The Main Universe Iron Man glanced cautiously at Professor X, pursed his lips, and said nothing to him, only turning to Quicksilver behind the bar and saying: "Give me a Martini, kid."

Quicksilver said nothing and began mixing the drink. Once the drink was ready, he placed it on the table, and with two gulps, it was gone. Quicksilver helplessly remarked: "If you’re trying to drown your sorrows, don’t drink cocktails. How about some whiskey?"

The Main Universe Iron Man waved his hand, so Quicksilver opened a bottle of whiskey for him. He didn’t want ice, and instead drank straight from the bottle, almost spitting it out: "What is this? Is this even booze?!"

"Clarkia is far from the mainland, making transportation inconvenient and costly. So, the standards for our external supplies are not high; they definitely won’t meet your requirements," Professor X explained. "We need to spend our money where it matters more."

Luckily, Iron Man wasn’t here for the fine wine. After Quicksilver handed him an ice ball, he downed another glass. The slight intoxication brought by alcohol actually made him more calm, and it opened up his conversation.

"I thought I got along really well with Steven. In The Avengers, we were the best of friends, and strong allies. He constantly supported all my plans and tried his best to help me achieve my goals. It was mutual." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"You’re quite lucky," Professor X said. "If you’re a universally recognized good person, you easily make friends. But if you’re more unconventional, it takes some luck to find a kindred spirit."

"Exactly," the Main Universe Iron Man said, resonating. "I don’t get along with most people, Steven was like that too. But the two of us had a great synergy; I felt it was a destiny unique to us. I’ve shared many stories of my past with him, and of course, he’s shared his. I could feel that he truly understood me and what I’d gone through. But surprisingly... I didn’t understand him as well."

"Why do you think so?" Professor X asked.

"I thought he became a magician because he utterly failed in the field of surgery. But I didn’t know he was actually always a successful doctor, just not perfect. This misconception led to misguided worries, and then to misguided actions." The Main Universe Iron Man sighed deeply, placing his hands on the bar, drank several mouthfuls.

"You know, a mutant’s life is usually divided into two phases," Professor X said. "Before awakening abilities and after. Before awakening, we are ordinary people, just like most ordinary people. We spend time with our families and go to school to receive education. Some worry about making a living; others are bothered by trivial matters. Some even manage to create miracles in their ordinary lives. Like my good friend Erik."

The Main Universe Iron Man couldn’t help but look at him. He knew many mutants weren’t born with their abilities, but it was the first time he heard it spoken by a mutant.

"As a child, he fled with his family, even ended up in a concentration camp, and survived, growing into a resolute warrior. This was something he accomplished in his ordinary life; it’s difficult, but commendable. After awakening his mutant ability, he sought ways for mutants. Do you think he chose to fight for mutants because he couldn’t do better in his ordinary life?"

The alcohol made the Main Universe Iron Man’s mind somewhat sluggish. He rarely indulged in alcohol, and even when he was drunk, it wasn’t often. He just muttered, somewhat confused: "But you said he did well."

"Exactly, just like you said your friend did well," Professor X remarked. "People like them don’t abandon the first stage of their lives because they failed."

"I’m a bit muddled," the Main Universe Iron Man said. "I mentioned, I just learned that he didn’t leave because of failure..."

"You claim he chose another path because he couldn’t achieve perfection. But perhaps that’s not the truth."

"That’s what he told me himself..."

"Hearing isn’t always believing," Professor X gazed into his eyes and said, "Consider why one has to stay on the path of being a mage after leaving the clinical surgery table? Does he really have no other option? If one day you no longer can build mechas, would you only have the choice to become a salesperson or a movie star?"

The Main Universe Iron Man was somewhat dazed. He tried hard to wake up from the effects of alcohol, but wasn’t quite successful. At this moment, Quicksilver handed him a glass of ice water, and after chugging several gulps, shaking his head, he felt slightly better.

"Do you mean, even if he’s no longer a surgeon, he can do something else?"

"Exactly. After the disaster, he likely had some extreme perfectionist tendencies, which is natural. Everyone has times of stubbornness. Oneself was so successful once that even a small difference could make one feel like everything is ruined. But as time passed, his condition gradually stabilized; he regained his reason long ago. His choice to continue on the path he’s now taken isn’t entirely because no other road could be pursued."

