Chapter 54 - Mistrust

With the dance being canceled after a mysterious gas explosion completely destroyed the roof, but surprisingly, didn't harm any students, Sara, Prime, and the others headed back home. Of course, from Sara's perspective, only fools would believe such a concocted story. However, in the end, they couldn't change people's minds about what they wanted to believe.

So, even though the night ended abruptly, it was still a relatively significant night for Sara and Prime. After all, it wouldn't be easy to simply forget what they both witnessed. Ultimately, it was practically impossible to erase from memory the fact that they had fought against a lunatic capable of controlling metal.

"So, is no one going to comment on what just happened?" Sara asked, attentive to her companions' expressions.

"To be honest, I'm curious too. Why did Magneto go after Sara?" Scott inquired, raising an eyebrow from behind his red glasses.

The atmosphere fell into silence after Sara and Scott's words, as all the kids expressed the same doubt. Xavier, sensing the general perplexity, let out a sigh before his deep voice echoed through the room.

"I'm not sure about the details of Magneto's plan, but... despite his extreme methods, I'm convinced that this was linked to his fundamental desire to see mutants thrive"

Listening to Xavier's words, Sara let out a light laugh. For some reason, from both Prime's and Sara's point of view, Xavier seemed to be trying to downplay what happened, justifying the kidnapping incident as a necessary evil for a greater good. At least, that's the impression he conveyed.

It's not that Sara was completely mistrusting Professor Xavier, but Magneto's words made her reconsider the level of trust she placed in him. In the end, she decided that, as soon as she had the chance, she would leave the mansion and find another place to live.

"It seems your friend believes that the rise of mutants will come at the expense of subjugating humans" Sara said indifferently.

Xavier remained silent, without excuses for that response. Sara shrugged, continuing her indifferent questioning.

"But why me? Honestly, I don't see why he'd come after me, especially considering I only awakened my powers a few days ago. I don't even know all my powers yet" Sara queried, although in truth, the question was asked by Prime.

The atmosphere again enveloped in silence, with all eyes gradually turning to Xavier. He could read the thoughts of everyone there, except Sara's, which made him visibly uncomfortable.

"I believe he came in search of your friend. We conducted some experiments and found out that your friend can split himself, creating other beings identical to him... However, the experiment failed. For some reason, the resulting copies proved to be wild and devoid of rational thought. In the end, we were forced to destroy them all"

Surprised by this revelation, Sara felt uncomfortable realizing that something like this was happening without her knowledge. Doubt began to creep into her mind, making her question if Magneto might be right about Xavier after all.

"Were you planning to tell me about this someday? I mean, other than when you're cornered?" Sara asked, with a tone of incredulity mixed with a slight touch of sarcasm.

Xavier remained silent in the face of Sara's words. It was evident that this was something not only she didn't know, but also something she shouldn't know. Furthermore, from the expressions of Scott, Jean, Kitty, and Kurt, it was clear they were also unaware of this matter.

(Prime, I think we really need to leave. I don't feel trust in Xavier anymore) exclaimed Sara, her face assuming an evident expression of distrust.

Only a murmur from Prime accepting her proposal echoed in Sara's mind, and after that, they all moved in silence as the ship headed back to the mansion. Xavier, though unable to read Sara's mind, was skilled enough to deduce what others might be thinking. Thus, he realized that Sara had made a decision.

A decision he felt the need to intervene in, as Xavier couldn't allow Magneto to get his hands on Sara and her power. He firmly believed he needed to intervene in Sara's decision, as it was what he considered best for her.

After returning to the mansion, everyone retreated to their rooms for a while to reflect on the recent events. The party that had started at 6:00 now passed 8:00. Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep so soon, Sara decided to go to the cafeteria to grab something to eat, as her candy night had been interrupted.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Sara found Scott and Jean chatting animatedly, reminding her that she hadn't seen any of the other four during the ball. They were probably all dancing somewhere on the floor. Upon noticing Sara's presence, Scott and Jean waved to her, inviting her to join them at the table.

After finishing preparing her meal, that's exactly what she did: she sat at the table. The trio was already there, engaged in lively conversation, when Kitty and Kurt also appeared, ready to share the meal with Sara. Thus, a quintet was formed.

"So you're leaving?" Jean asked, with a sad expression on her face.

Sara had decided to share her decision to leave with the four the next day. She decided to omit the fact that she was leaving because of distrust towards Xavier; instead, she said she was moving because she had saved enough to live on her own place, which wasn't a lie, as Prime's investments were yielding significant returns.

"Well, that's the plan, but I'll make visits from time to time, and you guys can come see me whenever you want. I mean, you'll know my address" Sara replied with a playful look, especially addressing Jean.

"So that's it? Well, I admit I'm going to miss you. It won't be the same here without you. Jean will keep being the strongest among us for a while" Kurt said.

His words met with warm smiles as they continued to chat enthusiastically about their plans for the future. As the night progressed, it was time to say goodbye, as it was getting late. After bidding everyone farewell, Sara headed to her room, closed the door, and surrendered to the bed, ready to rest.

***

In another room, Xavier kept his inner thoughts as he gazed out into the dark night through the window. He had a rough idea of the decision Sara would make after the recent events. Xavier recognized that she could no longer fully trust him, especially after finding out that he had withheld information from her, though it was for protective reasons.

With a serious expression, Xavier began to wheel his wheelchair towards the door and entered the hallway, his face reflecting the seriousness of his reflections. As the silence of the night surrounded him, Xavier continued to move with determination. He had made a difficult decision, one he considered unforgivable himself, but he couldn't see viable alternatives given the circumstances.

He acknowledged the importance of protecting Sara and her power, especially in the face of the threat posed by mutants like Magneto. Xavier knew that the decision he would make could be controversial, but he firmly believed that it was necessary to act for the safety of all.

Thus, he decided that the best way to ensure Sara's safety would be to subtly influence her mind, inducing thoughts and emotions that would lead her to want to stay in the mansion under his protection.

Walking through the mansion's corridors, Xavier arrived at a room known only to trusted staff. Upon opening the door, he found himself in a room equipped with various high-tech computers, as well as a central device resembling a helmet.

This was the Brain room, originally built to track mutants around the world, but it also had another functionality: enhancing the powers of psionic mutants. Xavier believed he could use this technology to influence Sara's mind.

***

While Sara was deeply asleep, Prime reflected in his mind about the recent events and the dangers this world represented for him and for Sara.

At that moment, Prime felt a snap in his mind, followed by a throbbing headache. It was as if something intrusive was trying to infiltrate, shattering and reassembling his mind in a chaotic and disjointed manner, albeit not in the same way as before.

That night at the Xavier Mansion, everyone was haunted by deafening screams echoing through the surroundings as an immense aura of malevolent power completely enveloped the place.