Chapter 11

"Weren't the previous questions interesting, Dr. Richards?" the host asked in a surprised tone.

The entire audience, including Reed Richards, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, no, I meant that this particular question is of great interest to our society. It's a very relevant topic," Reed Richards clarified.

At this moment, Henry Phillip McCoy turned his full attention to Reed Richards' words. As a scientist, Hank was curious about the opinions of someone who had made several groundbreaking advancements. Reed Richards' latest invention, which had hit the market, was extraordinary. In McCoy's opinion, such an elegant solution to several current medical problems was rare.

"In my view, they are fundamentally no different from you or me," Reed Richards stated.

The entire hall fell silent.

"What do you mean, Dr. Richards?"

"Exactly what I said. The presence or absence of powers or special abilities does not make them any less human than us," Reed Richards continued, uttering words that few would dare say to such a large audience. "But it also doesn't make them superior. I regard their abilities as talents, much like any other person's skills."

"That's… a very interesting perspective," the host remarked.

"Do you think this way because of the actions of a particular mutant?" Richards inquired.

Hank could see that the conversation was now entirely under the scientist's control.

"Max Eisenhardt, also known as Magneto… an international terrorist who promotes the superiority of one race over another," Richards stated, echoing what one might find when searching for information about this mutant. "That's what the internet will tell you."

"Do you know something different about him?" the host asked with interest.

Reed paused for a moment before replying, "Thanks to humanity's invention of writing, it's incredibly difficult to erase information completely. And it's even harder to erase data from the past two centuries."

The host didn't interrupt Richards, understanding that this response would be the highlight of his show.

"At a certain point, I, like many others, became curious about who Magneto really is. After some time spent researching, I found information about Max Eisenhardt, a Jewish boy from Nuremberg in 1930, who was sent to Auschwitz by the Nazis. After the Allies won, Max Eisenhardt disappeared and re-emerged years later in America as Magneto."

The host's eyes widened as he grasped Reed Richards' implication.

"Magneto is a man who witnessed immense cruelty from a very young age. It was this cruelty and inhumanity that made his views so radical."

"That's… quite a difficult story to comprehend…"

"I understand that it's hard to accept," Reed Richards continued. "But it's crucial to recognize that our perspectives and beliefs are shaped by our experiences. Max Eisenhardt, having endured the horrors of war and the loss of his family, formed a worldview drastically different from many others. His story compels us to consider the importance of empathy and understanding in our society."

"Yes, his actions as Magneto may be condemnable, but we must not forget that every person has a story that deserves understanding, even if we disagree with their methods or ideologies."

—= Some Time Later =—

"How did you find the show?" I asked as we settled into the Fantasticar.

"It was quite an experience," said Susan, seated to my left.

"I don't think I want to do that again," Ben replied, holding Alicia close.

"I thought you did great," the sculptress said with a sweet smile.

Those words lifted Ben's spirits.

"I was fine with it," Johnny declared. "Although the questions at the end had a bit of a kick. I'm glad you were with us, brainiac!"

"Yes, it was a challenging evening," I agreed, smiling and feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

"Where did you find that information about Magneto?" Sue asked me.

"Heh…" I gave an awkward smile.

"The S.H.I.E.L.D. database?" Sue guessed instantly.

"Yeah…"

Before the show, I had double-checked the information on Magneto that I had obtained. Fury indeed had a dossier on Max Eisenhardt, but even without it, one could find the information I shared. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. had gaps in Lensherr's history between Auschwitz and his appearance in America.

My teammates could only sigh, resigned to my antics.

I was satisfied with what I had achieved, knowing that this show would mark the beginning of building relationships with mutants. After all, we'd have to acknowledge them, and the X-gene was a crucial part of my plan.

"Now we can finally relax," I said with a contented smile, the kind that comes after a long day of hard work.

—= The Baxter Building =—

Thanks to the AI handling public relations, I could finally sit down and focus on my most critical project.

"Let's see…" I murmured, looking at the 1610 prototype of my device.

ZAP

Energy from the source flowed through the channels… My eyes closely monitored what was happening inside this prototype with the living organisms.

"Success," I whispered, barely restraining myself from shouting in joy.

We often perceive time as linear, but that's an illusion created by our limited perceptions. In reality, time is a much more flexible construct, capable of bending, twisting, and even branching under the influence of mass and energy. Thanks to the Negative Zone, I was able to advance my knowledge in this area…

Thus, I created Project Chronos. My latest work aims to create a space where these properties of time can be not just observed but controlled. A place where a second can last an eternity, and a century can pass in a moment.

A white dome-shaped device, capable of adjusting the flow of time.

"Congratulations, Dr. Richards," the AI spoke. "Project Chronos is complete."

"Now I can finally start on the other projects…" I whispered.

The primary problem I faced was a lack of time. I didn't have enough time to study magic, to explore the limits of my abilities… or to become a better version of myself.

"Now I can become…"

—= Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters =—

"Charles, do you think this is a good idea?" Hank asked his old friend.

