The Greedy Frog
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Marvel: Chapter 114
🕑 Added 2023-03-24 10:31:25 +0000 UTCChapter 114: Xavier's Decision
*THUD!*
Xavier was shocked as a man crashed next to his wheelchair. But when he saw the man's face, he felt his heart sink.
"The kids are safe, you don't have to worry about them." Markus assured as he appeared from a portal. "James will be bringing them back."
Markus calmly took a seat opposite to Xavier as Magneto's unconscious body started to float in the air.
"I can kill him right here, and that will instantly solve the Brotherhood problem. Without a leader, they will fall. And while Mystique is capable of being a leader, she is not as capable as Magneto. People like Juggernaut will never follow her." Markus said. 'Not that he will be able to turn into the Juggernaut after I shattered the helmet.'
He internally smirked remembering the broken helmet that he had stored inside of his spatial pocket.
"And are you going to do that?" Xavier was calm, surprisingly so. "Are you willing to 'kill' a fellow mutant?"
'Ah, that's what he was trying to do.' Markus thought before laughing out loud. "That is not going to work against me, professor. Unlike your students who believe in leaving their enemies alive— I believe in erasing them."
Markus increased his aura, letting Xavier feel the pressure from his insane powers.
Xavier sweated and found it difficult to breathe in front of the boy's domineering presence.
He was like a mouse in front of a wild cat.
"Unlike them, my hands are already stained in blood." Markus' eyes glowed purple. "But I will ask you once again, professor… What should we do with your friend?"
Markus was genuinely curious as to what Xavier would say. He didn't read his mind just yet as he wanted his future decision relating Magneto to be unbiased.
Xavier and Markus stared at each other, none of them backing down. Xavier was having a hard time maintaining his calm given Markus' presence. But he stood firm in his ground.
"I will not kill him and neither allow you to kill him."
Markus laughed at Xavier's statement.
"Do you really think that you can stop me, professor? Let me remind you that the last time you tried to enter my brain you nearly ended up brain-dead." Markus paused. "No wait… you went brain-dead… I had to heal you back to health."
Xavier flinched a little as what Markus just said was true. He did try to pry into Markus' head and he did see something that broke his mind. But that was the reason why he is always a little worried about Markus. He knows that the boy has his powers fully under control but he feared that if he went out of control and released his full power, not even Magnus could stop him.
"I will ask one last time. What will you do?"
Xavier thought deeply about it. He believed… no he knew that Markus was being serious and he would kill his friend depending on his answer.
"I can… lock his memories and powers." Xavier finally admitted.
He indeed possessed the power to make a mutant forget about their powers forever but it was against his beliefs so he never did it.
But if it could save his friend's life, then he was willing to make an exception.
Markus didn't reply immediately but after a while, a smile appeared on his face.
"You passed. You still have the resolve to make good decisions when the time deems it fit." Markus said. "But all you need to do is adjust his memories and I will handle the rest."
After absorbing the Void, Markus grew addicted to using his memory manipulation powers. However, as time passed, he brought that addiction under control and now only used it when he deemed it absolutely necessary.
"What do you mean?" Xavier asked.
"Do you remember the day when your son manifested his powers and I had to step in?"
Xavier widened his eyes in realisation as he figured what Markus was suggesting.
A few years ago, when his son David awakened his powers… Xavier realised how dangerous it was. His son could've destroyed the world if his powers went out of control. And that's when Markus stepped in.
Using his molecular manipulation, he managed to erase David's X-Gene, making him a normal human. And Xavier was grateful for that as his son could enjoy a normal life.
But in truth, no one other than Markus knew that it was not the molecular manipulation ability that he used to erase David's X-Gene. And no one other than him knew what he 'truly' did with David's X-Gene.
Xavier sighed. Between his friend's life and his powers, the choice was easy.
"Fair enough."
Markus grinned. "I knew you were smart, professor."
But as he was about to use his powers, his attention shifted to the news.
"A new mutant has appeared in NYC! He defeated the Brotherhood with ease." The reporter said. "But the question is… is he good or evil?"
Markus smiled as he heard the question.
Very few people knew about him… as to the world, Marcellus' youngest son was nothing more than a mystery. At a very young age, he was sent to the other side of the world to study and there are very few times when Markus had made an appearance in public.
And today was the first in three years that he appeared on live television.
'Went just as planned.' He smiled as the people on the news kept talking about this 'mysterious person.'
.
.
.
Even though his face was visible.
…
…
[Unknown Time]
Through the dark hallways of a spaceship, a man ran. He ran without looking back and hopped through a portal— instantly appearing in an unknown location.
But he didn't stop there.
He knew that he was being chased and the only option he had was to run.
He turned the dial of his watch to the max as another portal opened before him. He entered it without a second thought and instantly the portal closed. Again he turned the dial of his watch and jumped into a portal, each time he jumped, he wished to escape the person following him.
'Why why why! Why can he walk through dimensions!' He cried in his head as the footsteps grew louder.
He opened portals after portals, hoping to lose the one hunting him— but even he knew that it was impossible.
As he jumped through another portal, he heard a voice.
"I thought you were the smart kind." A rough voice echoed. "But I guess I was mistaken."
The man cursed himself for making such a mistake. 'Why did I steal this!' He looked at the watch and scoffed at himself.
He kept running through the portals but no matter what he did, he was being haunted by that voice.
"Did you really believe that you could enter my vaults that easily? Fool my security and steal an item that I personally designed?" The voice asked in genuine curiosity. "But I do enjoy a good game of hunting."
The man gulped thickly as he continued to leap through the portals. He knew that he was the prey and the one chasing him was the predator.
He had stolen many treasures from many strong beings. Maybe that was the reason he was foolhardy.
But his overweening greed was now going to cost him his life.
He was a prey playing in the predator's homeland. Every move he made, the predator easily countered.
"But I must applaud you. While you were unable to fool me, you still managed to fool my guards. That's a feat of its own."
The man would have been elated by the praise on any other day. But right now— that praise felt haunting.
He felt the predator's presence growing slowly closer and he felt that he was losing breath. But he had to run— he had to run to survive.
"You cannot escape the chains of time… No one can." The voice warned but the man didn't listen.
He kept running and running until he tripped and fell face first.
"Enough running, Yondu."
Yes, the man that stole the dimension hopper from the master of time was none other than the Centaurian Yondu Udonta.
"The Guardians of the Galaxy will stop you, Kang!"
Yondu warned an unimpressed Kang.
"I have seen both the past and future, Yondu. And in every timeline, the Guardians have failed miserably."
Youndu shuddered as the man walked up to him and stood before him with an emotionless face.
"M-Mercy?"
Yondu tried one last time despite knowing it was futile against Kang.
Kang looked at him curiously and then picked up the Centaurian by his neck— making him cough painfully.
"I have no mercy for traitors." He smiled for the first time. "I am bewildered that you believed you could escape me, the master of time."
"I have seen the futures of countless people, their entire life in seconds." He continued.
"Q-Quill will… *ACCK* have your head!"
Kang's smile didn't leave his face. "We will see, but now… Let me show you the span of your entire life— gone in a second."
Yondu screeched in horror as his body started to age at a frightening speed. And within seconds, all that was left of the thief— was his skeleton, which turned to dust the next second.
"The Guardians… Maybe it's time to deal with them."
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