Marvel: Starting as a Time Criminal, Stealing Powers

Magneto!

Why would he come to the academy!?

Storm's scalp tingled, and at that moment, Professor X's voice suddenly echoed in her mind:

"Everyone, don't panic. Come outside with me."

Clearly, Magneto had arrived in broad daylight—bold and unbothered—and Charles, already on edge, had detected him immediately.

A few minutes later.

On the lawn in front of the castle, all the uninjured X-Men stood on high alert, watching the man before them with wariness in their eyes.

Magneto spread his arms slightly, shook his head with disappointment, and sighed:

"Charles... look at you now—like a frightened bird."

"You've completely disgraced Mutants."

Wolverine's face twisted in anger. He barely held back his rage as he growled:

"You don't know what we're dealing with!"

"You don't understand!"

Magneto lowered his arms and sneered.

"I heard someone punched your alloy spine out yesterday. Almost killed you, right?"

"What—do you think I wouldn't be able to do that myself?"

As he spoke, a powerful magnetic force surged around Wolverine, slamming him to the ground. No matter how he roared or struggled, he couldn't move an inch.

Storm instinctively raised her arm to summon lightning—but the memory of yesterday's battle flashed in her mind like a ghost, casting a shadow over her heart. The electricity dancing in her palm fizzled and vanished.

The sight stunned the other X-Men nearby.

Professor X finally spoke, slowly:

"Enough, Erik..."

"Call me Magneto," Erik snapped coldly, cutting him off.

Charles' expression dimmed. After a moment of silence, he said softly:

"I only remember a friend named Erik."

Magneto responded flatly:

"That was the past."

"From the moment you betrayed us, I ceased to be Erik."

"Enough—I'm not here to argue with you today."

"I already know what happened at the academy yesterday."

This was a clear admission—he had spies from the Brotherhood inside the school.

The X-Men's expressions immediately darkened.

Beast stepped forward, his voice cold:

"If you know what happened, then you should understand—there are forces in the human world more powerful than we could ever imagine!"

"If your ideology continues unchecked, one day all Mutants will be destroyed!"

Magneto didn't deny it. Instead, he replied with certainty:

"That's exactly why we must save ourselves."

"We have no real home. No one strong enough to protect all of us."

The X-Men fell into silence.

Magneto didn't sound as radical as before—but what he was saying still felt like a fantasy.

Would things really be so bad for Mutants if they had those things?

Suddenly, Magneto's eyes gleamed. He looked around meaningfully and said:

"I know a name. A name that can change the fate of all Mutants!"

"If we work together, we will find him!"

He had been in despair just the night before...

But the moment he heard that name, he was filled with hope again.

He spoke of that trip to Eastern Europe—of the woman he met that night.

It had to be fate.

Professor X frowned.

"Even if such a person exists… why would he help Mutants?"

Magneto replied quietly:

"Because he is the ancestor of all Mutants."

The lawn fell completely silent.

The X-Men exchanged confused glances.

An ancestor?

Wasn't mutation supposed to be a result of evolutionary genetics?

Where would an "ancestor" come from?

After a long pause, Professor X shook his head and said:

"Hope often leads to deeper despair, Erik."

"You might end up awakening a devil. I can't support this."

Magneto's facial muscles twitched in anger.

Even now, Charles was still clinging to his fantasies.

Fool.

He opened his mouth to curse—but stopped, realizing something.

"Where's Jean Grey?" he asked sharply.

Storm and the others were startled.

Only then did they realize Jean wasn't among them.

Considering Cyclops had died just the day before, everyone suddenly felt uneasy.

Magneto stared directly at Professor X, who remained silent.

After a moment, Erik sneered:

"I don't need you worthless fools anymore!"

With that, his body slowly floated into the air, preparing to leave.

But he didn't notice—someone was watching him quietly from a window in the castle.

Raven lay snuggled in Russell's arms, her arms wrapped around his waist. She looked out the window, then back at him curiously:

"Aren't you going to stop him?"

"That 'Mutant ancestor'... sounds terrifying. I mean, how could any Mutant live that long?"

Russell smiled, his eyes gleaming.

"No. I want him to continue."

Time had just been stirred—and he could feel the Anchor Point was near.

Raven didn't fully understand why he let Magneto go, but she still asked:

"Do you want me to act as a spy? Erik would trust me."

