บท 371: Chapter 371: Jean Grey
Clark had only sensed Lois's counterpart briefly before withdrawing his mental power.
Though the girl looked like his daughter in both appearance and demeanor, they were ultimately not the same person, and he had no intention of wasting too much time on someone who was irrelevant.
After all, his daughter was doing well and right by his side; there was no need to pay attention to someone similar.
Suddenly, Clark felt a special intuition and, with a thought, used his ability to teleport, appearing in front of a familiar building.
What he saw was a gym he remembered well.
Martha's Gymnasium!
Looking through the windows into the lobby, he saw a young couple busy around a boy who had fainted. A worn basketball rolled away to the side, unnoticed by anyone.
"Clark, what's the matter? Don't scare your dad! Just tell me what you want, and I promise I'll buy it for you," the Asian man frantically shook the boy's shoulders.
"My poor child, oh what should I do?" a pretty Caucasian woman also said anxiously.
"What to do? Take him to the hospital, what else?" the man replied as he picked up the boy and rushed outside.
The woman suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "Don't we need to explain what happened here first?"
"What's there to explain? Is money more important or our child?" the man replied impatiently. "Hurry up and open the car door for me, stop dawdling. Women always think too short-sighted..."
Amid his complaints, they hurriedly exited through the main door of the gym.
Clark did not approach to greet them, nor did he intend to offer help.
In fact, the boy's fainting was indirectly his fault. Because of Clark's presence, this parallel universe counterpart had unintentionally received some knowledge that was meant for him. Although it was a drop in the ocean and this connection had been severed as soon as Clark realized it, the impact had already occurred. The counterpart, having inherited parts of a future only, would not only be fine but would also unconsciously become a super-genius, at least no less talented than Tony Stark!
And Clark didn't want to disturb their lives.
He watched the family drive away from his sight and began wandering around New York City. He planned to wait for Lois to come over and then explore the secrets of this world with his daughter.
Walking along, Clark's gaze suddenly landed on a young woman, his expression revealing shock.
Despite the mud, she remains unsoiled, and cleansed from ripples, she rises above the seductive!
Since his arrival in this world, everyone he had seen had been more or less corrupted by Dormammu's dark energy, thus subtly developing a hostile aura.
Yet this young woman was untainted by any dark energy!
The dark energy floating in the air was repelled by a profoundly hidden unique energy before it could even approach her body, much like the same poles of magnets that cannot come close.
But speaking of hostility, Clark sharply detected a stronger aura within her than any he had encountered in this world combined. It was filled with desires of devouring and destruction, like a primordial beast that could attack at any moment. It was only suppressed by the young woman's strong willpower, preventing a disaster.
Such a familiar sensation!
Clark was all too familiar with the power hidden within the young woman, perhaps even more so than she was herself.
It was the power of the Phoenix!
Therefore, this young woman was none other than the perfect host for the Phoenix Force, Jean Grey!
As Clark noticed Jean, her gaze also fell on him. A mere glance, and she was attracted by his unique aura.
There's a legend about a king whose realm had a river. Drinking its water would drive one mad. Only the king knew this secret, so he never drank from that river. Eventually, everyone else did, and in their eyes, the differently behaving king was the real madman. They decided to overthrow the "mad" king.
With no choice left, the king drank the water to join his people in madness.
In fact, Jean's situation was somewhat similar to that of the last sane king. Although she did not know exactly what was happening and could not drink the water to blend in, she still keenly felt that something was terribly wrong with everyone around her, making her feel out of place.
What truly attracted her to Clark was not his unparalleled good looks across multiple universes, but because, like her, he lacked that undesirable special aura (dark energy).
"Hello, sir." Noticing the familiar feeling from Clark, Jean Grey couldn't help but greet him impulsively: "I apologize for bothering you, would you like to join me for a coffee?"
Clark, surprised by her initiative, responded with a smile: "Are you treating?"
Impression points from Jean Grey: +1234!
Jean Grey: "No problem, how about we go to the coffee shop right here on the street
?"
"Lead the way."
They entered the café, choosing a spot near the window. Jean took the initiative to ask, "I haven't asked your name yet?"
"You can tell I'm Chinese, my name is Clark. But if you find it difficult to pronounce, you can also call me by my English name—Clark Lee."
"Alright, Clark." Jean Grey repeated his name, then cautiously looked around to ensure no one else could overhear their conversation before whispering, "May I ask if you're a mutant?"
Mutants, in the eyes of comic and movie fans, are generally synonymous with superhumans and are considered positive. However, in the X-Men universe, it is not the case; they face discrimination and exclusion from ordinary people. Jean's direct question to Clark about this was quite impolite.
It was like asking a woman in modern society if she was involved in the sex industry—a similar level of inappropriateness.
Even though Jean hinted at being one herself, it still came off as unfriendly.
So, she asked very carefully.
Clark, of course, harbored no prejudice against mutants but simply shook his head and replied, "In fact, I have no prejudice against mutants, but I am not one."
Jean's expression dimmed slightly.
The existence of mutants was already considered abnormal in the eyes of ordinary people, and as the host of the Phoenix Force, Jean Grey was an anomaly among anomalies. She had hoped to find a similar kind among her kind in Clark, but his answer left her somewhat disappointed.
Was this... an anomaly among her kind?
Taking a sip of her coffee, Clark casually praised, "Nice Blue Mountain." Pausing briefly, he added to his previous answer: "Although I possess super strength, endurance, speed, agility, intellect, heat vision, and control over the universal forces of vibration, light, power, space, reality, and souls, I am truly not a mutant."
Impression points from Jean Grey: +9999!
Jean Grey was at a loss for words about this unusual man.
Besides being handsome, his dress, style, and even his humorous speech carried a distinct oddity. He was indeed an enigma, irresistibly intriguing to figure out!
Shifting away from the topic of mutants, Jean spoke more freely, driven by curiosity: "Actually, the reason I greeted you today is because you gave off a very strange feeling. It's not because you're handsome."
Clark nodded, encouraging her to continue.
Jean Grey: "I feel a pureness in you that makes me want to get closer, and a mystery that makes me want to uncover more. And..."
After a moment's hesitation, Jean continued: "I also sense an almost imperceptible pressure from you, which instinctively makes me feel fear... No! Rather, it's a caution, isn't that strange?"
"Never before has anyone made me feel this cautious, you're the first."
Waving his hand, Clark explained casually: "Nothing strange about it. You feel my presence is pure and inviting because you and I both harbor a powerful force that immunizes us from this world's corruption; as for the mystery, it's simply because you don't know me; and about being cautious... it really has nothing to do with you."
Pointing towards Jean's chest, Clark concluded: "It's not you who feels cautious towards me, but rather, it's that, or rather the powerful force hidden within you!"
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