My Heart Aches

Donnie opened the door and let Pyro John in, studying the young man, who looked somewhat restrained and nervous.

Honestly, Donnie was happy that someone had come looking for him, though there was also a touch of regret. The one who had left the deepest impression on him was Iceman Bobby, a Mutant with Level Five potential.

Barbi was different from Phoenix Jean. Phoenix Jean possessed the Phoenix Force and could be said to have Level Five strength the moment she awakened, except Professor X had sealed her power source in time. Iceman Bobby, on the other hand, might not have been very powerful yet, but he had Level Five potential. Given the right opportunities in the future, Barbi would uncover his potential and become even stronger. His absurd ice-creation ability could theoretically freeze the entire universe. Of course, that was only in theory. He might end up freezing half of it before dying of old age or getting killed, considering powerful figures were everywhere in this world.

Still, Pyro John's arrival was enough to delight Donnie.

Donnie narrowed his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here so late?" He already knew the answer, but he wanted the young man to say it himself.

Pyro John was extremely nervous. A sheen of sweat appeared on his still-youthful face, and he stammered for a long time before barely managing a complete sentence. "Do you still need any subordinates?"

He was drenched in sweat. He did not know why, but facing this young man made him incredibly nervous, as though he were under immense pressure. Yet because of that, a certain decision in his heart became even firmer.

"I am indeed planning to build a team of my own, and I think highly of you," Donnie said lightly, making John abruptly raise his head, his eyes filled with wild joy.

"But not now. At the very least, I can't let you join me yet. John, you're still too young. You're not ready."

John was unconvinced and wanted to argue, to tell the man before him that he was fully prepared. But the next sentence left him too crushed to lift his head.

"You're too weak. I'm about to go to war with the vampires, and it'll be incredibly dangerous. How much can you help me? You might even become a burden."

John lowered his head, utterly dejected. He could not refute Donnie's words. The fiercest battle he had ever experienced was leading a group of people in a brawl against another group led by Iceman Bobby. He and Donnie were worlds apart.

"Trust me, John. I'm happy that you came to find me, but you came too early. You still need to become stronger before you can join my team. Trust me, when you're strong enough, I'll definitely come find you." Donnie patted John on the shoulder and sighed.

When Donnie said that, his heart ached terribly. He truly wanted to build a team of his own and wished he could just lure this promising prospect away and make him his little brother. But he could not. Right now, he had nothing. The most likely fate of that so-called team would not be dying in battle against enemies, but starving to death together.

He, the great Mechanic Donnie, was broke as hell. Build a team? Build one just so they could all starve to death?

With the little money he had, how many extraordinary combatants could he afford to support? He could barely support himself. It was driving him crazy.

Donnie could only hope that risking his life to raid the vampires would earn him a fortune. The wealth they had amassed over several thousand years should be quite impressive, right?

John left, carrying both disappointment and hope with him. Something flickered in his eyes. The young man seemed to understand what he needed to do in the future. At last, he had a goal.

Donnie patted the wall and sighed. "Have you heard enough? If you have, hurry up and leave."

Then a little girl stepped out of the wall. If Donnie remembered correctly, she was Kitty, nicknamed Shadowcat. Her spatial ability allowed her to pass through barriers.

Kitty stared at him for a while, then left without saying a word. She had heard every word of the conversation between Donnie and John.

Donnie sat there in a daze, clutching his chest. Letting two little ones go in a row hurt him to death. Showing off cost money, and money was exactly what he lacked most. Not to mention that his Transformers legion also needed a constant influx of funds. It was a bottomless pit.

Donnie sighed again and again, beating his chest and stomping his feet. His heart was about to break.

"Looks like you regret it deeply. Want me to call them back for you?" Professor X had arrived as well. Such a minor disturbance could not escape his notice, and he teased Donnie.

Donnie snorted angrily. "Old man, believe it or not, I wanted to lure them away more than once just now. I kept holding myself back. I regret it so much. My heart aches..."

The bald professor was unusually serious. "Donnie, they're still too young. They don't understand anything. I don't want you interfering too much in their lives, at least not yet."

Donnie fell silent, then ultimately nodded helplessly. At the school, John could learn knowledge, but only with Donnie could his combat strength soar. Donnie had that confidence, but Professor X clearly would not easily let him go.

Xavier's School was more focused on teaching these Mutants how to live and how to coexist peacefully with humans. Only a small number joined the X-Men and had the chance to learn how to fight.

Charles turned his wheelchair and asked Donnie whether he would continue his war against the vampires.

Donnie nodded heavily and explained that it was not a matter of whether he wanted to fight. The vampires would definitely continue fighting him and would not compromise easily. Moreover, the vampires were carrying out the God-Making Plan, and Donnie was the perfect touchstone.

"The war cannot end. I came here to seek an opportunity to grow stronger as well," Donnie said.

Charles nodded silently, saying that he would provide Donnie with whatever assistance he could.

"Donnie, sometimes I truly worry that you'll walk the same path as Erik." Charles voiced the concern in his heart. He did not want Donnie to follow Erik's path, one that was extreme and dangerous.

Donnie laughed. He told the old man that he would not, and could not, become like Erik. But he did need to show some muscle, because people were still coveting what he had. He needed a victory to intimidate those petty schemers. They might set their sights on Donnie, but they would not dare target Professor X or Magneto, because those two had beaten them badly before, while Donnie had not.

"Professor, you may not have used your abilities to hurt many people, but that doesn't mean they haven't been intimidated by your formidable power. At the very least, I won't be hostile toward ordinary people. I came from ordinary people, and every Mutant came from ordinary people." Donnie smiled, then suddenly had a thought and tested the waters. "Perhaps the first Mutant in history was the sole exception."

"The first Mutant? Who?" Charles had been pleased by Donnie's views, but upon hearing that question, he looked at Donnie in confusion. He did not quite understand.

Donnie's heart sank. That utterly dreadful possibility had become reality.

"It's only a guess." Donnie brushed it off, saying that he merely suspected the first Mutant in history might have been different from later generations like them.

Charles seemed thoughtful. He could tell that Donnie was hiding something from him, but since Donnie would not say it, there was no need to press him. He could investigate this first Mutant in history himself.

After Professor X left, Donnie sat alone, utterly unable to complain anymore.

So the timeline he was in had never been rebooted. It was the original one.

Could that dangerous old bastard Apocalypse still be hibernating inside an Egyptian pyramid? He had been sleeping for several thousand years already.

A storm was brewing. This world had gained yet another utterly troublesome ancient monster.