Marvel: Visionary’s Dawn

"Status update!" 

Charles called urgently as he swiftly entered Cerebro's command room, followed by Jean, Cyclops, Storm, and Wolverine.

"Rogue requested the Blackbird five minutes ago," Beast replied and typed continuously on a sleek-looking keyboard with far too many buttons for a tool meant just for typing.

A holographic simulation shimmered to life, casting blue light on Hank's round glasses and the rest of the team.

A geographic map soon appeared. Hank pointed at a red triangle that was crossing cities and mountains with a constant increasing speed.

"As you can see, the signal first appeared around the border of Winchester County. She was traveling at sonic speed. And quickly left the county behind, most likely airborne." 

"How?" Scott asked. "Didn't she lose the flight powers she borrowed from Danvers?"

As far as he knew, she hadn't absorbed any powers lately.

Jean looked at her husband and shook her head. "Don't overthink it, maybe she caught a plane."

"Could be…" Scott thought for a moment and nodded.

"Or captured by a sentinel," Logan said, feeling unsettled.

"But that doesn't explain her emergency signal," Storm looked worried, having second thoughts about her approaching journey.

"Where's she now?" Charles turned to Hank and asked.

"She should be near this location," Hank said, his fingers flying on the controls. The projection quickly changed, displaying a live satellite image. It zoomed in right above the clearing where a long black truck was stationed.

"Where's this?" Storm asked.

"Adirondack Mountains, approximately 400km north of New York."

"What has gotten into her, going there alone…" Jean muttered, her puzzlement was shared by everyone.

"What about reaching her through phone or the comm unit?" Storm asked.

Hank spun in his chair to face them. "She didn't take her comm, and I couldn't connect to her phone either, most likely an isolated area in the woods.."

"It seems as if the girl entirely forgot her training, or whatever she was doing didn't give her that chance," Logan said with arms crossed over his chest. 

Scott leaned on the command control, thinking and trying to make sense of Rogue's course of action.

"We can't allow ourselves to fall into assumptions, Logan," He said with a firm tone. 

As the team leader, he knew what they needed was a solid plan, followed by execution. Any other distracting thoughts would pull them away from success.

Logan grunted but didn't refute him, "There's another thing you forgot about… the kid… he's with her. Didn't you say she went to New York to meet him?"

Hank's whiskers twitched; he regretted not giving Adam a tracker of his own.

"True, which means something urgent came up."

"No matter," Charles massaged his temples, suppressing his worries. "Let's try to connect with her."

He moved his wheelchair a few steps, then stopped, before turning back.

''Hank, launch Cerebra this time,'' he said as he reached the blank walls at the end of the room, free from any decoration or electrical apparatus.

''She's functional.. But we still aren't done with the testing,'' Hank asked hesitantly. Cerebra was the twin sister of Cerebro, albeit much more powerful and far-reaching.

''It doesn't matter, we've run enough tests, if she works, she'll amplify my psychic senses to the tenth order, and we very much need that now.'' Charles' stance was firm; moreover, he was very much looking forward to trying it for the first time.

''A-Alright,'' Hank hesitated for a moment before issuing a command through the controls. A mechanical whistling rang behind the metallic walls of the command center, the side wall where the professor waited, unraveled, sheets of metal sliding into recesses on the floor and the roof.

Once the wall was dismantled, it revealed a wide, hidden space where a big, horizontally oval sphere rested on an elevated platform. 

The egg-shaped chamber bristled with power cables, far too large for its frame, thick and serpentine that vanished under the darkness behind.. 

The front had an inclined ascending platform where the professor positioned his wheelchair, allowing him to be swallowed inside the compartment. 

"Be careful with the mindphones, it's sharp plastic and may cut your ears, these deft paws didn't have time to refine the design further," Hank shouted under the light of the monitors and the loading AI launch.

"Most of you forget I don't have earlobes," Charles murmured and caught the helmet descending from above.

He quickly put it on and commanded 

"Proceed," 

"Cerebra?" Jean wondered why she wasn't informed about their secretive project.

"Think of it as the older sister to Cerebro, much more powerful, and with a global reach," Beast replied while continuing to type. A few seconds later, a faint mechanical hum sprang from Cerebra's metallic body.

A cold mist spread from below where the cooling units roared to life.

Charles' nerves tensed as his nails dug into the chair's armrests, feeling the overwhelming amplification of Cerebra, although this time it was much more powerful..

In his focused peak combat state, without relying on machinery, his telepathic sense could reach hundreds of kilometers.

Now, he felt like he could tap into any mind on earth. He tried to relax and sank deep into his chair. The exhilaration brought by the things he could do couldn't help ease the pain of accumulating to its operation, only guided focus.

Seconds passed under the worried gaze of his students. Jean felt a shiver run down her spine; her eyes widened. Charles was no longer with them; he was everywhere at once, and it prickled at her psychic senses. She wanted to try it badly.

