Chapter Text
The Owl House/X-Men: Age of Apocalypse
Chapter 5: Mutant and Proud
“Let me get this straight.” Cecilia sat beside Camila, Eda, Lilith, Wolverine, and Xavier, her voice growing more frazzled with each point. “Luz stranded herself in a magic monster world after bringing live snakes and fireworks to school. She led an uprising against a tyrant witch hunter, swapped places with a shapeshifting basilisk, got a witch girlfriend, and died—then was brought back by divine intervention from the father of that demon baby!” Cecilia pointed at King, who just tilted his head and said, “Weh?” She looked at the group. “Am I missing anything?"
“Well, you left out the part where she sacrificed her way home to save my life, but yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Eda said casually, not even phased by how stressed Cecilia was acting. “You need to relax, lady?"
Lilith, noticing Cecilia’s distress, lifted a pitcher on the table and carefully some poured apple blood into Cecilia’s cup. With a reassuring smile, she said, “From one cool aunt to another, you’re going to need a drink.”
"Much obliged, Miss Clawthorne." Cecilia sighed in relief, sipping. "Now, apparently, she and Amity have a daughter from the future, here to save the world from Apocalypse. I did not expect any of this when I woke up."
“Trust me, Cece, I’m as stressed as you are.” Camila assured her old roommate and platonic soulmate. “I mean, it’s not every day that I was forced to confess that Luz was a mutant before some silly mercenary man made me come out of the closet and reveal that we experimented on each other in college.”
While Deadpool chatted with Hooty from across the room, he called out, "Hey, you're welcome. The author's really juggling a lot of characters right now."
“Regardless, however, we are pleased to receive your assistance if we so ask, Dr. Reyes.” Xavier stated. “Besides, there are a few students of Hexside who might like to learn a thing or two from you.”
Cecilia shifted in her seat, glancing at Eda’s arm and nodding toward the stump where Eda’s arm once was. “Oh yes, that reminds me, what’s with your arm, Eda? Did you lose it in an accident?” she asked, her focus on Eda’s missing limb.
“No, my partner took it off to stop my curse from killing me on the Day of Unity,” Eda confessed. “It’s a pain having one working arm and my magic on the fritz, but I’ve had this curse for decades! What’s one less arm?"
“You know, that reminds me of something!” Deadpool exclaimed as he suddenly appeared right behind Eda and Wolverine. “Okay, Wolvie baby, I think it's about time you answered the million-dollar question that I'm sure is on everyone's minds."
“This is either going to piss me off or sound batshit insane or both, isn't it?” Wolverine grumbled at the mercenary.
“No, let’s hear him out.” Eda laughed with a snort.
“Did you and Eda ever have sex or not, Logan?” Deadpool asked with a smirk, leaning forward slightly, causing Eda to immediately stop laughing and start blushing, while Logan snarled and popped his claws right in Deadpool's face. The others shifted in their seats, watching awkwardly. “I mean, come on! You're both surly, cynical, booze-loving loners who are surprisingly good with kids but are reluctant to show affection because you’re scared of how your checkered pasts might catch up to you! Besides, we all know you have a thing for redheads, Logan.”
Wade chuckled, but before he could say more, Logan stepped forward, chopped his head off with a single swipe of his claws, and then stomped away. “You know, your refusal to answer is only making it more likely that you banged!” Wade’s head called out from the floor.
“Okay, fine, we did get it on a few times, while we were super drunk,” Eda confessed as she picked up Deadpool’s head and reattached it to his body. “Like, so drunk we can barely remember what happened! And let me tell you, Wade, true to his name, Logan is a real animal if you catch my drift.”
"Don't encourage him, Feather-Face!" Logan snarled, stomping back to Eda. "We only hooked up because you wanted to replace Raine but wouldn't admit it. In fact, I still remember you crying their name in your sleep afterward!"
Eda jabbed a finger toward Raine, her voice rising in frustration. “Hey, don't you dare bring Raine into this, Hairball! Besides, they've been standing right here this whole time!” Raine, lingering a little off to the side, gave an awkward wave and blushed at the attention and conversation.
“Eh, I’ve had enough, I’m going out on the town now.” Deadpool said as he left the Owl House, satisfied with the knowledge he acquired and the chaos he caused.
“Y'know, Whispers, you're free to join us if you want.” Wolverine smirked at Raine.
“I’m good, thank you,” Raine said, blushing as they thought of Eda sleeping around to keep from missing them during their breakup. “Dr. Reyes, right? The Apocalypse situation is alarming, but with the X-Men, we have a chance. We defeated Belos, after all.”
“Yeah, after he almost won and the Collector ran amok,” Eda added.
“Lilith, another drink, please?” Cecilia asked.
"Way ahead of you," Lilith said, and the bad girl historian and mutant doctor drank their stress away together.
In a forest outside Bonesborough, a large metal sphere dropped from a portal, opening to reveal Magneto. He surveyed his surroundings as twelve more spheres landed, releasing the rest of the Brotherhood of Mutants at his side.
Magneto’s right-hand woman, the blue-skinned shapeshifter Mystique, stepped out of her pod in a cloud of smoke and looked over at Magneto. “We have officially landed in the Boiling Isles,” she declared. “Odalia better keep her end of the bargain once we are finished with that Luz child.”
“I agree, but I can also see that this might turn out differently.” Destiny, Mystique’s blind precognitive lover, added while stepping out of her pod and adjusting her blue cloak & golden mask.
“Less talking, more smashing!” the unstoppable beast known as Juggernaut grinned eagerly as he was joined by Toad, Avalanche, Pyro, Vanisher, and the Blob.
Regan Wyngarde stretched her arms above her head as she and her sister, Martinique, stepped out of their pods. “Ugh, finally, that pod was so grody!” Regan complained. “Man, I can’t wait to stretch my legs!”
Martinique stepped forward beside Regan, glancing around warily as Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth approached. “Don’t get too overconfident, everyone. The Boiling Isles are home to some powerful witches,” she said coldly. Nearby, Sabretooth began sniffing the air, picking up a familiar scent.
