Chapter Four

(James 'Logan' Howlett P.O.V)

It was said; that in the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.

Wolverine may be a man who isn't afraid to give gods a new look—cut—in the face; especially if they turn out to be an almighty douchebag. But Logan, on the other hand, would readily admit he took those words to heart and very well believed in them.

This isn't Logan being religious; this was the result of his experience living a long life.

Before Wolverine and Logan, James Howlett participated in wars and took part in some of the most pivotal events in Mankind's history...

Same as in its most horrifying events.

But that doesn't make him anyone special in the grand scheme.

Logan wasn't the man who took a shield and led the charge against the Nazis, who were ruining everything. He wasn't the man who stepped right up to help the colored people who were grouped in the same vein as cats and dogs.

Hell, at one point during the Japanese v USA war all Logan could do was hide in a goddamn well.

So much for the Man of the Wild.

All the sack-of-flesh that is Logan had going for himself was an ability that wouldn't let him die, and bones excruciatingly coated in one of the strongest metallic alloys known to man.

… … Hah.

Mutants...

There were many things, Logan could say about his fellow kind—because there was no way, he could see Mutants in the same league as Humanity due to all the kinds of things he had seen done to the former by the latter…

Or at least, not yet.

Not until TRUE harmony has been achieved…

Whenever that would be…

Heh, ain't that one helluva irony that an X-Man is the pessimistic one?

Anyways…

Waking up with a 'something' you do not remember having yesterday.

Power manifesting little by little with you calling them 'a strange string of coincidences' all while that power is ready to explode in an intense buildup at any given moment.

Being on the field or in public only to have people point at you like you're an alien because you suddenly don't look like one of them anymore...

Take your pick, there's no lack of X-gene awakening stories on this small blue ball called, Earth.

But even so, there was always one thing that came with it...

Those newly activated Mutants weren't ready for it; ready for the world and the consequences their powers have presented to them… Just like how Logan hadn't been ready to watch an arm grow back while screaming and cursing his ancestors for bringing someone like him into this fucked up world.

Yeah, those were the good old days.

Logan hadn't been involved in the Mutant business until Chuck.

Who'd gone and left him as all the others did.

As a somewhat seasoned Mutant Activist—if anyone could call him that—Logan can say the Mutant business certainly is not an easy one...

Not when you've got to deal with the megalomaniacs. The psychopaths. The extremists. The racists… The idol worshippers...

…

…

… The last part used to bother Logan but then he got used to it along the way.

.

.

.

Adam Abrams…

To the world, someone like him would be seen as an abomination of common sense.

Like commonsense hadn't taken a hike, ever since people started prancing around in colorful spandexes.

The well-known Church of Humanity would call Adam an affront to God and all that he stands for.

After all, the good book has the Big Guy Upstairs creating the Universe in six days—Adam Abrams, on the other hand, built him with the snap of a finger.

A literal snap!

Was there any word to describe him other than a fucking Deity?

Logan didn't know and sure as hell didn't care about what becoming Living Dimension truly means—he'll be leaving that to the science experts.

What Logan did care about was the implications of Adam's existence to the world as a whole.

Omega Mutants are the pinnacle of what Mutants were capable of achieving, and the 'special few' given the title, 'Beyond Omega' are considered even above that...

Be that a blessing or a curse to Mutantkind was something Logan will never know…

Or even want to know.

But as of this moment, to Logan, Adam Abrams can be considered even beyond the capabilities of a Beyond Omega.

The only Mutants Logan could remember displaying powers of this magnitude would be Jean when she got possessed by that large-pain-in-the-ass cosmic bird, David Haller, and Richard's kid; Franklin.

To make matters worse, Logan was sure that at the moment, there is no one in Xavier Institute capable of stopping Adam, if he decides to do things in a way that will negatively affect the World.

… Hell, even Mr. Flaming Archangel gave Logan the kind of sickening feeling similar to when he stood against the self-proclaimed Eater of Worlds.

This ain't no funny business.

Another global disruption by a Mutant was the LAST thing Logan wanted for the still declining Mutant reputation.

While it is true that the X-Men current roster is ill-prepared for someone like Adam, after the events of that damn Open Day, Logan knew the world doesn't need another Quentin Quire outbreak.

And Logan wouldn't dare bet on it even though this one seems different.

Not when the Universe itself serves as collateral if this one goes loco.

