New York.
An international mega-city, with a population one and a half times that of Gotham City, and three times the land area.
Just as Liu A'dou had always said, this city was truly a playground for monsters of every kind.
The righteous, the evil, the neutral.
The lawful, the good, the chaotic.
Government agents, corporate lackeys, lone wolves.
Ordinary people, mutants, cyborgs.
You could find everything here—anything you could imagine, it existed here. If you couldn't find it, you simply hadn't looked hard enough.
Right now, Liu A'dou found himself facing a choice. Pretending to be an ordinary American citizen, he was stopped by a television crew for an on-the-spot interview.
"Sir, we're doing a street survey. May we ask you a quick question?"
Liu A'dou nodded. "Sure."
"Thank you for your cooperation. Our question is—what's your opinion on the Mutant Registration Act?" The host asked, smiling as they pushed the microphone toward Liu A'dou.
Liu A'dou glanced at the camera, thinking to himself that this was finally his chance to be on screen. He gave a big grin.
"You're asking whether I support it or not? Of course I support it."
"So you support the Act?"
Liu A'dou nodded again. "As long as it's a law passed according to the U.S. Constitution, I support it."
Stirring up controversy wasn't his problem—he was happy to watch the show unfold.
The reporter thought they'd finally found someone who could give them a soundbite. "If the law passes, not just ordinary mutants, but even super-powered heroes like Spider-Man would have to register their identities. Do you think that might discourage these mutant heroes from doing their work?"
"Ah, that…" Liu A'dou rubbed his chin, pretending to think it over.
"Personally, I think it could. Superheroes obviously aren't the same as regular people. If everyone could be a superhero, we wouldn't need a Registration Act in the first place, right? So I say superheroes shouldn't have to register. By the way, Spider-Man, you're my idol."
"Thank you to this enthusiastic citizen." The reporter was already planning to cut that last part from the broadcast.
Watching the crew move on to interview others, Liu A'dou smiled faintly. Right now, the Mutant Registration Act was the hottest topic in New York.
He was more than happy to see the debate heat up—after all, it had nothing to do with him.
Of course, the mutants themselves were against anything that could disrupt their lives. If their identities and abilities were exposed, they could become targets for extremist groups, not to mention the discrimination they might face from the general public. Society was already leaning toward viewing mutants as dangerous outsiders.
Mutants who hid their powers and lived cautiously could still live normal lives. But if they were exposed, none of them dared imagine what would happen next.
Among the mutants, there were two major factions.
The "Hawks," led by Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants.
And the "Doves," led by Professor X and his X-Men.
Magneto's dream was to create a nation ruled by mutants, treating humans as second-class citizens—or wiping them out entirely.
Professor X, on the other hand, believed that mutants could earn human acceptance through their own efforts.
Both leaders were fighting for the same goal—the future of mutantkind—but they had chosen completely different paths, and often clashed violently over their ideals.
In Liu A'dou's opinion, if Magneto didn't exist, Professor X might actually have a chance. But because of Magneto, the X-Men were constantly left cleaning up after the Brotherhood's messes. How could that possibly win humanity's trust?
Sure, the X-Men had saved countless human lives, but if Magneto hadn't stirred up trouble in the first place, those people wouldn't have needed saving. So in the eyes of ordinary people, the best future was a world without mutants at all.
Under these circumstances, expecting Professor X to succeed was a joke.
It only took a little media spin to turn public opinion against all mutants, no matter how noble the X-Men's intentions were. Even if the X-Men sacrificed themselves to save humanity, acceptance still felt out of reach.
That said, the X-Men had earned the sympathy of at least some humans. Without them, Magneto would have ruined the mutant reputation long ago. It was thanks to the X-Men that mutants hadn't become society's number one enemy—at least not yet.
But that was about the best they could hope for.
Professor X's dream of peaceful coexistence still seemed impossibly far away.
Isn't it obvious? Even the most popular mutant, Spider-Man, gets trashed by the mainstream media all the time, called a menace and a pest. It's clear a lot of people just can't stand mutants.
Because mutants often break the law, humans despise them.
Because humans despise them, mutants strike back even harder.
That's the relationship between humans and mutants—a vicious cycle with no end in sight, and no hope for reconciliation.
Professor X had spent decades trying to change that.
Even if you gave him a few more decades, he probably still wouldn't succeed.
Liu A'dou returned to the house he'd bought in the suburbs—a two-story home with an attic and a basement, located in a quiet community.
Three people lived here.
Aside from Liu A'dou and Ada Wong, who now lived as a married couple, there was also Elsa, the Ice Queen, who had been assigned to monitor Liu A'dou's recruitment of new Saints.
After learning how to live in modern society, Diana had gone back to traveling the world as Wonder Woman. Maybe it was all those years being cooped up on Themyscira—now she just couldn't sit still. She only stopped by New York once in a while to visit friends.
"You're finally back. I was starting to think you wouldn't make it home before dark," Ada greeted him as he walked in.
"What's up?" Liu A'dou asked, confused. "Weren't you supposed to be at the police station today?"
"Today was just orientation. I officially start work tomorrow."
Ada Wong had once again chosen to pose as a police detective. Though honestly, it wasn't entirely fake—her paperwork was flawless, and she even had a recommendation letter from Commissioner Gordon. The only issue was, none of the schools or colleagues listed in her records had ever heard of her, because back when they were supposedly studying together, Ada Wong didn't even exist.
Still, who would ever dig that deep into a detective's background?
"There's nothing going on at home. I was asking about your work," Ada pressed.
"I've been thinking… I can't keep living like a broke journalist," Liu A'dou replied, rubbing his chin. "Ada, you married me, so now I've got to start making real money. I'm gonna make sure you're living the good life, eating well, looking healthy. I've got a million-dollar plan. First step—earn a few million bucks."
"Dream on." Ada laughed. "If you're planning to rob a bank, don't drag me along."
Liu A'dou put on a mock-offended face. "Dearest Detective Ada Wong, how could you doubt your own husband? I'm a master thief—too good for petty crimes like robbing banks. I've got a much better plan. A completely legal business, I promise. Just wait and see."
Ada had no idea what scheme Liu A'dou was cooking up, but there was something else on her mind.
"By the way, what about Elsa? If we both head out to work, what's she gonna do?"
Elsa had been stuck in the house ever since she arrived. Unlike Diana, she couldn't adapt to modern life at all. She just stayed inside like a shut-in, trying to train her Microcosmos.
But honestly, she wasn't making much progress.
She had spent her whole life as a princess, adored by her people. She'd never had to push her body to the limit before. Running a few steps was fine, but trying to meet the harsh physical standards of a Saint? That was a different story.
And let's not forget her royal attitude—she had zero interest in cooperating with any training. In her mind, her magic was more than enough. The only reason she was even trying to train was because of the Pope's orders. Her heart wasn't in it, so it wasn't going anywhere.
"How about we enroll her in school?" Liu A'dou's eyes lit up with an idea.
Ada nodded, thinking it wasn't a bad plan.
Letting Elsa go to school and experience normal life might actually help her adjust.
"I'll check online for nearby schools tonight."
"No need." Liu A'dou waved his hand confidently.
"She's going to the Genius X Academy—the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."