X-GENE OMNITRIX-Chapter 5: XGO (updated)

The air was thick with the scent of blood and metal.

Magnetism crackled through the space—a soft, deadly hum—as a figure in a deep red cloak stepped forward. Erik Lehnsherr—Magneto—surveyed the ruins of the underground lab, his piercing gaze calculating the destruction spread before him.

Behind him, the Brotherhood of Mutants waited in tense silence. Mystique, Sabretooth, Pyro, Toad—acolytes watching their leader with unwavering loyalty, their eyes darting across the carnage surrounding them.

Magneto took a deliberate step forward. His boots echoed against the ruined metal floor.

Then—silence.

"So," he finally said, "this is where the readings came from."

Mystique gave a small nod. "Yes. Xavier got here first."

Something flickered across Magneto's expression. Not annoyance. Curiosity.

His gaze traced the massacre. Blood-slicked walls. Steel panels carved with claw marks. Guards and scientists reduced to bullet-riddled corpses. Security turrets shredded like paper. Entire rooms crushed as if something apocalyptic had torn through them.

He brushed his fingers against a mangled door, feeling the imprints left by something... inhuman.

Then he saw it—a massive section of the facility torn open from the inside. The work of something caged too long... and finally unleashed.

A slow, knowing smile spread across his face.

"Our new brother seems quite the fierce type."

He moved deeper into the destroyed base, stepping over twisted corpses and shattered weapons as if walking through a garden.

Sabretooth let out a low whistle, kicking aside a severed drone. "Whoever did this had fun."

Pyro crouched near a splintered control panel, running his hand over melted circuits. "This ain't normal mutant stuff. Looks like something from a horror movie."

Magneto's gaze remained calculating.

"No."

He studied a section of wall covered in deep, precise claw marks.

"This... is something far more... controlled."

Mystique stepped closer, yellow eyes scanning the destruction. "Do you think Xavier recruited him?"

Magneto chuckled softly, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Of course he did."

He gestured at the carnage around them.

"A mutant with power like this... one who doesn't hesitate to tear down those who would experiment on our kind?" His voice lowered. "He would be wasted anywhere else."

He turned back to his acolytes, voice calm but firm.

"Tell me, does this seem like the work of someone who belongs in Xavier's peaceful little sanctuary?"

Sabretooth scoffed. "Hell no."

Pyro smirked. "Guy fits in more with us than the schoolboys."

Mystique remained silent, but something unreadable flickered in her gaze.

Magneto's smirk widened.

"Exactly."

He stepped forward, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Xavier's dream is noble... but naive."

He gestured at the destruction sprawling around them.

"Tell me, do you think a mutant like this—one who has suffered, been tormented, fought tooth and claw to survive—can truly find peace in a place built on ideals?"

Sabretooth cracked his neck. "Doubt it. Once you've tasted blood, you don't go back to grass."

Magneto nodded, pleased.

"Indeed."

His smirk faded slightly.

"But Xavier got to him first."

Silence hung between them.

Pyro frowned. "Think he'll buy into Xavier's dream?"

Magneto exhaled, almost amused.

"Perhaps, for now."

He turned, taking in the battlefield one last time.

"But a creature born in fire does not settle in a garden."

His eyes glowed with certainty.

"He will realize soon enough... that he does not belong with them."

He raised a hand, the metal around them shifting in subtle response.

"And when that moment comes—"

He faced his Brotherhood, gaze sharp and unwavering.

"We will be there."

The air thickened with tension.

Then—

With a simple flick of his wrist, Magneto turned away.

"Come. We have work to do."

The Brotherhood followed, melting into the night.

Alex's eyes fluttered open.

A dull headache pulsed behind his skull. His body felt hollow, as if all strength had been drained from him.

Panic seized him. Was he still in the lab?

His breathing quickened.

He sat up instantly, scanning his surroundings. White walls. A soft bed instead of metal restraints. A window with warm sunlight spilling through. A wooden desk, bookshelf, clothes hanging in an open closet.

Not a cell. Not a torture chamber.

Alex released a long, shaky breath.

"Have I... finally gotten out of that hell?"

Then—

His heart plummeted.

One thought pierced his mind.

