American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

513. The Debtor.

After Doctor Strange was killed by Loki and Baron Mordo, and the three Sanctums fell one after another, the Wasteland had been without magical protection for decades.

This lack of magical safeguards was the primary reason for the rampant spread of dark creatures across the Wasteland. However, after Red Skull banished the magical dimensions, there hadn't been any threats from entities like Dormammu targeting Earth.

Coupled with Hydra's previous suppression and the current control by the Alliance, the dark creatures remaining in the Wasteland had been kept in check.

When Lex Luthor took over the Wasteland's governance, he wielded the sword of judgment—Superman, Clark Kent.

All dark creatures that could be recruited were brought into the fold, similar to how Alex had once dealt with Baron Blood. Today, Baron Blood had risen to become one of the Alliance's elders and a member of the council, securing a position at the heart of power.

As for the creatures that couldn't be recruited, they mostly perished under Clark's heat vision. The overwhelming power of solar energy was something no dark creature could withstand.

Even those with bizarre abilities that could resist momentarily would ultimately be torn to shreds by Clark's immense strength and thrown into cesspools.

Under the suggestion of the aged Punisher, the Alliance was planning to reassemble the Midnight Sons, requiring capable individuals to take the lead. This initiative was also seen as the best way to train young heroes.

The remaining dark creatures no longer posed a significant threat, so allowing the heirs or successors of heroes to practice their skills seemed like a good idea.

Additionally, under Luthor's recommendation, preparations were underway for the reconstruction of the three Sanctums. Raven Rachel had been appointed as the guardian of the New York Sanctum, while the London Sanctum was entrusted to Agatha, and the Hong Kong Sanctum to Shazam.

Apart from Raven Rachel, both Agatha and Shazam Billy were temporary custodians. The plan was to transfer the positions of Sanctum Masters to local talented sorcerers once they emerged.

Agatha, in particular, had expressed a desire to rebuild Kamar-Taj. Ever since her liberation, she had longed for a quiet place to retreat and live in seclusion.

Shazam Billy, on the other hand, aimed to reconstruct the Rock of Eternity. Thanks to the magical seeds Alex had planted in the Wasteland, Billy now had the potential to build the Rock of Eternity there.

Once the Wasteland stabilized, and with the combined efforts of the wizards, it wasn't impossible to recreate the grandeur of the Rock of Eternity. At that point, they could use the Rock to locate other exiled dimensions.

Much like Billy's previous journey through various magical continents in another universe, the exiled dimensions here could be rediscovered and reconnected with Earth's dimension.

Of course, this was merely a concept. No one wanted to bring back dark dimensions or other malevolent realms. If entities like Dormammu or Mephisto returned, they would only bring suffering upon themselves.

However, retrieving realms like Avalon, the Celestial Court, or Asgard would be a boon. Such reconnections could lead to a "spiritual revival" of Earth.

Before the reconstruction of the New York Sanctum, Raven Rachel had been roped in by Logan. Even Lex Luthor couldn't do much about Logan, let alone the younger Raven.

Before Logan could even fully persuade her, Raven had surrendered and followed him to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, where she took up the role of a professor.

"Long time no see, Raven," Alex greeted her with a smile.

"You're teaching here?" Kara asked in surprise.

Internally, Kara couldn't help but feel a little skeptical. After all, Rachel hadn't even graduated from high school. How could she possibly teach mutant children with her skill set?

Then again, considering the Wasteland's current state, where many children didn't even know how to read, Raven might actually serve well as a teacher for basic education.

"Yeah, I never thought I'd become a teacher one day. It's such a fascinating experience," Rachel replied with a bright smile, oblivious to Kara's thoughts.

"You've graced our humble school with your presence," Logan interjected warmly, slinging an arm over Pietro's shoulder. "Come on, it's mealtime. Let's eat together—I'll treat you all!"

Though Logan already knew this Pietro wasn't the same Quicksilver from his memories, every time he saw Pietro, Logan couldn't help but feel like he was reuniting with an old friend.

Under Logan's enthusiastic invitation, the group was ushered into the school. Inside, the buildings were just as exquisite as the exterior, with pristine white walls reflecting the care taken by the children living there.

The group chatted as they walked, eventually arriving at the cafeteria. It bore a striking resemblance to the university canteens Alex remembered, with large communal tables where students and teachers ate together.

