More than ten minutes later, at the Baxter Building.
"You mean... those people were all under your control?"
"That's incredible... How many people can you control at once? What's your maximum range? Does using your ability affect you at all?"
Faced with Reed's string of questions, Miles rubbed his forehead. "Johnny should have already told you all that, Reed..."
"I know... I'm just surprised. I really didn't expect there to be a superpower like that." Reed gave an awkward laugh. "After all, people like Phillips were already extremely rare in my eyes."
"I'm different from that guy," Miles explained. "That guy called Puppet Master is just an ordinary human who knows a few little tricks. I'm a Mutant, and Mind Control is one of my mutant abilities."
"Mutants... a special kind of superhuman?" Reed asked.
"More precisely, we're a human subspecies from our universe. We possess the innate X Gene and gain mutant abilities when our genes awaken. What ability awakens is fairly random, though it can also be influenced by inherited genes from one's parents..."
"You mean... a human subspecies with stable hereditary superpower genes?"
Reed asked in astonishment, "Hard to imagine... How do humans in your world view people like you?"
"That's complicated..."
Miles sighed. Just as he was about to continue, Susan suddenly interrupted him.
"Wait, Miles."
Susan looked at Miles and asked seriously, "Just now, you used your ability to control over a hundred people across three blocks... Did you often solve criminal incidents that way in the past?"
"Normally, I have no interest in solving criminal incidents," Miles replied. "I just didn't want you wasting too much time on those two. Don't forget, Planet Eater is coming. He's our common target."
"So in your eyes, those people's wishes don't matter?" Susan pressed.
"Of course they