Reborn with Steve Stand-Chapter 848: More Bill of Rights for Mutants

“Alright, stop with all that theory of yours,”

Logan said, rubbing his temples in exasperation. “Hurry and help Charles now.”

“Oh, sure,”

Fang Mo didn’t refuse. Soon enough, he raised his golden Holy Grail again, pointing it at Charles and making a wish.

Under the Wish Machine’s influence, Charles’s mutant ability was changed back to telepathy, and the “paralysis” setting…was outright deleted.

Not long after, Charles, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly gasped awake as if from a nightmare, sitting up and breathing heavily in shock.

“Wh-what just happened to me?”

Still rattled, Charles gazed at his own hands. “Wasn’t I taken by Apocalypse…”

“It’s over now.”

Seeing Charles struggling to recall, Fang Mo patted him on the shoulder. He hauled him upright: “Apocalypse took your paralysis, then killed himself. Hurry and say ‘thank you, Apocalypse.’”

“…What the heck?”

Charles froze in utter confusion.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s done.”

Fang Mo patted Charles’s shoulder again and waved open a portal. “Let’s head back. The Apocalypse side quest is finished, and I need to go see the U.S. President.”

“Wait…”

Logan suddenly remembered something.

“Yeah?”

Fang Mo turned to glance at him.

“Apocalypse was freed by that Bolivar guy, right? Logan asked, “How are you gonna handle that problem?”

“…Huh?”

Hearing Logan’s words, Fang Mo seemed to realize something. Right—the original timeline wouldn’t have had Apocalypse show up in 1973. By recollection, it should’ve been at least a decade later, when local people uncovered the pyramid ruins and secretly worshipped him, and then an agent from the CIA discovered them…

But since Fang Mo’s arrival, the plot had veered drastically away from canon. The U.S. government became fixated on awakening the latent X-gene, trying to push humanity’s evolution instead of funding Bolivar’s Sentinel program. Meanwhile, Bolivar somehow found info about Apocalypse, then tried to release him to spark terror of mutants and revive his Sentinel project.

“Maybe we should just kill him,”

Erik interjected, obviously having overheard. “If we let that guy live, he might cause an even bigger mess… The government won’t defend him now, right?”

“Erik, we have no right to decide whether someone lives or dies,”

Charles, still a bit out of it, reflexively opposed Erik.

“Your mercy will be the death of us!”

Erik scowled.

“I actually support killing Bolivar,”

Raven added, “Charles, you have no idea what he’s done.”

“Raven, you—”

“Alright, knock it off.”

Noticing them starting to argue, Fang Mo waved a hand. “We’ll talk later. Bolivar isn’t worth worrying about—he’s just a clown for now.”

He wasn’t making it up; if you recalled the film plots overall, there weren’t that many. From First Class up to the old X123, Wolverine’s spinoffs, then Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix. Fang Mo had already dealt with most. With Apocalypse defeated, all that might remain was Dark Phoenix. Even if Bolivar was super capable, he couldn’t “unleash” the Phoenix Force, which was out drifting in space and wouldn’t show up for at least another decade. At best, he’d caused Apocalypse’s reemergence—he had no way of messing with Phoenix. So he was just an annoying nobody, unworthy of attention.

Hearing Fang Mo’s explanation, everyone quieted down.

There wasn’t much more to say. Fang Mo opened a portal, and the group returned to Xavier’s School.

At that moment, the New York TV interview was already being rebroadcast on major networks. The public was learning about mutants. Thanks to Beast’s heroic image, mutants were being portrayed as a benevolent, mysterious group. The instant they arrived back at the school, countless other reporters swarmed in, eager to film more.

Aside from that, news of Apocalypse’s rampage was also spreading fear. Building a pyramid in Egypt was one thing—many people were unaware of the real story—but all global nuclear weapons suddenly launching had caused massive global alarm and countless rumors. Some folks suspected mutants of orchestrating it, but the U.S. government tried to hush it up.

So once they returned to Xavier’s, everyone split up. Charles and his companions handled the interviews, safeguarding the mutants’ positive image. Fang Mo… well, government agents had been waiting anxiously for him. As soon as he appeared, they hustled him into a car, then onto a helicopter to meet the President.

Because events had escalated severely, these agents were scarily efficient. In no time, Fang Mo stood face to face with the stressed, slightly balding man.

“You’re finally here!”

The U.S. President stood up the moment he saw Fang Mo. “Tell me—what on earth happened just now? Why did our nukes launch themselves!?”

“Want the truth, or a lie?”

Fang Mo eyed him, then glanced at the nearby Secret Service guards.

“All of you, out,”

the President said after a moment.

It wasn’t that he trusted Fang Mo but rather that Fang Mo was basically a humanoid nuke—if he decided to strike, the White House would vanish. Having bodyguards here was pointless; they were merely decorations. A politician understood he had to show sincerity if he wanted cooperation.

