Chapter 16: The Letter
October 19, 2022 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Tony drove his car, dusty and tired from the journey, from the suburbs into New York City. New York remained as prosperous as ever, with skyscrapers densely packed, like stars scattered across the sky. On the streets, pedestrians hurried by, busy with their own affairs.
This was the norm for New York City. To live in this international metropolis, a fast-paced lifestyle was essential. Even if the sky fell, it wouldn't disrupt New Yorkers' fixed daily routines.
Protest marches were often seen in New York City, or people giving speeches with megaphones by the roadside; this too was the norm.
This "norm" was slightly disrupted today.
Ahead, a large crowd had gathered, with citizens eagerly watching.
A scrawny, emaciated Slim stood on a stage, looking as if a gust of wind could knock him over. Anyone would believe that a single punch could take this Slim down.
Slim was giving a speech, claiming to be the strongest mercenary in the world, with an illustrious record.
"You know that Tony? The Mutant who's been quite popular recently? He's my defeated foe!" Slim declared shamelessly and boldly, his tone firm, as if completely confident.
People scoffed, pointing fingers. Tony, who was initially surprised that this guy was still alive, heard these words and his face instantly darkened.
"You don't believe me? Just recently, that Mutant was beaten so badly he ran away with his head in his hands, do you know that? I did it!" Slim mimed bouncing a ball, speaking with conviction, "I only used one hand, and he collapsed instantly, unable to withstand a single blow."
Slim spoke quickly, coughing twice, making people worry he might cough out a lung and suddenly die on the streets of New York.
Tony's expression turned sour. He secretly blended into the crowd, seized an opportunity, pinched his nose, and shouted, "Then where is that Mutant? Did you defeat him?"
Slim's scrawny body gave a mighty shudder, and he perked up, "He ran away! I punched him, and he fled, not daring to show his face again. I will protect the citizens of New York!"
Slim proclaimed he would be responsible for the safety of New York's citizens.
"Hire me now, get 20% off!" Slim shouted.
A scornful laugh rippled through the crowd. With that scrawny physique, easily knocked down with a single punch, who would ever need protection from such a person?
"Hey kid, do you want to hire me?" Slim saw a child of a few years old walking by and quickly ran over.
The child turned and walked away.
Tony saw two police officers watching the spectacle nearby, so he walked over and asked them, "Is what this guy is doing legal?"
"At least it's not illegal," one officer shrugged, amused by the show.
The other officer told Tony that Slim's speech had received permission from their department. For protest marches, protests, and such in New York City, a special department would issue permits to ensure these people weren't disturbed by patrolling police.
"Does anyone want to hire me? Get 30% off! 40% off is fine too!" Slim, seeing no one was paying attention, voluntarily lowered his price, then sighed softly, thinking that citizens nowadays were getting harder to fool.
Some people in the crowd who had fought alongside Slim almost covered their faces and walked away, too ashamed to be seen, fearing Slim would recognize them – it was just too embarrassing.
Slim began a new round of self-promotion, every sentence boasting about his glorious past of defeating Tony, making Tony want to punch him to death.
The audience jeered and mocked the "top mercenary" who couldn't even get hired.
Slim, anxious, pushed through the crowd, frantically trying to explain his bravery, which gave Tony a chance to approach him.
Tony weaved left and right, quietly getting close to Slim, and coldly pulled out the Vibranium block from his pocket.
Finding the right moment, when Slim wasn't paying attention, Tony brought the Vibranium brick down hard on his head!
*Whack!*
Slim's eyes widened, he foamed at the mouth, and collapsed in despair.
People cheered, and the two police officers, having enjoyed the show enough, happily came up to clear the venue and dragged Slim away.
Many citizens continued to whisper among themselves as they walked, offering their opinions, and Tony listened.
"Are all mercenaries like this nowadays? It's terrifying," one citizen lamented.
"Mercenaries nowadays aren't up to much; after all, the world is becoming more dangerous. Did you know the Italian mafia and the Chinatown gangs fought recently?"
"I heard about it."
"They both hired the same guy, and as a result, that guy tied up both bosses, claiming he'd help whoever paid more eliminate the other boss."
"Wow, society is really dangerous..."
That citizen spoke at length; apparently, the two bosses bid against each other on the spot, emptying their family fortunes, resulting in an extremely brutal struggle. In the end, the Chinatown boss won, using a trump card to ultimately bid a few hundred dollars more, saving his life.
Someone asked what the trump card was.
"The Chinatown boss pried out his gold tooth, and the Italian boss didn't have one," the citizen explained.
Tony listened with interest. Hearing such everyday opinions made Tony feel like he was still the same ordinary person he used to be, diligently working to deliver goods when busy, and chatting idly when not. Though he had no great achievements to boast of, he valued the peace and tranquility.
But Tony had stepped into a new circle; he could never go back, nor was it possible to.
This was an Era of Great Strife. Having emerged from the mortal realm, there was no chance of returning.
If you don't strive, you will surely die!
Driving along, casually dealing with a routine police check on the street, Tony finally returned to his house, a small house located in New York.
He no longer had a home. It used to be a home, but now it was just a house—at least, Tony felt it was just a house.
With only himself left, what home was there?
Opening the door and stepping inside, Tony looked at everything in the house, familiar yet strange, but still small and tidy, everything as it used to be, exactly as in his memories, as if nothing had ever happened.
Tony sighed deeply, wanting to say something to himself, but gave up, slumping onto the sofa.
On the table, there was a letter, with "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters" marked in the corner as the sender.
Tony opened and read it. The letter was from Professor X, inviting Tony, on behalf of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, to enroll, hoping Tony could continue his studies instead of taking a leave of absence to earn money, as he had before.
At the end of the letter, Professor X wrote: "I very much hope to meet with my kin; we can have a good talk."
Tony sighed, re-sealed the letter, and carefully placed it into a box. This was the X-Men extending an invitation, hoping he wouldn't side with Magneto.
To put it more bluntly, Professor X was hinting that even if he didn't come to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, he shouldn't join the Brotherhood of Mutants either.
Professor X's caution was justified; he and Professor X were not on the same path.
Tony had no desire to join either side. Whether it was Professor X or Old Man Magneto, he was powerless to resist. If he absolutely had to choose one, he would rather choose Old Man Magneto.
The reason was simple: if Professor X, out of curiosity, were to read the memories in his brain, what would be the consequences? Would he suffer a mental breakdown and die, as in the original story?
(end of chapter)