Chapter 183: Cute and Jaws

Third Person P.O.V.

Xavier Institute

It is training time for the X-Men, and everyone has to participate.

It is obvious that while living in this dangerous world and willing to dive headfirst into the trouble of the heroic life, the X-Men need to do more than blindly rely on their natural gifts.

They need to train, and train heavily.

This is a group of smart people, so, of course, they reached the conclusion that they can't neglect the basics. They all need to train their body.

Most of the time, body training happens naturally with teamwork training and practical exercises. The use of their own powers also puts a good strain on their muscles, enough that everyone is moderately in shape without needing to hit the gym every day.

But that is not enough.

Being moderately in shape is not enough, and being more than that can be the difference between life and death when it really matters.

To fight, everyone needs good stamina, reflexes, experience… And that is what today's training is about in the Xavier Institute.

Everyone is training the basics.

They always did that, but didn't place as much importance on this kind of training before a certain world-famous hero appeared.

Eidolon never hides that having an extremely solid foundation is what makes him a master with so many superpowers across all classifications.

Most metas can barely control one power, and he is an expert in all of them. It is not only because he is a genius, but also because he has already mastered the basics of physical training.

That is what he said to all of them when asked how to improve.

He also pointed this out when he "borrowed" Spyke's body for a little demonstration. He not only showed that all powers can be useful, but also demonstrated the limits a good user can reach if they master the basics.

The first to adopt his teachings were Rogue, Kitty, Illyana, Spyke, and any other big fan… They start using the gym more regularly instead of treating it like a chore, and that influenced the rest.

At some point, when almost everyone is doing their own exercises separately, why not join everyone and practice some teamwork in the meantime?

"Damn! Can't believe how out of shape I am… I thought I could run for much longer?" Warren, aka Angel, wheezes heavily. He is holding onto his own waist, head down with his body soaked in sweat.

"That is what you get for getting used to flying around." Sam Guthrie, aka Cannonball, teases as he passes over his fellow blonde.

"Hey! Haah… Try running with… those things on your back…" Warren shouts back between gasps, "It is not only restricting my advantage, but a clear disadvantage when I am not using them."

"Never thought from that perspective…" Paige Guthrie, Sam's sister, comments as she passes Warren too. The big family grew up on a farm, so despite looking like the average spoiled popular girl, Paige is very athletic because she played in the rural area and did physical labor from a young age.

"Ah, man… Haah~ How I wish I could retract those wings." Warren sighs.

"Angel! I know that is difficult for you, and maybe not fair, but that is just another reason to train more than the others!" Scott shouts from the side of the track field.

As the young leader of the X-Men, he is the one supervising everyone.

"Okay, boss…" Warren gives a mocking salute at Scott and goes back to moving, but at a much slower pace than before.

Scott narrows his eyes beneath his visor, but he doesn't comment. He understands that everyone goes on their own rhythm, and some will be good at certain things and bad at others.

Kurt, for example, even without his teleportation superpower, is stronger and more athletic than the others, or even any average human. The climbing wall is a piece of cake for him, and so is the parkour course.

It also seems he has an almost supernatural spatial awareness of his immediate surroundings, but it remains unclear whether it is a byproduct of his power.

On the other hand, the blue meta is very bad at swimming. Incredibly bad. So much that some think there is some trauma hidden there…

But Kurt is putting effort into the pool of the mansion even when he is barely making progress.

The objective is making progress; it doesn't matter how small it is.

So that everyone could be a little more prepared in case things go wrong. And in this line of work, things often go wrong. They never know when they will be in a situation where they can't use their powers, or whether, if they do, things will get worse.

Everyone should complete the program in all types of sports and some basic combat without powers.

Today, because the weather is nice, everyone even chose to do the training outside in the training room.

Those who don't have physical powers are being helped to get good at close-quarters fighting by those who are good at it.

Jean Grey is obviously one of those who need some instruction, and she is being paired with the 12-year-old Illyana. Initially it was just to pair an absolute beginner with the youngest here, but…

BamPow

Illyana dodges a punch, then counters with two of her own, striking Jean on the ribs and face.

