AN: Late today. Starti chapter things will get explosive.

  ===

  As Psylocke's face turned crimson at my teasing, I almost felt bad. Almost. Her boldness had caught me off guard, and while the kiss was nice, I wasn't about to let her have the st word. Before I could respond to her flustered question, the sharp tone of Professor X's telepathic call cut through the moment like a bde.

  "Arosy. Report to my office immediately."

  Damn it! Although he 't read my mind, he still speak like this. Tsk. Talk about a bad time, that baldy... Sigh!

  The e faded as quickly as it came, leaving no room for questions. Psylocke straightehe fire in her eyes returning as she masked her embarrassment. She brushed past me, the psychic bde sheathed, but her fidence firmly in pce.

  "Guess we'll finish this ter," she said over her shoulder.

  I smirked, following her out of the training room. "You're lucky the Professor has good timing."

  The hallways of the mansion were quiet, most of the studeher in css or on personal missions. As we ehe Professor's office, I noticed Logan leaning against the wall, arms crossed and he was wearing his signature yellow suit. Storm stood nearby. Nightcrawler was sitting on the armrest of a chair, tail flig idly.

  Wheered, all eyes turo us. Logan arched an eyebrow. "Took your sweet time, huh?"

  Professor X sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable but his voice calm as always. "Thank you all for ing so quickly. We have a situation that requires immediate attention."

  Storm tilted her head, fshing in her eyes. "What kind of situation, Charles?"

  "A spacecraft," the Professor said, his tone grave. "It crashed at the North Pole te st night. Shield detected it immediately, and its in is extraterrestrial."

  An alien ship, huh? It might be the one I saw in Fury's memories.

  Nightcrawler's tail stilled mid-flick. "Alien? Do we know who or what is inside?"

  "Not yet," the Professor replied. "But the energy signature ing from the ship is unlike anything we've entered before. The crash site is unstable, and I fear whatever is aboard may pose a threat—not just to the immediate area but potentially to the p."

  "How unstable?" I asked.

  Professor X's gaze shifted to me, his calm demeanor betraying a sliver of unease. "Acc to the limited data, the re team collected. The crash site is emitting an energy field that's disruptiromagic signals and causing rapid enviroal ges. The temperature is fluctuating rapidly in that area. Not to mentioile gas and some kind of acidic liquid, oozing out of that ship. "

  Logan grunted, pushing off the wall. "Great. Another icebox adventure. Why is it never a tropical isnd?"

  Psylocke crossed her arms, her focus sharp. "If it's that votile, why are you sending us there? With the Avengers and Shield's teology, it should be a walk in the park, right?"

  "Shield attempted to send another re team early this m," Charles said. "unication was lost shortly after their arrival. I believe the interference is to, and… they may not have made it back. As for the Avengers, they are taking care of the sed crash site in the Sahara desert."

  Storm's expression hardened. "So, we are going in blind? We'll o be prepared for anything, Charles."

  "Precisely why I chose this team," the Professor replied. "Storm, your ability to manipute weather may be the only way to stabilize the enviro long enough to iigate. Kurt's teleportation allow quick access to areas that may otherwise be unreachable. Logan's durability and trag skills will be essential."

  His gaze shifted to Psylocke and me. "Betsy, your psychic abilities might allow you to breach the interferend make tact with anything—or anyone—aboard the ship. Iigate the crash site, assess the situation, aralize any potential threats," the Professor said. "And Natasha Romanoff will be joining you for this mission."

  "Natasha, huh?" Logan muttered. "Always nice when the spy drops in. She knows how to kie ass."

  I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. "Sounds like you've got your team. Why call me here?"

  The Professor's pierg gaze locked onto mine. "I wao offer you the opportunity to join this mission, Aron. Your unique abilities could prove invaluable in an uable situation."

  Huh? Is he really askio join?

  I pushed off the wall, "Well, why not?"

  "Excellent," the Professor said, a note of satisfa in his voice. "Gather year. The Bckbird will depart in thirty minutes. Natasha will meet you at the crash site."

  "Any additional intel?" Storm asked, her tone clipped and professional.

  The Professor tapped a few keys on the holographic dispy embedded in his desk. A map of the North Pole appeared, overid with data streams. "These are the st-known readings from the re team's equipment before we lost tact. You'll note a rapid spike in temperature anomalies here—" he gestured to a glowing red spot on the map "—and an increase iromagiterference."

