The Game Cafe in Marvel and DC

93 – A Solution

Deep within unknown mountains sat a lone monk. This monastery was none other than Karmar-Taj, the home of the Supreme Sorcerer of Earth. Home to some of the most powerful sorcerers on Earth, Karmar-Taj was one of the safest places on Earth and acted as a fortress against the outer magical influences that threatened the Earth.

Yet, two individuals stood out in this monastery that was home to the practitioners of the Arcane. One incredibly old veteran mutant with enough combat experience to put countless to shame, and the other, an old professor who stared blankly at a monastery wall.

Standing behind the professor, who lay comatose in a wheelchair, the Ancient One and Logan discuss the matter at hand.

"What did you do?" Logan asked, concerned upon seeing his supposed friend's state.

"He was too dangerous to leave as is but was too important to the timeline to remove. So, we did the next best thing: we wiped his memories. Come a few hours when his mind resets, he will awaken anew, confused," The  Ancient One explained before looking over to Logan, "You will need to help him get back on his...feet, so to say. However, that does not mean that those whom he has already manipulated will return to normal. His...manipulations and mental blocks will still remain," The Ancient One warned.

"Thank you," Logan thanked the older woman.

"There is no need to thank me, Logan. Due to Charles's actions, I had not noticed a...danger that was previously hidden, but now that I know about it, I can at the very least make sure that it doesn't become a problem," The Ancient One brushed him off as she stared off into the distance.

"Danger?" Logan asked, concerned.

"You need not worry over it. I will ensure that it doesn't spill out of control," The Ancient One answered calmly, to Logan's surprise, "In the meantime, stay by your friend's side; when he stirs, he will need your help."

Stepping away and leaving the two mutants to one another, the Ancient One frowned as she cradled the Eye of Agamotto that hung from her neck with her palm. Inside the Eye of Agamotto was none other than the Infinite Stone of Time. With it, she has managed to save the Earth countless times over, at least until it started becoming harder to read the future when that..thing arrived.

Peering through the Eye, she looked upon a ruined New York City as the X-Men attempted to stop one woman, a singular woman who brought forth more destruction than the Chitauri will ever do in the future, turning the city into a crater and the planet into a fireball not long after if she wasn't stopped.

That woman? An Avatar to the Phoenix Force, one Jean Grey. How she completely missed the Professor messing with the host to a literal cosmic being that was far above his and even her pay grade, and trying to seal it of all things, was beyond cataclysmic of a mistake. Nearly all of the timelines involving a released Phoenix Force ended in millions dead at best and the planet destroyed at worst.

While Charles's mental seals might have slowed down the awakening of the Phoenix Force, Jean Grey was like a nuclear bomb ready to be set off at any time, and that ticking time bomb was on a countdown. She had but three options for how she wanted to take care of Jean Grey, and even then, one wrong mistake could lead to humanity's downfall and Earth's potential destruction.

The first option was the simplest and by far the riskiest: extract the Phoenix Force and banish it as far from Earth as possible. There were many ways that option could go wrong. The Phoenix Force could awaken early. It could try to defend itself and its host by obliterating everything in its surroundings, becoming a literal bomb. The Phoenix Force could return in the distant future seeking revenge. All of the risks involved could be world-threatening if anything went wrong.

The second would be to try to continue where Charles left off, trying to seal the Phoenix Force further. That, too, would be dangerous for the same reasons as the first option, but could also backfire by fully unleashing the Phoenix Force if things went wrong.

The last and safest option would be to take Jean Grey to the Monastery and train her to control the Phoenix Force and master the Arcane. Taking her on as a student would not be easy, especially with her...strength, but if there was anywhere that could train her to hone her powers and keep control of the Phoenix Force, then it was here, at Karmar-Taj.

...

Meanwhile, Logan looked over at his friend. Were they even friends, or was that a lie too? It's been only a few days, and ever since Zerrif showed him reality, Logan has been doubting for his entire life. What was real? What was a lie? Was the way he felt for Jean real? Did Charles also manipulate their minds and emotions as well? 

Logan shook his head. He had no doubt that everyone was searching for them both, and he truly believed Jean would have found them by now if it wasn't for the Ancient One, as she called herself. She was a Sorcerer, and Magic was real. Logan was thankful that the Ancient One allowed the two to be here while Charles recuperated and got a hold of his powers again after having his memories wiped. Thankfully, the Ancient One also put a 'Shield' on Logan's mind so that Charles would not catch on to what Logan did to him.

Logan still didn't know what to do regarding his friends either. They'd certainly do something when they found Charles and him and noticed Charles missing his memories. Logan was also worried about the mental health of his friends as well. Could he somehow obtain Zerrif's help to clear their minds? No...he doubted he'd be able to get his help again unless she somehow managed to make his friends provoke Zerrif, but even that carried its own risks.

Sighing once again, he froze when he heard growing from Charles.

"Charles?" Logan spoke up, stepping up behind Charles's wheelchair before walking around to get a look at Charles.

Getting a good look at Charles revealed that his once eyes were devoid of life and would become clearer as he looked around in complete confusion and bewilderment.

"Hey Charles, how are you feeling?" Logan asked again as Charles's eyes focused on him.

"C...Charles?" Charles asked, moving his mouth around as he tried to figure out how to talk.

"That's right, what do you remember, Charles?" Logan asked, concerned.

"I...I...nothing, I don't remember anything...Charles...is that my name?" Charles asked, clearly confused.

"That's right, my name's Logan. You are Professor Charles Xavier, the Principal of Xavier's School for Gifted Students, does any of that sound familiar to you?" Logan asked, probing.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I don't, who...who are you?" Charles asked, not even recognizing Logan before him.

Logan let out a small sigh of relief, not that the Professor noticed. "My name's Logan, I am an old...friend, I work with you at your school. I'm the history teacher."