Operations

Sherlock's projection led Essex into the sanctum as the other masters watched on warily. But they knew Sherlock and his relationship with the Ancient One so no one protested.

Inside the infirmary of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One and Jean were using all sorts of magical and scientific equipment on the unconscious mother-son pair. Seeing his wife and son Essex couldn't hold himself and tried barging into the room.

Bam! He was stopped by an energy shield before he could even step in. "Stay right there Mr. Essex, if you still want us to focus on treating your wife that is." The Ancient One coldly said to a dazed Essex.

Even though he was in a complicated mood with his thoughts in complete chaos, Essex still picked up on the nuance of what he heard, "What about my son? How is he?"

This time it was Jean who replied, "He is barely holding on but the more we keep him in this state, the more he will suffer. You might have to let go of him."

Essex suddenly lost his mind once again. He had just lost his son and found some hope to get him back but the prospect of losing him again brought forward all the rage and sadness he had held inside of him ever since his first child died.

He began thrashing on the shield made by the Ancient One as he screamed his lungs out "Aaaaaaaaaaghhhh!" The other members of Kamar-Taj were startled but didn't actually try to investigate too much.

As he was raging, something changed in Essex and suddenly he stopped everything, stood still, and looked at the unmoving body of his kid. "Let me in, I can save him." He said calmly.

Sherlock who had been watching everything till now was interested in what Essex wanted to do. Essex didn't care about anything else right now though, he was totally focused.

The Ancient One looked at him and asked, "Are you sure about that? I know you are a brilliant geneticist and surgeon but this is your own kin. Can you operate without letting your emotions sway you? Especially after that outburst."

She watched on as the man resolved himself. And with a simple nod from Essex, she let him in.

Essex walked over to his son first as he began speaking, "Apocalypse changed me, he made me a mutant forcefully by some technological method. And one of my powers is that I can control my body to a cellular level."

He touched his son and slowly the pale, bluish skin of the dying baby started to turn a healthy pink. "He is my son, with simple adjustments, I can match my own blood and DNA to his and if I keep myself connected to him while I send my blood inside his body, I can manage a miracle like this."

"I can remove all his genetic defects, the problems from early conception and make him stronger and smarter. And I can give him the gift of power."

While revealing his powers might be detrimental, he knew it wasn't a power anyone can exploit against him. And right now explaining how he is treating his kid is more important as the people still consider him hostile due to his allegiance.

The baby had grown healthier than ever and was now sleeping soundly. Essex then moved towards his wife as the three spectators watched in awe.

"I can't do the same for you but bear with the pain a little longer my love. You will get to be with your newborn son very soon." Essex said as he started to operate on her right there using all the tools.

The scalpel in his hands and the other tools slowly floating around due to his telekinesis, Essex began to perform open heart surgery on his wife.

Jean instantly got out of her daze and went to help Essex. "Her heart is failing. We either need to heal it or find a heart donor right now. Or else she won't make it more than hours." Jean declared.

"No need!" Essex said as he suddenly stripped of his shirt and turned another scalpel towards his own chest and under the horrified gaze of Jean and amused gaze of the two sorcerers, he took his own heart meticulously without even flinching.

"What are you doing? You will die! And we haven't even checked the compatibility yet." Jean yelled at some point during the ordeal.

But Essex calmly replied, "I'll live and it will regrow in a couple of years. I have also made it as compatible as possible with my powers."

The surgery took an hour and now Essex was standing outside the room with the Ancient One and Sherlock. Jean was still inside taking care of the patients.

Although she was worried for Scott, the Sherlock projection had reassured her that he was fine and still fighting.

"What will you do now?" the projection asked Essex.

"I have only ever sought strength enough to get my family back together. I will still continue on that path since I still have one of my sons to bring back. As for Apocalypse, I was never loyal to him, I only wanted his power." Essex said as he looked at a vial in his hand.

"He tasked me to create a plague that can wipe out all non-mutants. I created a poison that should kill him if not put him down for a few centuries."

Essex then turned to the Ancient One. "If I had known things like magic existed then I might have brought my son back already. Will you teach me how to do magic?"

She looked at the broken man who is supposed to be a villain of the future and contemplated a bit before saying, "With what you desire and your tendencies, I can tell that you will fall into the dark side willingly. Magic isn't omnipotent, you can't bring your son back with magic."

"But it is a start. I can know more and have more avenues." Essex reasoned.

"And this persistence of yours is what will drive you to the dark side." The Ancient One sighed.

"The risk is too much so I can't teach you magic. But I can tell you this, there are and will be individuals who can bend reality to their whims. Entities who can create and destroy life without even realizing it. Those are your greatest hopes. I just pray that you don't use the path of destruction to reach them"

Essex looked at the bald woman solemnly. He disliked her for not teaching him and being so cryptic, but he couldn't hate her since she also helped him and his family.

"I will find my own way then. Help me reach Apocalypse at least, I will put him down myself." As Essex ended his words, a portal appeared in front of him.

Through the portal, he could see two battered men fighting Apocalypse in the distance.