Sabretooth crouched, sniffing intensely around the area. “Wait, I think I got something,” he declared, rising as his nose twitched. “I can smell him; I can smell Logan is here.”
“And if so, then that must mean the rest of the X-Men are on these Isles as well.” Toad suggested before he caught a fairy with his tongue and swallowed it. “Sorry, I was just getting hungry.”
Magneto floated upward, levitating above Bonesborough’s town square and casting his gaze over the crowd of witches and demons. He projected his voice, making a speech as the Brotherhood gathered below. “People of the Boiling Isles, do not be alarmed. I am power. Men call me Magneto, the master of magnetism and champion of mutant supremacy. I have come here because I am under the assumption that a human has made you their slaves! Tell me, where may I find this conqueror and challenge them?!”
“Uh, if you’re wooking for a human who made us their swaves, he’s been dead for a couple months now.” Tiny Nose answered the X-Men’s archenemy.
“That is not who I am looking for!” Magneto declared as the rest of the Brotherhood gathered below him. “Bring me the one called Luz Noceda so she may answer for her crimes against this realm!”
“Wow, have you not been catching up with this story lately, old man!” Deadpool retorted as Magneto turned to focus upon the Merc with a Mouth standing below him. “I don’t know if you realize, but if you hadn’t read the previous couple of chapters of this crossover so far, Luz is actually a mutant just like her cinnamon roll dad before her!”
“Of course you would go babbling about such nonsense, Deadpool.” Magneto sneered in disbelief at what he was hearing before he turned to Juggernaut. “Cain, eliminate him and send him back to the X-Men as a warning.”
“With pleasure.” Juggernaut obeyed while cracking his knuckles and stomping towards Deadpool, who seemed very excited to see him.
“Oh my God, Juggernaut’s in this crossover too!” Deadpool yelled delightedly as the Juggernaut approached him with malicious intent, Deadpool’s face shining in the Juggernaut’s signature helmet as the regenerating degenerate kept on rambling. “Oh man, I probably should’ve worn my white pants for the occasion. This has been so much fun so far! Way more fun than those weird-ass Naruto harem crossovers—trust me, you don’t want to know, it’s anime hijinks gone wild—or those bizarre crossovers between The Loud House and Helluva Boss where Lincoln makes Verosika Mayday into his girlfriend. Yeah, people really write that stuff; the internet is a scary place! Anyway, hey Juggs, remember when you were in Deadpool 2, and Colossus shoved a big electrical wire up your ass? Man, that was a funny subversion of expectations!”
“I’m going to tear you apart now.” Juggernaut snarled as he picked up Deadpool in his massive hands, making the talkative mercenary stop immediately and realize what was going to happen.
“Oh crap, if this is anything like Deadpool 2, I’m boned.” Deadpool said nervously, his trademark snark and eccentric behavior replaced by abject fear. “Now, I know what you’re thinking. Should I really rip him to shreds to prove to the readers that the Brotherhood means business? And the answer may surprise y-“
Before Wade could finish, Juggernaut broke his left arm before ripping it off with barely any effort, making Wade cry out in pain while trying to stop himself from bleeding so much and preparing to run away. “You just wait till it grows back, then I’ll show you!”
“Running away, are we?” Juggernaut snickered evilly as he grabbed Deadpool by the legs and smashed his face into the pavement, startling the scared townsfolk as the living unstoppable force maimed Deadpool even further to demonstrate his immeasurable strength.
“WHY?! DID?! I?! HAVE?! TO?! BE?! CHOSEN?! FOR?! THIS?! SCENE?!” Deadpool yelled with every hit. “Seriously, I know I can come back from anything with my healing factor, but did the writer really have to make me face Juggernaut?! What kind of sociopath is he to make a Deadpool 2 reference like this?!”
“Wade!” Cable cried as he, Domino, Psylocke, X-23, Bishop, and Forge raced to Deadpool’s rescue, getting into a few scrapes with the Brotherhood as they retrieved Deadpool’s mangled body. “Goddammit, Wade, what were you thinking back there?!”
“Hey, cut me some slack, I didn’t even see the Brotherhood coming!” Wade retorted. “But at least we got the X-Force coming to save me!” He then tried to make an X shape with his arms, only to realize that he was still missing an arm. “Oh, right, he tore my arm off.”
“Magneto, what are you doing here?” Forge asked the leader of the Brotherhood. “How did you even find the Isles?”
“Let’s just say I had a little help.” Magneto smirked. “And just as we assumed, the X-Men are on the Isles as well. Return to Charles, if you so please, and tell him that I’d like to talk with him, just like old times.”
“Farts, Luz is not going to like this.” Laura grumbled as she retrieved Deadpool’s dismembered arm. “Come on, X-Force, we’re getting out of here.”
“Never thought he of all people would come find us.” Domino commented as the seven mutants left Bonesborough. “We need to warn the others.”
“But first, we gotta get Deadpool some medical attention,” Bishop added. “Quick, get him to Miss Noceda and the healing students at once!”
As the X-Men sub-team fled the scene with Deadpool in tow, Magneto raised some metal from around Bonesborough into the air to fashion into a makeshift throne for him to sit upon. “People of the Demon Realm, prepare to meet your new master.”
“Hey, you guys wouldn’t happen to know the X-Men, correct?” one witch asked the Brotherhood. “We thought mutants were heroes! What’s your deal?!”
“We, the Brotherhood of Mutants, are not heroes in the traditional sense.” Magneto proclaimed darkly as his throne rested on a pedestal where a statue of Emperor Belos once was. “We are merely individuals who have seen, done, and endured what can never be forgotten or forgiven.”
Meanwhile, back at the Owl House, Luz and Azura stood outside in the backyard as Xavier, Cyclops, and Beast began testing Luz’s newfound mutant powers while Jean sat nearby, meditating alongside Amity. “Now focus, Luz.” Xavier calmly instructed the girl. “Tell us, who can you feel in this general area?”
“Hm, I can feel you, Scott, Dr. McCoy, Jean, and Amity.” Luz answered. “And Azura too, of course.”
“Now then, tell us how we’re feeling.” Beast said as he jotted down his findings.
