After the overwhelming events, Ororo became distant, almost as if she wanted to draw a clear line between herself and Erik. Jean's personality had returned to its normal state, and the way she looked at him felt odd. It was as though there was a thin veil separating the three of them, an unclear barrier that made it hard to see clearly. As a result, Erik stopped bothering them and focused his energy on training the young people.
That day, after their regular training, the young mutants received massages to help them recover. Then, they all sat down on the grass to rest.
"Barbie, what did your dad say on the phone?" John asked, his curiosity piqued.
Ever since Bobby had come out to his family through an interview with Miss Christine, he'd been hoping to find a way to reconnect with them and gain their understanding. It seemed that his wish had come true.
His friends congratulated him, but there was an undercurrent of sadness. They were unsure if their reliable, dependable friend would leave the school and return home. Mary, in particular, was concerned about this.
Thankfully, Bobby's words put their worries to rest.
"Things are good, but it's not exactly what you might think," Bobby said with a smile. "My dad said he was caught off guard at first, but he had some suspicions before, so he wasn't totally shocked. He's okay with it, though Ronnie's still a little awkward about it. They all want me to come home."
"So, are you going to go back?" Katie asked, with Mary eyeing Bobby intently.
"No, I told them I'm staying here," Bobby answered without hesitation, and Mary sighed in relief.
He glanced at Mary before addressing the group again. "Here, I've got friends, people who care about me. It feels like home. I think I'll grow here, and I hope my parents will be proud of me one day."
Bobby's tone was firm. His youthful face still held traces of innocence, but there was a maturity in his demeanor.
"Well said, Bobby! Now I don't have to worry about you running away," John cheered, leaping to his feet and pointing toward Erik, who was tidying up training equipment with Selina on the field. "Look over there, our wise and brilliant captain! He'll lead us to conquer ordinary people's castles and write our names in the history books. Maybe in a few decades, children will read about the brave deeds of Fireman John and his friends saving the people on some day in history!"
Although John's statement was exaggerated, his classmates didn't make fun of him. They'd all seen Erik elevate them, the mutants who were once despised, to their current status. Now, thousands of newspapers across the country reported their stories, calling them the new superheroes. Even if they stayed at the school, they could watch themselves on TV fighting thugs and battling monstrous snakes.
While ordinary people saw everything as coincidence, those closest to Erik had begun to piece things together. From the appearance of the monstrous snake, it seemed that everything was part of Erik's plan—except for the shooting incident, which proved just how correct the mentor's opinions were.
"He's right, our mission is here," Peter nodded in agreement. He remembered how grateful the children were after the shooting incident. That gratitude had ignited something within him, and he decided to follow Erik, hoping to gain his own recognition.
"Boss, when do we head out again? I'm eager to get going," John asked, spotting Erik walking toward them after finishing his task.
"Head out? Where to?" Erik asked.
"Of course, out into the wide world! There's crime everywhere in the city. We can save victims like we did with the kid last time. The people we save will treat us like heroes, and that will solve the mutant problem!" John said enthusiastically, always thinking things were simpler than they were.
Erik sat down with the group, casually asking, "And then what?"
"And then what?" John asked, confused.
"Afterwards, the police will complain that you've disrupted the order. They'll lose control, and things might become even more chaotic. They could even be laid off. The criminals might have other reasons, or maybe it's just a misunderstanding that you've stumbled upon, causing harm. Even the people you save might not thank you; they might complain that you didn't come sooner and they could've lost less. And you haven't thought about this: today you save someone, but tomorrow? The day after? Crime is endless, and your energy is limited. Soon, you'll lose all enthusiasm and start going through the motions. In the end, you'll still be stuck at the academy, while crime continues outside."
Erik traced a circle in the air, starting and ending at the same point. "You see, you've worked hard, but in the end, you're back where you started. What's the point of that?"
The young mutants felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them. Their excitement immediately waned.
"So what should we do?" Bobby asked cautiously. They feared returning to their old lives, which would be meaningless.
