Marvel: My Eyes Defies Fate.

When Skye conjured a small spatial gate in front of them, Kurogai blinked in mild surprise.

It felt... off.

Not because it was wrong—but because it was unexpected. The original Quake had always been a fighter, not a mage. Yet here she was, warping space like a seasoned sorcerer.

But after a brief moment of reflection, it actually made perfect sense.

Kurogai had entrusted Skye to Kamar-Taj years ago. That place wasn't just a home for mystics—it was mysticism. Magic permeated every hallway and lesson. If someone lived in Kamar-Taj and didn't try to learn magic, that would be the real surprise.

"You learned magic while at Kamar-Taj?" he asked, already suspecting the answer but needing to hear it from her.

Skye nodded casually. "Yeah. I saw Wanda practicing and figured I'd give it a shot. Turns out I could pick up the basics. So I kept going."

Her tone was calm, like she were talking about learning to bake.

"But I'm not that great," she added, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "Took me forever just to get the sling ring working. Wanda's on another level compared to me."

Kurogai's lips twitched.

If Skye had been good at magic too, Wanda Maximoff might've started questioning her own worth. Still, he wasn't disappointed. Skye's true strength had always been her seismic abilities. Her new magical skills were just a welcome bonus—an edge that could protect her when needed.

"Wait," he said, narrowing his eyes, "did you start learning this before Pietro's accident?"

Skye blinked. "Yeah. How did you know?"

Her question was innocent, but Kurogai didn't respond immediately.

A quiet theory formed in his mind. Pietro had always struggled with being second-best to others, even if he rarely showed it. Skye, already powerful, had now become even more so—first mastering her quake powers, now dabbling in magic. And Pietro? He had nothing comparable.

Maybe that was what had pushed him over the edge.

Kurogai shook the thought away. "Never mind. Let's get back to what we came for. I want to see just how far you've come."

He raised his hand and opened a portal, stepping through it with Skye close behind.

They emerged in a thick, foggy forest—likely in another time zone, judging by the cool night breeze. Moonlight filtered through the trees.

"Alright," Skye said eagerly, scanning the area. "Where's this 'opponent' you promised me?"

"I'll bring him out now."

Kurogai's eyes shifted into the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan, spinning with hypnotic energy. Space warped beside him as Kamui activated.

A large, unconscious body dropped heavily to the forest floor.

It was Sabretooth.

Kurogai had plucked him from the battlefield during the Statue of Liberty incident—an afterthought at the time. He'd sealed the mutant away and promptly forgotten about him. But today, as he searched for a sparring partner to test Skye's strength, he remembered.

Sabretooth was perfect.

Strong, relentless, and with just enough intelligence to pose a challenge. Not strong enough to threaten Skye—not with Kurogai present—but strong enough to push her limits.

Skye squinted at the unmoving figure. "Uh... is he even alive?"

"He should be," Kurogai said, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "He's got a healing factor. I didn't feed him while he was imprisoned, but he won't die that easily."

With a snap of his fingers, Kurogai dispelled the genjutsu suppressing Sabretooth's consciousness.

The feral mutant stirred groggily, groaning as he slowly sat up. He looked weak, haggard. His body had endured hunger, still relying on its regeneration to keep him alive.

But Kurogai came prepared.

He reached into his pocket dimension and pulled out a small vial of bright blue serum—a metabolic stimulant he'd taken from the remnants of a defunct HYDRA lab. It could restore vitality quickly, though with some side effects.

"Big guy," Kurogai said coolly, tossing the vial beside him, "I've got a job for you. Beat that girl over there, and I'll let you go."

Sabretooth narrowed his eyes. "You serious?"

He sounded more lucid than before. The prolonged isolation and genjutsu exposure had dulled his aggression—but it seemed to have awakened something else: reasoning.

Kurogai nodded.

Without another word, Sabretooth snatched the vial and injected himself.

Almost immediately, his muscles tightened, his spine cracked, and his breathing steadied. Power rushed back into him, and his feral grin returned.

"Oh yeah... That's more like it."

He rolled his shoulders and flexed his claws.

"Beat the girl, and I walk free. Simple."

"You got it," Kurogai replied with a shrug.

Sabretooth's eyes turned to Skye, who stood about twenty feet away with her arms crossed.

Skye didn't flinch.

"You sure about this, little girl?" Sabretooth growled. "You don't look like much."

Skye smiled. "Come at me and find out."

"I don't pull punches."

"I don't need you to."

Sabretooth chuckled, baring his sharp teeth. As his claws extended and his eyes glowed with primal bloodlust, the air around him thickened with danger. His bestial aura returned in full force.

"You better lay down and play dead," he said, voice low and threatening, "or I'll rip your pretty little body in two."

"You talk too much, kitty," Skye replied, her tone playful but firm. "Why don't you stop whining and show me what you've got?"

The challenge hit its mark.

With a roar, Sabretooth lunged forward, his claws gleaming under the moonlight.

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