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*****
An orange-yellow liquid, glowing like molten fire, was slowly injected into Tony's body.
"How are you feeling?" Bruce Banner asked with concern, his eyes glancing over at the monitoring equipment.
Tony nodded, managing a smile. "Not bad, so far."
It would still take a little time for the Extremis virus to begin reacting.
The laboratory fell into a heavy silence, which was broken moments later by a suppressed groan from Tony.
Bruce Banner's head snapped up immediately.
A series of orange, vein-like patterns began to spread across Tony's skin. His entire body turned a deep red and began to radiate an astonishing amount of heat.
Watching Tony's expression gradually twist in pain, Bruce Banner kept his eyes glued to the vital signs monitor.
Although the entire process looked incredibly dangerous, it was, in reality, proceeding smoothly and entirely within their expectations.
A short while later, the abnormal phenomena on Tony's body gradually subsided. Bruce let out a long sigh of relief.
"How do you feel?" Bruce asked again, his concern evident.
Tony moved his limbs, testing his body. "Feels pretty good, actually. All we need to do now is observe the Extremis integration progress."
He had been researching and modifying the Extremis virus for a very long time. He never would have used it on himself if he wasn't absolutely confident in the outcome.
Bruce broke into a happy smile. He tossed Tony's shirt to him and said, "Come on, let's go grab a drink together."
With the experiment succeeding, he was also in a very cheerful mood.
Tony nodded. As he pulled his shirt on, he said to Bruce, "As it happens, there's something I wanted to ask your advice on."
"What is it?" Bruce Banner asked, curious, as he casually shucked off his white lab coat and tossed it aside.
Tony leaned in close to Bruce and whispered in his ear, "I'm planning to propose to Pepper."
Bruce looked at Tony, stunned, and then immediately broke into a wide, happy grin. "Congratulations, Tony!"
Tony's mustache twitched upwards. "Keep it a secret for me. I haven't told anyone else yet."
"When are you planning to propose?"
"Christmas Eve."
As he said this, Tony's voice became a bit nervous. "What do you think I'll need for the proposal? How should I arrange it to give Pepper a perfect proposal ceremony?"
Bruce Banner scratched his head. "Well, uh... I've never done this before, either."
Tony rolled his eyes and clapped Bruce on the arm. "Come on, buddy. You and Natasha need to get a move on, too."
Bruce's face flushed red. He nodded silently, then quickly changed the subject. "Cap and the others are back. We can all discuss it together."
While they had been busy with the Extremis virus, Steve had taken Natasha and Vision out to handle an urgent incident.
This world saw new incidents popping up at every moment. After the mass migration of mutants to Planet Kent, a large number of Inhumans had begun to awaken, and they were all proving to be a new source of trouble.
Tony stroked his chin. "Good idea. Natasha and Wanda will probably have some effective suggestions for me."
The two men walked out of the lab, discussing the plan as they went.
...
Time slipped by quietly.
Today was Christmas Eve.
Another year, another Christmas Eve.
Mike woke up bright and early. He and Raven spent the entire morning decorating the house, filling every corner with a festive Christmas atmosphere.
After lunch, Raven checked the time. She saw Mike sitting on the sofa, fiddling with some card enhancements, letting out the occasional shout of either excitement or regret. She walked over to him with a helpless look on her face.
She reached out and poked Mike's forehead. "Are you going to call Clark and the others? See if they're coming home today?"
"Huh?" Mike's eyes went wide. "Me? Call them? Don't even think about it!"
It was Christmas, and those brats hadn't even bothered to call him with greetings. And she expected him to call them?
Not a chance in hell!
And that little girl, Gwen! She went off to Planet Kent to have fun and hadn't contacted him in ages.
Hmph!
They were all unfilial children!
The more Mike thought about it, the angrier he got.
Raven looked at Mike, amused. "Why are you acting like such a child? As the father, you should be the one to take the initiative."
"Impossible!" Mike shouted, puffing his cheeks.
Raven's eyes narrowed. "Are you going to call, or not!"
"I'm not... fine, I'll call!"
Seeing Raven's indignant expression, Mike caved.
Just wait until those brats get home, he grumbled internally. They're in for it.
Muttering to himself, Mike put his cards away, pulled out his phone, and dialed Clark's number.
A phone began to ring. Mike froze. He whipped his head toward the front door.
A ringtone?
His eyes flashed as he activated his super-vision. His sight pierced through the door, and when he saw the people standing outside, his face instantly flooded with ecstatic joy.
"When did these rascals get back?!"
