SANCTUARY RETURN
Atlantis accepted them like a quiet, ancient lung drawing breath.
Vex's teleportation gate folded shut behind the group, leaving the ruined shoreline far above and replacing it with the steady calm of Atlantean stone. The rescued survivors—Juggernaut, Emma Frost, Magma, Sandman, and the children—looked around with wary relief. After days of running, the soft cerulean glow felt unreal.
The corridor guards lowered their tridents respectfully as the newcomers passed. The sight of children in a war zone had changed something in them—hard stares softened, shoulders eased.
Elle moved forward first, guiding the group. "This way. You're safe now."
Juggernaut gave a grunt, half-exhausted, half-annoyed. "Bout time."
Surge muttered under his breath, "Big guy's loud even when he's tired."
Shade kept herself calm, ushering the children to the attendants waiting ahead. "They'll take you somewhere warm," she assured softly. "You're not running anymore."
The children clung to her words, too tired to speak.
Alloy remained three steps behind the others, metal skin still covering his body. His expression gave nothing away, but the tension in his jaw did. The feral edge had faded, but it hadn't entirely left.
Stryke noticed. "Armor on this long isn't like you."
Alloy responded quietly. "I'll stand down once I know they're all safe."
Bul leaned in and whispered, "He means the kids."
Surge rolled his eyes but didn't argue.
As the Atlantean healers led the children away, an armored guard approached the team.
"You are requested in the council chamber," he said simply.
Elle nodded once. "Lead the way."
---
THREE LEADERS, ONE PURPOSE
The council chamber opened like a massive pearl split in half.
Inside waited the three leaders whose decisions shaped everything below the waves.
Magneto — controlled, unwavering, eyes sharp as steel.
Cable — analyzing projected maps and data streams with one glowing tactical eye.
Namor — regal, composed, carrying the authority of a king in every breath.
The leaders turned as the team approached.
Cable stepped forward first. "You brought the survivors home. No casualties. That's the difference between a rescue and a recovery mission."
Elle answered, "They needed help. We weren't leaving them."
Magneto's gaze drifted to Alloy. The pause said more than words.
"Your control wavered."
Alloy did not look away. "It's handled."
"See that it remains so," Magneto said. He didn't raise his voice—he didn't need to.
Namor addressed them next, voice smooth and edged with command.
"The surface settlement you recovered was one of the last functioning havens along that coast. With it lost, Reaper expansion will accelerate."
Shade stepped closer. "We saw coordinated movements. They weren't operating on basic patterns."
Cable tapped a point on the holo-map. A valley inland pulsed red.
"We think we know why. A power surge triggered one of our older sensors."
Stryke squinted at the display. "Mutant?"
"Mutant," Cable confirmed. "More than one."
Bul folded his arms. "And they're in trouble, I assume."
"Under attack," Cable said. "Reapers closing in fast."
Emma Frost entered the chamber then, already in her human form, her expression composed but tired. She had scanned the survivors extensively. She came to stand beside Magneto.
She spoke clearly. "The ones you rescued encountered Reapers using new tactics. Something is learning."
The room grew silent.
Stryke asked, "Learning how?"
Emma looked at the map. "Experimenting with flanking, trapping, ranged synchronization. Behavior beyond the baseline intelligence."
Shade's brows lowered. "Some kind of shift in the hive?"
Cable didn't deny it. "Possibly."
Namor stepped forward, posture unyielding. "Another rescue is required. Atlantis will house the survivors you brought. Your team will respond to this new threat."
Elle's voice stayed level. "We'll go now."
Magneto looked to her first—respect, not command.
"See that you bring them home."
Surge cracked a smirk. "Already planning on it."
Bul huffed a laugh. "Sounds like we're moving again."
Stryke took in the map a final time. "Give us the coordinates."
"You'll have them," Cable said. "One hour. Prepare."
The meeting was done.
---
BETWEEN WALLS OF WATER
The team walked the marble halls in a quiet line.
Surge stretched his arms overhead. "I swear, every time we get back, something else blows up."
Bul shrugged. "Better than sitting around."
Stryke didn't say anything yet—he was calculating distances, terrain, angles. He always did. That was his comfort.
Shade walked beside the wall, letting her awareness drift through subtle energy flows. "The survivors were shaken," she murmured. "We did the right thing getting them out."
Elle nodded. "And we'll do it again for the next group."
A few steps behind them, Alloy finally let his metal skin dissolve back into flesh. The transition rippled across his shoulders like liquid silver, retracting into him in seconds.
Vex noticed and moved closer. "Feeling better?"
"Clearer," he said. "I'm not proud of losing control."
Elle slowed so she could speak with him directly. "You didn't lose control. You pushed too hard in a bad moment."
Shade added gently, "If you were truly out of control, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Bul clapped Alloy on the back. "Besides, you tanked a hit from that monster. That's worth bragging about."
Surge barked a laugh. "Yeah. Congrats on not exploding."
Alloy didn't smile, but the tension eased slightly from his shoulders.
The group stepped into the central courtyard, where Atlantean healers guided the rescued children away to housing. A few young mutants stared in awe at the team—especially at Stryke's shield.
Stryke glanced at them, then looked away quickly. They didn't need a spectacle.
Elle touched his arm lightly. "They look up to you."
"I'm not Steve Rogers," he said quietly.
"No," she agreed. "But you're someone they can trust."
Before he could answer, an Atlantean attendant approached briskly.
"Your departure window is ready. The gate will open in thirty minutes."
Elle nodded. "We'll be there."
The attendant bowed and left.
Shade exhaled. "No rest for the wicked."
"Or the hybrids," Surge said.
Vex glanced between them. "We'll get the next survivors too."
Elle straightened. "Let's gear up. Meet at the transit gate."
The team split off in different directions, preparing for the next fight.
---
TEAM STATUS — INTERNAL LOG // SONAR RIDGE RETURN
Synchronization: 24%
System Harmony: Stable
Mission Result: Successful
Elle — Elemental Node
Stability: 90%
Status: Leadership alignment reinforced.
Stryke — Tactical Node
Stability: 94%
Skill Tree Active: Super Soldier
Condition: Tactical focus strong.
Alloy — Magnetic Node
Stability: 72%
Condition: Residual feral strain detected. Monitoring recommended.
Surge — Kinetic Node
Stability: 87%
Condition: High-energy state normal post-combat.
Bul — Titan Node
Stability: 98%
Condition: Readiness optimal.
Shade — Stealth Node
Stability: 93%
Condition: Steady.
Vex — Hex Node
Skill Tree Active: Arcane
Stability: 98%
Condition: Magic balanced.
Next Mission: Respond to inland mutant power signal. Reaper activity high. Terrain unstable.