"I, I…" Ilyana hesitated, her words catching in her throat. She still remembered what Amon had told her, that she should not reveal her special ability to others.
"It's perfectly normal for a young girl to be a little nervous and scared," Professor X explained gently, thinking her reluctance stemmed from the sudden exposure to these overwhelming concepts. "There's no need to rush with everything ."
At some point, Amon had wandered into the living room. He sat down directly next to Ilyana and said reassuringly, "Ilyana, don't worry. Just show them the ability you showed me before."
After hearing Amon's words, Ilyana nodded firmly. "Okay!" She walked over to the wall, pointed her finger at it, and then, under the incredible gaze of everyone in the room, she walked straight through the solid structure and emerged from the other side.
This was not Ilyana's inherent mutant ability, but rather a power attached to the key Amon had given her. Because Ilyana was still very young, Amon had placed restrictions on the key's power. At present, passing through walls was the only ability she could safely use.
Then Alexandra, their mother, turned to Nikolai. "Nikolai, you've known about the children's powers for a long time, and you've been hiding it from me!"
Nikolai broke out in a cold sweat and quickly tried to explain himself. "Haha, my dear, how could that be? You were very depressed at the time, so I didn't want to burden you. Then Mikhail came back, and I was so overjoyed that I completely forgot about it."
Nikolai made a lame excuse.
"Hmph!" Alexandra snorted but didn't press the matter. After all, they had guests present. Nikolai will have to bear the might of mama bear later.
After the small family squabble, Mikhail addressed Professor X. "Mr. Xavier, you said I was a mutant, but I have never discovered any special abilities of my own."
"That's quite normal, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail. Many mutants have latent abilities that are difficult to detect without some form of external stimulation. You are one of those mutants. You simply need to be careful in your daily life to avoid any unforeseen accidents."
Mikhail had no doubts now that his siblings were mutants. He nodded, accepting Professor X's explanation. "I'll be sure to pay attention."
After a pause, Mikhail looked toward his parents. They both nodded back to him, leaving the monumental decision to their eldest son. The couple often saw news reports about mutants on television and knew that the general public held a hostile view of them. Although they had no personal prejudice against mutants, their children would eventually have to interact with the outside world. Piotr had to go to school, and Amon and Ilyana were also of school age. If their classmates discovered they were mutants, they would undoubtedly be ostracized. Mikhail was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force; he surely knew more about these matters than they did. It was definitely right to let him make the decision.
"Okay, I agree that Piotr and Ilyana can study at your Mutant Academy," Mikhail finally said, making his decision. He then added with a teasing remark, "As for me, I doubt you'd accept a Federation officer into your ranks!"
"Haha! If Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail wanted to join us, we would certainly welcome him with open arms!" Professor X and Beast both laughed warmly.
"No! I don't want to go anywhere! I want to go to school with Amon!" At this moment, Ilyana, who had been listening intently to the conversation, became unhappy and retorted. She had already decided that she would go to school with Amon.
Professor X, upon seeing this, suddenly remembered something important and added, "I almost forgot to mention that your brother Amon can also come to our school. Although I'm not certain if he is a mutant, I am sure that he is not an ordinary person. He might be a rare Omega-level mutant, what is commonly known as a Level 5 mutant. He gives me a similar feeling to another Omega-level mutant currently at my school."
"An Omega-level mutant!" Mikhail whispered, understanding the gravity of the term. He knew that the powerful mutant leader before him, Charles Xavier, was an Alpha-level mutant, a fourth-level mutant. Another infamous fourth-level mutant was Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr, a different mutant leader who was wanted worldwide. Both of them were figures feared by governments across the globe. The Omega level was one step higher than the fourth, a fifth-level mutant whose abilities were considered to have no definable upper limit.
"You mean, Amon can go to that school too? Then I will go if amon agrees!" When Ilyana heard that Amon could also attend, she quickly voiced her agreement, pulling on the sleeve of the boy beside her. "You're going too, aren't you?"
"Okay, I'll go with you if you want," Amon said with a helpless sigh. He didn't particularly care; it didn't matter to him where he went.
"Yeah! We're going to school together!" Ilyana shouted happily.
"Those two certainly have a wonderful bond," Professor X mused with a smile, the sight reminding him of his own childhood when Raven was still by his side.
"Of course they have a good relationship," Alexandra said warmly. "They grew up together, side by side."
"Piotr, Amon, Ilyana, when you get to the school, you must listen to your professors and teachers, and be sure to take good care of yourselves!"
Inside the hangar of the advanced fighter jet, Mikhail and Nikolai were saying their final goodbyes. Piotr, Amon, and Ilyana stood by the entrance, bidding farewell to their family.
"Dad, Mom, take care," Amon also said, and as he spoke, he wove a subtle blessing into their fates, ensuring they would be very lucky in the future and would not encounter any serious accidents or illnesses. This was a small exertion of his power over destiny.
The fighter plane used by the X-Men reached a speed exceeding Mach 2, arriving at its destination in less than three hours.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was located in Westchester County, New York. The entire academy was housed within a large, stately manor. Professor Charles Xavier had been born into a wealthy family. In his youth, he met Erik Lehnsherr, the future Magneto. For a time, the two worked together for the cause of mutants and even saved the world. Later, their opposing philosophies caused them to clash and part ways. Professor Xavier then established a mutant academy in his own family estate to take in and educate mutant compatriots from all over the world.
"Ororo, these are our new students. They are brother and sister. Could you please find them some rooms?"
Ororo Munroe, codenamed Storm, was a stunning woman with white hair who had recently joined Xavier's School. Her ability was to control the weather, and she also had some mastery of her family's lineage of magic, making her a top-tier mutant among the fourth-level class.
Considering that Amon and Ilyana were still young, they were assigned to the same room. As for Piotr, he was taken to a different dormitory where his new roommates were waiting for him.
After they put everything away, Amon asked Ilyana, who was looking around with wide-eyed curiosity, "Ilyana, how do you feel?"
Ilyana, still immersed in her new surroundings, answered excitedly, "That plane was amazing! I saw the sun slowly setting in the sky right before my eyes. Now it's completely dark outside."
"Yes, it was really fast," Amon agreed. The X-Men's fighter planes were indeed a product of incredible black technology, capable of reaching any location in the world within two or three hours without needing to refuel.
The door opened, and Piotr walked in, followed by a cool-looking man wearing a pair of distinctive sunglasses.
"Amon, Ilyana, are you ready? The professor wants to give us a basic introduction to the school, and we should go now."