Chapter 12
Xavier Academy for the Gifted – Academic Affairs Office
Piotr folded his arms and let out a sigh as he glanced between Li Ji, who looked utterly indifferent, and Ororo, who still seemed furious. He rubbed his temple, already feeling a headache coming on.
"I should've known something was up when you admitted your mistake so quickly. You never do that unless you're up to no good," Piotr said, shaking his head. "Let me guess—you figured Ororo wouldn't touch you while I was around?"
"I didn't do anything bad," Li Ji replied, his tone full of innocence. "All I did was eat all the food in the cafeteria, take a little pocket money for snacks, and then call Ororo 'Auntie.' I mean, I'm eight years old, and she's twenty-three. The math checks out, right? It's not like I'm wrong for calling her that."
Ororo's expression darkened as the air around her crackled with energy.
Before things could escalate, Piotr quickly grabbed Li Ji by the collar and pulled him into the inner office. If those two stayed in the same room any longer, he was convinced Ororo might just unleash a storm powerful enough to bring down half the academy.
"Alright, talk. Why did you steal food from the cafeteria again?" Piotr asked, crossing his arms. He knew this wasn't the first—or second or third—time Li Ji had done this. The kid made a habit of sneaking into the cafeteria, swiping food, and making a run for it. It happened so often that most of the school had gotten used to it. Only the newer students ever reacted with shock.
"I was hungry," Li Ji said, completely unfazed. "When you're hungry, you eat. Since you guys won't let me eat properly, I had to find my own way."
Piotr sighed. "You're exaggerating. We do feed you, but you eat so much that we can barely keep up. The school can't sustain your appetite." He glanced out the window. "You know, five years ago, we used to serve steak and pasta in the cafeteria. Now, we're barely scraping by with curry and burgers."
"That's easy to fix. Just expel the bottom half of the students," Li Ji suggested casually. "That way, there'll be enough resources to go around."
Piotr's jaw nearly dropped. "You do realize most of those kids are orphans or abandoned children with nowhere else to go? If we kick them out, they'll have no future. Many of them could end up turning to crime, or worse, become threats to society."
Li Ji shrugged. "If I don't get enough food, I might have to raid a nearby restaurant just to survive. Who knows? Maybe I'll turn into a threat to society too. Maybe even a terrorist."
Piotr groaned. He was at a loss for words.
In truth, Li Ji had already spent a long time thinking about what kind of life he wanted to live. Being a Saiyan was both a gift and a burden. Knowing the trajectory of the Marvel universe made his powers feel like more than just an advantage—they were a responsibility.
He had learned that the hard way.
On December 16, 1991, Howard and Maria Stark were involved in a car accident. Li Ji had known it was coming, and he had done everything he could to prevent it. He had even begged Professor Charles to send Cyclops, Scott Summers, to act as their bodyguard. But in the end, it wasn't enough.
Howard and Maria survived—but only barely. They were left in a permanent vegetative state, unable to wake up.
Tony Stark, unwilling to accept their fate, had built a state-of-the-art cryogenic chamber to preserve them, hoping that future advancements in medicine might one day restore them.
That incident had changed Li Ji.
Before, he had always seen himself as an outsider—just a time traveler observing a world that wasn't truly his. But when the tragedy struck, he realized something: he wasn't just watching history unfold. He was living in this world. And there were people in it that he cared about.
After that, he let go of his detached attitude. He stopped seeing his knowledge of the future as an upper hand. He stopped treating everything like a game. He became… more human.
Still, that didn't change one thing—this world was dangerous.
The Marvel universe was filled with lurking threats. One after another, stronger and stronger enemies would appear. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted freedom, he needed power.
That was why he ate so much. Food was fuel. If he wanted to be strong, he needed to eat.
And right now, he was being lectured about it.
"Gage, after everything I've said, do you at least understand what you did wrong?" Piotr asked, rubbing his temples. He had talked so much that his throat was dry. But as he looked at Li Ji's carefree expression, he had a sinking feeling that the kid hadn't been listening at all.
"Huh? Sorry, I didn't really hear you. Can you say it all again?" Li Ji asked, scratching his head sheepishly.
Piotr's eye twitched. "I said," he repeated, gritting his teeth, "that what you're doing is wrong. You're consuming all the school's resources by yourself."
"Ohhh, I heard that part," Li Ji nodded. "But everything before that? No clue. Mind repeating?"
Piotr clenched his fists. "You just want me to lose my patience, don't you?"
"Uncle Piotr, I seem to recall that I beat you in a fight when I was just a few months old," Li Ji said with a smug grin.
Piotr twitched again.
"…Fine," Piotr said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's take this to the playground. I'll educate you properly."
Li Ji's smirk widened. "Nah, let's wait until night. I think it's a full moon tonight. Uncle Piotr, don't you want to see how much stronger I've gotten?"
Piotr froze.
Li Ji had a point. His Saiyan bloodline gave him the ability to transform into a Great Ape under a full moon. Back when he was younger, that transformation had already been a nightmare to deal with. Now, after years of training and growth?
Piotr let out a deep sigh. "Forget it. I'll let you off this time. But if you steal from the cafeteria again, I won't go easy on you. I'll lock you in solitary confinement—no food for three days."
"Oh, okay," Li Ji said, stretching lazily. "Guess I'll just call Tony and ask him to cut off Stark Industries' funding for the school."
Piotr nearly choked.
Eighty percent of Xavier Academy's funding came from external sources. And of that, a good portion—nearly half—came from Stark Industries. If Tony Stark pulled the plug, the school wouldn't just struggle. It would collapse.
Piotr could only watch as Li Ji strolled out of the office like he owned the place.
As he walked down the hall, Li Ji's mind wandered.
"I need more power," he thought. "Saiyans are known for their energy waves, but I still haven't mastered them. Maybe it's time to find a place where I can train properly."
A smirk tugged at his lips.
It was time to take things to the next level.
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