The sound of sirens faded in the distance, replaced by the haunting silence of a near-collapsed building. Smoke coiled in the air as Adrian lay on the cold, cracked floor, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Peter knelt beside him, eyes wide with panic.
"I thought I'd never say this..." Adrian coughed, voice ragged. "But we need to call the X-Men."
Peter's heart skipped a beat. "The X-Men? That mutant group? Do you... do you have their number or something?"
Adrian shook his head weakly. "No. Just... call Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Tell them... tell them a mutant child is bleeding out after saving civilians. And say this exact thing: 'Professor Xavier, please send Nightcrawler to this location. The kid knows about Logan's past.' That'll get them here fast."
Peter fumbled with his phone, searching for the number, his fingers trembling. Adrian's breathing grew heavier as he stared up at the broken ceiling above them.
"So that new quirk... it's Kirishima's Hardening Quirk," Adrian muttered, almost to himself. "But it's... evolved. My skin turned into some kind of metal-like substance. Bullets barely hurt me. It's like... adamantium or something. Real improvement... I think."
A puff of black smoke erupted in the corner of the room, and from it stepped Nightcrawler, his yellow eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
"You called?" he asked with urgency.
His gaze locked on Adrian, and he immediately spoke into a communicator. "Professor, I found them. One is critically injured. I'm bringing him in."
Adrian groaned. "Oh, you think? Bring me to Beast or not I will die."
"Right, sorry!" Nightcrawler crouched and lifted Adrian gently.
"Peter—come here," Adrian called.
Peter rushed over—just in time to see a blue demon-like man cradling his friend.
"Adrian—!" Peter shouted and instinctively tried to punch Nightcrawler.
Nightcrawler dodged easily and grabbed Peter by the arm.
"Apologies. We don't have time for pleasantries."
With a sharp BAMF! they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
X-Mansion – Beast's Lab
The air shimmered as Nightcrawler reappeared inside the X-Mansion's advanced medical facility. Beast was already there, prepping the table.
"W-where are we?!" Peter panicked, eyes darting around the metallic room.
"Xavier's School," Nightcrawler said. "You're safe. Help me get him on the table."
Beast moved in, scanning Adrian with various devices. His expression quickly turned grave.
"This is... quite concerning," he muttered.
"What's wrong with him?" Peter asked, hovering nearby.
Beast looked up. "There is a lethal amount of vibranium embedded in his muscles. I'm amazed he hasn't exploded from the kinetic buildup."
Adrian blinked. "Vibranium? You mean the vibranium? Super rare, energy-absorbing metal? Worth billions?!"
Beast nodded grimly. "Indeed. And that's not the strangest part. Your blood is absorbing and reinforcing energy at a molecular level. It's making you stronger over time."
Peter leaned forward. "Wait, is he... gonna be okay?"
Beast frowned. "I honestly don't know how he's still alive. Something in his body is absorbing the kinetic energy from the vibranium and neutralizing the damage. It's... extraordinary."
Adrian's eyes widened. His mind raced.
The purple vial... the one that shot into my arm. That must be it.
"That explains it..." he whispered. "It wasn't the pink serum the scientists used dos stingy scientists will not waste vibranium on me. It was that vial... That's sniper fired through me."
Beast stepped back, arms crossed. "Your body is a natural candidate for this fusion. But the microfractures throughout your system require immediate healing. You'll need to stay here for at least a few weeks."
Adrian sighed. "Yeah... I can't even move my toes."
Peter managed a shaky laugh. "So... Adrian is fine?"
"Unprecedentedly fine," Beast said with a slight smile. "But still, rest is critical."
Adrian gave a crooked smile. "Well, looks like Peter gets a tour of this place right."
Peter nodded. "Okay. Be safe, Adrian."
Tour of Xavier's School – Peter and Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler led Peter down the mansion's sleek hallways. Everything was a mix of old architecture and modern tech.
"Wow... this place is amazing," Peter said, eyes wide as he saw students practicing levitation, strength training, and other powers.
Nightcrawler chuckled. "Maybe you're a mutant too, Peter. Come join us. It'd be fun having you around."
They passed a training room where Cyclops instructed a small class on optic blast control. In another wing, telepaths meditated in floating poses.
"This is... like superhero Hogwarts," Peter muttered.
"Exactly," Nightcrawler grinned. "We're not just training warriors. We're building a family."
They reached the library, a massive room with books, holograms, and simulation hubs. Then they passed through the Cerebro chamber—a spherical room with glowing tech unlike anything Peter had ever seen.
"This... is insane. And all this has been here the whole time?" Peter said.
"Mutants have always been among the world," Nightcrawler said quietly. "Just hidden. Or hunted."
Professor Xavier's Office
Peter was eventually summoned to Xavier's office, where the Professor sat waiting in his wheelchair, flanked by Storm.
"Peter Parker. Thank you for calling us when you did," Xavier said, voice calm and gentle.
Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "I just... did what Adrian told me to. He said to say something about Logan's past. I guess that was the magic password."
Storm raised an eyebrow. "That boy knew about Logan?"
"Yes," Xavier said, eyes narrowing. "Which means someone told him. Someone who shouldn't have."
Peter shifted uneasily. "Adrian's... not normal. He's strong, but not just physically. He's got Powers... a lot of them. And he's different. Like he doesn't always belong here."
Xavier looked out the window thoughtfully.
"Peter, your friend is a mystery. His genetics are human, yet his cells behave like a reinforced X-gene host. His injuries should have killed him. The vibranium alone is enough to destabilize most men. But something is balancing it inside him."
Peter swallowed. "So... what is he?"
Xavier turned back, eyes sharp with both curiosity and concern.
"That's what I intend to find out. I'm going to speak with Adrian now. Alone."