PFC Chapter 4716 X Royal Clash (22)
Chapter 4716 X Royal Clash (22)
Chapter 4716 X Royal Family: Fierce Battle (Twenty-Two)
The main universe's Iron Man glanced at Professor X with a hint of wariness, pursed his lips, and said nothing to him. Instead, he said to Quicksilver behind the bar, "Give me a martini, kid."
Quicksilver said nothing and started mixing him a drink. Once it was ready, he placed it on the table and downed it in two gulps. Quicksilver said somewhat helplessly, "If you want to drown your sorrows, don't drink cocktails. How about some whiskey?"
The main universe's Iron Man waved his hand, and Quicksilver opened a bottle of whiskey for him. He didn't even need ice, chugging it straight from the bottle, nearly spitting it out after one sip: "What is this? Is this even alcohol?!"
“Krakia is far from the mainland, making transportation inconvenient and costly. Therefore, our procurement standards for supplies abroad are not high, and certainly cannot meet your requirements,” Professor X explained. “We need to spend our money on more useful things.”
Fortunately, Iron Man wasn't there to sample the wine. After Quicksilver gave him an ice hockey puck, he downed another glass of wine. The slight dizziness from the alcohol actually calmed him down a bit, and he started talking.
“I thought Stephen and I got along very well. In the Avengers, we were best friends and staunch allies. He always supported all my plans and did his best to help me achieve my goals. And vice versa.”
“You are lucky,” Professor X said. “If you are a good person in the public eye, it’s easy for you to make friends. But if you are more of an eccentric, it takes some luck to find a like-minded friend.”
“That’s right.” The main universe’s Iron Man said with empathy, “I don’t get along with most people, and neither does Stephen. But we two have a great understanding, and I think it’s a unique connection between us. I’ve told him a lot about my past experiences, and of course he’s told his. I can feel that he understands me, understands everything I’ve been through. But I didn’t expect… I didn’t understand him that much.”
"Why do you think that?" Professor X asked.
"I thought he became a sorcerer because he completely failed in the field of surgery. But I never imagined that he had always been a successful doctor, just not perfect. My mistaken perception led me to have the wrong worries, which in turn led me to do the wrong things." The main universe's Iron Man sighed deeply, placed his hands on the bar, and took a few sips of his drink in silence.
“You know what? A mutant’s life is usually divided into two phases,” Professor X said. “Before awakening our powers and after awakening them. Before awakening, we are just ordinary people, like most ordinary people. We live with our families, go to school for an education. We either worry about making a living or about trivial matters. But some people create many miracles in their ordinary lives. My good friend Eric, for example.”
The main universe's Iron Man couldn't help but look at him. Although he knew that many mutants weren't born with abilities, this was truly the first time he had heard a mutant say something like this from their own mouth.
"When he was young, he fled with his family and even went to a concentration camp, but he survived and grew into a staunch fighter. He accomplished all of this in an ordinary life; it was difficult and remarkable. After awakening his mutant abilities, he has been constantly seeking a way out for mutants. Do you think he chose to fight for mutants because he couldn't do better in his own ordinary life?"
Alcohol had dulled the mind of the main universe's Iron Man. He no longer drank heavily, and rarely even got drunk. He just said, somewhat confused, "But you said he did a good job."
“Yes, just like you said your friend did a great job,” Professor X said. “People like them, who give up on the first stage of their lives, would never do so because of failure.”
“I’m a little confused,” said the main universe’s Iron Man. “Like I said, I just found out it wasn’t because of failure…”
"You say he chose to take a different path because he couldn't be perfect. But the truth might not be like that."
"He told me this himself..."
“Hearing isn’t always believing,” Professor X said, looking him into the eyes. “Why don’t you think about it? If you give up becoming a clinical surgeon, does that mean you have to go down the path of a mage? Does he really have no other choice? If one day you can no longer build mechs yourself, are you only left with the option of becoming a salesperson? Or a movie star?”
The main universe's Iron Man was somewhat dazed. He tried hard to sober up from the effects of the alcohol, but without much success. Just then, Quicksilver handed him a glass of ice water. The main universe's Iron Man gulped down several mouthfuls and shook his head before feeling a bit better.
"You mean, even if he doesn't become a surgeon, he can do other things?"
