"Honestly, this is already much gentler than S.H.I.E.L.D's usual methods."
Black Widow muttered under her breath.
Still, with the man beside her failing to do his part, this "helpless woman" had no choice but to compromise.
She forced a bitter smile.
"Alright, alright. Mr. Beast, you win. Just send us the bill for the damages."
"S.H.I.E.L.D will cover the entire cost."
"Yeah! That's awesome!"
Marvel Qi cheered immediately.
Even the usually elegant and composed Phoenix Mother could not help smiling sincerely.
Nearby, Wolverine was completely stunned.
Seeing the smug expression on Wolverine's face made Cyclops want to blast a laser straight into that irritating wolf mouth of his.
Marvel Qi hurried over to Beast, grinning widely.
"Professor Beast, that was incredible!"
"You barely had to move, and that troublesome auntie became obedient right away!"
Hearing such praise from his most promising student, especially with Jean watching nearby, Beast burst into laughter.
This was easily one of the happiest moments of his life.
For the sake of this moment, it would have been worth it even if he had to disable the jet's hover mode and jump down without a parachute.
The feeling was simply wonderful.
Beast laughed loudly, his thick blue fur trembling with delight.
Seeing this scene made Jean feel a slight pang of jealousy.
But before she could think of a way to respond, an elderly yet gentle voice suddenly echoed inside everyone's minds.
"Ah, it seems you all had quite an exciting time. Ororo was terribly worried."
Professor!
Marvel Qi and the others jumped in surprise when the telepathic message suddenly appeared in their heads.
It felt like a group of mischievous children being caught in the act by a strict elder.
Black Widow and Hawkeye, however, had a much more practical reaction.
Professor X?
Perfect.
Finally someone capable of controlling these troublemakers had arrived.
Perhaps the professor needed a moment to sort through everyone's thoughts.
After allowing their inner reactions to settle, he spoke again.
"Natasha, Barton. I apologize for frightening you."
"Please forgive an old man. My energy is not what it used to be."
Hawkeye seemed oddly pleased when the professor called him by his real name.
Black Widow, on the other hand, complained silently in her mind.
You call yourself an old man? Then what does that make me?
And why did you just say our real names? That was obviously a warning.
After being surrounded by younger X-Men earlier, she now felt even less comfortable facing this veteran mutant leader who had battled Magneto for decades.
Sure enough, the professor's next words changed the tone entirely.
If his earlier remarks were subtle warnings, this time his message was unmistakably firm.
"However, Natasha, Barton. I consider these children my family."
"Anyone who harms my family becomes the enemy of Charles Francis Xavier and the X-Men."
Marvel Qi felt deeply moved hearing those words.
He almost wanted to kneel on the spot.
Thank goodness I told the professor stories about the Fairy Tail guild master Makarov earlier, he thought to himself.
Right now the old man sounded like a peace-loving warrior ready to take flight.
But the professor was not finished.
"Natasha, do not try to play mind games with an old man like me."
"Whatever you are thinking, I can guess without even reading your mind."
"Professor…"
Black Widow's voice became dry.
She glanced helplessly at her useless partner Hawkeye.
When facing Phoenix and the other X-Men earlier, he had been full of courage and fiery speeches to defend S.H.I.E.L.D's reputation.
But now that Professor Xavier himself had appeared, Hawkeye refused to say a single word.
He kept his microphone firmly muted.
The pressure of that silence made even Black Widow feel insecure.
She knew Hawkeye had left the entire negotiation to her.
Perhaps he trusted her. More accurately, he definitely trusted her.
No matter how things turned out, he would still stand by her side.
Yet even the legendary Black Widow was still a woman who sometimes wished for someone to rely on.
And Hawkeye's "silent support" only made the pressure heavier.
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage.
"Professor Xavier, we are willing to accept the compensation terms. However, we hope that Mr. Mickey could join us… or rather assist us."
"We need his help with an urgent mission."
"Natasha."
The professor's voice was no longer gentle.
"Give the child the compensation he deserves."
"Then you may leave."
Even though the professor had clearly shown them the door, Black Widow still refused to abandon her final sliver of hope.
"Professor, please. This matter is extremely important to us."
Xavier remained unmoved.
"No matter how important it is, that is your problem. Not his."
Seeing that they still refused to back down, the professor's tone became colder.
"If this matter truly carried such importance, you should have approached me through proper channels first."
"Professor…"
Black Widow felt a chill run through her.
This time, the professor was truly angry.
His next few sentences cut even deeper.
"You need this child to help you create a new element to replace palladium, correct?"
