[28] Magneto Wakes Up, Homelander Brian

New York, Contel Hospital, Intensive Care Unit.

Professor X stood by Magneto's bedside, his face filled with concern as he looked at Erik, who was wrapped in medical bandages like a mummy.

Behind Professor X, Brian and Raven sat on the sofa in the ICU, casually eating fruit and eyeing him with mild disdain.

Three days had passed since their battle with Sebastian Shaw.

After Shaw had left, Brian and the others had taken the severely injured, near-death Magneto to Contel Hospital, one of the top medical facilities in New York City, for treatment.

It had to be said—Professor X had gone to great lengths to ensure Magneto's recovery. Not only had he spent millions of dollars to hire the best medical team in America, but he had also been by Erik's side throughout, taking care of him every step of the way.

This level of dedication made Brian and Raven uncomfortable.

After three days of intensive treatment, Magneto was finally out of danger and had been transferred to the ICU.

"Charles, take a break," Raven said from the sofa, unable to bear watching any longer. She walked over to Professor X, gently patting him on the shoulder.

"It's fine, Raven. I'm not tired," Professor X replied, shaking his head. As a mutant with telepathic abilities, he wouldn't feel mentally exhausted, even if he didn't sleep for three days or more.

However, his physical body was still that of an ordinary person, and the strain had left heavy dark circles under his eyes.

"Charles, you're hopeless," Raven muttered softly, her eyes twitching slightly with a hint of regret.

She then returned to Brian's side, curling up in his arms like a kitten.

For the past three days, Brian and Raven had been inseparable, indulging themselves freely.

Brian's adaptive evolution gave him remarkable endurance, so he didn't feel tired at all.

Meanwhile, Raven's Mystique physiology also granted her incredible stamina. Under Brian's influence, she discovered a new feature of her shapeshifting ability: every time she changed into a new form, it was like hitting a reset button on her fatigue.

No matter how exhausted she felt, the moment she shapeshifted into a new image, her energy was instantly restored.

And there was more—Raven realized that any injuries she sustained in one form would heal the moment she shifted into a different image, leaving her body intact once more.

This discovery only fueled their reckless behavior.

It wasn't until they received a telepathic message from Professor X that they finally returned to the hospital.

"Hey Charles, why don't you just wake up Magneto?" Brian said casually, popping another piece of fruit into his mouth.

Professor X: ???

Professor X looked at Brian with a confused expression, unsure of what he meant.

"As a telepath, it should be easy for you to wake up someone who's comatose," Brian said lightly.

His simple words hit Professor X like a heavy blow, leaving him momentarily stunned.

He then looked at Brian with gratitude.

The old saying, concern leads to confusion, rang true here. Professor X had been so focused on Magneto's safety that he had completely forgotten his own telepathic abilities.

Without further hesitation, Professor X placed his right hand on Magneto's forehead and sent his mind into Magneto's consciousness.

—Wake up, Erik,— his telepathic voice echoed within Magneto's mind.

Slowly, Magneto's sleeping consciousness began to stir.

Magneto, still weak from his injuries, opened his eyes gradually.

"Ahem, ...Charles," Magneto croaked, coughing violently a few times.

With Professor X's help, he managed to sit up.

"W-Where is Sebastian Shaw?!!" Magneto asked, frowning as he scanned his surroundings, confused to find himself in a hospital room.

Magneto's mind was still caught in the battle with Sebastian Shaw.

"Erik, the fight with Shaw happened three days ago," Professor X said, using his telepathic powers to transmit the memories of the past three days directly into Magneto's mind.

In an instant, Magneto understood everything that had happened since he lost consciousness.

"Mr. Brian, I owe you my life," Magneto said solemnly as he finally noticed Brian and Raven standing nearby.

"No, no. no, Magneto, you're my mutant brother. I couldn't just stand by and watch you die," Brian replied earnestly.

"..Mutant brothers?" Magneto repeated, clearly moved by Brian's words.

Under Sebastian Shaw's influence, Magneto had begun to embrace the idea of mutant supremacy. In his view, mutants should be united, helping each other as brothers and sisters.

"By the way, what exactly happened to my name, huh? Why did you call me Magneto?" Magneto asked, turning to Professor X with some confusion.

Professor X shrugged and then spoke.

"This is the code name Raven came up with for us. I'm Professor X, and you're Magneto. Raven is Mystique," he explained helplessly.

"Oh," Magneto seemed pleased with his new title, nodding to Raven before turning to Brian.

"What about Mr. Brian? What's his title?" Magneto asked.

His question made both Professor X and Raven exchange a glance. Up until now, they hadn't realized that Brian didn't have a code name.

"Homelander, my title is Homelander," Brian said firmly, cutting off Raven just as she was about to speak.

"Homelander?" Professor X and the others looked at Brian, puzzled as to why he chose a title seemingly unrelated to his mutant abilities.

"I think Evolution Master sounds better than Homelander," Raven said, struggling to free herself from Brian's hand.

"Raven, I didn't ask for your opinion. I want my opinion," Brian replied, serious.

"I think Homelander is perfect. It has a sense of freedom and ease—doing whatever one wants."

Brian glanced at Raven and spoke.

"Free and easy? Doing whatever one wants? Brian, how did you get that from Homelander?" Raven scratched her head, baffled by Brian's reasoning.

She couldn't quite understand how he derived "freedom" and "ease" from the word Homelander. But since Brian had made up his mind, she chose to support him silently.

"Ah.. A person from one's homeland is someone who knows their roots. Mr. Brian respects his Mutant origins, and he considers the Mutant community to be his family. To help them live freely, he is willing to do whatever it takes..." Magneto blurted out with teary eyes.

"O' My God! Let's cheer for Brian! The Homelander!" Raven exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Brian's right hand and announcing loudly.

"Homelander!" Professor X and Magneto joined in, celebrating Brian's new title.

And with that, among the mutants, there was now a new name—Brian, The Homelander.

"Alright, now that Magneto has woken up, I think it's time we establish something—a mutant organization," Brian said after a moment of silence, reminding them.

"Mutant organization?" Magneto asked, intrigued.

Professor X, Magneto, and Raven exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Sebastian Shaw had the Hellfire Club, and they all felt that it was time to establish their own mutant organization, one that could rival Shaw's influence.

"Very good. Since everyone agrees on forming a mutant organization, the next step is to discuss its name," Brian said.

No sooner had Brian spoken than Professor X and Magneto responded in unison:

"Mutant Brotherhood."

"X-Men."

As soon as they finished, they turned to look at each other, their expressions filled with amusement and disapproval of the other's suggestion.

"Erik, Mutant Brotherhood? That sounds like a name for a fraternity gone wild on campus," Professor X remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Charles, X-Men is the most ridiculous name I've ever heard. Are you planning to form some kind of 18+ justice league?" Magneto shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The two, who had just been admiring each other as close friends, were now at odds, each unwilling to accept the other's proposed name.