“Well, I can sense that Amity and Jean are pretty deep in thought right now.” Luz added as she turned to face Amity, sitting side by side with Jean, eyes closed gently before Luz tried sticking her tongue out and making noises to break her concentration.
“Mom, cut it out!” Azura chuckled at her mom goofing off while Hank continued writing everything down.
“Hm, your powers are still developing, but you’re still quite adept at this!” Hank declared. “Perhaps your empathy might be a useful tool in combat.”
“Yeah, thanks, but right now I could use a break,” Luz said as she sat down on the ground facing Amity, just as Wolverine stepped outside to join her. “She looks so cute when she’s meditating.”
“So, you and Amity, huh?” Logan asked Luz. “Heard she was a real thorn on your side when you first showed up in the Isles.”
“Yeah, Amity may have bullied me a few times and has been bullying Willow for years out of fear of disappointing her parents, but that's all mostly in the past.” Luz replied. “She's my sweet potato now, my cotton candy goddess, my girlfriend.”
“You know, you could've just skipped the cute pet names and gotten to the point.” Logan smirked while rolling his eyes. “I mean, practically everyone here knows how lovey-dovey you are!"
“Is, uh, is that a problem?” Luz nervously asked.
“No, just keep doing what you two are doing, ya lovebirds!” Logan replied while tousling Luz's hair. “Just try not to let it distract you while we have a mission to do. Besides, at least you two are practically set for life.”
“Oh yeah, Eda says you had a thing for Jean, and that made you argue with Scott sometimes.” Luz stated. “How's that going for you?”
“It's, uh, it's complicated.” Logan shrugged. “I'm going to outlive them both, so what's the point in trying anymore?”
“Well, there's plenty of fish out in the sea, Wolvie.” Luz said assuredly. “Maybe you'll find your sweet potato soon enough.”
“Well, with how I lived for almost two hundred years, soon is practically like a hundred more years from now.” Wolverine chuckled. “But sure, I'll keep that in mind, kiddo.”
Meanwhile, in Amity's mind, she and Jean have formed a psychic link through their meditation, allowing them both to see into each other’s minds as they walk through a hallway of photos of Amity’s memories. “So, we're just connecting each other's mindscapes now?” Amity asked. “I think there's a form of magic that can make that possible."
“Yes, but my telepathic powers are far more advanced than your magic.” Jean stated. “Allow me to demonstrate.” To show Amity what she meant, Jean tapped the young witch's forehead, and the two suddenly entered Amity's childhood bedroom, prompting Amity to look back on a memory she'd rather forget. Just then, a younger Amity with brown hair stormed into the room, followed by a younger Willow.
“You have to get out, Willow, now!” the younger Amity yelled angrily.
“Wait, why?” the younger Willow asked, not knowing what was going on to make her best friend act like this.
“Because, because-“ Amity struggled to state her reasons why, not wanting Willow to learn about why she’s being so mean to her.
“Is it because I still can't do magic?” Willow asked while grabbing Amity’s hand. “Amity, I'm—I'm sorry I got us in trouble at the beach, I just—I can't get the spells right.”
“Well, yes, that—that is why! Because you're a weakling!” Amity yelled at Willow while ripping her hand away, making Willow cry in the process. “You can't do magic, so I don't wanna be your friend. Now, go!”
As Amity looked away in shame, Jean watched the scene play out with interest. “I assume you and Willow were friends when you were young?”
“Yeah, but my parents forced me to stop seeing her or else they’d keep her from going to Hexside. Amity sighed with remorse as Jean noticed just how tired she looked. “All because I was too weak to be her friend and stand up for her. Sure, I’ve practically patched things up with her now, but I still can’t forgive myself for being such a coward.”
“I understand perfectly, young lady. I lost a friend when I was but a girl too.” Jean sympathized with Amity, placing a hand on her shoulder. “But unfortunately, we never quite got to see each other again.”
“Wait, why?” Amity asked when, just then, she was startled by a blaring horn as she saw one of Jean’s memories: a young girl running onto the street after her ball as a car was about to hit her. Amity gasps in horror as she reaches out for the girl while Jean turns away to hide her grief. “Oh no, don’t go there, it’s not safe!” Amity cried out to the girl, but unfortunately, the girl couldn’t hear her as Amity was forced to watch her get hit by a car.
“This was when my powers awakened.” Jean declared morosely. “In that moment, I was forced to experience all of my dear friend Annie’s emotions as she died, and I struggled to recover from then on. At least, until a certain someone came to my aid.
The scene then changed to the same street, although now, numerous cars were floating in midair as a younger Scott Summers pushed Professor Xavier’s wheelchair to the Greys’ house and knocked on the door.
“Yes? Can I help you?” Jean’s father, John, asked as he opened the front door.
“Um, hello there, Mr. Grey.” Scott greeted John Grey and shook his hand. “My name’s Scott Summers, I’m here with Charles Xavier to talk about your daughter.”
“Is she here, sir?” Xavier asked.
“Oh, thank goodness, it’s you, come on in.” John sighed in relief as he escorted the two inside. “Don’t worry, she’s just upstairs.” He then turned to call for Jean. “Jean, honey, Mr. Xavier is here to speak with you!”
A young Jean was then ushered downstairs by her mother, Elaine, and her older sister, Sara. Scott was left awestruck and blushing as Jean was introduced to Xavier by the Grey family.
“Pleasure to meet you, Jean.” Xavier warmly greeted the girl with a handshake. “My name is Charles Xavier, my companion here is Scott Summers. Do you understand why we are here?”
“My mother and father said you can help me.” Jean said shyly. “I think too much, and it causes problems for me and everyone else.”
“Don’t worry, my dear.” Xavier assured Jean before speaking to her telepathically. “All I do is think too. I am here because I’d like to help you learn how to use your powers for good.” He then returned to speaking out loud. “I run a school for special children like you, and that includes Scott, whom, might I add, seems to be taking a liking to you already.”
“No, I’m not!” Scott yelled while blushing. Xavier just chuckled at Scott’s embarrassment while Amity watched the memory of Jean and Scott’s first meeting.
