Sudden Rise to Fame

"Miss Psylocke, do you get paid for being a vigilante?"

Another reporter asked. In America, talking about money had never been shameful; after all, it was a capitalist society.

Psylocke shook her head. "No pay. The New York Police Department won’t give me a salary, nor will it pay for my health insurance or social security."

The reporters were quite surprised. The previous reporter asked, "Then aren’t you working for free? Can that really last?"

"She isn’t working for free. She also has to compensate for any damage she causes. In other words, she’s paying out of her own pocket to work."

Another reporter said, making everyone even more astonished. Did such a noble person really exist in this world? "I’m not working for free. Watchmen Company, which I signed with, will sell merchandise related to me."

Psylocke replied, "If everyone wants me to protect New York, you can support me by purchasing merchandise."

"Merchandise?"

The reporters were taken aback. "Wouldn’t that make you just like a celebrity?"

"Yes, just like a celebrity."

Psylocke nodded. "If you don’t support me, I’ll disappear. If you are willing to support me, I’ll keep protecting New York."

"The public decides everything? That could work."

The reporters’ eyes lit up. Then they continued asking, "Miss Psylocke, what do you think of the Stryker incident from a month ago?"

"I didn’t know about it beforehand. If I had, I would have killed Stryker."

Psylocke said coldly, "Scum like that doesn’t deserve to live."

The Police Chief finally found an opportunity to speak. He hurriedly said, "Uh, Miss Psylocke, if you really did that, you would be prosecuted. The proper course would be to arrest him and hand him over to us for prosecution.

"Of course, if he resisted violently, you could shoot him dead. Your authority is now the same as a police officer’s."

Psylocke fell silent for a moment, then said, "I’ll try my best to restrain myself. But if someone is truly unforgivable, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to hold back. Still, I won’t run afterward. I’ll turn myself in and await the court’s judgment."

"Psylocke, I support you!"

A reporter shouted excitedly. Psylocke perfectly matched his image of a Super Hero—law-abiding, hateful toward evil, beautiful, generous, and incredibly cool.

In truth, this was the persona the team had designed for Psylocke. It was only about fifty percent similar to her actual personality—Psylocke herself did not possess such a strong sense of justice. After all, she was merely a mercenary.

The other reporters nodded as well. Who wouldn’t support a Psylocke like this? Another reporter asked, "Mr. Police Chief, will the emergence of Super Heroes affect the police department’s operations? And what does the department itself think of Super Heroes?"

"It won’t affect us at all, because Miss Psylocke will only act after receiving a request for assistance from our department."

The Police Chief said, "Put simply, she is our trump card. She is different from those disorganized, undisciplined Super Heroes in comic books.

"If those Super Heroes appeared in the real world, I would definitely arrest them. At the very least, they would have to compensate for the damage they caused."

The reporters laughed again. Then, while taking pictures, they continued firing off questions. "Miss Psylocke, how did those meteorites disappear five days ago?"

"Miss Psylocke, what do you think of Magneto? If you faced Magneto, what would you do?"

"Miss Psylocke, will you continue working as a model? Oh, I have one of your collectible posters here. Could you sign it for me later?"

"Mr. Police Chief, will there be more Super Heroes in the future?"

The Police Chief and Psylocke patiently answered the reporters’ questions. Psylocke was the first mutant celebrity, so they had to explain everything clearly to the public—the clearer the explanation, the less resistance there would be.

In the end, what had been intended as a one-hour press conference lasted more than two hours. Once it ended, the reporters rushed back to their newspapers and TV Stations at top speed to make the news public.

Before long, all of America was in an uproar, stirred both by Psylocke’s appearance and by her becoming a Super Hero.

The first mutant Super Hero in history is born. That was the New York Daily’s headline.

Though Psylocke was not the first mutant Super Hero, she was the first mutant Super Hero to reveal herself to the public. She was destined to leave her mark on history.

"A mutant vigilante? Won’t that cause chaos? Oh, it’s Miss Psylocke? Then there’s no problem."

"Wow, this Super Hero has so many restrictions. Not only does she not get paid, she even has to compensate for things she damages?"

"I absolutely support Sister Psylocke! Sister Psylocke, the purple light around you is my unchanging faith for life."

"Such rigorous rules… this Watchmen Company is interesting. We can observe them for a while. Maybe this really can work."

