Marvel: I Awake the Little Cosmos-Chapter 526 - 494: The Upcoming Hearing (First Update)
Conference room, seating in order.
Jean pushed the door open and walked in from outside. She exchanged a glance with Cyclops, who was instinctively looking at her, then withdrew her gaze and calmly pulled out her chair to sit in her seat.
Cyclops looked at this scene, feeling somewhat desolate in his heart.
He and Jean can’t be called childhood sweethearts, but they could be considered classmates.
Because like Jean, he was found by Professor X and brought back to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
From the first moment Cyclops saw Jean, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
The already quite well-grown Jean not only possessed Hawk’s aggressive wildness but also carried her mother Wanda’s deadly mystique, reminiscent of a Gypsy Witch.
Although Jean didn’t express anything.
But...
A kind of emotion was happening between the two.
Cyclops could feel it.
This wasn’t an illusion!
Because on the day of the Mutant Apocalypse’s raid on X Academy, the thin barrier between them was almost pierced through.
Then!
Hawk and Wanda arrived.
Afterward, things became simple, especially after returning from Cairo, Egypt, Jean intentionally avoided him.
The reason?
Perhaps Jean was going to return to her own Cosmos with her parents.
Cyclops thought somewhat desolately in his heart.
Fortunately, he was wearing a special visor, otherwise, at this moment other people sitting in the conference room would likely see the heartbroken look in his eyes through his Cyclops visor.
Sitting in the main seat, or more precisely, sitting in a wheelchair, having completely shaved his head, the bald Professor X took a glance at the aura of heartbreak emanating from Cyclops.
He wanted to say something.
But——
This matter couldn’t be spoken about.
Professor X sighed inwardly, then began speaking about the main business of this meeting.
"President Baron Turner has finally agreed to push our ’Mutants Peace Agreement,’ the bill will undergo congressional hearings next month."
"What?"
"The White House agreed?"
"Really?"
"Finally!"
As soon as Professor X said this, Angel, Storm, and Colossus all simultaneously exchanged glances and then looked with surprise at Professor X.
Mutants Peace Agreement.
This was the peace bill that Professor X had been trying to confirm through congressional hearings ever since returning from Cairo, Egypt.
Though its name was the ’Mutants Peace Agreement,’ the full name should be the ’Mutants-Human Peace Agreement.’
This was different from the Mutants Peace Act from twelve years ago, which was only a temporary act.
As is widely known, anything labeled with the word "temporary" doesn’t count. Only once confirmed as real law through the Federation’s congressional hearings does a bill gain legitimacy.
Simply put.
Currently, the Sentinel Special Service Bureau is still secretly capturing mutants, but once this bill is confirmed, the actions of the Sentinel Special Service Bureau will legally be deemed illegal.
Professor X, who always holds the greatest goodwill towards humanity, is confident that once this bill is passed, the Sentinel Special Service Bureau will disband right there.
Like everyone else, Jean listened to this news with some happiness.
But...
In her happiness, she still looked at Professor X with some confusion: "Professor, didn’t the White House contact last month say that the President was considering this bill, especially since it’s an election year?"
Indeed.
This year is an election year, and although a presidential term lasts four years, it’s an elected presidency. President Baron Turner is a procedural president, succeeding the previous president who tragically died when the White House was struck by a Meteorite two years ago.
Baron Turner cannot even run for re-election as the current president.
Once again.
Being a procedural president, if he wants to be re-elected, he must first win the internal election of his faction.
And according to the current situation, President Baron Turner’s situation is not looking optimistic.
After all, his faction gained voter support by being tough on mutants, but since he took office, it seems that they’ve gone quiet all of a sudden.
At least publicly, President Baron Turner has not issued any orders targeting mutants.
But it seems like this is all he can do, just like before, when Professor X attempted to persuade the President to submit this bill for congressional hearings after returning from Cairo, Egypt.
Yet the process had been stuck.
And now, President Baron Turner agreed, even though his electoral prospects are not particularly promising.
"So..."
Jean thought of a possibility: "Is he planning to make a deal with us?"
As is widely known.
When someone realizes they can’t be re-elected, many make the same choices: cash in, capitalize as much as possible.
For example, selling pardons.
Also for example, selling bill submission rights.