“Wow, Mr. Summers is kind of a dork.” Amity snickered at how awkward and nervous the younger Scott acted compared to the cool-headed team leader she knew him as.
“I agree.” Jean nodded. “Scott plays the role of the experienced and devoted leader, but deep down, he’s still the same blushing teen boy with a crush I met all those years ago.”
“Yeah, I can kind of relate. The moment I realized I had feelings for Luz, I practically turned into a tomato every time I was around her because I was scared to admit I had a crush.” Amity confessed while blushing. “Plus, I was just worried that Luz might reject me because of what I did to her and her friends.”
“And yet look where you are now,” Jean said, putting her hands on Amity’s cheeks while presenting numerous images of Amity’s memories of her and Luz together, from their dance fight with Grometheus, to Amity kissing Luz for the first time after Luz risked it all to help Amity keep her job at the Bonesborough library, Luz and Amity reuniting after Amity’s expedition to The Knee, the Coven Day parade, the Bonesborough Brawl, their first real kiss during the buildup to the Day of Unity, Amity finally standing up to Odalia and making amends with Alador, and the time they spent together while in the Human Realm. Amity just smiled nostalgically at all these fond memories.
“Thanks to Luz, you have grown so much,” Jean said assuredly. “It’s like Emma said, you truly have become the girl Odalia thinks she is. Compassionate, loving, intelligent, humble, and above all else, a fine young lady.”
Amity became overwhelmed with joy as she hugged Jean, who immediately hugged her back as they exited their psychic link and returned to the normal world, still hugging. Just then, Emma Frost entered the scene.
“Am I interrupting anything, Jean?” Emma chuckled. “Were you forming psychic links with others without me?”
“Sorry, I was just teaching Amity some meditation before we started talking about our childhoods.” Jean laughed sheepishly.
“Yeah. Turns out Jean lost a friend too.” Amity agreed. “Who knew I had so much in common with both of you guys, Emma?”
“Guess that makes two psychic mother figures for you now, Amity.” Emma smiled as she and Jean both kissed Amity on her cheeks while Luz resisted the urge to cry at this touching scene. Just then, however, she turned to see Cable and the X-Force standing behind everyone while carrying Deadpool’s body in his arms.
“Oh my gosh, what happened?!” Luz gasped as everyone raced to inspect Wade’s injuries. “Ay ay ay, is he even still alive?!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be all right!” Deadpool assured with a laugh, only to start yelping in pain from laughing so much.
“Who could’ve done this to him?” Cyclops asked his future son.
“It was Juggernaut.” Cable revealed. “And that can only mean one thing.”
“Erik,” Xavier muttered under his breath. “Get him some medical help at once. We can discuss this later.”
“Dammit, Wade, why did you have to get yourself into trouble like this?” Wolverine grumbled to himself while pacing around the kitchen and smoking a cigarette to take the edge off what he had just witnessed. “I know you’re crazy, but you’re nowhere near this stupid!”
“Problems, Logan?” Eda said as she walked into the kitchen. “Care to lend me a smoke?”
“Sure, knock yourself out.” Logan said while lighting up a cigarette and handing it to Eda, who began smoking alongside him.
“So, how’s Rainestorm dealing with the knowledge that we did the deed because I wanted to forget about breaking up with them?” Eda asked Logan as she let out a puff of smoke from her mouth while putting her cigarette out on the counter.
“Better than I thought.” Logan sighed in relief while lighting up his cigarette. “For a hot minute there, I was so sure we were gonna have another love triangle with Raine and me both pining after you like I had with Scott and Jean. Good to know that band geek thankfully ain’t the jealous type.”
“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Eda remarked. “You still dreaming of Jeannie these days, Logan?”
“Eh, I’m kind of over it. Besides, Jean is practically already spoken for, and despite our arguments, I let Scott take this one since I’m probably going to outlive them both.” Wolverine shrugged before taking another drag of his cigarette. “I’ve had a ton of girls I was into over the years, and not all of them ended well. Mariko, Yukio, Itsu, Silver Fox, Mystique, Storm, Viper, Atsuko, and even Domino. I got lots of them!”
“Hey, I got a ton of exes, too. Men, women, everyone in-between, everybody wanted a piece of this owl goddess! Plus, there was this one Stan Pines guy I hooked up with in Vegas for a few hours before I ran off with his car.” Eda explained. “None of them could keep up with me, of course, but Raine was the only one who stuck by my side, even when I was too scared to tell them about the curse.”
The Owl Lady then took another drag of her cigarette. “So I drove them away, they joined the Bard coven and eventually formed their little rebellion against Belos, we got back together eventually after stomping on Belos as he was melting into the pile of shit he was deep down, and Raine even moved in with me once I scared the Emperor’s Coven into helping fix up the Owl House after they ransacked it.”
“Damn, lucky you! Good to know that Belos bitch finally got what’s coming to him.” Wolverine grinned as he and Eda high-fived. “Hey, quick question though. Have you or Raine ever thought about popping the question and starting a family someday?”
“Eh, we’ll see where things go. Still got a lot of rebuilding the Isles to do.” Eda admitted before her cigarette started going out, and she and Logan tapped their cigarettes together to light them both up before taking one last smoke and throwing them away. “In the meantime, how about a drink while we’re still single and ready to mingle, James?”
“Quit reading my mind, Claws!” Wolverine smirked before pulling out some beer bottles to open with his claws and handing one to Eda. “To our shitty, tumultuous love lives! Hopefully, we live long enough to find greener pastures.”
“You said it!” Eda chuckled before the two toasted their beers together and started a quick drinking contest. Hey, have you ever wondered if you have a thing for Japanese girls, Hairball? I mean, I’ve watched enough of Luz’s anime to know where some of those names came from.” Eda then asked. “I’m just saying, maybe once this all blows over, we can take a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, and I can set you up with whatever cute redhead we find there! Let me be your wingman again, just like old times!"
“Oh, don’t you start, Feather-Face!” Logan said, laughing, as they drank some more, just as Luz and King entered the room.
