Reading settings
Tony had originally thought dinner would be a small gathering with Professor X, Jean, and a few others. As high-level combatants among the mutants, it would be a good opportunity for them to get to know each other and make future interactions smoother.
But he hadn't expected dinner to be a school-wide party.
Professor X had opened up Xavier's School hall, and mutant students from all grades participated. Dozens of tables were pushed together, laden with famous delicacies from various continents, and all sorts of rare and exotic dishes adorned the tables.
The air was filled with fragrant aromas, and the vibrant colors were utterly mouth-watering.
Children and teenagers, big and small, ran about, their laughter filling the air. Some cunning kids even produced alcohol from who-knows-where, drinking cup after cup until they were tipsy, but they were quickly apprehended by the mentors.
They were not of legal drinking age and would undoubtedly face severe punishment; Xavier's School's rules were quite strict in certain aspects.
Tony felt that he didn't quite fit in with this kind of event. It was indeed lively, with kids of all ages running around, shouting, and smearing cake everywhere, which was amusing. But Tony truly felt awkward.
As he sat down, a group of unruly boys surrounded him, staring intently. Yet, no one spoke; they just watched him, their gazes like those observing a rare animal.
Tony finally couldn't take it anymore and snapped, "You lot, if you have questions, just ask! What's with all the staring? Do you want a beating?" He was getting unnerved by the silent stares of the group of teenagers.
Finally, a dishevelled boy couldn't hold back. Impulsive by nature and having had a bit to drink, he jumped up and was the first to ask, "Are you the Mechanic?"
"Duh! Who else would I be?"
Tony shot him a disdainful look and asked who he was.
The dishevelled boy introduced himself as John Allerdyce, having given himself the nickname Pyro.
"They say you've killed a lot of people," John said. He was young, impulsive, and irritable, much like his pyrokinetic abilities. He was extremely curious about someone like Tony.
"People? Well, that depends on your definition of 'human'. I just killed a guy recently who also happened to be named John. Is he your brother?" Tony said teasingly. He speared a small fish with his fork, sniffed it, and found it very delicious.
Far from being scared, Pyro's eyes lit up upon hearing this. His restless nature made it difficult for him to be a docile student in the peaceful Xavier's School, and he longed for Tony's kind of life.
Another teenager suddenly spoke up, "What will you do next? Will you continue to hunt Vampires?" This calm teenager introduced himself as Bobby Drake.
Tony looked at him with some surprise. News of his Vampire slaughter was most prevalent in the Dark World; any overt information had been suppressed by organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and the World Security Council. How did this teenager know?
"I know some hacking techniques. I hacked into some systems and found many people talking about you. They're waiting to see what you'll do next," Bobby said. It was also then that he realized Vampires truly existed in the world, not just in movies and TV shows.
The other onlookers were astonished, chattering away with questions for Bobby. Could Vampires really exist?
"Could they also be a type of mutant? Like Angel Mutants and Demon Mutants, are there Vampire Mutants too?" someone speculated. He was well-read and knew about some of the ability factions within the mutant community.
Tony chuckled and shook his head. He picked up another plate and, to the wide-eyed astonishment of the teenagers, directly used his hands to put food into his mouth, completely disregarding table manners and treating himself as anything but an outsider, utterly unrestrained.
Many looked over, then chuckled and turned away, as Professor X and others laughed from afar, watching him joke around with the unruly boys, pleased to see Tony blend in with them.
Tony wiped his mouth and warned the teenagers that Vampires were a vile bunch of beasts, preying on innocent humans and acting as a major malignancy clinging to humanity. If they ever had the chance to encounter one, they should immediately strike to kill, without a moment's hesitation.
"Get bitten by one of those things, and you're basically done for," Tony advised. He wanted to instill some real-world realities into these 'hothouse flowers' to awaken their vigilance and self-preservation instincts.
"So what will you do then? Will you continue to hunt Vampires, as some people suspect? Many bad guys are saying that a great war is about to break out, and they even speculate that you might lead the entire mutant faction to launch a massive, globe-sweeping war against the Vampire Clan," Bobby pressed Tony relentlessly. He lived in Xavier's School year-round and rarely ventured into the outside world, hoping to get some news from Tony.
"Whether it will lead to a war between us mutants and the Vampires, I don't know. I don't have that kind of rallying power right now, and Professor X and Old Man Magneto won't necessarily listen to my every command. But at least one thing is clear: my war with the Vampires has begun." Tony meandered about; he had never seen so many delicious things, let alone eaten them – he hadn't even heard of most of them. This time, he was going to eat his fill, with a crowd of teenagers trailing closely behind him.
