The confrontation between Logan and Sabretooth erupted with the kind of savage intensity that could only come from decades of personal hatred mixed with enhanced abilities designed for killing. They came together in the center of the scenic overlook like two natural disasters colliding—claws against claws, adamantium against bone and keratin, old wounds and older grudges playing out in a symphony of violence that made Marcus's borrowed heart skip several beats.
"Miss me, Jimmy?" Sabretooth snarled as he drove his claws toward Logan's throat, only to have them deflected by adamantium with a sound like steel grinding against steel.
"Every day," Logan replied with deadpan sarcasm, countering with an uppercut that would have disemboweled a normal person but only left parallel scratches across Victor's armored hide. "Especially when I need someone to practice my anger management techniques on."
Marcus crouched behind an overturned picnic table, watching the fight with the fascinated horror of someone who'd never seen genuine superhuman combat before. In the comics, fights like this were dramatic and choreographed, full of witty banter and heroic poses. In reality, it was brutal, efficient, and absolutely terrifying—two predators trying to kill each other with the kind of focused intensity that left no room for mercy or hesitation.
**[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: HEALING FACTOR PROGRESSION]**
**[CURRENT INTEGRATION: 2.7%]**
**[OBSERVATION: INTEGRATION RATE INCREASES WITH HEALING ACTIVITY]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: CONTROLLED INJURY/HEALING CYCLE TO ACCELERATE MASTERY]**
**[WARNING: APPROACH CARRIES SIGNIFICANT RISK]**
Marcus felt the cuts on his chest and forearm continuing to close, slowly but steadily. The healing wasn't just repairing damage—it was teaching his system how to use Sabretooth's stolen ability more effectively. Each regenerated cell seemed to carry better integration than the last.
Storm hovered above the combat zone, lightning dancing between her fingers as she looked for an opening to assist without catching Logan in the crossfire. The two combatants were moving too fast and too unpredictably for her to risk area-of-effect attacks, and her weather manipulation required careful calculation to avoid collateral damage.
Professor Xavier had positioned himself near the Blackbird, his portable Cerebro interface allowing him to monitor the broader tactical situation while staying out of the immediate combat zone. Through the device, Marcus could feel the telepath's attempts to establish mental contact, hitting the same wall of static that had blocked him before.
*Still can't read him,* Charles's mental voice carried to Storm through their psychic link. *But the girl's mind is clear. She's terrified but uninjured. Focus on containment—we need Sabretooth alive for questioning.*
Logan and Victor crashed through another picnic table, their combined weight and momentum reducing furniture to kindling while they continued their deadly dance. Logan's adamantium claws left deep gouges in Sabretooth's torso, but the wounds were already beginning to close thanks to Victor's superior healing factor. In return, Sabretooth's bone claws raked across Logan's face, leaving scratches that healed almost instantly.
It was, Marcus realized, a contest between two opponents who were extremely difficult to put down permanently. Logan had better weapons and more experience, but Sabretooth had size, reach, and a healing factor that was marginally more efficient. Without outside intervention, the fight could continue for hours.
That's when Sabretooth made a tactical error born of overconfidence and old grudges. Instead of pressing his advantage, he paused to deliver the kind of taunting monologue that villains apparently couldn't resist.
"You never could beat me in a straight fight, Jimmy," Victor said, circling Logan like a shark scenting blood. "Remember that night in the Yukon? When I left you buried in that avalanche? You were always too civilized for this kind of work."
Logan's response was a wordless snarl and a lunging attack that put all his weight and momentum behind six adamantium claws aimed at center mass. Sabretooth twisted aside, but not quite fast enough—Logan's left claw opened a deep gouge across his ribs that sent blood spraying across the overlook.
The scent of blood triggered something primal in both combatants. Logan pressed his attack with renewed fury, while Sabretooth's own predatory instincts kicked into overdrive. They grappled at close range, claws seeking vital organs while enhanced healing factors raced to repair damage faster than it could be inflicted.
That's when Marcus saw his opportunity.
Logan stumbled slightly as Sabretooth's claws raked across his left knee, the adamantium skeleton providing protection but not perfect mobility. For just a moment, he was off-balance and vulnerable.
Marcus made his decision and sprinted from cover, ignoring Marie's telepathically transmitted scream of protest through her connection with Professor Xavier. He covered the distance to Logan's position in a desperate slide that brought him within arm's reach just as Sabretooth prepared to take advantage of Logan's momentary weakness.