If you don’t use your power, it might expire, you know.
Especially since Baron Turner is a program president, seeing that he cannot be re-elected, it’s quite normal to bring out the proposal submission rights for sale.
"It’s a deal."
Professor X met Jean’s gaze, nodded, and then chuckled: "But it’s not a deal as we understand it. The President plans to use this proposal to resolve the differences between humans and mutants once and for all, thereby reversing his election fortunes."
Cyclops was puzzled upon hearing this: "Can this help him reverse his election fortunes?"
Professor X smiled slightly: "Don’t forget, our proposal is to ensure that mutants also enjoy federal citizenship."
Although current federal law does not revoke federal citizenship for mutants, once mutants are exposed to the public, they are generally implicitly considered non-citizens.
Not just the Federation, except for the East, most other countries have tacitly agreed that mutants no longer fall under the category of humans.
"But once the proposal is established, it formally grants mutants equal federal rights under the law."
"In this way."
"The President can also leverage this momentum to secure enough votes for himself."
"Of course."
Professor X said with a smile, "Xavier Technologies will also anonymously donate fifty million to the President’s campaign fund."
Jean’s expression remained calm until she heard Professor X’s last sentence, then she showed a ’I knew it’ look: "When next month?"
Professor X smiled and said: "On the fifth at the beginning of next month, Congress will hold a preliminary hearing, and I need to attend with Eric."
"You and Magneto?"
"Magneto is also going?"
Storm, with her dreadlocks, was somewhat surprised and looked at Professor X: "Aren’t they afraid of Magneto?"
Professor X said: "This is a hard requirement, once this proposal is passed, both Magneto and I need to guarantee it."
After all, within the current mutant group, although he didn’t want to admit it, he and Magneto are the two major leaders.
One advocates peace.
One advocates war.
Therefore, from Congress’s perspective, they can provide the assurance that humans can choose peace, while the mutant side needs him and Magneto to represent it.
Jean felt somewhat puzzled hearing that Professor X and Magneto needed to go together: "Professor, just you and Eric?"
Professor X nodded.
"Yes."
"Why do I feel strange, could it be a trap?"
Jean questioned after confirming.
Although her mother Wanda is a housewife, her father Hawk is a tough character, especially since Hawk told her bedtime stories like ’Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats’, ’Sun Tzu’s Trickery’, which she remembers clearly.
But now?
Jean felt this looked very much like a trap set specifically for Professor X and Magneto.
Professor X watched Jean’s worried look, his smiling expression unchanged: "Baron Turner, the President’s, sincerity for peace is significant, and sometimes, for lasting peace, some compromises are necessary."
Jean frowned: "But if he goes with Magneto, I feel there is a big possibility of it being a trap."
Professor X replied with a smile: "Actually, I can bring people, but at the actual hearing, only Eric and I can guarantee on behalf of mutants."
Beast spoke up: "We can bring three people on our side for the hearing, Eric can also bring three from his side."
Cyclops was the first to speak.
"Professor, I’ll go with you."
"And me."
"Me!"
Storm, Colossus, and Angel also voiced their willingness.
Jean also expressed her intention to go to Washington D.C. at the beginning of next month to Professor X.
Professor X and Jean exchanged a look.
"You can’t go."
"Why?"
"Just in case."
"Just in case?"
Jean was also taken aback, then looked at Professor X’s expression and realized: "Are you also worried this trip might be a trap?"
Professor X shook his head: "I believe peace is a common pursuit of both mutants and humans, but I’m more worried if you go to Washington D.C. that you might encounter an accident."
Jean blinked, looking at Professor X, suddenly understanding.
"Professor, are you worried about my father?"
"Yes."
Professor X’s expression remained unchanged, answering Jean’s question.
Yes.
He’s worried that if Jean goes to Washington D.C. and encounters an accident, it would be a big problem.
Two years ago, Hawk destroyed Quantico Military Base, the Pentagon, and the White House just trying to find Jean.
If it happens again.
Haha.
Their Earth might be thoroughly destroyed.
Professor X recalled the moment when he encountered Hawk, subconsciously entering Hawk’s mind and seeing those representations of ’battle’, ’continuous battle’, and ’destruction’ and ’continuous destruction’, he couldn’t help but be deeply concerned.
...