What seemed to Tony like perfectly ordinary words, however, stirred up massive waves among the 'hothouse flowers,' vastly boosting his prestige.
A single person, starting a war! And the speaker uttered it with such a matter-of-fact tone! As if him personally waging a war was the most normal thing in the world!
The chuunibyou teenagers went a little wild. Inexperienced in the world and having lived too little, they had never encountered such an audacious person, let alone believing that this young man's audacity was entirely justified!
One person, starting a war; one person, an entire army!
These chuunibyou teenagers instantly plunged into their fantasies. In a war-torn wilderness, they, too, would single-handedly and resolutely charge into the enemy's vast army, scattering them. Pyro John was the most frantic; he vigorously pounded on the table, and in his excitement, pulled out a long-treasured can of alcohol from his pocket, opened it, and chugged it down.
Pyro John swore he had never met anyone like this. The image of the young man before him became infinitely grand, having punched open the door to a New World for him.
Ororo walked over, pushing John down with a hand and snatching the alcohol from his grasp. She then chided Tony, "You shouldn't be telling them these things, and you certainly shouldn't be watching them drink. They're too young; they shouldn't be exposed to things they're not supposed to."
This was the consistent philosophy of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters; they carefully nurtured these young members of their kind.
Tony shrugged and offered an apologetic smile, though inwardly, he was somewhat unconvinced. This world was cruel; there wasn't much time or space for these teenagers to grow slowly. While hothouse flowers were beautiful, ultimately, they were difficult to put to great use.
Tony led the group of unruly boys on a rampage, raiding food everywhere, which drew complaints from many students. But soon, even more people joined in, sweeping away the abundant food and stuffing it into their bellies.
That night, everyone had their fill. That night, many people got to know and accept Tony, this unfamiliar face.
By the time the gathering broke up, it was already past midnight.
Tony returned to the room prepared for him in advance, patting his overly full stomach. While everyone else contentedly drifted off to sleep, he remained awake. Tony was waiting for something; he believed someone would come looking for him.
Soon, soft, tiptoeing sounds echoed in the hallway, followed by a knock on the door.
"Mr. Tony, are you asleep? It's John. I'd like to talk to you," Pyro John whispered, afraid of being discovered.
Thanks to Big Hammer 1, Dark Moon Hidden Zero, Reader 2018032611, Advancer 3, Senior Brother Master Was Captured by Monsters, Heart Exhausted Ah, Tornado Outside the Graveyard, and August for their donations during this period. Thank you all!
(end of chapter)
But he hadn't expected dinner to be a school-wide party.
Professor X had opened up Xavier's School hall, and mutant students from all grades participated. Dozens of tables were pushed together, laden with famous delicacies from various continents, and all sorts of rare and exotic dishes adorned the tables.
The air was filled with fragrant aromas, and the vibrant colors were utterly mouth-watering.
Children and teenagers, big and small, ran about, their laughter filling the air. Some cunning kids even produced alcohol from who-knows-where, drinking cup after cup until they were tipsy, but they were quickly apprehended by the mentors.
They were not of legal drinking age and would undoubtedly face severe punishment; Xavier's School's rules were quite strict in certain aspects.
Tony felt that he didn't quite fit in with this kind of event. It was indeed lively, with kids of all ages running around, shouting, and smearing cake everywhere, which was amusing. But Tony truly felt awkward.
As he sat down, a group of unruly boys surrounded him, staring intently. Yet, no one spoke; they just watched him, their gazes like those observing a rare animal.
Tony finally couldn't take it anymore and snapped, "You lot, if you have questions, just ask! What's with all the staring? Do you want a beating?" He was getting unnerved by the silent stares of the group of teenagers.
Finally, a dishevelled boy couldn't hold back. Impulsive by nature and having had a bit to drink, he jumped up and was the first to ask, "Are you the Mechanic?"
"Duh! Who else would I be?"
Tony shot him a disdainful look and asked who he was.
The dishevelled boy introduced himself as John Allerdyce, having given himself the nickname Pyro.
"They say you've killed a lot of people," John said. He was young, impulsive, and irritable, much like his pyrokinetic abilities. He was extremely curious about someone like Tony.
"People? Well, that depends on your definition of 'human'. I just killed a guy recently who also happened to be named John. Is he your brother?" Tony said teasingly. He speared a small fish with his fork, sniffed it, and found it very delicious.
Far from being scared, Pyro's eyes lit up upon hearing this. His restless nature made it difficult for him to be a docile student in the peaceful Xavier's School, and he longed for Tony's kind of life.
Another teenager suddenly spoke up, "What will you do next? Will you continue to hunt Vampires?" This calm teenager introduced himself as Bobby Drake.