"I absolutely support Psylocke. Whatever men can do, we women can do as well."

"I oppose this. Mutants becoming Super Heroes is unfair to ordinary people."

"I oppose this. Law enforcement authority cannot be handed to others. It will threaten public safety."

"I oppose this. Mutants joining the police department will bring unpredictable changes."

After the news spread, some approved, some remained neutral, and some opposed it. Overall, supporters made up the majority. After all, many people had already liked Psylocke before the announcement.

Furthermore, Watchmen Company’s strict restrictions gave the citizens a great sense of security—Psylocke was merely a Super Police officer, completely unlike those reckless Super Heroes in comic books.

Watching those comic-book Super Heroes defy heaven and earth and run circles around the police was certainly satisfying, but if it happened in reality, it would keep many people awake at night.

There was also the fact that this was an unusual time. No one dared openly humiliate mutants. If this had been over a month ago, Psylocke could never have become a celebrity—she would have been cursed by countless people the moment she stepped onto a stage.

Of course, that did not mean Psylocke was free of all trouble. Anti-mutant forces would never let things go so easily. They would quietly wait for an opportunity to drag Psylocke into Hell.

Psylocke’s first assignment came quickly. The day after the press conference, a skyscraper caught fire. Many people were trapped inside and unable to escape. Watching the helpless office workers on television, New York’s citizens had their hearts in their throats.

At that moment, Psylocke appeared out of nowhere on a skateboard. She first slashed open the wall to slow the fire, then carried two people down to safety before returning upstairs to rescue more.

In the end, with Psylocke’s help, not a single person died in the blaze. The onlooking citizens applauded wildly. Without Psylocke, at least a dozen people would have burned to death.

Over the following days, Psylocke went into action repeatedly, either rescuing people or arresting criminals. She successfully completed every mission, and the citizens grew increasingly fond of her. Psylocke’s popularity soared like a Rocket.

That was obvious from the first batch of merchandise selling out completely.

"Finally, we’re actually making money."

Wang Bert grumbled in his office. Yuriko and Psylocke both laughed. Universe Recycling Company was a bottomless pit; there was no hope of recouping their investment anytime soon.

Psylocke said spiritedly, "Boss, your estimate of tens of millions a year was too conservative. If everything goes smoothly, we could make hundreds of millions a year."

"Don’t get carried away. Everything has only just begun."

Wang Bert waved a hand and said, "Next, you’ll face many tests—for example, anti-mutant forces, or other mutants."

Psylocke asked, "You mean the Mutant Brotherhood?"

"They’re one of them. Your sudden fame will make other mutants imitate you. When that happens, no one knows what will occur."

Wang Bert said, "Psylocke, remember this: rules are the foundation for mutant celebrities to exist. Without rules to restrain them, mutant powers will only cause disaster."

This was Wang Bert’s advice to Psylocke. She nodded and said, "Don’t worry. I’ll follow the rules. The balance between mutants and ordinary people is very delicate."

Wang Bert nodded in satisfaction. He had chosen the right person. Psylocke was steady, and more importantly, she was experienced and unlikely to lose herself in fame. If it had been some green youngster becoming famous overnight, who knew what they would turn into.

Human Torch from the Fantastic Four was a prime example. Tony had no idea how much money he had paid out for him over the years.

Wang Bert raised his wineglass and said lightly, "We’ll take this one step at a time. Don’t rush."

At Mutant Academy, Rogue found Wolverine Logan and asked excitedly, "Uncle, you said you knew Psylocke. Is that true?"

"Of course it’s true. Hmph, if I hadn’t refused, would it have been her turn to become a superstar? The Boss chose me first."

Wolverine said arrogantly. To be honest, Psylocke’s sudden rise to fame annoyed him—she had stolen far too much of the spotlight. Elsewhere was one thing, but within the academy, most of the students had become her fans.

Rogue asked in confusion, "Why did you refuse? Being a Super Hero is so cool, even cooler than being a celebrity."

Wolverine said, "Because being a Super Hero means following rules. Do I look like the kind of person who follows rules?"

Rogue looked at Wolverine’s flamboyant hair and beard, then repeatedly shook her head. "Definitely not. If you followed rules, you wouldn’t keep trying to steal Cyclops’s girl. It’s only because Mr. Cyclops has such a good temper that he hasn’t beaten you up already."

