Before Wanda could respond, an arm bred throughout the mansion, its sharp, urgent tone cutting through the air. Charles immediately wheeled out of the room, his hands gripping the armrests of his sleek chair, moving with unexpected speed. Wanda followed close behind, her crimson aura fring faintly with each step. Gwen and Jean Grey trailed after them, their expressions ced with concern.

  “What’s going on?” Gwen asked, her voice pitched with urgency.

  “We have an unauthorized individual in the mansion,” Charles expined, his voice steady despite the chaos. “It’s likely a shapeshifter.”

  Jean’s eyes widened. “You mean Mystique.”

  Charles nodded grimly, his jaw tightening. “It has to be her. She’s the only one who could infiltrate the mansion so seamlessly.”

  Deep beneath the mansion, Mystique moved swiftly through the dimly lit corridors of the underground base. Her blue skin and yellow eyes were hidden beneath the guise of a male professor, her disguise so carefully crafted that she almost looked unassuming—almost.

  The one detail she hadn’t accounted for, however, was the peculiar sungss phenomenon. While most men in the mansion seemed obsessed with reflective lenses, Mystique had opted to go without, deeming it unnecessary. A mistake, she thought with annoyance as she passed a mirror and caught a glimpse of herself. But it’s too te to fix now.

  Her irritation didn’t st long. The Cerebro chamber loomed ahead, its circur door glowing faintly. Mystique smirked as she approached the console, her fingers dancing over the controls. Within moments, she was accessing the blueprints for the machine, her mind already racing with how Magneto could use such power.

  “This is too easy,” she murmured, her voice tinged with amusement as she transferred the data onto a small, encrypted device. “Magneto’s going to love this.”

  The Cerebro chamber’s doors slid open just as Mystique tucked the device into her belt. She turned, her golden eyes narrowing as Charles, Wanda, Gwen, and Jean stormed into the room. Her disguise melted away, revealing her true form—her striking blue skin and glowing yellow eyes contrasting against the sterile white of the chamber.

  “Well, well,” Mystique said, her voice smooth and mocking, “look who decided to join the party.”

  “Step away from the console,” Charles commanded, his tone firm and unyielding.

  Mystique’s lips curved into a sly smile. “You’re too te, Charles. The data is already mine.”

  Wanda stepped forward, her crimson aura crackling like lightning around her. “You’re not leaving with it.”

  Mystique tilted her head, her golden eyes flicking to Wanda with mild curiosity. “Ah, Wanda Maximoff. The Scarlet Witch, they call you. Let’s see if the rumors about you are true.”

  Without warning, Wanda sent a surge of chaotic energy barreling toward Mystique. The shapeshifter leaped to the side, her movements fluid and almost serpentine. Gwen sprang into action, firing a webline at Mystique’s legs. The blue-skinned mutant twisted in midair, narrowly avoiding the sticky trap.

  “You’re quick,” Gwen muttered, her lenses narrowing as she nded gracefully on the console.

  “And you’re annoying,” Mystique shot back, flipping backward and nding lightly on her feet. “But I’ll give you credit for trying.”

  Jean’s telekinetic energy fred as she extended a hand, attempting to encase Mystique in a bubble of force. Mystique, however, was nothing if not resourceful. With a swift kick, she dislodged a loose panel and hurled it toward Jean, breaking her concentration.

  Wanda surged forward again, her symbiote suit forming sharp, jagged cws that sshed through the air. Mystique dodged, her agility allowing her to narrowly escape the attacks. “You’re holding back, Scarlet Witch,” she taunted. “Afraid to hurt the children upstairs?”

  Wanda’s jaw tightened. Mystique wasn’t entirely wrong—she could hear the distant sounds of footsteps and voices as students and staff began to gather in response to the arms. The presence of so many innocents made Wanda hesitate, and Mystique took full advantage.

  As Mystique lunged toward a nearby control panel, she pressed a button that triggered a flood of thick, gray smoke. The room filled with it instantly, reducing visibility to near zero. Wanda coughed, her crimson energy flickering faintly as she tried to focus.

  “Stay alert!” Jean called, her telekinetic aura glowing faintly as she attempted to push the smoke away.

  When the smoke finally cleared, Mystique was nowhere to be seen—only a crowd of confused students, many of whom were wearing the infamous mirrored sungsses, remained. Wanda scanned the faces carefully, her eyes narrowing.

  “She’s blending in,” Jean muttered, her frustration palpable.

  Wanda clenched her fists. “She’s gone,” she said coldly. “But this isn’t over.”

  As the arms silenced and the students were ushered back to their dorms, the group gathered near the Cerebro console. Charles examined the console with a grim expression, his hands hovering over the controls.

  “She has the blueprints,” he said quietly. “If Magneto builds his own Cerebro... the consequences could be catastrophic.”

  Gwen leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. “What exactly does this thing do?”

  “It amplifies a telepath’s abilities,” Charles expined. “With it, I can locate any mutant on the pnet. In Magneto’s hands, it could be used to... much darker ends.”

  “Like wiping people out?” Gwen asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

  Charles nodded solemnly. “Precisely.”

  The doors hissed open again, and Logan—Wolverine—strolled in, his sharp eyes scanning the room. His boots thudded against the floor, and his signature cigar hung loosely from his lips.

  “What the hell happened down here?” he asked, his voice gruff.

  “Mystique,” Charles said simply. “She infiltrated the mansion and stole the Cerebro blueprints.”

  Logan’s frown deepened. “And no one caught her?”

  “She was disguised,” Jean said, her voice tight. “It wasn’t obvious until it was too te.”

  “The only reason we noticed,” Gwen chimed in, “was because she wasn’t wearing sungsses.”

  Logan raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. “Sungsses? At night? Why the hell is everyone wearing sungsses around here?”

  “Exactly!” Gwen said, throwing up her hands. “It’s weird, right?”

  Charles cleared his throat, looking visibly uncomfortable. “The sungsses are... a precaution. Some of the male staff have sensitive eyes.”

  Wanda rolled her eyes. “Sensitive eyes. Sure. That’s definitely the reason.”

  Logan snorted, shaking his head. “This pce gets stranger by the day.”

  As the group dispersed, Wanda found herself walking alongside Jean and Gwen. The tension from the confrontation lingered, but so did a sense of determination.

  “We can’t let this happen again,” Jean said quietly, her telekinetic aura shimmering faintly. “The mansion is supposed to be a safe pce.”

  “We’ll stop Magneto,” Wanda said firmly. “No matter what it takes.”

  Gwen gnced at Wanda, her expression a mix of admiration and curiosity. “You really think we can do it?”

  Wanda smirked, her crimson aura glowing softly. “Of course we can. We’re unstoppable.”

  Jean’s lips curved into a faint smile as she watched Wanda. Her thoughts drifted to Wanda’s earlier dispy of power, her calm confidence, and—most perplexing of all—her intoxicating scent. How does she always smell so good? Jean wondered, her cheeks flushing faintly.

  Fracture’s voice echoed in Wanda’s mind, dripping with amusement. **“Another one under your spell. You’re really building something here, Maximoff.”**

  “It’s a gift,” Wanda thought with a smirk.

  As the trio ascended back to the main levels of the mansion, the weight of their mission hung over them. Magneto had gained a dangerous advantage, but Wanda, Jean, and Gwen were ready to fight back. Together, they knew they had a chance.

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