Wolverine lunged, claws gleaming. Fenric merely flicked his wrist.
With a sharp crack, Logan was flung backward, tumbling across the courtyard.
"Logan!"
The young Storm cried out, her eyes flashing white as she instinctively summoned her powers.
Wind howled through the academy grounds. Clouds rolled overhead, and thunder split the sky.
"Boom—!"
A lightning bolt crashed down—not on Fenric, but directly onto Wolverine just as he staggered to his feet.
"Ahhh!"
Wolverine howled, smoke rising from his scorched body, his hair frizzed upright like a startled cat. Were it not for his healing factor, he would have been half-dead already.
"Ororo!" Cyclops barked, half-accusing. "If you're going to strike, hit him, not Logan!"
Though he scolded her, his lips twitched upward ever so slightly. Wolverine was his rival in love, always hovering around Jean. Seeing him fried wasn't entirely unwelcome.
Storm blinked in shock. "It… it wasn't me! My thunder isn't that fast!"
"What?" Cyclops froze.
If not her… then who?
"Boom—!"
Another bolt fell, narrowly missing Storm herself. The impact sent her leaping into the air in fright.
"Boom—!"
A third thunderbolt struck at Cyclops' feet, forcing him back.
The truth dawned on them all.
It wasn't Storm's lightning. It was his.
Fenric lowered his hand, voice calm, almost bored. "That was me holding back. Do you really think you can stop me?"
He wasn't sparing them out of kindness. He simply didn't want to provoke Jean into losing control and unleashing the Phoenix. That was a fight even he had no interest in at this stage.
Cyclops gritted his teeth. "Then try this!"
He pressed the switch on his visor.
"Om!"
A beam of searing crimson energy lanced toward Fenric.
Fenric didn't flinch. The instant before it struck, his body darkened as Armament Haki covered his arm. He raised it casually, letting the beam crash against him.
"Boom—!"
The energy scattered in sparks, smoke rising around him.
When it cleared, Fenric stood unscathed. He flexed his fingers with a faint smirk. "A bit warm… but that's all. Do you want to continue?"
The X-Men stared in disbelief.
Cyclops stammered, "That's… impossible. My optic blasts can tear through steel bunkers. No one—no human—should be able to withstand them!"
Wolverine, already healing from his burns, growled low in his throat. "What the hell are you?"
Fenric's eyes flicked over him with disinterest. "Stronger than you. That's all that matters."
"Together!" Cyclops barked, rallying the team.
But before anyone could move, a calm, weathered voice echoed from behind them.
"Enough."
All turned to see Professor X being wheeled forward by Bobby, the young Iceman.
"Professor!" Wolverine started, but Xavier raised a hand to silence him.
The professor's gaze fixed on Fenric, sharp as a blade. "You are not a mutant."
"What?" The team froze.
Not a mutant? Impossible. No mutant could be this powerful—and yet Xavier sounded certain.
Fenric's lips curled into a thin smile. "Correct. I'm human."
Shock rippled through them. If a human could wield such power, then what was left for mutantkind?
Xavier leaned forward slightly, eyes burning. "I can see you've held back. You're not here to kill us. So tell me, why do you want Anna?"
Fenric shook his head. "Explaining would be tedious. All you need to know is this—she's coming with me."
At his side, Rogue trembled, pale as a ghost.
"Don't even think about it!"
Wolverine snarled and charged again, ignoring Xavier's warning.
"Logan, stop!"
Too late.
This time, Fenric didn't bother with telekinesis. He moved.
His fist blurred like a phantom, crashing into Wolverine's jaw with bone-shattering force.
Logan's world spun. He felt like a train had hit him head-on. His body launched backward, plowing through grass and soil until he smashed into a pavilion, the structure collapsing over him.
He didn't rise again. His healing factor would save him eventually, but for now—he was out cold.
Fenric straightened, lowering his fist. His voice was flat. "Your strength isn't enough."
Gasps rippled through the courtyard. Even the bravest students flinched.
"Such… destructive power," Cyclops whispered.
One punch had felled Wolverine. For anyone else, it would have been fatal.
Fenric glanced at Xavier. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
"Wait!" Xavier called, his tone urgent. "Tell me—will Anna be in danger?"
Fenric chuckled softly. His eyes gleamed as he said, "She'll return from the dead. All of you will."
Before they could parse his cryptic words, his body rose from the ground, telekinesis lifting both himself and Rogue high into the sky.
Rogue shivered in his grasp, too terrified to resist. She knew the truth—if even the X-Men couldn't save her, she stood no chance.
"Professor!" Storm cried, still desperate to act.
But Xavier's face was heavy with resignation. "He's too strong. None of you can stop him."
Cyclops clenched his fists. "But you can! Your telepathy—"
"I tried," Xavier admitted grimly. "He is the most resilient mind I've ever encountered. My power cannot touch him."
Silence fell. Even Professor X… powerless?
Jean's eyes narrowed. "He knows me. He knew about… the seal inside me."
"What?" Even Xavier's composure cracked.
He thought back to Fenric's last words. She will return from the dead. All of you will.
What did he mean?
"Professor!" Cyclops snapped, frustration boiling over. "He's taken Anna! What do we do now?"
Xavier's expression hardened. "We find out what he wants. Whatever his plan is, it concerns us all."