"So it was Loki's scepter after all…" Charles murmured, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "Because of that artifact, the Avengers nearly tore themselves apart. I was relieved when Thor brought it back to Asgard—but now both Loki and his scepter are back on Earth? This is… troublesome."
Ryuuto leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "If my guess is right, and Magneto's the one stirring things up, then chances are—he's already under the scepter's control."
Charles frowned. "That would be disastrous. Magneto's been holding back his powers for years. If Loki unlocks that… the destruction would be unimaginable."
Ryuuto smirked. "Then it's better if he does show up here."
Charles blinked. "Why's that?"
"If the chaos breaks out in the city, innocent people die. But here? Fewer casualties. And me?" He cracked his neck. "I'll just have to make sure Magneto doesn't get the chance to go wild. He might control metal, but unless he can control me, he's got nothing."
Charles gave a faint smile. "You sound confident, as always. But about that 'external stimulus' you mentioned earlier—what exactly did you mean?"
"Shock therapy," Ryuuto said, lips curving with mischief. "You know… like a Shockwave. I'm good at those."
Charles sighed. "Very well. Give it a try."
"Jean, release Scott's restraints."
Once Cyclops was freed, Ryuuto weaved a quick hand sign and shouted,
"Earth Style: Light and Heavy Rock Technique!"
Scott's body began to rise slowly, floating midair like a puppet.
Then Ryuuto's grin widened. "Alright, time for round two—Heavy Rock Technique!"
Scott dropped like a meteor.
Boom!
He crashed onto the operating bed hard enough to rattle the room.
Again and again, Ryuuto repeated the motion—levitating, dropping, repeating—until it looked like some twisted game.
It was absurd… but it worked.
Scott groaned, blinking his eyes open. The first thing he saw was the ceiling. Then gravity decided to hate him again.
"Ryuuto! Stop! I'm awake!" he yelled mid-fall, slamming into the bed once more.
"My god," Scott hissed, rubbing his head. "You trying to turn me into paste? I'm not made of steel, y'know."
Ryuuto shrugged, barely hiding his grin. "Hey, you're back to normal, aren't you? Looks like I've cracked Loki's control method."
Charles stepped forward. "Scott, tell us what happened."
Scott exhaled shakily. "Yesterday, I went to meet Gideon. On the way, some guy stopped me—said he was lost. Before I knew it, he whipped out a staff with a glowing gem on top and tapped me on the chest. Next thing I remember… I was gone."
"That was Loki," Charles said grimly. "What orders did he give you?"
"He told me to go back to the school and kill everyone I saw." Scott shuddered. "If Ryuuto hadn't found me on the road, I'd—"
He couldn't even finish the sentence.
"You couldn't break free?" Charles asked.
Scott shook his head. "I tried. I just couldn't. It felt like my mind was locked behind glass."
"Go rest for now," Charles said softly. "You'll need your strength soon."
"Got it," Scott muttered, leaving the room.
When he was gone, Charles turned to Ryuuto. "If your guess is correct, Magneto's under Loki's control as well. And if he is, Mystique's likely with him."
He turned to Jean. "Take me to the Cerebro chamber. I'll try to locate Mystique."
Then to Ryuuto: "You—rest. That's an order."
Ryuuto blinked, then smiled faintly. "Understood, Professor."
He'd lived at the school for nearly ten years now. Charles wasn't just a mentor to him—he was family. And if this home was under threat, Ryuuto would protect it, even if it killed him.
Ryuuto didn't go to bed. Instead, he went to find Gideon—the student he'd been training. If Magneto was coming, the next generation needed to be ready.
Meanwhile, far from the school, the students Charles had evacuated arrived safely at the Fantastic Four's base.
Susan Storm watched them settle in, unease prickling in her gut. "If this was just a vacation, they wouldn't have sent the kids here…" she muttered. "Something's happening back at Axville."
Her concern for Ryuuto gnawed at her until she couldn't take it anymore. "To hell with it," she whispered, stepping aboard one of Reed's transport ships bound for Axville Academy.
At that same moment, in a quiet town northwest of the school—Sixton—a storm was brewing.
Magneto stood before the police station, his expression cold, eyes gleaming with unnatural malice. Loki's control radiated from the scepter's influence.
A guard stepped out, hand on his holster. "Hey, what's with the costume, old man?"
Magneto smiled faintly. "Nothing much. I'm just here to kill someone."
The guard froze. "What—?"
Before he could draw, his gun ripped itself from his holster and hovered in front of his face.
"You see," Magneto said softly, "metal obeys me. Even that gun in your trembling hand."
The guard's eyes went wide. "Don't—don't do anything stupid! You mutants—if you harm an officer, they'll—"
Bang!
The bullet tore through his skull. Blood sprayed across the pavement as the body slumped, eyes frozen in horror.
Magneto stepped over him without a glance and walked calmly into the station.