"Children shouldn’t meddle in adults’ business."

Wolverine was immediately a little embarrassed. He asked, "What did you come to me for?"

Rogue said, "Could you get Psylocke’s autograph for me? Also, could you buy two Psylocke figurines of her slicing apart meteorites? They’re so cool."

"An autograph? Figurines?"

Wolverine was a little displeased, but he still nodded. "Fine. I happen to be going back to the company to collect my pay anyway. I don’t have a bank card, so they can’t transfer it directly."

"That’s great. Thank you, Uncle."

Rogue said happily. Wolverine grew even more annoyed. Fortunately, Rogue was not his daughter, or he would definitely have gone to beat up Psylocke.

Thinking of something, Rogue asked curiously, "Uncle, you stay at Mutant Academy all day with nothing to do and specialize in stealing other people’s girls. Mr. Bert Wang still pays you?"

"What do you mean, I have nothing to do all day and specialize in stealing other people’s girls?"

Wolverine was deeply dissatisfied. What did she take him for? He continued, "I’m a freelance mercenary. When I don’t have a mission, I can do whatever I want. Anyway, Cyclops isn’t here, so I’ll take his motorcycle out."

Rogue complained, "Uncle, you’re too much. Not only do you keep trying to steal his girl, you even steal his motorcycle to ride."

"You don’t understand. This is friendship between men."

Wolverine laughed, then turned and headed for the garage. Rogue secretly complained that Mr. Cyclops definitely did not want this kind of friendship.

After Logan left, Shadowcat Kitty, the good friend Rogue had made recently, came out and asked expectantly, "Rogue, did Mr. Logan agree?"

Of the two figurines Rogue had asked for, one was for Shadowcat.

Rogue said proudly, "Of course he agreed."

Kitty was overjoyed. "That’s wonderful. It’s a shame the professor has forbidden us from going out lately. Otherwise, I would definitely go ask Sister Psylocke for an autograph myself."

"Me too."

Rogue nodded repeatedly. Psylocke had an astonishing appeal to women as well. How should one put it? She was heroic and dashing.

The flamboyant Human Torch John and the honest, simple Iceman Bobby happened to pass by. John said disdainfully, "What a bunch of little girls."

Bobby looked at him contemptuously. "Don’t you have a Psylocke poster hidden away too?"

John’s old face reddened as he defended himself. "I treat her as a goal. Since she can become a Super Hero, I definitely can too. My Human Torch powers are incredibly strong."

Human Torch John possessed the ability to control fire. It was worth noting that he could not create fire himself, only control it. Therefore, he had to carry a lighter with him at all times. Honestly, that greatly diminished his cool factor.

By comparison, Iceman Bobby was truly powerful. If his powers were developed to their fullest, he could even freeze time—he had the potential to become an Omega-Level Mutant.

"I never expected Psylocke to be so beloved. We have to thank Mr. Bert Wang. Without him, forget producing celebrities among mutants; even surviving would be difficult for us."

Bobby sighed. He had never told his parents that he was a mutant because he knew they would not be able to accept it. In that regard, he and Bert Wang shared a similar hardship.

"Whatever Bert Wang can do, I can definitely do too, as long as I have tens of millions in assets."

John said unwillingly. In his heart, he himself was the greatest.

Bobby said, "Unfortunately, you don’t."

"If you keep talking like that, our friendship is over."

John rolled his eyes. Ever since Psylocke became a superstar, his heart had been restless and unable to settle—he wanted to become a mutant celebrity admired by everyone too.

Inside the office, Storm said to the professor with some concern, "Professor, Psylocke’s appearance has made our students somewhat restless."

The professor gazed out the window and asked, "Do you think Psylocke’s appearance is a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I don’t know either. I’m happy that mutants have produced a major celebrity, but I keep feeling that something will happen. The more popular Psylocke becomes, the more worried I am."

Storm sighed and said, "Psylocke is now a banner for mutants. If anything happens to her, mutants will definitely be affected."

"Your concern is justified. That young man possesses considerable ability and courage, but his methods are too aggressive. He always likes making a huge spectacle of things."

The professor sighed. He preferred stability and disliked chaos.

After a pause, the professor continued, "Erik will definitely make a move against Psylocke. He will not allow mutant celebrities to exist."