Luckily, the two are wearing protective gear, or Jean would have at least spit some blood, maybe even lose a tooth if Illyana didn't hold back.

"Illyana." Piotr steps forward to admonish Illyana after Jean fell to her knees.

"What?" Illyana raises her gloved hands, her face showing confusion.

"It… It is okay, Piotr." Jean is the one who stops the big man. "If she held back, what would be the point?" She stands up slowly and takes a stance again.

"That is what I like to see, princess." Illyana shows a toothy grin. "Mind tricks don't work on everyone; you should know how to kick some ass too."

The two engage in another round, Jean doing a little better because she plays defense, but it is obvious that the much younger Illyana is years ahead of her on this.

"Damn, Illyana really knows how to throw hands." Jubilee comments from the side

"I mean, she spent years being raised by a demon guy…" Robert Drake, her partner, replies, "Ah, is this a sensitive topic to bring up?" He winces a little.

"I don't mind!" Illyana shouts while fighting, kicking Jean, who was too focused on the blonde's hands and catching the older woman by surprise, winning another round.

"And she is also being trained by Eidolon," Kitty says between bouts with Logan.

"Focus." Wolverine tells her, while performing some attacks, to scare the girl.

Kitty, even without any real advantage from her power, is a pretty athletic girl and very talented in martial arts. So she is paired with Logan as some sort of "advanced class".

She has already aced all other training courses, too.

Rogue is in a similar situation, but because she cheated with that "Eidolon boost", and that is something no one lets her forget, as they tease the goth meta every time she showcases great abilities.

"Talking about the guy, didn't he normally come to pick you up during weekends like those, Illyana?" Jubilee asks

"He said that we are gonna skip this weekend… Something about some days off to clear his mind." Illyana answers with a disgruntled expression, stopping her onslaught on Jean.

"Eidolon takes days off?" Kitty shouts in surprise. "I mean, last night there were reports of him saving people from a flood."

"Knowing the guy, for him working less is like resting." Jean jokes while taking some deep breaths. "I think I remember him commenting that he sleeps 30 minutes a day or something."

"Ah do not blame him for taking a vacation; he has been exposed to a lot of shit those last days," Rogue says from her place; she is kicking both Cassidy and Sooraya asses.

"If he was smart, he would just drink." Logan harrumphs

"What works to you may not work to others." Kitty points with a smirk

"Is it even working for you?" Jubilee joins hands with her to make fun of the older guy

Wolverine growls, but he is not really answering; he is already used to those brats making jokes about his age and behavioral problems.

He can't get younger, and he doesn't plan to change, so whatever…

"I was seeing more and more of that shit, dude… It is crazy. So many conspiracy theorist people feeling vindicated." Kitty comments

"Are you still accompanying it? Ugh, that is too much for my stomach." Cassidy says with an ugly expression on her silver-colored face. She was saved from a mutant research facility, so she is especially sensitive to this topic.

"I can't help with it; it is all over the internet." Kitty shrugs before looking at Logan. "And you, Logan? You lived a long time, went through a lot… Even saw things like this in your time?"

"Hm… Humans fucking over other humans below them… it has been happening since forever." The man grunts, eyes distant, maybe reminiscing. "You just live to ignore it, because you couldn't do shit."

"Well, Eidolon just did." Jean points out.

"Yeah… I guess he did." Logan nods, "There was once a time I stumbled upon a human trafficking ring, saved a bunch of children… Ugh, a very bad moment of my life. It not only made the food tasteless for some moments, but those children are damn annoying… Like you all." The joke amidst the serious talk makes the X-Men chuckle. "I couldn't let the snotty-nosed brats alone, so I helped, even got pissed enough to hunt some of the responsible… But I knew I had just taken a bucket of water from the ocean. Nothing really changed… The flying bastard at least can reach farther than my claws; I will give him that." Logan admits in a rare show of respect for another person.

"That is fucked up, man…" Robert shakes his head with a sigh

Jean opens her mouth to comment. "I mean, we always know that there are evil deeds being done around the world, but the sheer magnitude of everything and how it was a system instead of isolated cases. It makes us lose a little faith in humanity."

