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Chapter 474 For the Superior Mutants
Tony's Manor was also extremely dangerous, filled with malice for any uninvited guests.
Max, Betty, Illyana, Pietro, John, Blade, Johnny, Raven, and even a reluctant Shuri…
The pets included Krypto, the Kryptonian dog, and Cosmo, the space dog.
There were also the high-ranking members of the Transformers.
Combined with ubiquitous killing machines and automated systems, and the perilous underground laboratory, the beautiful Tony's Manor had been turned into a veritable hell.
For those on the inside, there were only vast lawns, woods, flowers, small villas, and fine food. Although not everyone lived here permanently—many were often away, like Illyana, who frequently returned to the borders of Hell to study magic, or Pietro, who would dash around the world whenever he had free time.
Even Johnny Blaze, due to the Spirit of Vengeance that could erupt at any moment, spent most of his time away from the manor, but that didn't stop him from returning for reunions on major holidays.
After all, everyone here was more than capable; they could suppress his Spirit of Vengeance in an instant.
Whenever they returned, there was no need to even announce their arrival. It was always open to them, and each had a small villa of their own.
Parties, drinks, delicious food, laughter, sharing… here, for Tony's family, was heaven.
But for uninvited guests, this place was hell, filled with murderous intent. Moreover, no one in Tony's circle was simple; they were either overwhelmingly powerful or astonishingly intelligent.
Outside, the specially made gates opened immediately, and someone guided Professor X and Old Man Magneto inside.
Magneto cautiously observed everything around him. Within his perception, there were numerous powerful magnetic fields, some so intense they gave him a sense of danger.
This made him even more cautious.
Professor X, on the other hand, had fewer concerns. He leisurely steered his wheelchair, calmly admiring the surrounding scenery.
The manor, sculpted by master gardeners, was enough to leave anyone stunned and full of praise.
"Don't be so tense, Erik. No one here will attack you, including me." A smile hung on Professor X's lips, a stark contrast to Old Man Magneto's taut expression.
Magneto snorted coldly. "Charles, I trust my judgment of people more than yours. Tony is far more dangerous than anyone we've ever met…"
"Even if he means us no harm? After all, he's one of our people," Professor X said, giving him a strange look.
Magneto paused and said no more, though the expression on his face relaxed slightly.
He was a man who had dedicated his life to his race. He had originally held high hopes for Tony, but unfortunately, Tony had no intention of taking up his mantle. Not only that, but he was even thinking of leaving Earth.
What a pity.
Old Man Magneto had lamented more than once: how could such a domineering, witty, shameless man who could still maintain a noble facade refuse to dedicate himself to the cause of the Mutants?
Selfish, despicable!
Magneto's poor opinion of Tony stemmed from the time near the Statue of Liberty when he was ambushed and outmaneuvered by Tony, then beaten senseless by Diana in front of the entire world, utterly losing face.
As a result, he was then forced to participate in the war against Dormammu, playing the part of an Earth hero.
It was infuriating. His original plan had been to deal with all the human leaders at the global summit, turning them all into mutants in one fell swoop. *You discriminate against me? Now you are one of me. Let's see you try to discriminate now!*
But in the blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself naturally joining the war, fighting with fiery passion, and feeling completely justified…
To this day, he still hadn't figured out why he had done it back then.
One thing was certain: he had been thoroughly played. Both Diana and his old friend Charles had become pretexts and leverage to restrain him and force him into the war.
It was such a setup.
Furthermore, his own daughter and son had made their home in this very manor, directly costing him two powerful subordinates. And to think, his eldest daughter Wanda had become that bastard's woman… How outrageous.
Magneto was thoroughly disgusted. His favorable impression of Tony had plummeted, replaced by animosity and vigilance.
"Charles, let me remind you again, he is very good at manipulating people's hearts. That's what he excels at… I see right through him. He can always drag you into doing troublesome things, yet somehow make you feel grateful. Look at you now, maintaining a basic trust in him. You've already been played by him."
Old Man Magneto spoke, his mood foul.
Professor X maintained his smile. "Does it matter if he's playing us or not? As long as he remains benevolent toward mutants, that's enough. We will need him in the future, Erik. You and I will eventually die. In the future, the mutant race will still need his help and support."
"You think he cares about his own kind? He only cares about those metal behemoths. He threw the plight of mutants to the back of his mind long ago!"
