"Anyone who dares take one step beyond it will immediately be crushed by the force of the law."
"Even the president, who wields the authority of the world's most powerful nation, must abide by the law. The only difference is how tightly it binds him."
A student raised his hand, sounding somewhat defiant. "Professor, we're mutants, far stronger than ordinary people. Why must we follow the exact same legal standards as them?"
Professor X smiled calmly. "The reason is simple: we are indeed stronger, but the 'collective power' of mainstream society is far greater than any individual mutant."
"We have merely gained special abilities through genetic mutation. At our core, we are still human."
"If, deep down, you regard ordinary people as servants, as inferior beings..."
"Then before a being stronger than yourself, you too will become a servant, and you too will be regarded as inferior."
"As the ancients said, 'Those who kill will themselves be killed.' That is the cycle of cause and effect. So we must uphold the basic principles of being human and restrain ourselves through self-discipline, because we are 'human.'"
After listening, the students lowered their heads in thought.
Just then, Chen Xiao raised his hand. "Professor, I once heard a saying: with great power comes great responsibility. It means that those with power should shoulder more responsibility toward society."
"But I disagree. Why should becoming stronger mean I have to take on more responsibility?"
"Can't I choose a simpler, more ordinary way of life?"
Professor X paused briefly, then nodded. "You're right. The saying itself isn't entirely accurate."
"A more fitting way to put it would be: the greater your abilities, the greater the rights you can enjoy; and the greater your rights, the heavier the responsibilities that come with them."
"The rights you gain come from the trust and concessions of others. Your corresponding responsibilities are your repayment of that trust. At its core, it is an equal exchange."
"If you voluntarily relinquish those rights, you naturally have no obligation to shoulder responsibilities that were never yours."
He paused, then slowly added, "However, humans are, after all, social creatures. To borrow an old Eastern saying: when the nest is overturned, can any eggs remain intact?"
"If one day the world faces annihilation, those powerful individuals who once refused responsibility will ultimately have no choice but to step forward."
"They will do so neither to fulfill their responsibilities nor to protect their people, but to preserve themselves."
"Because when civilization collapses and humanity perishes, the very identity of being 'human' falls apart. At that point, even if you remain alive, you will no longer be human in the true sense."
"Only a solitary wanderer will remain."
Professor X's class was more like an open, equal exchange of ideas. The atmosphere was relaxed, yet every word struck home.
While everyone was immersed in thought, a soft knock came from outside the classroom.
After receiving permission, a staff member opened the door and entered, lowering their voice. "Professor, Mr. Hank has arrived. He's waiting in your office."
"Hank? Isn't he working at the White House?" Professor X sounded slightly surprised.
Hank McCoy was one of the original X-Men. Exceptionally gifted in scientific research, he had met Professor X decades ago.
He had long since left the X-Men and become the secretary of America's Department of Mutants Affairs, a cabinet position specifically responsible for coordinating relations between society and the mutant community.
Upon hearing that Hank had come, Professor X knew there had to be a reason. After a moment's thought, he immediately announced the end of class.
Then, with the staff member's assistance, he went straight to his office.
Watching the professor leave, Chen Xiao rubbed his tense brow and muttered, "Only three days of peace..."
He knew the purpose of Hank's visit: to persuade Professor X and the X-Men to publicly support the "Mutants Gene Suppression Act" that America was about to introduce.
For the tens of thousands of mutants around the world, whether living in hiding or openly,
Professor X and the X-Men, who had always backed them, campaigned for them, and fought for their right to exist, were a spiritual beacon.
If even they gave their approval, the promotion of this so-called "cure" would proceed without obstacles.
What gave Chen Xiao a headache was that he did not want this to happen so soon. He would rather that dose of "cure" emerge later.
The longer it was delayed, the more likely the fiercest conflict between mutants and ordinary people would erupt later, giving him the opportunity to quietly build his strength and grow steadily.
In the professor's office, the warmth of a reunion after a long separation instantly chilled the moment Hank uttered the words "Mutants Cure."
Burly and dressed in an immaculate suit, yet covered in deep-blue fur and skin, Hank said gravely, "A pharmaceutical company has developed an antibody that can specifically suppress mutant gene expression."
"They claim its effects are lasting and stable, and have named it the 'Mutants Cure.'"
The moment he finished, everyone's expression changed sharply. Professor X's expression also grew grave. They all understood that the storm had truly arrived.
Storm's gaze sharpened, her voice cold as frost. "A cure? How ironic. Since when were we sick?"
Having suffered discrimination and oppression for being a mutant since childhood, she had always remained wary of and distant from ordinary society;
She had always treasured her identity as a mutant and her fellow mutants, refusing to yield an inch.