Meanwhile, Professor X's mind was racing across distance; he ignored millions of silhouettes and murmuring that brushed past him, guided by a sense of familiarity with Rogue's psychic signature, he managed to find her.

Their minds connected.

"Rogue, are you fine, and is Adam with you?" He

"Yes, professor, did you get my message?" Her voice was clear despite the distance.

Charles let out a long, relieved breath.

"Yes, we got your message. What's your situation, and why did you both go to the far woods in the dead of the night?"

"We uncovered some clues on abducted mutants, and it led us… right here." This time, it was Adam who replied. Charles wondered how he managed to slip through their psychic link.

His perception through Cerebra shifted, looking at Adam. Charles drew a sharp breath. The psionic energy radiating from him was off the charts, boundless and vast with a hint of madness, surpassed only by Jean in her Dark Phoenix form.

As if sensing his probe, the psionic energy withdrew. Charles didn't mention it and continued.

"It's comforting to hear you are both fine, now I need you to stay put and don't engage, wait for us to arrive." 

"We could at least scout ahead of you," Rogue reached out once again through the link, and this time, Charles felt something different about her.

Her mind felt tired, burdened, and brittle, despite her efforts to conceal it.

Charles' lips stretched thin. Something about this spilled bad news for him, although he could reach inside her mind to uncover the truth, but he stopped; he had to remind himself they were his students and he shouldn't repeat old mistakes. 

A moment later, he replied.

"You can do so, but don't engage, that's an order." 

"... alright," He thought he heard her sigh in relief, perhaps she was worried about Adam, he thought.

"Wait for us," He cut off the link and removed the helmet.

"Something happened with Rogue," he said, contemplating. 

"Her mind is heavy, burdened." Lines stretched on his forehead.

"What happened?" Scott couldn't stand the professor rambling when they needed field info the most.

Charles shook his head, "Rogue and Adam followed some clues about abducted mutants, you're to lead the team there, and be prepared for any battle."

His words didn't have time to settle before everyone rushed to suit up.

_________________________

"Did he leave?" Rogue asked as she dragged her feet through a bed of dried leaves while carrying her phone in her hand, using it as a flashlight.

"Yes," Adam replied, his hands resting on a rough bark, and his eyes looked through the stretch of trees, where the black truck was visible only to him in the dark.

"We won't engage, but we'll survey the surroundings first." She added on, making sure he won't act alone.

"I understand, Rogue, I heard what the professor said." He trudged on in silence, his senses stretched far out to the truck.

He registered two presences, and a third one that was as strong as a telepath.

A grief-stricken wail struck his being, coming from it.

"Why? Why? What did I do?"

It spoke into his mind, crying, something seemed to be broken, and it made him shiver. He glanced at Rogue, she was unaware. He had to hold himself back from breaking into a full sprint.

They soon reached the edge of the clearing and stepped over the low surrounding bushes, standing under the shadows, eyes looking out for any danger.

Adam's eyes narrowed, and he felt those two presences move.

We had been discovered, he thought, and strode forward.

"What are you doing? We need to scout the place first." Rogue grabbed his hand and said in a hushed voice.

"They already know we're here," He said as a matter of fact.

"How?" Rogue looked at a trailer that looked like one of those mobile homes she had seen before.

The sound of compressed air being released caught their attention, as the trailer's door slowly swung open, a short flight of stairs unfolded beneath it.

Two people walked out, followed by the sudden light from the light bulb above the door. They descended the stairs with utter calmness, all the time looking at them.

Yet, they didn't show their faces, covered from head to toe with a black suit. Tubes wound their way from their breathing masks into their backs, while others were inserted into their front torso.

It looked like something worn in a sterile environment, as if they were shielding themselves against contamination.

As they came closer, Rogue's honed body tensed. They had guns holstered at their waist, yet strangely, they didn't reach for them.

A muffled chuckle came from behind the masks.

"Aye~ Rogue of the X-Men, didn't expect you to arrive this soon." They spoke in unison, different voices, yet the same tone and wording.

Adam narrowed his eyes, a thought sprang from him, he reached for their minds, but found nothing, they were in a blank state, someone was talking through them.

"Where are you hiding?" He asked, and further extended his senses. Yet he found no psychic signature; instead, a process of alien thoughts, incomprehensible and inhuman, murmured at the back of their heads, spreading whispers that controlled them.

Adam, without hesitation, squashed this thought, only for it to be reborn anew like nothing happened. 

He tried to dominate it, but it would suddenly extinguish itself before he could gain full control. Then be reborn anew.

An unseen battle commenced, only to end with Adam concluding that he can't completely eradicate it mentally.

If I can't do that, that doesn't mean I can't destroy its host. Lit by moonlight, Adam's fingers sharpened into claws, gleaming, ready to strike.