'But it's not like I can do anything in this situation.'

Saying Adam Abrams is dangerous is well and good. But Logan—no—Wolverine knew he had no chance of stopping Adam if he went out of control...

Not unless there's some Deus Ex Machina hidden around the corner.

So it's a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation—just another day of being an X-Man.

While Logan wouldn't deny that image of Adam Abrams living the rest of his life inside of this… Pocket World he'd created seemed to be quite an enticing idea. He wouldn't deceive himself by calling it a feasible one.

Logan could see it in Adam's eyes; the burning curiosity and need to see the vast Universe out there.

Sooner or later, even this Eden won't be able to satisfy Adam forever... Not like it could seeing as he could control fucking TIME itself.

It'll take a while to get used to that.

There's also the fact that the world wouldn't allow Adam to hole himself up.

Bolivar Trask…

Magneto…

Apocalypse…

Dr. Sinister…

The Avengers…

The SHIELD…

The good, bad, and ugly would all come looking for Adam, whether he likes it or not.

Control. Contain. Exterminate…

That's the warranted response someone with powers like Adam's could—would—instigate and that was what Logan felt trepidation on.

There's only so much a pissed-off Mutant can take before deciding to wipe the Universe clean just for some quiet.

After all, Adam from Prodigy's findings had serious anger issues.

.

.

.

.

As an X-Man, all Wolverine had going for him were his claws. But at this moment, Wolverine knew that slicing and dicing wouldn't be enough to deal with a Mutant with powers over the very fabric of reality...

Despite there being no ensuing battle, Wolverine couldn't stop his body from tensing itself—he felt powerless.

An emotion he was all too familiar with his entire life.

But even so, he wouldn't give up.

Why? People would ask.

But Logan/Wolverine wouldn't be able to formulate a proper answer for that.

Maybe it is because Logan/Wolverine is too tired of letting those extremist bastards win… Maybe, Logan/Wolverine wanted to show that Mutants aren't always the beings of destruction the world painted them out to be.

That coexistence ain't just some wishful thinking.

Wolverine's eyes widened in a fraction as he crossed the circular tear in reality.

'Huh? I guess got more Chuck in me than I realize… Heh, ain't that a million-dollar joke.'

Well then, time to be an X-Man and wing it.

.

.

.

But as soon as Wolverine crossed through that portal, the determined beast died down as the man—Logan—looked up in awe.

"Damn, Omegas and their damn bullshit powers."

ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ

(Adam Abrams P.O.V)

It did not matter that Adam was here when this place was still in its blank canvas foundations.

It does not matter that before the scope of Adam's powers, something like this could be called insignificant.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Adam preferred this place over Eden.

Why...?

Because it was here everything that is Adam—a being with the powers of the Pre-Retcon Beyonder—truly began.

From behind was Kitty, gasping in an undisguised awe.

"Whoa... What kind of place is this?"

Adam turned to the X-Men and proudly presented his Greatest Masterpiece.

"This, Kitty, is where I had learned to piece back the Universe from its largest superclusters down to its smallest quark... My very own, Celestial Starry Way."

Silence ensued…

"… …"

"… …"

"… …"

... … Adam's lips twitched.

'That's it; I've got to work on my naming skills.'

Although, Adam still felt that those words appropriately described this place and what it represented to him.

The first thing that gets to anyone seeing this place would be the crystal clear ocean that stretched out far into the horizon with a sunset that used a white star rather than yellow giving it a sacred-like scenery.

The finite volume of water expanded out infinitely—well, mostly because if it didn't, this place would most likely have been jam-packed by its contents. The blue ocean's depth same as its width stretched down infinitely to safely secure what swims within it.

Of course, they were all reenacting the miracle of walking on water.

Coughing, Adam awkwardly glanced at X-Men only to catch Logan's curious eyes.

'Yikes...' Adam quickly faced ahead while whistling innocently.

Unfortunately, the regenerative Mutant was more persistent than Adam would have liked him to be.

"Spill it, what's with the guilty look, kid?"

"Nothing~" Adam shrugged in a faux manner. "Only wanted to catch the awe-filled look on your face."

Logan eyed Adam for a moment shrugging.

"Don't ask for the impossible. Sure, I'll admit this place is impressive—but so are all the fantastical places I've been to by now."

Kitty nudged the regenerative Mutant with a knowing smile on her face.

"Critique much?"