“Eda, Logan?” Luz said, while covering her mouth to avoid breathing in any secondhand smoke. “Are you two done yet?”
“Yeah Xavier wants everyone together in the living room to discuss what’s going on.” King added.
Later that day, the coalition all gathered around Deadpool’s mangled body resting in bed as they started raving and rousing in panic at what to do.
“How did Magneto even get here?!” Cyclops exclaimed in exhaustion. “I’m not sure if he possesses the same kind of magic that Eda used to access the Human Realm, but this cannot mean anything good!”
“Isn’t he the leader of those Brotherhood guys?” Gus asked the X-Men.
“Yeah, and our biggest enemy.” Iceman revealed. “And also Xavier’s old friend, in case you forgot.”
“We must protect the queen!” Hooty yelled out a non-sequitur. “I have six legs!”
“Wait, this can’t be right,” Azura said as she became deep in thought. “In my timeline, the battle against Apocalypse became serious enough that Magneto helped form the resistance alongside Xavier. Maybe we can make the same happen in this timeline.”
“Good idea, but isn’t he also a supervillain?” Willow suggested.
“Magneto is actually far more complex than you might think,” Xavier answered. “Erik and I share the same dream of mutants being free of prejudice, but whereas the X-Men and I work to strengthen relationships between humans and mutants, Magneto and his followers believe that mutants should rule the world, and he is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure no other mutant ever suffers the same kind of prejudice he has encountered.”
Just then, Camila entered the room, followed by Cecilia, Emira, and Viney as the four raced to check up on Deadpool. “I came as soon as I heard!” Camila exclaimed. “Where’s the patie-AY, MIERDA!” she gasped at seeing the state Deadpool was in. “Oh, pardon my language, everyone, it’s just that I didn’t expect Mr. Pool here to be in such a state.”
“Is he even still alive?!” Viney asked as she lifted up Deadpool’s mask to reveal that even before he was attacked, he was horribly scared underneath.
“Nope, totally alive, my healing factor is just taking longer than normal right now.” Wade declared, causing Camila to cry out in shock. “Why are you screaming?”
“You look like a corpse, and you’re still talking!” Emira answered.
“You’ve all been living on a giant corpse, and this is where you cross the line?!” Deadpool pouted in annoyance. “Well, looks like I’m stuck here for a while. Y’all can go medieval on Magneto’s ass while I’m recovering, I guess.”
“This is it, everyone, our first big fight.” Azura declared. “I just hope it didn’t have to be against someone I knew. But when push comes to shove, I know you all have my back. Are you with me?”
“Of course we are.” Hisako declared while summoning her psionic armor to prepare for battle.
“Been looking for some excitement for a while.” Laura added before cracking her knuckles.
“We got your back, Zura.” Jubilee nodded excitedly.
“Just say the word, and we’re there!” Kitty exclaimed confidently.
“May I have the honor?” Azura said while turning to Cyclops and Xavier.
“Go right on ahead.” Cyclops declared proudly.
“Let’s do this. Together.” Luz said as she held Azura’s hand and they both cried out, “TO ME, MY X-MEN!”
Meanwhile, in Apocalypse’s pyramid, En Sabah Nur was lounging in his throne with Mister Sinister standing by his side as Odalia stepped into Apocalypse’s throne room, having just returned from her trip to Genosha. “My lord, the dirty deed has been done!” the disgraced businesswoman announced proudly. “Magneto has taken the bait; his Brotherhood has made it to the Demon Realm! And once he eliminates Luz and company, there will soon be nothing standing in our way!”
“Excellent work as always, Odalia dearest, I knew I made the right choice in freeing you.” Mister Sinister congratulated Odalia while kissing her hand. “And now, we watch the carnage unfold.” He then pulled a reconstructed version of Emperor Belos’s destroyed staff from behind his back, which he used to summon a large crystal ball displaying Magneto and the Brotherhood’s attack on Bonesborough, along with the Hexsquad and the X-Men already flying their way towards the town on the Blackbird. “Oh, look, it seems our little friends are already on their way.”
“Wait a second, who is that?!” Odalia asked as she zoomed in on Azura, who was standing with Luz. “Since when did the human have a sister?”
“Oh yes, almost forgot, Luz and Amity have a half-witch daughter from the future.” Sinister smugly stated, earning Odalia’s ire.
“Seriously, Amity didn’t just ditch that brat for another girl after all she’s done to her?!” Odalia snarled. “Ugh, what does she even see in Luz?!”
“I don’t know, maybe it’s because Luz gives Amity the love you never bothered giving her,” Nathaniel muttered under his breath.
“Regardless, though, the presence of this child changes everything.” Apocalypse pursed his big blue lips with intrigue. “A hybrid of a mutant and a witch. How truly fascinating.”
Later that day in Bonesborough, Magneto sat in his makeshift throne while waiting for the X-Men’s arrival as the Brotherhood continued their takeover of the town square. Regan was taking selfies with a few witchlings while Martinique watched. The Juggernaut kept himself busy by smashing things. Mystique and Destiny had tea together, Toad and Blob rifled through the trash, Sabretooth and Lady Deathstrike carved their claws into a nearby wall, and Vanisher, Pyro, and Avalanche had just returned from robbing a nearby bookstore.
“Oi, you would not believe what I just found out!” Pyro yelled as he held up a copy of The Good Witch Azura and the Knights of Guinevere. “I didn’t realize the Boiling Isles had The Good Witch Azura too!”
“No way, they sell The Good Witch Azura here?!” the Blob excitedly cried as he stopped what he was doing to take the book from Pyro.
“I never thought you would be a fan of this kind of children’s fantasy, Frederick.” Avalanche curtly observed.
“It’s not just kids’ stuff, it’s got enough to entertain all ages!” Blob argued with his teammate before sitting down to read the book. “Ooh, this volume was always my favorite.”
“I guess you learn something new about the people around you every day,” Vanisher muttered before he turned to Destiny, stirring her teacup. “Hey, what’s going on now, Irene?”
“The witches are coming.” Destiny forebodingly declared as the Brotherhood turned their gaze to the Blackbird landing in the town square, accompanied by a fleet of witches riding on their Palismen who were ready to liberate Bonesborough.
