Having a Little Sister Is Better

As time passed, the plane finally arrived in New York just as the sun began to rise at dawn, slowly landing in the backyard of the temporary refuge villa.

The moment he got off the plane and entered the villa, Hawking plunged straight into the basement where the supplies were stored.

After the intense battle earlier, he was already starving.

"When you're hungry, everything tastes delicious."

After wolfing down a hearty meal, Hawking emerged from the basement with a satisfied look on his face.

He finally understood why Goku enjoyed every meal so much. It was because he was genuinely hungry.

"Hawking!"

The moment he stepped out of the basement and entered the first-floor hall, a figure in pajamas came rushing over, leaping up and throwing herself at him.

Looking closely, it was Little Wanda.

"It's only six in the morning. Why are you up so early?"

Hawking patted Wanda on the back and set her down, asking in surprise.

Given Wanda's habits, she normally would not get up this early unless the sun was already high in the sky or her mother Elena had repeatedly dragged her out of bed.

"You weren't here last night, and I was really worried. This morning, I heard movement outside and got up. Professor Ororo told me you were in the basement."

Wanda immediately began chattering away, warming Hawking's heart.

Honestly, it felt really nice to have someone worry about and care for him like this. He had never received such treatment in his Previous Life.

"Where's Pietro?"

"Pietro's still asleep. He sleeps like the dead! He even stole my pudding last night!"

Wanda complained indignantly.

"What? Pietro was that mean? I'll teach him a proper lesson for you next time. Here, these are lollipops I took from the basement. They were supposed to be one each for you and Pietro, but now they're both yours!"

After comforting Little Wanda for a while, Hawking sighed inwardly. Little sisters really were better. She knew how to care about her big brother.

As for little brothers, who needed them?

"Hawking is the best."

Wanda accepted the two lollipops, immediately wrapped her arms around Hawking's arm, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the cheek.

"But you can't eat them yet. You have to wait until after you brush your teeth, or they'll be bad for your teeth..."

After passing through the living room and entering the corridor, Hawking turned a corner and ran into Magneto, who was also preparing to catch up on some sleep.

"Wanda, go back to your room first. I need to say a few things to this gentleman."

A thought crossed his mind. After coaxing Wanda away, Hawking stopped Magneto.

"Mr. Erik Lehnsherr, if you don't mind, do you have time for a chat?"

"Of course. I'd be very happy to talk with you."

Seeing Hawking take the initiative to approach him, Magneto was naturally more than willing.

Under pressure from S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain Marvel, he had temporarily joined forces with Charles again. But it was only temporary; sooner or later, the two of them would part ways again.

If he could lure Hawking over to his side, that would be even better.

That was also one reason he had so readily agreed to Charles's invitation.

"I'd like to know what Mr. Erik Lehnsherr thinks about how to deal with Colonel Stryker."

Hawking spoke tentatively.

Without any hesitation, Magneto replied:

"My view is that killing him would be best.

But your Professor Charles disagrees. He wants to use him to ease relations with S.H.I.E.L.D., to make them think we're gentle and non-aggressive. How naïve."

At that point, Magneto could not help sneering.

If he had not just reconciled with Charles and promised not to kill people casually without Charles's consent, he would have dealt with Stryker on the plane long ago.

"What S.H.I.E.L.D. fears is our strength, not our attitude. If we aren't strong enough, the kinder our attitude is, the more dangerous it becomes.

Colonel Stryker cannot be allowed to live. He knows far too many secrets about mutants."

Seeing that Erik's attitude matched his own judgment, Hawking no longer hid his opinion.

"Unfortunately, I promised Charles that I wouldn't make a move."

Magneto shrugged.

Hawking smiled at that.

"You can't make a move, but that doesn't mean I can't. I didn't promise the professor anything. But to stop the professor from interfering, I'll need you to do me a small favor."

"Ha ha ha, excellent! Hawking, you really are impressive. I'm growing more and more fond of you!"

Upon hearing Hawking's plan, Magneto froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.

He truly had not expected Hawking to have such nerve—to defy Charles's decision and seek his cooperation.

Even Wolverine Logan, the most decisive when it came to killing, had given up the chance to kill Stryker for revenge after Charles persuaded him.

Yet Hawking, who bore no grudge against Stryker at all, was determined to kill him.

"I'm only doing this to protect the school better."

Hawking spread his hands, looking innocent.

But Magneto revealed a meaningful expression.

"Actually, everything I've done in my life has also been to protect mutants better.

Hawking, you and I are very alike. Think it over some more and join my Brotherhood!"

"We can talk about that later."

Once Magneto agreed to help him, Hawking could not be bothered to listen to him ramble on about his theories. He quickly waved his hand and returned to the room he shared with Wanda and Pietro.

Magneto did not try to stop him. He simply watched Hawking's departing back and murmured:

"Perhaps if you remain here, it wouldn't be bad for you to replace Charles in the future!"

He felt that even if Hawking did not join his Brotherhood, it would still be a good outcome if Hawking grew up and replaced Charles as the leader of the Mutant School.

Given the personality Hawking had displayed, sooner or later he would lead the Mutant School down the same path Magneto had taken.

Two days later, in the great plaza of the Mutant School.

Hawking bid farewell to the reluctant Wanda and the somewhat reluctant Pietro, then followed Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique as they escorted Colonel Stryker aboard the X-Jet once more.

This time, their destination was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters—the Triskelion in Washington D.C.

In less than two days, Professor X had used his family's immense influence, along with his telepathic abilities such as mental control and memory erasure, to reclaim the school from the government and erase all traces of what had happened.

The Mutant School had now returned to being the School for Gifted Youngsters in the eyes of outsiders.

It was as if nothing that had happened a few days ago had ever occurred.

This allowed Hawking to once again witness just how terrifying Professor X's abilities were.

To be honest, if Professor X's moral boundaries had not been so high, then with his abilities and Cerebro, he truly could have rewritten all of human history.

Deleting and altering memories at will, and on such a massive scale, was indeed terrifying.

It was precisely because of this that Hawking suddenly began taking two spells from Harry Potter's memories very seriously.

They were the Memory Charm and the False Memory Charm, which could likewise alter and erase memories.

After the Chamber of Secrets incident in his second year, Harry had learned those two spells. However, Harry had never devoted much effort to them, unlike Hermione, who could use them proficiently.

If Harry were truly made to cast those two spells, he could cast them, but there was a high chance that he would turn the target into an idiot.

Therefore, Hawking's memories contained those two spells as well.