"Here!" Marcus called out, grabbing the Canadian's right arm in what appeared to be an attempt to help him regain his balance.
Skin contact. System activation. And suddenly Marcus was connected to one of the most experienced fighters in the Marvel Universe.
**[CONTACT ESTABLISHED: JAMES "LOGAN" HOWLETT]**
**[ABSORPTION OPTIONS AVAILABLE:]**
- **ADAMANTIUM SKELETON** *(WARNING: BIOLOGICAL INCOMPATIBILITY - ABSORPTION LIKELY FATAL)*
- **ENHANCED HEALING FACTOR** *(REDUNDANT - SIMILAR ABILITY ALREADY ACQUIRED)*
- **ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY** *(STRENGTH/SPEED/REFLEXES PACKAGE - RECOMMENDED)*
- **COMBAT INSTINCTS** *(TACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND MUSCLE MEMORY)*
- **ENHANCED SENSES** *(SUPERHUMAN SENSORY CAPABILITIES)*
**[TIME REMAINING: 4.2 SECONDS]**
**[SELECT ABILITY FOR ABSORPTION]**
*Enhanced physiology,* Marcus thought without hesitation. *Everything—strength, speed, reflexes, the whole package.*
**[ABSORPTION COMPLETE]**
**[ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY: ACQUIRED]**
**[INTEGRATION LEVEL: 1%]**
**[WARNING: MASTERY INCREASES WITH USAGE - COMBAT EXPERIENCE REQUIRED]**
The change was immediately apparent. Marcus felt his muscles become denser, his reflexes sharpen, his overall physical capabilities expand beyond normal human parameters. It wasn't dramatic—1% integration meant he had maybe a hundredth of Logan's enhanced abilities—but it was enough to make him significantly more dangerous than any normal sixteen-year-old.
Logan jerked away from the unexpected contact, his enhanced senses immediately detecting that something had changed about the boy's scent and body chemistry.
"Kid, what the hell did you just—"
"Less talkin', more fightin'!" Marcus interrupted, because Sabretooth had recovered from his momentary surprise and was preparing to take advantage of their distraction.
Victor's claws swept toward them in a wide arc designed to catch both targets in a single strike. Logan deflected the attack with his adamantium claws while Marcus threw himself sideways, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to avoid what would have been a disemboweling blow.
"Two against one?" Sabretooth laughed, though there was a note of uncertainty in his voice now. The boy's scent had changed, become more dangerous, and his movement patterns were no longer those of untrained prey. "That's hardly sporting."
"Nothin' sporting about huntin' kids," Logan replied grimly, pressing his attack while Marcus circled to flank Sabretooth from the left side.
Marcus had no illusions about his combat capabilities. Even with enhanced physiology and a healing factor, he was still essentially a sixteen-year-old with no real fighting experience going up against one of the most dangerous predators in the Marvel Universe. He couldn't match Sabretooth's strength, speed, or combat instincts.
But he didn't need to.
His role in this fight wasn't to defeat Victor Creed—it was to irritate and distract him, create openings that Logan could exploit, and generally make Sabretooth's life more complicated by forcing him to track two opponents instead of focusing on one.
Marcus darted in from Sabretooth's blind spot, aiming a kick at the back of the big mutant's left knee. It wasn't a devastating attack, but it was unexpected and well-timed, causing Victor to stumble just as Logan launched another assault from the front.
**[SYSTEM UPDATE: ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY]**
**[INTEGRATION LEVEL: 1.4%]**
**[OBSERVATION: COMBAT USAGE ACCELERATES MASTERY]**
**[HEALING FACTOR INTEGRATION: 3.1%]**
**[SYNERGY DETECTED: MULTIPLE ABILITIES ENHANCE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS]**
The hit-and-run tactics were working. Every time Sabretooth focused on Logan, Marcus would dart in with a quick strike—nothing powerful enough to cause serious damage, but enough to disrupt Victor's concentration and force him to divide his attention. And every time Victor turned to deal with Marcus, Logan would press his advantage with the kind of ruthless efficiency that came from decades of combat experience.
"Annoying little pest," Sabretooth snarled, backhanding Marcus across the overlook with enough force to send him tumbling through the gravel.
The impact would have shattered bones and caused internal injuries in a normal teenager. Instead, Marcus rolled to his feet with nothing worse than bruises and torn clothing, his healing factor already working to repair the damage while his enhanced physiology absorbed the impact better than purely human biology could have managed.
