Escanor(Marvel)

At the highest floor of the skyscraper, a breathtaking view of the city unfolded. A grim gaze was directed out the spacious window—like a hunter watching its prey, ready to strike at any moment. Finally, Nick Fury tore himself away from his thoughts, stepped back from the window, and sat down at his desk.

The weight of too many responsibilities rested on his shoulders, leaving no room for delay. Even a brief moment of rest had become an unaffordable luxury. The fate of the world was quite literally in his hands, especially now, when everything hung by a thread.

Mutants, superheroes, villains, global catastrophes, terrorists, secret societies—he had to deal with it all. And if necessary, he was prepared to eliminate any threat by any means.

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The root of the problem lay with the mutants. The government had set its sights on them and was determined to establish strict control. Opening the file on the Mutant Registration Act, Nick knew all too well that this would only lead to greater upheaval. Yet, despite the orders from above, he still hoped to find a way to soften the impact.

Two photos appeared on his computer screen. Below them were two names: Bolivar Trask and Colonel Stryker. Simply sending in special agents to take out their bases wasn't an option. That required a direct order from the National Security Council. And now that Trask was officially working with the government, such actions were nearly impossible.

But taking them out with someone else's hands? That sounded far more realistic. And Nick already had a candidate for the job. The circumstances were simply too convenient. An Omega-level mutant, completely out of anyone's control. Too dangerous to be trusted unconditionally. But letting him slip away? Nick already knew how to use this mutant to achieve his goal.

Only things didn't go as planned.

A knock on the door.

"Come in," Nick Fury said, not taking his eyes off the monitor.

Agent Maria Hill stepped into the office. In essence, she was Fury's right hand and handled many of his personal assignments. A moment later, Agent Coulson followed her in.

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"Sir," Coulson began.

"What did you find out?" Nick asked, casting a brief glance at the newcomers.

"Not much," Coulson replied, frowning slightly. "The operatives who were active in New York were people gathered from all over the world. They have one thing in common—they all suddenly disappeared from their previous lives. No traces, no leads."

Coulson placed several photographs on the desk. Some showed blurry images of people, while others depicted mutilated bodies recovered from today's incident. The latter were particularly gruesome—the remains found at the abandoned factory could hardly be called intact. Yet, despite the horror emanating from them, Nick Fury remained unfazed.

"Looks like someone knows our methods well—and how to avoid being watched," Nick said thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the desk.

For years, he had been trying to uncover who was behind a series of strange incidents. Everything pointed to the existence of a shadowy organization. No one really knew who they were, but Fury understood one thing—they had access to cutting-edge technology and highly advanced methods of covering their tracks.

"The remains we found at the factory confirm our theory," Coulson continued. "This definitely involves people with expertise in genetics. Possibly the same ones who have been conducting experiments in various parts of the world. But so far, there's nothing concrete—we still can't trace them."

Nick nodded, lost in thought for a moment. The organization he was up against left far too few clues. And the fewer there were, the more it troubled him.

"Or…" Coulson began, casting a subtle glance at Fury. It was a hint—suggesting that this organization might be operating with entirely different motives.

The head of S.H.I.E.L.D. acted as if he hadn't heard the remark. He ignored it and continued, as if the discussion had never strayed from his intended course:

"We're closing the project on our mutant. Let's just say he left on his own terms. Not that it changes anything significant. You have a new assignment, Agent Coulson," Fury said, crossing his arms. "You'll take the case into your own hands—and don't forget to pack warm clothes."

"Might need to bring my skis," Coulson replied with a slight smile, catching the hint of a cold, snowy mission.

Fury just shook his head, a faint smirk barely forming. The agent knew full well that jokes wouldn't save him from the seriousness of the task ahead.

****************

The New York news buzzed with reports of an explosion that, for a moment, illuminated the city as if dawn had arrived. Was it an uncontrolled new technology? Terrorists? Or something else entirely? These and many other questions haunted those who had witnessed the events of that night.

The explosion raised countless concerns, yet the government seemed in no hurry to provide answers. Within hours, someone had worked hard to "cover the tracks." By morning, it was as if nothing had ever happened. Only scattered whispers among the people served as a reminder that it wasn't an illusion.

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Cerebro.

Professor Xavier was fully focused, trying to locate his student. Even though the boy had left, Xavier couldn't abandon him to fend for himself. All this time, he had been interfering with his pursuers, saving him at the last moment—this was the only thing keeping them from capturing the boy.

He had paid little attention to Escanor's actions and failed to notice the steps that led to such severe consequences. Only at the last moment did he understand his intent—but by then, it was too late to stop him.

Xavier searched for even the faintest traces, but there was nothing.

He realized his mistake too late. When the explosion occurred, he understood that he had underestimated both the threat and those behind it. They knew how to hide from Cerebro.

"Professor, this isn't your fault," Storm said, standing beside him. Her voice was filled with warmth and certainty.

Xavier lifted his gaze to her, but his expression remained dark. Guilt and worry for his now-dead student waged war within him.

"Not my fault?" Xavier's voice was sharp, but there was bitterness beneath it. "I allowed this organization to lurk in the shadows without taking action. For too long, we have relied on our so-called allies in the government. But it seems their interests lie more in eliminating us than helping us. It's time to send Logan to track down their base. His memory is our key," he finished, removing the Cerebro helmet with a heavy heart.

"You want to destroy them?" Storm asked.

"There's no other choice," the professor replied, looking at her. "They will continue to abduct mutants and conduct their inhumane experiments. We cannot allow that."

"I understand," Ororo said quietly. She knew the battle was inevitable. But its price had been Escanor's life. He had not been with them long, yet in that short time, he had become family.

They left the Cerebro chamber and stepped into a long corridor, illuminated by the cold glow of overhead lights. Behind them, the door slid shut with a soft sound, leaving behind the symbol of the X.