His mother.

His fingers clutched the sheets until his knuckles whitened.

He wanted to cry, but—

Nothing came.

No tears. No sobs.

Just emptiness.

Years of torture had stripped everything from him—childhood, freedom, emotions.

He had forgotten how to cry.

I'm a monster.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Alex tilted his head toward the sound.

The door creaked open, revealing a girl with striking white-streaked brown hair.

He stared at her. Something familiar about her... her power...

Recognition dawned. If his memory served right, her ability was to absorb life force. He'd seen those movies as a kid, though his memory was fragmented now.

The girl offered a warm smile.

"Hi, Ah'm Rogue."

Something felt off about her gaze—like she was mesmerized.

Alex ignored it.

"Where am I?" His voice came out hoarse, unused.

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Rogue snapped from her daze. "Oh! You're at the Mutant Academy. Don't worry, you're safe now."

Safe.

Alex almost laughed.

Almost.

Nothing was ever safe.

Rogue stepped inside. "If you're feelin' alright, Ah can show you around."

Alex hesitated.

Then—he nodded.

The moment Rogue led him into the hallway, the whispers began.

Alex felt their eyes on him.

Students and teachers stared as he passed, expressions filled with awe, curiosity... and something else.

Fear.

Younger kids whispered excitedly.

"That's him!"

"The one who tore through the lab!"

"Did you hear? He went toe-to-toe with Wolverine and Storm!"

Older students remained skeptical.

"He doesn't look that dangerous."

"Are you kidding? He wiped out an entire facility!"

"I heard he survived getting electrocuted by Storm."

Alex tried blocking out their voices. Too loud. Too much.

Then—

Something shifted.

As they passed the medical wing, Alex noticed a group of rescued mutants. The ones who had been in cages.

He recognized them.

And when they saw him—

They froze.

A boy no older than ten began trembling uncontrollably.

A girl beside him collapsed to her knees, fingers digging into the floor as if the ground might swallow her.

Another mutant, barely composed, teetered on the edge of tears.

Alex's chest tightened.

They weren't grateful. They weren't relieved. They were terrified.

Of him.

His fingers twitched.

For the first time in years, something close to guilt stirred within him.

But—

What had he expected?

He knew what he'd done.

Blood. Screams. Flesh torn apart.

They didn't see him as a savior. They saw him as a demon.

The hallway fell deathly silent.

Rogue, sensing the tension, forced a smile. "So! Uh... the cafeteria's got some great food!"

No one responded.

Then—

A voice echoed through the hallway.

"Alex."

Calm. Composed. Powerful.

Professor Xavier.

Alex turned.

Standing beside Storm, the Professor watched him with careful eyes.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Alex glanced back at the mutants still trembling with fear.

Then—he nodded.

Anything to escape this atmosphere.

The garden breathed peace.

Flowers swayed in a gentle breeze. Sunlight dappled through tall trees.

The perfect opposite of the dark labs that had imprisoned him.

And yet—

Alex remained tense.

Xavier studied him carefully as they walked. "How are you feeling?"

Alex remained silent.

Then—

"I don't know."

Xavier nodded. "That is understandable."

They continued walking.

Xavier's voice was gentle but firm. "You have been through something no one should endure. No child should suffer what you did."

Alex's fists clenched.

Child.

He wasn't a child anymore. He had been transformed into something else.

Xavier sensed his thoughts.

"You are not a monster, Alex."

Alex released a short, bitter laugh. "Tell that to the ones who saw me eat a human."

Xavier didn't flinch. "You were in pain. Lost in what was done to you."

Alex stopped walking.

He turned to Xavier, his red eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

"And what if I do it again?"

Silence.

Xavier studied him carefully, then spoke with absolute certainty.

"Then we will help you."

The conversation hung in the air as Xavier led him away from the garden, through corridors of polished wood and steel. They entered a high-tech laboratory where Jean, Cyclops, and Wolverine were engaged in discussion while Beast worked at a console.

The conversation halted as Xavier and Alex entered.

Cyclops glanced between them, already guessing the topic.

Xavier didn't waste time.

"You lost control of your power. That is understandable."

The others exchanged glances, grasping the weight of the discussion.