"Thanks for the compliment," Marcus said, wiping blood from his mouth and grinning with the kind of reckless confidence that suggested he was either very brave or very stupid. "I was aimin' for annoyin'."
Logan took advantage of Sabretooth's distraction to land a solid hit, his claws raking across Victor's back and drawing three parallel lines of blood. The wounds began healing immediately, but not before Logan had demonstrated that the big mutant wasn't invulnerable.
**[HEALING FACTOR INTEGRATION: 3.8%]**
**[ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY INTEGRATION: 1.9%]**
**[TACTICAL ASSESSMENT: SUSTAINED COMBAT INCREASING MASTERY RATES]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN CURRENT STRATEGY]**
The fight settled into a rhythm—Logan as the primary combatant, using his adamantium claws and superior experience to inflict serious damage, while Marcus provided support through distraction, flanking attacks, and generally making Sabretooth's life more complicated than it needed to be.
Storm continued to hover above the battle, lightning crackling around her as she waited for a clear shot. Professor Xavier monitored the situation through his portable Cerebro interface, maintaining mental contact with local law enforcement to prevent civilian interference while coordinating with the school's medical team in case emergency treatment became necessary.
And Marie remained hidden behind Maria's truck, watching her brother fight alongside real superheroes with a mixture of pride, terror, and absolute faith that somehow, despite the impossible odds, Marcus would find a way to keep them all safe.
The fight might have continued for hours, with enhanced healing factors on both sides preventing either Logan or Sabretooth from gaining a decisive advantage. But Marcus's increasing integration with his stolen abilities was creating a tactical situation that Victor hadn't anticipated.
Every hit he took made him stronger. Every injury he healed increased his capabilities. Every moment of combat experience improved his reflexes and fighting instincts.
Marcus D'Ancanto was learning to be dangerous.
And in the Marvel Universe, that was either the first step toward becoming a hero, or the first step toward becoming something much worse.
The fight was about to enter its final phase, where the difference between those two possibilities would determine not just who survived, but what kind of person Marcus would become when the dust settled.
—
Marcus felt the change happening inside him with each exchange of violence—not just physical healing, but something deeper. His body was learning to process the stolen abilities more efficiently, integrating them into his existing biology like software updates installing in real-time. The sensation was both exhilarating and terrifying.
**[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]**
**[HEALING FACTOR INTEGRATION: 4.7%]**
**[ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY INTEGRATION: 2.3%]**
**[COMBAT INSTINCTS: DEVELOPING - 0.6%]**
**[SYNERGY BONUS: MULTIPLE ABILITIES AMPLIFYING EFFECTIVENESS]**
Sabretooth was beginning to realize that something had fundamentally changed about this fight. The boy who had been easy prey fifteen minutes ago was now moving with purpose, striking with precision, and recovering from damage that should have put him down permanently.
"What the hell did you do to yourself, kid?" Victor snarled, wiping blood from a claw mark that Logan had opened across his cheek. "You smell different. *Feel* different."
Marcus ducked under a wild swing and landed a solid punch to Sabretooth's solar plexus—not enough to seriously hurt the big mutant, but enough to make him grunt with surprise at the unexpected force behind the blow.
"I learned from the best," Marcus replied with a grin that was becoming genuinely dangerous. "Y'all and Logan both."
That's when Sabretooth made his second major tactical error of the day: he let his anger override his combat instincts.
Instead of continuing to fight strategically, using his superior experience and enhanced abilities to wear down his opponents, Victor let his frustration at being outmaneuvered by a teenager drive him into a berserker rage. He abandoned defense entirely and launched himself at Marcus with the kind of all-out assault that was designed to end the fight through overwhelming force.
It was exactly the opening Logan had been waiting for.
As Sabretooth committed to his attack on Marcus, Logan stepped in from the side with surgical precision. His adamantium claws found the gap between Victor's ribs, sliding through skin and muscle to puncture one lung and scrape against the spine.
Sabretooth roared in pain and fury, his own claws raking across Logan's torso in response, but the damage was done. The lung puncture was already beginning to heal thanks to Victor's regenerative abilities, but it would take precious seconds that he didn't have.
Marcus, meanwhile, had rolled away from Sabretooth's wild attack and come up behind the big mutant, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to move faster than Victor could track while injured. He grabbed Sabretooth's wrist—not to absorb anything this time, but simply to control the positioning of those deadly claws.
