The sudden collapse of Grant King's empire and the Red Fang Society felt like the final thunderclap announcing the end of an era—and the dawn of something new.
In swift response to public outcry, the Mutant Affairs Bureau launched a coordinated anti-crime operation with law enforcement agencies across the country. The results were immediate and staggering.
Even more shocking, the White House didn't interfere. It silently endorsed the initiative.
All over America, citizens watched in disbelief. For the X-Men, this was their moment—a golden opportunity to shift public perception. No longer would they be feared as monstrous anomalies. If this momentum continued, Mutants could finally be seen as heroes.
But behind every public shift, there are private whispers.
Do the officials truly wish to coexist with Mutants? Or are they waiting for the right time to strike?
The question didn't concern most people. But for a select few, it was a sword dangling by a hair.
Norman Osborn and Victor Doom were two of them.
"Wait, what?!"
"Grant King and Evelyn Shaw tried to strong-arm us into their 'Second World' project yesterday, and now... they're in NYPD custody?"
"Even Grant's empire collapsed overnight... and the Red Fang Society is just gone?!"
"Am I dreaming?!"
The disbelief was real, but the nightmare was even more so.
The day before, there had been four players vying for the rights to distribute Oasis.
Now, only two remained.
There was no doubt—this was Joseph's doing.
All day, Norman and Victor were on edge, expecting the worst. Every phone ring, every knock on the door made them flinch.
But then... nothing happened.
Joseph didn't reach out. Didn't send a threat. Didn't even seem to acknowledge their existence.
At first, they were relieved. But soon, that feeling curdled into something else.
Insult.
They had been ignored—brushed aside as unworthy. That stung more than fear.
Their fury pushed them to pay their way into visiting the detained Grant King and Evelyn Shaw.
But when they arrived, another shock hit them.
The two crime lords had no idea who they were.
"This isn't over," Victor said through clenched teeth.
"That Joseph... he's playing a long game. And we're the next targets."
They understood one thing: they had to act before they were erased.
Norman, ever the cutthroat capitalist, snarled, "The enhancement serum's not ready... but I don't care. I'll risk it."
Victor's eyes darkened. "Reed, your machine better be done. I'm coming for it."
What they didn't know was that Joseph had already considered them—and smiled.
"Green Goblin and Doctor Doom still alive?" he murmured. "Now that's a fun twist."
His smile lingered as he sat across from a sharply dressed Asian man.
"I'm sorry," Joseph said politely. "I missed what you said."
"Mr. Joseph," the man repeated. "Someone placed you at the meteorite impact site in Japan. The FBI believes you might be connected."
Joseph raised a brow. "That's blatant slander. I was with Judge Kate Mara that night. Thousands of miles from Japan."
The agent's face didn't waver. "You're a Mutant. Distance doesn't mean much."
"Come now," Joseph chuckled. "You think Mutants can call meteorites down from space?"
The agent's stare sharpened. "Some might not. But you, Mr. Joseph... might."
Joseph didn't blink. "Is this how the FBI builds cases now? Hunches?"
The agent leaned forward. "You own the Second World Company. You created Oasis. You're a Mutant. The same night politicians tried to push Grant King into your business, his entire empire fell. Six teams of X-Men moved in. Too many coincidences."
"Then there's your file—sealed by S.H.I.E.L.D., marked top-secret. Same classification as Magneto and Professor X."
Joseph's smile returned. "S.H.I.E.L.D., huh? They're recruiting now?"
"They approached me," the agent admitted.
Joseph tilted his head. "You turned them down?"
"I started noticing things," the agent said. "The X-Men stopped working in isolation. They're coordinated. Strategic. Like someone's leading them."
Joseph leaned back. "Go on."
"Xavier's School reopens. The Mutant Affairs Bureau forms. Mutant heroes sweep through criminal dens like storm troopers. Everything is synchronized."
He paused dramatically. "Professor X and Magneto aren't leading anymore."
He looked Joseph in the eye.
"You are."
Joseph clapped slowly. "Bravo. How long did it take you to piece that together?"
"You're not even denying it?"
"Why should I? There's nothing shameful about leading a revolution."
The agent hesitated, then said something surprising.
"I haven't told anyone. Not even my boss."
Joseph blinked. "That's... uncharacteristic for an FBI agent."
"I've seen things. Supernatural things. Things that make you question the world."
He looked serious now. "I do fear Mutants. But I admire them more."
"If their powers are used to protect and uplift... that's something I want to support."
He reached into his coat and pulled out an Oasis bracelet.
"I joined the trial. Experienced it firsthand. I used magic in there—real magic. Felt real power. It changed the way I see the world."
He clenched the bracelet. "Superpowers and advanced tech are the future. And for ordinary people like me... survival will only get harder."
Joseph nodded. "So... what do you want from me?"
"I want to work with you."
The agent's voice was clear and resolute now.
"Detective Catherine works with you. She's cleaning up the NYPD and might become the next Commissioner."
"Judge Kate partners with you. Her name carries weight nationwide."
"I'm a senior FBI agent. Why shouldn't I have a future too? Why can't I dream of becoming Director?"
Joseph regarded him carefully.
This man had no superpowers. No telepathy. No claws or ice blasts. Just intelligence, drive, and a hunger for meaning.
He was the first ordinary person to seek Joseph out after realizing what the future looked like.
Joseph stood up.
"What was your ability in Oasis?" he asked.
The agent hesitated. "Magic. Focused on law."
Joseph grinned. "Have you ever wondered why you noticed these patterns before anyone else?"
The agent blinked.
"Why no one else at the FBI connected the dots?"
Joseph stepped closer, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"It's because you're not ordinary anymore. Your magical affinity... has awakened."
Before the agent could respond, Joseph snapped his fingers.
The office dissolved.
They were standing on a busy New York street—cars honking, people talking, life moving all around them.
"What...?" the agent gasped.
Joseph pointed toward the skyline.
Above Stark Tower, a massive beam of light erupted into the sky like a spear piercing the heavens.
"Tony's making his move," Joseph said.
Then he turned back, eyes glowing faintly.
"You were right."
"The world is changing."
"This new era—it belongs to us. To the extraordinary. To the awakened."
And just like that—he vanished.
The agent was left standing alone, heart racing, staring at the light in the sky.
Was this fate?
Did he find Joseph... or had Joseph been waiting for him?
He looked down.
There, glowing softly in his palm...
...was a sigil.
A rune of light.
Magic.
And in that moment, he whispered to himself:
"I have... magic?"
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