Marvel: Starting as a Time Criminal, Stealing Powers

The werewolf was over three meters tall and incredibly muscular. Even while kneeling, it still stood more than two meters high—like a small mountain.

But right now, it looked miserable.

Its limbs were severed, blood splattered everywhere, and guttural howls of pain erupted from its mouth.

Rogue didn't feel scared or overwhelmed at all.

On the contrary—

She stared at Russell, calm and composed, and was completely shocked.

This werewolf classmate had clearly mutated into something even stronger than before. But in front of this teacher, he hadn't been able to put up any resistance. He was beaten like a stray dog.

And the sight of Russell drawing that searing-hot crimson blade from thin air... it was burned into her memory.

She couldn't even tell what kind of ability that was!

Bang!

Russell casually swatted the flat of his blade at the werewolf, who had just tried to lunge at him again. The beast was sent flying with a boom, slammed into a thick tree, and dropped limply to the ground.

Rogue quickly stepped forward and explained:

"Teacher! He's also a student here… he just lost control after transforming!"

"Just knock him out!"

She didn't mention the broken limbs. In her mind, it was already merciful that Russell hadn't chopped off the werewolf's head.

But to her surprise, Russell shook his head and replied regretfully:

"He's been contaminated by real wolfsbane. If it had been earlier, I might've been able to save him… but now, his physiology and mind have been completely altered. At this point, I'm helping him find peace."

"By the way, who's the school doctor? No one noticed this before?"

Rogue looked confused.

Wolfsbane? Isn't that just his mutant ability?

How did it become hopeless all of a sudden?

Russell pointed at the werewolf's eyes.

"Look closely. What do you see?"

Rogue leaned in—and suddenly noticed that the beast's pupils had turned a deep green.

Not just a reflection from the light. The irises had really changed color.

She was sure that when this student transformed and went berserk at the academy last time, his eyes didn't look like this!

Russell raised his hand again, and the sword flew from his grip like a bullet—nailing the struggling werewolf to the tree.

He calmly brushed the dust from his hands.

"Now he's a new source of wolfsbane infection. Anyone scratched or bitten by him will become a werewolf themselves at the next full moon."

Rogue's face turned pale.

How could a mutant turn into a real werewolf?

Then, as if remembering something, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're not lying to me again, are you?"

Russell sighed in mock sadness.

"How could a teacher lie to his student? You just don't want to believe me."

Truth be told, he was starting to like this girl who tried to save him.

Even if it had been a hopeless effort—it was still admirable.

After all, up until now, she still believed his ability was… not needing to eat.

Snap!

Russell snapped his fingers and looked at Jubilation Lee, still frozen nearby.

"You, go back and get the teachers."

"Tell them a student's about to die. If they don't come now, they'll miss the last chance to see him."

Jubilee blinked out of her daze, nodded twice, and turned to run.

Inside the main castle.

Mystique sat quietly in her room.

She had already returned five minutes earlier.

According to the plan, within ten minutes, her teammates would "discover" the werewolf's body beneath the tree by the artificial lake.

An excessive dose of wolfsbane would both strengthen the mutant temporarily and cause the perfect amount of fatal damage.

As for regular humans, the transformation was slower and far more obvious.

That's why the "werewolf" mutant student was the best tool for this.

Originally, the plan had been to target other students.

But this S.H.I.E.L.D. envoy? Even better.

If something happened to him right after his arrival, it would spark tension between the two sides.

Even if there were no real casualties, it would still shake things up. Dividing attention is a win.

Suddenly, Mystique heard hurried footsteps in the hallway—and then the sounds of several people running past.

She stood at the window, parted the curtain slightly, and peeked out.

She saw Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and others sprinting toward the lake.

A minute later, Professor X, pushed by Storm, followed behind them.

Mystique frowned slightly.

That's earlier than expected.

But it didn't matter.

Most of the X-Men had left the castle—now was the perfect time to act.

She quickly headed to the first floor, glanced around, and activated her mutant power. Blue scales rippled across her body, and in a blink, she had morphed into Jean Grey.

She moved swiftly to the underground level, arriving at the Cerebro chamber without incident.

Only three people had access here: Beast, Professor X, and Jean herself.

A fluttering sound echoed behind her. Mystique paused, glanced back, but saw no one.

She frowned—but time was short.

Fingerprint. Iris. Voice scan.

All three passed.

The alloy doors slid open.

Mystique stepped inside quickly, rushing toward the Cerebro device across the room.

Without hesitation, she pulled a small black object from her pocket and slid it into a hidden slot within the machine.

She replaced the panel carefully and turned to leave.

But as she exited—

A raven, perched above the door, collapsed to the ground.

By the lake.

Cyclops and Jean were the first to arrive.

Their eyes locked onto the scene immediately.

There—pinned to a massive tree—was the werewolf.

But this one… looked nothing like the one they remembered.

This one was much bigger.

At that moment, Jean Grey raised her hand and used her powers to pull the long knife from the werewolf.

The beast roared violently. Green blood spurted from its eyes as it struggled to lunge forward.

Jean's expression changed, and she immediately shoved the blade back into its body. The creature let out a piercing scream.