"And even if he exhausted himself in the laboratory, the small amount he could produce might not even prolong the life of that so-called Playboy for very long."
"Yet you still insist on him instead of seeking someone more qualified."
"Should I assume that you fear Erik Lehnsherr, yet show little respect for me?"
"Professor!"
Black Widow was terrified.
How could she possibly answer that?
When Professor Xavier became serious, he could be even more dangerous than Magneto.
With the Cerebro amplifier within reach, he could become a living natural disaster.
Calling him a threat to humanity's survival would not be an exaggeration.
Facing such a volcano on the verge of eruption, Black Widow could only swallow her pride.
"Professor Xavier, this is my mistake. Please forgive me this time."
"As for the compensation, once Mr. Mickey calculates the amount, please send the bill to my personal email. I truly do not have that much money on me right now."
After admitting defeat, she hurriedly dragged the still-dazed Hawkeye away.
She did not dare remain any longer.
For a moment she even wondered whether Magneto had somehow influenced the professor.
Otherwise, how could the famously gentle Xavier suddenly sound so explosive?
Walking along a nearby street, surrounded by the youthful atmosphere of the students, Black Widow shared her confusion with Hawkeye.
"This is strange. The professor is usually much more patient. Even when we push too far, he eventually compromises."
Hawkeye lowered his voice.
"Natasha… we are still very close to that place. Maybe talking about this is dangerous."
Black Widow scoffed.
"If Professor Xavier wanted to hear us, he could find us even if we were hiding in another country."
"So relax. Speak freely."
"See? Nothing happened to me."
Reassured by Natasha's confidence, Barton finally spoke.
"Well… I guess I do not have much to say."
"I was just worried about you."
Black Widow's smile froze.
She ruffled her hair in frustration.
"Barton, you really are an idiot."
"Honestly, you are unbelievably dense."
Hawkeye laughed awkwardly.
At that moment, a call suddenly interrupted them.
Director Fury had issued an order.
"Black Widow. Hawkeye. Return to headquarters immediately and retrieve your equipment. Something has happened to the Playboy."
They exchanged a glance.
Both of them wore the same helpless expression of corporate employees who could never escape their duties.
Still, they responded firmly.
"Understood."
Back at the club, Professor Xavier finally shifted his attention away from the departing agents.
"Oh? So all of you believe your wings have grown strong enough now?"
The old professor began his lecture.
Every student lowered their head respectfully, including Marvel Qi.
After speaking for quite some time, the professor accepted a glass of spring water from Storm and drank it in one breath.
Then he sighed.
"You youngsters are always so impulsive."
"You act without thinking first…"
Just when everyone believed a long scolding was coming, he suddenly said something unexpected.
"However, your performance today was commendable."
"Next time, continue doing the same. Just do it even better."
"Professor?!"
Everyone stared at him in shock.
For X-Men who had followed Professor Xavier's philosophy of peaceful coexistence for years, those words sounded unbelievable.
They had already considered it a major step when he defended the rights of a mutant minor against S.H.I.E.L.D agents.
But now it seemed the professor had taken an even more surprising direction.
"Professor… are you feeling alright?"
Wolverine asked bluntly.
Jean, Cyclops, Beast, and even Marvel Qi looked equally stunned.
Professor Xavier sat calmly in his elegant wheelchair, sipping the mineral water Storm handed him.
He pretended to look confused.
"What? Is there a problem?"
Nobody answered.
Even the stubborn Wolverine remained silent.
Seeing no one take the bait, the professor lost interest in teasing them.
He spoke seriously.
"In truth, the philosophy of Master Makarov in the Little Mickey comics has inspired me greatly."
"Should we remain weak? Should we always retreat?"
"Does that really solve anything?"
"Perhaps it is because I have yielded too often that others feel free to storm into our home."
Marvel Qi quickly interrupted nervously.
"Professor… I made that story up. It was just a comic for entertainment."
He had hoped to make the professor slightly less passive.
But judging from the professor's tone, it seemed the old man might be heading toward a major transformation.
I hope I did not accidentally break the old man's worldview…
Professor Xavier shook his head.
"Perhaps that is why they fear Erik far more than they respect me."
He emphasized the word they.
His dissatisfaction with certain political powers was obvious.
"If they respect power more than principles…"
"Then perhaps we must adapt."
"I am not saying we should become Erik."
"But perhaps we should learn a little firmness from him."
The old professor finished with a playful rhetorical question that reminded everyone of a certain wise wizard.
And just like that, the atmosphere reached its climax.