As soon as the guards left, the President stared at Fang Mo. “I want the truth. What happened? Why did our nukes launch all at once?”

“Mutants did it,”

Fang Mo stated plainly.

“W-what?”

The President was startled.

“Bolivar wanted to push his Sentinel Program, so he released a terrifying ancient mutant, expecting him to wreak havoc and make people fear mutants again,” Fang Mo explained. “That mutant was the one who destroyed all nuclear weapons globally. Nukes posed a threat to him, so he disposed of them.”

“…I see.”

The President’s face changed. After a long silence, he muttered, “If Bolivar’s aim was to make us fear mutants, I’m afraid he succeeded…”

“So you plan to go after mutants?”

Fang Mo asked.

“N-no, that’s not my intention,”

the President hastily denied. “I just—”

“I have an ability that instantly detonates anyone telling lies,”

Fang Mo cut him off.

“…”

The President’s expression instantly soured.

“Relax, don’t stress,”

Fang Mo said, noticing his look of dismay. Regular politicians weren’t as fun to tease as main characters. “Given what’s happened, you must realize mutants are even more frightening than modern weaponry when used properly.”

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“What are you driving at?”

The President sensed Fang Mo’s implication.

“Since mutants’ powers are stronger, why not join them instead?”

Fang Mo suggested. Pulling out an odd ring, he said, “Check this out.”

“What’s that?”

The President glanced uncertainly at the ring.

“A ring that sealed that ancient mutant,”

Fang Mo told him. “Wear it, and you get all his powers.”

“…?!

The President gaped.

“He had a lot of powers: matter reformation, regeneration, immortality, telekinesis, teleportation, super strength…” Fang Mo recalled. “With them, he could effortlessly wipe out a modern city or sink a carrier fleet.”

“What…?”

The President looked stunned.

But before he could protest, Fang Mo casually tossed the ring his way. On reflex, the President caught it—and at the moment he touched the ring, a mysterious power surged into him.

He felt an indescribable sensation, like a veil had been lifted from his eyes. His perception sharpened drastically. He felt his awareness stretching out, sensing every detail—the grass, the stones, the structure of the building around them. A new, godlike potency filled his body. It was a strength belonging to the world’s oldest mutant, making him feel borderline omnipotent. Just a thought, and he could reduce everything to dust, grasping a fearsome “divine authority.”

Even his frail body felt renewed; each heartbeat felt vibrant and intoxicating. The President stood, dazed by such power.

“This…this is…”

“So, is it amazing or what?”

Fang Mo teased lightly.

“Amazing…”

Absorbing that force, the President nodded. In under a minute, his very aura changed dramatically. Gone was the ratty politician vibe; in its place, a dominating aura. His gaze turned as sharp as a hawk’s. “…It’s incredible!!!”

“Glad you like it.”

Fang Mo laughed. “I’m giving it to you.”

“What!?”

The President blinked, snapping out of his reverie. “But…why?”

Yes, the power was so massive, so intoxicating. In principle, the world’s nukes were gone. If you wielded such might, you ruled the planet. Why would Fang Mo hand it over so casually?

“Think of it as good faith on my part,”

Fang Mo shrugged. “I want you to promote a ‘Mutant Evolution Bill,’ so all humankind awakens the X-gene… By the way, the ring has a time limit.”

“A time limit?”

“Yes. About four years.”

Fang Mo’s lips curled slightly before he forced a grave expression. “After four years, the power curses its wearer. If you don’t remove it by then, you’ll…”

“You’ll…what?”

the President asked.

“Not sure. Maybe you’ll lose physical function,”

Fang Mo mused, recalling the Warhammer Emperor, who was basically stuck on a golden throne. “I’m not really sure.”

“One term in office, huh?”

The President’s brow furrowed; no telling what he was thinking.

“Anyway, I gave you the ring,”

Fang Mo said. “Next, I’ll form a company for researching the X-gene. The civilian version will go to market soon, and I brought you the military version, too.”

He produced a metal case. “Here are twenty doses—Alpha-level. They can delay aging. As for side effects…eh, they vary. Spitting fire, flight, changing skin color, little stuff like that, basically to mask the true powers. They’re labeled, so pick whichever you like.”

“Uh…”

The President’s eyes flickered as he opened the case, revealing twenty vials of pale-brown liquid. Each was labeled with possible side effects.

“Oh, by the way, here’s an ‘Anti-Anti-Mutant Ideology Act.’”

Fang Mo spoke again while the President studied the contents.

“Which is?”

He didn’t bother looking up.

“It’s simple. It bans attacking or denouncing mutants. No radical ideology or religious dogma targeting them. The U.S. belongs to us mutants!”

Fang Mo gestured at the vials.

“I see.”

After a slight pause, the President nodded. “All right, I get it. …I’ll see what I can do to approve it immediately.”