Logan scoffed and increased his pace.

"Simply speaking the truth, Kit."

"You don't say..." Adam drawled—while internally wiping down a sweat in relief.

'There's no way, I'll tell them.' Adam resolutely thought to himself. 'There's no way I'll tell them that they'd all been dead some seconds ago.'

To Adam, this was the second time they were all entering this place.

The first, had them meeting the security guards—thousands of kilometers long eldritch monstrosities, modeled as creatures from HP Lovecraft books or as they're called in the Prime Universe iteration, the Many-Angled Ones.

It had been Emma who was the first to feel their presence with her Telepathy—only to be paid back with a telepathic scan resulting in 10 discordant seconds of intense hair-tearing, screaming, blood spurting from every orifice in her body, and finally rupturing of the skull into nasty gory bits.

Logan and Kitty's reactions were—at least to say—colorful in their reactions; as their guards raised with their animosity up and directed towards Adam…

Which was a wise decision, but not a safe one considering where they were.

As a result, what promptly followed was an enormous tentacle surging up and triggering a planet-swallowing wave of water to slam on them.

Adam looked down with furrowed brows.

[I'm disappointed in you, Cthulhu]

A mind-corrupting sensation emanated from the crystal nadirs in apology.

[Hmm... Then again, you were only doing your job, so I suppose I'm being unfair… Alright, from now you are to hide your presence and very existence from anyone that enters this place WITH me]

After all, anyone who is capable of dealing with Adam would find the replica Outer Gods as nothing more than a warmup.

A grateful affirmation pulsed and—REALITY SCRAMMBLED—in an instant.

Sighing, Adam felt the eldritch entities scurry off to a dimension more complex than the Celestial Starry Way—Adam seriously didn't understand what any of that meant and he wouldn't bother trying to do so.

'I'll simply take that as it is so long as there aren't any more telepathic mishaps.'

Seeing the X-Men's traumatized faces in a place like this didn't exactly fill Adam with joy.

Despite his anger propensities, Adam wasn't a sadist.

Now then…

Turning to Kitty whose hands reached for one of the dimension's contents, Adam quickly chided.

"I would be careful with that if I were you, Kitty. I'm sure you don't want to get your hand someplace it isn't meant to be, like a black hole or a star."

With a sharp 'eep!' Kitty pulled back her hand like it was on fire, alternating stares between Adam and the 'object' in confusion... And realization.

"… Is that what I think it is?"

By the side, a stunned Emma placed her hand on her temple, letting out a small groan.

"Just when I thought things couldn't get more ridiculous..."

"You can say that again." Logan scoffed in agreement. "… It ain't every day you get to see so many planets in one place."

It was the highlight of the Celestial Starry Way.

Strewn around and numbered like the stars in a clear pitch night were planets; Earths to be more precise. Although, unlike the blue globe in the Solar System, this Earth had a somewhat spiral galaxy around it, giving the sphere a Saturn-like appearance.

Adam cleared his throat.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Logan. Referring to them as planets using a singular planet's perspective would be quite an understatement. See those spiral lights right there; they're a representation of something more. Universes. Those lights represent the stars, nebulas, star clusters, and alien worlds."

With that, Adam ended his brief and succinct explanation;

Going any further would only end up with him beginning a long and tedious explanation of the composition of the Worlds, and how they differ from each other—as some expanded infinitely while others had a fixed size to them.

If it ever gets to that, Adam would simply have Arthuas chuck the information directly into their head.

"Apple. Tree of apples—still all the same to me… What?" Logan shrugged with a bit of weariness in his movement. "You can't expect me to be surprised at every single thing. Anyways, why bring us here? Unless you wanna brag that you're almighty. Then don't bother—Eden and your little creation reenactment have already sent the message loud and clear."

Adam slouched to that.

Pausing, Kitty stared at Adam in mirthful surprise.

"Wait, seriously?"

"… Ho-Hold that thought, Kitty. Whatever you're thinking is simply wrong."

Adam quickly interjected, crossing his arms in an 'X' shape.

"I didn't come here to brag or something like that—not when I've got quintillions upon quintillions of beings already doing so in the Worlds around us. I just wanted a change of location, I know you and Logan aren't comfortable in Eden, so I figure we can do with a change of location."

Kitty raised a brow in bemusement.

"And you figure here would be better?"

Adam hummed.

"Well~ not exactly."

