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*****
A golden portal shimmered into existence at the Kent household.
A few seconds later, three figures stepped out.
Mike glanced around his home, surprise flickering across his face.
He hadn't expected the house to be so perfectly preserved—just as they'd left it.
If those people truly saw his family as a threat, wouldn't they have searched this place?
"Was it them…?"
Mike suddenly thought of his few poker buddies and shook his head with a faint smile.
So, aside from playing cards unreliably, they're actually dependable in everything else.
Muttering inwardly, he turned to Raven and Gwen and said, "There are some things I didn't tell you before."
Both paused, and seeing how serious he looked, a sense of unease rose in their chests.
After a moment of thought, Mike summarized everything that had happened during their absence—about the Kent family, and about mutants.
When Raven heard the story and learned the children from the school were safe, she let out a breath of relief. But remembering the persecuted mutants from that period, a cold glint flashed through her eyes.
"Fugitives?"
Gwen's eyes widened, pointing at herself angrily. "Have they ever seen a wanted fugitive this cute and pretty?!"
Seriously? She was still in elementary school—how had she become one of the world's most dangerous fugitives?
She was speechless.
"Dad, what do we do now?"
As that reality sank in, the joy of coming home quickly faded for Gwen.
Her life was about to change dramatically. She wondered how her little friends were doing now.
But this wasn't the time to reach out—it would only bring trouble to them.
She quietly reminded herself of that.
Mike rubbed her head. "First, we find those three boys and hear about the current situation."
When Mike contacted them, the trio were in the middle of relocating a group of mutants they'd just rescued from harassment and pursuit.
They had saved quite a few in this period and temporarily settled everyone in Wakanda—but that didn't solve the core problem.
Even worse…
As tensions escalated worldwide, voices within Wakanda had begun calling for mutants to be expelled.
Just as they were worrying over what to do next, Mike's call came through.
The golden-speckled portal appeared again. Clark and the others rushed through. Seeing Mike smiling, each of them reacted differently.
Clark exhaled in relief.
Erik was all excitement.
Charles, however, looked rather aggrieved.
Before he could speak, Gwen suddenly cried out: "Ah! Charles, where did your hair go?!"
Charles froze, face twisted in despair, and trudged over to Mike. "Dad, help me, please… I don't want to stay this ugly!"
Ever since that encounter with Rakshasa, his hair hadn't stopped falling out.
He suspected it was because they'd been in contact too long.
Mike sighed and hugged Charles briefly, rubbing his head at the same time.
"This is fate."
Charles was doomed to lose his hair one way or another. That gleaming head reflecting sunlight was always meant to be his final hairstyle.
Charles stiffened. "So there's no cure?"
"No."
Mike shook his head.
He honestly couldn't think of any solution right now—not at all because he thought Charles actually looked better bald.
Charles snapped, "Why me?! Why not Erik? Why not Clark? Why is it always me?!"
"Maybe… because you suit it more?"
Gwen muttered under her breath.
Charles' lips twitched, and he grabbed her cheeks. "Little brat, say that again?"
Fury flared in Gwen's eyes as she shouted, "Yeah, why is it you, brother! Why don't you just use your powers to control everyone and make them all shave their heads bald? Turn the world into a bald universe!"
She paused, then crossed her arms and laughed.
"Ha!"
Hearing her laughter, Charles rubbed her cheeks and grinned. "At least you understand me."
Gwen shuddered and gave him a tearful look. "Then… when that time comes, can you spare me?"
"Nope. Everyone goes bald."
"…."
"You two are enough."
Rubbing his temples, Erik cut in and looked at Mike. "Dad, what do we do now to change the situation?"
"How about having Charles turn the whole world bald first?"
Mike stroked his chin and mused aloud.
"…"
Erik exploded. "Enough! Serious talk now!"
Trying not to laugh, Clark said, "Why don't I explain the current situation?"
Mike nodded. Clark would give the most objective summary.
The four of them sat down, with Raven and Gwen taking seats beside them.
After a pause, Clark began slowly.
Things were terrible for mutants now.
Before Mike left, relations between humans and mutants had been at the best point in history. Now, they were at the worst.
