Invincible Origins

Mutation. An alteration in the genetic material of a cell, leading to different species throughout generations. However, mutation has become far more than previously thought possible. They brought upon abilities and changes that no one had expected. These astonishing Mutants with their uncanny abilities have caused panic in recent years, but there are those that believe that Mutants and Humans can coexist.

Our story begins over ten years ago. The sun was high in the sky over the city of Cairo, Egypt as a young adventurer followed closely behind his father in a market square. For the young Adam Aurelius, seeing Egypt was an incredible honor and one of the many perks to traveling with his father.

Adam was a fourteen year-old young man with shaggy black hair, bright blue eyes, and a look of absolute wonder at the world around him. Everywhere he looked, he took pictures of everything that was happening around him. Adam stuck close to his father as they navigated towards the latest subject of his work.

"Wow, look at all these buildings," Adam said, watching the bustling streets of Egypt's capital city. "Some of these are really old, but they still somehow look new."

"That's because we're heading to the older parts of Cairo, Adam," Luke Aurelius explained. "Buildings tend to be older the further south we go in this city. Just like how some city centers are."

Luke Aurelius was a man in his mid-thirties with black hair that matched his son's, green eyes that hid behind a pair of slightly crooked glasses, and a lightly tanned skin after many years of work in the field. He carried a bag slung over his shoulder where he brought all his notes and topics he wanted to discuss for his work. His eyes kept a careful watch over his young son as well as the bustling city that they were walking through. Not just because he was worried for his son, but because he was weary of any pickpockets in the area.

Despite Cairo being the capital of the country, it didn't spare it from many of the issues almost all the cities suffered. Crime and inequality often stalked the shadows of the alleys regardless of how old or immersed the culture was in the people's everyday life. Not to mention that tourists and foreigners were often the perfect target for such acts of pickpocketing. Though that wasn't the only issue that had arisen in the last few years, and it was one that worried Luke more than losing his wallet or his notes.

"So, you think we'll see some mummies or any ancient curses, dad?" Adam asked.

"Huh? Well, there will be plenty of those in the museums, barring curses of course," Luke looked at his son as he took a picture of a cafe where some men were smoking a hookah. "There will be plenty of time to check them out later. Right now, we need to head to the new site that discovered some new ruins from the Old Kingdom period. I particularly want to get some answers as to what they've found so far."

"Sounds like a deal. Come on, let's go!" Adam ushered as he walked ahead of his dad.

As Luke watched his son walk ahead of him, he turned his head to see the other thing that was worrying him. Written in graffiti was a sign that read 'Beware Mutants! Wrath of God upon those unworthy!'. He'd seen similar writing in his travels as of late, ranging from some praising Mutants to fearing them. A part of being a journalist was keeping impartiality over the subject he was supposed to write about, but the topic of Mutants was polarizing regardless of where you stood. Some saw them as a plague or a punishment while others saw them as the next generation that was supposed to be better than the last. Just like any movement there were radicals on each side and both sides had points that he had to keep in mind. Yet, the argument kept ringing the same way as many others: Us versus Them. Luke wasn't sure where he stood, all he could do was fear and worry that his son would be caught in the middle of all this.

"Dad!" Adam called out, snapping his father out of his thoughts. "Come on, we're gonna be late."

"Right behind you, Adam." Luke ran to catch up to his son. "Don't worry, the excavation won't be going away any time soon."

As the father and son duo went on to their appointment, someone poked their head out of one of the alleys. A young girl no older than Adam with tanned dark skin, completely flawless with short white hair that made it halfway to her neck. Dressed in a raggedy white shirt with long sleeves, loose black pants tied together by a white sash, a pair of brown sandals and a black scarf wrapped around her neck. Her blue eyes were as clear as the sky and watched the father and son like a trained lioness in search of her next meal. She smiled as she followed behind the two men while covering her head with her scarf.

However, she wasn't the only one following someone without their knowledge. Not far from where the young girl had come out, a sharply dressed bald man took off his sunglasses as he looked at the young girl. He focused his eyes on her and listened to what she was thinking.

'Tourists always have a lot of money on them. I'll just take one of their wallets. Too bad, the boy seems cute.'

"I finally found you, Ororo Munroe." He walked after her, keeping his distance. Waiting for a better opportunity to approach her.

The discovered site was just outside the city and it was filled with laborers and workers with heavy machinery and tools to remove all the rubble that covered the ruins. There had previously been an old house that had been demolished after an earthquake, revealing the newly discovered site. Quite a stroke of luck for the archeologists and the government after everyone believed they had unearthed everything.

Adam walked next to his father as he spoke and asked the head archeologist questions about the excavation and what they had found. Though his focus was more on taking pictures of anything that seemed interesting. The workers as they pulled out the head of a sphinx statue, a wall covered in hieroglyphs and the picture of a strange pale man covered in blue lines that resembled an old pharaoh. Just something to give people back home.

"And we have dated the rock to be older than we had previously expected," the head archeologist explained. "Some of these are much older than the Old Kingdom period. This one, for instance, is dated to be over 3000 years." He held up a small orb no bigger than a baseball.