So when she heard that those people regarded them as patients in urgent need of "correction," she immediately tensed, her voice trembling and her eyes blazing.
But there was nothing to be done. Professor X knew perfectly well that Hank had come on the American president's orders, not to discuss, but to inform. Even if they all opposed it, the drug would still go on sale as scheduled.
The atmosphere in the meeting room finally grew utterly strained. No one said another word, and even the door slammed especially loudly as they left.
Within a few days, the news spread like wildfire throughout the Xavier Institute. Corridors, the cafeteria, classrooms-people were discussing it everywhere.
For every mutant, this drug was no small matter.
Some students had been shunned and isolated for years because of their abilities, and did not even dare show their true appearance. Upon hearing that a drug could let them "return to normal," a long-absent look of relief immediately appeared on their faces.
Others clenched their fists. They had long regarded their abilities as something as natural as breathing, and had suffered cold looks and mistreatment when they were powerless. Now, hearing that they might be forcibly medicated, their first reaction was a chill down their spines: without this support, could they still stand firm?
Beside the playing field, Clarice frowned and spoke very quietly. "Vitas, that drug... can it really erase mutant abilities?"
Chen Xiao reclined on a bench, sunbathing with his eyes closed and his arms loosely folded across his chest. He answered lazily, "Most likely. As for whether its effects can be reversed? Hard to say. Anyway, I don't believe a single word of it."
The dark-haired girl unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes between her fingers. "Then... would you use it?"
"What would I use it for?" He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and direct. "Don't you like your abilities?"
She paused and lowered her eyes. "My abilities aren't all that strong... but I really like them. It's just... liking them doesn't make other people say, 'You're just like us.'"
Seeing her expression dim, Chen Xiao sat a little straighter and asked, "Clarice, have I ever looked down on you?"
"No." She shook her head.
"What about our classmates?"
She shook her head again.
Chen Xiao smiled. "Then that's enough. If the people around you don't treat you as an outsider, why insist on pleasing people who don't even know you or care about you?"
"Besides, even if you really drank that drug and became an ordinary person again, you'd already be different deep down. After all, you once possessed power."
"People are born with selfish desires and greed. That includes me."
"That's why we fight for power, scramble for money, and likewise cling to extraordinary abilities with everything we've got."
"Once these formerly powerful mutants are forcibly stripped of their means of protecting themselves, odds are they'll become living specimens in laboratories."
"I don't need to spell out how that ends, do I?"
The color instantly drained from Clarice's face.
In truth, the mutant gene had a negligible influence on Chen Xiao.
His true confidence had always come from sunlight alone. The more he basked in it, the stronger he became.
But he never staked his fate on other people's words. Only what he held in his own hands counted.
While the drug controversy unsettled everyone at the Xavier Institute, the announcement of the cure instantly sent the entire world into an uproar.
In particular, mutants who took pride in their abilities and relied on their strength to make their way in the world felt as though a block of ice weighed on their hearts: this meant the American government now held a blade that could strip away the very foundation of their existence at any moment.
Not all mutants loathed their identities and gifts. On the contrary, many held their heads high precisely because they were different. The conveniences their extraordinary abilities brought had long become part of everyday life, giving them grounds for pride.
Hank had barely left the school before mutants across America quietly began to stir.
A hidden yet powerful force drew one long-dormant, formidable mutant after another toward Duwa City.
Duwa City was next to Miami, neither large nor small, and utterly unremarkable among the surrounding cities.
The only thing often mentioned about it was its persistently abysmal public security. Local gangs abounded, yet churches kept going up one after another.
Late at night, Mox Cathedral was brightly lit.
Tonight's visitors were not worshippers, but mutants wearing all manner of expressions. A sign hung at the entrance reading, "Community meeting. No unauthorized entry."
"Everyone here knows about the cure. I had someone verify it. The drug really exists."
The tall, thin middle-aged man at the pulpit swept his gaze across the room, his voice deep and forceful. "But they don't understand us at all. We aren't a disease, and we certainly don't need to be 'cured.'"
In the noisy cathedral, he enunciated every word. "We can't keep fighting alone. We need to unite and make our voices heard."
"We must resist and make those in power hear where we draw the line."
"And we must show our fists, so they can see clearly: we are not lambs waiting to be slaughtered."
The crowd below immediately erupted, shouts rising one after another:
"Resist! Let them taste our strength!"
"That's right! Resist!"
"We're not sick!"
"Anyone who dares take my abilities away will have to get past me first!"
The corners of the middle-aged man's mouth lifted slightly, and he was just about to raise his hand to quiet the crowd again,
When several voices suddenly cut in from a corner:
"They never wanted to accept us. They're just afraid we're too strong."
"Exactly. Their end goal is to make us disappear completely."