Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5704 - 4728: X Royal Family: Annihilation (10)

Following the departure of the White Queen, Magneto's gaze settled on Professor X with apprehension. He then turned to Shiller, remarking, "That course of action was excessively perilous. Had Emma chosen to attack you impulsively, my ability to intervene fully might have been insufficient. Charles, you should return to the Gravity Laboratory immediately."

"Evasion offers no lasting solution, Erik," stated Professor X, meeting Magneto's eyes. "I understand your desire to shield me, your concern regarding the radical elements within the mutant population, and your fear they might act against me following the complete annihilation of the raid team. However, I must step forward courageously to shoulder responsibility and serve as an example for the younger generation. I intend to convene a general assembly..."

"Absolutely not!" Magneto's brow furrowed deeply. "At present, simply quelling the internal dissent directed at you within the Mutant Brotherhood is proving immensely challenging. Were it not for the overwhelmingly negative public perception, I would not insist on you remaining confined to the lab."

"But if I remain secluded in the lab, all the ensuing criticism will inevitably fall upon you, Erik. How can I possibly permit you to confront all of this alone?"

Shiller, meanwhile, was already seated behind his desk, engrossed in his mobile phone. The universe of mutant comics, it seemed, harbored a peculiar flaw: a substantial third of the narrative inexplicably revolved around the perpetual ebb and flow of Magneto and Professor X's tumultuous relationship.

At any given moment, in any place, and during any significant event, the comics would struggle for publication without the presence of their emotional entanglements. The only variation lay in the degree to which their dynamic dominated the plot.

Whether their relationship commenced with affection or conflict dictated the overarching tone of a particular comic. The sheer intensity of their love-hate dynamic determined its longevity. Ultimately, whether they chose love or continued conflict dictated the comic's concluding arc.

The fortunate aspect was that, within the original narrative of "X Royal Family," they had collaborated harmoniously, devoid of any arguments. The unfortunate news, however, was that the original storyline had been fundamentally fractured, now veering towards the tired, predictable trope of initial affection followed by inevitable conflict.

"Erik, please remove your helmet; we need to have a conversation," Charles's voice emanated from his side. Shiller, without missing a beat, extracted a medical report and began writing. He knew that with this particular request, the discussion would certainly not conclude within the next two hours.

Shiller proceeded to meticulously complete the medical records amidst the escalating cacophony of their debate. Prior to his arrival at this location, forty-six records remained unfinished; upon arrival, the count had risen to forty-eight. Judging by the intensity of their present exchange, he estimated that completing two records this afternoon was an achievable goal.

Suddenly, a psychic tempest surged through the room. Fortunately, Shiller was prepared; he deactivated his Psychic_Battlefield, rendering him unaffected. Magneto recoiled visibly, pain etched on his features, stumbling backward until he collided with the desk. Shiller swiftly extended a hand, intercepting Magneto's fall and preventing him from striking the freshly penned medical report.

Immediately, their argument escalated dramatically. Shiller, however, tuned out their voices, mentally cursing Strange while continuing his writing with intense focus. Abruptly, a magnetic storm erupted, causing every object within the room to levitate – tables, chairs, and scattered papers alike. Shiller quickly secured the drifting documents. Moments after leaping from the now airborne floor, he witnessed Professor X collapsing weakly.

"Doctor," Magneto called out to Shiller, supporting the frail Professor X as he maneuvered him into a wheelchair. "Kindly escort him back to the Gravity Laboratory and ensure he receives proper care until he regains consciousness."

Shiller accepted the wheelchair from Magneto's grasp, then raised a finger, stating, "Firstly, I am a psychiatrist. Should he experience a sudden medical crisis, I am ill-equipped for emergency rescue; my capacity is limited to offering advisory counsel. Secondly, I am not your personal physician, and I have prior commitments..."

Even as he spoke, Magneto had already decisively turned and departed.

Shiller let out a sigh, then proceeded to wheel Professor X back to the Gravity Laboratory. Moira, upon seeing Professor X's condition, gasped in shock.

"Ensure he receives attentive care," Shiller instructed, initiating the process of delegating the responsibility.

"I cannot comprehend how he came to be..."

"Magneto," Shiller interjected, summarizing the cause of the incident with utmost brevity.

Moira, who apparently possessed a deep understanding of their dynamic, let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Magneto's name, only to furrow her brow once more. "I have heard there is considerable opposition to the Professor among the mutants, is that accurate?"