"Right? Like… we all thought the open secrets of celebrities are that they do drugs and have orgies… But some do worse! Way worse stuff!" Jubilee says, aggravated

At this point, Scott approached and joined the conversation. "The most problematic part is how those rich people funded so many things to keep humanity down… I thought it was bad they are secretly treating us like lab rats, but it seems they have a finger in every sector of the human race."

"I saw a video of a dude that made a briefing about all revolutionary minds that were killed to keep progress under control," Kitty says. "Things like inventions that never come to light because of them."

"So they only kept alive the ones that fell in line." Rogue comments

"Or the ones they couldn't do anything against, like Stark…" Jubilee points out

"Maybe they are also behind the attack on Stark." Jean points out, "The one that made him become Iron Man."

"Poor Stark, that is what he gained from being one of the few billionaires that is not a pervert." Kitty shakes her head. "Well, he was an alcoholic womanizer, but that is it. He is a saint compared to the rest."

"What is gonna happen to those people again?" Robert asks

"They are all under custody, waiting for the trials," Kitty answers

"Why a trial? Just let me at them…" Illyana smiles darkly

"Illyana." Piotr sighs

"What? It's a joke…" It was not.

"That is kinda the global sentiment…" Jean shrugs. "People want to hang all of them."

"Look, I am a pacifist, but damn…" Robert comments, "I could not blame anyone for wanting to strangle those people."

"It really does not look good to them." Piotr comments with his heavy Russian accent, "People can't accept this much injustice when it is thrown in their faces."

"Heads need to roll."

"It is the big reveals… They are mocking everyone with their sick ways of living." Kitty adds, "There are some reports that rich people really hunt humans in impoverished areas, treating it like a sport, you know?"

"For real?"

"Damn, those satires we see in comedies are trying to warn us."

"I saw that some perverts choose their targets by the pictures of school books, like a catalog." Jubilee comments

"What the hell!"

"Yeah, some people commented that social media was pushed as a cool thing just to make it easier for those perverts." Jubilee continues, "People basically advertise themselves to them now."

"I don't know if I laugh or cry."

"I read that Social media is just a way for people to willingly give their data."

"Hopefully they are all fucked now, and we are free to do whatever we want." Kitty sighs

"All those conspiracies are true then…"

"Except flat earth…"

"Were the pyramids made by aliens?"

"I would not doubt it at this point…"

"We should check and see what is beneath them one of those days."

"For some reason I think it is not a good idea."

"Maybe the jews really control the weather. Haha!"

"Ms. Munroe controls the weather; maybe she works for the jews." They start joking around.

"You too, Bobby, don't accept their money."

"Oh, I will." The Omega-level meta jokes.

"What? My auntie is on that fat payroll, and she can't even give me an allowance??" Spyke suddenly appears and shouts with exaggerated indignation, "I am gonna ask her for answers." He marches off righteously while the rest laugh at his antics.

They all watch their friend approach his aunt, who is reading a book under a tree with a serene expression. An expression that they watch change as Spyke approaches to talk with her, and suddenly the poor guy was thrown in the air by a gust of wind.

WhooshSplash

He flies and falls into the pool perfectly, a testament to Ororo's control.

Spyke emerges from the pool amid the laughs of his friends and swims to the border.

"She said that she is not giving me any of the money she gained… their greed corrupted her already." Spyke jokes after spitting a lot of water from his mouth. His clown act continues to make his friends laugh.

"If you are not drenched, I would smite you with lightning right now." Ororo shouts from her spot a little farther away.

It was at this moment that Jean, who had been laughing with the others, received a telepathic message from Xavier.

"! The Professor is calling me. See you guys later." Jean waves at them as she removes her protective gear, and they wave back. In the meantime, they are still joking with Spyke.

Jean finds the Professor in the back entrance of the mansion.

"Thank you for coming, Jean. Can you follow me?" he turns around in his wheelchair, and Jean walks behind him.

"What is the matter, Professor?"

