The sky was clear, the air fresh, and a gentle breeze moved easily across the grounds.
The vast estate of Xavier's School was still covered in soothing green. As the wind swept over it, the sight was pleasant enough to calm the heart.
Several miles from the main school building, a skyscraper with an extremely futuristic exterior stood quietly in place.
"Huh?"
Fenris looked out across the grounds. He had been away for a while, and there were now quite a few unfamiliar faces at the school. Around the high-rise Stark had specially built for him, several more buildings had also sprung up at some unknown point.
"Connors always likes turning himself into that huge form, and there isn't enough space for him to move around inside the school. On top of that, he wanted to be closer to you, so I moved his laboratory over there."
Behind Fenris, a massive dimensional gate opened, and the people from the school stepped out one after another.
Professor X noticed Fenris's gaze and explained with a smile, "Later, Emma, Victor, Logan, and Emil Blonsky, the Abomination you recently brought back, all ended up living there as well."
"Emma and the others are only staying at the school temporarily, and you still built houses for them?"
Fenris looked toward the area. Several buildings now stood around the high-rise, completely different from the lonely tower that used to stand there by itself.
"Haha."
Professor X said nothing. He only patted Fenris lightly on the shoulder before turning and heading back toward the school.
"Fenris, stay safe."
In the distance, Scott and Jean winked at him.
"If you run into an enemy you can't handle, we'll definitely come back up your side."
Ororo, Bobby, John, and the others smiled and waved. Warmth rose in Fenris's chest. Only after everyone left first, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance, did he turn and head toward his own little nest.
Tap, tap.
Soft footsteps came from not far behind him.
Fenris's ear twitched. His steps halted, and the sound suddenly vanished as well.
"Wanda, the outside world isn't as simple as you imagine."
Fenris sighed and quietly turned around. "Go back. I'll send you away in a little while."
Behind him, a slender figure had her back to him as if nothing had happened, the tip of her shoe lightly grinding against the tender blades of grass on the ground.
Fenris's voice reached her ears, but she remained unmoved. Instead, she took tiny steps in the opposite direction.
"Do you know how many people would beg for the chance to study under the Ancient One? Why are you so determined to follow me?"
Fenris took in her little movements, amused and helpless as he raised his voice to ask.
"Everyone at Xavier's School is nice. I don't want to go to some sorcerer school."
Wanda shook her head over and over, resistance written all over her face.
"That's the reason?"
Fenris did not know whether to laugh or sigh.
"Mm-hmm."
Seeing Wanda nod hard without the slightest hesitation, Fenris turned around without another word and walked away.
When he heard the faint sound of sneaky little footsteps behind him again, his tightly furrowed brow eased in both exasperation and amusement.
"It's not like one more will make much difference..."
"Coming?"
"Yeah!"
Wanda instantly came alive. She bounced forward with light, springy steps and walked ahead of Fenris.
"Childish."
Fenris's eyes curved unconsciously. For some reason, he felt like the figure in front of him was dazzlingly bright.
...
Boom!
A heavy sound of bodies colliding suddenly rang out. Several waves of force swept over from the distance, freezing the faint smile that had just tugged at Fenris's mouth.
Bang!
Wanda immediately noticed something was wrong. She spread her arms and jumped in front of Fenris. A shield glowing red silently unfolded, blocking all of the powerful shockwaves.
"Professor Fenris?"
Wanda looked back, only to see Fenris's face darken.
"Is someone actually fighting inside the school?"
"Fighting, maybe not. Tearing the place apart, though? That's harder to say."
Fenris snorted. His pace quickened at once, and after following the carefully designed path for only a short while, an enormous open space came into view.
"Haha! Connors, I acknowledge your strength now!"
In front of the building, a massive, hideous, earth-yellow figure was clashing wildly with the Lizard form Connors had transformed into.
The two came at each other again and again. Every attack burst out with huge waves of force. Before long, everything around them had been torn into a mess by the aftershocks of their fight.
Grass flew everywhere. Even the windows not far away began to tremble slightly.
After an exhilarating exchange, Abomination beat his chest excitedly and howled nonstop.
"That weakling Hulk was nothing. You're the real opponent I've been looking for!"
"Good!"
Connors's tail lashed excitedly. "Let's go again!"
"Are the two of you dead set on demolishing this place today?"
Just as the two were about to crash into each other again, a quiet voice suddenly came from the side.
"Fenris?"
"Boss?"
Both of them froze mid-step. Their raised fist and claw stopped stiffly in midair.
They turned their heads almost at the same time and saw that Fenris had appeared nearby at some point. Beside him stood a tall, graceful figure, looking over with curiosity.
"Boss, we just got a little itchy for a fight. We were only sparring a bit..."
Abomination pulled his fist back and hid it behind his back. That savage face of his actually showed a rare, slightly shy smile. Against his massive body, the expression looked especially out of place.
"Do you know what's inside that building?"
"A nuclear reactor room, plus several giant Arc Reactors."
Looking at their innocent expressions, Fenris sighed helplessly. "You were fighting this close to it. If anything went wrong, the school the professor spent decades building would have to move somewhere else."
"Connors, Emil is a soldier. He doesn't know any better. But you don't know either?"
"Isn't there a magic formation you left behind?" Connors scratched his dark, heavy head.
After this period of mutation, the smooth bald head Connors once had had slowly grown thick scales and soft spines.
"Next time, go farther away. Find somewhere without people, and then beat each other up however you like."
Fenris rolled his eyes.
"Got it."
Emil nodded like a hammer.
At this moment, although he still looked savage and terrifying, the hostility he had carried when Fenris first met him was already gone.
Because this was the place where Fenris had stayed the longest. After remaining here for some time, Emil's body had also quietly begun to change.
"Ugh."
Fenris waved his hand. The two of them simultaneously let out a relieved breath, and their bodies began to change at the same time.
Connors skillfully put on his white lab coat, then somehow pulled out a pair of glasses and set them on his face, instantly taking on the air of an elite scientist.
Emil was much clumsier. It seemed as though every part of his body was straining at once. Several breaths later, Abomination disappeared, replaced by a tall man with a fierce, soldierly bearing.
He glanced at Wanda, who was hiding behind Fenris and looking at him curiously, then nodded to her with some embarrassment. After that, he walked straight to the side and stood there, looking every bit like a personal bodyguard.
"Dr. Connors, where are Harry Osborn and Dr. Otto right now?"
Fenris suddenly turned to Connors.
"I was just about to tell you about that."
Connors nodded and waved to Fenris.
"I settled them in my laboratory."
"Come with me."
(End of Chapter)
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