"Now!" Marcus shouted to Logan, using his grip on Sabretooth's arm to hold the big mutant steady for just a moment.
Logan didn't waste the opportunity. His claws found Sabretooth's throat, not quite severing the jugular but close enough to send blood spraying across the scenic overlook while Victor's healing factor raced to prevent him from bleeding out.
It wasn't a killing blow—Logan had decades of experience in knowing exactly how much damage Sabretooth's regeneration could handle—but it was a finishing blow. Victor collapsed to his knees, one hand pressed to his throat while he struggled to breathe around the injury.
"Stay down, Victor," Logan said quietly, his claws still extended but no longer actively threatening. "It's over."
Sabretooth looked up at him with eyes that held rage, pain, and something that might have been grudging respect. "This... isn't over, Jimmy. Not by a long shot."
"It is for today," Professor Xavier said, rolling his wheelchair closer to the defeated mutant. The portable Cerebro interface in his lap hummed with power as he prepared to establish mental contact. "Victor Creed, by the authority vested in me by the Mutant Registration Act and the Superhuman Activities Coordination Treaty, you are under arrest for attempted kidnapping and assault on minors."
Storm descended from her aerial position, electricity still dancing between her fingers but no longer actively threatening. The two soldiers who had arrived with Sabretooth had wisely remained by their helicopter throughout the fight, apparently deciding that their pay grade didn't cover engaging the X-Men in direct combat.
"Logan," Charles continued, "contact Hank and Warren. We'll need a secure transport for Mr. Creed, and medical attention for everyone involved."
Marcus sank down onto a relatively intact section of picnic table, exhaustion hitting him like a physical weight now that the adrenaline was beginning to fade. His borrowed body ached in places he didn't know could ache, and despite the healing factor's work, he was still covered in cuts, bruises, and blood from the fight.
**[SYSTEM UPDATE: POST-COMBAT ANALYSIS]**
**[HEALING FACTOR INTEGRATION: 5.9%]**
**[ENHANCED PHYSIOLOGY INTEGRATION: 3.1%]**
**[COMBAT EXPERIENCE GAINED: SIGNIFICANT]**
**[OVERALL ASSESSMENT: SUCCESSFUL POWER ACQUISITION AND INTEGRATION]**
**[WARNING: RAPID ABILITY DEVELOPMENT MAY ATTRACT UNWANTED ATTENTION]**
Marie broke cover from behind Maria's truck and ran toward him, her leather gloves preventing accidental skin contact but not hiding the tears streaming down her face.
"Marcus! Oh my Lord, I thought you were gonna die! I thought..." She stopped just short of touching him, remembering at the last moment that her powers made physical comfort dangerous.
"Hey," Marcus said softly, reaching out to take her gloved hand in his. "I'm alright. Banged up, but alright. The healin' thing really works."
Through their empathic connection, Marie felt the truth of his words along with the exhaustion, pain, and underlying satisfaction of someone who had faced impossible odds and somehow managed to not die horribly.
"You absorbed their powers," she said, her voice carrying wonder and concern in equal measure. "Both of 'em. I could feel it happenin' through our connection."
Marcus nodded, too tired to pretend otherwise. "Seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
Logan approached them, his own injuries already healing but his expression carrying the weight of someone who understood the implications of what he'd just witnessed.
"Kid," he said quietly, "what you did back there... that wasn't luck, and it wasn't just brave. You absorbed abilities from two of the most dangerous mutants alive and integrated them well enough to use them in combat. That takes a level of power control that most mutants don't develop for years."
"I had good teachers," Marcus replied with a tired smile. "Y'all and Sabretooth showed me everything I needed to know."
Professor Xavier wheeled closer, his expression thoughtful as he studied the teenager who remained invisible to his telepathic senses.
"Marcus D'Ancanto," Charles said formally, "I'm Professor Charles Xavier. I run a school for young people with abilities like yours. I'd like to offer you and your sister sanctuary, education, and the chance to learn how to use your powers responsibly."
Marcus looked at Marie, feeling her hope and excitement through their empathic connection, then back at the distinguished telepath who had just offered them everything they'd been running toward.
"Professor," Marcus said carefully, "before we go anywhere, there's somethin' you should know about me. About who I really am."
Charles raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Marcus took a deep breath, making a decision that would either establish trust or get him locked up in the school's equivalent of a psychiatric ward.
