Nolan stood unfazed, Deadpool’s rambling fading into background noise. He looked past him, eyes locked onto Xavier.
"So?" he asked, voice cool. "Do you still want to fight?"
Charles didn’t answer right away. His gaze fell on Emma Frost and Blink, both restrained. His heart sank.
"I don’t," he finally said. "But I can’t let you take them."
He knew exactly what awaited them if Nolan succeeded. No death, perhaps but experimentation, dissection, analysis.
The very thing mutants like Erik, Logan, and even Wade had nightmares about.
"No one deserves to be treated like a lab rat," Charles said firmly.
Nolan’s smile was thin. "I told you already. You lost. You don’t have negotiation rights anymore."
Then a crash of repulsors.
A red-and-gold figure landed hard, shaking the battered lawn of the Xavier estate.
"Well," Tony said, flipping his faceplate up, "if this isn’t the weirdest PTA meeting I’ve ever walked into."
Nolan raised an eyebrow. "Stark."
"If it were anyone else," Tony said, glancing at the wreckage, "I’d say this was an overreaction. But you? You only ever punch when you have a reason."
He looked around at the dazed mutants, then back at Nolan. "Still... you planning to take both of them back for research?"
"I don’t need their bodies," Nolan replied, tone casual. "Just enough genetic data. But they are my victory spoils."
Tony smirked. "Then let’s negotiate. You wanted a look at my nanotech framework, right?"
Nolan’s smile widened.
Tony kept his voice light, but he was calculating. He knew exactly what Nolan wanted. And he also knew Charles would never walk away from this without compromise.
"What if I traded you my nanotech schematics... in exchange for them?"
Nolan shrugged. "Not enough."
Tony’s brow furrowed. "Fine. How about the Extremis virus? You can stabilize it, I’ve seen what Oscorp did with the Hydra batch—"
"Already surpassed it," Nolan interrupted. "I’ve synthesized a better version from the Centipede serum."
Tony paused. Nolan was always five steps ahead.
Then Charles stepped forward, voice steady. "Add Mystique’s blood sample."
Tony blinked. "Charles—"
"It’s the only way," Charles said quietly.
Nolan tapped his chin.
"Still low," he said.
"What else do you want?" Ororo hissed. "Don’t push it."
"You started the fight," Nolan reminded her coolly. "I’m just collecting the penalty."
Charles sighed. "What would it take?"
Tony stepped in. "I’ll make it easier. You’re working on orbital base construction, right? Let me help. I’ll integrate my AI and tech into the structural shell. You let the girls go."
Nolan nodded slowly. "Now we’re talking."
"But that’s not all, is it?" Tony said.
Nolan didn’t deny it. "I want... Mystique’s blood, Beast’s blood, and a copy of your Cerebro schematics," he said, glancing at Charles. "And the nanotech."
Tony froze. "That’s... a lot."
Charles was silent. He knew exactly what Cerebro was capable of in the wrong hands. But in Nolan’s hands...?
Still, this wasn’t about trust. It was about survival. If he refused, Nolan would take Emma and Blink by force.
He always followed logic not sentiment.
"I’ll get Hank," Charles said finally.
From the mansion, Beast (Hank McCoy) emerged, carrying a locked case.
Inside: DNA samples, Cerebro schematics, and a secondary drive with reinforced nanotech blueprints everything Nolan had asked for.
Beast’s face was somber. He’d considered unleashing the Academy’s deepest defenses but that would’ve meant war.
And war against Oscorp’s most powerful asset was suicide.
As Nolan took the case, two golden rings appeared beside him. He summoned a pair of syringes and drove them smoothly into Emma and Blink’s arms.
Emma shifted out of her diamond form with a resigned sigh.
"Do it quickly," she said through gritted teeth.
Blink didn’t resist at all she was still partially under Nolan’s mild suggestion spell.
With the samples drawn, Nolan held up two vials of blood rare, potent, and priceless.
Then he turned to the group of beaten and stunned mutants.
"Control your temper," he said flatly. "I don’t enjoy being the villain. But when you hand me the excuse, I’ll take it."
He gave Tony a nod. "You always know how to close a deal."
"Call it a talent," Tony muttered. "Though I think next time we meet, I’ll install some anti-you measures in the suits."
Nolan chuckled. "Looking forward to it."
As he stepped back into his portal, the field was left scorched, the wind still and heavy.
The cost had been paid. But the wound to mutant pride and the X-Men’s authority would linger.
Bonus Chapter will be released tomorrow, Sorry.
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