And all because of a single piece of news. One claim, not even verified in full, layered with false charges and driven by forces behind the scenes—was enough to shatter years of gradually built trust and understanding in an instant.
Trust really was fragile.
Mike thought as much, then looked at Charles and Erik. "What are you planning?"
"We've discussed it. We want to find a place to settle everyone," Charles said quietly, disappointment heavy in his voice. "We were too naive before."
To remove prejudice, to build mutual understanding, to let mutants live openly under the sun just like everyone else—that goal had been too high.
They had done their best. They didn't regret it. They just felt it was a pity.
The world could've been better.
"Settle them… how?" Mike raised an eyebrow and pressed further.
"Establish a nation," Erik answered without hesitation.
"But there's no land available for us right now. So we have two options."
"First, we try to create land ourselves for a new country. Second, we negotiate for a territory rented or ceded by another nation."
He looked at Mike, a little unsure. "Dad, which do you think is better?"
"Neither," Mike frowned.
Charles and Erik exchanged glances, seeing helplessness and anxiety mirrored in each other's eyes.
So their father wouldn't support them this time?
"Your vision is too small."
Mike spoke lazily, sipping his tea. As the two stared at him in confusion, he added casually, "I have a piece of land you can use."
"How big could that be?"
Charles muttered, then froze, suddenly shocked. "Wait… can it hold all mutants?"
Mike nodded calmly.
Charles and Erik swallowed in disbelief.
"Dad, when I say all mutants, I don't mean just those from the X-school—I mean every mutant on Earth."
"I know," Mike replied with perfect composure. He even gave Charles and Erik a faint, relaxed glance. "Easy."
Their shock turned into elation.
Clark blinked. "How do we have such a large piece of land?"
"I got it not long ago," Mike said, then called to Gwen. "Come, tell these three idiots what gift I brought them on this trip."
"Ahem!" Gwen cleared her throat. "Listen up, you three dum–"
"Hmm?"
Three threatening stares instantly pinned her.
Gwen shrank back.
Am I not your favorite little sister?!
She quickly glanced at Mike. Seeing his gentle expression gave her a surge of courage, and she blurted out quickly:
"I'm telling you three dummies—Dad got a planet this time! The kind people can live on!"
"A planet?"
"Are you joking?!"
"Gwen, are you messing with us?"
The three of them chuckled reflexively, but when they saw the serious faces of Mike, Raven, and Gwen, they stopped mid-smile, jaws dropping.
No way… was it real?
They turned to Mike with stunned, questioning eyes.
Mike confirmed with certainty. "That's right. A planet. Smaller than the moon, but absolutely fine for mutant survival."
"—"
They were speechless, completely stunned.
After several silent seconds, Charles and Erik spoke in gratitude, voices thick with emotion. "Dad… thank you."
"You fools."
Mike chuckled and tapped both of them.
"Where is this planet?" Charles asked, unable to hold back.
Mike jerked his chin upward. "It's a special one. I'm planning to make it Earth's second moon. I can shift it into orbit whenever needed."
Planetary jump?!
The three were shocked yet again.
"I've got a question."
Clark rubbed his chin in confusion. "How are we supposed to move everyone there? We're not talking ten thousand or a hundred thousand—this is millions, maybe tens of millions."
There wasn't a precise count of mutants, but based on what Charles had sensed using Cerebro, there were at least several million.
"The portal can handle it."
Mike tapped his forehead and said to Charles, "Use Cerebro to contact all mutants. Inform them, set gathering points in each region. Once those who want to leave are assembled, we portal them over."
"That works," Charles said after a pause. "But we'll need some time to repair Cerebro."
The X-school had been bombed before. The machine was surely damaged, perhaps destroyed entirely, but with Erik around, repairs wouldn't take long.
"Go," Mike told them with a smile. Then he added, "Oh, right—Erik prepared a stage for me, didn't he?"
Erik scratched his head awkwardly. "I—I acted on impulse…"
"I like it," Mike said with a grin. "Once Cerebro is fixed, we'll handle the reckoning and the migration together."
(End of Chapter)