"It looks like it could have been made yesterday. What is it exactly?" Luke asked before turning to his son. "Adam, take a picture of this thing."

"Sure dad. Is it the Egyptian equivalent of a ball to play catch with?" Adam took the picture.

"Wouldn't that be something? But no, we have yet to decipher what it is for," the archeologist placed it back in the box. "Though some believe that it was used in some rituals back during that time. Maybe it is part of a scepter or a crown meant to be used by a priest or a high-ranking officer. Now, if you'll follow me, we're going to have to take a detour. They're removing one of the old house's walls that seems to be stuck."

"Probably for the best, wouldn't want to become a pancake now would we?" Luke joked as Adam looked around for what to take a picture of next.

Unlike many kids his age, Adam wasn't one to moan about being far from the comforts of home. He liked to travel with his dad for work, and moonlighting as his photographer was always a stable way to get another source of income for the future. Besides, not many could say that they'd gone to the other side of the world for their fourteenth birthday. He was fine being who he was and nothing would change that. He was so focused looking through the lens of his camera that he didn't notice someone approaching him from behind.

Something bumped into him from behind.

"Sorry," a soft voice said.

"No, I-I should've been paying more attention," Adam turned to look at who he'd bumped into, seeing the face of a pretty girl. "S-Sorry…"

Adam couldn't help but blush at the sight of her face. Her clear blue eyes that were almost as white as the few bits of her hair he saw beneath her scarf made his knees buckle and his cheeks warm up. The world slowed down for a second, giving him the chance to study her face and commit it to memory. She was beautiful and yet, her eyes had a sadness to them that he couldn't ignore. He wanted to reach out and ask her what was wrong. But time moved on once more and she blended in amongst the workers, leaving him behind.

It was like seeing a lightning bolt disappearing into the night.

"Um, sorry, but who was that?" Adam asked.

"Who was who?" the archeologist asked.

"The-the girl just now. Dark skin, clear blue eyes, almost white?" Adam asked, trying to spot her. "Probably around my age?"

The archeologist muttered something in Arabic to the other workers before they replied.
"There aren't any girl workers in this dig," the archeologist gestured to the workers. "And they said none of their daughters match that description."

"Then who-?" Adam felt something was missing.

He felt around his pants, hoping that he was mistaken, but there was no mistake. That pretty girl had just picked his pocket like it was nothing.

"She stole my wallet!" Adam snapped, looking around for any signs of her.

"What?" Luke turned to the archeologist.

The archeologist told the workers to make sure that she didn't get out of the dig before they caught her.

Adam scanned the dig site, running towards the area she had walked to after stealing from him. He watched all the workers going about their day, moving the sand and cleaning the artifacts that they had uncovered. It was a sea of robes and people just going about their day, and none of them were the girl he was looking for. He turned in a circle, trying to catch sight of her amidst the workers and the people around him. Pushing forward and getting some altitude atop a hillside, he scanned the area, using his camera lens as a makeshift spyglass. Like a sniper looking through his scope, he looked carefully for any sign of her.

Just then, his lens found a strand of pure white hair, catching his attention. There she was. She turned to look at him, and it took all his will to not get mesmerized by the beauty of those eyes she had. He had to remember to be mad at her. She took off, leaving Adam behind.

"Hey! Stop!" Adam ran after her as fast as he could. "Get back here!"

Ororo ran through the ruins as Adam chased after her. She cursed herself for not making a faster getaway amongst the workers, but she couldn't dwell on her past mistakes. She jumped over one of the carts filled with dirt before rolling back into a running stance as Adam chased after her. She slid past a pair of workers handling a stack of wooden planks before hopping to one of their ladders, reaching the second floor. She looked back to see Adam tripping under the planks before picking himself up and climbing up the same ladder she'd used. A part of her admired the determination in his eyes, but she still ran away from him before he could catch up to her.

"Get back here!" Adam cried out, reaching the top of the second floor.

"Sorry, cutie, but I need this more than you do!" Ororo jumped off the edge, landing on the nearby stands before dropping down to the ground.

Adam had to swallow the amazement that he had for her skills and kept running. He jumped after her, grabbing hold of one of the pulley ropes, feeling the sting in his hands as he made it all the way down. Shaking his hands, he kept on running after her, stepping over the tools and the buckets full of artifacts and sand. His foot got stuck in one of the buckets before he shook it off. His spite and desire to catch up to the beautiful thief kept him going regardless of the obstacles in his way. It wasn't time to look at her like a lost puppy, he had to focus on what he was doing. The sand, dirt and sweat were not important, he needed to catch up to her and get his wallet back as well as some answers. And so he sped up, passing by the signs of warning and the heavy machinery that was being operated around him and his runaway thief girl.

He spotted her running by one of the old home walls, narrowing his eyes at her. Nothing was going to stop him from getting her before she stole the wallets of anyone else. His determination was hardened and unbendable even as he heard something big coming. Turning his head, he spotted a crane lifting a large bag filled with heavy rocks about to hit the wall the girl was next to. All the anger left his eyes, changing into worry.

"Wait, stop!" Adam reached out, trying to stop her.

