Escanor(Marvel)

POV Escanor

A few minutes later, Kitty returned. This time, she walked along the road instead of emerging from the ground. Her powers had likely drained her energy.

"They don't have that many. Just the Brotherhood members and a few mutants I've never seen before," she reported, breathing slightly heavily.

"Good. That means we move in. We should have enough strength to deal with them," Wolverine answered confidently, his voice as firm as steel.

We moved toward the fortress. However, I couldn't shake the strange feeling creeping up on me regarding Kitty's behavior. She seemed different subtly, but noticeably almost as if something was bothering her. I chose not to dwell on it. Maybe it was just exhaustion.

While the rest of the X-Men moved cautiously, I walked openly, making no attempt to hide. Wolverine noticed and, with a grunt and a spit to the side, also dropped any pretense of stealth, striding forward with unwavering confidence.

When we reached the gates, we were met by two guards. One of them was covered in thick, gleaming scales, giving him a menacing appearance. His eyes burned with cold fury. The other, leaner, stood with his hands at the ready sharp, bone-like blades extended from them, resembling knives that could pierce anyone daring to come close. The remaining guards were less visually striking, armed only with rifles, but their wary expressions betrayed their readiness for combat.

Jean barely concentrated for a second before the guards collapsed to the ground like broken puppets.

"Escanor, take down the door," Wolverine ordered curtly.

Well, let's see how well it's built. I stepped up to the massive stone entrance, clenching my fists as power pulsed through me. With a mighty swing, I struck. The impact shattered the stone into dust, revealing a set of metal doors behind it. The sheer force of my blow sent the metal doors flying inward with a deafening screech, ripping them from their hinges.

The doors hovered in mid-air as if momentarily held by an unseen force before crashing down with a loud clang.

Beyond them, they were waiting for us.

Dozens of mutants stood in formation, their weapons trained directly at us. And at the front, unsurprisingly, stood Magneto. His composed confidence was unsettling.

"Kitty, you said there weren't many of them!" Wolverine growled in irritation, turning toward her.

"You mean her?" one of the mutants sneered, pointing to the side.

Our eyes widened in horror. There, bound and unconscious, lay the real Kitty. Her hands and feet were tightly restrained.

Everyone froze in shock. If the real Kitty was here, then who had been with us this whole time?

The impostor had already taken a step back, positioning herself near Magneto. Before our eyes, her appearance began to shift her facial features, hair, and clothing dissolved, replaced by familiar blue skin and piercing yellow eyes.

Mystique. We should have known.

"Brothers and sisters," Magneto's powerful voice cut through the silence, snapping us out of our daze. "Xavier is too weak to act decisively. Why serve the humans who hate us? Together, we can forge our own freedom! We will rule this world as we were always meant to!"

His words echoed through the air, as if the very walls resonated with his ideology. The tension coiled like a spring, ready to snap at any moment.

"Save your speeches for your lackeys," Wolverine snarled, unsheathing his claws.

He lunged forward only to be stopped mid-motion, as if slamming into an invisible wall. His body jerked violently before being thrown backward, crashing into the wall with a dull thud.

Steel bars slithered like serpents, coiling tightly around him, restraining him completely.

"I'm giving you a chance to reconsider," Magneto said coolly, his voice unwavering. "Otherwise, I'll have to take more... radical measures."

The sound of weapons being cocked filled the air as the guards disengaged their safeties, ready to open fire.

"We… we have to surrender," Storm whispered, tension filling her gaze.

"Jean," I addressed her, keeping my voice calm. "How long can your telekinesis hold up against heavy gunfire?"

"Less than ten seconds," she answered quietly, her voice unsteady.

"Escanor, what are you planning?" Ororo asked anxiously, throwing me a quick glance.

I didn't answer. I only smiled.

Time seemed to slow, each moment stretching into eternity. Taking a step forward, I felt the ground crack beneath me. With a powerful push, I launched myself ahead, leaving a trail of destruction in my wake.

My fist slammed into the metallic floor of the base with crushing force. The impact thundered through the entire structure, shattering the ground beneath me into rubble. A massive shockwave tore through the base, twisting metal reinforcements and cracking the walls. A devastating earthquake rippled through the mountain, making everything around us tremble and collapse.

Metallic projectiles shot toward me, slicing through the air in an attempt to pierce me. But it didn't matter. Their efforts were futile. If they didn't want to be buried under the ruins of their own base, they'd have to act fast.

The tremors gradually subsided, and the ceiling, which had been on the verge of caving in, suddenly halted mid-collapse.

