The trek behind Sage was long and quiet, the kind of silence that hung heavy like smoke. The Vanguard followed her deeper into Mutant Town, weaving through rusted fences and alleyways blanketed with graffiti and memories. Children peeked from behind cracked doors, eyes wide. Some recognized Adrian. A few even whispered his name.
"I don't like this," Peter mumbled. "Feels like we're being watched."
"We are," Cassie replied flatly, melting out from a passing shadow.
"Just don't touch anything," Bobby added, hands tucked in his jacket. "This place might be welcoming now, but it can turn on us quick."
Sage finally stopped near what looked like a collapsed bookstore, overgrown with vines and hanging laundry. She kicked open a door hanging on its last hinge and motioned for them to enter.
Inside was a room cloaked in dust and time. Old posters of mutant rights movements clung to the walls like faded battle scars. A cracked television sat in one corner, its screen long dead.
"Sit," Sage said, resting her fire axe against the wall. She lit another cigarette.
Adrian stayed standing. "You said you'd help. So talk. What do you know about the base?"
Sage narrowed her eyes. "You're not from here. You don't get how this works. People talk only when it matters. And only to people they trust."
Adrian didn't back down. "Then give me something. Because Elio doesn't have time."
There was a pause. Sage took a long drag before speaking again.
"There's an old blacksite west of here. Buried beneath what used to be a chemical weapons plant. Officially shut down in the '80s. Unofficially? They moved everything underground. A place called Site 9."
Peter blinked. "Catchy name."
"They held experiments there. Mutants, symbiotes, and things even the X-Men never talk about. That's where they've got the kid. I don't know how many guards. Could be dozens. Could be no one. Could be traps."
Bobby leaned forward. "Why do you know all this?"
Sage didn't answer. Instead, she reached out and gently touched the scar running down her arm.
Adrian nodded solemnly. "We'll get him out."
Sage stood and walked over to him. Her palm touched his chest.
"You've got the strength," she said quietly. "But it's not about power. It's about conviction. I'll help you get in. But if you get him out, you better not let him down."
Adrian nodded. "I won't."
Meanwhile – Brotherhood Forward Camp
"The time draws near," Wanda whispered, her fingers dancing over rippling threads of scarlet. She stared into the void, seeing futures crash and fold.
Mystique flipped through stolen blueprints. "Multiple entry points. Site 9's structure is decaying. But they're clever. There'll be failsafes. Traps."
Magneto hovered above the ground, arms crossed. "Quicksilver. Toad. You will scout tonight. If the Vanguard enters, we strike when they're weak."
"Can't wait," Toad hissed, licking his lip.
Quicksilver just smirked. "Easy money."
Wanda, however, turned away. Her gaze fixed westward.
"The child dreams," she said softly. "His powers are waking. If we don't reach him soon, none of us will control what happens next."
That Night – Vanguard Safehouse
Adrian couldn't sleep. He stood on the roof of their newly earned home, eyes scanning the skyline. The stars above Mutant Town looked duller than usual.
Cassie joined him, a soda can in one hand. "You think this is a trap?"
"Everything's a trap," Adrian replied. "But some traps are worth walking into."
"You good? You seem… tense."
Adrian hesitated. Then:
"I feel like I'm carrying more than just powers. Like I'm carrying futures. One wrong step, and people like Elio—kids who never asked for this—get crushed."
Cassie sipped her drink. "Then don't take the wrong step. And if you do? We'll be right behind you. Every step."
Adrian smiled faintly. "Thanks."
The Next Day – Briefing
The Vanguard stood around a chalkboard hastily nailed to a wall. Sage tapped her finger on a drawn map.
"This is Site 9. Two main entrances. One vent system that might still be active. Likely security: drones, automated turrets, maybe psionic sensors."
Peter looked skeptical. "Psionic sensors?"
"You don't wanna know."
Adrian tightened his gloves. "We move at dawn. Quiet and fast. In and out with Elio. No casualties if we can avoid them."
"And if the Brotherhood shows up?" Bobby asked.
Adrian's eyes burned. "Then we show them what a real Vanguard looks like."
Elsewhere – Site 9 (Underground)
Elio lay on a cold bed, pale skin shimmering faintly with unstable energy. His eyes were closed, but his body trembled, caught between waking and screaming.
A monitor beeped nearby. Red warnings flashed.
"Subject nearing instability threshold," a robotic voice whispered. "Density fluctuations rising. Matter phase rate: 43%."
Outside the cell, a man in a lab coat turned and ran to sound the alarm.
The storm was coming.
And all sides were racing toward it.