“So, we meet again, Erik.” Charles declared as he exited the Blackbird on his hoverchair. “Tell us, what brings you here to the Boiling Isles?”
“I was simply alerted to the presence of a human named Luz who had conquered this realm by one witch named Odalia.” Magneto explained, making Luz and Amity immediately catch on to who had orchestrated the attack. “Once more, a human believes they can control how a certain group should act. A story as old as the race. She promised us that if we are to eliminate Luz, then she shall grant not just the Brotherhood, but all of us mutants sanctuary in these Boiling Isles!”
“Yeah, of course it was her.” Amity said sassily.
“But Magneto, she’s clearly lying to you!” Luz tried to speak out against Magneto. “For one, I’m not actually a human, I’m a mutant.” Magneto’s eyes widened as Luz revealed this, still in disbelief that she wasn’t really a human. “And second, Odalia doesn’t have good intentions at all; she’s actually working for Apocalypse!”
“Just stand down and listen to us, Magneto, or else things will have to get ugly.” Cyclops warned the ruler of Genosha.
“Erik, it doesn’t have to be like this.” Azura said as she stepped forward, holding the computer cube. “My name is Azura Noceda-Blight, and I come from the future.” She explained. “In my timeline, you were one of the leaders of a powerful but struggling resistance, even working alongside Xavier!”
“Svetlyachok, I appreciate you trying to talk to him, but I’m afraid that will have to wait till later.” Magik declared as she pulled out her Soulsword, and Azura followed suit. “Watch my lead, young one."
“Enough talk.” Magneto declared. “If you witches insist on standing in my way, then I welcome you to die.” He then raised a hand to signal to his Brotherhood to attack. “FINISH THEM!”
From there, Bonesborough had descended into chaos as the townsfolk escaped the ensuing battle against the Brotherhood. Wolverine and Sabretooth struck each other first, naturally displaying their longtime rivalry, while X-23 fought against Lady Deathstrike. Eda, Rogue, and Domino all united once more as the Witches of Westchester to take on the duo of Pyro and Avalanche. Raine, Darius, Eberwolf, and Steve pursued the Blob and Vanisher. Gus, Edric, and Emira’s illusion magic were put to the test against the Lady Mastermind sisters. King dispatched of Toad easily, as, despite Toad’s superhuman agility, King took him down with only a few superpowered shouts of “WEH!” Lilith and Hunter worked together against Mystique and Destiny. But throughout the fight, it was very clear that Magneto and Juggernaut were the biggest obstacles that the heroes had to face.
“This Juggernaut guy is so big!” Luz cried as she and Azura flew away from Juggernaut on Stringbean and Raz while their Palismen fired magic blasts at him. “What can we do to stop him?!”
“That’s the neat part, Mom, we can’t!” Azura advised her future mother. “As the name should probably imply, nothing can stop the Juggernaut because he gets his power from the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak that activated his X-gene! He’s practically invincible!”
“I’M FREAKING INVINCIBLE!” Juggernaut roared as he got closer to the duo. “I’M THE JUGGERNAUT, BITCH!”
“Unless, of course, we find some way to knock off his helmet and leave him vulnerable to a psychic attack,” Azura revealed, much to Cain’s alarm. “Didn’t Xavier say that your empathy powers mean you inherited your dad’s telepathy in some fashion? I guess what you feel from others is more than just emotions—it connects you to their thoughts too, at least a little. It might not be as strong as pure telepathy, but it still lets you reach someone's mind, especially when their defenses are down.”
“Yeah, I think so!” Luz said as she got an idea. “Wait, I think I have a plan! Amity, Kitty, Gus, Jubes, Willow, Hisako, give me some backup here and get that helmet off of Juggernaut!”
“You got it!” Hisako exclaimed as she grabbed Juggernaut by the wrists with her psionic armor while Willow kept him tied to the ground with some vines.
“You really think a bunch of meddling kids can stop me?” Juggernaut growled as he struggled to break free just as Gus and Jubilee blinded him with a combination of magic dust and fireworks.
“Nice work, Jubes!” Gus said to Jubilee before they highfived.
“You’re not too bad yourself, Gus.” Jubilee replied. “Amity, Kitty, now!”
Before Amity and Kitty could get Juggernaut’s helmet off, however, the Juggernaut broke free from his confinement and continued charging at Luz and Azura, just as a familiar voice cried out, “VEE SMASH!” Just then, what appeared to be the Incredible Hulk suddenly arrived to knock Juggernaut to the ground with a single punch before immediately transforming into Vee. “Hey, guys.”
“Since when can you do that?” Luz asked her adoptive sister.
“She got it from me.” Morph said as Juggernaut struggled to get up, only to suddenly be held down by a tendril from a living shadow that appeared to take the shape of Masha.
“Masha, what’s this?” Vee asked Masha, who then morphed their shadow head into a normal flesh-and-blood form to talk with Vee.
“Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you I was a mutant too, but I didn’t have the time with everything going on.” Masha said, as if it were no big deal, before turning to Luz. “Now, Luz!”
“You got it!” Luz said as Amity took off Juggernaut’s helmet as the living unstoppable force thrashed about before Luz gently touched his forehead. “It’s okay, we don’t have to fight anymore. You can calm down now.”
Cain was soon bathed in a calming white aura as he slowly came to his senses and began looking around. “Whoa, what just happened?” he muttered while rubbing his massive hand against his head. “Did I just get stopped by a bunch of kids? Oh man, the others are never gonna let me hear the end of this.”
“The others need to know what’s really going on.” Azura said to Juggernaut. “I need you to take us to Magneto so we can finally tell him he needs to stop what he’s doing.”
“Uh, okay, I guess.” Cain said as he put his helmet back on and lifted Luz and Azura up in his hands. “Hope you two enjoy a little fastball special!”
“Wait, a what?” Luz & Azura said before Juggernaut launched them both into the air towards the others, like Colossus throwing Wolverine. Luz quickly regained her footing as she got on Stringbean, but Azura was a little slower than her mother and briefly scrambled before grabbing onto Stringbean and summoning Raz to ride on.