Magneto stood still, arms outstretched. His face was tense, his eyes shut tight he was holding the fortress together, preventing it from being completely destroyed.

"Destroy them!" he roared furiously, never opening his eyes.

Good. The strongest mutant was temporarily occupied. He was focused on saving his base, which meant now was the time to deal with the others.

Blob came charging at me with a menacing stride, clearly forgetting our previous encounter.

"I'll crush you!" he bellowed, swinging his massive fist.

His threat was cut short as my punch connected with his skull. The impact sent him flying into the distance, where he crashed down, pinning several of his allies beneath his weight.

One by one, I took down every enemy that dared to attack me not killing them, but efficiently neutralizing them. As I fought, I glanced around the battlefield to see if anyone needed help.

Jean shielded our team from stray bullets with telekinetic barriers. Scott, taking cover behind debris, systematically picked off long-range fighters with precise optic blasts. Kurt had apparently freed Wolverine, who was now tearing through enemies with unrestrained fury. And Ororo she was having her own fun. Lightning crackled around her, frying opponents and sending them scattering in panic.

Satisfied that my teammates were holding their ground, I refocused on my task. One by one, our enemies fell, their numbers dwindling rapidly.

Then, suddenly, flames engulfed me.

"You'll burn in my fire!" Pyro shrieked maniacally, surrounded by dancing flames. His face twisted into a crazed grin as a torrent of fire surged toward me.

I found it amusing.

Unbothered, I walked forward, undeterred by the scorching inferno that should have turned me to ash.

"Die! Die!" he screamed, but panic was creeping into his voice.

Raising my hand above his head, I delivered a light, almost casual strike. He collapsed unconscious, and the fire around us vanished instantly.

"Escanor, help us!" Storm's desperate cry rang out.

I turned to see a mutant moving at blinding speed, striking from the shadows and systematically taking out our team.

Wolverine, fully immersed in battle, was locked in a vicious fight with Sabretooth.

Spreading my arms wide, I clapped my hands together with immense force, creating a shockwave that sent the remaining gunmen tumbling away. Without hesitation, I rushed toward my team.

Catching the speedster would be tricky his movements were too unpredictable. So instead, I focused on another target.

With a swift charge, I tackled the wild mutant, slamming him into the ground so hard that a cloud of dust erupted around us.

"Don't hold back," Wolverine warned, never taking his eyes off his fight. "His regeneration's just like mine."

"Got it," I replied simply. I already knew.

Grabbing Sabretooth by the leg, I swung with all my strength and launched him high into the sky.

"Nice flight," I smirked, watching as he disappeared into the distance.

I turned my attention back to my team, determined to catch the speedster. His erratic movements made it impossible to grab him directly, so I changed tactics.

Slamming my foot into the ground, I sent a powerful tremor rippling through it, destabilizing the terrain. The speedster stumbled, and the moment he lost his momentum, Jean caught him in a telekinetic grip, suspending him mid-air.

"Excellent work," I said curtly, watching as Jean knocked him out.

Now, only the main players remained.

"Enough!" Mystique's sharp voice rang out. She held a weapon to the helpless Kitty. "Surrender, or she dies."

I noticed Jean press her fingers to her temple, preparing for her next move. Staying calm, I subtly positioned myself to shield her, diverting attention.

"Now stand still," Mystique ordered. "You're all getting power-inhibiting restraints."

How hypocritical, I thought. Fighting for mutant rights while using such devices against their own kind.

"You, Escanor," she continued. "You'll be first. Xavier has truly found a powerful mutant."

A few of her men approached me. I didn't resist as they clamped the shackles onto my wrists. Immediately, my body weakened, and my size began to shrink.

Power Level: 10,000

But the sun was at its zenith. Even with my abilities suppressed, I could still feel its warmth, its steady pulse. These restraints could suppress some of my power but not all of it. If necessary, I could always create my own sun and break free.

They underestimated me. My connection to the sun was far greater than they realized. They would need something much stronger to contain me.

As the others were restrained, I noticed Kitty stirring. With a soft click, her cuffs unlocked, and she instantly phased into the floor, vanishing from sight.

That was my signal.

Stretching out my hands, I began to create a sun. The heat radiating from it melted the metal around me, flooding my body with power. Energy surged through me, restoring my full strength.

Power Level: 140,000

With my power fully restored, I didn't waste any time. The mutants surrounding us fell one by one, knocked out with ease. That left only Magneto and Mystique.

Magneto, who had been holding the fortress together, was now free to turn his full strength on me. Metal rose into the air, forming deadly spikes aimed directly at me.

"You resist our evolution," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "You've forgotten who you are. You've become slaves to those beneath us."

