After leaving Professor X's office, Levis didn't linger. He headed straight for the training room, with Cyclops following close behind. The air there was quieter, more grounded—less ceremonial than the professor's office, and better suited for what came next.
If he was going to take over the X-Men, even in name, then he needed to establish how things would actually run.
Storm and Jean were already there by the time they arrived, both turning their attention toward him. The atmosphere shifted slightly as he stepped in, not tense, but expectant.
Levis glanced between them, then shrugged casually.
"Alright," he began, slipping into a relaxed tone, "Mr. Scott, Ms. Ororo, Jean—Professor X may have handed the X-Men over to me, but I'm not taking over everything."
He paused briefly, making sure they understood.
"I'm not familiar with all the internal operations, and honestly, I don't plan to be. You'll handle the day-to-day management. If something important comes up, I'll deal with it."
He said it plainly, without embarrassment.
Compared to burying himself in logistics, he preferred being a hands-off leader. As long as things ran smoothly, he had no interest in micromanaging.
Storm exchanged a quick glance with Cyclops before stepping forward with a small smile.
"That's perfectly fine," she said. "We'll handle that side of things."
She had watched Levis grow stronger step by step. More importantly, she had seen how he made decisions under pressure. Trusting him with leadership wasn't difficult.
Cyclops gave a slight nod as well, even if his expression remained more reserved.
Levis nodded in satisfaction.
"Good," he said. "That makes things easier."
Then, as if remembering something, he tilted his head slightly.
"By the way," he added, "what's the situation with the Strucker family?"
He had been back at the academy for several days, but he hadn't checked in on them yet.
Jean spoke up this time.
"Mr. Reed and Ms. Caitlin have joined the school as faculty," she explained. "As for Lauren and Andrew, they've enrolled as students. They're adapting well so far."
Levis let out a quiet breath.
"That's good," he said. "What about Reed's ability? Has that stabilized?"
Reed's power had always been a problem. When inactive, it was harmless, but once triggered, it could spiral out of control and become dangerous to everyone nearby.
Cyclops answered.
"It's under control now. Not perfectly, but enough that he can manage it without losing control."
Levis nodded slowly, his fingers brushing his chin in thought.
"Good enough," he murmured. Then his expression shifted slightly, turning more focused.
"In that case, the next step is expansion."
The others looked at him.
"The X-Men are too small right now," he continued. "We need more people."
At present, including him, there were barely five members. And with Wolverine absent, that number dropped even further.
That wasn't a team—it was barely a squad.
Storm and Cyclops exchanged another glance.
"We've thought about that too," Storm said. "But finding suitable candidates hasn't been easy."
Levis smiled faintly.
"I've already got a list."
Storm's curiosity piqued immediately.
"Who?"
Instead of answering directly, Levis raised a hand and tapped lightly at the air in front of him.
In the next instant, particles gathered and shifted. Using molecular manipulation, he constructed several thin, solid panels out of nothing, each one forming with precise structure and clarity.
The documents floated briefly before settling into his hand.
Even though they had seen him create matter before, Storm, Jean, and Cyclops still couldn't completely hide their surprise. Watching something form from nothing never quite stopped feeling unnatural.
Levis handed the sheets over.
"Take a look."
They each took one and began reading.
The format was clean, detailed, and organized.
Name: Lorna DaneCodename: PolarisAbility: Electromagnetic ManipulationRecommendation: High combat potential, stable control, strong battlefield adaptability
Each candidate had similar entries—clear abilities, concise evaluations, and specific reasons for selection.
As they flipped through the pages, more names appeared.
Kitty Pryde. Clarice Ferguson. Rogue. Reed Strucker. Bobby Drake. John Allerdyce. Piotr Rasputin.
Levis had clearly put thought into this. These weren't random picks—he had mapped out a future roster.
Storm lowered her sheet slightly, her expression thoughtful.
"You've planned this out in detail," she said.
Levis shrugged.
"Just preparation," he replied. "Some of them aren't ready yet. Their abilities are still unstable."
That was the key limitation.
Many of the younger mutants hadn't fully grown into their powers. The Strucker twins, for example, still lacked control. Throwing them into active duty now would only create more problems.
"This is more of a long-term reference," he added. "Not everyone can join immediately."
Cyclops nodded, understanding the logic.
"Then who starts first?"
Levis didn't hesitate.
"Polaris."
Among all the candidates, she was the most ready—strong ability, stable control, and enough experience to operate in the field.
"In fact," he added, "Thunderbird would also qualify. But he's not here right now, so we'll deal with that later."
The group discussed it briefly, weighing the options.
In the end, the decision was straightforward.
Polaris would officially join first. The others would remain under observation and training until they reached the required level.
Step by step, the team would grow.
If things continued at this pace, the X-Men would develop far faster than before.
…
Over the following days, Levis settled into a surprisingly relaxed routine.
Cyclops and Storm handled most of the academy's operations, while Polaris gradually adapted to her new role within the team. Training sessions continued, recruitment plans moved forward, and everything progressed steadily.
Meanwhile, Levis divided his time between occasional oversight and work at Magneto's former laboratory.
With access to S.H.I.E.L.D's resources, progress there had accelerated significantly. Equipment, materials, funding—everything that had once been difficult to obtain was now readily available.
Of course, that kind of support didn't come without a price.
Nick Fury wasn't the type to give anything away for free.
And sure enough, it didn't take long before the first assignment arrived.
…
Aboard the Helicarrier.
Inside the director's office.
Levis didn't bother with pleasantries when he stepped in.
"Alright," he said directly, "what's the mission?"
Fury leaned back slightly, his expression calm.
"Wes," he said, "you're familiar with Tony Stark, I assume?"
Levis raised an eyebrow.
"Tony Stark?" he repeated. "I don't think there's anyone in New York who doesn't know that guy."
He shrugged casually.
"The billionaire playboy genius. Hard to miss."
In reality, he knew far more than that.
But he didn't show it.
Fury gave a small nod.
"Then you know he's missing."
Levis's eyes flickered briefly, though his expression didn't change.
"Missing?"
"Three months ago," Fury continued. "He was captured during a weapons demonstration overseas. The military has been searching ever since, but they've come up empty."
Levis let out a soft breath, already connecting the pieces.
So it had started.
"Let me guess," he said, cutting in before Fury could continue. "You want me to bring him back."
Fury didn't deny it.
"That's right."
Levis smiled.
"No problem," he said simply. "I'll take the job."
For him, this wasn't difficult at all.
After all, he knew exactly where Tony Stark was.
Right now, the future Iron Man was stuck in a cave in Afghanistan, building the first crude version of his armor.
Finding him would be easy.
....
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