"My name is Marcus D'Ancanto now, but three days ago I was someone else entirely. Someone who died and got a second chance thanks to an omnipotent bein' with questionable fashion sense and a cosmic sense of humor." He paused, watching Charles's expression for signs of disbelief or alarm. "I know things I shouldn't know, Professor. About you, about your school, about what's comin' for mutants in the near future. And if you're willin' to listen, I think I can help make sure we're all ready for it."
The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of approaching sirens as local law enforcement finally responded to Maria's CB radio calls for help.
Charles studied Marcus with the kind of intense focus that suggested he was trying to read thoughts that simply weren't there, encountering the same wall of static that had blocked his telepathic attempts since first detecting the twins.
"That," the Professor said finally, "is quite possibly the most unusual introduction I've received in forty years of working with gifted individuals."
"Does that mean you don't believe me?"
Charles smiled—the kind of warm, grandfatherly expression that had reassured thousands of frightened mutant children over the decades.
"Marcus," he said gently, "in a world where people can manipulate weather, phase through solid matter, and regenerate from fatal injuries, cosmic reincarnation is hardly the strangest thing I've encountered. What matters is not who you were, but who you choose to be moving forward."
Relief flooded through Marcus so powerfully that Marie felt it through their connection and squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"So," Charles continued, "shall we go home?"
As the X-Men began the process of securing Sabretooth, coordinating with arriving law enforcement, and preparing to transport two new students back to Westchester, Marcus felt something he hadn't experienced since waking up in this new life: genuine hope for the future.
The hunt was over. The real adventure was just beginning.
And somewhere in the cosmic realm where omnipotent beings with questionable fashion sense monitor the fates of reincarnated souls, Rob was updating Marcus D'Ancanto's file with a notation that read: "Subject exceeding expectations. Recommend continued observation."
The X-Men had gained two new students.
Time would tell whether they would become heroes, teachers, or something else entirely.
But whatever they became, they would face it together.
---
## Inside the X-Men Blackbird - 35,000 Feet Above Pennsylvania
The Blackbird's passenger cabin was designed for comfort during long-range missions, with plush seats that could recline into beds and noise-dampening technology that made conversation possible even at Mach 3. But despite the luxury accommodations, Marcus felt like he was sitting on a powder keg with a lit fuse, waiting for the inevitable explosion when Marie asked the questions he'd been dreading since his cosmic confession to Professor Xavier.
She'd been quiet for the first twenty minutes of their flight, staring out the window at the landscape rushing past below while processing everything that had happened at the scenic overlook. Through their empathic connection, Marcus could feel her mind working through the implications of what she'd witnessed—her brother fighting alongside Wolverine, absorbing powers from two of the most dangerous mutants alive, and then casually mentioning to Professor Xavier that he'd died and been reincarnated by an omnipotent being with questionable fashion sense.
Finally, she turned in her seat to face him directly, her green eyes carrying the kind of serious intensity that meant she wasn't going to accept vague answers or deflection.
"Marcus," she said quietly, making sure Logan and Storm couldn't overhear from their positions near the cockpit, "what'd you mean back there? About bein' someone else three days ago?"
Marcus had been rehearsing this conversation in his head since the moment the words left his mouth, but now that it was actually happening, all his carefully prepared explanations seemed inadequate. How do you tell your sister that her brother died and was replaced by the soul of someone from another universe? How do you explain cosmic reincarnation to someone who's already dealing with the trauma of accidentally putting her boyfriend in a coma?
"It's complicated," he said finally, which was both completely true and utterly useless as an explanation.
"Try me," Marie replied with the kind of patient determination that suggested she was prepared to sit there until he gave her a real answer. "I just watched you absorb superpowers from a person who was tryin' to kill us, then fight alongside another like you'd been doin' it your whole life. I think I can handle complicated."
Marcus looked around the cabin, making sure they had as much privacy as the confined space allowed. Professor Xavier was in the cockpit with Logan, discussing flight plans and extraction protocols. Storm was reviewing tactical reports on a tablet, her attention focused on analyzing the government forces that had been hunting them. Maria Santos—who had insisted on coming along rather than being left behind to deal with law enforcement questions she couldn't answer—was sound asleep in a reclining seat, exhausted by the day's events.
"What I'm about to tell you is gonna sound completely insane," Marcus said, turning back to Marie. "But I need you to understand that everything I've done since our powers manifested—every decision I've made, every piece of impossible knowledge I've had—it all stems from this."