From their initial encounter, Shiller had recognized that Moira would be indispensable and unable to depart from the Anti-gravity Laboratory at this juncture. Her technical expertise was crucial for both the Totem Revival Plan and the Anti-red orchid plan. While Decoding and Beast could offer assistance, Miss Nine Lives remained the pivotal figure for the mutants' endeavor to reconstruct Utopia.

Precisely because she bore such a heavy burden of technical responsibilities, her involvement in political affairs was minimal, and her awareness of external developments remained limited. Since the complete obliteration of the team, the pressure on her had intensified, leading to a reduction in her communication with the outside world.

"It's a bit troublesome," Shiller commented, "You can probably also imagine, if it wasn’t for the internal pressure among mutants being substantial enough to truly pose a threat to the professor, Magneto wouldn’t take such a desperate measure."

Moira turned to look at the figure of Professor X lying in the wheelchair, adjusted her glasses, and inquired, "Where does the internal pressure mainly come from? Whether it’s the X-Men or the Mutant Brotherhood, it shouldn’t be to the extent that..."

"Mister Sinister," Shiller uttered a name, "he is a complete opportunist. He may not genuinely agree with this plan, merely seeking the benefits that Krakoa brings. So even though he provides the technology to preserve mutant genes for the Totem Revival Plan, given the unfavorable situation, he might want to withdraw his shares, or even betray us, which is entirely possible."

"This is terrible," Moira lamented, "Even at this point, we still can’t unite as one. It seems the Revival Plan must be accelerated; we need a strong incentive."

"No, Miss," Shiller looked at her and spoke, "Quite the opposite. You indeed need to research promptly, but don’t reveal it too quickly. If it’s truly completed, I hope you can keep it a secret for the time being."

"Why?" Moira asked, puzzled, "The return of the sacrificed heroes will undoubtedly boost morale. Isn’t this strong encouragement exactly what we need now?"

Shiller shook his head and declared, "The storm will prove who is the true king of the skies. The failure of mutants is because you can never accept defeat."

Moira remained silent, just gazing at him. The cycles of nine lives have granted this lady richer experience and deeper thoughts than other mutants, making her more receptive to seemingly unconventional ideas.

"In my view, the failure of the assault team cannot be considered a failure, it’s merely a bump in the road. But too many mutants haven’t realized this, including Professor X and Magneto. Otherwise, they wouldn’t choose to seek help from the Multiverse."

"They knew very well that the arrival of the Prime Universe might bring a series of troubles, but still, they accepted it for assistance. Do they truly need this help? If they can’t even accept failure to such an extent, how can they rebuild their homeland?"

"I don’t understand." Moira stepped forward slowly, approaching Shiller, raising her head to look into his gray eyes and stated, "The most crucial assault plan totally failed. Isn’t that enough?"

"The problem is that you shouldn’t put all your hopes on this one assault plan." Shiller sighed and began his lecture, "’Quick victory theory’ and ’quick defeat theory’ are both major taboos in military affairs. Attempting to decide the outcome with a few ’assaults’ and ’assassinations’ is in itself a display of shallow political thinking and short-sighted strategic vision."

Everyone thinking of ’achieving success in one stroke’ results in the current predicament. Once the assault plan, which you had high hopes for, fails, everyone will feel desperate and want to find a scapegoat to vent their anger. This is completely wrong.

"I can only say, thankfully, you failed. If you had won, great victories would make you taste the sweetness of raids and assassinations, and the path would only become increasingly crooked, distancing further from victory, even if temporarily proud, it can’t last."

Shiller wasn’t inventing this. In fact, in subsequent comics, Krakoa, commonly known as ’K Island,’ was still destroyed. This once glorious Utopia disappeared again in the long river of mutant history, leaving no trace.

This certainly includes the editors’ reluctance to have mutants settle, but ultimately, the larger issue lies within the mutant community itself.

"Mutants are like an over-tempered sword," Shiller commented, "perhaps very sharp, but lacking resilience."

Moira lowered her eyes. She didn’t comment on this evaluation, neither angry nor puzzled, as if she had expected it long ago. Silence is sometimes a form of expression. It seems that the time spent with mutants, starting from the reconstruction of Utopia, has allowed her to see through much.

"Mutants possess only superficial unity," Shiller continued, "Working together for the ideal of rebuilding a homeland seems harmless. However, the ideal of rebuilding a homeland is not a suitable one. What kind of homeland to recreate is the question. ’Letting every mutant have a place to belong’ is not grand enough, so your alliance is not solid."

"Not grand enough?" Moira looked at him and retorted, "But this is already an incredibly difficult task, never accomplished before."