Marvel: Father of Superheroes

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*****

Caliban stood at the entrance of the water tower, his nose twitching slightly as he caught two unfamiliar scents—scents he had never smelled

Caliban stood at the entrance of the water tower, his nose twitching slightly as he caught two unfamiliar scents—scents he had never smelled before.

Strangers. There were strangers inside the water tower!

Caliban tensed.

What were they planning to do to Charles?

Were they here to kill Charles?

What should he do?

Pretend nothing was happening, or rush inside?

Caliban hesitated for two seconds, then called out from outside the tower:

"Charles?"

"I'm here."

Hearing Charles's reply, Caliban let out a breath of relief.

Just as he was about to ask a few more questions to confirm what was going on inside, the water tower door swung open, and a little girl appeared in front of him.

Startled, Caliban instinctively stepped back two paces. His hat shifted slightly on his head, and he hurried to straighten it with his gloved hand.

"Uncle, come in," Gwen said with a bright smile.

Caliban peered inside warily.

"We mean no harm."

The voice came before the figure appeared—Mike stepped out and stood in front of Caliban.

A flicker of fear crossed Caliban's eyes as he retreated two more steps. Seeing that Mike made no move to attack, he asked cautiously, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"If you want to know, come inside and talk," Mike replied before turning and walking back into the tower.

Watching the father and daughter walk away, Caliban pondered for a few seconds, then shook his head with a wry smile and strode inside.

What was he hesitating for?

Besides this miserable life, what else did he really have to lose? What was there left to be afraid of?

As he entered, he saw the man sitting by Charles's bedside, speaking to him in a low voice, while the little girl spun circles around the tower in Charles's motorized wheelchair.

"Caliban!"

Charles waved enthusiastically, introducing the two newcomers with great excitement: "This is Mike Kent, and that's his daughter, Gwen Kent."

Finally, someone was here who would listen to him properly, someone who actually believed in the things he saw and heard.

That alone made Charles overjoyed. In fact, when he introduced them, he even lifted his chin proudly, his face full of childlike smugness.

Like an old man pretending to be a kid.

Caliban gave a small nod to the two, though his eyes still carried suspicion.

At that moment, Mike said calmly, "I already told you—I mean no harm to Charles, to you, or to Logan."

As he spoke, two blazing beams shot out at a speed Caliban couldn't even react to, slicing through the water tower.

Zzzzt!

In an instant, a massive hole was torn open in the tower.

Cold sweat formed on Caliban's forehead.

What kind of ability was this?

If he wanted to kill them, they would stand no chance of resisting.

"Looks like you understand now," Mike said evenly, then turned to Charles and spoke slowly: "Charles says there are new mutants. That's something you should take seriously."

Caliban hesitated before replying, "You don't understand. He has dementia. What he says…"

"He's sick, yes—but that doesn't make him a fool."

Hearing Mike's words, Charles gave Caliban a triumphant humph. "Did you hear that? Did you hear what my friend said? You two idiots!"

Caliban was speechless.

And this was what he called mentally normal?

Who calls complete strangers their friends the first time they meet?

"What exactly do you want?" Caliban demanded.

"We don't want anything."

Gwen stopped the wheelchair in front of him, looked up with a serious expression, and said, "My dad and I just want to help you."

Caliban was silent for a moment.

"Heh."

He didn't believe it.

But Charles exclaimed happily, "Did you hear that? Someone's going to help us! Someone wants to help us!"

Caliban's face twitched.

"I'll take you outside," Mike said to Charles. Gwen pushed the wheelchair over, and Mike lifted Charles onto it before rolling him toward the exit.

Panicked, Caliban cried out, "If Charles goes outside, we'll all be in danger!"

"If he stays inside and his illness acts up, you won't be able to handle it either," Mike replied flatly, then turned to Gwen. "Bring his medicine."

Gwen nodded, quickly packing Charles's medicine into a bag before following after them.

Left alone for a few seconds, Caliban cursed under his breath, then nervously hurried after them.

He still didn't know Mike's true intentions.

What if running away angered him? And if he left—what would happen to Charles?

Was Mike a friend or an enemy? Should he notify Logan?

Caliban's thoughts were a mess.

Following the three into the factory, he froze.

Mike was chopping vegetables.

"Wait a little—I'll make lunch for everyone," Mike said casually.

Gwen tugged Caliban toward the dining table with a cheerful grin, seating him across from Charles.

"My dad's cooking is delicious," she boasted. Then, noticing that Caliban still wore his hat, she tilted her head and asked curiously, "Aren't you hot?"

Caliban pulled down his scarf, revealing half of his pale face. "Aren't you scared?"

He had albinism—his unnaturally white skin often frightened children.

"Not at all!" Gwen said brightly. She looked him over and giggled. "I once saw someone way uglier. His face looked like it had been fried in a pan."

Caliban grimaced in disgust at the image, then glanced at Gwen, who had leaned forward on the table, staring at Charles with eyes full of concern. He faltered for a moment.

Just what were these two mysterious people?

He could sense their goodwill—especially toward Charles.

"Ahem… Gwen, right?" Caliban asked softly. "You really won't hurt us?"

"If we wanted to hurt you, why would we bother making you food? Wouldn't it be easier to just twist your heads off?" Gwen answered impatiently.

Caliban thought about it. It… did make a certain kind of sense.

So should he call Logan—?

"Don't call Logan," Charles suddenly said.

"You used your ability?" Caliban asked.

"No—I used my brain."

Charles grinned, but as he did, his dentures fell onto the table with a clack.

The room fell silent before Gwen burst into laughter.

Caliban quietly picked them up, placed them back in Charles's mouth, and said seriously, "I'll trust you one last time."

Charles chuckled, tested his dentures, then bared his teeth proudly. "I'm not lying. They really are friends."

Moments later, Mike brought lunch to the table.

Chinese food?

Caliban froze for a second, then accepted the utensils Mike handed him. "Thanks."

A few minutes later, after finishing his meal, Caliban quietly walked to the side.

This time, he decided to trust Charles. And honestly, anyone who could cook food that delicious… surely couldn't be a bad person.

That ridiculous thought flashed in his mind, and he chuckled softly.

If they really were here to help—then how exactly were they planning to help?

(End of Chapter)