Professor X paused slightly, gently sighed and said: "Although I’m just a psychiatrist, I know a bit about the medical system. Surgeons also receive comprehensive internal medicine teaching in medical school, so with some effort, switching to internal medicine isn’t impossible. Plus, surgery involves not only practical skills but also theory. His practical skills are very high, but his theoretical understanding must be solid too. Worst-case scenario, based on his previous fame, if he focused on teaching students, wouldn’t positions be fiercely contested? If he truly loved the medical system that much, if he wanted to restore the glory of the ’Hand of God,’ these are all good options. People wouldn’t forget his peak days, many might even praise him for his resilience, dedicating his life to the medical field."

"Just like Erik. Even after awakening his mutant ability, he could continue battling those axis villains on the battlefield, rise through the military system with his rich fighting experience, attaining fame and power in secular society. People would also praise him as a hero. Why didn’t he choose to do that?"

The Main Universe Iron Man seemed to understand something. Doctor Strange’s situation might not be easy to analyze, but the mutant’s situation was indeed clear.

Magneto didn’t choose to continue as an ordinary person not because he couldn’t. His mutant ability has no side effects; he doesn’t use it unless he wants to, appearing as any ordinary person. Even if others know when he unleashes his power, by just changing location and identity, he could still blend in well.

He didn’t choose to remain in ordinary human society because the situation among mutants was overly precarious. Ordinary human society may not lack one soldier, but mutant society desperately lacks a leader. The need for him by the mutant community far exceeds that of ordinary human society. So he chose to become a leader for mutants.

Then, perhaps the same applies to Doctor Strange. He isn’t completely incapable of returning to the ordinary medical system; if he wanted, switching to theoretical work or backing down to teach would be easily achievable. Yet, human society has a far smaller demand for the ’Hand of God’ compared to the Avengers’ need for Doctor Strange. Humanity might not lack an excellent surgeon, but the Avengers truly lack a Supreme Magician.

The Main Universe Iron Man suddenly saw the light. How come he hadn’t thought of this before? In his assumption, Steven retreated from the medical system because he desperately wanted to return, as it was his unspoken sorrow and regret. If ever given the chance, he’d undoubtedly return as a doctor without looking back.

Hence, he felt deeply guilty. The surgery for the mutants before was supposed to be Steven’s great opportunity to break through himself and re-enter the medical system, yet he caused disruptions outside—truly a misstep.

But upon reevaluating, Steven might not be as eager to return to being a doctor, nor does he need to conquer himself and overcome shadows to such an extent. To the Main Universe Iron Man, this was good news, as he hadn’t caused irrevocable harm.

However, this raises another question: If it wasn’t very important to Doctor Strange, why was he so angry?

"Why must Erik answer the need for a leader among mutants?" Professor X posed another question. "He’s lived in ordinary human society for so long, hardly interacting with mutants. Why choose to save mutants instead of the more familiar ordinary humans?"

"Uh, isn’t it because he’s disillusioned by humanity?" The Main Universe Iron Man expressed his understanding. "You mentioned he fled with his family and ended up in a concentration camp. He probably isn’t fond of ordinary human society, right?"

"But that doesn’t mean he must choose mutants. After all, mutants never saved him, nor benefited him directly. Why would he contribute to the mutant cause?"

The Main Universe Iron Man didn’t know either, so he could only stare blankly at Professor X. Professor X showed a hint of reminiscence on his face, then said: "Actually, initially, he wasn’t staunchly for mutants; it was only later he met a group of like-minded mutant friends. To be precise, he met me."

"The two of us once fought side by side. In that turbulent wartime, besides providing comfort, we constantly discussed ideals, imagining brightly how people like us would thrive with a glorious future, considering what means we’d use to remake this world and make it better. All these constantly touched us, guiding us onto a new path—to fight for mutants."

"A person’s sense of belonging to a group comes more from their feelings for someone or some individuals within that group. We love them, hence we want to defend this society. We love their ideals, hence we want to change this society. This is the fundamental reason why people choose a certain path."

Professor X’s blue eyes swirled before the Main Universe Iron Man’s gaze, becoming a bit blurry and unfocused. Finally, he heard Professor X say: "To choose willingly, the first choice is love. Settling for less when there are no other options is never the same."