Ororo heard his call, but it was too late. The crane struck the wall, breaking it and bringing it down along with several of the rocks it was carrying. A great shadow fell upon Ororo as she looked at the wall coming down on her. She held up her hands, trying, hoping to shield herself from the falling wall. Her body froze up, letting out a scream that reached Adam.

The whole world slowed down before Adam's eyes once more. The screams of the young girl echoed inside his ears as his heart raced faster and faster. Every single muscle in his body burned and tightened like they were fully alive for the first time in Adam's life. The ground cracked under his foot, making the sand around him to fly from the strength of his takeoff. And in that instant, the world became a blur as Adam found himself flying toward the young girl.

His body moved on its own. His arms wrapped around her body, turning her away from the incoming rubble as it fell on top of them. Each brick and rock falling on him barely made him flinch, all he could do was hold on with the girl under him. But soon enough they found themselves buried under the rubble.

"Adam!" Luke screamed, running towards the rubble. "No, no, no! Help me dig!" Luke clawed at the rocks as the workers and the archeologists joined him.

Underneath the rubble, in a small ditch they managed to land in before the wall came down on them, Adam could hear heavy breathing. He slowly opened his eyes as he noticed the girl curled up in a ball under him.

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Adam asked, blushing slightly at the girl being so close to him.

She didn't respond. She only continued to breathe heavily, holding her arms as she kept on looking for a way out. But all she could see was near-complete darkness. Whatever light that seeped through the cracks was too little to work with. She reached out, pressing her hands against the walls closing in on her. She could feel the air becoming thinner and harder to breathe. The ground was slowly eating her up as the shadows wrapped around her like snakes coiling around their prey before the end. Tears started dripping down her cheeks as she pondered her end under all these rocks and away from the sky and the wind and the world she was so enamored with.

"Hey," Adam placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She looked at him like a startled cat after being sprayed with water. She recognized him immediately. Her eyes went past him and she saw how he'd held back the wall and the rocks from hitting her.

"Y-Y-You saved me?" Ororo couldn't believe what she was seeing. "H-How? You and I should be dead."

"I-I don't know. Miracle, I guess." Adam replied, noting how she curled into herself.

"No, this is worse." Ororo sniffed, looking for a way out.

Adam looked around, noticing that she wanted out, badly. He'd heard of people that didn't like to be in inclosed spaces, but he'd never met one. Seeing her like that tugged at his heartstrings.

"My name is Adam," Adam said. "What's yours?"

"Ororo," she replied.

"Ororo… That's a pretty name…" Adam said, noticing Ororo looking at him. "I-I mean, it is a nice name! So much cooler than my name!" His face blushed like a tomato that had been left out in the sun.

Ororo smiled and actually laughed a little, and he felt his heart skip a beat. The sound was beautiful and more importantly it seemed to take her mind off where they were.
"Your name isn't bad, I actually think it's a strong name. Though you aren't good at talking to girls are you?" She asked.
"I-no, not really, I mean I'm not bad, but this is…different." He admitted.
"Brave enough to chase a thief across a foreign city including jumping off buildings, but talking to a girl and you fall apart?" She mocked.

Adam looked away, still bearing his blush on his face.

"Still, thank you." Ororo kissed him on the cheek. "You're a hero in my eyes."

Adam's face opened up in a smile as he slightly pushed the rubble off of him. Being called a hero by a pretty girl and surviving had just made his day. His ears picked up the sound of something scratching against the rocks above them.

"I think they're trying to dig us out," Adam said.

"You sure?" Ororo asked.

"Let's give them a hand." Adam pressed his back and arms against the rocks on top of him.

"Are you seriously trying to push the rocks-?" Ororo's doubts died in her mouth as she watched Adam push what could easily be a truck's worth of weight in rocks off of him like they were a sack of flour.

Luke and the workers continued pulling the rocks and rubble off of the children, fearing that they might already be too late.

"Come on, faster!" Luke and several workers rolled a large rock off of the rubble. "We need to get this up, now!"

He grabbed hold of another rock when it started to go up on its own. Luke and the workers flinched, taking a step back in shock at what they were seeing. The parts of the wall that easily weighed over a thousand pounds were being picked up by something or someone. Their eyes landed on the figures under the rubble and they couldn't hold back their astonishment.

Adam lifted the rubble off of him and Ororo with ease, dumping it to the side like he'd just tossed out last night's garbage. He turned his attention to Ororo once more, helping her up to her feet.

"You okay?" Adam asked her.

"You, you, you're like-" Ororo began, realizing that Adam was just like her.

"Like what?" Adam asked, confused.
"A mutant." Luke muttered, staring at his son in both surprise and worry.

Adam looked past his dad and at the crowd of workers. There were mixed looks in each and every single one of them. Some had smiles and clapped at the miraculous rescue and survival of the two kids, others muttered and whispered between themselves in fear. The ones that had fear in their eyes stuck with Adam the longest. The look of terror and worry that they had was nothing short of off-putting and strange to him. He'd only ever seen those kinds of looks in movies when the innocent civilians found themselves face-to-face with a monster, or something that struck to their very core. At that moment, Adam looked at what he had done and started to feel like there was something wrong with him.

