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*****
"What are your plans? Where are you headed?"
Sitting in the truck, George asked Gabriella, the nurse, and the plump driver, Isha.
In the movies, Gabriella sent the mutant children to the North Dakota border, but it wasn't just because she read a comic that portrayed it as the mutants' last sanctuary.
She wasn't a child, and she wouldn't believe everything she read in comics.
Additionally, the leader of the mutant children, Ricktor, had been communicating with an unknown force via radio.
Given George's mutant identity and his recent assistance, Gabriella had developed a base of trust in him and wasn't hiding anything.
"We need to reach the North Dakota border by 5 PM next Friday and then cross into Canada," Gabriella explained.
"Why Canada? And why that specific time?"
George asked, clearly puzzled.
Gabriella responded:
"We've checked the relevant information, and before the mutants are gone, Canada is the most welcoming country for them. So, before we decided to help the children escape, we contacted the Canadian government.
They are willing to accept the children but want to avoid complications.
Therefore, we must reach the border by 5 PM next Friday. At that time, they will attempt to disrupt the satellites in that area and then assist us on the other side of the border."
"Ah, so it's the Canadian government," George said, understanding now. He was familiar with the general situation from the X-Men series, but he didn't know all the specific details.
He was unaware, for instance, that the Canadian government was friendly towards mutants or less hostile towards them.
However, he frowned as he thought about his personal distrust of the Canadian government.
Governments are not individuals; they have many factors to consider, and a change in leadership could result in a shift in policy. Even if the Canadian government was previously welcoming to mutants, what if things had changed?
Would these mutant children become new subjects for experimentation after arriving in Canada?
Such uncertainties were unacceptable to him.
He shared his concerns with Gabriella.
Gabriella seemed surprised that George, a mutant who had never left the experimental base, could consider such long-term implications.
However, her response was tinged with resignation:
"We have no other choice, even if we know it might be dangerous. We can't think of a better solution."
Working in this brutal experimental base, they understood the darker side of human nature and feared that the children might end up in another hell.
But they had no alternatives. They were among the powerless and the lowest in society, yet their kindness remained intact.
Remaining in the experimental base meant certain death for the children, but going to Canada offered a glimmer of hope.
"Indeed, sometimes life is just that way," George sighed.
In his previous life, he had also faced many helpless choices at the bottom of society, though not as cruel as this.
After some thought, he realized he had no better solutions. He was unfamiliar with this world.
He wouldn't entrust the fate of these children to the Canadian government. Once he delivered them to the border, he planned to disappear.
Rescuing the children was already going above and beyond; he would not risk being constrained by the Canadian government. Escorting them to the border was his limit.
At this moment, he had evidently forgotten the somewhat selfish reasons he had convinced himself of at the crossroads.
"We've arrived in Huarales. We'll purchase some necessary supplies and then head straight to the border, then enter New Mexico and continue north to North Dakota.
If all goes well, it should take about two days!"
After two hours of high-speed driving, the truck arrived in the northeastern Mexican city of Juárez. George peered out, taking in the view.
He had heard of this city from his previous life, though it wasn't known for anything good.
Juárez, located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, across from El Paso, Texas, is infamous as one of the most violent cities in the world. At its worst, nearly 15,000 people were killed in criminal incidents over six years.
The city is a major hub for drug trafficking in Mexico and a primary source of illicit drugs for the United States.
"Breaking news: Stark Industries CEO and notorious playboy Tony Stark has been kidnapped in Afghanistan's Kunar Province and is currently missing," announced the television outside the supermarket.
As Gabriella and Isha went into the supermarket to buy supplies, George, who had stayed behind, was captivated by the news.
"That's the event where Iron Man was born!"
A shiver ran through him, and a smile began to form on his face as he had a sudden realization.
"Perhaps, things might take a new turn."
Recalling all the Marvel movies he had seen, he started to consider a new plan.
For him, trusting Tony Stark's character was more reliable than trusting the government. Though Stark was known for his playboy persona and arrogance, his character was solid.
Moreover, as one of the largest capitalists in the U.S., even the government couldn't easily influence him. Stark's refusal to hand over his Iron Man suits was well-known.
Just like Professor X, who could open a mutant school in New York not only due to the X-Men's power but also because he was a wealthy magnate with a prominent family background.
If he could gain Tony Stark's protection, the mutant children might not only avoid many troubles but could also receive a normal education and a better life.
And George could have a safe place to research magic.
As for whether getting involved with Tony Stark might lead to being caught up in future major events and facing greater dangers, it was a risk he had to accept.
He believed it was better to address current problems and gain a period of relative safety to improve his own abilities. Being powerful was crucial.
Moreover, he had his own ideas about participating in future major events.
If this were the movie universe, he would keep a low profile, avoiding participation even if Thanos snapped his fingers, knowing the heroes would eventually save the day. It would be more sensible to focus on researching magic.
But this wasn't the movie universe; it was a mixed Marvel universe with mutants and uncertainties. Major events could very well threaten the entire planet, and if he was on this planet, he couldn't escape.
Rather than leaving his fate in the hands of superheroes, it was better to rely on himself.
Perhaps, if he stepped in at a crucial moment, he could help navigate through major events and ensure both Earth and himself remained safe.
Thus, making connections was something that would happen sooner or later.
"Now, the most important thing is how to rescue Tony Stark and make him owe me a favor."
George pondered deeply, stroking his chin.
To have Tony Stark, a top billionaire, owe him a favor and genuinely help them would require a life-saving act.
However, given his current strength and resources, rescuing Tony Stark seemed impossible. He didn't even know Stark's exact location, only that he was reportedly in a cave somewhere in the desert.
(End of Chapter)