Marie nodded, settling deeper into her seat. "Go ahead."
Marcus took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts the way CJ Smith had always done when facing a complex problem that required systematic explanation.
"Three days ago, there was a boy named Caleb James Smith livin' in Jefferson, Missouri. CJ to his friends. He was seventeen years old, obsessed with comic books, had never been on a date, and spent most of his free time organizin' his collection and readin' about superheroes." Marcus paused, watching Marie's expression for signs of disbelief or alarm. "On Saturday night, he was makin' out with the most popular girl in school when her daddy came home early and caved in his skull with a Louisville Slugger."
Marie's eyes widened. "He died?"
"Very dead," Marcus confirmed. "But instead of whatever happens to people when they die normally, CJ woke up in what looked like the universe's most depressin' DMV, talkin' to an omnipotent bein' who called himself Rob and wore Hawaiian shirts with flip-flops."
"An omnipotent bein' named Rob," Marie repeated slowly, as if testing the words for plausibility.
"I know how it sounds. But Rob explained that CJ's death was a clerical error—he was supposed to die in 2067 after curin' AIDS and winnin' three Nobel Prizes, but an intern in the cosmic bureaucracy mixed up time zones." Marcus felt the familiar surreal quality that came with explaining his situation out loud. "As compensation for the screw-up, Rob offered to reincarnate him in any fictional universe he wanted, with whatever powers he wanted."
"And he chose here."
"Because he wanted to help you," Marcus said, his voice carrying all the love and protectiveness that had driven CJ's cosmic decision. "In the comics, Rogue—that's what you become when you're older—she has a tragic backstory. Uncontrolled powers, years of thinkin' she's a monster, manipulation by people who want to use her abilities as a weapon. CJ couldn't stand the idea of someone goin' through that alone."
Through their empathic connection, Marie felt the depth of emotion behind his words—love, protectiveness, and a fierce determination to prevent her from experiencing the isolation and self-hatred that had defined Rogue's early years in the comics.
"So he asked to be reincarnated as my brother," she said thoughtfully. "With powers that would let him help me."
"The Selective Absorption Gamer System," Marcus confirmed. "The ability to absorb powers through touch, but with complete control over what I take and how I use it. And telepathic immunity, so people can't manipulate my mind or read my thoughts."
Marie was quiet for a long moment, processing this information with the same methodical approach she'd always used for solving complex problems. "The system that's been givin' you those blue text notifications that you think I can't see."
Marcus blinked. "You can see the system interface?"
"Not the text, but I can feel when it activates through our empathic connection. It's like a sudden spike of focused attention, followed by you knowin' things you shouldn't know." Marie smiled slightly. "I've been wonderin' about that since you first touched me back in my bedroom."
"And you're not freakin' out about any of this?"
"Marcus—or CJ, or whoever you are now—three days ago I accidentally put my boyfriend in a coma with my bare hands. Yesterday we were bein' hunted by government agents. Today I watched you fight a guy who would've killed you easily and live to tell about it." Marie's expression was remarkably calm considering the cosmic implications of what they were discussing. "Learnin' that my brother is actually a reincarnated comic book nerd from another universe ain't even in the top five strangest things that've happened to me this week."
Relief flooded through Marcus so powerfully that Marie felt it through their connection and reached over to squeeze his hand reassuringly.
"But I got questions," she continued. "Startin' with: are you really my brother, or are you just someone wearin' his face and pretendin' to care about me?"
It was the question Marcus had been dreading most, because it went to the heart of identity and authenticity in ways that cosmic reincarnation made extremely complicated.
"That's... harder to answer than it should be," he admitted. "When Rob reincarnated me, I got all of Marcus D'Ancanto's memories, his relationships, his emotional connections. Sixteen years of lovin' you as a sister, of bein' protective and worried and proud. Those feelin's are real, even if they originally belonged to someone else."
"But underneath all that, you're still CJ Smith."
"Yes and no," Marcus said, struggling to articulate something that felt more complex than simple identity replacement. "CJ's memories, personality, and knowledge are all here. But Marcus's love for you, his protective instincts, his connection to our adoptive mama—that's here too. It's like I'm a combination of both people, rather than one person wearin' another person's skin."
Marie considered this carefully. "Do you remember growin' up with me? Our first day of school, when you punched Tommy Morrison for pullin' my hair? The time we built that fort in the woods behind the house and told each other ghost stories 'til we scared ourselves silly?"