Tony looked at him with some surprise. News of his Vampire slaughter was most prevalent in the Dark World; any overt information had been suppressed by organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and the World Security Council. How did this teenager know?
"I know some hacking techniques. I hacked into some systems and found many people talking about you. They're waiting to see what you'll do next," Bobby said. It was also then that he realized Vampires truly existed in the world, not just in movies and TV shows.
The other onlookers were astonished, chattering away with questions for Bobby. Could Vampires really exist?
"Could they also be a type of mutant? Like Angel Mutants and Demon Mutants, are there Vampire Mutants too?" someone speculated. He was well-read and knew about some of the ability factions within the mutant community.
Tony chuckled and shook his head. He picked up another plate and, to the wide-eyed astonishment of the teenagers, directly used his hands to put food into his mouth, completely disregarding table manners and treating himself as anything but an outsider, utterly unrestrained.
Many looked over, then chuckled and turned away, as Professor X and others laughed from afar, watching him joke around with the unruly boys, pleased to see Tony blend in with them.
Tony wiped his mouth and warned the teenagers that Vampires were a vile bunch of beasts, preying on innocent humans and acting as a major malignancy clinging to humanity. If they ever had the chance to encounter one, they should immediately strike to kill, without a moment's hesitation.
"Get bitten by one of those things, and you're basically done for," Tony advised. He wanted to instill some real-world realities into these 'hothouse flowers' to awaken their vigilance and self-preservation instincts.
"So what will you do then? Will you continue to hunt Vampires, as some people suspect? Many bad guys are saying that a great war is about to break out, and they even speculate that you might lead the entire mutant faction to launch a massive, globe-sweeping war against the Vampire Clan," Bobby pressed Tony relentlessly. He lived in Xavier's School year-round and rarely ventured into the outside world, hoping to get some news from Tony.
"Whether it will lead to a war between us mutants and the Vampires, I don't know. I don't have that kind of rallying power right now, and Professor X and Old Man Magneto won't necessarily listen to my every command. But at least one thing is clear: my war with the Vampires has begun." Tony meandered about; he had never seen so many delicious things, let alone eaten them – he hadn't even heard of most of them. This time, he was going to eat his fill, with a crowd of teenagers trailing closely behind him.
What seemed to Tony like perfectly ordinary words, however, stirred up massive waves among the 'hothouse flowers,' vastly boosting his prestige.
A single person, starting a war! And the speaker uttered it with such a matter-of-fact tone! As if him personally waging a war was the most normal thing in the world!
The chuunibyou teenagers went a little wild. Inexperienced in the world and having lived too little, they had never encountered such an audacious person, let alone believing that this young man's audacity was entirely justified!
One person, starting a war; one person, an entire army!
These chuunibyou teenagers instantly plunged into their fantasies. In a war-torn wilderness, they, too, would single-handedly and resolutely charge into the enemy's vast army, scattering them. Pyro John was the most frantic; he vigorously pounded on the table, and in his excitement, pulled out a long-treasured can of alcohol from his pocket, opened it, and chugged it down.
Pyro John swore he had never met anyone like this. The image of the young man before him became infinitely grand, having punched open the door to a New World for him.
Ororo walked over, pushing John down with a hand and snatching the alcohol from his grasp. She then chided Tony, "You shouldn't be telling them these things, and you certainly shouldn't be watching them drink. They're too young; they shouldn't be exposed to things they're not supposed to."
This was the consistent philosophy of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters; they carefully nurtured these young members of their kind.
Tony shrugged and offered an apologetic smile, though inwardly, he was somewhat unconvinced. This world was cruel; there wasn't much time or space for these teenagers to grow slowly. While hothouse flowers were beautiful, ultimately, they were difficult to put to great use.
Tony led the group of unruly boys on a rampage, raiding food everywhere, which drew complaints from many students. But soon, even more people joined in, sweeping away the abundant food and stuffing it into their bellies.
That night, everyone had their fill. That night, many people got to know and accept Tony, this unfamiliar face.
By the time the gathering broke up, it was already past midnight.
Tony returned to the room prepared for him in advance, patting his overly full stomach. While everyone else contentedly drifted off to sleep, he remained awake. Tony was waiting for something; he believed someone would come looking for him.
Soon, soft, tiptoeing sounds echoed in the hallway, followed by a knock on the door.
"Mr. Tony, are you asleep? It's John. I'd like to talk to you," Pyro John whispered, afraid of being discovered.
Thanks to Big Hammer 1, Dark Moon Hidden Zero, Reader 2018032611, Advancer 3, Senior Brother Master Was Captured by Monsters, Heart Exhausted Ah, Tornado Outside the Graveyard, and August for their donations during this period. Thank you all!
(end of chapter)
