as Kurogai stood up from Scott's fallen body.
"Step away from him!" she shouted, eyes beginning to glow white with summoned lightning. A gust of wind howled forth, lifting dust and leaves as a focused hurricane swept toward Kurogai.
Kurogai turned slowly, calm and unreadable. Rather than resist, he took a step back, hands raised, allowing her to approach. His gaze didn't leave her face.
Because at that exact moment, the glowing glyph of the Ultimate Eye appeared faintly on his forehead. A message echoed in his mind:
[The Third Eye Ring is saturated. Ready for upgrade. Proceed?]
---
Thank you for the "Generous" Powerstones ರ_ರ