"That's right. When he first encountered the disaster, he may have had some extreme perfectionist tendencies, which is human nature. Everyone has times when they get stuck in a rut and can't get out. He used to be so successful, and now if he falls short even slightly, he feels like everything is over. But so much time has passed, and his state of mind has gradually stabilized. He has long since regained his rationality. The reason he chooses to continue on the path he is on now is definitely not entirely because he couldn't continue on the path he took before."
Professor X paused briefly, sighed softly, and said, “Although I’m just a psychologist, I do have some understanding of the medical system. Surgeons also receive comprehensive internal medicine training at medical school, and with some effort, switching to internal medicine isn’t impossible. Moreover, surgery isn’t all about hands-on practice; it also requires theory. His surgical skills are very high, but his theoretical knowledge is definitely not lacking either. To put it another way, given his previous reputation, if he focused on teaching students, the spots would probably be in high demand, right? If he really loves the medical system and wants to restore the glory of the ‘Hand of God,’ these are all good options. People will still remember him at his peak, and even more people will praise his tenacity and dedication to the medical profession.”
"Like Eric. Even if he awakens his mutant abilities, he can still fight those axis villains on the battlefield. He can use his extensive combat experience to rise through the ranks of the military and gain fame and power in secular society. People will praise him as a hero. Why wouldn't he do that?"
Iron Man in the main universe seems to have figured something out. Stephen Strange's situation might not be easy to analyze, but the situation on the mutant side is all too easy to understand.
Magneto didn't choose to continue living as an ordinary person, not because he couldn't. His mutant abilities have no side effects; he can choose not to use them and appear as an ordinary person. Even if people notice when his powers are unleashed, he can still thrive in a different place and with a different identity.
He didn't choose to stay in ordinary society because the situation on the mutant side was far too precarious. Ordinary society wouldn't miss one more soldier, but the mutants desperately needed a leader. The mutant community needed him far more than ordinary society needed him. That's why he chose to become the mutant leader.
So, Doctor Strange might be in the same boat. It's not entirely impossible for him to return to the ordinary medical system; if he wanted, whether it's switching to theory or taking a step back to mentor students, it would be easily achievable. However, humanity's need for a "God's Hand" is far less than the Avengers' need for Doctor Strange. Humanity might not lack a skilled surgeon, but the Avengers truly desperately need a Sorcerer Supreme.
The Iron Man in the main universe suddenly understood. How come he hadn't thought of this before? In his mind, Stephen's defeat in the medical system meant he must desperately want to go back, because it was an unspeakable pain and regret for him. If given the chance, he would definitely go back to being a doctor without looking back.
That's why he felt so guilty. The surgery he performed on the mutant was a great opportunity for Stephen to break through his limitations and return to the medical system, but he ended up causing trouble for him instead. It was simply wrong of him.
But thinking about it this way, Stephen might not really want to go back to being a doctor, nor does he really need to break through his limitations and overcome his past trauma. This is good news for the main universe's Iron Man, because he didn't cause irreparable damage.
However, this raises another question. If this wasn't actually that important to Doctor Strange, then why was he angry?
"Why do mutants need a leader like Eric so much that he has to come?" Professor X asked another question. "He's lived in ordinary society for so long, but he hasn't had much contact with mutants. Why does he want to save mutants instead of the ordinary people he knows and cares about more?"
"Uh, isn't it because he's disillusioned with humanity?" the main universe's Iron Man said, based on his own understanding. "You said his whole family fled and even went to a concentration camp. He probably doesn't really like ordinary society, right?"
"There's no need to choose mutants. After all, mutants haven't saved him or brought him any benefit. Why should he contribute to mutants?"
Even Iron Man in the main universe didn't know. So he could only stare blankly at Professor X. Professor X showed a hint of recollection, and then said, "Actually, he wasn't firmly on the side of mutants at first, but later he met a group of like-minded mutant friends. To be precise, he met me."
“We fought side by side. In that turbulent era of war, besides comforting each other, we always talked about ideals and constantly imagined what a bright future awaited people like us, and what means we would use to change the world and make it a better place. All of this constantly moved us and led us onto a new path—fighting for mutants.”
"A person's sense of belonging to a group comes more from their feelings for a particular person or group of people in that group. We love them, so we want to defend this society. We love their ideals, so we want to change this society. This is the fundamental reason why people choose a certain path."
Professor X's blue eyes flickered before Iron Man's eyes in the main universe, beginning to blur and lose focus. Finally, he only heard Professor X say, "Love is about making an active choice, choosing first. It's never about settling for second best when there's no other option."