A deep sigh of regret escaped from Val's lips as he slowly shut his eyes. His hopes of seeing Yao, an encounter he had yearned for, were dashed. He hung his head in an air of melancholy that whispered the sadness of missed chances. Yao, it seemed, had intentionally placed herself outside his reach.

For Val, meeting Yao held more than just the desire for personal connection. He wanted to explore the mystical world of Eldritch magic, an opportunity that he believed Yao held the keys to. Yet her deliberate avoidance implied an unforeseen delay in his journey. The aura of Eldritch magic he wished to experience would remain a distant dream for a while longer.

Despite the undeniable twinge of disappointment, Val harbored no resentment towards Yao. Ever since he'd uncovered that she could peer into his future with the Time Stone, he understood her actions may be guided by reasons he didn't know. Nevertheless, a second sigh escaped his lips.

Val shook his head and cast his troubling thoughts into the furthest corners of his mind. He opened his eyes slowly, allowing his gaze to rise, only to find himself under the wide-eyed fear of Angel, Havok, and Banshee. The look in their eyes spoke volumes about the fears within them.

Surveying the scene once more, Val's eyes fell upon the cracked flight deck beneath his feet - a cruel reminder of Azazel's lifeless body that once lay there.

Raising his gaze again, Val distanced himself from the scarred spot, striding towards Havok. He could feel the young man stiffen as he closed the distance. With a soothing smile on his face, Val attempted to reduce the tension that had visibly gripped the young trio. After all, these were still children, unseasoned by the harsh realities of life, and the brutal death of Azazel at Val's hands was likely their first encounter with such violence.

Amidst their fear and confusion, they were grappling with the uncertainty of Val's allegiance. Was he an ally or just another rogue element with his hidden agenda? In the meanwhile, Val's comforting smile was all he could offer to pacify their young, racing hearts.

Approaching Havok with a warm smile on his lips, Val halted a comfortable distance away. He broke the mounting silence with a gentle voice that carried an assurance of safety, "There's no need to remain on edge, kid. Neither you nor your friends are in danger from me."

Angel's shoulders visibly dropped, a sigh of relief escaping her lips, and her hand instinctively patted her chest as if to soothe her racing heart. The tension dissipated from Banshee's form too, echoing Angel's sigh, while Havok's tightly balled fists gradually unclenched, hinting at a slight relaxation in his stance.

Angel, regaining a sliver of her courage, was the first to break their collective silence and she asked cautiously, "Who are you?"

Val turned his attention to her, meeting her gaze head-on. "I am Valexis Haller," he responded. His eyes, however, were not solely focused on her face but drifted over her whole figure. His mind swiftly compared the Angel before him to the one he had known from the movies, noting the subtle differences that separated the two.

There were noticeable discrepancies between the Angel he knew from the silver screen and the one standing before him now. Firstly, her hair - a stark black in the movies - was peppered with several golden locks, a change that gave her an entirely new aura. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, he noted her conflict with Azazel. Her open hostility towards him suggested she had not allied herself with the Hellfire Club, a stark contrast to her movie counterpart who had joined their ranks.

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This deviation struck Val as highly significant, altering his perception of her character. In the movies, Angel exhibited a cynical outlook toward humans, aligning with Shaw's belief in the superiority of mutants and their destined right to rule. Yet, the Angel in this reality seemed to stand firm on Xavier's side, engaging in a conflict against Azazel, a renowned Hellfire Club member. This act of rebellion, according to Val, spoke volumes about her stance, seemingly indicating a significant divergence from her movie counterpart's view of human-mutant relations.

"Why are you here? You shouldn't be here," Havok asked Val. His eyes briefly darted to the fractured ground where Val had vanquished Azazel, adding, "Even though you defeated one, there are more dangerous people around here."

With a dismissive sweep of his hand, Val assuaged Havok's worries, "Relax, kid. I didn't come for a tour, my presence here is tied to Charles and Raven."

Surprise flickered across the faces of Havok, Angel, and Banshee as they digested this new piece of information. It was Havok who voiced their shared confusion, "You know Professor Xavier and Mystique?"

Confirming their suspicions with a nod, Val answered, "I've known both of them since they were kids."

The trio's eyes widened in surprise as they digested Val's revelation, their gazes now filled with a new level of curiosity and respect. Yet Angel, quickly regaining her composure, sought to clarify a point that seemed out of place to her, "If you've known them since childhood, then...you should be in your 40s, shouldn't you?"

Val responded with a playful smirk, acknowledging the logical inconsistency, "That's true, I am in my 40s. But, as you see, I bear the appearance of a man in his early 20s. Convenient, isn't it?"

Angel's eyes flickered with a touch of envy as she glanced at Val's youthful face, admitting begrudgingly, "Yes, indeed."

She caught sight of Banshee walking towards the fractured ground and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

Banshee paused, his gaze peering into the abyss-like crack. "I was just wondering how deep that poor guy might've fallen when Mr. Haller here landed on him," he responded.

Angel asked curiously, "Can you see him?"

Banshee dedicated a few more seconds to his investigation before turning around to address Angel's query, "Nope, not at all."

Angel swiveled her head back towards Val, a soft utterance of astonishment slipping from her lips, "Damn!"

Val swiftly turned to Banshee, his question urgent, "Wait! When I struck Azazel into the ground, what exactly did you witness?"

Banshee recalled the events, "When you landed that blow, we saw the flight deck crack open beneath his body, swallowing him whole." He turned to Angel and asked, "Right?"

Angel confirmed Banshee's account with a nod, telling Val, "That's accurate." But, she asked him, "Is something wrong?"

Val responded with a shake of his head, his face creased into a reassuring smile, "No, not at all. There's no problem."

Inwardly, though, Val's mind was running a different narrative. 'So, they didn't catch Mephisto's emergence from Azazel's body. They missed our conversation and Yao's intervention to whisk Mephisto away through a portal. Well, that's fortuitous,' he mused, hiding his relief behind an unaffected facade.

Shifting his attention back to Havok, he began, "How was t–" His words were abruptly cut off as a thunderous explosion rocked the flight deck of the Navy vessel, instantly transforming their relative calm into chaos.

* KA-BOOOM *

Their heads whipped around in unison toward the source of the sudden disturbance. Val's gaze narrowed, his attention fixated on the unfolding scene. Erik and Shaw were locked in a fierce battle while Charles, a hand resting on his head, was exerting his telepathic abilities on Shaw from a safe distance.

Val's thoughts circled back to Shaw as he watched him in action, 'Oh, yes, this guy.'