Pietro slurped down the last of his ramen and dropped the bowl with a satisfied sigh. In front of him sat a stack of empty bowls, six high, and he was now focused on tearing through a roasted chicken. His fingers moved fast, stripping the meat clean.
Wanda sat across from him, eating her jumbo burger with precise bites. She chewed quietly, eyes calm.
Tony sat beside them, working through a cheeseburger and a plate of fish and chips. He didn't say much, just observed. His internal system was still analyzing Wanda's chaotic energy signature in the background, but for now, he listened.
Wanda swallowed and set her burger down on the plate. She looked directly at Tony.
"We left the Brotherhood."
Tony raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"Magneto has lost the line between protection and domination. He wants to control the outcome of every battle, even after death. He's using Howard Stark to create clones. They're being built as backups. If any of his inner circle dies, their memories and powers will be transferred into cloned bodies and reactivated."
Tony leaned back slightly, processing. "Backup memory upload and body duplication. He's trying to cheat death."
"That's just the start," Wanda said. "His bigger plan is worse."
Tony paused mid-bite.
"He is building a machine that harnesses his magnetic field to generate a type of radiation. It is designed to alter human DNA. If successful, it will trigger mutations in everyone it touches."
Pietro grunted and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Whole planet. One pulse. No choice."
Wanda's voice stayed steady. "He thinks he's fixing the future. We think he's about to start a war that will never end."
Tony set his food down. "And you two just decided to walk away from all that."
Wanda nodded. "Because we saw what you're building and we think we can do some good if we join you."
Tony looked at her for a long moment. Then he glanced at Pietro, who was already back to chewing a drumstick.
"Well, I can't just let someone from Brotherhood enter the main team, just because you want to. You have to start at the bottom, earn my trust, and work your way up. There won't be any shortcuts," Tony said as he took a sip of water.
He put the glass down, took a card out of his pocket, and placed it in front of Wanda.
"Take it. It has enough money to help you during your early days. Buy or rent a place to live, get some clothes, and buy a car if you want. Then there's your food expenses. Just show up at Shield Base 1, at 9 AM sharp starting tomorrow."
Wanda picked up the card without a word and slid it into her pocket. Pietro glanced at it but said nothing, busy finishing the last of the chicken.
Tony stood up from his seat.
"You want to help? Prove it," He said. "This isn't a place for redemption arcs or half-truths. If you're here to help, then start showing up. As for Magneto and the Brotherhood, leave it to me for the moment."
Pietro leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowing. "You're real confident for someone who hasn't seen what he's capable of."
Tony looked at him without flinching. "Kid, you haven't seen what I am capable of."
Wanda watched him carefully, then gave a small nod.
Tony stepped away from the table and walked toward the counter and paid the bills. He then turned to exit. Just before pushing the door open, he stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Nine AM. Don't be late."
The door swung shut behind Tony with a soft chime. Wanda sat in silence for a few seconds, eyes fixed on the table. Pietro leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs, still chewing the last bite of chicken with a thoughtful look.
"Well," he finally said, wiping his fingers with a napkin, "he didn't throw us out a window. That's progress."
Wanda didn't smile, but her posture eased slightly. She glanced at the card in her pocket, then back at the empty seat where Tony had been.
"He's not what I expected."
Pietro let the chair drop forward with a thud and stood up, stretching his arms behind his head. "I like him. He's fast."
Wanda raised an eyebrow.
"He moves like he's ten seconds ahead of everyone else. I don't trust him," Pietro said, pulling on his jacket, "but I respect it."
Wanda stood as well, adjusting her jacket and brushing off a few crumbs from her shirt. She didn't say anything, but her expression was thoughtful.
They left the restaurant and stepped into the cool night air. The city was quieter than usual, the streets mostly empty, except for a few police cars patrolling the area.
As they walked, Pietro shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
"Do you think he was serious about letting us in?" he asked.
Wanda kept her eyes forward. "Only time will tell," she replied.
"Are you okay with starting at the bottom?"
"I've faced worse beginnings," she answered.
[XAVIER'S SCHOOL FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS – WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK]
The grand halls of the mansion were quiet. Fewer footsteps echoed through the corridors than usual. Classrooms stood half-empty. The laughter and clamor of mutant youth had thinned, replaced by a somber silence.
In the main office, four figures sat around a round table inside.
Charles Xavier sat in his wheelchair at the head. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, fingers interlaced as he listened. His expression was calm, but his eyes revealed concern.
Across from him, Ororo Munroe stood by the window, arms folded. Hank McCoy, in his usual lab coat, stood beside a digital projection on the wall, scrolling through data with a flick of his clawed hand. Logan leaned against the far wall with his arms crossed, silent but clearly on edge.
"The numbers are solid," Hank said without turning around. "Over one-third of our student body has left in the past week. Some are going for evaluation. Others are hoping for a full cure."
"They want normal lives," Ororo said, her voice quiet but firm. "And who can blame them?"
Logan scoffed lightly. "Depends what you call normal."
Charles sighed and turned toward Hank. "Have there been any complications?"
"None reported," Hank replied. "The serum works, at least from the data we have. It stabilizes powers, in some cases removes them entirely. No side effects yet."
"Yet," Logan muttered.
"He's also offering stability," Ororo said, turning to face the group. "That's more than some of our students ever had. When the world hunted them, we protected them. But now? Stark's giving them the option to walk into society without fear."
Charles was quiet for a moment. He looked toward the projection. Images flickered of former students—some smiling, others in deep conversation with medical staff. Then came news headlines: "Mutant crime plummets.""Susan Storm offers miracle cure."
"Many of them were never trained to fight," Charles said slowly. "They never asked for their abilities. They only wanted peace. We gave them refuge. But now they're being given a cure. And some... see that as a way out."
Logan pushed off the wall and stepped forward.
"And you do know that Magneto won't stay still for much longer?"
Everyone turned to him.
"He's not going to like it," Logan continued. "He'll probably try to kill Stark and his people before this goes any further."
Ororo moved away from the window and faced the Professor.
"We need to speak to him," she said. "We need to warn him about Erik."
Charles shook his head slowly. "It's not Stark who needs the warning," he said. "It's Erik who should be afraid. We've all seen what he can do, not to mention his team."
Hank adjusted the projection, folding his arms as he stepped away from the console. His expression was thoughtful, but there was a tension behind his eyes that didn't go unnoticed. "At this point," he said, "the best course of action is to remain neutral. The school has always stood as a sanctuary, not a faction in a war."
Logan narrowed his eyes, clearly unsatisfied. "That neutrality won't last long when Erik comes knocking."
Hank turned to face him fully. "If we get involved now, we could endanger our students. Stark is capable of defending himself. He has the resources, the technology, and superhuman allies. Our priority should remain here, with the young people who rely on us."
Ororo stepped in, her gaze steady. "What happens when those students are caught between two storms? We trained some of them, yes. But most aren't ready for what's coming. They're walking into a battlefield disguised as a clinic."
There was a moment of pause before Charles spoke with a heavy sigh.
"Then, we'd better stop Erik before he could disrupt the peace."
Right then, Kitty phased through the door. She was huffing. Charles noticed the panic in her eyes and instantly read her mind.
"Rogue," Charles muttered.
"Yeah," Kitty said while huffing. "She left, saying she'd get the cure."
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