But as soon as his thoughts drifted to a dark place, Luke hugged his son. Adam looked at his father who looked at him with relief and happiness at his well being. That was all he cared about. That his son was alive despite what he might be. Adam hugged his dad back as gently as he could, cracking his spine a little.

"Sorry," Adam said.

"It's okay, we'll have to work on that." Luke winced as his son released him.

"What about Ororo?" Adam and Luke turned to look at the young girl.

"Ororo? I'm afraid we'll have to take her to the authorities." Luke sighed. "But I'll see what I can do to make sure she doesn't get too severe a punishment."

Ororo looked down, understanding the situation. She couldn't run, and if she did it would make things worse between her and the boy that had saved her. Thinking of at least doing the right thing, she handed him back his wallet before they walked out of the dig. If she spoke to the authorities and told them the truth, then there was a chance that they… that they could help her.

"Here, I'll go with you willingly." Ororo handed the wallet back to Adam.

The three walked away from the dig site as the sharply dressed bald man watched them from afar. He stood still amidst the people before the head archeologist told everyone to get back to work and to be careful with the machinery that they were operating. However, he didn't move a muscle, everyone seemed to ignore him, keeping their distance, like he wasn't even there. The bald man didn't particularly like doing this sort of thing. It made him feel like a peeping tom that his father and his teachers always told him not to be. But this time, he was thankful that he'd used his psychic powers to hide his presence from everyone else. Witnessing the act of heroism and kindness of that young man was worth it. He'd come looking for Ororo yet he hadn't sensed the presence of the young man with Cerebro. He'd have to look into fixing it later.

But first…

"Excuse me," he caught the attention of the head archeologist.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you but would you be so kind as to tell me who those men were?" he asked.

"Um, the man's name is Luke Aurelius, and the young man is his son, Adam," the archeologist scratched the back of his neck. "They came here to write a piece on the dig and what we have and hoped to find. But I think that'll be the last thing on their minds after this. Man, who would've figured the boy was a Mutant? Guess you can't tell with people sometimes."

"Yes, as the saying goes, 'don't judge a book by its cover,'" the man said as he scratched his chin. "Thank you, good sir. I wish you luck with your dig," he started walking away from the man and out of the area.

"W-Wait, who are you, if you don't mind my asking?" the archeologist asked.

"My name is Xavier. Charles Xavier," Xavier introduced himself with a smile.

Adam and Ororo sat in the waiting room while Adam's dad filed the police report at the front desk with the officers. They didn't exchange words as they sat down to wait, but they did share glances from time to time. It was awkward, between the near death experience and the revelation that he was a Mutant were a little too heavy to establish a conversation between them.

Adam made a fist with his hand, still trying to get a sense of his strength. He didn't feel all that different than before, yet he could sense that there was more to what had happened to him. One moment he could lift heavy bags with effort and the next he could easily toss huge walls and giant rocks like they were beach balls. It wasn't normal and then it made Adam wonder what would happen if he cut loose.

"Here's some water for you two kids." An officer came by and handed the two teens each a bottle of water.

"Thanks," Adam said.

He tried to open up the bottle only to then tear up the whole thing in two, splashing himself with it.

Ororo couldn't hold back a small laugh as she watched the young man groan.

"I see you find this amusing," Adam said.

"You wet yourself, it's only logical to have a small laugh." Ororo sat closer to him, handing him her own bottle. "You… You know, you don't have to be afraid of this, right?"

"I almost broke my dad's back with a hug. How am I supposed not to feel scared?" Adam took a drink from the bottle.

"I was pretty freaked out when it happened to me." Ororo admitted.

Adam looked at Ororo as she whispered something in her palm. She opened it to reveal a small gray cloud dripping water like a broken faucet. It wasn't something big like his strength, but to see it… it was like seeing a small miracle. He looked at her before she pushed the cloud on his hand.

"It's a real small rain cloud." Adam held it.

"Yes, I can do a few of those easily, but what I really wish I could do was fly over the clouds and feel the wind in my face," Ororo said. "But I'm stuck here, and all I can do is make small clouds, winds and some lightning. The biggest I've done is a thunderstorm cloud the size of a basketball. Nothing to write home about." She dispersed the cloud in Adam's hand.

But he could still feel its cool water and the wind. He looked at her and had to wonder.

"I know this is going to sound callous, but why don't you and your family leave?" Adam asked.

"Because I'm an orphan," Ororo replied.

"Wha-?" Adam began when Luke and one of the officers walked up to them.

"Ms. Monroe, we hoped to not see you here for a long time. But at least this time you came willingly." The officer opened up her file. "Usually, we'd put you in a cell, but Mr. Aurelius isn't pressing charges and you gave what you stole back. We would like you to answer some questions."

Just then the doors of the police station opened up to reveal a large heavy set man. He bore Egyptian traits with tanned skin, black hair and a black mustache on his face. Wearing a white suit with a pink shirt and a red tie with a matching red fez. He walked with a cane and with a certainty that could only be described as purposeful. But his eyes were covered behind small black sunglasses that hid his intentions. Though they were clearly not good.

