Chapter 78: Second Chance

Was his action detrimental to mutant-kind? No, he didn't think so; he hadn't done anything to put a spotlight on mutant-kind; he was keenly aware that he had been outed as one of the tabloids, and after realizing Xavier was in contact with the government agencies meant the powers that be were at least aware of him. 

To put him down, the professor uttered words that had been more for the telekinetic than for him; he could deduce the struggle in the man's words, the implications behind the action, and the acquisition that was put into the assault. 

Trapped as he were in his subconscious, the carefully laid trap by the professor, a feat he still couldn't wrap his mind around; he had been depending on the system and not been proactive after his first assault from a telepath. Cole could feel his heart pounding inside his chest, like a wild animal trapped inside a cage, his adrenaline racing throughout his system as the unfamiliar emotion of fear crept behind his growing self-doubt.

The X-Men leader had cast a final noncommittal gaze over the parting particles of his astral form. Cole struggled immensely to stop what was about to happen, attempting to halt his vanishing form from dissipating.

Thadump. 

'What?' Cole thought as he could hear the rhythmic beat of a heart. Was that his heart? Was he testing his heartbeat? 'Focus!' he thought, feeling it cost him the precious time he needed as his astral form began to break and his consciousness slipped. 

Cole cycled through his abilities, drawing blanks as nothing seemed to work. He had been cut off from the system, but he shelved that thought as he knew that was impossible; if he had been separated, he would die. The impression he had gotten from his earlier estimation was singular and to the point; the system wouldn't allow itself to fall under the Seay of another. 

Thadump. 

His heart quaked inside him as he carefully reviewed the list of abilities he could use to free himself, and his mind worked at an increased pace. In all honesty, it was a Hail Mary notion, but one he took anyway. His parallel mind and numerous personas were the only reason he had endured the command to sleep so long, but he was slowly but surely being shut down. 

Minutes seemed to pass, but he knew them only to be seconds as he became sluggish, and his last image was the retreating back of Professor Charles Xavier. 

He hadn't thought the man would attack him again so soon. Were the Xmen always this proactive, or was something going on he wasn't privy to? He also hadn't actively involved himself with the mutants, a mistake he would pay for; this spiritually induced coma was something the man had utilized before, at least by the ease and methods he took. 

Cole had forgotten that this wasn't the MCU, and he had to contend with numerous threats far earlier than what the Avengers and the X-men had to deal with. His approach had been to remain on edge but shift the outcome in favor of the fated victor or, if he had to, and he had been doing it, rescue those he deemed needed. Scorch was the first; the man was an outlier, but his power and unique biological makeup made him the ideal person to have his Fate altered. 

He had the system, which theoretically should have made him better off or at least able to bridge the gap, but Xavier had shown him that he still had a long way to go. Even with his newfound Persona, that gap wasn't bridged. Monsters like Xavier, Magneto, hell, and even Mystique had years to hone their craft and familiarize themselves with their abilities.

Long ago, he realized that he would have it quite more challenging as he would have a lot to train and practice with. The spiritual or heavenly realm, referred to in Marvel, was newfound ground and an area that one couldn't be a master in; even with his predisposed knowledge granted by the system, he was sure that he only scratched the surface of the arcane. 

Xavier had beaten him; his loss voided everything he had accomplished thus far; he thought about his team; no, he stopped his train of thought and recognized that they were his friends, his people, and he had failed them. 

With a monumental sigh of apathy, Cole Stephens slept his final thoughts on a second chance.

Thadump!

The thundering of his heart awakened him. He lazily opened his eyes only to see the astonished professor glaring at him in open objection. Cole's heartbeat reverberated beyond time and space; each pulse was untraceable as the system had protected him. 

Numerous upheavals shook the world due to Xavier's actions and the subsequent manipulation of time by The Ancient One using the Time Stone. These events weakened the veils that separated our world from other entities, allowing previously unheard-of creatures to enter. As documented by spiritual records, this occurred over several decades. As a result of these events, the world's natural shield was weakened.

Not even Cole was aware of these beings: Ancient evils, great cosmic beings, even the celestials had felt the pulse, but a lesser but still terrible threat had focused and redoubled their efforts intently. The lords of fear had sensed the newborn power of fear that presided in the mortal plane, especially Nightmare, a mysterious being of unfathomable power. Still, a goddess brought low by Zeus who grew fat in Omnipotence City had been riled up outside him.

Xavier's need to safeguard mutant-kind had been beyond his expectations. Yet, he still wasn't aware that his attempt had shifted the tides of war, which had been fought for Millenial.

Cole blinked, his physical body blinked, and he opened his spiritual eyes only to be met by Xavier's incredulous eyes boring into him. 

'Did she help him?' he wondered, knowing that wasn't the case. The Ancient One had to be the one who manipulated time, and it wasn't because of him; something else had occurred, ' he deduced.

Because of the system, time had no hold on him; not even the time stone could manipulate him outside of the physical. Cole was aware of the different timelines and differences. 

The outside world had continued blissfully unaware of the altered timeline. Suddenly, Kaecillus wards pulsated, sensing something, so he turned, monitoring Jeremy's silent, meditating form. The Master of the mystical arts slowly looked around, his senses stretching out. 

He pointed the ring toward an area seemingly random; the red glow of his ring illuminated the space, shearing through the physical, and he saw what had caused the wards to erupt, and his face contorted in rage. 

Kaecillus had been attempting to remake the building into a Sanctum, similar to what Dr. Strange had done to his mini-castle. Neither Kaecillus nor Cole trusted The Ancient One to protect the world from its most vicious enemy, Dormmamu, especially after Cole rebuffed and stole a soul that was rightfully his. 

"Xavier," the red lantern growled as he flared his power in rage, preparing to attack the man. Suddenly, Jeremy tilted and started to lose balance. Kaecillus rushed over, propelled by the power of the lantern ring. The ring significantly boosted his physical abilities to be beyond that of a super-soldier. He grabbed his Master and shook him, attempting to wake him from whatever had occurred.

Cole quickly reached out and stopped Kaecillus's attempts to wake him. "We are under attack! Protect the women and defend the building!" he ordered urgently, his eyes still closed and fluttering sporadically behind his eyelids. Cole sensed the environment shift, as time didn't affect him like it did others. Still in his subconscious, Xavier had also benefited from this heightened awareness.

Cole remained in his position, observing as his astral body rapidly reformed, anticipating that a fight was about to break out. The powered-up Xavier would undoubtedly be a formidable opponent, but Cole was determined not to let what happened before repeating itself. This was his second chance, and he would not waste it. 

Xavier stared directly at the teen, who suddenly awoke from his subconscious, unaware of what caused it.