Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5762 - 785: X Royal Family: Rebirth (25)

One could immediately tell the level of crisis awareness possessed by superheroes and mutants, along with their lightning-fast, on-the-spot reactions, honed through countless disasters, just by observing them now.

Even without any prior warning, while most people were still comfortably immersed in the hot springs, Matt's single shout caused everyone to instantly spring up. They didn't mind being bare-chested; some even dropped the towels wrapped around their waists and fled in a panic.

Contrary to those disaster movies where people freeze in fear after a warning, every superhero and mutant reacted as if they had practiced countless times, retreating as swiftly as they had entered. Within moments, the pit was entirely clear.

Though Stark's illness hadn't fully receded, his reactions were astonishingly rapid. Before Matt even finished speaking, Stark had already armed himself in his mecha, gripping Steve with his left hand and Bucky with his right. As they passed Natasha, Bucky pulled her along, and she, in turn, grabbed Shiller. Concerned for Matt, Shiller tugged him along too. The individuals from the Prime Universe formed a chain, exiting the pit like a string of candied fruit.

The Avengers from the Prime Universe were equally agile. Iron Man scooped up Spider-Man, who then used his webbing to attach himself to Captain America. Doctor Strange gathered Black Widow and Banner, while Thor swiftly carried Hawkeye. The only minor inconvenience was that Captain America and Thor's robes came loose. Fortunately, the darkness above concealed this mishap.

The local Avengers reacted a bit more sluggishly, scattered as they were among the mutants they were conversing with. Spider-Man utilized his webbing for a quick ascent, and Black Widow deployed her hook. Iron Man considered assisting them, but seeing that the mutants were managing on their own, he proceeded upward. Winter Soldier, Captain America, and Hawkeye were all led out by the mutants they had been interacting with.

The remaining mutants exhibited even greater resourcefulness, each assisting a substantial group. Polaris alone pulled up over twenty mutants, all of whom materialized above the pit simultaneously.

In a mere second or two, the ground began to convDistortion not found from a horizontal shake, but an up-and-down motion akin to flipping a frying pan. This type of tremor made it difficult even for a cyborg like Captain America to maintain his footing, almost launching him skyward.

"Something's wrong!" Stark declared, stepping forward. "This tremor is far too regular to be a natural occurrence; something must be... the volcano! Something is triggering the volcano's eruption!!!"

Everyone's expression shifted. It was common knowledge that the volcano on Clarkia Island was active, with frequent geological disturbances. An eruption would spell disaster, potentially burying the entire island under volcanic ash. Even if casualties were avoided, the extensive development on Clarkia would be rendered meaningless.

Furthermore, their proximity to the volcano meant escape might be impossible. Beyond the superheroes and mutants, numerous ordinary individuals were present, including scientists, personnel from SWORD and Wakanda, and ambassadors from smaller nations allied with the mutants. If all these lives were lost here, the mutants would be forced to abandon Earth overnight.

Before Stark could finish speaking, he prepared to descend. Steve quickly halted him. "What are you doing?!"

"I need to go down there and dismantle that device," Stark shouted, his voice rising. "The volcanic eruption isn't immediate; there's still time!!!"

Upon hearing this, the mutants understood the gravity of the situation. Iceman and Pyro immediately moved forward, with other young mutants quickly mobilizing around them.

"I'll accompany you!" Iceman declared. "Whatever it is, I can freeze it. If necessary, I can even find a way to freeze the magma!"

"Precisely!" Polaris affirmed. "I can stabilize the underground magnetic field to give you time. We absolutely must prevent the volcano from erupting!"

Stark took a slight step back. "Stephen!"

"No way," Strange interjected, stepping forward. "I lack knowledge of the specific underground geological structure. If I open a Teleportation Portal, it could send you directly into the magma. Moreover, the ensuing explosion might destabilize the portal, preventing your return!"

"We're running out of time," Stark stated through gritted teeth. "We have to fly down!"

Several figures swiftly descended toward the pit's base. Just then, another figure followed. As Stark flew, he glanced back to see it was the local Iron Man. The other figure lifted his visor and called out, "I designed the underground water system; I have to go!"

Stark remained silent, yet he understood that such consistent tremors could only originate from artificial machinery, and the sole artificial system present underground was the water infrastructure. This situation was undoubtedly linked to the local Iron Man's construction.

Despite harboring numerous suspicions, Stark could not afford to be negligent. Upon entering the preceding cavern, he had deliberately obstructed the local Iron Man's progress. The other party took notice but lacked the opportunity for discourse, as Stark had swiftly departed, denying any chance for an explanation.

"Everyone else, follow me towards the volcano," Erik announced. "If the volcano's eruption is unavoidable, we must devise a method to redirect the lava flow. Captain, you will escort the rest to safety."

"Descend beneath the waves," Namor commanded suddenly. "I have established a temporary, shielded sanctuary in the Abyssal Depths below the island. Even if the volcano erupts, this haven will remain unaffected. Follow me."

Veterans of countless battles, including Captain America and the Winter Soldier, required no verbal cues; they instinctively formed ranks. Some took the lead, while others secured the rear, maintaining the group's formation as cohesively as sheepdogs herding their flock, swiftly advancing towards their objective. Ordinary individuals and less powerful mutants could only clench their jaws and strain to keep pace.

