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Chapter 477: The Choice
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
The atmosphere of the conversation suddenly fell into a dead silence. Both Professor X and Old Man Magneto were stunned by Tony's insane words.
Take away the Mutants who are willing to leave, and eliminate the rest?
What a demented idea!
Magneto's face twisted with rage. He shot to his feet, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Tony. "You've gone mad! That's nearly ten million fellow Mutants!"
Professor X struggled to remain calm. "We need an explanation, my boy. Why would you do this to your own kind?"
"I have my reasons for doing this. Right now it's ten million. In a few more years, it will be even more. The Mutant population is growing at an accelerating rate—but there isn't much time left, because the Celestials are coming soon."
Tony said lightly.
The fourth arrival of the Celestials on Earth was imminent. According to the judgment criteria of that bunch of Celestials, the current Earth would definitely not pass.
The first arrival, a million years ago, saw Earth's species augmented.
The second arrival, twenty thousand years ago, the Deviant race, having just won a pyrrhic victory against the Eternals, was wiped out.
The third arrival, a thousand years ago, the Celestials thrashed the World Tree Pantheon and left, pleased.
In the original Marvel history, the Celestials' fourth arrival judged Earth as having passed. But this current Earth... it's a chaotic mix of everything.
Inhumans, Mutants, ordinary people, Kryptonians, Martians... And that's before considering that Earthlings took down the Dark Dimension, killed Mephisto, pacified the borders of Hell, and annihilated Atlantis...
With so many feats, it would be a miracle if they passed the review. These audacious achievements could easily cause the Celestials to misjudge the values of Earthlings; that was how the Deviants were wiped out back then.
In the Celestials' complex review process, the most important criterion is "to judge whether the species will pose a threat to the universe." Strength, potential, and values are the three crucial standards, all of which have a degree of variability.
With the emergence of a Quasi-Unique God like Tony, who has accomplished so many great things, combined with the audacious style of Earthlings, the Celestials will most likely rule for extinction.
Think about it carefully, what did the Deviants do back then? Didn't they just fight a bloody war with the Eternals and then drive them out? In the end, they were judged as a defective product and their race was wiped out.
But if Tony eliminates all the Mutants, things would be different.
When the Celestials review Earth, to put it bluntly, they are reviewing the Mutants who have awakened the Deviant gene, because the Mutants are their experimental product.
If Mutants were to vanish from Earth, Earth would naturally be safe. The Celestials wouldn't bother wasting their time reviewing ordinary humans and aliens.
Well, if nothing unexpected happens, they will come directly for Tony, for Cybertron. If they pass, everyone is happy. If they fail, it will be a bloodbath.
Either Cybertron will fall, or the Celestials will be exterminated.
"To put it simply, there is a group of ancient gods in the universe who augmented Earth's primates millions of years ago..." Tony collected his thoughts and slowly recounted the history of the Mutants' birth.
It was a racial history of epic proportions, and even in simple language, one could feel the arduous struggle over a million years.
Hearing that the Deviants had been wiped out, in particular, caused Professor X and Magneto to frown deeply.
"The Deviants..." Professor X couldn't help but rub his forehead. The amount of information was overwhelming; he had never imagined that this was how humanity came to be.
Especially the fact that the Mutant population actually had a genetic link to the Deviants.
Neither of them asked how Tony knew this history, because there was no point. Tony had once wielded the Time Stone; it would have been easy for him to glimpse a corner of history.
"If the Mutant population continues to stay on Earth, then they'll be gambling with their lives—gambling that the Celestials will judge the Mutants as having passed, and gambling that if they fail, the Earthlings can still defeat them."
Tony inhaled the aroma of the tea and said calmly, "If you come with me, the Mutants will be protected, and we will face the Celestials together. Meanwhile, Earth will be much safer without any Mutants on it."
"Most importantly, if genetic drugs aren't used, Mutants will continue to appear endlessly in the future, and they will continue to suffer oppression. You two have worked for the better part of your lives and still haven't managed to make Mutants and ordinary humans coexist peacefully. What makes you think the future will be any different?"
Tony sneered.
There are only two endings for Mutants. Either they are all killed by the Sentinels, or, like in 'Old Man Logan', the human government mixes genetic drugs into the food supply, preventing the birth of new Mutants for twenty years.