"May I help you, sir?" the officer asked, looking at the man with some disdain.

"Forgive me, officer, but I was told my ward was here," the man spoke with a voice that sounded more fitting to a large rat than a man. "I've merely come here to retrieve her."

His large head turned to look at Ororo, like he was looking at a convenience rather than a person. He quickly grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her to her feet.

"We'll be on our way," he said.

"Hey, let go of her arm." Adam got up, grabbing the man's wrist.

The man turned to look at Adam with as much interest as someone would look at a bug.

"I'm sorry, sir, but who are you to this girl?" Luke asked. "She doesn't seem to want to be with you."

The man merely smiled at the two foreigners. He slowly grabbed Adam's hand and pulled it off of his wrist as he released Ororo. The man pulled out a card from his jacket and handed it to Luke.

"My apologies if my actions seem harsh to you, gentlemen. But this child has always been rather hard to control. Allow me to introduce myself; Amahl Farouk, entrepreneur and business owner. And this little miscreant here is my ward. So if you gentlemen wouldn't mind, we will be taking our leave."

"Please," Ororo whispered in fear as she squeezed Adam's arm, "Don't let him take me away."

Adam was more than convinced that this man wasn't to be trusted. He stood between the big man and Ororo with his fists ready to punch him.

"Not that I don't believe you, Mr. Farouk. But I would like to see some evidence that matches your claims," Luke said. "Officer, is there any way he could prove it to us?"

"If he has the proper paperwork or an adoption certificate, then he'd be clear of any doubt." The officer responded. "I'll go get my superiors and get in contact with the Social Welfare Services and clear everything out. Until then, you are to remain here, sir."

"That won't be necessary, officer," Amahl said as the officer's face grew blank, "I have the credentials right here."

Amahl said as he took out a wallet and flashed it at the officer, who took and examined the contents of it before giving it back.

"Yes, I am sorry, Mr. Farouk," the officer said. "Everything is in order. You're free to leave."

Farouk took Ororo's arm once more and moved on to the exit as Adam and Luke looked at the officer with confused and worried faces.

"What? Officer, what was that?" Adam snapped. "She's clearly scared of that man!"

"Adam, calm down." Luke then turned to the officer. "What did he show you, officer? Officer?" Luke shook the officer when he didn't respond.

"Um, what?" The officer asked. "What just happened?"

"You just let them go! That's what happened!" Adam pointed to the door.

"I let… who go?"

The father and son duo looked at each other, confused at what had happened. One second the man was willing to bring things to a higher authority and the next he was alright with the sketchy man walking away with a girl that was terrified of him. They didn't see any exchange of money between them, which meant that the officer had to have seen something else. But the man looked as confused as they were, having no recollection of what had happened just a few minutes ago. Adam and Luke could only come up with one explanation, and it wasn't a good one.

That man, Farouk, was a Mutant that could mess with the minds of people. And was probably more than just a so-called entrepreneur and business owner.

Back at their hotel, Adam looked at his hands, still feeling the small cloud that Ororo had conjured up for him. He listened to his dad talking on the phone behind him, all the while his foot stomping on the ground without any restraint. It didn't feel right to leave Ororo with someone like that. The look of fear in her eyes and in her voice was all that Adam needed to feel his blood boil.

"I see, thank you sergeant." Luke hung up the call with a sigh. "Well, there is indeed more to Farouk than we thought."

"How bad is it?" Adam asked.

"Farouk has been believed to be responsible for running shady businesses in Cairo for years, from extortion to racketeering to drug running. And it gets worse." Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's also believed to have orphans running and doing his dirty work for him."

"Then why hasn't anyone done anything?!" Adam snapped.

"Because every time someone gets too close, he makes it all go away," Luke explained. "Almost like what happened with the officer earlier. There's no doubt about it."

"Farouk is a Mutant, like me and Ororo," Adam tightened his fist.

"Maybe, I have heard stories of a man that could control metal with his mind and of a woman that could change her form including her clothes. A man that can control minds isn't so far off the realm of possibilities." Luke couldn't help but keep thinking of what terrible power that man had over people.

"Then we have to go and stop him. All I need is one good punch," Adam said. "Ororo is probably being tortured by that man."

"Adam, I know you want to help her and you could probably knock that man's head off with ease. But…" Luke turned to his son and placed his hands on his shoulders. "But you could be in as much trouble if you rush in. You just discovered you have powers, he's probably had them for most of his life. We need to be smart about this."

Adam looked away from his father. He knew that he was telling the truth. But leaving someone like that to walk freely to torture and abuse others went against everything that Adam believed in. It was like asking him not to do something when he had a chance to help and do the right thing. A look into his father's eyes told him that he felt the same way and there was nothing wrong with that.

"Fine, what do you need me to do?" Adam asked.

"Right now, you need to stay here and not do anything rash. I'll go back to the police station and speak to the sergeant and see if my testimony will be enough to catch Farouk off guard." Luke put on his coat. "This may be risky and I don't even wanna think about what this will probably do to the relationship between humans and Mutants, but this man has broken the law and he must face the consequences. If I'm not back, go to the embassy and stay there." Luke walked out of the room, leaving Adam on his own.

