"I'm not like you," Warren replied calmly.
The two were classmates in the same middle school, and neither of them expected that the other was Mutants. Their relationship actually grew closer after they enrolled in school.
Then, Kari looked at the dark-haired girl by the window and asked in a low voice, " Warren, you've been here for so long, do you know what she likes or what she usually does?"
Clearly, he had no intention of giving up.
Warren could only offer a friendly reminder: " Kari, take my advice, don't waste your time. She's really not interested in you."
"Huh?" Kari was taken aback.
Warren shrugged. "Because she doesn't even consider you good enough."
"What?!" Kari's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. " Warren, are you kidding me? You know, at Kurud School, no girl can resist my charm offensive!"
Warren shrugged. "I'm not lying. Compared to that dazzling figure, you're like an insignificant worm in the grass."
Kari froze. "That person? Who?"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed the black-haired girl who had been ignoring him just moments before. Her face lit up, a smile spreading across her face, and she quickly put her phone to her ear.
She had only spoken two or three sentences when she closed her book and hurried off towards the teachers' building.
"... This..." The blond boy opened his mouth, momentarily stunned.
Clarice jogged into the office, stopped in front of Storm, who was in charge of school affairs, and said excitedly, "Ms. Ororo, I'd like to request permission to go out."
Storm looked up at the excited black-haired girl before her, her tone gentle yet tinged with worry. "Going out? Clarice, you need to understand, things aren't peaceful outside right now."
"I understand. But he needs me."
"Him?" Storm paused for a moment, not quite understanding.
Vitas.
Clarice didn't rush to leave. Instead, she waited until the third day, after the private jet sent by Chen Xiao landed, before getting ready to depart.
Just the day before leaving school, the entire school had completed a comprehensive physical examination, including blood tests, mental health assessments, and physical fitness screenings.
On the day of their departure, Storm, Scott, Shadowcat, and Colossus, along with Professor X, stood at the school gate.
Professor X gazed quietly at the ever-composed black-haired girl, his voice gentle. "Since Vitas has personally summoned you, I will not detain you."
He paused, then added softly, "However, Clarice, your abilities lean towards support and coordination; you're not at a disadvantage in direct confrontation."
"So once you get there, don't go out alone unless absolutely necessary."
" Vitas's current strength far surpasses what he was when he left school; but precisely because of this, the stronger he becomes, the easier it is for him to be targeted."
"Please tell him for me: If it's none of your business, don't meddle; if it's not a dispute, stay away."
Professor X's words made Clarice's heart tighten, and she nodded subconsciously.
At that moment, Scott handed over a silver box. "This contains what Vitas wants. Take it with you on your way."
"Good."
She reached out and took it. The box wasn't big, but it was quite heavy, and her palm felt a slight weight on it.
squeak!
A red convertible Ferrari roared in, its tires screeching as it braked sharply, the car spun around, and came to a steady stop right in front of the school gate.
The car door opened, Yidileisi stepped out, her beautiful face beaming with a smile, "Professor, teachers, good afternoon."
Professor X's lips curled into a slight smile, " Yidileisi, I didn't expect Vitas to have invited you as well. It seems he's more thorough than I anticipated."
Facing these teachers who had once saved her, Yidileisi was respectful. " Vitas was worried about unforeseen circumstances on the way, so he not only arranged a special plane, but also specifically asked me to make this trip."
Hearing how concerned Chen Xiao was, Clarice felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and the slight wariness she had felt towards Yidileisi quietly dissipated.
Of course, she didn't know that the root cause of Chen Xiao's caution lay with him.
As the only person in the academy with a close relationship with Chen Xiao, Clarice had long been secretly drawn into the sights of various forces because of Chen Xiao.
In the past, with a professor in charge, no one dared to act rashly; but once she stepped out of the school gates, the situation became unpredictable.
After a few pleasantries, Clarice got into the back seat of the sports car. The engine roared to life, a red blur flashed, and it disappeared at the end of the road in an instant.
Watching the car drive away, Ororo turned to Professor X, her expression slightly suspicious. "Professor, is there something between you and Vitas that we are unaware of?"
Although not explicitly stated, Professor X's instructions to Clarice just now clearly contained a deeper meaning.
Scott, Shadowcat, and Colossus all looked over, their eyes full of questions.
Professor X pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Over the years, I've been thinking about one thing: can Mutants and humans truly coexist?"
"...?" The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
They knew Professor X all too well; his lifelong belief was to bring the two ethnic groups together in reconciliation.
Why does it seem like we're reconsidering this answer now?
Professor X slowly turned his wheelchair around and drove deeper into the campus. Storm and the others immediately followed.
"Actually, Erik, and I, along with many others, know that peaceful coexistence is easier said than done."
"This is not merely a clash of stances, but a collision of two survival wills from different eras, concerning both survival and power."
