Hand of God

Alex looked helplessly amused at the X-Men who had burst in shouting, then turned to Emma and said through Mind Telepathy, "Emma, didn’t you notify them?"

Hearing Alex’s words, Emma’s face reddened. With an icy expression, she glared at the burly man who had shouted first and snapped, "Lexas, look carefully at who this is!" As she spoke, Emma pointed at Alex, looking as though she wanted to devour someone.

The X-Men were startled by Emma’s expression. Following her finger, they looked over and froze in terror. How could they not recognize Alex? Lexas, who had been cursing, broke out in a cold sweat. Trembling, he tried to speak, but could not force out a single word.

Alex did not want to frighten these youngsters the moment he returned. He chuckled and slowly said, "All right, everything is fine here. You can all leave."

Hearing Alex’s words, Lexas, who had nearly wet himself in fright, hurriedly turned and left. The other X-Men at least offered a bow before slowly withdrawing from the Floating Temple.

After seeing the X-Men off, Alex was about to speak when Crystal became unhappy again. Her cheeks puffed out like a goldfish’s as she said angrily, "Alex, when exactly are you going to take me to find my sister?" She fiercely glared at Emma and the other women before continuing, "If you don’t have time, I’ll go find her myself!"

Remembering his cheap father’s repeated warnings before he left, Alex did not dare let Crystal search alone. He immediately said, "Crystal, Earth is so vast. How long would it take for just the two of us to find her?"

The moment he finished speaking, Crystal’s expression changed. Alex hurriedly explained, "We can ask others to help us search. I have many people here. With their help, we’ll find your sister quickly."

Crystal was delighted at first, then glanced at Emma and the other women with a disdainful look, seemingly unwilling to let them help. But when she thought of how she had no idea where her sister was, she could only huff a few times in reluctant agreement.

After finally persuading Crystal, Alex turned to Emma, his expression growing serious. "Emma, what has happened all these years?" From the fragments he had heard earlier, Alex had already guessed some of it. Little Logan’s mention of the "front line," in particular, gave him a racing, fearful feeling, as though he had returned to World War II.

Emma sighed and led everyone into the room. Once they had all taken their seats, she began explaining slowly. She started with Sebastian Shaw and the others escaping the observation room ten years ago and continued all the way to the present day. Ten years of upheaval had been truly tumultuous.

More than three hours passed. Emma spoke for a full three hours, from first light until noon. Several people came looking for them during that time, but all were kept outside. Only Howard, who had rushed over after hearing the news, was allowed in.

When Howard entered, Alex merely gave him a slight nod. He did not move from his seat, remaining focused on Emma’s account.

Finally, when Emma stopped, Alex sat there for a long time without recovering his senses. After a while, he let out a long sigh. "Emma, you’ve suffered all these years!" If Emma had not held the line for the past decade, the Floating Giant Island would likely have fallen long ago, and the Savage Land would no longer have had a place for mutants to stand. For that alone, Alex had to thank Emma.

Emma smiled faintly and pointed at Vivien Leigh and the other two women beside her. Solemnly, she said, "Don’t just thank me. They have done even more for you!"

"I will." Alex gazed at the three women with deep affection. After ten years apart, they were no longer as they had been. Some had grown more mature, while some had grown old.

As he spoke, Alex reached out with one hand and took Vivien Leigh’s palm, while his other hand gently stroked the back of her hand, no longer soft and smooth. With every stroke, her aged hand seemed to grow a little younger. After several passes, Vivien Leigh’s hand had become fair and delicate like a young girl’s. When he looked up at her again, the crow’s feet on her face had vanished. She seemed completely renewed, younger and more vibrant than before.

Vivien Leigh’s change immediately drew everyone’s attention. They stared in shock at her, as if she had become more than ten years younger, unable to believe their eyes. Then they all turned to Alex and asked excitedly, "Alex, how did you do that?"

"This is one of my new abilities—an Inhuman ability." Alex chuckled, then took Audrey and Monroe’s hands. Within moments, the two women also regained the beauty of their youth, as radiant as before.

"This ability is simply heaven-defying!" Howard tugged at his handlebar mustache with one hand, staring enviously at the three women who had regained their youth. He turned to Alex, proactively extending his hand as he shouted, "Alex, give me a try too!" Youth was not only a woman’s dream. Men were no exception.

Not only was Howard his brother, but over the past ten years, Howard had also cared for the mutants without ever abandoning them. Of course Alex would not refuse. Still, holding a man’s hand was something Alex could not bring himself to do, so he used his ability on Howard from a distance.

This time took a little longer, but Howard also regained his youth. He was so excited that he could barely contain himself.

"Alex, what kind of ability is this?" Unlike the others, who were ecstatic, Emma’s face was filled with concern. The research into Mutant Abilities at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters had continued all these years. Using abilities inevitably consumed a certain amount of energy, and restoring youth clearly required far greater energy. Emma feared that Alex’s body would not be able to withstand it.

Naturally, Alex saw Emma’s concern. He gave a light laugh and said, "It’s actually nothing. It’s just an external application of Sebastian Shaw’s ability." Sebastian Shaw could absorb energy to restore cellular vitality and preserve his youth forever. Alex had applied that ability to others, with the same effect.

"Little Daddy, what kind of ability is that?" Little Logan had been standing to one side, staring in amazement, but he was also utterly confused.

"Energy Control." Alex turned to Little Logan with a gentle smile. "Precise control of energy—any kind of energy."

It would have been better if Alex had not explained. Once he did, not only was Little Logan confused, even Emma was dumbfounded. Crystal also secretly looked over. Since Alex had awakened from the mutagenic chamber, aside from his strange spatial transportation ability, Crystal had never seen him use any other power. What he had just done, restoring youth, had greatly astonished her.

"All right, let me show you." Alex smiled faintly and casually pointed at Little Logan. In an instant, two white wings suddenly sprouted from Little Logan’s back, like an Angel’s wings. "Little Logan, try flying."

Little Logan had felt it the moment the wings began sprouting from his back. Their full growth in an instant had already astonished him, but even more incredible was that they felt as though they had always been part of him. Using them came as naturally as moving his own limbs.

Upon hearing Alex’s words, Little Logan immediately flapped his wings. With a whoosh, he flew up and happily circled the room, a brilliant smile blooming across his face.

"Come down!"

As Alex’s words fell, Little Logan, who had been enjoying himself in flight, felt the wings on his back gradually disappearing. By the time he hurriedly landed on the ground, the wings had vanished completely, as though they had never existed.

Seeing everyone’s dumbfounded expressions, Alex said softly, "That is Energy Control. Well, a relatively advanced form of control." As he spoke, Alex casually conjured another fireball. The fireball constantly changed shape in his hand, becoming a small rabbit one moment and a human figure the next. "This is the simplest form of control."

Looking at Alex’s right hand, then recalling the restoration of youth from earlier, everyone had the same words rise in their minds: Hand of God!