''Ah, resorting to violence after not succeeding, it must be frustrating, doesn't it, for you mutants to not have your way every time?'' The entity spoke again, its voice laced with pride, glee, and superiority.

''What happened?'' Rogue asked, baffled by their stare and the entity's words.

It's not humane, I couldn't take over its mind, if it even has one… He sent her a telepathic message.

''What a shame, I was about to finish creating my new masterpiece,'' the entity sighed as if saddened, yet all that Adam felt was indifference and hate for him and Rogue.

A slumbering rage burst out of her, as she took a step forward, ''Those abductions, you were behind them?'' 

''I must admit, you are slow on the uptake,'' It chuckled, then shook its head, ''No matter, I've gotta go now, soon this place will become a freak party, and I don't have time to waste on you.''

''But what a shame, it's hard to leave my little project unfinished,'' the entity seemed regretful. Both men quickly injected a needle into their necks. A heartbeat later, the bodies beneath the suit started convulsing and twitching. They fell to the ground, startling Rogue into taking a step back.

''What's your name?'' Adam suddenly asked.

The two men's bodies began dissolving as if they were losing their biomass. A sickening sound emanated, like they had been dropped into a pool of acid.

''Name…. There's only one entity in existence who knows that… long forgotten… too many years to count,'' The man's voice sounded like they had punctured lungs, grating on the ears.

''I see…'' Adam had a dangerous smile that wasn't a smile on his face.

''My name is Adam Winters, I hope you'll remember it.''

''I will…Adam Winters… I shall deliver your end, when the time is right…'' It replied, then fell into silence; the bodies had completely decomposed into fluids.

''It's gone…'' Rogue finally spoke. The suits were like water balloons, filled with decomposed flesh, that made a disgusting sound when they finally settled in place.

She took a look at Adam, who closed his eyes. She was worried for a moment that perhaps everything was starting to take a toll on him.

Yet, she was far from the truth. He wasn't with her; he was seeing through the thoughts of a bacterial hive mind, spread across thousands of humans, with a few dozen cells achieving active control. It had no central commanding mind; each cell was the same. 

They were Sublime.

A sentient bacterial life form that came into being billions of years ago, parasitizing on humans to this day, whispering behind the ears of its host into life essence itself.

Adam opened his eyes and broke away from Sublime's vision. I hope you'll investigate me, that'll make it easier for me to understand your mind.

A flash of insight graced his head; this wasn't a mind, but a disease, a bacteria that thought.

He saw too many abduction cells, parasitized by it, although he didn't achieve active control over them, he whispered his ideology into their ears, which created the cult of the U-men.

A group of humans who graft mutant body parts and X hormone mutagen to create the third species, Homo Perfectus.

''Get a grip, Adam… let's see what's inside… I hope I won't regret it…'' Rogue strode to the trailer. 

However, he didn't let her go; he caught her hand and shook his head.

''Unless you want to remain sleepless tonight, I suggest you don't take a look inside.''

''Why? What's inside?'' She asked, but he remained silent; he had seen through Sublime's fully controlled host the horrors of their actions.

''If you don't want to speak, then I suggest you don't stop me.'' She freed her hand.

''There are dismembered mutants, Rogue….dead, their organs harvested…'' his voice cracked, barely audible.

Rogue's steps faltered for a moment, and so did her heartbeat as it accelerated into a frantic pace. She felt the cool wind sweep over her back, and it chilled her heart.

She broke into a full sprint, ascending the creaking stairs, the trailer light burned, neon blue, sterile and harsh, inside were plastic bags, dismembered limbs, and jars of human organs swimming inside a vicious fluid. Some organs were hung by hooks while others lay bloody on a cold metal counter. 

At the far end, a young woman lay motionless on an operating table. Most of her head was gone, hair and skull alike, only her brain remained, put beside her inside a glass container, pulsing faintly.

"Oh God," Rogue gasped in horror, vomit threatening to escape her mouth as she turned her heels and, shakingly, bent over, spilling her guts out.

Adam gave her a concerned glance as he entered, his breath quickened, taking in the monstrous acts committed here.

He shoved the horrors to the back of his mind, focusing only on the still-living brain and the woman's corpse that had been left cold, with congealed blood on the floor.

He pushed past the discomfort and the brain's psychic wails; he put his hands on top of it and whispered, lulling it to sleep.

"It's alright, everything will be fine once you wake up, now rest a little, you deserve it…"

He brushed the container, a thought from him, and the voices settled down, dreaming about a world where reality is fake.

He took it in his arms and steadily went out of the trailer, his mind cold.

Rogue, who ran out, glanced at him, at the brain in his hands, but said nothing, even he himself didn't want to talk about anything yet.

Time passed in silence.

Blackbird descended into the clearing, the cargo hatch fell open, and the entire X-Men team came out.

