Inside a lavish villa…
Alex, Raven, Hank, Emma Frost, and Copycat sat gathered in the living room, their expressions solemn and serious.
They were discussing something very serious.
"Emma, I know you have telepathic powers like Charles. But to what extent? Can you, for example, freeze someone in place the way he does?"
Alex took a sip of tea, his gaze steady as he asked.
"Freeze someone? You mean like turning them into a statue?" Emma tilted her head, puzzled by the phrasing.
"Exactly." Alex nodded. "Just like that."
"He can really do that?" Emma was a little surprised, but then she shrugged. "I suppose it makes sense. His telepathy is at least on par with mine—probably stronger."
"So, you can't freeze someone like that?" Copycat lounged lazily on the sofa, crossing her legs and shooting a glance at Emma.
"Telepathy varies," Emma replied with a shrug. "Charles can control a person's mind. I, on the other hand, can read memories… even implant false ones. But direct control? That's not in my skillset."
It was a simple matter of specialization. Charles could dominate the mind, but as far as she knew, he couldn't fabricate memories from scratch—at least not yet.
"What about you?" Emma suddenly turned her attention to Alex, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What can you do?"
"You've got it wrong, Emma." Alex chuckled. "I have many abilities—but telepathy isn't one of them."
"Really now?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were all part of the same team now. I chose to trust you, but it doesn't feel like you're returning the favor."
"No, no. Don't misunderstand," Alex said earnestly. "It's just that my body is… well, more resistant than most. That includes mental resistance. I'm not a telepath, I just have strong enough mental fortitude to withstand one."
He spread his hands, sincere as ever. "There's nothing I need to hide."
Emma squinted at him suspiciously. "Really?"
"Give me one reason I'd lie to you."
"He's telling the truth," Raven chimed in. "We've lived with him long enough—he's never shown any signs of telepathic ability."
Emma finally nodded, accepting the explanation—though it only made her more astonished.
A non-telepath who could resist mind probes? What kind of absurd mental strength would that require?
"You really are a monster," Emma murmured after a long pause, shaking her head in awe.
"I second that!" Copycat chimed in with a grin. "I've been a mercenary for years—never met a freak like you."
Raven and Hank nodded as well. Without question, Alex was the strongest mutant any of them had ever encountered.
"I just happen to have more abilities than most. That's all," Alex waved it off modestly. "Wait till you meet Apocalypse. That guy's the real freak."
"All right, let's get back on track," Emma said, clearing her throat. "I understand what you're trying to do. I might not be able to freeze people in place, but I can create a powerful illusion—one that convinces them everything is normal."
"That way, we can move freely without interruptions. Though, honestly, wouldn't it just be easier to kill them all? Why bother going through all this trouble?"
"Because I'm not some mindless butcher," Alex replied calmly. "I don't mind killing—but only when there's a reason. I don't take lives needlessly."
"If you're going to work with me, Emma, you need to understand this. I'm not Magneto."
"Fine, fine." Emma threw up her hands. "You're impossible."
"Funny, coming from the guy who wiped out half a fleet and killed over a thousand people—now claiming he doesn't like killing," Copycat teased from the sofa.
"They brought it on themselves." Alex's tone was light, almost indifferent.
"Emma," he turned back to her, "how many people can you hit with illusions at once? And for how long?"
It was a crucial part of his plan—and he needed clarity.
"I've never tried doing that to a crowd before," Emma admitted. "Maybe seven or eight? A dozen at most. Any more than that and it gets unstable."
Alex frowned. "We'll be facing hundreds—maybe thousands."
"In that case…" Raven crossed her arms, brows furrowed. "We'll definitely need a different solution."
"Looks like you're gonna have to kill some people after all," Emma said, half-joking, half-serious.
"Actually," a quiet voice interjected—Hank, who had been mostly silent until now. He adjusted his glasses, confidence gleaming in his eyes. "I might be able to solve this."
Alex perked up. One look at Hank's expression, and he knew the guy had something solid.
"Oh?" Emma glanced at him skeptically. "You've got a plan?"
"I can build a device to amplify Emma's abilities," Hank said matter-of-factly. "Enough to let her project illusions to hundreds—maybe even thousands—at once."
"Cerebro!" Raven exclaimed. "You're talking about a portable version of Cerebro!"
Emma snorted. "Oh, come on."
She couldn't help it—that was the funniest thing she'd heard in days.
"You're serious?" she laughed. "That's adorable."
"Suit yourself," Hank said, unfazed. "But yes—what Raven said. A simplified, portable version. I've built a much larger and more complex one before. This won't be a problem."
"How long will it take?" Alex asked, expression sharp.
Hank thought for a moment. "Two days."
He wasn't exaggerating. He knew the tech inside out. All he needed now was to replicate a scaled-down version.
Two days would be plenty.
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