"That's because the situation for mutants has improved so much." Professor X stopped abruptly and spoke seriously to Magneto. "Tony has repeatedly showcased superpowers in public, repeatedly publicized his heroic deeds against aliens, and even went so far as to reveal a hidden sacred land like Kamar-Taj to the public… Why do you think he did that? Just because he wanted to show off?"
Magneto opened his mouth, then closed it in resignation.
Yes, deep down, Magneto knew that Tony wasn't the type to seek the spotlight. He always thought things through. Pragmatism and utilitarianism were what this young man valued.
Tony's blatant displays of power, his exposure of the universe's dangers and darkness, and even his public execution of a high-ranking official just to issue a warning…
Everything was part of the young man's calculations. He was using direct methods to force the mortal world to accept superpowered individuals.
And that, of course, included mutants.
Humans are creatures that inevitably become exceedingly rational in their reflections after every great catastrophe.
This trend was gradually fermenting, and there were even a few outliers among ordinary people who had begun to worship the superpowers of mutants.
It was foreseeable that as long as Tony continued to preside over Earth, the situation for mutants would improve drastically. At the very least, they would not be so easily subjected to public discrimination and insults.
But the problem was… Tony was leaving!
Just as he's set up this excellent situation, that bastard is about to leave Earth to build his own planet!
This was the root of Magneto's immense resentment toward Tony.
Why couldn't he just do things directly for his own kind? Like taking direct leadership?
Professor X gave his comrade and enemy a deep look and gently shook his head.
Erik, it seemed, still hadn't broken free from certain limitations. That young man had probably made his preparations long ago. Every step he took was in preparation for their visit today.
Even without the pressure from Ancient Doomsday, even if the two of them hadn't taken the initiative to come, Tony would have certainly sought them out for a showdown.
To take away the most outstanding group of mutants from Earth, to follow him in building a planet and conquering the stars.
The two followed the guiding warrior deeper into the manor. From beginning to end, the warrior never looked back, pretending not to have heard their conversation.
"I've studied his style of doing things, Erik. Something is definitely going to happen in a moment. Be prepared," Professor X said with a faint smile.
Magneto frowned at him, somewhat puzzled, but said nothing more.
(end of chapter)
Tony's Manor was also extremely dangerous, filled with malice for any uninvited guests.
Max, Betty, Illyana, Pietro, John, Blade, Johnny, Raven, and even a reluctant Shuri…
The pets included Krypto, the Kryptonian dog, and Cosmo, the space dog.
There were also the high-ranking members of the Transformers.
Combined with ubiquitous killing machines and automated systems, and the perilous underground laboratory, the beautiful Tony's Manor had been turned into a veritable hell.
For those on the inside, there were only vast lawns, woods, flowers, small villas, and fine food. Although not everyone lived here permanently—many were often away, like Illyana, who frequently returned to the borders of Hell to study magic, or Pietro, who would dash around the world whenever he had free time.
Even Johnny Blaze, due to the Spirit of Vengeance that could erupt at any moment, spent most of his time away from the manor, but that didn't stop him from returning for reunions on major holidays.
After all, everyone here was more than capable; they could suppress his Spirit of Vengeance in an instant.
Whenever they returned, there was no need to even announce their arrival. It was always open to them, and each had a small villa of their own.
Parties, drinks, delicious food, laughter, sharing… here, for Tony's family, was heaven.
But for uninvited guests, this place was hell, filled with murderous intent. Moreover, no one in Tony's circle was simple; they were either overwhelmingly powerful or astonishingly intelligent.
Outside, the specially made gates opened immediately, and someone guided Professor X and Old Man Magneto inside.
Magneto cautiously observed everything around him. Within his perception, there were numerous powerful magnetic fields, some so intense they gave him a sense of danger.
This made him even more cautious.
Professor X, on the other hand, had fewer concerns. He leisurely steered his wheelchair, calmly admiring the surrounding scenery.
The manor, sculpted by master gardeners, was enough to leave anyone stunned and full of praise.
"Don't be so tense, Erik. No one here will attack you, including me." A smile hung on Professor X's lips, a stark contrast to Old Man Magneto's taut expression.
Magneto snorted coldly. "Charles, I trust my judgment of people more than yours. Tony is far more dangerous than anyone we've ever met…"
"Even if he means us no harm? After all, he's one of our people," Professor X said, giving him a strange look.
