Marvel: Father of Superheroes

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"Hm? What's that?"

Charles's attention was suddenly drawn to something by the roadside. He glanced at the increasingly distant Erik and pursed his lips.

Since he couldn't catch up, he decided to park his bike by the side of the road and curiously walked over.

It was a brightly colored animal billboard featuring a goofy kangaroo and a silly zebra. Both animals had holes where their heads should be.

Tilting his head, Charles studied the billboard, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He measured his face and height against the holes, then strode forward, sticking his head through the kangaroo's hole.

"Hey! This is fun!"

He laughed happily and was about to pull his head out when—

"Pop!"

A sharp sound rang out, and Charles froze, a sense of dread welling up inside him.

One minute later...

Charles's face was flushed with embarrassment and panic.

He was stuck!

No matter how he twisted or turned, his head wouldn't budge.

Frustrated, he smacked the billboard and wailed, "I'm such an idiot! Someone help me!"

Just then, he spotted Erik returning.

"No, anyone but Erik!"

If Erik saw him like this, he'd never hear the end of it.

Panicking, Charles shut his eyes tightly and began silently chanting to himself: "You can't see me, you can't see me..."

"Charles!"

Hearing Erik's shout, Charles's heart sank.

Erik had stopped when he noticed Charles's abandoned bicycle on the roadside. After waiting for a while up ahead with no sign of Charles catching up, he'd grown worried and decided to come back.

Scanning the area anxiously, Erik's eyes eventually landed on the billboard.

"Huh?"

He froze for a moment, staring at the kangaroo's face.

Why did it look so... familiar?

As he took a closer look, realization struck.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Erik burst into laughter, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.

Charles's face turned dark with anger. "Stop laughing! Get me out of here!"

Erik wiped his tears, still trembling with laughter, and approached the billboard. Looking at Charles's face poking out of the kangaroo hole, he grinned mischievously.

Charles's expression tightened. "I'm warning you—don't you dare try anything!"

"Don't worry, I won't," Erik said, his tone far from reassuring. He raised his hand and gave Charles a light smack on the forehead.

"Smack!"

The sharp sound echoed, and Charles glared at Erik with a pitiful expression, his eyes brimming with the threat of tears.

Erik paused, looking guilty for a moment before coughing lightly to cover it up. "I just don't get it. How could you be dumb enough to get your head stuck? You managed to stick it in, didn't you? Why can't you pull it out?"

He circled behind the billboard, smirking. "Let me show you how it's done. Watch and learn!"

"No! Don't!"

Charles shouted in alarm.

But it was too late.

Erik pushed his head into the zebra's hole, ready to demonstrate his so-called "skills." With a confident tug—

"Uh..."

He froze, looking awkwardly at Charles. "I think I'm stuck too."

Silence.

Both boys stared at each other.

"You idiot! I told you not to try!" Charles yelled.

"You're no better than me! You're stuck too!" Erik shot back indignantly.

"Moron!"

"Idiot!"

The two of them bickered, their heads still stuck in the billboard.

From a distance, they looked like a silly kangaroo and a clumsy zebra locked in an animated argument. It was as if they were gearing up for a boxing match, ready to throw punches with their hooves.

If they had been ordinary kids, they might have been stuck there all day, waiting for someone to find them.

But luckily, they weren't ordinary.

Using his powers, Erik managed to free both of them from the billboard.

Breathing heavily, the two glanced around nervously, hopped on their bikes, and pedaled furiously toward school, desperate to escape the scene of their humiliation.

---

### Later That Afternoon at Mac's House

Mac leaned back on the sofa when his phone rang.

It was a call from Remy LeBeau.

"Remy?" Mac asked curiously, holding the phone to his ear. "What made you think of calling me?"

"Well... I... um..."

"What is it?"

"SHIELD needs your help."

"SHIELD!?" Mac's eyes turned cold as he immediately sat up straight. "Did you tell SHIELD about me?"

Sensing Mac's anger, Remy LeBeau quickly explained, "No, I didn't! Do you remember the last time we went drinking together?"

"That guy—he checked the surveillance nearby, saw me with you, and started digging into your background."

"He figured out our connection and sent me to talk to you."

"They investigated me?" Mac frowned, quickly regaining his composure. "What exactly did they find out?"

His mind raced before he sighed softly.

They must have uncovered most of what he had done over the years.

Mac had known this day would eventually come and had prepared himself for it.

Living in this world meant leaving traces, and those traces would inevitably lead back to him.

Fortunately, it seemed they had only found out about him and not his three children.

But even if the children's abilities were eventually discovered, Mac was no longer the same man he was years ago. His strength had grown considerably, and his kids were growing rapidly as well. He was confident he could protect them if necessary.

If SHIELD or any other organization wanted to make a move, Mac was ready to show them just how little he cared for their so-called authority.

"Thirteen years ago—your time as an assassin, the Three Mile Island incident, the Crystal Lake affair..."

Hearing Remy's words, Mac chuckled bitterly.

So they'd uncovered everything. He had underestimated SHIELD's capabilities.

That person... could it be Nick Fury?

Mac speculated silently before asking, "What do they want?"

"They want to make a deal with you."

Mac sneered. "Like they did with you?"

If they planned to put a leash on him, he'd make sure SHIELD regretted it.

"Well, that was the initial plan," Remy admitted. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he added, "But Howard Stark strongly opposed it. What's your connection to that old man?"

Howard Stark?

Mac repeated the name in his mind before replying flatly, "I saved him once."

"No wonder." Remy nodded in realization. "Anyway, they're hoping to meet with you to discuss this. They want your help."

Mac rubbed his temples. "Got it."

"One more thing—the opponent this time is the Hellfire Club. They're extremely dangerous." Remy's tone grew serious. "If you can use your favor with Howard Stark to get out of this, I suggest you do it."

Mac nodded. "Understood."

"If you agree to meet, I'll notify Howard Stark. He's already near your house."

Mac responded with a simple "Hmm" and hung up the phone.

Moments later, his doorbell rang.

Mac got up and walked to the door. When he opened it, he found two people standing there: Howard Stark and Peggy Carter.

"It's good to see you again," Howard Stark said with a warm smile, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he spoke.

Mac crossed his arms, his expression cold. "Good to see me? I'm not feeling the same."

Howard didn't take offense. Instead, he sighed and said, "Hear me out about this mission. If you don't agree to join, I promise I'll make sure they leave you alone."

Seeing the sincerity in Howard's eyes, Mac hesitated for a moment before stepping aside. "Come in."

(End of Chapter)