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This was Charles's first encounter with Jean's second personality.
It was a persona that emerged whenever Jean faced danger or intense emotions. And whenever it appeared, her true power would erupt, posing a threat to those around her.
The reason for the emergence of this personality traced back to Jean's awakening—when she unintentionally injured her parents. Fearing that her abilities would harm those around her, she had suppressed her powers for so long that this personality was born.
As her power began to surge out of control, Jean panicked.
Ordinarily, anyone who got too close to her at such moments would end up hurt.
But in the next instant, something unexpected happened—someone soothed the raging power within her.
Charles released her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Everything's fine."
Jean's eyes widened in delight, and she couldn't help but cheer, "That's amazing!"
Charles simply smiled back, but then, he fell into deep thought, rubbing his chin.
This is troublesome.
Jean's second personality controlled her true power. If anyone attempted to harm Jean or erase this personality, her abilities would explode violently.
And that could hurt Jean herself.
However, if her second personality wasn't sealed away, Jean couldn't control her powers. The slightest mistake while using them could send her into a rampage.
Charles remained silent, contemplating the situation. Seeing this, Jean suppressed her excitement and quietly sat beside him, waiting.
A few minutes later, Charles came up with a gentler solution—but it required Jean to make a choice.
After a brief pause, he looked at her with warmth and said, "Don't worry. I'm not hurt. But now, you need to make a decision."
Jean hesitated. "Does it have to do with my powers?"
"Yes."
Charles nodded and explained his discovery.
Jean fell into silence. Then, memories long buried within her mind resurfaced, causing her powers to surge out of control once more.
At that moment, Charles's voice echoed in her mind, pulling her back from the brink.
Instantly, her raging powers subsided. Jean took a shaky breath and looked at Charles. "Professor Charles… what do you want me to do? I'll cooperate fully."
"I plan to construct a mental cage to seal your second personality. Then, you'll start training to master your powers. Once you're strong enough, you'll reclaim control over all of them."
Jean thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright! Do we start now? What do I need to do?"
Charles smiled faintly, placing his hands on her temples. "Try to remain as calm as possible."
"Okay!" Jean responded, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready!"
The moment she spoke, an immense, awe-inspiring mental force rushed into her mind—so powerful it left her stunned… and even a little frightened.
She forced herself to clear her thoughts, doing her best to stay calm.
But then—suddenly—her powers rebelled against her control, growing stronger and stronger. Pain slowly spread through her body.
Just as panic set in, another immense force surged forth, suppressing the wild energy threatening to spiral out of control.
Jean let out a small sigh of relief and once again heard Charles's voice.
"It's done. But as you train, you must take things one step at a time."
Jean was overjoyed. Excitedly, she exclaimed, "Thank you, Professor Charles!"
Charles smiled, pleased that he could help this child.
This moment marked the first step in his journey as a teacher.
---
### Manhattan—Mike's Residence
It was dinnertime again. Mike picked up his phone and headed outside.
Eating alone… it just didn't feel worth the effort to cook. He had no motivation.
Fortunately, his neighborhood had plenty of restaurants to choose from.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
An unknown number.
Mike hesitated for a second, then a look of joy flashed across his face.
Clark?
He quickly answered.
"Sir, would you be interested in buying a house?"
Mike's mouth twitched as he immediately hung up the phone.
Buy a house? And what, give it to you to live in?
I own more houses than your entire real estate agency combined. Do I look like I need to buy another one?
He muttered under his breath.
Ding ding ding!
The phone rang again.
Mike glanced at the screen—another unknown number.
Just as he was about to decline the call, his finger paused mid-air.
I've got nothing better to do anyway… chatting with someone might not be so bad.
He picked up the call and said, "Listen, if this is about selling me a house, I—"
"Dad?"
Mike's breath hitched. "Clark?"
"It's me. How are you?" Clark asked, his voice carrying a hint of concern. "You're not getting scammed into selling your house, are you?"
Mike's mouth twitched again. "Do I look that dumb to you?"
Clark chuckled softly. "Did you get the photos I sent you?"
Over the years, he had taken countless pictures from his travels and sent them all to Mike.
"New photos? Not yet. I'll check when I get home."
Clark's photos must have been delivered to the farm, which was why Mike hadn't received them yet.
A thought crossed Mike's mind. "Where are you right now?"
"Africa," Clark replied. "A lot of places here barely have any signal."
Mike leaned back on the couch, listening to Clark's voice—it had become calmer, steadier than before. "Are you doing okay?"
"Yeah."
Clark's response was followed by a series of stories—his adventures, encounters, and small moments from the trip.
Mike listened intently, occasionally responding, sometimes laughing along.
A few minutes later, the call ended.
Still smiling, Mike set his phone aside, his mood much lighter than before.
Humming an unfamiliar tune, he walked to the door. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he soared into the sky, vanishing in an instant as he flew toward the farm.
Once he retrieved Clark's package, he sat in his farmhouse, flipping through the photos. One by one, he carefully stored them away in Clark's old room.
Then, without hesitation, he flew back to New York.
Ever since he gained his new abilities, he had been using his teleportation cards less and less.
Feeling hungry, Mike headed to a restaurant, ordered some food to fill his stomach, and then made his way to a nearby supermarket.
He planned to grab some beer and snacks—the perfect setup for watching tonight's basketball game.
But just as he finished shopping and stepped out of the supermarket, a gunshot shattered the night, followed by screams.
The street erupted into chaos.
Mike's eyes turned cold. Without hesitation, he grabbed a can of beer and hurled it forward.
Whoosh!
The can slammed into a man holding a gun, sending him flying before he could pull the trigger.
Mike rushed forward. The man struggled to get up, but before he could, Mike swung his leg—his foot colliding with the man's face.
BANG!
The man hit the ground, unconscious, his face covered in blood.
Mike snorted lightly.
That guy should be grateful.
If this had been back when I first got my powers, that beer can would've gone straight through him.
(End of Chapter)