“Magneto, stop!” Luz yelled as she and Azura came across Magneto fighting against Xavier, Cyclops, Jean, Beast, Angel, and Iceman. “Like we said before, you don’t have to do this!”
“Are you sure about that, young one?” Magneto said, raising a hand towards Luz while preparing to fire an electromagnetic energy blast at her. “Surrender yourself now, or else I will have to hurt you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Luz said bravely as she raised a hand towards Magneto and began projecting the same white aura that calmed Juggernaut down, making Magneto stop what he was doing as he looked down at his hands.
“You were right, you are a mutant.” Magneto whispered in awe. “Is this your power?”
“Yeah, my power is empathy, and it’s a power I’ve had since before I learned I was a mutant.” Luz replied as she and Magneto landed on the ground, surrounded by the rest of the Hexsquad, the X-Men, and the Brotherhood.
“What is going on, Magneto? What has she done to you?” Lady Deathstrike asked.
“It seems this girl has more in common with us than I initially believed.” Magneto answered.
“Indeed. Even before she discovered her mutant heritage, Luz faced immense ostracization as a youth for her unique interests and behavior.” Xavier explained. “I’m sure you can relate, Erik.”
“I guess I do.” Magneto realized before Eda walked up to him. “Ah, Edalyn Clawthorne, we meet again.”
“So, Maggie, are you going to hear my kid and her kid out now?” Eda asked, making Luz wonder if the two were familiar with each other as well.
“I guess I have no other choice.” Erik said before turning to Azura. “Would you be so kind as to lend me that cube, young lady?”
“Of course.” Azura said before handing her computer cube to Magneto, which then immediately recognized him.
“Greetings, Magneto, also known as Erik Lehnsherr and Max Eisenhardt.” The cube greeted Magneto. “I am a computer cube lent to Azura Noceda-Blight before she time-traveled from 2043 to here. This is the kind of future she came from.”
The cube then displayed images of the post-apocalyptic future Azura came from again, but this time, Magneto was forced to bear witness to the kind of world he was unknowingly supporting when he listened to Odalia. The number of lives lost, the oppressive atmosphere, and the sheer devastation wrought by Apocalypse all reminded him too much of when he was young.
“So all this is Apocalypse’s fault?” Magneto gasped in horror as he handed the cube back to Azura. “How could I have been so blind?!”
“Raven and I knew something like this would happen, sir,” Destiny stated. “If we are to survive and defeat Apocalypse, then we have no other choice but to ally with the X-Men. Besides, this isn’t too dissimilar from the times we’ve teamed up with our enemies against a greater threat before."
“It seems we shall,” Magneto said before turning to the Brotherhood. “Lay down your arms, my Brotherhood! We are no longer here to fight. If we want to live to see another day, we need to join forces with this young girl here.”
“Aw, that was so anticlimactic!” Regan pouted and stomped her foot on the ground.
“Aggravating as it may be, but this future doesn’t seem like the kind of world we are aiming for.” Avalanche agreed with Magneto.
“Fine, but I’m not gonna like it!” Sabretooth said as he and Wolverine snarled at each other.
“Okay, boys, break it up, save the rivalry for when we get back to the Owl House.” Eda split the two rivals up. “Come on, it’s getting late, and I’m starving.”
As the Brotherhood officially sealed their joining of the alliance by Magneto shaking Xavier and Luz’s hands, they were being watched from afar by Odalia, Sinister, and Apocalypse, and none of them were expecting this to happen.
Before Odalia could have another meltdown and hurt someone in her insane frenzy, Sinister stopped her with a kiss on the forehead before nodding to Apocalypse, who smirked as his plan began coming together. Soon, the Marauders will come for King.
--
As the alliance gathered at the Owl House to plot their next move now that they had formed a reluctant alliance with the Brotherhood of Mutants, Luz sat with Magneto, feeling like he could use a little company after everything that had happened, and began telling him stories of all the adventures she’s had on the Isles.
As Luz continued talking, Erik couldn’t help but feel a connection with the girl, as if he realized that beneath her high energy and eagerness to make friends, she was hiding a deep sadness inside that she didn’t want to show to anyone else.
“So, yeah, that’s the story of how I came to the Boiling Isles and saved it from Belos.” Luz declared as she finished telling Magneto of her adventures in the Demon Realm, while the master of magnetism stood alongside her, gazing out at the Boiling Sea before them before he spoke.
“You perplex me, Luz Noceda.” Magneto admitted to Luz.
“How so, Mr. Magneto?” Luz innocently asked.
“First of all, please, no need to call me Mr. Magneto, just Magneto or Erik is fine.” Magneto corrected Luz. “And second, you perplex me because you have faced persecution for your interests in the human realm; some might even consider you a danger to others! You have been without a father for years, and you have just now discovered that you inherited the mutant gene from him! You had every reason to turn out like me, but instead, you chose kindness and found a world where you can be loved and understood.”
Erik fell silent for a moment, his gaze distant as memories flickered through his mind. He briefly remembered the cold barracks of Auschwitz, the way hope drained from voices that once sang, the small, crumpled photograph of his mother he kept hidden in his shoe until even that was stolen from him. For a heartbeat, he was a lonely boy again, clutching at memories to shield himself from hate. He wondered what kind of person he could have become had there been even a single hand of friendship, one act of kindness amid the cruelty.
Erik then sighed deeply while taking off his helmet, letting his long white hair flow freely. “If only I had that same privilege when I was a boy, little one.”
“Well, it’s not too late to do that now.” Luz stated. “You and Xavier both want mutants to live freely, so why can’t you just hug and make up?!”
“It’s not as easy as you might think, Luz.” Erik said morosely. “Xavier and I were driven apart because Charles chose to see the good in everyone, humans and mutants alike. However, my experiences have taught me to see only the truth.”
“What do you mean by the truth?” Luz asked again, knowing that she wasn’t going to like whatever the master of magnetism was going to answer with.