Cyclops flinched as his eyelid twitched.

Then, turning to face Russell and Rogue, his voice was thick with suppressed anger:

"What the hell is going on here?!"

"Why is this werewolf here? And why are you here?"

Russell casually pulled the still-shaken Rogue behind him, raised an eyebrow, and smirked:

"Oh? Scott Summers, now you're questioning me?"

Cyclops' breathing grew heavier. His anger flared as he stepped forward, his voice rising:

"So what if I am?! What are you going to do about it?!"

Russell's gaze sharpened slightly.

"If you're serious, let Charles Xavier say it to my face. You're not qualified."

"And if you're not serious…"

He flashed a sharp, mocking grin.

"…then maybe the X-Men won't mind losing a blind man."

Cyclops nearly lost it. His hand flew to the side of his ruby-quartz visor.

But just as he was about to activate it, he heard Russell's calm, cold voice:

"Think carefully. Are you prepared to handle the consequences?"

Cyclops froze, hand hovering mid-air. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and dropped it.

At that moment, a gentle voice spoke from behind.

"Scott may have overreacted a bit. But Mr. Russell…"

Storm wheeled Professor Xavier forward.

Charles glanced first at the wounded, still-pinned werewolf, then looked back at Russell.

"I seem to recall a condition in your agreement: You're not allowed to patrol or inspect the school grounds freely."

"So, may I ask… what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Rogue stood there, stunned.

The situation was escalating, and it wasn't anything like what she had imagined.

But she didn't want Russell to be wrongly blamed. She quickly stepped forward and said:

"It wasn't Mr. Russell! I mean—he didn't initiate anything!"

With everyone's attention suddenly on her, she continued nervously:

"That werewolf student snuck out of the dorms on his own. Jubilee and I spotted him and followed."

"He went straight to the lake, and when he saw Mr. Russell… he just snapped and tried to attack him!"

Everyone was surprised. No one believed she would lie.

Only Professor X and Jean exchanged glances, silently acknowledging something deeper.

Just then, Cyclops narrowed his eyes and said sharply:

"That werewolf was abnormally strong. Normal firearms wouldn't even scratch him."

"How did you and Jubilee manage to subdue him?"

"…Or are you hiding something, Miss Anna Marie?"

As one of the X-Men's top fighters, Scott knew both girls' power levels.

Rogue couldn't even touch the beast. Jubilee's energy blasts were flashy but weak.

Forget injuring the werewolf—it was a miracle they survived.

Rogue faltered, instinctively glancing at Russell.

Should she say what had really happened?

Seeing her hesitation, Cyclops sneered, thinking he'd found a weak spot.

That's when Russell looked at him with open contempt and said:

"It's just a second-rate werewolf infected with wolfsbane. What makes you think that's so impressive?"

"Has the X-Men really sunk this low?"

Just then, Mystique arrived—and froze when she heard Russell's words.

Why is he still alive?!

And what did he mean by wolfsbane?

She looked toward the tree—and saw the werewolf, with only its left arm and half a leg remaining, still pinned in place.

Shock filled her eyes.

What happened?!

That thing was supposed to kill Russell—not the other way around!

She couldn't make sense of it.

Cyclops glared and said coldly:

"You're claiming you did that to the werewolf?"

"You? An ordinary human?"

Russell wagged his finger.

"First off, that was self-defense, not an attack."

"Second—if the X-Men are this weak now, no wonder you couldn't even handle Stryker."

Cyclops looked like he wanted to argue again, but Professor X cut in:

"Mr. Russell, let's put that aside for now."

"I want to ask about this wolfsbane potion you mentioned. What is it, exactly?"

Rogue spoke up:

"I know! It's supposedly a potion that can turn someone into a real werewolf."

"You see how the werewolf's eyes turned green? That means he's fully changed. There's no cure now…"

"…I mean, that's what the teacher said!"

Over by the tree, Jean added:

"Professor, she's right. The last time Pollux transformed, his eyes weren't green."

"And his blood is green now too."

Professor X's expression darkened.

Cyclops, though skeptical, was now deep in thought.

Behind them, Mystique's heart sank.

He knew about the potion?!

And worse—he'd killed a transformed werewolf strengthened by the serum?

That wasn't just skill. That was strength on another level.

She couldn't understand it. He was just supposed to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent!

Not even Black Widow could've survived that!

Later, the crowd dispersed.

Beast and Jean carried the werewolf's body back for treatment.

But it died en route.

And disturbingly—it didn't revert back to human form.

Back in her room, Mystique retrieved a phone hidden in a water tank.

She typed out a message:

Mission complete.

However, plan to eliminate the S.H.I.E.L.D. envoy failed.

He's not ordinary. He knew about the wolfsbane potion—and killed the werewolf after it was enhanced.

She hit send.

Then she waited.

A few minutes later, the screen lit up with a reply:

#2, remain undercover.

Since you accessed the Cerebro chamber, there is now a risk of exposure.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. envoy must die.

Use his feelings for you. That is your opportunity.

Do not fear small sacrifices.

We have greater goals to achieve.

Mystique stared at the screen for a long time.

Then she replied with one word:

Understood.

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