Adam groaned in frustration walking to the wall where he banged his head against. That single headbutt cracked through the wall into the next room. His blood was boiling, asking him, begging him to fight. He could picture Ororo in danger. At the hands of that monster; she was so afraid. He couldn't let that happen. He turned to face the clothes in the closet. There was something that he needed to do and he would not be stopped. He snatched a green hoodie from the rack, a scarf to cover his face and a pair of goggles that covered his eyes.

Not the most impressive superhero costume, but Captain America started with less. He walked up to the window, opening it. Taking in a deep breath, hoping that if he could withstand the fall of a very heavy old building then he could survive a fall from a five story building. With closed eyes, he leapt off the edge of the window, feeling the cold air of the night hitting his face. But it wasn't coming from the bottom like he expected. He tentatively opened his eyes, only to find himself flying. He was hovering in the air like a hot air balloon. He pushed himself off like he was swimming in a pool.

"Whoa," Adam said, before falling for a second.

Adam pushed himself up, imagining that he was swimming once more to keep himself from falling. Only he shot himself much farther and much faster than what he'd expected. He found himself flying above the sublime glittering sky of Cairo barely dodging an incoming plane from the other side of the air. He dropped back down to the skyline of the city, managing some bit of control.

"I can fly. That's good to know," Adam sighed. "Now, let's see what this guy can do against me," Adam pulled out the man's business card, which happened to have an address on it.

Adam flew through the air, dodging clothes lines and signs as best he could. But it was harder than he thought at first. The comics weren't very descriptive about how flying was like swimming while also tightening his body like when he was trying to hold in the need to go to the bathroom. It was weird and very strange for his first time flying. But what was not hard was finding the address.

Farouk ran a nightclub on the bad end of the city, acting as a front for his more illicit activities. And today, it was closed for a private event. Or so Adam assumed from the sign on the front of it. But there were two large gorillas standing between him and the way in. Time to put all those hours reading comic books to good use.

"Gentlemen, I'm here to see your boss." Adam spoke in a deep voice.

The two men spoke to each other in Arabic before laughing at Adam. One of them pushed him back with a laugh.

"Dad's self defense lessons, don't fail me now." Adam grabbed the man's hand, twisting it with his super strength.

Adam heard the man's bones break, wincing at the sound before punching him as lightly as he could in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

The other man charged at him, only for Adam to block the punch with his arm. With adrenaline coursing through him, Adam kicked the man's stomach, sending him flying away. Part of him was a little concerned with how easily he took down two muscle-bound men twice his size.

"Sorry about that. But you work for a terrible man," Adam walked to the front door.

He pushed the door open, hearing the locks snapping from his strength as easily as tearing off a sticker. The place was completely deserted on the inside, like the abandoned haunted house of a forgotten amusement park. Adam hovered in the air as he made his way deeper into the strange and spooky place. He turned his head left and right, looking for the man he was looking for. Part of him thought of calling out to Ororo, hoping that she would call out to him as well. But many horror movies had taught him that yelling in a dark place with a dangerous individual lurking about was a very bad idea.

Adam floated through the air as quiet as a mouse, going deeper into the seemingly abandoned building. He drifted through cobwebs and dirt, getting the itchy need to punch something before it was too late. With a silent sigh, he approached the back room.

"Please, I said I was sorry!" Ororo cried out. "Please, they have nothing to do with this, they'll leave, please!"

"Shut up!" Farouk snapped.

Adam silently landed, almost tripping against the door. He peeked inside through a crack on the door. There he saw Ororo on the ground holding her head in pain as Farouk glared at her like a master would a slave. He was about to break down the door when he noticed Farouk was no longer wearing his sunglasses, but instead he showed his eyes to be black. Completely black, just like his heart. Black smoke came out of them as Ororo held her head tighter.

"You ungrateful street urchin, I take you in from the streets and this is how you repay me?!" Farouk snapped. "By going to the police with a pair of foreigners to spill all my secrets?! Without me, you would've died a long time ago or would be selling yourself for pittance." His glare intensified, making Ororo fall down, screaming.

Her eyes were no longer blue, but dark like Farouk's eyes. Whatever he was doing to her, it was all inside her mind.

"Let this punishment be a reminder to you and all the others that no one crosses The Shadow King and gets away scot free!" Farouk, or "The Shadow King" as he called himself, loomed over Ororo like the living embodiment of a boogeyman.

Adam had seen enough. Jumping back into the air, he shot himself forward and through the door, shattering it into splinters. Farouk lost his concentration for a moment, looking at the origin of the noise, but it was too late. Adam was already upon him, right arm reeled back for a devastating punch.

"Get away from her, you bastard!" Adam punched Farouk in the face, breaking his nose and jaw.

Farouk was sent flying back, smashing through his desk and chair, feeling the greatest physical pain he'd ever experienced. His blood splattered on the floor as he fell down. His hold over Ororo broke as she looked up to see Adam landing before her, ready to fight.

