18.

Inside the office, Storm, Cyclops and a red-haired woman, who he guessed was Jean Grey were already present as Xavier rolled over from his wheelchair, and sat behind his desk pointing at the chair in front of them.

Storm glared at him ready to strike him with her lighting if Kai dared to make a move against them while Jean analyzed him from head to toe.

Kai sat down as Nathan stood beside him, still wary of the unknown territory they were in.

He had seen mutants before but never so many in a single place and although he believed Kai with all his heart that he could take care of the situation regardless, he knew it would be a tough fight regardless.

"As you already know, Magneto is still locked inside his cell," Xavier began, his voice steady but tinged with concern. "But he's still influencing the actions of the Brotherhood of Mutants. How he manages to do so, we are not entirely certain, but the more pressing issue at the moment is our dealings with William Grant Fisk, whom I am sure you're aware of."

"An army of mutants is already bad enough," Cyclops interjected, his tone serious, "but when you mix in the weapons and the reach of a crime lord like Fisk, you can see how precarious the situation has become."

Kai leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs with a lazy, confident demeanor. "Desperate enough to invite someone like me into your home?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yes," Xavier nodded after a quick glance at Cyclops, "I don't believe Eric would harm mutant-kind as a whole but I can't say the same about Fisk, who I believe is the key between Eric and the brotherhood method of communication."

"If things carry on the way it is, we would have a bigger catastrophe than-"

"Let me cut you off right here." Kai kept his legs on top of Xavier's desk almost flaunting them, "What happens to some random mutants and people has nothing to do with me and I am sure you're worried about the disaster that would happen to both Fisk's men and mutants as a whole and the trajectory the fight would take which would continue to affect people's view of mutants for ages to come, but... I just don't give a fuck."

"I am sure I made it clear from the get-go, what I want is Rogue so anything else doesn't matter to me."

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as Kai's words hung in the air. Cyclops' jaw tightened, and Storm exchanged a worried glance with the red-haired woman. Xavier remained composed, though a hint of frustration flickered in his eyes.

"I understand your priorities, Kai," Xavier said calmly. "And I assure you, helping Rogue is our top priority as well. But the situation with Fisk and Magneto cannot be ignored. Their actions will have far-reaching consequences that affect all of us, including Rogue."

"So please tell us what you can so we can formulate why they need Rogue and how we can help her. After all this all started with you looking for Rogue."

Kai kept quiet for a second analyzing the people around the room for a good moment, "It's kind of funny how you've let the elephant in the room just sit there. You haven't asked me about my powers and my connections with Fisk and why I need Rogue as well."

"And I especially love the fact that you're taking me in as a good guy who just lost his way. I'll stumble onto different paths and you'll help me out of nowhere when I am at my lowest and I'll pick up the team spirit and be all jolly. But I hate to disappoint you, this movie won't end this way."

The tension in the room deepened, Kai's laughter adding an unsettling edge to the already charged atmosphere. Xavier remained composed, his gaze steady on Kai, while Storm's frustration was evident in his clenched fists. Cyclops and Jean Grey exchanged concerned looks but stayed silent, waiting for the Professor's response.

"I believe that you've just lost your way, but time heals all. It's the same reason I put my faith in these children." Xavier answered, "Maybe I am wrong, but only time will tell how this will end. But until then, I'll choose to believe there's still goodness in you."

"And I believe even if I were to question you, you wouldn't open up as easily." Xavier pointed at his own forehead signifying Kai's wariness with his helmet.

"Fine! I'll let you play into your delusions much longer." Kai nodded filled with amusement as if he had found a new toy he could wrangle around, "You want to know what Fisk is after, then it's simple. It's power, he desires."

"A power strong enough to kill me." Kai shrugged while the people in the room narrowed their eyes, "Rogue surely won't provide it, after all, she's an amateur at best and her killing me is akin to you trying to read my mind right now. It just doesn't work."

"So although she's part of their plan she just isn't it." Kai's words seemed to hang heavily in the room, casting a shadow over the gathered mutants. Xavier, his expression unchanged, took a moment to process this information. Cyclops and Storm remained tense, while Jean Grey's eyes narrowed in concentration as if trying to piece together the puzzle laid before them.

"Now knowing Fisk he wouldn't take such drastic steps without any reason, so I am certain the deal between the two groups is lucrative enough to make him go all out and Rogue is just stranded in between their deals."

Xavier nodded thoughtfully, absorbing Kai's analysis while keeping his composure intact. Cyclops and Storm exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging the complexity of the situation they faced.

"You're suggesting that Rogue is caught in the middle of a larger deal between Fisk and Magneto," Xavier mused, his tone contemplative. "If Fisk's intentions are solely about power and control, then Rogue becomes a crucial pawn in his game."

"Professor, I believe that as long as we can secure Rogue we can prevent any further altercation, we already have Mystique and Sabertooth, so I believe as long as we can act fast, we can stop whatever's coming." Cyclops spoke out,

"Did he just summarize what we just said?" Kai snorted waving his hands, "Ten points to the yellow spandex! Now shoo along to the corner you miserable teacher's pet."

"Now let me give you one last hint before you go on your escapade, for any of their plans to begin they would need Magneto, and my flight here made me realize, what better way for them to plan his escape when both me and you bunch were distracted looking for Rogue who turned out to be your creepy blue friend in disguise."

Xavier's expression tightened slightly at Kai's words, his mind racing through the implications. Storm and Cyclops exchanged a quick, concerned glance, realizing the gravity of Kai's revelation.

"Are you suggesting this whole thing was a distraction orchestrated to facilitate Magneto's escape?" Jean Grey asked speaking for the first time, her voice sharp with concern.

Kai glanced at Jean Grey, the ticking time bomb with a look of near disgust completely ignoring her existence.

"I'll go ahead and check immediately," Storm said as she hurriedly left the room, her cape fluttering behind her, while Jean and Cyclops remained in the room praying that Kai was wrong.