The black X-Jet touched down just outside the rusty, barbed-wire entrance of Mutant Town, its sleek frame a sharp contrast to the dilapidated buildings and broken streets beyond. Dust scattered as the engines cooled.
Adrian, Peter, Bobby, and Cassie stepped off with the rest of the X-Men, joining Cyclops, Beast, and Jean Grey. The sky above was a dusky purple, the final light of day bleeding over the city's horizon.
Mutant Town wasn't just a name—it was a reality. Mutants of all kinds filled the streets: some with extra limbs, some glowing faintly, others hooded or cloaked to hide their mutations. Despite the chaos of the outer world, this place pulsed with a raw, communal energy.
Cyclops turned to Adrian, his expression serious. "You guys should stay here for a couple of days. Talk to the people, get a feel for things. This town is one of the kinder ones—most here will talk before they fight."
"Well, that sounds assuring," Cassie muttered sarcastically, folding her arms.
"We'll be going to the other settlements to chase down leads on the hidden base," Beast added.
With that, the X-Men stepped back into the jet, its engines flaring before the vehicle lifted into the air and disappeared over the skyline.
As silence returned, Bobby raised a brow and looked at Adrian. "So, great leader... what's the plan?"
Adrian shot him a mock glare. "Alright, you ass, here's the plan. First, we get a temporary residence. We can't just sleep in the woods again."
"I am NOT sleeping in a forest again," Cassie huffed.
"Second, we build trust with the locals. And I don't trust either of you not to screw that up."
Both Bobby and Cassie groaned.
"And last," Peter added, his voice hopeful, "we help out and show them we're here to protect, not pressure."
"Exactly. Confidence. Commitment. Compassion."
Five minutes later—
"How the hell did we get into this mess?!" Cassie barked.
The four of them were tied up, arms behind their backs, ropes snug, surrounded by a small group of villagers. The air was heavy with tension. Mutants of various forms—scaly skin, glowing eyes, transparent limbs—watched from alleys and rooftops.
Standing closest was a woman with a lit cigarette hanging from her lips, a fire axe resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were sharp and cold.
"So. Why are you folks in our town?" she asked, lowering the flat of the axe's blade toward Adrian's neck.
Adrian chuckled nervously. "We just need a place to stay... and maybe a little information."
"Oh?" She pressed the axe closer. "And what kind of information?"
Adrian exhaled slowly. "We're trying to save a child. A mutant kid who's about to get kidnapped by some very bad people."
The woman's eyes narrowed. She glanced at the others.
Peter nodded. "We're telling the truth. Honest."
Cassie didn't speak, but her glare was determined.
The axe pulled back. The woman slung it over her shoulder again and gestured to one of the men nearby.
"Cut them loose."
The ropes fell.
"You can stay. But not for free. If you're here, you work."
"Deal," Bobby muttered, rubbing his wrists.
Cue a week-long montage: Vanguard members helping locals, fixing crumbling rooftops, repairing busted water pipes, calming disputes, aiding kids with powers they couldn't control. Adrian helped rebuild a burned clinic. Peter upgraded old power lines using his command tech. Cassie taught kids how to move through shadows and made sure no one bullied the smaller ones. Bobby delivered food to the elderly using quick hops through space.
The villagers' glances became less wary, more curious. Then respectful. Then friendly.
Adrian sat on a rooftop at dusk, watching a kid with transparent skin playing with a dog that had three tails.
"Hey! Red Nova!" someone shouted from a window. "Clinic lights are flickering again!"
"On it!" Adrian called, leaping down.
Later, in the newly built home they'd earned…
Adrian dropped onto the bed with a thud. "I'm beat."
"No kidding. My fingers are scratched up from fixing those water heaters," Bobby grumbled, flopping onto the second couch.
"Suck it up. We earned this house. It's better than sleeping in a moldy warehouse with New York's money-greedy ass," Cassie smirked.
Peter collapsed on the couch next to Bobby. "I'm so tired... I can't even feel my legs."
"Lights out, guys. It's already 10 p.m.," Adrian murmured.
Thumbs went up all around.
One by one, the Vanguard members fell into deep sleep. The house was quiet. Peaceful.
Adrian rolled over in bed, eyes fluttering open.
The room was gone.
Instead, he stood in an endless black field streaked with rivers of crimson web. The ground beneath him pulsed. Above, stars bled red, shifting into spirals. And across that void, a strange silhouette walked toward him, its voice familiar.
"Well, well. Long time no see, kid."
Adrian blinked. "Fyber...?"