As for using special drugs to turn all of Earth's people into Mutants, that's impossible. Doing so would only cause the vast majority of ordinary humans to die on the spot.
The power that erupts during the X-Gene's awakening is immense; those who cannot withstand it will die. In a way, aren't those recessive X-Genes protecting their hosts? A sudden awakening would most likely kill the host.
The two of them sat for a while longer, then left in silence.
Tony didn't say another word, merely watching them leave in silence. The sunlight shone down, casting long shadows as they opened the door, making their departing figures look incredibly old.
"It's all up to your choice now..." Tony murmured to himself, alone.
He had done his part by telling them the truth and the unpredictable crisis. He was determined to travel to the cosmos, and he would definitely take some Mutants with him. As for those who remained on Earth...
If the two of them were dead set against it, he would just wash his hands of the matter.
He only did what he had to do. Doing more, even out of good intentions, could lead to terrible consequences.
"The future for Earth's Mutants doesn't look good. After I leave, the conflict between ordinary humans and Mutants will go on forever." Tony pondered this for a moment, then pushed the thought aside.
...
The two men left Tony's estate in silence. The people waiting anxiously outside swarmed them, chattering as they questioned Professor X. They didn't dare to approach Magneto, so they could only surround Professor X.
"How did it go? What's happening?"
"Is it the end of the world?"
The people asked anxiously.
Professor X revealed his signature benevolent smile and nodded to the crowd. "Tony has promised to resolve the crisis. He will defeat the powerful enemy."
Boom!
With a cold expression, Magneto waved his hand, and everyone was sent flying backward.
In the distance, some special forces units stirred, but made no further moves.
"It's time to make a decision, Charles." Magneto's face was ashen as he looked at his enemy and old friend. "I think Tony is right. Rather than waste time on Earth, we should just leave, build our own planet where there will be no more oppression."
Professor X looked around in a daze, at the smooth road, the trees swaying in the wind, the faces in the crowd...
This decision wasn't just about emigration; it was also about whether to permanently eliminate the remaining Mutants.
"Everyone... has the right to choose to survive..." After a long moment, Professor X finally made up his mind and said slowly, "We have no right to decide the will of others. It's better to let our fellow Mutants choose for themselves."
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
The atmosphere of the conversation suddenly fell into a dead silence. Both Professor X and Old Man Magneto were stunned by Tony's insane words.
Take away the Mutants who are willing to leave, and eliminate the rest?
What a demented idea!
Magneto's face twisted with rage. He shot to his feet, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Tony. "You've gone mad! That's nearly ten million fellow Mutants!"
Professor X struggled to remain calm. "We need an explanation, my boy. Why would you do this to your own kind?"
"I have my reasons for doing this. Right now it's ten million. In a few more years, it will be even more. The Mutant population is growing at an accelerating rate—but there isn't much time left, because the Celestials are coming soon."
Tony said lightly.
The fourth arrival of the Celestials on Earth was imminent. According to the judgment criteria of that bunch of Celestials, the current Earth would definitely not pass.
The first arrival, a million years ago, saw Earth's species augmented.
The second arrival, twenty thousand years ago, the Deviant race, having just won a pyrrhic victory against the Eternals, was wiped out.
The third arrival, a thousand years ago, the Celestials thrashed the World Tree Pantheon and left, pleased.
In the original Marvel history, the Celestials' fourth arrival judged Earth as having passed. But this current Earth... it's a chaotic mix of everything.
Inhumans, Mutants, ordinary people, Kryptonians, Martians... And that's before considering that Earthlings took down the Dark Dimension, killed Mephisto, pacified the borders of Hell, and annihilated Atlantis...
With so many feats, it would be a miracle if they passed the review. These audacious achievements could easily cause the Celestials to misjudge the values of Earthlings; that was how the Deviants were wiped out back then.
In the Celestials' complex review process, the most important criterion is "to judge whether the species will pose a threat to the universe." Strength, potential, and values are the three crucial standards, all of which have a degree of variability.
With the emergence of a Quasi-Unique God like Tony, who has accomplished so many great things, combined with the audacious style of Earthlings, the Celestials will most likely rule for extinction.
Think about it carefully, what did the Deviants do back then? Didn't they just fight a bloody war with the Eternals and then drive them out? In the end, they were judged as a defective product and their race was wiped out.
But if Tony eliminates all the Mutants, things would be different.
