Lake Alkali was massive, and the dam that spanned it was a marvel of engineering — until it wasn't. When the embankment gave way, the unleashed torrent was nothing short of catastrophic. A wall of water roared through the breach, devouring everything in its path like a living beast, racing across the valley toward the plains.
Far from the destruction, on a dry ridge untouched by the flood, a golden ring of light shimmered into existence. From it stepped a small group, Professor Charles Xavier in his wheelchair at the center. Beside him walked Kurogai Alexander Blackwood.
The portal sealed behind them, leaving only the sounds of distant chaos. The mission — at least this part of it — was over. Xavier had survived, but Blackwood knew the Professor had paid a heavy personal cost.
"Professor, you're finally here!"
"Storm, we've been waiting for you for so long!"
From behind the trees, a group of children ran toward them, their faces lighting up. These were the mutant students who had been rescued earlier — by Kurogai himself.
"It's good to see you all safe," Storm said, relief flooding her features. She had feared the worst when the dam collapsed ahead of schedule, cutting short their evacuation plans.
One of the children pointed toward Kurogai. "He's the one who saved us. Told us to wait here until it was safe."
Every eye turned to him.
"Thank you for saving the children," Storm said, her voice softer now. She still didn't trust him, but credit had to be given.
"Xavier's School owes you for this, Kurogai. My thanks," the Professor added.
Kurogai gave a faint smile. "Don't mention it." Then he clapped his hands once. "Alright, everyone line up. Time to draw some blood."
Storm's face fell instantly. Any goodwill he'd earned dissolved on the spot.
"You're still as… direct as ever," Xavier said with a weary smile. He'd almost forgotten who he was dealing with — almost.
"I'm not here for favors," Kurogai said. "Just keeping our deal straight."
Before leaving Stryker's facility, Xavier had agreed to certain terms: in exchange for his help, Kurogai would be allowed to collect genetic samples from certain mutants. That agreement hadn't expired.
"Very well," Xavier sighed. "I'll honor the arrangement."
"Good. And if you find anything on the man in black — the one who pushed Stryker into all this — I expect to hear from you," Kurogai replied. The shadowy figure still gnawed at his thoughts. Someone operating behind the scenes with motives unknown was a danger he couldn't afford to ignore.
One by one, the students complied, some reluctantly, others with quiet resignation. Storm said nothing more. The deal had been made before her arrival, and she had no grounds to interfere.
A few of the samples would be useful — mostly from newer students whose powers hadn't been catalogued yet. The rest were of limited value, but Kurogai wasn't about to turn them down.
When he reached Jason Stryker, the Professor's former pupil and the man's own son, Xavier merely stood nearby, a shadow of sadness in his eyes. He didn't stop the extraction.
"Alright," Kurogai said when the work was done, "you can head back to the school."
The X-Men began their departure. Blackwood, however, opened a new shimmering portal and stepped through alone.
He reappeared on the far side of Lake Alkali, where a poised woman in a crisp suit waited with a heavy case in hand. She had once been Stryker's personal assistant — now, she was his informant.
"Good work," Kurogai said, taking the case. "Years of Stryker's research on mutants — all mine now."
He flipped it open, scanning the neatly organized files inside. His lips curled into a rare, genuine smile. With this trove of data, the genetic research aboard his base ship would leap forward. Some of Stryker's notes might even hold the key to perfecting transformation methods.
Without wasting another moment, he opened another portal, bringing both the woman and the case aboard his vessel.
Jean Grey met him in the lab. Her eyes widened as she thumbed through the files. "Kurogai… where did you get this? It's more complete than anything we have — there's even information we didn't know existed."
'That's Stryker for you,' Kurogai thought, setting the case down. 'He spent a lifetime studying mutants. Now, all that work belongs to us.'
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