"I remember all of it," Marcus said softly. "And those memories feel as real and important to me as CJ's memories of readin' comic books and gettin' his heart broken by girls who didn't know he existed."
"Then you're my brother," Marie said with simple certainty. "Maybe you're more than just my brother now, but you're still him. The person who's been protectin' me and makin' impossible things make sense—that's who you've always been."
Through their empathic connection, Marcus felt her absolute acceptance and trust, mixed with curiosity about the cosmic implications of his situation rather than fear or rejection.
"You're takin' this remarkably well," he observed.
"Should I be havin' a breakdown about cosmic reincarnation while we're flyin' to a school for mutant teenagers in a supersonic aircraft piloted by a man with adamantium claws?" Marie asked with a slight smile. "Because honestly, that seems like poor timin'."
Marcus laughed despite himself. "When you put it like that, it does seem like we got more immediate concerns."
"Exactly. Besides," Marie's expression became more serious, "whoever you were before, whoever you are now—you've been takin' care of me since the moment my powers manifested. You figured out how to escape from the police, you got us safe transportation, you literally fought Sabretooth to protect me. That ain't somethin' someone does just because cosmic bureaucracy assigned them to be protective."
"CJ Smith cared about Rogue as a fictional character," Marcus said, trying to explain the complex emotions driving his protective instincts. "But Marcus D'Ancanto loves Marie D'Ancanto as a sister. And somehow, I'm both of those people."
"Good," Marie said firmly. "'Cause I need both of them. I need someone who understands what's comin' and can help me prepare for it, and I need my brother who's been lookin' out for me my whole life."
Logan's voice carried back from the cockpit: "Kids, we're starting our descent into Westchester airspace. You might want to look out the windows—first glimpse of home is always something special."
Marcus and Marie both turned to peer through the Blackbird's windows as the aircraft began its approach to the coordinates that CJ's comic book knowledge told him housed one of the most important institutions in the Marvel Universe.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters spread across the landscape below them like something from a dream—manicured grounds, elegant architecture, and the kind of peaceful atmosphere that suggested sanctuary from a world that often treated people with extraordinary abilities as threats rather than individuals.
"It's beautiful," Marie whispered, her voice carrying wonder and hope in equal measure.
"It's home," Marcus replied, feeling the truth of those words despite having never seen the place before. "For both of us."
As the Blackbird settled into its final approach, Marie turned back to her brother with one more question.
"The comic book knowledge you got," she said quietly, "does it tell you what's gonna happen to us? What our lives are gonna be like?"
Marcus thought about that carefully. CJ's knowledge of X-Men continuity was extensive but not prophetic—comics were stories, not historical records, and this was reality rather than fiction. The presence of an ROB-inserted character with a gamer system had probably already changed whatever timeline he might have remembered.
"Some things, maybe," he said finally. "But Marie, the most important thing CJ Smith knew about the X-Men universe is that people get to choose who they become. Hero or villain, teacher or student, leader or follower—it's all about the choices you make when faced with impossible situations."
"And what choice are you makin'?"
Marcus looked out at the approaching school, at the place where they would learn to control their abilities and decide what kind of people they wanted to be, at the sanctuary that represented hope for a better future for all mutants.
"I'm choosin' to be your brother," he said simply. "Everything else, we'll figure out as we go."
The Blackbird touched down with mechanical precision, carrying two teenage mutants toward their new lives at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. One was learning to control absorption powers that could drain life or grant strength. The other was a cosmic refugee learning to integrate stolen abilities with borrowed memories and genuine love.
Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.
Because that's what family did, regardless of which universe they came from.
---
Hey fellow fanfic enthusiasts!
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Whether you loved it, hated it, or have some constructive criticism, your feedback is super important to me. Feel free to drop a comment or send me a message with your thoughts. Can't wait to hear from you!
If you're passionate about fanfiction and love discussing stories, characters, and plot twists, then you're in the right place! I've created a Discord (HHHwRsB6wd) server dedicated to diving deep into the world of fanfiction, especially my own stories. Whether you're a reader, a writer, or just someone who enjoys a good tale, I welcome you to join us for lively discussions, feedback sessions, and maybe even some sneak peeks into upcoming chapters, along with artwork related to the stories. Let's nerd out together over our favorite fandoms and explore the endless possibilities of storytelling!
Can't wait to see you there