"Ordinary people are unwilling to relinquish their right to dominate the era, unwilling to make room for survival, so they continue to suppress Mutants, even wanting to eliminate them as soon as possible."
"But as the number of Mutants increases, including many with astonishing combat power, they naturally become unwilling to remain subservient and be slaughtered by others."
"And so, Erik and I were born, each choosing a path to forge our own."
He chose to resist, I chose dialogue.
"For the first twenty years, we could see almost no way out. Until Qin appeared, the energy within her that was enough to tear the world apart gave me a glimmer of hope."
"The power of destruction... and peace?" Everyone was completely confused.
Professor X nodded slightly. "That's right, the Peace Piano is like an 'egg' belonging to Mutants; though unusable, it is indispensable."
"Unfortunately, the power was too strong, so strong that even Qin herself couldn't control it; the signs of losing control had already begun to emerge at that time."
"Later, to save her, Erik had to withdraw from the competition; he couldn't help."
A few years later, he met a second "piano": Wanda.
"She also possesses a power that can shake the world; her strength has not only surpassed the Alpha-level, but has also fully entered the Omega-level."
"More importantly, she has more stable control over her abilities, and her mental state is much more solid than Qin's back then."
"I could hear Erik's excitement on the phone; unfortunately, in the end, Wanda parted ways with him due to differences in their philosophies."
"Thus, the future of Mutants is once again shrouded in uncertainty."
"Especially during the Stryker incident more than three years ago, Jean's selfless act almost convinced us, Erik, and me that Mutants had reached their end."
"After all, humanity is closing in step by step, and weapon systems like Sentry, specifically designed to hunt Mutants, are becoming increasingly sophisticated, leaving us with rapidly shrinking opportunities."
"The situation truly turned around after Vitas showed up." Professor X paused briefly at this point.
"He intervened, saving Scott from a fatal blow when Jyn's resuscitation spiraled out of control."
"More importantly, with his help and my combined efforts, Jean finally tamed the Berserk energy within her that was capable of tearing reality apart."
"So Erik seized the opportunity to launch a plan he had been preparing for many years, establishing Mutants nation in Africa, tearing a hole in the human-dominated world order."
"But this also brings the conflict between Mutants from the shadows to the forefront, suddenly intensifying the tension."
"There's nowhere to retreat, and no intention to withdraw."
"So right now, every single Mutants at the top—Jean, Wanda, Vitas, me, and Erik —is being watched by the entire world."
"Now we just have to wait for the storm to explode, to ignite the inevitable all-out confrontation, and ultimately force out a balance that both sides can find."
Professor X's calm tone instantly made Scott, Storm, and the others tense up.
His words subtly elevated Chen Xiao to the same level as Jean Grey, Wanda, himself, and Magneto —a key figure who could influence the fate of Mutants.
You don't need to worry too much.
Seeing Storm and the others turn pale, Professor X smiled gently, "A great war is inevitable, but humanity will not become extinct, nor will Mutants be eradicated."
"The two groups are branches of the same tree of life, one rooted in the present, the other reaching towards tomorrow."
As for how many people will fall in the war... no one can predict that; it's all up to fate.
After he finished speaking, he let out a silent sigh of relief.
Chen Xiao, who was far away in Mexico, was unaware of this, but he had recently keenly sensed that the international atmosphere had changed, and there was a tension in the air, as if a string might break at any moment.
He had no interest in the struggle between humans and Mutants, and believed in only one ironclad rule: as long as no one provoked him, he would stand by and watch.
If anyone dares to come running at us, whether they're Mutants or a normal person, we'll wipe them out without hesitation.
At Westchester Airport, a red sports car drove straight up the boarding stairs into the private jet's cabin.
Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the plane slowly taxied, lifted its head and took off, its engine roaring deafeningly, trailing a plume of flame as it pierced the clouds and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.
In a corner of the airport, a man wearing a hat took out his phone and whispered, "The target has been picked up by a private jet; there was no opportunity for contact throughout the entire process."
"Withdraw your decision; you've likely been targeted by Charles."
"Clear."
In the afternoon, as the red car drove into the manor gate, the clouds in the sky suddenly churned and burst open, and a figure broke through the clouds and fell to the ground like a meteor.
It was Chen Xiao, who had just taken a short rest on the cloud peak.
The servants and armed bodyguards looked up, their eyes burning with an almost devout fervor.
In the underground of Pochut City, the Bloody Hand Society leader was already a legend. His power to flatten half a street with a single punch and slay a mutated behemoth was revered as a god.
It is said that a few days ago, the surrounding cities were flooded by torrential rain, but Pochutla was sunny and clear, and even the dark clouds were dispersed by an invisible force. This miracle is said to be his doing.
Looking at the black-haired girl he hadn't seen for over a month, whose brows now held a more serene air, Chen Xiao's lips curled into a slight smile, " Clarice, welcome home."