Walking ahead of the X-Men, Adam meticulously studied the hovering Worlds.

He was searching for a particular something.

"… Eh, been there. Been there. Planned to be there. Not exactly safe. Too loud. Too bloody. Too gloomy. Where is it…? Hmm? This one…"

A World floated toward Adam's palm, to which he lifted it to check out.

"This one… Oh, it should be in its Epilogue." A forlorn smile creased his face "Yeah, this'll do nicely."

Turning back, Adam strutted towards the X-Men with a World bouncing carelessly on his palm.

"So you asked why we're here, right?"

Something must have shown on his face—which had a mischievous smile plastered on it—as something clicked in Kitty's mind and her face automatically paled.

"Um, Adam?—"

But it was too late for Kitty to voice her suspicion.

"It's to do this!"

"—Wait!"

Wham…!

Like a professional pitcher, Adam threw the shrunken Universe at them—and it grew.

Bigger and bigger, the World expanded in size.

Galaxies—Superclusters—Black holes—Stars—Solar Systems—Natural Satellites—Planets passed by and they soon found themselves above the Earth's orbit…

… …falling.

What followed after was a—

"""' AAAAAaaaGGgggGGghhhhh!"""

Adam smirked as screams of joy flitted by.

"I always love this part."

ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ

(Katherine 'Kitty' Pryde P.O.V)

Shadowcat—no, this mission didn't require any sort of alternate identity right from the start—Kitty had come to a startling realization as she plummeted from thousands of kilometers above the Earth.

The ridiculous and amusing screams from Emma and the ragging holler?—or should it be bellows—from Logan didn't dissuade the erudite knowledge from slamming against Kitty with the force of an angry sledgehammer.

Kitty had always suspected—wrong—Kitty had sort of known from the beginning but tried to rationalize such a realization as a matter of circumstances...

But no more…

Not when Kitty's throat was (un) surprisingly clear of phlegm and croakiness; courtesy of the failed soprano that seamlessly passed out from her mouth.

Kitty really should distance herself from music for the Greater Good of the planet.

Anyway, the realization was a short and simple statement that even an ordinary child can say—

'All Omega Mutants have a certain screw missing in their head—a certain screw called, 'commonsense'.'

See? Even a child can say it—if it were in a normal situation.

But at the moment, Kitty's situation is anything but normal!

"I'm so gonna die! I'm so gonna die! I'm so gonna die! I'm so gonna die! I'm so gonna die! I'm so gonna die! I'm so gonna die!...!"

Kitty thought she had finally met a 'normal' Beyond Omega Mutant, but Adam was insane like the rest of them!

This isn't the first time Kitty had found herself freefalling from a high altitude; jumping out of a plane, a superpower that had to do with gravity manipulation or telekinesis, or some high-tech device that malfunctions and displaces her in an unwanted elevation.

Take your pick; being an X-Man means dealing with the ridiculous.

But this is the first time where Kitty wasn't just falling from above the Earth's orbit but from outer space.

How did she even survive moving at this kind of speed—

—was the question Kitty would be asking herself if it weren't for the bizarre sight of a certain physics-ignoring Reality Warper who lay relaxed on a deckchair and was sipping a coconut drink with a straw.

Tha-That brat!

'I don't care if he's a Beyond Omega or even a Mutant God, I swear I'll bonk him once we reach land.' Kitty thought in a dark panic. 'A very, very HARD bonk.'

Unsurprisingly, Adam seemed to have picked up her intentions as he sighed and said something over the blustery wind.

The World shifted, and Kitty instantly found herself on land.

"Thank God—Urp...!"

A sudden vertigo caught Kitty as she struggled to stay on her feet—well no surprise there, anyone would feel uncomfortable after a trip like that.

Thankfully, the giddiness seemed to last for a moment before clarity mysteriously took its place.

'Probably Adam's doing...'

With that thought, Kitty looked up to see the amused Beyond Omega Mutant being grabbed by the collar by a furious Logan with Emma by the side having a weary look on her face.

… Probably considering whether having Adam in her squad is worth the trouble or not.

"Kid, if you dare do that again..." Logan threateningly growled.

"Heard that loud and clear, Logan."

Adam drawled as he easily got himself out of Logan's grip.

"You guys, really don't know how to have fun, do ya?"

Emma blandly raised a brow with arms crossed.

