Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
******
Luke is a mutant?
When Mike and Erik returned home and heard the news from Charles, they were nothing short of shocked.
"Dad, what are you planning to do?"
Charles looked at Mike.
Mike stood up and said to Charles, "Come with me to John's house."
Charles hesitated. "His parents…"
"Don't worry. It won't be what you're imagining."
Treating Luke like a monster? Losing his parents' love?
That was impossible for the John family.
First of all, Luke's ability wasn't harmful to others, and he showed no physical mutations. Even if either of those things were true, with how hard this family worked to reunite, the situation Charles feared wouldn't happen.
"Alright."
Charles nodded and stood up, following Mike to John's home.
Watching them leave, Gwen asked anxiously, "Will Luke go to Charles's school? Will his parents reject him?"
"No, they won't. Don't worry,"
Clark said with a smile, gently patting Gwen's head.
Erik also nodded in agreement.
Although Gwen was still a little uneasy, she forced a smile.
She was a smart kid. Sometimes the news talked about mutants, and it was rarely in a good light, which made her worried.
Half an hour later, Mike and Charles returned.
"Dad, how did it go? What did Uncle John say?"
Gwen asked eagerly.
"Luke's parents love him very much." Mike led Gwen to the sofa, sat her down, and continued, "Luke's ability is unique. Since it doesn't hurt anyone and he hasn't even noticed it himself, it's unlikely anyone would realize he's a mutant."
"So, he is a mutant. But since his ability isn't obvious, Uncle John won't tell him, and we should keep it a secret too. Got it?"
While Mike and Charles were talking to John and his wife, Luke had been sent out of the room, unaware of the conversation.
"Okay," Gwen nodded, smiling brightly. "That means nothing's going to change, right?"
"Exactly," Mike replied with a smile. "Just act like nothing happened. Pretend you don't know anything."
"Awesome!"
Gwen cheered, rolling on the sofa before hugging Mike tightly and planting a big kiss on his cheek.
She really cared about her little friend and didn't want anything bad to happen to him.
Letting go of Mike, Gwen said excitedly, "Dad, let's go to the Expo tonight! I heard there's a ton of cool stuff!"
She was eager to see all the advanced technology and latest inventions.
"The Expo?"
Mike raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering.
Wasn't Justin Hammer's Iron Suit showcase scheduled for tonight?
There might be… an incident.
Mike thought for a moment, then looked at Clark and the others. His brows lifted slightly as he said, "Let's all go together tonight."
If they went as a group, even if something happened, they could handle it.
Gwen called out to the three of them, "Come on, guys! I heard there'll be lots of pretty girls!"
"Hahaha!"
"You little rascal!"
"Who taught you that?"
The three burst into laughter. After exchanging looks, they all nodded in agreement.
The Stark Expo was a grand event initiated by Tony and supported by the government. It had been running for quite some time.
The companies participating were all at the cutting edge of global technology in various fields.
After becoming Iron Man, Tony's Stark Industries released several groundbreaking clean energy technologies. This helped the company bounce back from criticism and stagnation after shutting down its weapons division. Combined with Tony's soaring reputation, Stark Industries only grew stronger.
Getting invited to the Expo became a badge of honor for many companies.
The Expo grounds were massive, with over a dozen exhibition halls.
Each hall focused on a different theme—energy, environmental sustainability, weapons, lifestyle technology, and more. Companies from around the world came to exhibit.
But today, no matter who else was there, all eyes were on Hammer Industries.
That's because tonight, Hammer Industries would be showcasing their Iron Suit in the main hall.
Everyone can be Iron Man!
They were even selecting random audience members to try on the suits.
It was an irresistible offer.
Who wouldn't want to feel what it's like to be Iron Man, flying through the sky in an armored suit?
This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Unfortunately, due to limited space inside the venue, entry required either a ticket or an invitation.
"An invitation? Tickets?" Gwen was stunned. They hadn't bought anything in advance.
Glancing at the main venue, Gwen huffed and muttered, "I don't even care. His Iron Suits are ugly anyway. If I wanted to try one, I'd just go to Tony directly."
As she spoke, she made a face at the security guard by the entrance, grabbed Mike's hand, and said, "Dad, let's go."
She pointed to another nearby pavilion. "Let's go check that one out—the ecology exhibit."
Mike nodded, patted Charles on the shoulder, and whispered, "Don't use your powers. There's really nothing worth seeing in there."
Just a clown show.
Charles responded with a soft "Mm," then threw his arms around Clark and Erik's shoulders as the three of them followed Mike. The whole family made their way enthusiastically toward the other exhibition zones.
Meanwhile, inside the main venue—
The spacious hall was already packed, and as the time approached 8 PM, the crowd grew more and more excited.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed.
In the next moment, music blared as spotlights lit up the stage—and Justin Hammer stepped onto it, dancing triumphantly in a way that was more ridiculous than impressive.
Basking in the applause, Justin Hammer closed his eyes in satisfaction, then gestured for quiet with both hands, grinned smugly, and launched into his speech.
Elsewhere, Tony Stark was flying full speed toward the venue.
His expression was grim, his eyes filled with urgency.
Just moments ago, he'd received a taunting phone call from Ivan Vanko.
Vanko had bluntly told him he was going to cause a scene at the expo and demanded Tony get there quickly—then hung up.
"Jarvis, pull up the live feed from the expo."
At Tony's command, the ever-reliable Jarvis projected a high-definition image on the display before him.
Justin Hammer's voice made Tony sick, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure it.
As Hammer's speech continued, Hammer Industries' Iron Suits finally appeared on stage.
There were a lot of them—at least sixty or seventy—but…
Tony narrowed his eyes, a twitch appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Those suits were hideous. Compared to his Iron Man suits, they looked like they were cobbled together from his leftover scraps.
"Hm? Rhodey?"
When he saw the final suit rise from beneath the stage—worn by none other than his friend Rhodey—Tony couldn't help but sigh.
So the military had partnered with Hammer Industries, and now even his own Iron Suit had been handed over to prop up Hammer's showcase.
He wasn't bothered by that—he'd already mentally prepared for it. But still…
"I know I gave it to them, and they're free to modify it however they want, but what is that monstrosity…"
Looking at the Iron Suit with a heavy machine gun mounted on the shoulder, Tony couldn't help but quip, "He looks like he's carrying a freshly bought baguette."
Next, they began selecting "lucky audience members." One by one, the winners came up to the stage, where the idle Iron Suits opened up automatically for them to enter. The selected guests walked toward them, brimming with excitement.
Something's wrong. Very wrong.
As Tony watched those Iron Suits waiting for their new users, they no longer looked like tech marvels—they looked like monsters baring their fangs, ready to devour the people stepping into them.
(End of Chapter)