Harry had pushed the flying skateboard to its absolute limit. Even at top speed, though, the distance was great—and since he still needed to locate the X-Men, he had spent most of the day soaring through the sky, scanning below.
"Finally found it," Harry murmured, spotting a small red dot flickering on the monitor. The corner of his lips lifted into a slight smile.
"Wait—tell me this first. How did Stryker even know where the Cerebro is?" Storm suddenly asked, her sharp tone cutting through the campfire's crackle. Something in Magneto's earlier words had caught her attention, and she fixed him with a cold, suspicious stare.
Magneto lowered his gaze, staring into the fire. His eyes, once sharp and proud, softened into something that looked almost like guilt. Though he had always disagreed with Professor X—and his harsh upbringing had shaped his more radical ideals—everything he did was, in his own way, for the sake of mutantkind. He despised ordinary humans, yet his compassion for his own people ran deep. Knowing that his actions had brought persecution to the students of Xavier's School weighed heavily on him.
"I told him," Magneto said at last, facing his guilt head-on.
Storm and Jean Grey exchanged a glance—each saw the same realization mirrored in the other's eyes.
"Remember?" Magneto continued. "I helped Charles design Cerebro. Stryker's power of persuasion is… formidable. Even someone as strong as Charles couldn't resist him."
He didn't defend himself. Magneto had never been the sort to beg forgiveness.
"Then who is this Colonel Stryker?" Jean asked quietly, closing her eyes for a moment as if the question itself tired her.
"He's a military scientist—a man who's devoted his entire life to eradicating mutants," Magneto said coldly. "If you want to know more, perhaps you should ask our dear Wolverine."
Wolverine looked up in confusion, glancing between Magneto and Jean. "What are you talking about? I don't even know who that is."
"You don't remember, huh?" Magneto said, arching an eyebrow. "So it's true—you've forgotten everything. Aside from me, William Stryker is the only man who's ever managed to bond synthetic metal to living cells. The adamantium in your bones—he's the one who gave it to you."
Logan flinched, a flash of pain crossing his face as scattered fragments of memory flickered before his mind's eye. He couldn't grasp them fully, but the name—Stryker—stirred something deep and unpleasant within him.
"But the Professor…" Logan began, voice rough. "Why didn't he ever tell me?"
"He believes you'll uncover the truth on your own," Magneto said quietly. "He has more faith in you than I do."
Storm's voice cut in, sharp and impatient. "Why do you even need our help, Magneto?" Sitting together like this, cooperating with him, was deeply uncomfortable for her. History between them had been anything but peaceful.
"It's time to get to the point," Magneto said, his expression returning to steel. "Mystique discovered blueprints for Stryker's base. It's been active for decades. We know they're constructing a second Cerebro there—but we still don't know its location. I suspect one of you does."
"Professor's already tried," Wolverine said flatly.
"You think you're the center of everything again," Magneto sneered. The last time they'd crossed paths, he'd let the X-Men believe Logan was the key mutant he'd been seeking. Clearly, the lesson hadn't stuck.
He raised his chin, directing everyone's attention toward a dark shape hanging upside down from a nearby tree—a blue-skinned figure with a long, coiling tail.
"Uh… hello," said Nightcrawler awkwardly when he realized everyone was staring at him. "I—I wasn't trying to eavesdrop."
"Don't worry," Jean said gently. "Just relax." She stepped closer, placing her hands on either side of his head. Closing her eyes, she reached into his mind.
Her consciousness slipped into his memories, images flickering rapidly before her inner vision. Within moments, she had seen enough—the tunnels, the steel chambers, the underground layout. William Stryker's base was clear in her mind.
"Ah!" Nightcrawler cried out, clutching his head as pain shot through him. The Phoenix Force inside Jean reacted instinctively, amplifying her power—and, in turn, magnifying the pain she caused.
"I'm sorry!" Jean gasped, withdrawing her hands at once. She looked stricken, eyes wide with guilt.
The group fell silent. Jean took several deep breaths to steady herself before speaking again.
"Stryker's base is at Alkali Lake," she said.
"The Professor once sent me there," Wolverine muttered, frowning. "There's nothing out there."
"There's nothing above ground," Jean corrected softly. "The base is underneath it."
"Underground…?" Logan repeated blankly, his eyes distant.
"Logan, wait—someone's coming. From above," Jean said suddenly, lifting her head. She'd sensed something. Storm followed her gaze, scanning the darkening sky.
"What is it?" Storm asked, her voice low.
Jean closed her eyes again, extending her mind outward. Her telepathic energy surged, sweeping toward the rapidly approaching presence in the clouds.
Far above them, Harry streaked through the air on his hoverboard, accelerating toward his destination.
The instant Jean's telepathic power brushed against him, the invisible magnetic field surrounding Harry rippled like disturbed water. It held for only a few seconds before collapsing completely.
It wasn't just a windshield—Harry had tested its strength before. Back on Ellis Island, Jean hadn't been nearly strong enough to break it so easily. The fact that she could now meant only one thing—her power had grown dramatically.
Frowning slightly, Harry reformed and thickened the magnetic barrier, reinforcing it against her probing energy. The hoverboard roared as he pushed it even faster toward his target.
On the ground below, Jean's eyes snapped open. She swayed slightly, exhaustion washing over her. In her lowered gaze, a faint blush flickered and vanished.
"It seems," she said quietly, lifting her head, "that an old acquaintance has found a way to block telepathy. My mind probe was… repelled."
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San