Jean and Storm rushed to Rogue, who looked as if she had lost her soul, while Adam stood watching, holding the brain container tightly.

"You okay, kid?" Logan came closer and spoke without his usual gruffness.

"I'm managing," Adam replied, "As for the people inside… You should go and see for yourself."

Logan narrowed his eyes; the gruesome sight in his hands didn't escape his notice. 

Scott, followed by the rest of the X-Men and Rogue, who seemed to start recovering, came closer.

"She told us about what happened…" he patted his shoulder, "you can rest in the jet …we'll take it from here," 

Adam expressionlessly nodded, "Don't forget to bring her body."

He entered the jet and dropped his weight on the chair. Rogue soon came and settled in front of him.

"Do you regret coming with me?" He asked, while ignoring the aftereffects of the visual horrors the rest of the X-Men were experiencing.

"No," she said, her voice weak. "Ah can't keep my eyes closed forever…" 

Silence fell between them as one black body bag after the other was dragged by the grim-looking Logan and Scott. The other females didn't have it any better, even though they were more experienced than Rogue; their tears still fell.

Minutes passed, and they loaded every corpse inside the jet's hidden container. Hank came last, holding the remaining body bag.

"We've recovered five bodies, and this one is the last, the one without a brain," he said.

"Put it down," Adam calmly stood up and took the body from Hank.

He opened the zipper, and immediately a bloody smell assaulted their senses, but he didn't seem to mind. He put it down next to the brain and seemed to ponder for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Storm asked, looking concerned, frankly, the sight looked like it came straight out of a horror movie.

On the other hand, Jean had realised something.

"The brain! It's still alive!"

"Yes," Adam replied, "And I promised that once she woke up, everything she had experienced would be like a fleeting dream.''

His hands rested on both body parts. The calmness he displayed was only a front to the anger he felt within.

And at this moment, he decided to channel every sickening memory to make her whole again.

The air seemed to get thicker, humming with unseen spirituality, spilling like a tide, no longer contained.

The X-Men found themselves getting pushed back, as they watched, uncertain about what's happening, Adam's eyes turned illusory, no longer human, something else, much more complex.

The wind swept by some leaves, Adam's focus remained uninterrupted as he envisioned her whole once again.

His spirituality was consumed rapidly, but it was like a drop in the ocean. When all of a sudden, the brain and the body seemed to merge into one, as if space overlapped.

In a blink, body and brain were one, she dropped lightly on the bag, naked, but her chest rose, she was breathing, whole once again.

Adam stood up and smiled faintly, comforted that he at least managed to help one unfortunate soul.

"What did you do?" Storm asked, feeling quite shaken, the same as the rest of the X-Men.

"She wasn't dead… I just envisioned her whole again," he replied, and looked at them. There was something in their eyes, curiously, shock, exhilaration.

A soft smile spread on his face. Rogue's dour mood had changed; she hastily stood up and went to examine the girl with the Beast, who was equally fascinated.

"Remarkable, utterly remarkable," his golden eyes seemed to glitter, as he took her pulse and found it to be stable.

"She's a telepath, we should take her back to the mansion," he looked back at the trailer, wishing he could set it in flames, and he could; however, he held himself lest he burn the entire forest.

"Right, we should get going," Scott ran and jumped over the pilot seats, pressed some buttons, a second later, the jet engine roared alive.

The jet slowly ascended into the sky, while Adam kept staring at the trailer through the window. 

Logan patted his shoulder as he took his seat.

"Not bad, kid." 

Jean came closer and followed his gaze to the trailer.

"We took everything we need from here, the bodies will get a proper burial." She said,

"That's good," he nodded. "And the truck, what do you plan to do with it?"

Jean gave him a brief, puzzled glance, then replied.

"Someone will come and destroy it later on."

Adam stared at the rapidly shrinking clearing below. For a moment, his eyes shone.

"Maybe… an earthquake should swallow it,'' His voice was quiet yet had an eerie quality to it; He believed in a different future, and declared it wordlessly.

The entire X-Men fell silent, then a quiet chuckle escaped Logan.

"Kid got quite the imagination,"

Jean stared at him, mouth twitching, about to give him a piece of her mind.

All of a sudden, a loud rumble shook the ground below.

The team immediately sprang to their feet, looking outside the window at the forest section that cracked and swallowed the entire clearing inside.

Trees broke, dust refused to settle down, Birds flew away rapidly, the noise didn't seem to stop, nor the shaking of the woods.

"Guys, look outside, an earthquake," Scott shouted far inside the cockpit.

No one spoke, the team ignored him; instead, they looked at Adam, who leaned on his chair, pretending to be oblivious to what happened outside.

His mind sorting through the Sublime's life, planning how to take him down, from the dark, like he did to every single body he put on that surgical table.

______________________

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and thank you very much for the power stones and the kind comments.