Chapter 5752: Chapter 4775: X Royal Family: Rebirth (15)

Steve sat at the bar in the restaurant, taking a drink from Polaris. After sipping it, he smiled and said, "Not bad, lady. You seem to be in a good mood."

"That’s a surprise. I should be the one asking you that question." Polaris wiped her hands with a towel and then said, "I heard your friend is sick. It seems he’s not adapting well to the environment on Clarkia. Is he okay?"

"Thanks to you, he’s fine, just a minor cold. We’ve already found a treatment for it."

"I know what you’re worried about," Polaris said quickly, "Clarkia hasn’t been a country for long and already faces sanctions from many nations. You’re worried we’ll become the next Cuba. But actually, our situation before was much worse than this. So what’s there to worry about now?"

"I forgot about that, you reminded me." Steve took another sip of his drink.

"You don’t seem like the type to come here to drink at a time like this." Polaris shook her head and said, "Seems like you’re still worried about him."

"A bit," Steve admitted, "Tony is a very strong person. When he gets sick, he’s well taken care of, so we rarely see it. It’s the first time I’ve seen him with a high fever, and it’s kind of scary."

Polaris hesitated, then said, "You might not believe it. We mutants do get sick too. Especially when we lose our mutant abilities, I’ve seen it many times. ...Anyway, why am I telling you this?"

"If you want to talk about it, I’m willing to listen. But I imagine those things are past now. Just like you said, Clarkia is a new beginning, better than before."

"That’s true, but my happiness is not entirely because of that." Polaris’s tone brightened, "I switched my schedule with them. I’ll be off for the next two days, actually two and a half. I’m thinking about where to go."

After a pause, she continued to speak: "Do you know there’s a hot spring at the volcanic crater in the north?"

"Oh?" Steve showed some interest.

"The entire Clarkia Island is higher in the north and lower in the south. That’s because there’s a volcano in the north. I’m not sure about the specific nature of the volcano, but there are underground hot springs there. I’ve seen them before. The temperature seems quite high, may need to add some cool water to lower it. But we’ve got Iceman. I’m thinking of talking him into taking two days off, and we’ll go to the hot springs together."

"If I may ask, is he your boyfriend?"

"No," Polaris said, "I know in many universes, I’m entangled with Quicksilver and Iceman, but in this universe, I’m single, haven’t dated anyone, nor have I dated them."

Steve was about to ask why, but Polaris answered him: "The message about the nine lives brought by Moira has been known by the Professor ten years ago, he started preparing back then, and I was very young, always following Magneto around for mutant nation plans, no time for romance. Same for X-Men."

"Also, after hearing about my other selves’ love stories, I think being single isn’t bad. Maybe when the situation is fully stable, I might consider it, but not now."

"I’m thinking of going to the hot springs with everyone." Polaris said while wiping the liquor glass, "Recently, everyone is exhausted, it’s time to relax properly. The new Professor seems approachable, I’m considering whether to talk to him."

"You might misunderstand Charles," Steve said. But he paused and changed his words, "Though not sure, he’s always gentle to mutants. You all are such hardworking, smart kids, he might indeed give you a hot spring leave."

"What do you mean? He’s not gentle to others?"

"Not that easygoing," Steve shook his head, "Believe it or not, he might call me to work shortly..."

Even before his words were finished, Charles’s voice sounded: "Alright, Captain. I know you’re worried about Tony. But while he’s not back at his position, you need to help keep an eye on things. That’s for his own good, isn’t it? Finish your drink and head over to the pier..."

Steve shrugged at Polaris, downed his drink, put the glass back, and walked toward the pier. Polaris quickly stopped him and then said, "So, I can’t directly ask him. Could you probe him on his thoughts about the hot spring? Maybe everyone could go together."

Steve waved to signify not to worry, soon he was on a stone platform near the pier. The project was fully underway, with a larger scale than before, showing the mutant leaders of the central cosmos have greater ambitions.

"Are you planning to build a port for both military and trade use?" Steve asked.

"Yes, but it’s a recent decision," Charles said, "The more they sanction us, the more we need to show a tough stance. We originally thought insufficient resources and manpower made undertaking large projects unwise. Now it seems we were too polite before."

"I also plan to withdraw manpower from the cosmos directly. If asked, it’s because the dock is too large, and we’re short-handed; we must prioritize ourselves. Although the Shi’ar Empire is in shambles, it’s still not without danger. Giving them a chance to regroup poses a threat to Earth."

Steve looked at Charles. He knew their universe’s Professor had the power and means to handle Earth’s political struggles with ease.

