On the other side of the facility, Liam and the others stepped into a room packed wall-to-wall with advanced technology. Screens flickered with data streams, metallic structures lined the walls, and the low hum of machinery filled the air, creating an atmosphere that felt both clinical and powerful.
"Wait here," Storm said, turning to Logan and Polaris as she gestured toward the entrance. Her tone left no room for argument, and she quickly led Liam deeper inside without looking back.
They moved into a separate chamber, one that felt distinctly different from the rest of the facility. The space was built like a deep cylindrical well, with smooth walls curving upward and a platform positioned at the center. Various instruments were arranged around it, all focused on a single, imposing device.
"That's the Cerebro unit," Liam said, his eyes settling on the machine with immediate interest.
Storm nodded, her expression serious as she stepped closer to it. "Yes, and I'm going to teach you how to use it properly," she replied, already preparing to walk him through the process.
The explanation didn't take long. With his enhanced cognitive abilities, Liam absorbed every detail almost instantly, his mind processing the instructions with precision. His brain operated like a high-performance system, capable of storing and organizing information without effort, ensuring that nothing he saw or heard would ever be lost.
Once she confirmed that he understood the operation, Storm stepped back and moved toward the exit. She hesitated for a moment, as if wanting to say something more, but ultimately chose to trust him.
With the room now his alone, Liam didn't waste any time. He stepped forward and activated Cerebro.
In the very next instant, his consciousness expanded outward at an incredible speed, spreading across the globe like an invisible wave. The sheer volume of information that flooded into his mind was overwhelming, pressing against his awareness from every direction.
For a brief moment, discomfort flickered through him as the data surged in, but it didn't last. His enhanced mind adjusted almost immediately, filtering out irrelevant noise and isolating what mattered. It was as if his thoughts had become a finely tuned system, capable of sorting through billions of signals without strain.
Within this vast mental landscape, every human presence appeared as a faint gray silhouette, countless and indistinct. In contrast, mutants stood out sharply, glowing in vivid red, their unique energy signatures impossible to miss.
All Liam needed to do was find Rogue among them.
Magneto's helmet could block telepathic detection, shielding him from any mental intrusion. However, Rogue had no such protection, and that made her far easier to locate.
With his focus locked in, Liam scanned through the countless red signals, narrowing them down with methodical precision. It didn't take long. Within moments, he pinpointed her exact position.
He shut down Cerebro without hesitation and stepped away from the platform, his movements calm and controlled.
When he exited the chamber, Storm immediately turned toward him, her brows knitting together as she studied his expression. "That was fast," she said, a hint of concern in her voice. "Did everything go smoothly?"
Liam simply shook his head.
The reaction hit them harder than expected. Storm's expression tightened, and Logan's posture stiffened slightly, disappointment flashing across their faces.
"You couldn't find her?" Storm asked, her voice quieter now.
Liam paused for a beat, then let out a short laugh. "No, what I meant is—it was too easy," he said, amusement creeping into his tone. "Finding her location didn't take any effort at all."
The shift in mood was immediate.
"You found her?" Storm and Logan exchanged a glance, surprise replacing their earlier concern.
"Yeah. She's on Liberty Island," Liam said plainly. "Magneto brought her there."
Storm didn't question him for even a second. Trust came naturally in this moment, and she turned on her heel without hesitation. "I need to inform the professor right away," she said, already moving toward the exit.
Liam watched her go, then gave a small shrug before glancing at Polaris and Clarice. "Let's head back too," he said, his tone casual as if this were just another routine task.
The group made their way back to Professor X's room, where the atmosphere had grown calmer but still carried a sense of urgency.
"Professor, Weiss found Rogue's location," Storm announced as soon as she entered, her voice filled with relief and excitement.
"You found her?" Professor X nodded, the tension in his expression easing slightly.
"That's right," Storm confirmed. "Magneto has taken her to Liberty Island."
"So what's our next move?" Cyclops asked almost immediately, his instinct pushing him to look toward Professor X for direction.
But this time, Professor X didn't answer in the way they expected.
He shook his head gently. "Weiss will handle this," he said, his tone steady and decisive. "I believe he's fully capable of resolving the situation."
"What?" The reaction was immediate, both Cyclops and Storm staring at him in disbelief.
At that moment, Liam and Polaris stepped into the room, catching the tail end of the conversation.
"Huh? Are you talking about me?" Liam asked, glancing between them, clearly confused by the sudden attention.
"Professor, no," Cyclops said quickly, his voice edged with urgency. "He's still just a kid."
Liam frowned slightly, not entirely sure what had prompted the objection.
"That's enough," Professor X said, cutting him off before the argument could escalate. His gaze remained calm, but there was an unmistakable firmness behind it. "I trust Weiss to handle this."
He then turned directly to Liam. "Weiss, I'm assigning the rescue of Rogue to you. What do you think?"
"To me?" Liam blinked, momentarily caught off guard. His mind ran through the situation quickly. Cyclops was the team's captain, the one who usually led operations, so handing over command like this felt… unexpected.
Was this a joke?
But when he met Professor X's eyes, there was no hint of hesitation. The decision had already been made.
"I've observed everything you've done since leaving the academy," Professor X continued. "I believe you can do this."
Liam let out a quiet breath, weighing the situation for a moment. For most people, taking someone back from Magneto would be nearly impossible. But for him, it wasn't nearly as daunting.
"Alright," he said finally, giving a slight nod. "If that's what you want, I'll handle it."
Cyclops and Logan exchanged looks, both of them clearly unconvinced. To them, the decision felt rushed, even reckless. But Professor X remained unwavering.
"Then it's settled," he said. "You'll all follow Weiss's lead and cooperate fully."
With that, he leaned back, closing his eyes as fatigue caught up with him. Even after regaining control of his mind, the strain had taken its toll, and rest was no longer optional.
The room fell into a brief silence as everyone processed what had just happened.
Liam cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "Since the professor has made his decision, let's move out and figure out a plan," he said, his tone shifting into something more focused.
"Come on," Storm added, nodding toward the door. "We'll use the command room."
Despite their doubts, Cyclops and Logan followed.
....
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