A few days later, Reed sent a message to Alex saying his machine was ready. It only needed data adjustments to simulate a solar storm.
"Reed is pretty impressive—he finished it so quickly," Alex remarked with a chuckle.
As for Reed and Ben, Alex wasn't too concerned. Whether they wanted super abilities or not was their own business.
Eric, intrigued, asked, "So simulating solar storms can alter human DNA and trigger abilities like those of mutants?"
Alex shook his head. "Currently, only Reed has been exposed to real solar storms. We don't know how a simulated storm will affect humans. Human trials aren't feasible at the moment."
The four members of Reed 's team had experienced actual solar storm radiation. While the simulated storm might potentially help Reed , its effects on ordinary people were uncertain.
Alex, Susan, and Johnny went to New York and headed to Reed 's research institute on the top floor of a building. When they arrived, they found the area in disarray, as if a fierce battle had taken place. Alex quickly spotted a familiar figure—it was Ben.
Ben now looked normal again, with no sign of his stone-man form.
"You're back to normal," Alex observed.
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't keep the promise," Ben said apologetically.
"It's alright," Alex shrugged. After all, in the future, the Hulk would be far more powerful than Ben's stone-man form.
"What happened here? Why is everything such a mess?" Johnny asked, surveying the chaotic scene.
Ben pointed at a machine in the hall and said, "I returned the machine to normal. Victor used it on himself. Like us, he was also affected by the storm."
Susan quickly asked, "Where's Reed ? Why is he missing?"
After a long search with Alex and seeing that Ben had been knocked over by Victor, Susan felt a growing sense of unease.
"It must have been Victor who took him!" Ben said, looking toward the broken glass window.
The group moved to the balcony, and they saw a missile approaching from a distance. Alex Alexked; the missile was nothing for him to handle.
But Susan, Johnny, and Ben looked alarmed. Johnny glanced down and said, "I've got a way to handle it!"
Susan, realizing Johnny's plan, immediately stopped him. "No, Johnny, don't!"
"I'm not thinking twice!" Johnny said, taking a deep breath before leaping off the balcony. The building was dozens of stories high. Seeing Johnny jump, Susan's face turned pale, and she rushed to the edge, shouting, "Johnny!"
"Let him go, trust him. He'll be fine," Alex said, reassuringly holding Susan's waist. Over the days in Ideal Land, Johnny had become quite adept at flying and handling such situations.
"Ben, stay here. I'll go find Reed ," Alex instructed. Reed was a genius; his expertise couldn't be left unattended.
Science and technology were crucial. Many of Marvel's superheroes had genius-level intellect. X-Men like Charles, Jean, Storm, Hank, and Erik were highly intelligent. Even Avengers like Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Spider-Man were incredibly smart.
Such minds were vital for the development of a country.
Alex took Susan's hand and teleported to where Reed was. Reed looked quite miserable, almost frozen from the cold.
Alex immediately lifted all the restrictions with a wave of his hand.
Just then, applause erupted.
"Alex, the head of Stark Industries! It seems you've benefited from the solar storm in space as well," Victor said, clapping his hands.
Alex shot Victor a strange look. Did this guy know he was a Mutant?
But Alex had no intention of explaining anything; after all, it was just another Deadman series.
"I thought Susan didn't care about money. You were already on the list a long time ago," Victor said, sneering at Susan.
Susan's face flushed with anger. Was he implying she had a sugar daddy?
"Don't push your luck, Joker," Alex said, his expression darkening. He had been willing to play around with Victor, but now he had lost all interest.
"Joker? Let's see who the real Joker is," Victor retorted angrily. Alex's words had struck a nerve, making Victor even more defensive. He remembered showing off his wealth before Alex, and now he felt humiliated.
(End of this chapter)