Walking through the snow, Ethan trudged through the knee-deep drifts, his bare feet sinking into the icy ground. He had managed to find some fabric from the wreckage to cover his lower half, but the cold didn't bother him. His body had already adapted to the freezing temperatures, making it feel no different from a warm summer day. He didn't know where he was until he heard the distant rumbling of an engine. His enhanced senses flared; someone was nearby. Without hesitation, Ethan broke into a sprint, the wind howling around him as he followed the noise. Then he saw it: a pickup truck parked on the side of the road.
A man stepped out, and Ethan's eyes widened slightly, Logan. The rugged man, wearing a heavy jacket and jeans, lit a cigar as he stared at Ethan with narrowed eyes. "Who the hell are you, kid?" Logan asked. "And what the hell are you doing out here half-naked?"
Before Ethan could answer, his instincts flared. A gust of wind rushed behind him, followed by a sharp pain as something slashed across his back. SHRRIP! Ethan barely had time to react before he was lifted off the ground and tossed aside like a ragdoll. He crashed into the snow, rolling before coming to a stop. The women inside the truck screamed. Ethan gritted his teeth, his body already healing.
He turned his head and saw a massive, towering man with long blond hair and sharp fangs grinning at him: Sabretooth. Logan's eyes darkened, his fists clenching. "You ugly son of a..." SNIKT! Adamantium claws shot out of his knuckles. Sabretooth grinned. "Missed me, runt?"
Then they charged at each other. Their claws clashed, sending sparks flying as they exchanged brutal slashes. Sabretooth was bigger, stronger, but Logan was deadlier with his metal claws. Logan dodged a wide slash and countered with a quick stab to the ribs but Sabretooth barely flinched, his healing factor keeping him in the fight.
Ethan slowly got up from the ground and began to watch the battle unfold. It was raw, animalistic, a fight between two predators. But a faint groan caught his attention. Ethan turned and saw the girl inside the truck, Rogue, or Anna Marie. She was trapped, her seatbelt stuck, sparks flying from the damaged dashboard.
Ethan quickly ran to her. "Are you alright?" he asked. Rogue looked at him, her eyes wide. "I'm stuck! I can't get out!" Ethan saw the problem: the seatbelt was jammed, and the truck was slowly catching fire. He didn't hesitate. With one hand, he grabbed the door and ripped it off its hinges. Rogue gasped. Then, gripping the seatbelt, he snapped it like a twig. She was free.
Before she could react, Ethan lifted her into his arms a princess carry. Rogue's face turned red. "U-uh…?" But before Ethan could respond, Logan was sent flying, slamming into the side of the truck. Just as Ethan was about to jump in, the wind picked up. The sky darkened. Lightning crackled through the clouds. Then, from above…A woman descended from the sky, her white hair flowing, electricity dancing around her fingertips. It was Storm. With a raise of her hands, a bolt of lightning struck Sabretooth, sending him flying backward. Before Ethan could react, another voice called out. "Looks like you could use some help." Ethan turned his head standing a few feet away, wearing his red visor, was Scott Summers Cyclops.
Rogue was still in his arms, staring up at him, her cheeks flushed red. Ethan then glanced down at himself. He was still shirtless, and the little clothing he had was lost in the fight, which meant he was standing completely naked with a girl in his arms. "Shit."
Ethan sat in the X-Jet, staring out the window as the aircraft soared through the sky. For the first time since waking up in that hellhole of a lab, he felt… somewhat calm. Scott had also gotten him some spare clothes since he had been naked. Beside him, Rogue, Anna sat quietly. She kept stealing glances at him, her cheeks slightly flushed, as if still processing what had happened. Ethan ignored it, lost in his thoughts. He needed to process everything that had happened in his life until now.
After a while, the jet landed. Scott and Storm led them through the gates of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The massive mansion loomed before them tall, elegant, and buzzing with energy. Kids and teenagers roamed the halls, some using their powers casually, others laughing and chatting. Ethan and Anna were quickly given spare clothes, finally allowing Ethan to wear something decent. Meanwhile, Logan, still unconscious, was taken to the med bay for treatment.
Ethan and Anna were brought to Charles Xavier's office to wait. Ethan sat on the leather couch, arms crossed, deep in thought. Anna sat beside him, still sneaking glances his way. Ethan smirked internally but didn't comment. Instead, his mind drifted to what came next. Would Professor Xavier try to read his mind? Ethan had a gut feeling his adaptive evolution had already started working against telepaths, but he wasn't entirely sure. And if there was one thing he knew, it was that he would only get stronger when in danger. Which meant, if he wanted to be sure, he had to face Charles Xavier head-on. That thought made him grin slightly.
Before he could dwell on it further, the door opened. A bald man in a wheelchair rolled into the room, followed by Storm. His eyes landed on them, and he smiled warmly. "Welcome, Ethan. Anna. I am Professor Charles Xavier." His voice was gentle yet firm, carrying an air of authority without needing to demand it. Ethan and Anna both stood and shook hands with him one after the other.
"Nice to meet you, Professor," Ethan said. Anna simply nodded, still a bit nervous. Charles studied them for a moment before speaking again. "I imagine you both have been through quite an ordeal. First, let me assure you you're safe here. This school is a sanctuary for mutants, a place where you can learn to control your abilities and find a purpose."
Anna shifted slightly, her hands gripping her sleeves. Ethan, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, completely at ease.
"Now that you're here, I'd like to understand your situation better." Charles's gaze shifted to Anna first. "Would you mind telling me what happened?"
Anna hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Ah was on mah own, runnin' away. Ah… hurt someone. Someone Ah cared about." Her voice grew quieter. "Ah didn't mean to, but mah powers " She stopped, shaking her head.
