Mystique's heart sank like a stone thrown into the depths of an ocean.
Magneto, on the other hand, stared at Joseph with wide eyes, his disbelief as thick as the iron he once bent to his will. He had lost control of the metal mass, and it had been incinerated in a flash of roaring blue flames. The metallic cluster, once a lethal projectile, was reduced to a pool of molten slag.
And yet, the vines that had coiled around him and pinned him to the spot remained untouched—unyielding in the face of the intense heat that had liquefied metal.
It was unnatural.
It was terrifying.
Worse still was that eerie sonic vibration echoing endlessly in his ears.
That infrasound—it was impossible to defend against, slipping into the mind like a parasite, scattering thoughts and disrupting his focus.
Until this moment, Magneto had always believed in the supremacy of his power. He had scoffed at most of the world's so-called "heroes" and mutants alike, with only one exception: Professor Charles Xavier. Without his anti-telepathy helmet, he knew Charles could seize control of his mind in an instant.
But now...
Now he stood restrained, humiliated by a young man he had never heard of, who had not even used his full strength.
"You..." he finally managed to say, his voice a little hoarse. "I've never seen a mutant with so many diverse abilities. What's your name?"
The vines around him loosened slightly, allowing him a sliver of comfort. Yet the unease in his heart only grew stronger.
"And judging by what you said earlier… you're the one who influenced Charles, aren't you?"
It was a sharp deduction, and one befitting the leader of the mutant hawks. Even now, when restrained and clearly outmatched, Magneto's presence remained imposing, his aura undiminished.
"My name is Joseph," the young man replied evenly, his expression calm. "A student at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."
Even as he spoke, Joseph could barely contain his satisfaction. His performance during this confrontation had been solid. The results validated his long-chosen path—the path of magic.
In a world teeming with superheroes, mutants, and gods, raw power alone wasn't enough. Versatility mattered more. And magic provided that in abundance.
Magneto, for all his formidable power, remained a specialist. His mastery over metal—and potentially magnetism—was among the most dangerous abilities known to mutantkind. In the future, he might even evolve to manipulate magnetic fields on a planetary scale.
But when faced with the boundless reach of magic, even his strength faltered.
Joseph had not even unleashed his strongest spells. Apart from the five-ring [Blaze Demon] and [Sun Vines] from his summoning repertoire, the other spells were mid-tier—three or four rings at best.
And the one that had caused the most trouble? A second-ring phonological spell: [Infrasound Vibe].
That was the beauty of magic. It didn't have to be powerful to be effective. It only needed to be precise.
This, Joseph realized, was the fundamental flaw of many mutants. Their abilities were singular and specialized. If countered or disrupted, they became vulnerable.
But Joseph? He had no such weakness.
He had no blind spots.
"Student?" Magneto repeated, disbelief plain on his face. "You're telling me you're just a student at Xavier's? You're stronger than most of the X-Men combined. What could they possibly teach you?"
Joseph's expression didn't change. He remained perfectly composed.
Which only made Magneto's eyes narrow further.
"…You're serious?"
Joseph nodded. "As real as it gets."
The veteran mutant's expression flickered with conflicting emotions—skepticism, realization, then a grudging respect. "So Xavier's changed after all. He really was influenced… by a student. You're going to tell me next that the entire X-Men team listens to you now?"
"In a way," Joseph replied smoothly, "that's true."
That one sentence made Mystique's heart clench.
Wait… were the X-Men already here?
Had their entire plan to break Magneto out of prison been anticipated from the start?
Were they… trapped?
Magneto must've come to the same conclusion. His eyes sharpened with suspicion. "Is Charles here?"
"No," Joseph said, shaking his head. He then turned toward Mystique. "In fact, the Professor had no idea anyone was attempting to rescue you. I'm only here because I detected Ms. Darkholm hacking the prison's security systems."
Mystique's face twisted—first in shock, then anger.
But Magneto was already honing in on the key detail. "You were monitoring this place?"
"More precisely," Joseph said with a small smile, "I've been spying on you, Mr. Lehnsherr."
Magneto stiffened.
Joseph didn't hold back. There was no point in hiding the truth.
Ever since he had developed his artificial intelligence assistant, Alice, one of his first actions had been to breach the government's secure servers, identify Magneto's prison location, and establish full surveillance.
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Magneto's scalp tingled as a cold chill crept down his spine.
But amidst the unease, he couldn't deny a sliver of relief. "If what you're saying is true… then you and Charles aren't cooperating with the humans. Which means you're not here to throw me back in prison the moment I escape?"
"Exactly," Joseph replied with an earnest expression. "I came here only to talk."
Magneto gave the vines still coiled around his arms a sideways glance and raised an eyebrow. "Is this your idea of a conversation?"
Joseph shrugged. "At the time, it seemed like the only way to make sure you'd listen."
The blunt honesty was irritating, but Magneto couldn't argue with it.
Neither could Mystique.
A long silence fell before Magneto exhaled slowly and said, "Fine. What do you want?"
Joseph got straight to the point.
"Ms. Darkholm must've already informed you about what's happening in the outside world. But there's something she may not know yet…"
He looked over at Mystique, who frowned but said nothing.
"Xavier's School is about to open its doors to a much wider audience," Joseph continued. "We're planning a global recruitment drive. Mutant students from all corners of the world will be welcomed. It'll be the most inclusive, diverse gathering of young mutants in history."
Magneto's eyes narrowed. "And?"
"And," Joseph said, "such a large institution will need a strong teaching staff."
He took a step forward, his tone growing solemn.
"That's why I'm here. I would like to formally invite you, Erik Lehnsherr—Magneto—to serve as the vice-principal of Xavier's School."
"And not just you," he added, turning slightly toward Mystique. "Ms. Darkholm, and other capable members of the Brotherhood, are invited to become visiting professors."
He paused, letting the gravity of his offer settle into the air.
"Mutants don't need to lie to other mutants. We've fought too long, too hard, to keep repeating the same mistakes."
"Xavier's School needs talents like you."
For a moment, silence blanketed the area. The air was thick with shock.
Magneto, who had faced armies and rallied revolutions, was momentarily speechless.
He had expected resistance.
He had expected imprisonment, maybe even assassination.
But this?
This was unprecedented.
Mystique finally broke the silence. "You want us… the Brotherhood… to teach mutants at Xavier's?"
Joseph nodded. "You are experienced. Charismatic. Visionary. Whether I agree with all your methods or not, your leadership has brought structure to thousands of mutants who would otherwise have been lost."
"And besides… who better to guide the next generation than those who have already weathered every storm?"
Magneto's expression darkened for a moment, but not from anger. He was processing. Calculating.
Then, for the first time, he smiled—just faintly.
"You're bolder than I expected, Joseph."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Joseph replied.
Magneto raised an eyebrow. "So… what happens now?"
"Now?" Joseph said, finally lifting the spell and letting the vines retract slowly. "Now you consider the offer—and walk out of here as a free man."
Mystique blinked. "You're letting him go?"
Joseph turned to her, his expression resolute.
"I told you. I didn't come here to fight. I came to recruit."
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