Magneto paused and said no more, though the expression on his face relaxed slightly.
He was a man who had dedicated his life to his race. He had originally held high hopes for Tony, but unfortunately, Tony had no intention of taking up his mantle. Not only that, but he was even thinking of leaving Earth.
What a pity.
Old Man Magneto had lamented more than once: how could such a domineering, witty, shameless man who could still maintain a noble facade refuse to dedicate himself to the cause of the Mutants?
Selfish, despicable!
Magneto's poor opinion of Tony stemmed from the time near the Statue of Liberty when he was ambushed and outmaneuvered by Tony, then beaten senseless by Diana in front of the entire world, utterly losing face.
As a result, he was then forced to participate in the war against Dormammu, playing the part of an Earth hero.
It was infuriating. His original plan had been to deal with all the human leaders at the global summit, turning them all into mutants in one fell swoop. *You discriminate against me? Now you are one of me. Let's see you try to discriminate now!*
But in the blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself naturally joining the war, fighting with fiery passion, and feeling completely justified…
To this day, he still hadn't figured out why he had done it back then.
One thing was certain: he had been thoroughly played. Both Diana and his old friend Charles had become pretexts and leverage to restrain him and force him into the war.
It was such a setup.
Furthermore, his own daughter and son had made their home in this very manor, directly costing him two powerful subordinates. And to think, his eldest daughter Wanda had become that bastard's woman… How outrageous.
Magneto was thoroughly disgusted. His favorable impression of Tony had plummeted, replaced by animosity and vigilance.
"Charles, let me remind you again, he is very good at manipulating people's hearts. That's what he excels at… I see right through him. He can always drag you into doing troublesome things, yet somehow make you feel grateful. Look at you now, maintaining a basic trust in him. You've already been played by him."
Old Man Magneto spoke, his mood foul.
Professor X maintained his smile. "Does it matter if he's playing us or not? As long as he remains benevolent toward mutants, that's enough. We will need him in the future, Erik. You and I will eventually die. In the future, the mutant race will still need his help and support."
"You think he cares about his own kind? He only cares about those metal behemoths. He threw the plight of mutants to the back of his mind long ago!"
"That's because the situation for mutants has improved so much." Professor X stopped abruptly and spoke seriously to Magneto. "Tony has repeatedly showcased superpowers in public, repeatedly publicized his heroic deeds against aliens, and even went so far as to reveal a hidden sacred land like Kamar-Taj to the public… Why do you think he did that? Just because he wanted to show off?"
Magneto opened his mouth, then closed it in resignation.
Yes, deep down, Magneto knew that Tony wasn't the type to seek the spotlight. He always thought things through. Pragmatism and utilitarianism were what this young man valued.
Tony's blatant displays of power, his exposure of the universe's dangers and darkness, and even his public execution of a high-ranking official just to issue a warning…
Everything was part of the young man's calculations. He was using direct methods to force the mortal world to accept superpowered individuals.
And that, of course, included mutants.
Humans are creatures that inevitably become exceedingly rational in their reflections after every great catastrophe.
This trend was gradually fermenting, and there were even a few outliers among ordinary people who had begun to worship the superpowers of mutants.
It was foreseeable that as long as Tony continued to preside over Earth, the situation for mutants would improve drastically. At the very least, they would not be so easily subjected to public discrimination and insults.
But the problem was… Tony was leaving!
Just as he's set up this excellent situation, that bastard is about to leave Earth to build his own planet!
This was the root of Magneto's immense resentment toward Tony.
Why couldn't he just do things directly for his own kind? Like taking direct leadership?
Professor X gave his comrade and enemy a deep look and gently shook his head.
Erik, it seemed, still hadn't broken free from certain limitations. That young man had probably made his preparations long ago. Every step he took was in preparation for their visit today.
Even without the pressure from Ancient Doomsday, even if the two of them hadn't taken the initiative to come, Tony would have certainly sought them out for a showdown.
To take away the most outstanding group of mutants from Earth, to follow him in building a planet and conquering the stars.
The two followed the guiding warrior deeper into the manor. From beginning to end, the warrior never looked back, pretending not to have heard their conversation.
"I've studied his style of doing things, Erik. Something is definitely going to happen in a moment. Be prepared," Professor X said with a faint smile.
Magneto frowned at him, somewhat puzzled, but said nothing more.
(end of chapter)