"Good deeds shouldn't become a burden. You must always remember, not every action will be rewarded. You should act selectively and only show up when you're truly needed. That way, you'll gain gratitude without being hated. To do this, we can work with ordinary people, becoming indispensable figures in their fields, instead of wasting time on trivial matters," Erik explained.
"Like what?"
"Like firefighting. A few fire trucks rushing to a fire after a 911 call might hear that you've already solved the problem. They'd have wasted their trip. How do you think they'll feel? If they're called again, they might not want to go. If they go, they could face the same situation. If they don't, the fire might spread. Discontent will arise. They might think you're unnecessary, and we could create a new batch of mutant haters. So, this approach won't work. But if we think differently, suppose the firefighters arrive and find the fire's too big or there are people trapped, and they can't do anything. In this case, they'll call for help, and you can solve the problem. This way, the victim, the firefighters, and we all benefit. The victim gets saved, the firefighters complete their task, and we gain public gratitude without causing any resentment."
The students listened, their eyes lighting up with understanding as they nodded eagerly.
Erik hadn't finished yet. The beauty of such situations was that there were no complicated relationships, no potential conflicts with other forces. It was simply a dangerous situation that could be easily handled by the students, and the public wouldn't fear their powers.
People often worried about the police's small-caliber guns misfiring and hitting bystanders, but no one feared the high-pressure hoses carried by firefighters. In times of disaster, people actually prayed for stronger water pressure to prevent the fire from spreading and burning their own homes.
Of course, this was just a temporary solution. Mutants' abilities were too extraordinary, and some forces would inevitably target them. Erik's plan needed to continue, and only by persisting would they see the long-term rewards.
While Erik thought about the future, his students were already brainstorming their own ideas. What would they do if they encountered a fire?
"John, you can control fire, so you can pull it out from outside. Bobby, you can use ice and snow to cool the flames. That should solve the problem quickly," Alison suggested, making firefighting sound easy.
"What about me?" Katie and Lorna asked, eager to contribute.
"You can rescue people trapped inside, take them through walls. Mary can help treat severe burns with everyone's powers. Peter's strong, so he can smash obstacles. If someone's injured by steel bars or something, Lorna can handle it. I'll supervise from the outside," Alison laid out the plan, feeling quite talented at this new line of thinking.
"Why should you do nothing and act like our boss?" John grumbled.
"High temperatures are bad for skin, and I'm going to be a big star someday," Alison boasted, before immediately getting overwhelmed by her friends' playful teasing.
They were just a bunch of kids, and Erik couldn't help but smile as he watched them.
"Boss, is there anything else we can do? Help us think of something," John eagerly asked, hoping Erik would come up with another idea. However, Erik didn't support the idea.
"This is enough," Erik said, not wanting them to get too involved in outside matters.
There were about a million buildings in New York, and each year, about 3,000 caught fire. Many tourists, after staying in New York for a while, formed their impression of the city based on the police and fire sirens they heard constantly. The sirens seemed to go off at any time and anywhere, sometimes even with entire fire truck fleets wailing together. Firefighters were also the most at risk in these situations. With a huge metropolis nearby, the young mutants had ample opportunities to show their skills, but Erik worried they might not have enough time to focus on improving their abilities.
Erik didn't want his students to become free labor for firefighters. They were supposed to be the elite mutants, with much more to learn. He needed to cool down their overenthusiastic ideas.
"You're thinking too simply. Fires aren't just about heat. Lack of oxygen, toxic gases, and smoke can be even more dangerous. In fact, the majority of fire-related deaths aren't from burning, but from inhaling smoke in panic. John's control is limited, and the fire hoses are as powerful as Bobby's ice. Katie and Peter can't just rush into a burning building to rescue people; they'll get burned. You need to strengthen your abilities. Otherwise, when you face a real disaster, you might not do as well as you imagine. Think about it—when people are waiting for you to make a difference, and all you can do is handle the small stuff on the edge of the disaster, you'll become the joke of the nation. It'll be a disgrace to all mutants."
Erik's criticism made the young mutants lower their heads, as they realized how much further they had to go for their future success.
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