The Professor's Offer

Just now, inside the water tank, Gabriella and Isabelle had watched the entire battle outside through the surveillance feed. They had gained a clearer understanding of Wolverine's and George's combat strength, and Professor X had also said a few things to them.

According to Professor X, trying to reach New York, find information about Tony Stark, and then go to the Middle East to rescue him in just six short days was practically impossible.

Even if they really managed it, it would be fraught with danger.

In reality, it would be risking Wolverine's and George's lives.

And the well-informed Professor X did not advise the children to go to Canada and let the Canadian government arrange their lives from then on, either.

So after thinking it over carefully and discussing it, they decided to give up completely on their previous cooperation with the Canadian government. They would no longer head for the North Dakota border, but instead find a safe place to settle down first.

Then they would properly plan how to rescue Tony Stark.

Even if that plan failed in the end, as long as they worked together, they could still defeat the people from the experimental base whom they had once felt were impossible to beat, and they could keep living well with the children.

Hadn't the other side come with such a large force this time, only to be beaten into fleeing in a sorry state?

Before, they had felt it was impossible for them to fight Arkley Gene Company's forces on their own. Now, it seemed it was not entirely impossible.

"As expected of Professor X. Even if he can't use his ability, his skill at convincing people with just his mouth really isn't something ordinary people can compare with."

Hearing Gabriella's answer, George's eyes immediately lit up.

Naturally, he very much agreed with Gabriella's decision. Rescuing Tony Stark in six days—although, because he had the advantage of knowing the plot, it was not quite the near-certain death Professor X described—was indeed not that easy.

A place like New York had countless forces tangled together. Who could guarantee everything would go smoothly?

If he had enough time to prepare, if his abilities developed another level and he could deflect sniper bullets, or if he went to Hogwarts and learned a few more spells, then naturally the success rate would rise by a large margin.

Most importantly, if he remembered correctly, in the movie Tony Stark had said to Pepper Potts in the car that he had been imprisoned in the cave for more than three months.

So normally speaking, they did not need to be in such a hurry.

Or, if his strength became powerful enough over the next few months and he could get a sum of money to buy Stark Industries stock, then whether he went to rescue Tony Stark or not would no longer seem important.

He was rescuing Tony Stark for money, and so Tony Stark could shelter them and let them live normal lives.

But if they were strong enough and had money as well, there would be no need to go find Tony Stark.

Because cooperating with Tony Stark would inevitably draw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention, and drawing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention meant drawing Hydra's attention, which would plunge them into even greater trouble.

"Six days really is tight. Since you've already made a decision, let's leave this place first, find somewhere safe, and then discuss what to do next."

George nodded at Gabriella, then led everyone in collecting the submachine guns and grenades from the corpses before quickly leaving the abandoned factory.

With the current situation, as long as they hurried away from the border now and went somewhere a little farther off, it would be very difficult for the experimental base to reorganize people and find them again.

Arkley Gene Company could access the surveillance cameras in this small border county because this place was chaotic enough. Plenty of things could be settled as long as money was spent.

But they were not S.H.I.E.L.D., the FBI, or the CIA, official national organizations. On the surface, they were only businessmen. It was impossible for their power to cover the entire United States; otherwise, they would have been wiped out long ago.

In the movie, if Donald had not used Calliban's tracking ability, he would not have been able to find Wolverine and Professor X so easily.

And now that X-24 had been killed, before they created a new clone, the other side probably would not come after them again. They simply could not beat them.

So if nothing unexpected happened, after this battle, the experimental base should not make any moves for the next few months. They could calmly replan their next step.

On the highway, Isabelle was driving the Truck in front. George, Gabriella, Wolverine, Calliban, and Professor X sat with the children in the tarp-covered back, discussing their next destination.

After some discussion, the group summarized the following points.

First, the place they were going to stay next could not be in the city center. That would make it very easy to expose their tracks and attract the attention of the government and Arkley Gene Company.

Second, the place they stayed could not be too remote either, because whether it was the children's education, the medicine Professor X needed, or their own daily lives, a place that was too remote would not be able to satisfy those needs.

Also, it was hard to get money in a place that was too remote. If they did not take the route of rescuing Tony Stark, then they would have to make money to buy Stark shares.

How could they get money quickly?

Normal methods definitely would not work. As the saying went, murder and arson brought the golden belt; naturally, they would rob others—for example, those criminal businessmen and gangs.

In a place too remote, even people were rarely seen, let alone rich people. Naturally, they would not be able to get much money.

Third, they could not be too far from New York.

On one hand, they still needed to keep paying attention to the news and movements regarding Tony Stark, and be ready to begin a rescue plan as soon as there was information.

On the other hand, George himself had another reason: New York was a concentrated hub where major events happened. In particular, in a few years, there would be the Chitauri invasion. He had to be nearby so he could observe conveniently.

If nothing happened, then naturally there was no need for him to get involved. If an accident occurred, then he would have to prepare early.

Otherwise, if one day he was in the middle of practicing magic and the entire Earth was destroyed, he would not survive either.

"Actually, we could go back to the school. Back to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

After the summary ended, Professor X suddenly spoke.

However, Wolverine's expression changed at once when he heard this, and he immediately rejected it:

"No. It's too dangerous. The government is still hunting you. Going back to the school would be walking right into their trap."

In truth, what he was worried about was not the government's arrest warrant.

After all, that had been twenty-five years ago. They had not shown themselves for twenty-five years. The government's leaders had probably changed several times over, and the people in charge now should have long since thought they were dead.

What he was worried about was that after returning to New York, returning to the school, Professor X would remember those memories that had been deliberately sealed away. He would remember that he was the one who had killed all the mutants in the entire school.

Hearing this, two streams of tears instantly flowed from Professor X's eyes:

"Logan, you know, while you were fighting just now, I remembered everything. I remembered everything that happened back then.

With the sins I committed, I shouldn't have been allowed to keep living long ago.

But now, I want to live. Not for myself, but for these children.

I want to properly recover and regain my abilities. I want to protect the hope of these mutants and make up for the sins I committed back then."

At this point, Professor X choked up, then continued, "The Cerebro that Beast built in the school basement—if it's sealed off and the special switch is activated, it can block my brainwaves. That way, if an accident happens and I lose control again, the same tragedy won't happen."