"I was thinking about the worrying discovery that an alternative version of you is walking around the planet… an evil version, of all things." The Professor starts, "We both know very well how dangerous a telepath without inhibitions is."

"True… I try not to think too much about it… but it is hard." Jean confesses with a tired sigh

"I understand. I also sometimes catch myself not sleeping because of this issue." Xavier sighs. "This other you is a danger to everyone, and to the cause we are fighting."

"..."

"That is why I was working on Cerebro to maybe find a solution… a way to find her before she can hurt anyone."

"Is that true, Professor?" Jean asks with hope and surprise.

"Yes… It is not anything new; I was just thinking that if we calibrate the Cerebro a little differently and have you use it, maybe you will find her more easily."

"Because our powers are similar, and maybe even our brain waves…" Jean guesses

"Yes."

"But… she is an older me… There is a high chance she knows how to hide from Cerebro."

"That is true… but you can't use it as an excuse for inaction. I believe that if she uses her powers, at least in a big fashion, you may be able to locate her with the help of Cerebro." The Professor explains, "This will allow us to answer quickly if she tries to put her plans in motion, and give us a chance to stop her."

"That is much better than doing nothing… It will need a little luck to catch her in the act, but it is worth trying."

"Great. This is also the first step in upgrading the Cerebro into something that can boost a specific someone's telepathic abilities, and maybe even become support equipment for those who can't control their telepathic powers."

"Like little wheels on a bike."

"Exactly." Xavier smiles. "Telepaths are few in number but the most feared of the mutants- well, metas… There are things only we can do to create a better path to others like us in the future."

"I wholeheartedly agree, Professor."

...

Atlantic Ocean

Most people would think that operating a spaceship, or even a normal ship, is difficult; although that is indeed true, it is possible to argue that it is easier than driving a car.

Why? Space and the ocean are empty.

So if you are just moving around, you can literally do whatever you want, move in any direction, and in the worst case, you are stuck in place.

The same logic can be applied to a submarine; after all, most of the ocean is also empty unless you are going to the depths or find an iceberg.

The problem with operating those unique vehicles is the controls, which require more study and training than those on the average car.

Ignoring advanced spaceships that can travel faster than light, submarines and ships on Earth are also slow and require a high degree of control and foresight to pilot.

Of course, Hector would not project a submarine that is hard to control when he wanted to let the girls have their fun. The controls are as easy as a video game's, and the intelligent system of the submarine operates any complicated part.

Hector can also take control of it at any time with his technokinesis.

But even without him, the submarine would not reach any dangerous speed, sway too much, or hit anything… even under the control of a little girl.

Well, five little girls, to be more exact… Despite their blooming individuality, the Stepford Cuckoos always share more than they differ.

It only needs one pair of hands on the wheel, but Hector can always get creative so that every single one of them can do something and play as a submarine crew.

"Okay, I am feeling dumb only by asking it with you here, but… Are you sure this is 100% safe?" Emma Frost asks Eidolon as she sits on a chair beside him.

The co-parents are sitting in the back, with a perfect view of the outside and of what their daughters are doing.

"Don't worry… A hamster could pilot this thing with all the assistance that is provided, and the sensors will prevent it from hitting anything. And in the worst-case scenario, the forcefields can be deployed." Eidolon explains

"I am not worried about that when you are literally here. I bet you would open the ocean in biblical proportions if needed…" Emma rolls her eyes. "I am more worried about the damage they could cause."

And with her eyes, Emma gestures to Phoebe.

Again, not all girls could pilot; the role fell into Sophie's hands, as the unofficial leader of the group, but Hector is a good dad who could find ways for all to play.

PewPewPew

And he gave Phoebe control of the artillery of the submarine.

Why did he even put guns on a submarine that is meant to be his kids' toy from the beginning? Because he can.

The little girl is shooting yellow lasers from the guns in all directions, sparing no ammo… Not that she needed it; the ammo is basically unlimited.

"Heh~, relax, it is just a photon gun with a tiny bit of solidified light, not really a laser or plasma weapon. It only packs a small concussive punch." Eidolon explains.

"You just had a talk about controlling Phoebe's aggressive behavior…" Emma deadpans.