Alex, unfazed, responded without hesitation.

"You were right about me losing control."

His voice remained steady.

Then, he met Xavier's gaze directly.

"But transforming into a predator of humans? That... I chose willingly."

The statement hung in the air like a blade.

Jean's lips parted slightly, unsure how to respond.

Cyclops folded his arms, processing the admission.

Wolverine just exhaled through his nose, watching Alex closely.

But there was no fear in the room. Just understanding... and disagreement.

Xavier studied him before asking, "And why choose such a path?"

Alex answered without hesitation.

"To torture them."

Silence.

Alex continued, stepping forward.

"To make them fear. To let them feel the terror of knowing death is near."

His expression remained unreadable, but his tone rang honest.

"I wanted them to struggle, to know they could try to live—"

His red eyes narrowed.

"—but that death would come for them just as they brought it to others."

Jean exhaled softly, absorbing his words.

Cyclops shifted, expression neutral.

Xavier, however, responded with certainty.

"Killing isn't the answer, child."

Alex tilted his head, voice calm but firm.

"Well, it gave my mind some peace knowing those who made my life hell... will never live happily again."

The laboratory's clinical lights seemed to dim as Jean finally spoke, her voice measured.

"I get it."

Alex turned to her.

Jean's expression was thoughtful, not judgmental.

"What they did to you... no one should endure that."

Her voice lowered, filled with something close to sympathy.

"And you wanted them to feel the fear they forced on you."

Alex held her gaze. He didn't need to speak. She already understood.

But—

Jean's eyes sharpened slightly.

"That doesn't mean I agree with you."

Alex exhaled, not annoyed—just indifferent. "Of course you don't."

Cyclops spoke next, tone calm but firm.

"We don't blame you for thinking that way, Alex."

He adjusted his visor.

"But that mentality doesn't work with what we're trying to do here."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is that?"

Cyclops didn't hesitate.

"Protect mutants without becoming the monsters they already think we are."

Alex's mouth twitched. "You think I'm a monster?"

Cyclops shook his head. "No. But if you keep thinking like that, you might become one."

Alex didn't respond.

Because deep down, he had already considered it.

Wolverine had been silent, simply watching from his place against the wall. Then—

He released a low chuckle.

"Heh."

Everyone turned to him.

He stepped forward, locking eyes with Alex.

"So that's what you are, huh? A hunter. A predator."

Alex met his gaze without flinching. "Something like that."

Wolverine scoffed. "You think that makes you strong?"

Alex tilted his head. "Doesn't it?"

Wolverine's claws snikt'd out.

"Nah. It just makes you dangerous."

Jean's hand twitched, ready to intervene, but Wolverine wasn't attacking.

He was testing.

"I've seen killers before, kid. I've been one."

He leaned closer.

"And they all thought the same thing. That being a predator made them untouchable."

His smirk vanished.

"But they're dead."

Wolverine's tone dropped, low and final.

"And I'm still here."

Alex's confidence faltered.

Because he understood what Wolverine meant.

Being a predator—being a monster—doesn't guarantee survival. It just means you keep hunting until someone stronger hunts you down.

For the first time in this conversation—

Alex had nothing to say.

The lab fell silent as Xavier finally spoke again, his voice gentle but unwavering.

"We are not here to tell you what to think, Alex."

Alex's red eyes snapped to him.

Xavier's gaze remained calm, certain.

"You have every reason to feel the way you do."

Jean, Cyclops, and Wolverine listened closely.

"But we do not kill for revenge. We do not hunt for power."

Xavier stepped closer.

"You don't have to agree with us. You don't even have to change."

His voice softened.

"But you do have to decide... if you belong here."

Silence.

Alex looked at the others.

At Jean, who understood his pain but rejected his logic.

At Cyclops, who respected his reasoning but stood firm in his beliefs.

At Wolverine, who had walked his path... and knew exactly where it led.

Finally—

Alex exhaled.

"Fine."

His red eyes faded to crystal white, his hostility receding.

Xavier nodded once. "Then we begin your training."

And with that—

Alex took his first step forward.

Not as a predator. Not as a weapon.

But as something else entirely.

What that would be—

He still didn't know.