"He's sometimes even more naïve than Professor X."

Russell smiled, patted the soft jelly-like form behind him, raised an eyebrow, and said:

"Not bad. You've got a high level of ideological awareness—knowing how to help your boyfriend."

"I'll forgive you for seducing me earlier."

Raven's face instantly turned red. She stammered:

"Don't touch me... no, stop talking nonsense!"

"I just think Erik's going to lead Mutants straight to hell."

"He doesn't even know that you are the real Asgardian right now!"

Russell didn't bother exposing her true intentions.

She had completely surrendered last night.

Right now, she was just acting tough.

But tough talk won't help her.

Luckily, Russell had a magic weapon for dealing with this kind of thing.

He smirked and with a thought, closed the curtains again.

Afternoon.

Russell returned to Kamar-Taj.

After casually handling some magical affairs, lighting a few symbolic firecrackers for the Ancient One, and cleansing Mystique's mind one more time, he made his way to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Top floor, Triskelion (S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ).

Nick Fury stood by the window, looking out at the horizon, his expression dark and brooding.

What had happened at Xavier's School yesterday—especially that gaping spatial rift—was more terrifying than the Chitauri invasion in 2012. It looked like the literal end of the world.

Congress had called him dozens of times. He'd managed to stall for now, but that wouldn't last forever.

He wanted to know what exactly had happened there, but didn't dare go without clearance from that person.

Bang bang!

A sudden knock on his desk jolted Fury out of his thoughts.

He turned around with a scowl—and nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Magician! You're here!"

He quickly stood up and forced a smile.

Russell, fully aware of the Director's stress, got straight to the point:

"A clone of the Lord of Hell appeared at the Mutant Academy and descended into the real world. I dealt with it."

"It's related to that earlier town incident. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't need to keep investigating."

Nick Fury's eyelids twitched. His scalp tingled.

He made it sound so casual—but the amount of information packed into that sentence was insane!

Lord of Hell?

Wasn't that just a myth!?

How the hell did that become real!?

Why is Earth getting more dangerous every day!?

Carol Danvers had told him Earth was just a "low-tier civilization" that wouldn't attract much attention.

And now? Aliens (Thor and the Chitauri) invade every other week—and now Hell is showing up?

He was seriously starting to think Captain Marvel needed to come back permanently.

Earth might be the one place in the galaxy that needed saving the most.

After finally digesting that bombshell, Fury cautiously asked:

"So… if there's a Lord of Hell… is there a God?"

"Shouldn't He be dealing with this sort of thing?"

Russell replied casually:

"There's no God. This isn't DC."

Nick didn't quite get the last part, but he understood enough:

No God.

That was a bit of a relief.

The idea of both Heaven and Hell being real was too terrifying.

Still, he didn't think the Sorcerer Supreme had come all this way just to tell him that.

So, he asked tentatively:

"Mr. Russell... is there something you need from us?"

As he asked, he silently prayed:

Please just be a small favor. Please don't let it be some world-ending task.

Please...

Russell looked him straight in the eye, and Nick immediately began to sweat.

Then Russell chuckled.

"Relax. It's not a dangerous task."

"Call Captain Honey and Black Widow."

Nick blinked. Captain Honey?

After a few seconds, he figured it out and quickly contacted the two operatives.

A few minutes later.

There was a loud knock on the door, followed by a familiar voice:

"Captain One-Eye, agent codenamed 'Farmer' reporting!"

Nick Fury's face instantly darkened.

"Just come in. The door isn't—"

Bang!

Captain America kicked open the door and marched in like a plantation overseer checking whether the slaves were picking cotton fast enough.

Unfortunately, he was holding a shield instead of a whip.

But the moment he stepped through the outer hallway and saw who was inside the conference room, he froze.

Stiff as a board.

He stood awkwardly, unable to move.

It wasn't until Black Widow's voice urged him from behind that he forced a pained smile and stepped inside.

Natasha was confused at first—but the moment she stepped through and saw Russell, she understood.

So she, too, entered with the posture of a guilty student.

After politely greeting everyone, both of them stood to the side—silent and obedient.

Russell couldn't help but wonder:

Am I really that scary?

Oh well—it made what he was about to do even easier.

After all, Magneto only knew the name, not the exact location.

If Russell wanted fate to unfold correctly, he had to guide it himself.

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