Reborn with Steve Stand

In a small town outside the district, a crashed helicopter was engulfed in flames.

Thankfully, Beast's quick reflexes had saved both him and Charles. Before the helicopter hit the ground, he managed to leap out with Charles in tow, using his body as a cushion to absorb the impact. Both of them were relatively unscathed.

However, just because they were safe didn't mean Logan was as lucky.

"I never should have trusted you!!!"

Logan's angry shout came as he crawled out from the wreckage, angrily swatting away the flames on his clothes. "You pulled the same stunt with the helicopter at the academy… and this time it was even worse!"

But to his surprise, there was no response from Fang Mo.

"...Huh?"

Logan paused, confused. He thought to himself, *There's no way anything could have happened to a so-called 'god,' right?* Concerned, he bent down and peered into the burning helicopter.

What he saw made him feel faint.

Inside the flaming wreck, Fang Mo was dramatically mourning over the body of a tall, muscular Black man. "Big Bro! Big Bro, what happened to you?!" he wailed.

"..."

Logan immediately regretted his concern.

"Big Bro, don't fall asleep! Wake up!" Fang Mo continued his over-the-top wailing. "No! Big Bro, hit me with your elbow again!"

"...That’s enough," Logan muttered, pressing his fingers to his temples in frustration.

"Oh, right."

Logan's words seemed to remind Fang Mo of something. He suddenly pulled out a small wooden box and fiddled with it for a moment. "Almost forgot the background music."

As Fang Mo set the box, it started to play "See You Again." The melancholy song played alongside the burning wreckage, oddly fitting for the scene.

"I swear..." Logan barely managed to hold back the urge to stab Fang Mo right then and there. "Does anyone have gasoline? I'm going to burn this idiot alive."

"What’s going on?" Charles asked, curious. "I thought I heard him shouting."

"He's mourning a Black guy," Logan replied.

"...Mourning a Black guy??" Charles and Beast exchanged bewildered glances. "Him?"

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"Wait a minute," Charles suddenly realized. "Where did a Black guy come from in this helicopter?"

"How the hell should I know?" Logan responded, frustration clear in his voice. Fang Mo's antics were completely unpredictable.

Fortunately, Fang Mo knew when to stop, quickly ending his dramatics. He emerged from the wreckage holding a charred, strange-looking object in his hand. 𝐑ÄꞐΟᛒĘꞩ

"All done," Fang Mo said, shaking off the mysterious item.

"Hold on," Logan said, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the object in Fang Mo's hand. It looked blackened but vaguely resembled a human arm. "What’s that thing you’re carrying?"

"...An elbow," Fang Mo replied tersely.

"You’re planning to carry *that* into a prison break?!" Logan snapped. "Are you out of your damn mind? Get rid of that thing!"

But at that very moment, the arm… spoke.

Yes, the severed arm actually *spoke*, saying, "Oh heavens, children, don’t leave me behind!"

"?!"

Logan, Charles, and Beast all widened their eyes in shock.

"See? It talks," Fang Mo said, casually shrugging.

"...Fine, do whatever you want," Logan sighed, completely defeated. He turned to Beast and said, "Hank, check the map. I remember the guy’s house is nearby."

"If you mean the Maximoff house," Beast said, consulting the map he had prepared the night before, "it’s just a twenty-minute walk ahead, in that small town."

"Let’s get moving then," Logan said, nodding before signaling everyone to follow.

"Are we just going to leave the helicopter here?" Charles asked as they started walking. "Won't it attract attention? That could be troublesome."

"Don’t worry," Fang Mo responded, clearly in a good mood as he fiddled with the small music box again, letting the music play. "By the time we rescue Magneto, the American police will probably only just arrive at the crash site."

"Could you *please* stop playing that song?" Logan asked, still hearing the tune of "See You Again" in the background. "We’re not on a vacation!"

"I never said I was on vacation…" Fang Mo shrugged. "This is how I’m commemorating Big Bro. You’re way too worked up today. Maybe you should drink some iced tea to cool down?"

"That song is supposed to be for Paul Walker!" Logan gritted his teeth. In the X-Men world, many things were similar to reality—including the *Fast and Furious* movie series, which Logan, as someone who came from the future, was familiar with.

"Well, go ask Paul if he minds," Fang Mo retorted with confidence.

"I—"

There was nothing left to say after that.

Before long, the group arrived at a peaceful little town. After asking around, Logan quickly found the Maximoff house. Apparently, the boy had gained some notoriety as a troublemaker and thief, so the locals were more than happy to point them in the right direction.

Following the directions given, the group arrived in front of a typical American suburban house.

Logan knocked on the door, and soon a middle-aged woman answered. She eyed Logan, whose face was tight with barely suppressed frustration, and seemed to understand immediately.

"He’s gotten himself into trouble again, hasn’t he?" she said cautiously. "Alright, no matter what he’s stolen, I’ll write a check right now."

"Ma’am, we’re only here to talk to him," Logan said, taking a deep breath to rein in his temper before clarifying. "Don’t worry, we mean no harm."

"Pietro! The police are here again!" the woman called back into the house. "They’re looking for you!”

After the woman called out to her son, she turned and walked toward another room. Logan and the group followed her, moving through the house. As they passed through the living room, a small girl sat on a blanket playing house. She didn’t seem intimidated by the strangers, instead tilting her head curiously as they passed by.

Just as Fang Mo was walking by, the girl spoke.

“I’m a little princess,” she said, looking up at Fang Mo with wide, blinking eyes. “What are you?”

“Oh, what a coincidence, I’m also a princess,” Fang Mo replied with a smile. “Except I’m a Black, transgender, vegan, animal rights activist, gender-dysphoric, Disney princess who fights for justice.”