In a fleeting moment, they arrived at the lake's edge. Namor glided to the center, brandished his Trident, and an underwater passage materialized. Super-powered mutants began guiding the civilians downward. As no seawater was present along the descent and the pressure differential was negated, they reached the Deep Sea refuge Namor had prepared without incident.

"Observe here, a continuously ascending water current, leading directly to the lake's core," Namor explained. "My intention was to construct a high-speed aquatic conduit connecting Atlantis and Clarkia, and it remains only half-completed. I had not anticipated this emergent crisis."

"I remain uneasy," Apocalypse declared. "Volcanic eruptions do not concern me. You all remain here; I must investigate this myself."

With those words, he ascended once more. The other formidable mutants followed suit; they were unwilling to merely seek refuge like ordinary individuals. Thus, after ensuring the civilians were settled, they all ascended.

However, their destination was the volcano's caldera, where Erik awaited. None dared to descend rashly. Lacking comprehension of the subterranean structure and unaware of the precise cause of the tremors, venturing below would merely invite peril. Should an explosion occur subsequently, egress would prove exceedingly difficult.

Yet, Strange from the Prime Universe and Shiller, bolstered by their considerable abilities, primarily concerned themselves with Stark, who had not yet recuperated. The pair plunged into the cave at their utmost velocity; the ambient temperature had already surpassed previous levels considerably.

Previously, it was merely inhospitable for ordinary individuals; now, it presented a challenge even for power users. Upon entering, Strange immediately erected multiple protective barriers around himself, remarking, "Even the rivers of lava within Mephisto's Inferno do not possess such ferocity. Can Tony's armor withstand this?"

"They also brought Iceman and Polaris, so it ought to hold," Shiller responded, though a nebulous gray mist began to unfurl, commencing a search for Stark's location throughout the entire cavern.

The gray mist does not inherently favor extreme heat, but this is merely a psychological perception. In reality, ambient temperature exerts no influence on an Outer God. More precisely, most elements within the corporeal realm are incapable of affecting it. Furthermore, the gray mist shares a close bond with Little Morgan, and perceiving that Little Morgan's father might be in jeopardy, it disregarded any discomfort from the heat, expending maximum effort.

"Located him!" the gray mist suddenly proclaimed. "A moment, I must temper some of my capabilities, lest they inadvertently influence their consciousness..."

Shiller solidified into his humanoid form, startling several mutants present, nearly provoking an immediate hostile reaction. Iceman had already unleashed an ice projectile, which, fortunately, had no effect on Shiller.

"Ah, my apologies, I..."

Shiller hastily made a silencing gesture, as the two Iron Men were currently scrutinizing the power core of the water regulation system. This very device was continuously emitting shockwaves, agitating the subterranean heat and precipitating the impending volcanic eruption.

Iceman watched with growing agitation, stating through gritted teeth, "Cannot we simply freeze this mechanism? The volcano is genuinely on the verge of erupting!"

This was no trivial matter. The seismic activity intensified with each passing moment, and the entirety of the cavern began to fracture, with the passage to the left already half-demolished. Even more alarming was the emergence of fissures in the ground, indicating the potential surge of magma.

Pyro, possessing a heightened sensitivity to thermal energy, abruptly yelled, "Evacuate!"

In an instant, Polaris yanked, pulling all the mutants and two Iron Men back in a swift retreat. Strange, who had just arrived, conjured a shield. Less than ten meters from the engine, a vast fissure erupted, spewing forth lava.

By sheer luck of their rapid withdrawal and the shield's intervention, they narrowly avoided being struck. While withstanding the ambient heat was one thing, direct contact with magma was an entirely different ordeal. It was akin to working near the sun versus plunging directly into it; Stark's nano-armor was simply too fragile for such an encounter.

"We need to shut down the engine!" Stark yelled. "You all control the magma while I go for another look!"

With that declaration, he prepared to launch himself forward. Strange gritted his teeth, attempting to restrain him, but found himself unable to act. Witnessing Stark's departure, the mutants could only steel themselves and follow suit. Polaris clenched her jaw, stamped her foot, and a vortex of magnetic storm formed, forcefully shoving the surging magma back into the crack.

Iceman immediately intervened, extending an icy carpet from his feet that instantly sealed the fissure. However, Pyro interjected, "No, the suppressed magma will simply find another weak point to escape. This doesn't solve the core issue!"

"Where's the next eruption point?!" Polaris inquired, turning back.

Pyro sensed the shift in heat, pointed ahead, "Over there!"

No sooner had he spoken than the location he indicated split open. Polaris gestured, unleashing a magnetic arrow, but this time it failed to halt the erupting magma, managing only to slightly diminish its force. Iceman took a deep breath and exhaled a dense, icy mist, causing the temperature in the entire area to plummet by over ten degrees, freezing the fissure into a temporary seal.

"You were right, this isn't sustainable," Polaris stated, observing the still-turbulent crack, yet lacking a superior solution. The presence of Clarkia normally inhibited their full power, forcing extreme caution to prevent the destruction of the entire island. They were merely containing the crisis.

"I hear something wailing," Shiller suddenly announced. "Did you guys hear that?"