"Considering your idea of having fun is a freefall from outer space... then no."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but, aren't you guys the X-Men—you know lovers of adventure and stuff like that... Hah… I really should consider myself lucky that Arthuas isn't here with us, right now."

"Because he would have been the one scolding you?" Emma asked.

"Nope." Adam jauntily replied. "Because you all would have been dead."

Now that got Kitty's attention.

Considering Kitty's experience, she knew more than anyone else that a person shouldn't be judged based on their appearance.

Just because he looks like Prince Charming doesn't mean that his behavior would be out of a fairy tale.

Nevertheless, Kitty had not been able to get such bad vibes from Arthuas.

He was kind, polite, and helpful too—not exactly someone who would kill over some chiding.

"Most especially you, Logan." Adam pointed at the regenerative Mutant. "Unlike the others, Arthuas would toss you into the lowest pits of Hell and throw away the keys."

Logan's brows furrowed.

"Is that supposed to scare me or something?"

To the bold question, Adam cryptically smiled.

"Considering what I know about you. Yes, it should."

Kitty's back prickled in a chill as she tried not to shudder.

Yeah, not the Prince Charming she had thought him to be.

Coughing, Kitty clapped her hands and said.

"Broken expectations aside, where are we, Adam?"

Even though it was an ordinary sun shining above and people—normal-looking people—milled around without demonstrating any form of eccentricity, Kitty knew she wasn't back at her Reality...

It was obvious going by the peculiar looks being thrown at her group that their state of dressing wasn't the norm in this place.

At least, the density-manipulating Mutant was thankful that the peculiar stares weren't tinged in disgust like the ones she normally bore back in her Universe.

Heh, and doesn't that say a lot about where she comes from?

"Ping-pong ~ nice safe, Kitty," Adam said, with a smile. "Universe 3129865—Undead Unluck. The aftermath of a world that had managed to fight God and won through the illogical power of Love."

With a gesture, Kitty and the others followed Adam past the crosswalk and towards the quaint-looking café situated on the other side of the road.

The doorbell jingled as Adam entered with arms spread in triumph.

"I'm home~ Fuuko-chan~"

A beautiful raven-haired woman in a unisex waitress garb sighed and turned to Adam with a smile.

"Welcome back, Kami-sama."

"It's Adam to you, my beautiful heroine."

"Ever the charmer, aren't you."

"I aim to please."

Shing~!

Something glinted from the counter.

Letting out an unmanly yelp, Adam quickly clapped his hands before his face—just some centimeters from his forehead was the tip of a cutting knife.

"St-Still as nimble-fingered as ever, Andy." The Beyond Omega Mutant stammered out.

"What are you doing here, dumb God?"

Possessing a slightly above average height coupled with a well-developed physique, the silver-haired thuggish-looking man with a scar on his face grunted out.

With a shaky smile, Adam threw the knife back at Andy and said.

"Is it bad for me to come visit my friends?"

"This friend isn't cool with you messing around with his woman."

"A-Andy-kun, that's enough from you!"

Fuuko chided with a small blush on her face.

"Same to you as well, Kami-sama! You, more than anyone else, should know how Andy-kun is, by now."

Kitty had an ambivalent smile as she didn't know how to feel seeing as Adam appeared more remorseful than when Logan was threatening him.

Nevertheless, that didn't bother Kitty as much as the two couples before her.

The instinct ingrained in Kitty during her time as Ogun welled up in full force.

'These two are strong... Very, very strong.'

Just the woman, Fuuko felt more dangerous than Natasha and Elektra. While the man, Andy feels more like the fusion of Silver Samurai and Gorgon.

Kitty remembered the words Adam used to describe this Universe.

A World where Humanity fought God and won.

These two weren't your normal people.

Fuuko inclined towards Kitty and her fellow X-Men with a gentle smile.

"Welcome to Union Café. I am Fuuko and that is my husband, Andy. Pleased to me you all... Eh, and just to be sure; you all aren't Gods or something of that sort, right?"

Ingrained Japanese formalities compelled Kitty—as well as the others— to give a small bow in return.

"Katherine Pryde, but you can just call me, Kitty. I assure you, I and the others aren't Gods, same with Adam over here."

Fuuko's posture was slightly relaxed at the reply as she motioned for Kitty and the others to follow her.

