"In normal circumstances… that is, when it isn't being burned," John stepped forward to explain, cutting in after Bobby, who was stammering and unable to finish a sentence.
A ball of flame floated in John's palm. The fire moved gently under his control, like a tame kitten slowly wandering around. It didn't burn his hand at all, and even his sleeve and hair remained completely unharmed.
Stacy thought about it for a moment, but decided not to test the flame with his own hand. Looking at the somewhat flamboyant young man, he said:
"I remember you. Mr. Zhou Yi mentioned a young man who can control fire. Looks like that's you."
"Yes, sir! That's me. I'm John. Very happy to serve you!"
John's voice was filled with excitement—but not because of the police commissioner standing in front of him. Every student present knew that he was excited because the commissioner had just mentioned that Mr. Zhou Yi had spoken about him.
John was a devoted admirer of Zhou Yi. Back at school, he had constantly promoted Zhou Yi's ideas about the future of mutants. When Rogue gathered like-minded students together, John had been the first to respond.
Perhaps it was admiration for strength, or perhaps something else entirely. In any case, John had become one of Zhou Yi's most loyal supporters—something no one had expected at first.
Stacy, however, didn't know this. He thought the young man's enthusiasm was directed at him, and instantly felt more favorable toward him.
So he continued naturally:
"Young man, to be honest, we have high expectations for you. Your ability is very special. When I discussed this cooperation with Mr. Zhou Yi, he told me that if someone like you joined the fire department, our losses during disasters could be reduced dramatically. I didn't fully believe him at the time. I thought only the person involved could speak for himself. So tell me—can you really do that?"
"Of course, sir. I'm very confident!" John replied without hesitation. The pride and excitement on his face showed exactly how confident he felt.
This was exactly what Stacy liked to see. He admired confident young people. Only those with confidence could accomplish great things—and only such people could live up to his recognition and support.
So far, the two who had demonstrated their abilities had lived up to Zhou Yi's recommendation. But Stacy still wanted to observe a bit more. He wanted to see what the girl who had clearly taken the leadership role was capable of.
"Miss," he said, turning toward Rogue. "It seems you're the leader of this group. That means you should represent them the most. Could you show me what your ability is?"
Rogue raised an eyebrow and casually brushed back her hair. The streak of gold mixed into her long brown hair looked especially striking.
"Of course, sir," she replied calmly. "If that's your request."
She raised her hand and pointed it toward Stacy from a distance. A dazzling golden glow flowed out from her palm.
The moment the light appeared, John's eyes filled with envy, while Bobby's were full of fear.
Tiny sparks of brilliance scattered from the flowing light. When those sparks landed on Stacy, he immediately felt as though he were soaking in a warm hot spring.
Every part of his body felt comfortable. Not a single ache remained.
He could even feel that the blister he had just burned on his tongue had disappeared. Old injuries accumulated over the years, as well as the small ailments caused by age and irregular living, all vanished under the golden light.
The sensation was like being reborn.
Soon the light faded, leaving Stacy feeling somewhat regretful. However, as a disciplined man, he did not demand that Rogue continue.
Instead, he stared at her in amazement until she grew a little uneasy, and then he finally spoke.
"My God… This ability is practically a miracle. Child, is this really your power? Why does it feel like I just experienced the light of God?"
Stacy was a devout Catholic. In fact, many police officers shared religious beliefs—because only firm faith gave them the courage to face evil.
Because of that faith, Rogue's ability had momentarily shaken him. But only for a moment.
He quickly regained his composure and spoke again—not as a believer, but as the New York Police Commissioner and Zhou Yi's partner in this plan.
"Child, does your ability have limitations?"
"Yes, sir," Rogue replied. "It's strongest when used on a single person. If it's spread across multiple people, the effect becomes weaker. And it can't be used too frequently. If I use it too often, the ability may disappear."
"What's the limit?" Stacy asked immediately. It was obvious he valued her ability greatly.
Rogue thought for a moment and raised three fingers.
"At most three times in one day. If I exceed that, the power inside my body will be exhausted and won't regenerate. That means the ability will disappear completely."