"Controlling… not suppressing. I think it is healthy for her to redirect that energy to other hobbies. Normal people put their children in sports or martial arts…" Eidolon explains.

"And you give yours a weapon."

"A fancy toy gun." He waves his hand dismissively. "Look, she is not even aiming at any fish."

"Because no fish appeared yet."

"If she really kills one, I will prepare a dish with it." He replies, unconcerned.

No need to shy away from violence, especially in this world.

In a normal world, Hector would teach his daughter how to defend herself; now in this universe… They just need to grow up a little more, and he will teach them how to use any kind of gun he knows how to use.

It will be easy; they are telepaths. He just needs to upload his own knowledge into their brains. Telepaths have it easy when it comes to absorbing information like that. It is a perk, a natural adaptability, of their powers.

He will have more trouble teaching them responsibility. Maybe he can introduce a certain spider as their uncle to help him with that, but that is a thought for the future.

Now, he will let their daughters have a little fun. The world is their sandbox as long as he allows it.

"Can" "The" "Submarine" "Go" "Faster?" They ask, each saying one word, as their heads creepily turn to stare at Eidolon.

"Well, it can, but you need to make sure the route ahead is clear…" Eidolon instructs, "You don't wanna hit anything, right?"

From the five, Sophie is piloting. Phoebe is the gunner. Mindee has the control panel to herself, to activate whatever she wants. Esme serves as the navigator, observing the panel with the radar and the map.

And Celeste does nothing.

Hector prepared two seats for "gunners", but Celeste is happy being an observer alone, losing herself in the sights of the ocean world.

Sometimes she invades Esme's space to look at the cameras that show what's below and behind the submarine, and sometimes she grabs the lever that controls the searchlight.

Eidolon prepared the route; they already deviate a little, but there is no problem, so Esme can point out that the space ahead is open as they go down.

Like a captain, Sophie passes the order to Mindee to press the "turbo" button. Hector obviously made the control panel very user-friendly.

vrrrummm

They hear and feel how the submarine picks up speed, the propellers spinning faster as they move forward.

"Where are we going again?" Emma asks, a small smile on her lips as she watches her daughters excitedly act like a crew.

"It should be a surprise, but there is an underwater grotto; a pocket of air will allow us to explore some cool caves," Eidolon says

"..." She turns to him with an accusatory glance. "Never heard of anything like that around here… Did you…"

"Yes." Yes, he made it. "More or less… Just turned into something a little more exciting than a hole underwater."

Emma shakes her head. "You need to learn to hold back."

"I am holding back." Eidolon points out.

It takes some time, but the girls are not a hive mind for nothing. They are able to communicate properly and eventually reach an underwater cliff.

What delayed them the most was the desire to play around, rather than the lack of teamwork expected of any other group of kids.

The map shows that they have already reached their destination, so they float around to find the entrance… The problem is that the entrance is not that easy to find.

Two minutes of frustration later, and the girls turn to look back at their father in a synchronized fashion.

"What?" He asks with a smile, "Do you think adventures are easy? Search harder." He shrugs, only giving them some words of encouragement. "Don't give up; you will find it eventually."

And there they go, slowly moving around the cliff, carefully utilizing the search lights to find the entrance to somewhere.

But it is all rock, without any gaps or holes… They go back and forth once, twice, and at least 10 more times.

The girls start switching roles, with others trying to pilot or maneuver the searchlights. The more they fail to get results, the more frustrated they get.

They continue to look back, asking for help while using puppy eyes or pouting, but Eidolon remains firm.

"Sorry, girls… I can't help with that." He sighs apologetically

"Papa…" They whine

"C'mon… Imagine others who go on adventures without knowing what they will find? Excavating ruins or exploring jungles… They spend years with only faith and willpower as motivation to keep trying." He gives them a look. "You all, at least, know there is something there. There are no excuses to give up. If it is possible, you can do it."

"..." Emma understands what he is doing. A little lesson about frustration.

She even suspects there is no entrance at all, or maybe he is keeping it hidden from them.

Sophie is the first to go back into the game, and the rest follow afterward.