  Nightcrawler squi the dispy. "If it's this unstable, will the Bckbird even be able to get us close?"

  Storm answered before Charles could. "We'll get as close as we . After that, we improvise."

  "Story of my life," Logan muttered, turning toward the door.

  Everyone dispersed, heading to their quarters to suit up. Nightcrawler ported out of the room, and Professor X stopped me before I could follow the others.

  "Aron, a word?" He said.

  I paused. "What is it?"

  "How are you doing tely?" He asked.

  "Great, actually. And not to worry, I haven't used telepathy and the Phoenix Force tely. Just wao give my brain some rest."

  Professor X nodded, smiling warmly. "That's good to hear. I'm gd to see you're making progress. I know it be hard sometimes, especially when you 't hear others' thoughts... Some might find it hard to talk to others without peeking into their head. It's nerve-wrag in some cases. Jean had that trouble ba her younger days as well. But with practice, you'll get used to it."

  "I am good. I don't really use my telepathy 24/7 like Jean, you know," I replied, grinning.

  "Yes, you've done well for yourself, and I am proud of your aplishments," Professor X said, his voice calm but ced with . "But be careful, Aron. This mission is dangerous. You o be prepared for anything. Please, keep the team safe and if possible rescue the missing team. We don't know what we are up against, so please... stay safe."

  I nodded. "Of course."

  ...

  [25 mier]

  The Bckbird was right there before us, its sleek bck hull shining uhe hangar lights. It looks nice. I want one. A personal jet like this one. I was suited up in my bat gear—a bck tactical suit with lightweight armor and a few personal touches. Psylocke was already aboard, cheg her katana and gear. Well, as usual, she was in her signature purple dress with exposed thighs... Ahem! I mean, legs...

  Logan and Storm were deep in versatiohe ramp, while Nightcrawler practiced telep between differeions of the hangar, tail flig with excitement. I climbed aboard, finding my seat he rear. The hum of the engines powered up as Storm took the pilot's chair and Logaled into the co-pilot's spot.

  As the Bckbird lifted off, Professor X's voice came through the s o time. "Good luck, team. Stay sharp—and remember, this mission's priority is iigation, not frontation. If you enter hostiles, assess the threat level before engaging."

  "Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before," Logan grumbled, flig a swit the sole.

  The jet's engines roared as the ceiling opened, allowing the Bckbird to fly out into the open sky. A few seds ter, we were at cruising altitude, leaving New York City and heading north.

  ...

  I kept my focus on the monitors, watg the enviroal data shift as roached the crash site. The eleagiterference grew strohe readings fluctuating wildly.

  "I'm bringing us in as close as I ," Storm announced, her hands steady on the trols despite the turbulence. "But the energy field is getting stronger. Brace yourselves."

  As the Bckbird desded, the view outside was nothing short of chaotic. The icy terrain of the North Pole was marred by jagged fissures, and geysers of steam erupting uably. The crashed spacecraft artially buried in the ice. It was freaking big. There were some weird purple and green lights glowing on its surface.

  "This just gets better aer," Logan muttered, gripping his seat as the jet jolted.

  Storm mao stabilize the nding, setting us down a safe distance from the ship. "We're here," she said, unstrapping her harness. "Activate the suits."

  "Activate?" I raised my brow.

  "They are made of nanites. Susan Storm and Reed Richards made them for us."

  I tapped the trol panel on my suit, feeling the armor harden as the nanites adjusted their structure to provide greater prote. A faint energy estic-like shield swept over my skin, creating a weird barrier. It was unfortable. Psylocke and Nightcrawler did the same, their suits shifting as well. Logan growled in annoyance, crossing his arms.

  "Stupid suit," he muttered. "I don't need one. I've got this." He tapped the metal cws protruding from his fists.

  I shook my head. "e on, Logan. Just do it."

  "Fine!" He rolled his eyes.

  Stnced over her shoulder. "The enviro is still unstable. Don't take any ces. The Shield's temporary base should be just ahead a few cliorth. Natasha will be waiting there with additional intel."

  ----

  [Location: Unknown]

  "Target in sight. Standby," A girl was lying on the icy ground and she was buried under ice. The only visible parts of her were her bck eyes and blue face.

  ....

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