“???”

The little girl was completely stunned.

“Good child, remember this feeling of shock,” Fang Mo said affectionately as he patted her head. He then handed her a small golden crown. “Here, don’t ever grow up to be like me, okay?”

With that, he continued following Logan.

The house wasn’t very big, and it didn’t take long for the group to reach the basement. From inside, they could faintly hear the sound of ping-pong balls bouncing. When they entered, they were surprised to find just one person in the room.

This person, however, was standing on both sides of the ping-pong table, playing against himself. He was moving so quickly that it appeared as though two people were playing. Logan, who knew him from the future, wasn’t too surprised, but Charles and Hank were shocked, staring at the man in disbelief.

“What do you want?” Pietro asked, noticing them. “I didn’t do anything. I’ve just been hanging out here…”

Before he could finish speaking, he quickly sat down on the couch.

“Don’t worry, Pietro, we’re not the police,” Logan explained. “We’re just here to ask for your help.”

“Of course, you’re not the police,” Pietro replied nonchalantly, leaning back on the couch. “You don’t have a squad car, your IDs don’t match up, and you flew in on a helicopter from out of town… So, who are you? FBI?”

“We’re—”

“Yes, we’re the FBI,” Fang Mo cut Logan off, his face suddenly serious. “Pietro Django Maximoff, we suspect you of repeatedly using your mutant abilities to harass young girls in public. Please come with us to the Pentagon for questioning.”

“…Huh?”

Pietro was utterly confused. “Me? Harass young girls?”

Not only was Pietro bewildered, but everyone else in the room, especially Logan, was left in shock. After all, Logan had seen Fang Mo’s partner before, who was much smaller than expected. The irony of Fang Mo making such an accusation was palpable.

“Please cooperate and come with us,” Fang Mo continued. “You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in court.”

“Wait, hold on a second.”

Pietro started to panic. “All I did was steal a few things, nothing else. How do I even know you’re really FBI?”

As he said this, Pietro began to realize something wasn’t quite right. If they were really the FBI, they would have shown their badges by now. Sensing something was off, he decided to test them. Activating his speed, he slowed the world around him and walked over to Fang Mo, intending to check his pockets for credentials.

But just as he reached out his hand, something unthinkable happened.

In this world of slowed time, Fang Mo’s hand shot out and firmly grabbed Pietro’s wrist.

“???”

Pietro’s eyes widened in shock. He instinctively looked up at Fang Mo.

Fang Mo smiled and slowly shook his head, indicating that Pietro should stop.

Pietro tried to pull away, but Fang Mo’s grip was like a vice, completely immovable.

Pietro was stunned. His ability gave him superhuman speed, and with speed came power. While he couldn’t reach the speed of light, he was still much faster than a bullet. Yet even with all his strength, he couldn’t break free.

Realizing this, Pietro deactivated his powers and stared at Fang Mo in amazement. “You… You’re like me?”

“Pietro, we’re the same,” Logan finally spoke, raising his hand to reveal his claws. “We’re mutants.”

“…”

Pietro was speechless. He had never left the small town, always believing he was the only one with powers.

“That’s pretty cool.”

A genuine smile broke across Pietro’s face, but he quickly added, “Just to clarify, though—I didn’t harass anyone.”

“He was joking,” Logan said, giving Fang Mo a sharp glare and motioning for him to let go. “We’re just here to ask for your help.”

“Help?” Pietro asked, rubbing his wrist. “What kind of help?”

“We need you to break into a highly secure location,” Logan explained. “And get someone out. Though, to be honest, he’s a real piece of work… But we need him.”

“What location?”

“Uh… The Pentagon.”

“Sounds exciting,” Pietro’s eyes lit up. He loved a good thrill. “Are we doing this together?”

“He won’t be joining,” Logan said, pointing to Fang Mo.

“Why not?” Pietro asked, confused. “He seems really strong.”

“He’s a bit *too* strong,” Charles said, massaging his temples in frustration. “If he helps, the mission won’t be about getting someone out anymore. It’ll be about searching for survivors.”

“That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?”

Pietro was still young and didn’t fully believe the warning, his face showing some doubt. “But if I help you, can I at least see his powers in action?”

“Don’t—”

“Of course, you can!” Fang Mo interrupted, laughing. “You’ve got potential, kid. Once this is all over, I’ll give you a demonstration. Maybe I’ll even introduce you to your counterpart in another world. I think he’s working in Asgard these days.”

“I don’t really understand, but it sounds awesome,” Pietro grinned, the excitement of the day making him feel more alive than ever. “Maybe I won’t need to steal things for a while after this…”

“Wait, that’s no good.”

But Fang Mo shook his head. “You still need to keep stealing, but change your targets. Next time, go after the safes of the capitalists. Every time you open one, it’ll be a thrill—you’ll never know whether it’s full of gold or evidence of their crimes.”

“Can’t you teach him something *good* for once?” Logan cut in.

“How is that not good?” Fang Mo retorted. “Capitalism is like testosterone—it just keeps expanding. If we don’t handle it now, this country’s going to fall apart… He might even get a medal for it someday.”

“What kind of insane analogy is that?” Logan groaned, rubbing his face. Saving the world was turning out to be a lot more exhausting than he had expected.

“Uh, right…” Pietro, now feeling a bit uneasy, hesitated before speaking. “I guess I can stop stealing, though.”

“Why are you afraid of something so small?” Fang Mo said, looking at Pietro with disappointment. “You’re brave enough to break into the Pentagon, but you can’t handle this?”

“But I don’t want to handle… expanding stuff…”