"That's what Adam also said the day he wiped out the stars in the sky. But when someone as powerful and malevolent as the Sun addresses someone with reverence, one just can't help but have their perception colored… Oh and Adam, you'd just missed Tatiana, some minutes ago."

Adam's brows shot up.

"Really? So what's the little doll been up to these days?"

"Nothing much." Fuuko hummed. "Just nabbed herself a boyfriend."

That sparked a reaction from Adam that Kitty certainly did not expect.

"Hrk! Boyfriend?!" Adam sputtered. "That little Tatiana?!"

Fuuko laughed.

"Little? One more year and it would be a decade since you had upped and gone. Of course, Tatiana isn't going to wait for her big brother all her life—not when she's got to live it."

"Ah… Now more than ever I realize time's too finicky for me to play ball."

Adam groaned—his face bearing an undiscernible emotion.

"So who's the lucky guy?"

"Well, who do you think?"

"…Huh?" Adam's eyes went saucers. "Huh?! You've gotta be kidding me. It's that little twerp, Chikara!"

Andy's laughter rang out from the counter.

"Bwahahahaha... Now I remember missing that hilarious expression of yours. You and Chikara always made one heck of a comedic duo. All that's missing is a camera to commemorate this moment and send it to Juiz to frame and hang it at her museum."

"Juiz and Victor, huh... Don't tell me they're still pissed because of that little prank."

"You tell me. You're God, not me."

Adam groaned with palms over his face.

"I swear some people just don't know how to take a joke."

From the conversation, Kitty could tell that Adam had quite the tale with the couple and others being mentioned—and an old one too, judging from how the word 'decade' had been carelessly thrown in.

To the World outside it had been merely 3 months since Adam's emergence as a Mutant…

But how long has it been to Adam?

3 years?

3 decades?

3 centuries?

3 millennium?

The answer to that scared Kitty—but at the same time, explained why Adam had this demeanor uncommonly seen with powerful Teenage Mutants.

And why he preferred calling us by our names.

Soon enough, they were led to a partition by the window granting a quaint view of the city outside.

Fuuko had asked for their order, but excluding Adam who had asked for a strawberry parfait, none of the X-Men felt particularly hungry.

It was after Fuuko's departure that Logan began.

"Any chance you're gonna' tell us the story you've got going here?"

Kitty stomped Logan's foot with a small scowl on her face.

"That's a bit too personal, Logan!"

Even without saying it out loud, Kitty knew whatever Adam had going on with these people was something very personal.

Logan casually moved his leg and shifted closer to the window.

"You can't honestly tell me, you aren't interested in knowing what happened after everything you'd just heard?"

Logan turned to Adam and said.

"Look, I don't want you to think that I'm forcing you or anything of that sort—not like I can in the first place—I'm merely interested, that's all. I'll respect your decision if you don't want to talk about it. A man's got to have a few stories he'd rather not share with anyone."

Adam hummed.

"Well, first off; the story isn't mine to share as doing so would be revealing some pretty bad events..."

Adam glanced at Andy who eyed their group as he turned on the fruit blender.

"Events that will get me chased out of this café with a kitchen knife, and I haven't had the weekly special so NOPE I won't be sharing anything—not to mention doing so will keep us here all day, and I'm someone who likes to sit still for long."

Kitty exhaled in relief—mostly because she felt the presence fixated on their group vanish as soon as Adam stopped talking.

Logan shrugged, acquiescently.

"Like I said; I can respect that."

Adam smiled—

—and the mood suddenly changed.

There was no logical way of describing what happened—the tension in the air so thick, Kitty was sure Logan could slice through it.

The bright colors of the World dimmed with Adam's eyes.

It was a literal effect rather than a metaphysical one.

An indescribable pressure—it wasn't fear but something quite close—descended at that table.

It was finally time to get to the core reason why they were here in the first place.

Kitty instinctively straightened up, while Emma who sat beside Adam couldn't help but edge away from the source of the abnormal phenomena—an action Kitty couldn't exactly blame the Telepath for doing.

"Remember the question I'd asked you before this little trip of ours?"

'Little, he says...' Kitty thought in disbelief.

Since when had Time and World hopping simply become a little trip?

Nevertheless, Kitty carefully replied.

"What did we think of the powerful Mutants running around?"

It was a question that should have required a textbook answer;

They are Mutants with gifts to be explored and developed to facilitate a peaceful coexistence with Humanity...

