Chapter 55: A Comeback?

As dawn began to break, New York City once again came alive with endless vitality.

Breathing in the fresh morning air, Alex strolled leisurely through a park in New York. Twenty minutes later, he sat comfortably on a bench, watching the sunrise slowly ascend from the horizon.

Sitting there alone, his mind was blissfully blank, and he felt at ease.

At that moment, Ben and his friends were in the Baxter Building, assisting Reed with his research. Last night, the pragmatic Reed had worked tirelessly to develop a solution to return Ben to his human form. Ben and Susan had done their best to help, but Alex and Johnny, with their complete lack of interest in high-tech matters, were left idle.

Eventually, Johnny, ever the restless one, invited Alex to join him for an extreme motocross show later that day. However, Alex, not fond of crowded places, declined the offer. After bidding farewell to Ben and leaving the Baxter Building with Johnny, Alex had come to this park for a walk.

"Splash, splash…"

Just as Alex was on the verge of dozing off, the sound of a bubbling stream reached his ears. It was his phone ringing.

Pulling out his phone, he saw it was Charles calling. Checking the time, it was only six in the morning, causing Alex to frown instinctively.

"Calling this early—did something happen to Vanessa?"

With this thought, Alex quickly answered the call. "Hello, Charles, did something happen to Vanessa?"

"No, no, don't worry. Vanessa is fine," Charles's voice came through. "I'm calling you about something else."

Alex sighed in relief, leaning back against the bench. "You gave me a scare—I thought something had happened to Vanessa. What's going on? Tell me."

"Do you remember the giant python I mentioned before?"

"The one that supposedly swallowed five elephants in one go?" Alex recalled it vividly due to the snake's enormous appetite and size.

"Yes, that one, the so-called universe-destroying python!"

Alex froze in shock. "Wait, don't tell me the federal agents actually found such a massive python?!"

Humans developed various powers due to genetic mutations—could it be that snakes were undergoing similar genetic changes? Upon reflection, Alex found it plausible. With humanity's increasing destruction of Earth's environment, the idea of one or two snakes experiencing genetic mutations or evolutionary regression wasn't entirely far-fetched.

"You're saying this because you haven't seen last night's emergency news," Charles's tone carried a mix of helplessness and amusement.

Hearing this, Alex's eyes lit up as he eagerly pressed for details. "So, there really is such a massive python?"

Charles confirmed, "Yes, just as reported. The python appears to be hunting a girl. Los Angeles is currently in chaos!"

Alex exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible? When did the military become so incompetent that they can't handle a mere python?!"

"It's complicated. This python seems to be a mythical creature from Korean mythology. Ordinary firearms can't even penetrate its scales, let alone kill it!"

"Korean mythology?" Alex's tone turned skeptical. Korea was known for rewriting narratives to suit its interests—when did they start having such formidable mythical creatures?

"What did you say?"

Alex's voice was too low for Charles to catch, prompting him to ask.

"Oh, nothing." Shaking off his thoughts, Alex asked, "Why are you telling me this? It doesn't seem to have much to do with me."

"Well," Charles cleared his throat, "the federal government believes the military can't handle this. If they insist on proceeding, all of Los Angeles could be destroyed. So, their relevant department has turned to you. Last night, they approached me to ask for my opinion on you stepping in to deal with the python."

"Why ask for your opinion if they want me to act?" Alex asked, intrigued.

"Well, after you destroyed that experimental island in Canada, their government demanded accountability from the U.S. I stepped in and explained it was to 'rescue fellow mutants,' which made the authorities think you were one of my subordinates. So, naturally, they came to me."

Hearing this, Alex chuckled, finally understanding why Canada hadn't sent anyone to hunt him down—it was Charles's influence that had smoothed things over.

Jokingly, Alex said, "So that's it. I was wondering why Canada wasn't after me. Turns out you had my back! Guess I owe you a 'thank you.'"

"I didn't do it for gratitude," Charles replied with a laugh. "Anyway, I made it clear last night that you're not my subordinate. I imagine they'll come to find you directly today. Be prepared."

"Got it," Alex replied. Just as he was about to hang up, Charles's voice turned serious.

"Alex, if you can safely defeat this python, I hope you'll agree to their request and go to Los Angeles."

Alex hesitated before asking, "Why? What's your reasoning?"

Charles's tone grew heavy. "Alex, do you know how many people live in Los Angeles? Four and a half million—yes, 4.5 million! If the military truly engages this python in battle, the city's destruction is a small matter. But the potential casualties? Fifty thousand? A hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand? We don't know! But if we can prevent this tragedy, shouldn't we act?"

Alex fell silent. Charles was right. If tens of thousands were to die in this disaster, Alex would regret it for the rest of his life—even if it wasn't his fault.

This wasn't about a misplaced sense of justice, seeking fame, or even increasing his own strength. It was about his humanity. As someone with the power to stop this tragedy, he couldn't stand idly by.

"I understand. I know what I have to do."

With a low, resolute reply, Alex hung up, though his expression was tinged with frustration and amusement. "A mythical Korean python causing chaos in America? Is this their way of putting the U.S. to the test?"

Letting out a deep breath, Alex tucked his phone into his pocket, rested his sword bag across his legs, and closed his eyes.

"If the agents are coming to find me, I might as well take it easy and let them come here."

True to form, the efficiency of U.S. agents was impressive. Within fifteen minutes, a black sedan pulled into the park, stopping in front of Alex.

Two men in black suits and sunglasses stepped out with stoic expressions, walking over to Alex. "Are you Mr. Alex?"

"Mr.?" Alex raised an eyebrow—this was the first time someone had addressed him so formally.

"Yes, I'm Alex. You're here about the python in Los Angeles?"

Hearing Alex's confirmation, the agents couldn't hide their relief. One said excitedly, "As you must already know, the entire city will be in your debt if you help us, Mr. Alex!"

"Please, Mr. Alex!" the other agent pleaded earnestly.

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