"A-Adam?" Ororo panted.

"Ororo, are you okay?" Adam turned around to help her up. "What did he do to you? I'll-" Ororo hugged him with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Thank you." Ororo sniffed.

Adam hugged her back.

"Let's get out of here," Adam said.

"Y-You!"

They both turned to see Farouk pulling himself together like a puppet being pulled up by its strings. His arms and legs cracked and snapped while his bloody nose and jaw remained covered in blood, hanging like rotten flesh. But his eyes glared at them both with his dark shadowy eyes full of hatred.

"On one hand I'm glad I didn't accidentally kill you, but unless you want another punch like that, you'll let us go." Adam stood ready for a fight against the man.

"You dare threaten the king? Prepare to face true fear!" Shadow King's eyes spewed smoke as he glared at the two teens.

Adam felt the ground shake under his and Ororo's feet, spotting red glowing cracks appearing right underneath them. The ground gave out, making the two teens fall down a deep red hole. Adam grabbed Ororo's arm, trying to fly out of there, but he couldn't stop his fall. They continued to fall as monstrous shadowy hands shot out grabbing and scratching them as they fell down. Adam tried to punch them away, only to get punched in the face all the way down with Ororo in tow.

He didn't know what was going on, he felt completely powerless; unable to do anything against the forces that were kicking his butt like a rookie. He flayed and turned, hoping to land a single blow on Farouk, but it was like fighting smoke.

The two teens were finally caught on something, a giant black spider web. It was so large and adhesive that Adam and Ororo found themselves unable to move, completely restrained in their sticky shackles. They wrestled and pulled against their binds but to no avail. The web started moving and trembling, forcing them to look up. Their eyes were greeted with the image of Farouk's twisted face on the body of a spider, making its way towards them.

"You thought you could come to my domain and steal what is rightfully mine, boy?!" The Shadow King snarled. "Here I am king and you are not even a nat." He reached Adam first.

"Tough talk from someone that abuses kids!" Adam roared in defiance as the spider pressed its sharp mandibles against his face.

The Shadow King backhanded him in the face before slicing at the web that held them both. Adam and Ororo fell down until they landed harshly against the hard surface of the ground. Adam's goggles were broken and his face was bruised, but he still got back up to check up on Ororo. Just then the ground shook once more as five spiked pillars shot out around them. They picked themselves up, trying to escape, but the ground below them was lifted.

They looked up to see two glowing red eyes looking down at them. Farouk had transformed into a large demonic entity with the face of a metallic lizard with a triangle-shaped head guard and an armored body. His new body was as terrifying as it was imposing, with spiked pauldrons, and his Egyptian god-like figure that towered over them like a creature straight from their nightmares. His eyes looked down at them as he laughed at the terror in their faces.

"Not so cocky now, are you, boy?" The Shadow King laughed. "Now, bear witness to her punishment."

The rocks around Ororo started to swallow and wrap around her as she desperately reached out to grab Adam's hand. He grabbed her arm, trying desperately to pull her out, but he couldn't help her.

"Adam!" Ororo cried out.

"Hang on, Ororo!" Adam tried pulling her harder, but he couldn't make her budge.

Adam was stuck, frozen in place. He tried to move but now he found himself in chains, unable to move.

Ororo cried in fear as Adam desperately tried to reach her. She kept on sinking until only her face was visible, much to the Shadow King's delight.

"Enough!" A voice echoed in the strange realm.

Charles Xavier appeared in The Shadow King's hand, surrounded by a powerful blue aura. With a wave of his hands, he pushed back the darkness and the mental attacks on the children. He pulled Ororo out from the ground and broke Adam's chains with his bare hands.

"Are you two okay?" Charles asked them.

"Y-Yeah," Adam panted in relief.

"Thank you," Ororo said.

"How dare you get in my way, interloper!" Shadow King snarled as Charles Xavier pushed him back with a large blue shield. "Do you know who I am?!"

"I know what you are: a bully that takes pleasure in using his powers to abuse those weaker than him to do his dirty work," Charles glared at the monstrous avatar. "Let us see if you feel as confident against someone your size." He shot himself up like a rocket, meeting The Shadow King face-to-face.

Charles Xavier fired a blast at the beast's face, sending it back. The Shadow King tried to swat him away with his large hands, only for Xavier to easily evade and dodge the attacks before blasting the giant's face once more. As the beast roared in pain, Xavier created psychic chains around The Shadow King, restraining him in a psychic prison. The man wasn't done yet as he summoned a spear and shield from his blue aura. The Shadow King shrunk down in size before the beast charged against Xavier, pushing him back as Xavier held his shield tight.

Xavier's eyes lit up as the shield glowed brightly, pushing back the shadowy monster, giving him an opening. He swung his spear at the demonic creature, slicing him slightly before The Shadow King blasted Xavier in the chest. Xavier fell to the ground, leaving a large imprint on it. He opened his eyes as Shadow King jumped down on him. Xavier rolled out of the way as The Shadow King sent a shockwave of power his way.