…

But that was before Adam destroyed the Universe with a twitch and recreated it with a snap.

…

"So how about it..." Adam's eyes scanned the Mutants sited around him. "What do you think of Mutants like me?"

"Why ask us if you know what we'll say in the end?"

From the side, Emma asked with a tinge of incredibility.

"Your power presides over Creation and Destruction. Time and Space. Death and Life. Disregarding the morality of our group, it's only in Mutant's best interest that you stay somewhere we can keep an eye on."

Wrong...

Kitty didn't need to say it, but she felt that that wasn't what Adam wanted to hear.

"Pft..."

Sure enough, Adam entered a fit of laughter.

"For a former member of that voodoo society, you are oblivious to the future of mutant-kind, aren't you, Emma? And no, I'm not referring to merely just me."

Emma narrowed her eyes, but Adam unflinchingly stared back.

"Soon, you'll be seeing Mutants with my kind of power running around. It's not some prophecy or something I'll have a hand in. It's a change that'll happen sooner or later. Reality Manipulators will be a dime dozen merely distinguished by the 'how' and 'level' they affect the World. I want you all to think and tell me how you feel about that."

Something coursed through Katherine Pryde—something very disturbing.

That... Sounded scary—Adam's revelation was like the manifestation of the End-Time propaganda spread by those Human Supremacist groups.

Professor Xavier had once told the X-Men that sooner or later, it would be the Mutants hogging the greater percentage of the Earth's population.

But that hadn't got to Kitty until this moment.

Until Adam...

'Somewhere out there. Be it now, tomorrow, or even next year, a Mutant could emerge with the power to destroy the World. It could be anybody. Saint or psychopath.'

What a scary image to conjure up.

"I think we'll be all kinds of fucked." Logan bluntly said. "Like how are we expected to manage something like that when we can't handle the ones on our laps?"

More powerful Mutants don't necessarily facilitate an improvement.

An almost decade of experience told Kitty that much—it's not always the Mutants that need saving; sometimes it's the Humans that need protecting from those powerful Mutants.

But...

"But why are you asking us this?" Kitty asked. "Emma, notwithstanding, why not ask Scott? Or even Erick, if you want a broader view. You can even conjure up Professor Xavier to assuage your doubts if that's what you want. Why the three of us?"

"Why... Why indeed. Well—"

"—Uhm, sorry for the interruption. Here's your parfait, Kami-sama."

Adam's reply had been interrupted by Fuuko, who had brought his order—unintentionally buying time for Kitty to gather her thoughts.

"Thanks, Fuuko-chan."

Spooning a bite, Adam hummed.

"Let me set things straight; whether I follow you back to the institute or not shouldn't be the problem. I won't be there forever. And it's not like any of you can do anything to stop me."

Raising a palm, a blue star manifested on Adam's palm with a bright flash.

"As you said, Emma. I can create..."

His fist clenched and the star violently exploded in a supernova.

"I can destroy."

Simple theatrics with a loud and clear message.

"All it takes is a whim. My whim... Kitty, I don't need prep talks from Erik or Xavier. I don't need En Sabbah Nur telling me bullshit about Mutant Godhood and shit. I need the X-Men. A group of Mutants that fights not just for Mutants, but for the humanity that they once—no, always have. So, what do you consider someone like me to be?"

From an ostensible viewpoint, Adam's words subtly resonated with Apocalypse's views; having power means having the capacity to do whatever it is one wants without any form of repercussion.

'But who said, that is what Adam meant in the first place?'

Kevin Mactaggert...

Gabriel Summers…

Apocalypse…

David Haller…

Quentin Quire…

What was the difference between people like them and people like Jean Grey and Franklin Richards?

They are all Omega Level Mutant with powers that can affect the Earth and beyond the boundaries of the Solar System—but they turned out to be so different.

Because, we—you started to classify them as 'different'.

Kitty's eyes widened.

'Could it be that simple…?'

Look back and ask yourself again.

Kitty regarded Adam who appeared relaxed with his chin resting on his palm as he watched Emma go on about the need for Mutants to come together.

But Kitty knew more than anyone else that Emma's words were nothing more than lip service.

'When did we start seeing Omega Mutants as threats and bad news?' Kitty wondered...

'When did we stop treating them as fellow Mutants—as fellow humans?'