The armies of the Shi’ar Empire might not be a real threat, but that’s only for the mutants. Magneto or Apocalypse could easily break in and decimate them all. However, the dwindling forces of The Avengers might not be so lucky, and ordinary humans certainly stand no chance.

At this moment, if the mutants choose to hold back, it could become a major issue. Any perceptive person could see this is because the Earth Government has announced sanctions. Regardless of whether they withdraw these sanctions, they will inevitably apply pressure and demonstrate to the opposition that opposing Clarkia while mutants can guard Earth is unwise.

"This might not be effective," Steve pointed out the flaw, "Clarkia is on Earth. If the army attacks, they won’t benefit either. Perhaps other governments will gamble that you’re unwilling to completely let go."

"That’s my next plan," Charles stated, "The mutants have to leave Earth eventually. They’ve bullied us for so long, so taking some souvenirs isn’t too much to ask, is it?"

Steve widened his eyes slightly, "You’re not thinking of taking the entire island, are you?"

"Why not?" Charles asked, looking at him, "Anyway, ordinary people can’t live on this island. It’s completely useless for them; giving it to us would be mutually beneficial."

"This isn’t a gift. It’s outright theft," Steve shook his head but didn’t oppose. The mutants’ control over Clarkia is too deep. Not taking the island with them but leaving a group here might spark greater conflicts.

"Tony thinks so too," Charles remarked, "Otherwise, why do you think he has been constantly researching the dock’s location? If we want the whole island to take off, the center of gravity is crucial, and the arrangement of engines is also very meticulous. The current dock location might be important, so he wants to relocate the dock."

"And you’re still building here?" Steve asked surprised, "What if this causes a clash with the engines later?"

"Isn’t Tony ill?" Charles replied somewhat helplessly, "We couldn’t possibly be so heartless as to assign such tasks to someone sick. Since he’s sick, we have no choice but to completely abandon technological means."

"So you’re planning to use mutant abilities?" Steve speculated, "Magneto should be able to do it, since he can even drag an entire planet."

"Absolutely not," Charles said, "Haven’t you noticed? This island also suppresses mutant abilities. Some weaker mutants completely lose their abilities, and even strong Omega and Alpha levels are greatly weakened."

"There’s such a thing?" Steve was genuinely surprised, "Why did the mutants choose this island then?"

"It’s related to the totems, of course," Charles explained, "And while weakened mutant abilities aren’t good for powerful mutants, it’s a blessing for many flawed mutants. They finally don’t have to be troubled by their defective abilities and can be happy ordinary people."

"In that case, the leaders of this cosmos are indeed idealists," Steve mused, "Willing to sacrifice for those weaker mutants."

"Although that might be part of the reason, it’s mainly because powerful mutants can easily leave the island. Being restricted on the island isn’t a big deal; at most, it just makes building houses a bit more troublesome. Otherwise, why has this dock taken so long to complete?"

Steve nodded; he had previously thought that a single dock didn’t need many mutants—Polaris could have set it all up. Unexpectedly, it was due to restrictions on their abilities.

"How long until the dock is finished?" Steve asked.

"Not certain. I see the kids are exhausted, and I’m thinking of giving them a break soon. Sharpening the axe won’t delay the work," Charles chuckled.

"Polaris wants to talk to you... Oh, I forgot, I’m sure you’ve heard. What’s your take?"

"They will definitely soak in the hot springs, but the process can’t be too easy. Otherwise, they’d sneak over every few days. Besides delaying progress, the volcano is quite dangerous."

"What are you planning then?" Steve asked curiously.

"Tonight, Apocalypse and the others will return. Magneto in this cosmos told me Apocalypse is interested in seeing what the new generation of mutants can do. So we’re planning to set up a ring on the island; the winner gets a hot spring ticket, the loser goes to work."

"Isn’t that too cruel?" Steve remarked, "While others are relaxing in the hot spring, those left behind won’t have a chance to bond."

"I didn’t say they’d stay to build the dock; don’t hot springs need to be constructed too?" Charles shrugged, "Winners can enjoy the benefits, while losers have to help build the hot spring. In the end, they can still soak."

"That’s better," Steve said, "Alright, I’ll go supervise over there. I see some people eager to try near the crane, and they’re not even wearing safety helmets."

"Professor." Charles heard someone calling him, the tone exasperated. He replied, "What’s up, Shiller?"

"Tony had a nightmare again; please come over and help sort his mind. I really don’t want to face Jurassic big dinosaurs and Darth Vader’s lightsaber in his realm again."