When the Celestials review Earth, to put it bluntly, they are reviewing the Mutants who have awakened the Deviant gene, because the Mutants are their experimental product.
If Mutants were to vanish from Earth, Earth would naturally be safe. The Celestials wouldn't bother wasting their time reviewing ordinary humans and aliens.
Well, if nothing unexpected happens, they will come directly for Tony, for Cybertron. If they pass, everyone is happy. If they fail, it will be a bloodbath.
Either Cybertron will fall, or the Celestials will be exterminated.
"To put it simply, there is a group of ancient gods in the universe who augmented Earth's primates millions of years ago..." Tony collected his thoughts and slowly recounted the history of the Mutants' birth.
It was a racial history of epic proportions, and even in simple language, one could feel the arduous struggle over a million years.
Hearing that the Deviants had been wiped out, in particular, caused Professor X and Magneto to frown deeply.
"The Deviants..." Professor X couldn't help but rub his forehead. The amount of information was overwhelming; he had never imagined that this was how humanity came to be.
Especially the fact that the Mutant population actually had a genetic link to the Deviants.
Neither of them asked how Tony knew this history, because there was no point. Tony had once wielded the Time Stone; it would have been easy for him to glimpse a corner of history.
"If the Mutant population continues to stay on Earth, then they'll be gambling with their lives—gambling that the Celestials will judge the Mutants as having passed, and gambling that if they fail, the Earthlings can still defeat them."
Tony inhaled the aroma of the tea and said calmly, "If you come with me, the Mutants will be protected, and we will face the Celestials together. Meanwhile, Earth will be much safer without any Mutants on it."
"Most importantly, if genetic drugs aren't used, Mutants will continue to appear endlessly in the future, and they will continue to suffer oppression. You two have worked for the better part of your lives and still haven't managed to make Mutants and ordinary humans coexist peacefully. What makes you think the future will be any different?"
Tony sneered.
There are only two endings for Mutants. Either they are all killed by the Sentinels, or, like in 'Old Man Logan', the human government mixes genetic drugs into the food supply, preventing the birth of new Mutants for twenty years.
As for using special drugs to turn all of Earth's people into Mutants, that's impossible. Doing so would only cause the vast majority of ordinary humans to die on the spot.
The power that erupts during the X-Gene's awakening is immense; those who cannot withstand it will die. In a way, aren't those recessive X-Genes protecting their hosts? A sudden awakening would most likely kill the host.
The two of them sat for a while longer, then left in silence.
Tony didn't say another word, merely watching them leave in silence. The sunlight shone down, casting long shadows as they opened the door, making their departing figures look incredibly old.
"It's all up to your choice now..." Tony murmured to himself, alone.
He had done his part by telling them the truth and the unpredictable crisis. He was determined to travel to the cosmos, and he would definitely take some Mutants with him. As for those who remained on Earth...
If the two of them were dead set against it, he would just wash his hands of the matter.
He only did what he had to do. Doing more, even out of good intentions, could lead to terrible consequences.
"The future for Earth's Mutants doesn't look good. After I leave, the conflict between ordinary humans and Mutants will go on forever." Tony pondered this for a moment, then pushed the thought aside.
...
The two men left Tony's estate in silence. The people waiting anxiously outside swarmed them, chattering as they questioned Professor X. They didn't dare to approach Magneto, so they could only surround Professor X.
"How did it go? What's happening?"
"Is it the end of the world?"
The people asked anxiously.
Professor X revealed his signature benevolent smile and nodded to the crowd. "Tony has promised to resolve the crisis. He will defeat the powerful enemy."
Boom!
With a cold expression, Magneto waved his hand, and everyone was sent flying backward.
In the distance, some special forces units stirred, but made no further moves.
"It's time to make a decision, Charles." Magneto's face was ashen as he looked at his enemy and old friend. "I think Tony is right. Rather than waste time on Earth, we should just leave, build our own planet where there will be no more oppression."
Professor X looked around in a daze, at the smooth road, the trees swaying in the wind, the faces in the crowd...
This decision wasn't just about emigration; it was also about whether to permanently eliminate the remaining Mutants.
"Everyone... has the right to choose to survive..." After a long moment, Professor X finally made up his mind and said slowly, "We have no right to decide the will of others. It's better to let our fellow Mutants choose for themselves."
(end of chapter)