Yes, Adam could destroy the World, but so could Emma if she so pleased;

A quick plug into the Cerebro could enable Emma to telepathically control people anywhere on the Planet... Kitty has seen the Professor do this numerous times and with Emma's capabilities, she didn't doubt the former White Queen's ability to do the same.

.

.

.

Thump… Thump… Thump…

Who could stop Ogun if they decide to phase a hand through someone's chest and rip their heart out?

What were the repercussions for someone with her abilities?

.

.

.

"Let me tell you what I see those Mutants as..."

What followed was an unnatural silence as the Beyond Omega Mutant—no, Adam Abrams—turned his attention towards her.

"The ball's in your court."

"Right…" Kitty took a deep breath.

"Frankly speaking, they're dangerous. Scary. Crazy, even. I always can't seem to comprehend how they think and why they do the things they do. In a way, Emma's right for saying we need those Mutants where we can see them, but not for the future of Mutantkind—but to remind them that they're not alone…"

Maybe the X-Men couldn't do anything about Apocalypse, whose views could not be changed due to being regarded for centuries as a Godking.

But what about Kevin; what did the X-Men do to a Mutant who ever since his activation had been locked up in a cell and killed by the very people who ought to protect him?

Why didn't we do more to help him?

"Both Mutants and Mutates possess the same kind of powers with the only difference being how they came to have them. So why do we think of Powerful Mutates as powerful humans while powerful Mutants as walking disasters? Kevin can destroy the planet the same way the Hulk could."

This question didn't just pop out of nowhere. It was something that bothered Kitty since the beginning.

The X-Men are meant to be protectors. To show the World that Mutants aren't always demons from hell they saw them as—

—but what of the Mutants themselves?

Not the century-age masterminds…

Not the self-wannabe sorcerers...

Not the self-proclaimed gods and goddesses…

[Can the mind of a mortal the capable of processing the powers of a God?]

Yes-No-Maybe...

Kitty didn't consider herself intelligent enough to come up with an answer that could satisfy Adam—just that question is enough to ask herself…

What did the X-Men do to help Mutantkind?

Was there any alternative for all the Omega Mutants and Beyond the X-Men have met and put down?

What did Katherine Pryde/Shadowcat think of Adam Abrams—the boy with the power of a God?

"So it may be cliché of me to say this, but I see those Mutants the same way I see every other Mutants… The same way I see myself. A being capable of choice…"

The silence that followed was palpable.

Kitty winced at the thought that she had said the wrong words when Andy's laughter came ringing out—he had a look of interest and a bit of admiration (?) in his eyes as he stared at her.

"Those are some wicked sick words, Katherine Pryde! I can see in your eyes that you truly mean them. Hey, Adam…"

Andy called at the God Mutant.

"Why don't you give the girl a chance and see if she's capable of walking the talk? It's not like they can do anything to keep you back if you aren't satisfied by what you see."

"Hmm… I'll admit you have me falling for those words and the sincerity in them..."

Adam hummed and snapped his fingers.

"Alright, let's do this. As a Jew, you should know what this means; Esther 5:6. I will grant you one wish and one wish alone. Tell me whatever it is you desire; world peace? The powers of a Beyond Omega Mutant? The location of a certain metalhead? Tell me, Katherine; if given the chance as an X-Man to make a change; what would you ask for?"

There was no need for anyone to tell Kitty that Adam's question was a loaded one.

Kitty ignored the rather ambivalent look Emma threw at her—probably thought she had hit the jackpot with the opportunity presented before her.

But somehow in some way, Katherine Pryde knew that this question was a test.

World peace is well and good, but Kitty knew using a short-cut method means it wouldn't last forever. All it takes is for another powerful Mutant to decide such peace isn't worth keeping for everything to fall apart.

Also, this may be hypocritical, but nothing scares Kitty more than having powers well beyond what she ought to have—she isn't sure she would be up to the task.

And as for Piotr...

Kitty grits her teeth as the urge to know where he was burned her.

Merely the knowledge that Piotr is alive is enough for Kitty—she will find him WITH or WITHOUT the help of some Reality Manipulation.

[If given the chance as an X-Man to make a serious change; what would you ask for?]

There is no reason for Kitty to think that whatever request she asks will be perfect.

But…

As an X-Man—no, a Mutant what does Shadowcat desire…

Kitty exhaled.

"What I want is—"

To Kitty's desire, Adam Abrams gave a sincere smile.

"If that's what you want, then that is what I will do."