With that, he unleashed the full force of his attack. The spikes shot toward me at incredible speed, but when they struck my skin, they didn't even leave a scratch.

Realizing the futility of his assault, Magneto attempted to bind me with metal, but even that was useless. The shackles shattered in my hands as I continued stepping toward him.

Seeing his helplessness, he resorted to his last measure. With a flick of his wrist, he tore down the support beams holding up the ceiling. The fortress began to collapse.

"Seriously?" I muttered, realizing he was willing to destroy not only us but also all the helpless mutants still inside.

The facility crumbled. The ceiling caved in, and massive chunks of rock threatened to bury everyone beneath the debris.

Magneto had made his choice. His ideology, it seemed, was worth more to him than the lives of his own people.

"We're leaving, Mystique," he commanded, raising metal barriers between us.

I wanted to pursue them but quickly realized that if I did, everyone here would die.

Bracing myself, I planted my feet firmly and raised my arms, catching the weight of the collapsing mountain. My muscles tensed, but the burden was insignificant I could hold it for as long as necessary.

"Get them out!" Wolverine ordered.

The X-Men wasted no time. They began evacuating the mutants, carrying the unconscious and aiding those who could still walk.

Time crawled. But after ten minutes, everyone had been safely evacuated.

Once the last mutant was clear, I released my grip. The mountain trembled before caving in entirely. Without wasting time, I made my way outside, following the team.

A few hundred meters away, S.H.I.E.L.D. ships had already landed. As always, they arrived only after everything was over. While we did their job, they merely maintained the illusion of importance.

Now, their agents were fastening cuffs onto the captured Brotherhood mutants and loading them onto the ships.

Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed. I turned around and saw the mountain finally collapsing. Massive boulders flew in all directions, burying the remains of the base and its weapons beneath the rubble.

Scanning the battlefield, I located my team and moved toward them.

"Did Magneto escape?" I asked, hoping that someone had managed to stop him.

"Yes," Ororo replied. "He'll probably retreat now to regain his strength." Sadness tinged her voice. She, like me, understood: this was yet another battle where innocent mutants had suffered.

"So, we're heading back to the base?" I clarified.

"Yes, there's nothing more for us here," she nodded.

The X-Men headed toward their jet. We boarded and set course for the school. I could see that many of them were disheartened. Even though this was their second battle, no one could ever truly get used to this. The tension in the air was palpable, and I couldn't blame them. It was good to have someone around who could shield them from bullets and blows.

The X-Jet landed smoothly in the school's hangar. The entire flight, I had been lost in thought. This place isn't for me. Each of them has their own path to walk together. But me... I have debts to settle.

As we stepped off the jet, I stopped and turned to my temporary comrades.

"As much as it saddens me, my friends, I must go my own way," I announced.

"Are you sure about this, Escanor?" Ororo asked, doubt lacing her voice.

"Yes," I said firmly. "I won't drag this out. It was an honor to fight alongside you, but every story must come to an end."

"Escanor, I'll miss you," Kitty suddenly said, unexpectedly wrapping her arms around my torso.

I felt the warmth of her embrace and realized I wasn't just leaving behind teammates, but those who had become dear to me.

"And I'll miss you, Kitty," I replied with a soft smile, gently freeing myself from her hug. "But this isn't goodbye forever."

"Don't get lost in the streets," Jubilee added lazily, flashing a peace sign while continuing to chew her gum.

"Hope you come back," Rogue said, hugging me briefly. Her X-Men suit covered her completely, allowing her to touch others without harm.

"Better if you don't," Logan grunted, but his tone carried not rudeness only a hidden concern.

After saying my farewells, I headed to my room to grab my bag. When I entered, everything remained untouched, as if time had stood still. I picked up my bag from the bed, took one last look around, and exhaled deeply before stepping into the hallway.

Outside, Ororo was already waiting for me. How she had managed to change and get here before me remained a mystery.

"You packed so fast, I almost thought you didn't care about me," she said. Where's the logic? She was the one who said we weren't right for each other.

"Sorry. I just didn't want to turn this into a drama," I shrugged.

She nodded, took a step closer, and added, "Alright. You know, you fit in well with the team. Make sure you come back soon."

Ororo stepped even closer and gently tugged on my sleeve, signaling for me to lean down. Her lips softly brushed against my cheek, leaving warmth and the faint scent of floral perfume. Without another word, she turned and walked back toward the mansion.

I watched her go, smiled, and with a light heart, walked toward the exit.

Another chapter of my life had come to an end. A new path called to me, leaving behind the school, the X-Men, and everything that had come with this part of my journey.