When they entered, many students were already having dinner. However, upon seeing the food on the tables, Pietro and the others couldn't help but frown.

The students were eating what could barely be called porridge. It was more like a paste mixed with beans, resembling animal feed.

Yet, the students appeared happy, eagerly scooping the mush into their mouths with spoons, all the while curiously glancing at Alex and the newcomers.

"You usually eat... this stuff?" Pietro frowned, his expression darkening.

Hearing this, Logan sighed deeply and shook his head, his face full of pain.

"I can't help it. Resources are tight these days. We're a school; we can't go out on missions or take on jobs to earn supplies. I want to give these kids proper meals with meat and fish, but there's just no way to do that."

"But feeding them this? They're children, Logan. They're still growing. Eating this kind of stuff every day—how can they get the nutrition they need?" Kara said softly.

Ashley didn't say anything, but her expression soured. Thinking back to her worst days, she still hadn't eaten anything as awful as this.

Logan gave a wry smile and shook his head again.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Back when the Wasteland was in famine, no one cared about the people's lives. To Hydra, everyone else could live or die as they pleased; it didn't matter to them. Every year, countless people died.

"For those who wanted to survive, they had no choice but to resort to the unthinkable, even cannibalism. In those days, survival justified anything.

"But now it's different. The Alliance is established, and Luther is in charge. Everyone has to live within the law. Food is already scarce, and Luther wants to save everyone. That's practically impossible."

"But it's the only way, right? What's the alternative—let those outside start eating people?" Kara remarked.

"Exactly. But that's created a new problem: anyone who doesn't work can't eat. Now, I'm running a school with so many kids to take care of—what am I supposed to do?" Logan ran his hands over his face, visibly pained.

As they spoke, the cafeteria worker brought over a few dishes and set them on the table.

The food wasn't anything fancy—there was a single fish, a few plates of roasted meat, some bread, lettuce, and tomatoes.

After hesitating, the worker brought over two bottles of alcohol. However, the bottles had already been opened, and judging by the color of the liquid, they'd likely been watered down.

While the food wasn't extravagant, it was a stark contrast to what the students were eating. As the plates of meat were placed on the table, the surrounding students stared wide-eyed at the food, their gazes fixed intently on the meat.

Suddenly, everyone at the table felt uncomfortable.

"Alright, to celebrate everyone's visit, I decided to splurge a little. Don't look down on it; I know it's not as good as the food back at Alliance Tower," Logan said with a grin, pouring himself a small glass of alcohol and filling everyone else's cups to the brim. He raised his glass and continued, "To a brighter future for the Wasteland and for all mutants, cheers!"

Hearing this, Kara and Rachel exchanged glances. Pietro looked over at Ashley, and eventually, everyone, including Alex, reluctantly raised their glasses to join Logan in the toast.

However, when it came to the food on the table, they found it hard to dig in. It wasn't that they didn't want to eat, but the children around them were all staring at the plates of food with longing eyes. The group simply couldn't bring themselves to take a bite.

Thinking of how the children were eating mush while they had fish and meat, none of them felt right about it.

After a moment, when Alex remained silent, Kara set her glass down and spoke up.

"How about this—we appreciate the gesture, but you all are struggling as it is. These meals should go to the kids. They need it more than we do."

As she spoke, Kara picked up the plate of roasted meat in front of her and placed it on a nearby table. She smiled at the children and said, "Here, everyone, dig in. It's not much, but enjoy."

"Thank you, sister!"

"Thank you, sister!"

The young mutants quickly responded, rushing over to the table to taste the meat with joy.

Kara's actions set an example, and soon Pietro and Ashley followed suit, standing up to share their portions with the kids.

Seeing this, Alex handed his plate to Pietro, motioning for him to distribute it among the children as well.

Meanwhile, Alex's gaze stayed fixed on Logan, his expression complicated.

"You old fox, I see what you're doing—pulling this sob story to guilt us, huh?"

Logan blinked innocently at Alex.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Don't play dumb with me. That storage room of yours? Covered in a layer of lead. You didn't want Kara to notice the supplies in there, did you?"

Alex shot a glare at Logan.

But Logan only smiled.

"If you call me out now, nobody will walk away happy."

Watching as Pietro, Kara, and the others laughed with the children, Logan gave Alex a knowing look and raised his eyebrows.

"What can you do about it, hmm?"

.....

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