It had been many years since Charles had fought with a telepath so strong. But even in the astral plane, he could see that the creature standing before him was nothing more than a parasite. He tossed his shield like Captain America would, hitting The Shadow King in the face. The beast's head snapped back into place before he charged at Xavier. Charles held his spear ready for his opening. The Shadow King charged at Xavier, filling his path with monstrous creatures to block and fill Xavier's mind with doubt. His greatest strength was to make others fear him, so that he could better manipulate them.

"Prepare to die here, fool!" The Shadow King fired a black blast of psychic energy.

But that didn't work with someone like Charles Xavier. His eyes snapped open, shining bright with a blue aura. He spun his spear before him, blocking the attack as he pushed himself forward. His eyes landed on Shadow King's unprotected stomach. His steps pushed on against the onslaught that The Shadow King was unleashing upon him, but that didn't stop him. Xavier reached The Shadow King as his eyes grew wide with fear at the impending force before him.

"Wait, stop-!" Shadow King's arms were sliced off by Xavier's spear.

"I banish you to the depths of the Astral Plane, Shadow King!" Xavier plunged the spear into the Shadow King's stomach, causing his avatar to crack and shatter like glass.

The Shadow King screamed in pain as everything around him broke. Everything turned too bright. The Astral Plane consumed him and dragged every bit of his essence to the deepest corners it had. His screams of pain and torment were all that remained as the Astral Plane closed up.

Adam and Ororo found themselves once again in the backroom where their nightmare had begun. They looked around only to see Charles Xavier standing before them and Farouk's body laying down on the floor with drool coming out from his mouth.

"Are you two alright?" Xavier asked.

"Wha-What happened?" Adam asked.

"You were both dragged into the Astral Plane by the Shadow King's psychic abilities, where, unlike in the physical world, his powers would be even stronger." Charles helped them both to their feet. "You were very brave in coming here to rescue your friend. What is your name?"

"Adam, Adam Aurelius." Adam took off the scarf and goggles from his face.

"Ah, I see," Charles said. "My name is Charles Xavier. And you must be Ororo Munroe. I've been looking for you."

Adam and Ororo looked at each other before they heard the sound of a siren approaching the building.

"I'll explain everything outside, after the police come clean this mess." Charles led the two teens out of the room, while giving Farouk's body one final glance.

"Is he?" Ororo began.

"His mind and body are forever split, with the former destroyed and cast into the Astral Plane the body will have no sentience whatsoever." Charles explained. "Think of it as a vegetative state. Now, let's go." They all walked out, leaving the body of Farouk to be found by the police.

Adam, Ororo and Charles stood by with Luke as the police took away all of Farouk's employees, the evidence of all his past crimes, and the body of the man himself. The story that Charles had told the police was that Farouk had a violent stroke which caused him to end up smashing against his own desk and in that state. Without anything to corroborate other possibilities, the police took the testimony as fact and moved on.

Luke was fairly angry with Adam as the father kept glaring at his child after he gave him a hug of both worry and relief.

"How could you have done something so reckless?! You could've gotten yourself and your friend killed," Luke scolded. "Why didn't you wait for me or did what I asked you to?"

"Dad, someone was in trouble. And there was no way of knowing that Farouk wouldn't have just done what he always did," Adam defended his actions, though he had to expect his dad's anger.

"Don't be angry at him, Mr. Aurelius. Adam came to save me," Ororo spoke up.

"What your son did was brave and reckless, Mr. Aurelius." Charles said, stepping up as well. "But thankfully, everything turned out alright."

"I have a question though," Ororo said, turning toward the man who saved them, "Why were you looking for me, Mr. Xavier?" she asked.

"I would like to know that too, sir." Luke added.

Charles nodded in understanding.

"I am a professor, and I run a school for children very much like Ms. Munroe and your son, Mr. Aurelius. The world can be a dangerous place for Mutants, especially if they don't know or can't control their powers," Xavier pointed to the graffiti of giant Mutants causing havoc. "I seek to teach these gifted youngsters to harness their full potential, to help both Mutants and Mankind as a whole."

A school to train Mutants just like Adam and Ororo? The two young teens looked at each other, wondering if it could be true. There was no hint of deceit in the Professor's words. Could it be that there were other kids like them that could help them fit in? They looked up to Luke to see what he was thinking.

Luke looked down at them and then to the professor. He knew that this sounded too good to be true. But to deny his son an education that could help him be better and not hurt himself or others with his powers was something he couldn't pass on. His mother was not here after all. The relationships between Humans and Mutants were tense to say the least, but if someone could help everyone, that would be his son.

"I would need to look at your references, professor. As well as tour the campus and the facilities." Luke nodded. "Like any application to a new school."

"Very well, Mr. Aurelius." Professor Xavier shook his hand.

"Guess we'll be schoolmates, Adam," Ororo said.

"Yeah, I hope it isn't as tough as what we were up against," Adam rubbed his arm.

"A wise man once said 'Peer deeply into yourself, there is a source of strength that will always spring you up, if only you look.'" Professor Xavier said. "Your journey won't be easy, Mr. Aurelius, but you, Ms. Munroe and all my other students have the potential to truly become-"

Invincible & The Astonishing X-Men!