Mike exclaimed in pleasant surprise. He shot up from the sofa, spun around, and planted a kiss on Raven's cheek. "You were in on it with them, hiding this from me!"
With that said, he dashed toward the front door.
Raven watched him go, amused. She touched the spot on her cheek where he had kissed her and smiled gently.
Mike threw the door open, but the wide smile on his face vanished instantly. He looked at the faces standing outside and put on a stern expression. "So, you all finally remembered to come home!"
Clark, Erik, and Charles all put on ingratiating smiles and pulled the people standing beside them forward.
Hope... Jean... and... Hela?
Mike froze for a second, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, but he quickly replaced it with the benevolent smile of a loving father. "Aiya, look at this! You all brought your girlfriends home."
Hela shot a cold glance at Erik. Erik gave an awkward laugh. "Uh, Hela isn't my girlfriend... yet. She's a guest I brought home."
Mike paused, then let out a disappointed sigh at Erik.
Seeing this, Charles chuckled, patting Erik's shoulder.
"Jean, when did you and Charles get together?" Mike asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Ah!" Jean's face flushed red. She hurriedly explained, "Um, the Professor said he needed my help today, so that's why I came. We... he and I... we're not in that kind of relationship."
Mike turned his gaze to Charles, his eyes now filled with disappointment for him, too.
These two brothers... they're hopeless.
All this time, and neither of them has sealed the deal.
Charles coughed lightly. He simply grabbed Jean's hand and squeezed his way into the house.
Jean looked back and hurriedly called out, "Thank you for having me, Mr. Kent!"
"Right, uh, we're coming in, too."
Erik said. He tried to grab Hela's hand, but she just snorted lightly, dodged his grasp, and strode into the house on her own.
"Booo!"
A chorus of jeers erupted from the others.
Erik shot a humiliated and angry look at the group before stomping into the house.
Mike looked at Gwen.
Gwen's eyes went wide. "Dad! I'm not even an adult yet! You're not that depraved, are you?!"
Mike flicked Gwen's forehead. "You wish! I wouldn't allow it even if you did!"
Gwen stuck her tongue out, yelling as she ran into the house.
"Dad."
Clark smiled at Mike, his eyes holding a hint of smugness.
Mike nodded, looking at Clark and Hope. "Not bad."
A smile spread across Clark's face, but in the next second, it froze solid.
"So, when are you bringing home a grandchild for me?"
Hope's face instantly turned as red as a tomato. "Uncle Mike!"
Clark just looked at Mike, completely speechless, and pulled Hope into the house.
Mike stood outside alone for a moment, chuckling to himself.
"Dad, what are you giggling about out there?"
Gwen poked her head out the door and shouted at him. Then, all the others poked their heads out as well.
"Honey!"
"Dad!"
"Come on in!"
Mike paused, then broke into a brilliant smile and strode back into his home.
With the kids back, the whole house instantly became lively.
After a long session of chatting and playful roughhousing, Mike began to prepare for that evening's dinner.
Mike and Raven bustled around the kitchen. Clark and Hope, the official couple, went out to buy more groceries. Charles and Erik, by some unknown trigger, started bickering again. Jean looked around the house with curiosity. Hela sat to one side, a cold expression on her face, silently observing the family's chaotic interactions, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes from time to time. Gwen, meanwhile, was like a busy little bee, flitting constantly between Jean and Hela.
Strangely enough, Hela, despite her icy demeanor, seemed to find Gwen quite agreeable. She was actually talking and laughing with the little girl, much to Erik's envy.
Charles waved a hand in front of Erik's face. "Look at you," he whispered. "You're practically drooling."
Erik wiped the corner of his mouth, then wiped his hand on Charles's shirt. As Charles's face darkened, Erik just proudly smoothed his own hair.
"Aiya, I can't believe you're going to be the first one in our family to go bald."
Erik made the cutting remark, then stroked his own hair again, deliberately squinting at Charles's head.
Charles was so angry he was trembling.
But in this lifetime, he knew he was never going to win a battle that involved his hair.
But...
A mischievous smirk appeared on Charles's face. He snapped his fingers at Erik.
Erik's expression changed. "I'm warning you, don't you dare..."
He started to back away as he spoke, but before he could even take a step, Charles had already taken control of his mind and frozen him in place.
Damn it! I came home today without my helmet!
The regretful thought flashed through Erik's mind, which only made Charles sneer aloud.
"You're laughing at my hair, are you? Fine. I'm going to make you shave your own head right now."
"Don't! I was wrong!" Erik hurriedly pleaded inside his mind. "I wouldn't look as good as you with a shaved head! You're the handsome one, Charles! The best!"
