Polaris's gaze turned sharp and icy when Magneto didn't respond, the silence between them stretching in a way that felt heavier than any spoken accusation. The tension in her posture made it clear she was holding back more than just words, and the resentment simmering beneath the surface was impossible to miss. Levis noticed it immediately, the subtle shift in atmosphere enough to tell him things were about to spiral if no one intervened.
He couldn't let that happen, not here, not now. A complete breakdown between father and daughter would only make everything worse, especially with everything else already in motion. He understood Magneto's reasoning, even if Polaris didn't—leaving her with her aunt had never been abandonment, but protection. Magneto had wanted her far from the endless war between mutants and humans, wanted her to grow up without bloodshed shaping her childhood.
Clearing his throat lightly, Levis stepped in before things escalated further. "Lorna, maybe ease up a little. I think he had his reasons for leaving you with your aunt," he said, keeping his tone calm and measured, trying to bridge the gap without taking sides too bluntly.
Polaris let out a quiet, irritated snort and turned her face away, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation. Though she didn't argue back, the tension in her expression showed she wasn't convinced. Magneto, on the other hand, looked at Levis with visible surprise, as if he hadn't expected anyone—especially Levis—to speak on his behalf.
Levis didn't linger on that reaction and instead shifted focus to something more immediate. Turning toward Storm, he spoke decisively. "Storm, our objective's done. We should head back to the academy. Go get Jean and Cyclops ready—I'll take them ahead."
Storm hesitated, her eyes flicking toward Magneto with suspicion. She clearly didn't trust the situation enough to assume they'd be allowed to leave peacefully. "You really think he's just going to let us walk away?" she asked, her voice low but tense.
Levis gave a small, confident smile and waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. He won't stop us."
There was something in his tone—certainty, not arrogance—that made Storm pause. After a moment, she nodded, though caution still lingered in her expression. "Alright. Be careful," she said before turning and heading back the way they came to inform Jean and Cyclops.
Magneto watched this exchange without intervening, but once Storm left, he turned his attention back to Levis. His voice carried that familiar persuasive weight when he spoke again. "Weiss, if you truly understand my ideals, then come with me. Only I can build a future for mutants. Charles will only hold you back."
Levis didn't even look at him as he responded, casually waving the suggestion aside. "We can talk about that later. Right now, I've got to clean up the mess you made."
The implication was obvious. This incident—what had happened to the statue—was too big to ignore. Even if no one had discovered it yet, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed the damage. If they left it like this, the consequences would ripple outward fast.
Without another word, Levis raised his hands slightly.
At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then the air shifted. Countless fragments of metal—twisted, broken pieces scattered across the ground—began to tremble. One by one, they lifted into the air, as if pulled by an invisible force, rising and converging toward the ruined statue.
But simply reassembling the pieces wasn't enough. The damage went far deeper than that.
Then came the part that truly stunned everyone present.
Under Levis's control, the shattered metal didn't just move—it changed. The broken edges softened, reshaping themselves at a microscopic level. Molecules rearranged, fractures vanished, and imperfections were smoothed out as if they had never existed. Each fragment returned not just to its position, but to its original, pristine state.
Piece by piece, the statue reformed.
The process was seamless, almost effortless, and within moments, the goddess statue stood whole again, flawless and untouched. There wasn't even a hint of damage left behind, no cracks, no signs of reconstruction. It looked exactly as it had before—if not better.
Silence fell over the scene.
Magneto stared at the statue, then back at Levis, his usual composure shaken for perhaps the first time. "This… what kind of ability is that?" he asked, unable to hide the disbelief in his voice.
Levis lowered his hands, his expression calm as if what he had just done was nothing extraordinary. "I call it molecular manipulation. I can control and reshape molecular structures."
The words hit harder than the demonstration itself.
Magneto's mind raced as he processed the implications. He understood better than most what that meant. The ability to manipulate molecules wasn't just power—it was creation itself. If something could be broken down and rebuilt at that level, then in theory, anything could be made… or unmade.
That realization sent a chill through him.
"Manipulating molecular structure…" he murmured, his voice quieter now, almost reverent. Then his eyes sharpened as a name surfaced in his mind. "The Hand of God."
He said it like a conclusion, not a question.
Levis blinked, then let out a short laugh, amused by the dramatic title. "The Hand of God? Not bad. Maybe I'll just call myself God from now on," he joked lightly.
Magneto didn't laugh. His expression remained complicated, layered with awe, caution, and something deeper—recognition of a power that might one day surpass everything. A fifth-level mutant with multiple abilities was already rare beyond measure, but someone like Levis… someone who could do this…
It wasn't impossible to imagine him becoming something far beyond a mutant.
Behind them, Rogue stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock and admiration. The disbelief faded quickly, replaced by something closer to acceptance, as if part of her had already decided that of course Levis could do something like this. He had already shattered her expectations more than once.
Polaris wasn't any less affected. Her gaze remained fixed on him, intensity burning in her eyes as his display of power pushed her fascination even further. If anything, it only deepened her desire for him, the pull becoming stronger the more she realized just how far above everyone else he stood.
Levis ignored the reactions, already shifting his focus back to the next step. Walking over, he placed a hand on Magneto's shoulder, then glanced at the two women. "Alright, we're heading back. Come here and grab on."
Polaris and Rogue didn't hesitate, quickly stepping closer. The moment they were in contact, Levis activated his teleportation.
Space twisted for an instant.
Then, just as suddenly as they had disappeared, they reappeared at the Mutant Academy.
"Stay here," Levis said, already turning away. "I'll make one more trip and bring your machine back."
Before anyone could respond, he vanished again.
Magneto didn't move. Even without the mental pressure he had exerted earlier, he made no attempt to leave. Instead, he simply stood there, waiting, as if he had already decided something.
It didn't take long.
Levis returned once more, this time bringing far more than just the machine. The White Queen was with him, along with Mystique, Toad, and Sabretooth. Wolverine was there too, still locked in a vicious clash with Sabretooth, the two of them practically trying to tear each other apart even as they arrived.
Moments later, Storm and the others descended in the Blackbird.
Within a short time, everyone had gathered back at the Mutant Academy.
....
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