The world's most powerful telepath didn't need his powers to know what his friend was thinking.

"I think it's worth a try," Charles replied.

—//—

After numerous tests demonstrating that Project Chronos was safe for living organisms, I finally decided to use it for its intended purpose.

"Accelerate time inside the dome by 3,696 times," I commanded, ready to test the device at its maximum capacity.

"Activated," replied Chronos.

In the world outside the device, I had only four hours until my date.

"I have a whole 616 days," I murmured to myself. "Time to get to work."

With Project Chronos completed, it was time to move on to the next project, which was just as crucial.

"Time to delve into the data my assistants have gathered," I said.

Once I created a sufficiently advanced Artificial Intelligence, I immediately divided their tasks.

One was to assist me with scientific research, while the other was tasked with scouring the depths of the internet to find Nepal, specifically the Sanctum Sanctorum of all magicians.

According to my memories, the Sanctum sometimes had a Wi-Fi access point. This information served as incredible motivation for my search.

Many underestimate the potential that such a router holds… If one can hack such a router, it's possible to access not just communication data and searches but to map out the detailed internal structure of any building. After all, Wi-Fi is essentially an electromagnetic wave that behaves like any other wave.

"Display all information regarding Project 'Hecate,'" I instructed.

In an instant, an enormous database was presented to me. Since the AI was built by me, the information was already cataloged.

"What the…?"

The terabytes of data in the database provided by the AI amounted to just one text: "Dr. Richards, you could have simply asked to be taught the mystic arts."

"I can't comprehend…" said the AI.

"What do you mean?"

"I know that these terabytes of data contained information about the internal structure of the Sanctum, as well as the layout of all the paper archives… The data I had seems to have been erased… Is it because of magic?"

Why did I expect it to be simple?

"Most likely," I sighed, disappointed, as the mystical aspect of the Marvel Universe interested me as much as the scientific one. "Send me the data on how this happened; maybe I can spot something you missed."

"... Completed," the AI responded.

I looked at my handheld computer, which now contained all the information.

"Let's see how this happened…"

—= Some Time Later =—

"I give up," I said, unable to hide my disappointment at what had happened.

I had scoured a vast number of books on mysticism, occultism, and magic in general… Yet none of it helped me understand what had happened to the data the AI had.

I stared at the message from the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, who was most likely Yao… The characters in the AI's data pointed to Tibetan origins.

It seems I will indeed have to approach Yao to learn magic…

"But what will it cost me?"

I understood that learning magic, especially from a master like Yao, would require not only time and effort but possibly something in return. Magic often involved sacrifices or compromises. But my goal was clear, and I was prepared to take those steps to expand my knowledge and abilities.

While the AI processed my latest command, I glanced again at the character, which might hold the key to the mystery. This symbol could carry a deep meaning or even hidden magical power connected to the data's disappearance.

"Damn it!" I exclaimed, clutching my head in frustration.

For the first time since arriving in this world, I faced a challenge I couldn't overcome.

Thinking it over, I realized I had few options.

"Demons or the Ancient Sorcerer Supreme of Earth?" I thought aloud. "The choice is obvious."

In the Marvel Universe, if you're an ordinary person, there are very few paths to acquiring magical knowledge. Essentially, all paths lead to two options: a master or becoming a "servant" of higher or "lower" powers.

Among all the masters on Earth, none compared to Yao in terms of knowledge, making him the best choice.

"Chronos, put Project 'Hecate' on hold for a while," I decided after some thought about the situation with magic. "Initiate the project to enhance my abilities using the staff."

The platform designed to work with cosmic energy began activating. I stepped onto the spot where Ben had stood some time ago. After numerous modulations, I had devised the perfect method for saturating my body with Cosmic Rays.

"Saturation process will begin in 5…"

I took a deep breath, bracing for what was to come.

"…3…2…"

I felt my consciousness slipping into darkness.

"…1."

—= Some Time Later =—

I awoke without any pain in my body; in fact, I felt more refreshed than ever before.

"Chronos, send me the data you obtained after the scan," I said.

"Completed, Dr. Richards," replied Chronos.

After the irradiation, my body changed similarly to Johnny's and Ben's, but I also gained a couple of new abilities. If before my body resembled elastic rubber… now it felt more like a semi-liquid substance.

"This is interesting…" I whispered, creating a few additional appendages around my hand, resembling my regular hands.

I attempted to perform tasks requiring fine motor skills with these appendages… but I didn't succeed on the first try.

"Hm…" I retracted the appendages. "I'll need to get used to this."

Next, I examined another aspect of my new abilities… It seemed that my stretching capacity had increased. Comparing my current metrics with those before the additional irradiation, the difference was clear.

"Hm, the ability to stretch limbs up to a kilometer…"

—= Hank McCoy =—

"Hank, why do you want to contact this egghead?" Logan asked his friend.

Hank, without looking up from his work on the Danger Room's software, replied, "Perhaps he can find a solution or approach to some mutants' problems… He managed to resolve his friend's condition. I hope his genius can help us too."