“See for yourself.” Magneto then pulled up his sleeve to reveal the number 214782 tattooed on his left forearm. Luz gasped as her eyes widened upon realizing what Magneto had suffered.
“You’re a Holocaust survivor, aren’t you, Erik?” Luz muttered in shock, putting the pieces together of what she just saw.
“Very good observation, Luz.” Erik nodded while pulling his sleeve back down. When I was around your age, my people were branded as criminals for practicing the Jewish faith, my family taken away from me to be executed, while I was exploited for my extraordinary mutant powers.” Erik then dropped to his knees and started quivering in quiet agony while lapsing back into his German accent as tears rolled down his face. “Every time I close my eyes, all I can hear is the marching of those boots as they burned our homes and slaughtered my neighbors! All because one man believed we were a danger to himself.”
Knowing how much grief Erik had suffered at such a young age, Luz put a comforting hand on the older man’s shoulder. “I am so sorry that you had to go through this, sir. But please, just because you were traumatized by humans doesn’t mean you should retaliate like this. You have to give them the benefit of the doubt. It’s how I made friends with people who tried to hurt me in the past, like Amity, Lilith, Hunter, and even the Collector.”
“If only I were still as youthful and optimistic as you are, Luz.” Magneto sighed. “You have your whole life ahead of you, a whole life to not make the mistakes your elders have made! Besides, if humanity sees me as a villain, then I consider it a necessary sacrifice in my path to justice for my fellow mutants. But you, out of all people, chose to see me as the bitter, lonely old man that I have turned myself into. Why?”
“Because, as I said, giving people the benefit of the doubt is how I’ve made friends in the past. You know by now that Odalia convinced you to fight my friends and me because she made you believe the Boiling Isles could be made into a new Genosha, but she’s wrong!” Luz answered fiercely. “She never cared about giving people a chance or helping others! All she wants is to just go back to being the same bully that abused Amity for so long. I know it’s going to take ages for you and Xavier to be friends again, but please, Erik, just this once, we need you to work together if we want to stand a chance against Apocalypse.”
Knowing what must be done, Magneto stood back up and put his helmet back on before looking down at Luz. “Very well.” He nodded while returning to his American accent as he patted Luz on the head. “If it means we eliminate En Sabah Nur and I get my revenge on that Blight woman for deceiving me, then alright, we shall work together. You have my word, Luz.”
“Thanks, man.” Luz smiled back at Magneto before suddenly giving him a hug. Magneto was briefly startled by this show of affection before patting Luz on the back in return and taking her by the hand to walk her back to the others.
--
Meanwhile, inside the Owl House, Deadpool was beginning to recover from the Juggernaut’s assault on him while Hooty was tasked with keeping an eye on the Merc with a Mouth. And as expected from Deadpool, he felt the need to talk a lot while Hooty listened intently.
“Look, not gonna lie, Hooty. What happened to The Owl House was really, really shitty! But compared to other animated shows, created by Disney or otherwise, I’d say they got off pretty easy.” Deadpool declared as he continued recovering from his injuries. “Like, at least TOH got those hour-long specials that think they can count as 'Season 3’ to wrap up as much of the plot as they can! Hailey’s On It was not only canceled on a cliffhanger, but it was straight up erased from all streaming platforms like it was a victim of Warner Bros-Discovery’s tax write-off fetish!”
“Hoot hoot, so true!” Hooty nodded in reply, even if his usual cheerfulness dimmed a little. “I guess sometimes, our stories never get the conclusion we want, eh.”
“And don’t even get me started on what happened to shows like Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Wolverine and the X-Men, and especially Spectacular Spider-Man!” Wade started complaining, even if no one had a clue what he was talking about. “Goddammit, can’t Disney and Sony just share custody of Spidey in peace and stop acting like warring divorced parents?!”
“Yeah, it’s absurd!” Hooty agreed as Lilith and Cable watched the two from a distance, having just arrived to check up on Wade.
“It’s adorable that Hootsifer found a new friend,” Lilith smiled warmly at Hooty speaking so animatedly to his new friend. “But can anyone understand a lick of what the Deadpool man is saying?”
“Don’t bother.” Cable declared to Lilith. “Wade’s off in his own little world, and we’re all living in it.”
“And furthermore, what more can I say about how Wander over Yonder was treated?!” Deadpool yelled. “Two seasons and 80 episodes are enough?! That’s rich coming from the guys who have been milking Phineas and Ferb for years!” He then turned towards Hooty. “Hey, uh, are you still listening?”
“Naw, I kinda lost track, I just like having people to talk to and eat bugs with!” Hooty admitted while shaking his head.
“Finally, someone who gets it! Nobody thinks it’s cute or funny when I kill bugs by eating them!” Deadpool exclaimed with relief. “Hey, everybody has their own way of exterminating pests, and I got mine. Let’s see you do better, Wolvie!”
“Hey, you wanna go eat bugs and roll around in mud together later?!” Hooty chirped.
“Bitchin’!” Wade readily agreed to the house demon’s offer and rose from his bed, seemingly fully recovered. “Oh, hey Cabes, how did fighting Magneto go?”
“Magneto and the Brotherhood are siding with us against Apocalypse now.” Cable answered. “It turns out that Odalia lied to him about turning the Isles into a new safe haven for mutants in exchange for eliminating Luz, and now he knows that Luz is a mutant.”
“Yeah, I thought so.” Deadpool declared. “Didn’t expect it to be as soon as he debuted, though, I would’ve expected this conflict to be dragged out for at least another chapter! Almost as if the author didn’t want to make this chapter drag on for so long.”
“Wow, you’re right, I can’t understand what he’s saying.” Lilith muttered.
“I sure can, he’s crazy!” Hooty chirped.
“Yeah, it’s my unique way of coping with the immeasurable pain my body has been put through.” Deadpool answered casually. “I got cancer, and it’s a real pain in my ass.”
“Oh my, I am so sorry!” Lilith yelled in surprise. “I guess you have a sort of curse as well, don’t you?”
“Yeah, only it wasn’t shared with my sister, whom I cursed out of insecurity!” Deadpool laughed at Lilith’s expense, who only rolled her eyes in annoyance.