Professor X paused, turned to glance at Cyclops and Phoenix Girl beside him, then turned back. His gaze shifted from Superman's face to the golden figure on this side, and the gentle smile on his lips deepened slightly.
"My name is Charles Xavier."
"Everyone on our side is a mutant. Our Earth has also weathered many crises. We understand your anxiety right now."
"We can cooperate."
"We're willing to sit down and talk, and find a way to resolve this crisis together."
Superman's tense shoulders immediately relaxed.
He glanced back in their direction, his gaze sweeping from Tony's face to Steve's, then Diana's, before finally settling on Yongye. A glimmer of "See? They're easy to talk to" stirred in his blue eyes.
Tony hovered at the edge of the Quinjet's open hatch, his lips pressed into a tight line beneath his faceplate. He kept his palm repulsors extended, but lowered their energy output half a notch.
Steve moved his shield half an inch away from his body, his knuckles relaxing slightly around the grip.
Thor spun Mjolnir once in his hand, and most of the electrical arcs subsided.
Diana narrowed her eyes and shot Yongye a questioning look.
In her eyes, although Yongye was a bastard who got fired up at the drop of a hat and liked researching irrigation techniques for potted chrysanthemums, he was the most trustworthy person when it came to handling enormous crises.
Unfortunately, Yongye merely wore a calm smile, betraying no other stance.
Professor X's voice carried through the dark purple Space-Time Vortex, clear and gentle. Like aged tea slowly simmered over a low flame, it flowed unhurriedly into the ears of every superhero present.
"I propose that we each send a delegation to the other's Earth, to improve our mutual understanding."
"The collision