Charles gave her a reassuring smile. "I understand, Anna. You don't have to explain everything right now." She nodded, clearly relieved.
Then Charles turned to Ethan. "And you, Ethan?"
Ethan let out a small scoff. "I was experimented on."
That immediately caught Charles's attention. "Experimented?"
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. Some lab, full of scientists and guards. They did something to me, tested my limits."
Storm frowned. "Do you know who they were?"
Ethan shrugged. "Didn't care enough to ask. But I made sure they won't be experimenting on anyone else."
Charles's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
Ethan's smirk returned. "The facility exploded when I escaped."
That made everyone pause. Storm and Charles exchanged glances. Scott, who had just entered the room, frowned. "You destroyed it?"
Ethan shook his head. "No, the guy in charge did. I assume it was a self-destruct system. Guess he'd rather blow everything up than let me walk free."
Charles studied Ethan carefully. A destroyed mutant experimentation lab… that was serious. He glanced at Storm and Scott. "We'll need to investigate the site. See if there's anything left."
Storm nodded. "I'll prepare a team."
Once that matter was settled, Charles refocused on them. "Now, tell me, are you aware of your mutant abilities?"
Anna immediately looked down, avoiding his gaze. "Ah… Ah don't really know much about mine." Ethan glanced at her.
Charles nodded, then turned to Ethan. "And what about you, Ethan? If I may ask, what are your abilities?"
Ethan paused for a moment before answering. "I call it Adaptive Evolution."
A flicker of recognition passed through Charles's eyes. Storm raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… unique."
Ethan leaned forward. "Basically? My body adapts to whatever I go through. The more I fight, the stronger I get. The more I take damage, the more resistant I become."
Scott crossed his arms. "So… you're saying you can't die?"
Ethan chuckled. "Not sure yet. But the guys who experimented on me sure as hell haven't found a way to kill me."
That made everyone go silent for a moment. Even Charles seemed deep in thought. "Fascinating… I once knew a mutant with similar abilities."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Really? What happened to him?"
Charles's expression turned somber. "He… didn't make it."
Ethan nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Charles smiled faintly. "It's okay. Everyone has to die someday." Then he took a deep breath. "Since we're discussing powers, I should tell you about mine as well."
He gave them a small smile. "I am a telepath. I can read and influence minds."
Anna looked a bit nervous, but Ethan only tilted his head, intrigued. "You can read minds?" he asked.
Charles nodded. "Yes. If you allow me, I can sense your thoughts."
Ethan's smirk widened. "Go ahead. Try reading mine."
A few seconds passed, and Charles's expression changed almost instantly. He concentrated harder, but nothing. His brows furrowed slightly. After a few moments, Charles pulled back, his face filled with surprise and curiosity.
"That's unexpected."
Storm frowned. "What happened, Professor?"
Charles looked at Ethan. "I… can't read his mind."
That caught everyone's attention. Ethan's smirk deepened. "Interesting, huh?"
Charles nodded slowly. "Very. It's rare to meet someone I can't read. Even among the strongest minds I've encountered, very few possess natural immunity. Are you a telepath yourself?"
Ethan crossed his arms. "Not really. I think my ability works on my mind too.
"Charles studied him for a moment before nodding. "That is… truly remarkable."
Ethan didn't say anything, but inside, he was thrilled. His mind was evolving. Even one of the strongest telepaths in the world couldn't break through. This meant that if anyone even someone like Jean Grey or Emma Frost tried to invade his thoughts, his abilities would eventually shut them out.
Charles smiled. "Ororo, would you mind showing our new guests around?"
Storm nodded. "Of course, Professor."
After their conversation with Professor Xavier, Ethan and Anna followed Storm as she guided them through the X-Mansion. The halls were grand, filled with students of all ages walking around, chatting, or training their powers. Anna stayed close to Ethan, still a little nervous about being in a new place.
Ethan, noticing this, gave her a reassuring smile and nudged her lightly. "Relax, Anna. You're not alone here anymore."
She let out a small breath and nodded. "Ah know… It's just a lot, ya know?"
Storm, overhearing their conversation, smiled. "You'll get used to it. The mansion is a safe space for all mutants. Here, you don't have to hide who you are."
Anna seemed to relax a little more at that.
As they walked, Storm pointed out different areas. "This is the main hall, where students gather for announcements. To the left is the cafeteria. The classrooms are on the second and third floors, and below ground, we have the training facilities."
Anna glanced around with mild interest. "Training facilities?"
Storm smirked. "You'll see soon enough."
They continued walking when a group of students approached them. A blond-haired, blue-eyed boy in a hoodie and jeans walked up first. "Hey, Ms. Ororo, how are you?" Then he noticed Ethan and Anna. "So, they must be the new guys!"
He held out his hand toward Anna. "I'm Bobby Drake."
Anna hesitated but slowly shook his hand, careful to avoid direct skin contact as she had her gloves on. "Ah'm Anna Marie, but ya can call me Anna."
Bobby grinned. "Cool name." Then he turned to Ethan and extended his hand. "And you are?"
Ethan smirked and shook his hand firmly. "Ethan Carter."
Storm nodded at Bobby. "Alright, you're late for class."
Bobby cursed under his breath and ran off as Storm turned back to them. "Let's continue the tour."
As they walked, Ethan glanced at Anna and noticed she was smiling a little more. He nudged her playfully. "See? Not so bad, huh?"
Anna blushed lightly but nodded. "Yeah… Ah guess not." For the first time in a while, she felt like she belonged somewhere.
And for Ethan, this place just might be the perfect training ground to grow even stronger.
There was a reason for that thought.
This place was attacked often.
Which meant he could become even stronger here.