Herman had made a small tweak to one of the TV scripts.
That little change gave many viewers a much stronger sense of immersion.
Bobby the Iceman, an Omega-level mutant at the X-Mansion, was one of them. He certainly didn't want to meet the same end as his TV counterpart. Bobby firmly believed in the Invisible Man's claims. In his mind, if the teachers weren't being coerced, why would they allow students to film such a twisted, worldview-destroying drama?
It had to be said—teenagers really did have wild imaginations.
"We should warn the others. I don't want to see any of our classmates suddenly vanish." Bobby was a kind-hearted boy. He felt it was his duty to caution the other students: that beautiful girl who might be enrolling soon was someone they absolutely couldn't afford to provoke.
Behind her stood the living demon himself—the Homelander.
"Relax. Kitty's a fan of the Homelander. She'll help spread the word. Other than John, I doubt anyone else would be foolish enough to anger that man."
Sharon, the speedster mutant, spoke in a serious tone.
"Speaking of John, he went out on a mission with a few of the teachers. Why haven't they come back yet? It's been days now."
Bobby frowned, worried for both his classmates and his teachers.
"Don't worry. Colossus and Cyclops are with him—they're extremely powerful mutants. The mission probably just takes longer than usual."
Sharon, at least, had full confidence in the two X-Men. She picked up her pace again, turning the basketball game into a flashy display of speed.
Even so, Bobby still felt something was wrong. The atmosphere among the teachers had clearly grown heavier lately, much more than before.
Still, after Sharon passed him the ball, he pushed his unease aside and threw himself into the game. Freezing Sharon's shoes to steal the ball was, after all, a good way to train his powers.
...
Principal's Office, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Charles Francis Xavier, the headmaster of the school, was already dressed in a formal suit, waiting for Herman and Wanda.
Standing outside the office, Herman checked his Psychic Shield to make sure the old professor couldn't peek into his thoughts. Only then did he nod to Jean Grey to knock on the door.
In truth, Charles had already sensed their arrival—otherwise, he wouldn't have sent Jean to the gates to receive them.
That he couldn't breach Herman's Psychic Shield didn't mean he hadn't felt Herman's power, nor did it mean he couldn't sense Wanda's thoughts.
"We have reason to believe that mutants, a species hidden among humankind, pose a potential threat to all of humanity!"
"Their powers don't just disrupt the natural ecological balance. They also represent a massive hidden danger to public safety and social stability!"
Inside the office, a television was playing a videotape.
It showed a hearing conducted by the military high command, after Charles and Magneto had stopped the Black King of the Hellfire Club—a mutant who had planned to trigger a world war with nuclear weapons.
This was the first time the existence of mutants had been officially exposed to national institutions.
The ones being "tried" were Charles and Magneto—who weren't even present. The irony was sharp: heroes who had just saved the world now being judged as criminals.
Herman respected Charles deeply for his greatness and selflessness—for devoting his life to the dream of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants.
But at the same time, he couldn't agree with Charles's saintly approach. His indecision and softness were part of the reason the mutant apocalypse would eventually come.
Magneto's methods weren't right either, but at least they came closer to success. Herman had little faith in Charles's so-called theory of peace.
That said, it didn't stop him from sending Wanda to study at the X-Mansion. Charles might not excel as a leader, but as a teacher, he was unmatched.
Among the X-Men, few ever failed to amount to something.
Herman believed Charles would be able to help Wanda truly understand and master her powers. When it came to self-control and mastery of ability, Charles stood at the very peak of mutantkind.
As one grows older, one often finds oneself reminiscing about the past.
Seeing Herman and the others enter, Professor Charles switched off the television with his remote, pulling himself back to reality from his memories.
"Who would've thought my investor would turn out to be a teacher at a mutant school?" Herman quipped as soon as he saw Professor Charles' shining bald head.
Though they had already clarified things before, Herman couldn't resist teasing him with a lighthearted remark.
"To be precise, Professor is our headmaster," Jean Grey corrected from the side.
"I've always preferred being called 'teacher,'" Charles replied gently. "I never imagined the director I invested in would bring me such a surprise so soon."
He then glanced at Wanda, who was clutching Herman's hand tightly, and gave her a playful wink.
"Are you the school's principal?" Wanda asked. She instantly formed a good impression of this kind and approachable man. Compared to the principal at her old school, this one felt far gentler.
"Yes, child."
Charles' gaze softened even further. His eyes lingered on Wanda's features for a moment, confirming more and more that she was Magneto's daughter.
"May I… ask you something?" Wanda gathered her courage, lifting her wide, watery eyes to meet his.
"Of course."
Charles nodded without hesitation. He looked at Wanda with such fondness that even Jean had never seen before.
'What exactly happened between Magneto and the Professor?' Jean couldn't help but wonder. She knew Wanda was Magneto's daughter but wasn't clear on Magneto's history with Charles—only that the two had once been close comrades.
"Can I… go home on Saturdays and Sundays to see my big brother… and my other brother?" Wanda had been struggling with this question. She didn't want to wait until the end of the semester just to go home once.
"Our school doesn't force students to board. If your guardians agree, of course you can return home on weekends," Charles answered with a smile.
"???"
Jean's expression shifted, looking rather odd.
She didn't remember the rules ever being this loose. Charles had always been cautious about letting mutant students go home, worried they might cause trouble… or worse, be captured by extremist groups.
Except for specific holidays and special cases, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters had never allowed weekend visits home.
"Oh, really?!"
Wanda's face lit up at his response. She didn't suspect the old man of bending the rules for her—she only felt happy.
"Big brother! I can go home every week?" She turned to Herman with sparkling eyes full of expectation.
"No problem," Herman replied without hesitation. There was no need to keep her confined at school. It wasn't as though he couldn't ensure her safety himself.
"Then it's settled."
Charles' smile widened.
"Mm-hmm!"
Wanda nodded eagerly, excitement written all over her face. Watching the warmth between the old man and the little girl, Jean hesitated but ultimately held her tongue.
'Just as I thought,' Herman mused inwardly, amused. He had already anticipated this outcome, though he hadn't expected Charles to be so straightforward about it.
"Jean, why don't you take Wanda to see her new dorm? Kitty's a good girl—I'm sure she and Wanda will get along well." Charles' voice was light and cheerful.
"..."
What else could Jean say? She could only nod and smile gently at Wanda.
Since when did the school prepare students' rooms in advance? Weren't they always expected to pick up their own sheets and covers to make their beds?
Jean realized Charles had been quietly taking care of far more things behind the scenes than she'd imagined.
Was this the power of old friends? For a moment, Jean felt Charles' behavior completely overturned everything she thought she knew about him.
...
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