"Only three times…" Stacy murmured.
Yet instead of disappointment, excitement and joy filled his face.
"That's already enough. With your ability, our losses will be reduced tremendously. Perhaps there won't be any more unnecessary sacrifices. This is excellent—truly excellent."
Hearing this, Rogue also became excited. Not because of the praise—but because Stacy's words clearly showed that he accepted them.
"Sir… does that mean you approve of us?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course. You're all excellent. Your age is the only reason I might hesitate—but that's not really a problem," Stacy replied. "You can tell Mr. Zhou Yi that the plan can begin. Two days from now, I'll introduce you to the entire city of New York at a press conference. I believe you won't disappoint me—or the citizens of New York."
He nodded firmly.
He had no reason to reject these young people. In his eyes, they were already outstanding. If it weren't for their complicated identities, they would be admired by countless people.
Thinking about it, he even felt a little lucky. When fortune arrived, nothing could stop it.
"That's wonderful! Mr. Stacy, thank you so much. I promise we won't disappoint you!"
The young mutants immediately cheered. Even Rogue, who was usually calm and mature, could barely contain her excitement and could only express her gratitude with simple words.
But Stacy didn't care about flattery. He was a strict and upright man who disliked sycophants. Compared to that, the straightforward enthusiasm of these young people felt far more genuine to him.
So he let them celebrate before speaking again.
"For the next two days, stay here. I'll have someone take you to your accommodations—Mr. Zhou Yi arranged them for you. I'll also give you your first two months' salary in advance. Rest well. At the press conference in two days, you'll need to face a lot of reporters. Just relax—everything is under my control."
He spoke with great confidence.
By now, he already considered these children valuable members of the police department. No matter the responsibility involved, he was determined to keep them here.
Naturally, this made the young mutants feel even more grateful.
Rogue and the others thanked him again before leaving under the guidance of his staff, heading toward their new residence.
Meanwhile, Stacy leaned back in his chair, calmly playing with the ice sculpture teacup and humming a country tune.
He looked extremely pleased.
The meeting had been satisfying for both sides.
But for a third party, it was far from satisfying.
Director Nick Fury, who preferred to stay behind the scenes, pointed at the surveillance footage on a monitor and shouted in front of his trusted subordinate.
"Phil, that trouble-loving gentleman has given me another headache. He's stuffed mutants into the police department. Look at them—ice powers, fire powers… and that little girl. Can you tell me what her ability is supposed to be?"
"A few weeks ago, our records said she was a rare mutant capable of absorbing other people's abilities. So why does she suddenly look like some glowing angel now?"
Coulson scratched his head.
He had been busy with another task when Fury suddenly summoned him, which had already given him a bad feeling.
After carefully watching the replay on the screen, he finally offered a guess.
"Sir… if I'm not mistaken, her ability may be related to the Knight of Dawn."
"You remember the end of the Paris battle? She was one of the two people who came into contact with him."
"Again with that troublesome guy…" Fury muttered.
He had already suspected as much. Asking Coulson was simply confirmation.
For someone as powerful as Zhou Yi, S.H.I.E.L.D. still hadn't figured out a proper way to deal with him—especially since their relationship was currently in a "honeymoon phase." Extreme measures were out of the question.
After thinking it over, Fury finally decided to let Stacy continue his activities right under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose.
Then he turned to another matter.
"How are things progressing on your side?"
"So far, everything is normal," Commander Maria Hill replied. She glanced at the smiling Coulson and said bluntly:
"But I'm still worried about the new agent Coulson recruited. I checked her background. I'm concerned she might act against orders during this mission. An agent driven by obvious hatred shouldn't be assigned to this kind of operation—especially not a rookie."
"Hill, I believe she can handle it," Coulson replied calmly. "You should have faith in our people. Or at least, as a friend, have faith in me."
"Sorry," Hill said flatly. "I can't."
Commander Hill showed absolutely no mercy toward Coulson.
And faced with Hill's attitude, Coulson could only smile bitterly.
-----------------------
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