"Too late!"
Charles sneered. He glanced over at Hela, his eyes twinkling. "Now, let me teach you how to pick up a girl."
"Don't you dare do anything reckless!"
Erik screamed mentally, but he was powerless as Charles marched his body over to Hela.
Thud!
"Erik" planted one foot on the sofa right next to Hela, then leaned in close to her face. "Hey, sweetcheeks. Why don't you give your new master a little smile?"
FUUUUCK! CHARLES! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!
Erik roared helplessly inside his own head.
Hela stared at him with an icy expression and, without the slightest hesitation, raised her hand to smash him in the face.
But "Erik" just smiled, catching her wrist. Then, he suddenly bent down and kissed her full on the lips.
This sudden development left both Jean and Gwen, who were watching from the side, completely stunned.
What kind of plot twist was this?
A forceful conquest? A sudden attack of the domineering CEO?
Hela snapped her head back, a rare trace of panic on her face. "Do you want to die?"
"No, I don't!" "Erik" gazed at Hela with deep affection. "Because you haven't accepted my love yet."
Hela was momentarily stunned. Beside her, Jean unconsciously glanced over at Charles, her face turning slightly red.
Gwen rubbed her eyes.
What is this cheesy soap opera plot? It's so cringey.
"Heh!" Hela let out a cold laugh. "Fine, I accept. Now you can go die."
A look of ecstatic surprise washed over "Erik's" face. "You really accept? That's great! But..."
His tone suddenly shifted, becoming melancholic. "I don't want to die just yet. Because what I want more is to spend the rest of my life with you."
Hela: "Shameless!"
"You're the one who agreed. You can't take it back. After all, you are Hela, the Goddess of Death." "Erik" smiled faintly. Under Hela's frigid gaze, he once again closed the distance between them, whispering in her ear, "Compared to death, don't you prefer... conquest?"
"If you can't even conquer me, how are you going to conquer other planets?"
Wait, what does conquering other planets have to do with conquering me? Why does she need to conquer me? Shouldn't I be conquering her?
Erik yelled in his mind.
But to his utter shock, upon hearing those words, Hela actually cracked a smile.
"Hmph. It doesn't matter what it is, I will conquer it!"
With that, Hela grabbed Erik's face. "Just you wait," she said in a cold voice.
"Erik" just smiled faintly, pulling back to create some distance, and then walked back to his original spot.
"See? Simple as that. You have to understand one thing: Asgardians are arrogant. So arrogant that their brains don't always work right."
Charles's voice echoed calmly in Erik's mind, and then he released his mental control.
Erik was completely dumbfounded.
He looked at Charles, then looked at Hela. When he saw that Hela's eyes were now blazing with a desire for conquest, he couldn't help but shiver.
This feeling... it was too awesome.
Charles! You are an eternal god!
Erik couldn't stop himself. He lunged at Charles, wrapped him in a hug, and planted a huge kiss on his smooth, bald head.
Charles roared, "Are you trying to die?!"
Erik just grinned foolishly, got Charles into a headlock, and gave him a vigorous noogie, ruffling and patting his head.
Charles: (╬ 益 )
Watching the two of them wrestling like children, Jean was completely floored.
Is this really the gentle and refined Professor X and the imposing, domineering Magneto?
They're acting just like two misbehaving kids.
She had never... no, to be precise, even the people at the school and the company had never seen this side of them.
This was a side of them that only appeared when they were in their own home, in front of their family.
An unconscious, happy smile spread across Jean's face.
"What are you guys talking about? You look so happy."
Clark and Hope returned from their grocery run. Seeing the lively living room, they couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, nothing."
Erik released Charles, grinning from ear to ear.
Charles shot Erik a hateful glare, then turned and stomped toward the kitchen. "Dad! Erik is..."
"How disgusting! You're this old and you're still tattling!"
Erik was left standing there, gobsmacked.
"Haha!"
Everyone else burst out laughing.
"Speaking of playing..."
A spark of inspiration hit Gwen. Her gaze swept over Hope, Jean, and Hela. She clapped her hands together with a sharp crack and announced loudly, "Let's play a really fun game! Sister-in-law, and future-second-sister-in-law, and future-third-sister-in-law!"
When all three of them looked over at her curiously, Gwen gave a mischievous grin. "It's really fun! Exciting and intense, and it really tests your intelligence!"
Seeing Gwen's expression, Clark seemed to realize what she was planning. He just smiled and shook his head, carrying the groceries into the kitchen. Gwen, having gotten an affirmative response from the three women, happily ran off into Mike's room.
(End of Chapter)