The stately, quiet halls of the X-Mansion had been thoroughly converted into a chaotic obstacle course.
The silence that usually permeated the corridors was replaced by shouts, laughter, and the distinct sounds of superhuman pursuit.
Yuffie Kisaragi was a blur of motion, her signature ninja headband flapping behind her.
"Come here you little brat!" came the roar of the "grumpy old man."
"Hehehe, nope. Get me if you can, old pup!"
Yuffie taunted. She had activated her Mastered Speed Up Materia, a shining green crystal, and her already inhuman agility was amplified to an uncatchable speed.
She dodged under a priceless antique table with the ease of flowing water.
"Wait for me, Yuffie! Hehe!"
Kitty Pryde laughed alongside her, using her power to phase through a locked pantry door. In her hand, there was also a shining red Materia—a Mastered Strength UP Materia.
Though she lacked physical strength, the Materia had solved that problem, allowing her to playfully smash through a soft wall of the Danger Room simulation.
"Not you too, Kitty!"
Logan bellowed, skidding to a halt on the polished wood floor.
The girls had been running around the mansion for hours, and the final straw was the theft of his sacred provisions.
They had stolen all of the mansion's snacks and even his precious, imported beers!
"Give me back my beer!"
"Nope! It is not good for your health!"
Yuffie yelled back, already halfway up the grand staircase.
Later, their two-person chaos was joined by Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler), who loved the adrenaline rush of doing something undeniably fun and mischievous.
They ran around the mansion like headless chickens, cracking jokes and escalating their pranking to new levels.
The Observation Deck
Upstairs, on the observation deck, Ororo Munroe (Storm) was preparing lessons for her next class.
She watched the mayhem unfolding below and looked at the trio with confusion.
She recognized Kitty and Kurt but not the nimble ninja leading the chase.
"Who is she? I haven't seen her before,"
Ororo inquired, a small smile playing on her lips despite the damage being done to the floorboards.
She also saw the rare sight of Logan truly straining himself, chasing after the "mischievous kids."
Professor Charles Xavier sat quietly, monitoring the scene with his vast psychic presence.
"Her name is Yuffie Kisaragi. She snuck into the mansion without anyone noticing her, a remarkable feat. And the crystal ball she holds contains mutant-like power."
Charles could, of course, stop Yuffie with a single mental command, but he knew doing that was a profoundly stupid thing to do.
He had felt the power of the one she was associated with.
He might be an Omega-level mutant, but he could tell that if he fought with Arthur Leywin Stark, he would instantly lose.
And Eric, his life-long rival and friend, knew it as well.
"Should we let her run around like that?"
Ororo asked, trying to suppress a giggle when she saw the grumpy "old pup" tumble over an ottoman.
"We will let her be, Ororo. She's simply a force of nature, and someone will come and retrieve her."
Charles's expression grew serious.
"Speaking of the devil, he is here…"
Ororo was confused, turning her attention back to the chaos, until someone materialized beside them with a silent, spatial snap.
It was Arthur.
There was no one in this world—least of all a founding X-Man—who didn't instantly recognize him.
He was considered a world-famous celebrity because he was the First Dungeon Climber and the first to reach the fifth floor.
His power level was clearly in a different league entirely.
"I will take care of her, Charles. Thank you for not doing something stupid,"
Arthur said, the tone of his voice still distinctly adolescent, yet laced with the weight of cosmic authority.
He smirked, the familiar disdain for the Professor's laissez-faire moral superiority evident.
He had always preferred someone like Eric, who was at least true to himself and his ideology, rather than Charles's twisted righteousness.
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