United for Greater Strength

Meanwhile, aboard the X-Jet flying to New York.

Professor X looked at Magneto with a grave expression.

"I just read that director's memories. Humanity is stronger than we imagined, and Earth isn't as safe as we thought. Perhaps we should set aside some of our differences for now."

When Magneto destroyed the Brainwave Disruptor, he had not only immobilized everyone from S.H.I.E.L.D., but also taken the opportunity to read Director Nick Fury's memories and learned of the Skrulls and Kree.

In the past, he had been confident that, with himself and the X-Men protecting the school's students, they could gradually change humanity's prejudice against mutants and allow humans and mutants to coexist peacefully.

But after today's battle and after reading Nick Fury's memories, he understood that it would be very, very difficult.

If not for Hawking's temporary burst of power, all of them would have been taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D. by now.

Honestly, he was glad he had gone to Sokovia and recruited Hawking as a student at the Mutant School.

That was why, at this moment, he shared the intelligence he knew with Magneto, hoping Magneto could return and face the situation before them alongside him as they had in the First Class, even if only temporarily.

"Charles, I can work with you, but understand this: if I get the chance, I will still wipe out humanity and create a world inhabited only by mutants.

"If the entire world were made up of mutants, those so-called aliens would be nothing."

Magneto looked at Professor X, his expression as arrogant as ever.

He had always believed that mutants were the next stage of human evolution, lifeforms superior to humans—perhaps even gods. Aliens that humans could not handle held no fear for mutants.

The prerequisite was getting rid of those shameless humans who loved infighting and stabbing each other in the back.

"When that time comes, I will stop you. But until then, we are both fighting for the interests of mutants."

Professor X replied with a smile.

He did not expect Magneto to be particularly cooperative. Reaching an initial consensus was enough.

"With Professor X and Magneto joining forces, it looks like we can build up in peace for a few years."

Seeing Professor X and Magneto clasp hands, Hawking nodded inwardly.

The combination of Magneto and Professor X was definitely greater than the sum of its parts—a true union of powerhouses.

Professor X excelled at dealing with all living creatures with minds and thoughts, while his weakness was cold machines and advanced technological weapons.

Magneto was exactly the opposite. Few advanced weapons could exist without metal, which meant they would inevitably be countered by Magneto.

"Hawking, I've decided I'll never call you Little Monkey again. How about Ape Demon? Or Big Kong sounds pretty good too!"

At that moment, Wolverine lit a cigar and grinned as he patted Hawking on the shoulder.

Having seen the place where he had been experimented on and interrogated Stryker, he had recovered most of his memories and resolved the knot in his heart.

So he decided to make X-Academy his new home and truly join the X-Men. Perhaps he could occasionally work as a guest teacher at the school, teaching combat and history.

"Ape Demon is better. Or Ape God. Big Kong sounds way too tacky!"

Now that Hawking had relaxed, he no longer cared about being given a nickname and instead began chatting away with Wolverine.

Deathstrike, seated behind them, watched Wolverine chatting with Hawking, her expression extremely complicated.

Her real name was Oyama Yuriko. She was a martial artist from Osaka and a mutant with regenerative abilities.

Several years ago, Stryker had found her and told her that her father, who had disappeared for years, had died at Wolverine's hands. He had even shown her footage of Wolverine killing her father.

To seek revenge on Wolverine, she had joined the new Weapon X Program.

But after the procedure succeeded, she had not set off to find Wolverine and take revenge as she had wished. Instead, Stryker used Mastermind's brain fluid to control her, turning her into a killing machine.

During the years she had been controlled, she had also learned the true reason behind her father's death.

Her scientist father had been one of the scientists Stryker had forcibly abducted from Osaka to help complete the Weapon X Program. The footage of him dying at Wolverine's hands had actually shown an accidental killing when Wolverine escaped the base.

So the person who had truly killed her father should have been Stryker.

"Hey, beautiful. If you have nowhere to go, you can come to X-Academy. I'm sure the Professor would welcome you!"

Wolverine noticed Deathstrike's gaze behind him and smiled as he extended the invitation.

He felt sorry for accidentally killing Deathstrike's father, and he was deeply grateful that, after regaining her senses, she had been willing to help them fight off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attack.

"That's right. The school will probably be short on teachers in the future."

Hawking nodded in agreement.

As far as he was concerned, the stronger the Mutant School became, the safer Wanda, Pietro, and he would be.

More than forty minutes later, the Harry Potter Template's loading time ended. Looking at the Firebolt and Invisibility Cloak vanishing beside him, Hawking could not help thinking before he closed his eyes:

"Since I even got the Firebolt and Invisibility Cloak, maybe the Goku Template can give me a Flying Nimbus too. I'll try shouting for one next time I load the template."

When Hawking fell unconscious from the template's side effects, Professor X looked over as well.

"Little Hawking, are you really a mutant?"

He could neither read Hawking's mind nor sense the unique mutant brainwaves emanating from him, so he could not determine whether Hawking was a mutant at all.

He had merely judged that Hawking was most likely a mutant based on the abilities Hawking had displayed earlier and the tail growing from his backside.

But after tonight's battle, he was no longer so certain.

Hawking had displayed far too many abilities: an immensely powerful body and energy, Great Ape Transformation, weapons and clothing he could summon that possessed special abilities, and more.

This had already gone beyond his understanding of mutants. At least so far, he had never seen a mutant with so many powers.

"Forget it. Whether you are or not, you are a student at our school and a future X-Man."

In the end, Professor X let it go.

In truth, whether Hawking was a mutant was no longer that important.

Hawking studied at the Mutant School and fought to protect mutants. That made him part of this family.

Besides, even if Hawking was not a mutant, his younger brother Pietro was one hundred percent a mutant.

That was enough.

"Charles, sometimes I truly envy you. Your school has so many talented people, but it's a shame you've wasted so many of them."

Magneto, standing beside Professor X, was also looking at Hawking.

Compared to the few scattered people in his Brotherhood, Charles's school had far too many gifted mutants.

"Erik, mine is a school. Not every student enjoys fighting. They should have the freedom to choose their own futures."

Professor X explained with a smile.

Magneto shook his head after hearing that.

"But if they do not learn how to fight, how can they protect themselves in dangerous human society?"

"Let's not talk about that. We still have more than two hours before we reach the school. How about a game?"

Professor X took out a chess set from one of the jet's drawers.

Seeing this, Magneto removed his helmet and set it aside, revealing a rare smile.

"I'll go easy on you."

"No, you won't."

Professor X smiled as well.

At that moment, it was as if they had returned to the past.