Charles… you can't exactly call him bad. After all, he's spent his whole life striving for the benefit of mutants, hoping that mutants would be treated like ordinary people, hoping the world would view mutants as normal human beings and that everyone could live in peace.
But you can't say he's too good either. Or rather, it was precisely because he went too far in his idealism that he and his friend Magneto have spent their whole lives loving and killing each other alternately.
In the end, when the mutants went extinct, they themselves bore a great responsibility.
In any case, Alaric didn't want to get involved with them.
From beginning to end, Alaric's goal was to obtain the power of the Phoenix.
But you, Charles, actually used telepathy to peek into Alaric's memories — that's a bit too much.
I'm not some demon, nor am I hostile toward mutants, so isn't it a bit rude to test me just because I display telepathy-like abilities?
Haven't you already been erased from someone's mind once — do you want to experience that again?
Even though Charles, as a level four mutant, is extremely powerful, and it's even said that relying on telepathy alone he could destroy all of humanity~
But Alaric believed that besides Jean, the only level five, omega-class mutant, he feared no other mutant.
...
Meanwhile, Tony, who had just returned home, took off his suit and walked out of the basement.
He was somewhat pensive and felt like having a drink.
After hearing Alaric's words, Tony was no longer too worried about his life.
He didn't doubt what Alaric said — that a new element existed.
Tony didn't know why he trusted Alaric so much, maybe because it was purely a financial agreement between them.
As for the other method Alaric mentioned — that he would personally save him — Tony decided he'd only agree to that if it were truly a life-or-death situation, and he'd rather gamble on that fifty percent chance.
If it worked, not only would the poison be neutralized, but he wouldn't have to wear the reactor in his chest anymore.
If it didn't work — no regrets.
"You look down. Need to talk to me?"
Fury's voice sounded behind Tony.
Tony jumped, then relaxed and walked to the couch with a bottle of wine in hand.
"Looks like I'll really have to study your network system. How many generations have you upgraded it?"
Of course, Fury, that guy, had once again altered Jarvis's settings and broken into his villa.
You really think I've got no nerve!?
Just wait, I want to see how advanced your tech really is when I break into your strategic bureau's system!
"Don't do anything stupid, this is the last time, I promise! I came for a reason!"
Fury almost panicked when he heard Tony say he'd hack S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system — and he didn't doubt Tony could actually do it.
In that case, Tony would uncover many secrets, and that was not something Fury wanted.
"Tell me, what do you people from that bureau of yours want from me again?"
Tony asked, reclining on the couch and sipping.
"That's S.H.I.E.L.D., we changed the name," Fury reminded him.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.? Not bad, it's simpler than the previous one," Tony nodded.
"And I didn't come for you," Fury's face darkened when he heard Tony's comment about the name.
"You didn't? Then… ah! You came because of that mysterious guy who stopped the monster, didn't you? You got here fast."
Tony immediately figured out Fury's intentions.
But he really had come way too fast.
"Don't play dumb, Stark, that's the wizard who helped you handle Obadiah last time!"
That guy's still pretending not to know who Alaric is!
"Yeah, that's him. So what do you want to know? I don't know much either."
"We've already found his identity and address."
"Then why come to me? What, do you want to drag him into your 'junior' plan too?"
Tony assumed the agents had no other reason.
"Don't even think about it. I'm not joining, and even less so Alaric."
At that time, Tony still hadn't signed the agreement accepting Fury's invitation and stayed on the sidelines.
As for whether Alaric would join, Tony wasn't sure.
But he knew someone that powerful surely didn't like being controlled.
"How long have you known him?" Fury didn't respond to Tony's words but asked something else.
"Not long."
"…Not long? How long exactly!?" Fury's forehead creased with black lines.
He really didn't like dealing with guys like Stark!
"I met him the day Obadiah took my reactor."
"You met him that day? And what exactly happened?" Fury asked.
"He suddenly appeared and said he'd help me in exchange for five million dollars."
"Five million…" Fury wrote that down.
He concluded that Alaric probably liked money.
"And the rest? Do you know what his abilities are?"
"Didn't I already tell you?" Tony was getting impatient.
"You did? When? What are his abilities?" Fury frowned and tried to recall.
"Magic! His ability is magic!"
Fury fell silent.
I know it's magic, I'm asking what kind of magic exactly!!
Does he have any other abilities!?
And more importantly…
"Do you really think Alaric could stop Abomination's punch with just his body — and that was magic?"
"This…"
Hearing that, Tony fell into thought.
Oh, right!
Alaric endured a blow with his body that Tony himself wouldn't dare take even in battle armor — was that magic too!?
Especially at the end, when Alaric stood on Abomination's body and kept punching — that didn't look like magic!
Don't all mages use ranged spells?
Or cast spells, protections, curses… But this Alaric? Tony had never seen a mage like that!
Alaric: A Unique Close-Combat Mage Faction from Kamar-Taj! Each One a Master of Combat!
"Looks like you don't know much either," Fury said, seeing that Tony was deep in thought, realizing Stark didn't have more information on Alaric.
In that case, he had no choice but to send Coulson to make contact with him.
After all, Alaric hadn't hidden his address, which meant he wasn't afraid of being discovered.
In that case, maybe Alaric was actually someone who could be reasoned with!
Fury thought with a glimmer of hope.
"Maybe I should go personally, to make it more official."
Fury muttered.
"I'm leaving now, you get some rest." Fury stood up to leave.
"I'm warning you, if you enter without knocking next time, I'll really hack Jarvis into your system!"
"Alright, alright, I get it."