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Later, back at the mansion, Owen was resting in one of the medical wing's beds, bandaged and hooked up to monitors. The soft hum of machines and quiet beeping filled the room.
"The good news is," Beast said as he checked Owen's vitals, "you guys didn't beat him up too badly. Most of the damage was surface-level. The burns will be gone in a week."
Logan stood nearby, arms crossed. "Yeah. The injuries you caused, kid, weren't as bad as they looked. You held back, even when it didn't feel like you were."
Dante stood at the foot of the bed, staring at Owen—still unconscious but finally at peace. He then turned his eyes to Magik, who was leaning against the far wall, arms folded, eyes cold as ever.
"Well," Dante said, breaking the silence, "I'm just gonna ask what we're all thinking. Didn't you say before that the other hosts of Guy's body parts were hopeless? That they needed to be put down—and that I was the only one with a chance?"
Magik didn't even flinch. "Yes."
There wasn't a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"They didn't have any hope," she continued, flatly. "The bond between them and the body parts is absolute. No known power could sever it—except one."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "And that is…?"
"The power of Guy himself."
She said it so casually, like she was describing a weather pattern. "But I didn't mention it before because I never expected it would be this simple."
Her words were sharp, and even now, she didn't offer even a hint of guilt for nearly killing Owen earlier. No apology. No regret.
Dante clenched his jaw, but kept the thought to himself.
So… there was hope. That meant the others could be saved too. Right?
"That means we can save the other two," he said aloud, then added quietly, "and myself."
Magik glanced at him.
"Well… the other two, yes," she replied calmly. "You? Not so much."
Dante blinked. "What?"
He stood up from his chair, confused and alarmed. "What does that even mean?"
Magik met his eyes with her usual unnerving calm.
"I might've underestimated the flames of life," she said. "They're not just resisting the corruption—they're what's keeping you stable. But because of that, your case is different from the others."
She took a step forward.
"How long did it take you to figure out how to enhance your body using that energy?"
Dante hesitated. "I… it took a while."
"Exactly," she said. "And that was a basic function. Separating you from the arm won't be easier than what we did with Owen—it'll be much harder. Not because your bond is stronger—but because of how your own power is woven into it."
She let that sit for a moment.
"To even try breaking the connection, you'll have to use the flames constantly. Which means you'll be draining your remaining time each time you try."
Dante's chest tightened. His thoughts raced.
Dante fell silent. His eyes dropped to the floor. He felt like the air had been knocked out of him.
He didn't know what to say.
Eventually, he exhaled, trying to steady his thoughts, and forced himself to change the subject.
"…So what now?" he asked quietly. "What are we going to do?"
Logan stepped forward, arms crossed, his tone direct.
"I'll tell you what's going to happen."
He looked at Magik.
"Illyana—you're going to figure out a way to help Dante. And we're going to focus on tracking down the other two hosts."
Magik raised an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't I be part of that too?"
Logan shook his head. "Because we can use the arm to track them. Dante's the only one who can actually free them, and he's got more than enough support here at the school. You, on the other hand, are the only one who might have a shot at finding a way to separate him from that arm. And considering he doesn't have unlimited time…"
He didn't finish the sentence—but the message was clear.
Magik narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. She opened a glowing portal beside her, and as she stepped in, she glanced back coldly.
"The next time you see me, I'd better have a solution. Because if I don't…" Her expression turned sharp. "I'll be coming back here to kill him myself."
With that, she disappeared into the portal. It snapped shut with a crackle of arcane light.
Dante stared at the empty space where she had been. His expression was mixed—confused, unnerved, maybe even a little annoyed.
He turned to Logan.
"Okay, I know she's part of Cyclops' team—which means she used to be one of the X-Men with you—but…"
He hesitated, then continued.
"She doesn't really act like someone trustworthy."
Logan gave a small nod. "Yeah. She's not the easiest person to work with. But I know she's a good kid deep down… just got some darkness in her. Doesn't mean I trust her blindly."
He looked at Dante with a faint smirk. "Which is why I'm going to ask around for backup."
Dante walked up to him and gave a slight bow of his head. "Thanks. I don't know what I'd have done without you. All of you."
Before Logan could answer, Beast stepped forward with a warm smile.
"It's no trouble at all. We're happy to help our students."
Dante looked at the two of them—these legendary figures who had stood by him without hesitation. He took a breath.
"I'm really grateful," he said. "But I've made up my mind. I'll track down the other two hosts on my own."
Logan blinked. "What the hell are you saying, kid?"
Dante straightened. "Tomorrow is the school's official opening. Inspectors from the New York State Department of Education are coming. It's going to be a huge day for the school—and honestly, probably a complete mess."
He glanced between them.
"The early days of this place are important. I can't distract either of you from that. So no matter what you say—I won't accept help from the school."
Logan stared at him silently.
Then shrugged.
"Alright then. We won't help you."
Dante froze.
"…Huh?"
His jaw dropped slightly, eyes wide. "That's it? No argument?"
Beast chuckled at the look on his face. "I think what Logan meant to say is—you're absolutely right. So we won't help you… officially."
Dante blinked again. "Wait—really?"
Logan grinned a little. "Yeah. But that doesn't mean we're letting you go off alone. I'll call someone to go with you. Someone who can help."
Dante scratched the back of his head. "Alright, I guess… that's fair."
A slightly awkward silence followed. No one really knew what to say. Logan leaned back against the wall. Beast adjusted a few settings on the nearby monitor.
Then—soft moaning.
Dante turned sharply.
Owen was stirring.
He groaned as he blinked up at the ceiling, his body shifting slightly under the medical blankets.
"He's waking up," Dante said, stepping closer.