Without any more help, the girls go back to searching, but now much more carefully. Much more carefully. They are floating around at the speed of a person walking, the searchlight being used very carefully as they check every nook and cranny of the cliff.

More than once, Phoebe threatened to just blow the whole rock wall with her torpedoes, but her plan was not approved by the majority, so she could only pout.

Eidolon takes some pictures of them, as always, because his daughters are cute when they concentrate, but he doesn't offer any help beyond not letting them give up.

Finally, after almost giving up again, Celeste points out somewhere with a gasp.

The searching light focuses in the place; there are rocks and some algae, but right there… There is a small gap where the light doesn't reflect. The problem is that it was too small for the submarine.

There are small gaps and holes everywhere, but once their options are exhausted, they check everything again. And this one in particular seems particularly deep.

Sophie controls the submarine as it approaches the location, and Eidolon finally gives some instructions.

"Mindee, why don't you use the claw to investigate?"

As he says, Mindee operates the panel, pressing the button that makes a robotic arm stretch from underneath the submarine, and uses two joysticks to control it. The two joysticks control the robotic arm along the X- and Y- axes.

"Press the button to make the claw grab something, and release it if you want the claw to open again," Eidolon explains.

That is what she does. It is a little complicated, and she sometimes fails because of the impatience of the other girls, but eventually Mindee grabs a "clawful" of algae and plants and pulls, revealing that the hole is much bigger than expected.

There is even a rock that seems to block it, but it appears loose rather than connected to the cliff.

"Well, well… Congratulations." Eidolon smiles.

The acknowledgment that they really found the entrance makes them cheer and jump with excitement.

Even Emma claps for them with a fond smile. "You are taking pictures, right?" She asks Eidolon by leaning a little over him.

"Recording, really." He replies

Eidolon gives the girls a moment to celebrate, feeling accomplished after overcoming a difficult challenge, so they can feel both relieved and proud of themselves.

Eidolon only intervenes when Phoebe points her guns to the hole…

"Phoebe… there is a chance that you are gonna collapse the entrance." He stops her, "Caves are fragile, and you should be careful not to be buried under the rocks." He explains what every human should know.

The hero instructs them to clean the cave entrance so the submarine can pass through.

"In this situation, when you don't know what to expect inside, you should mark the entrance so that you can come back, or maybe scout with some drone, if possible." He says, "But I think it will be a pretty simple cave, so just enter."

The impatient Phoebe got another claw to help Mindee, and the two worked together to clean the path, Phoebe navigating through the tight space, unaware that the submarine's sensors were assisting her.

The path is long, but as Eidolon said, it's pretty straightforward. They go down for hundreds of meters, but fast enough to reach the place quickly.

They enter an open area that Eidolon instructs them to ascend, the submarine emerging from the water but not onto the surface; instead, they are entering an underwater cave.

"Well, well… it seems we found a secret area. Take us to the shore, Phoebe." He says, and the girl pilots the submarine to the cave's dry land.

Eidolon leaves the submarine first and helps everyone walk off it, including Emma.

"How? Underwater?" Esme asks

"Oh, asking how can a dry space exist inside the ocean? That is a very good question, my dear." Eidolon enters teacher mode. "You see… despite not seeing it, the air exists… It is not nothing; it is not the vacuum. There are molecules. You learned about oxygen and carbon dioxide, right?"

They all nod in unison.

"This place is filled with air, luckily oxygen." Eidolon conjures a balloon from somewhere and blows it until it grows. "See, like this, but oxygen… So the water can't enter because of the air. It is trapping the air inside, and the air at the same time is not letting it flood the entire place." He gives the balloon to Celeste.

Eidolon raises a finger to continue, "If you understand that, you should always remember that because this place is not connected with the outside world, the oxygen here is limited, so if you find yourself in a similar space… Always leave eventually. The smaller it is, the quicker you have to leave. Time will be running out with each breath."

The girls look worried.

"Don't worry, this place is big enough to have enough air for days, and there are algae to renovate it. You know what plants do, right?"

They nod.

"Good. Plants are essential to us, humans. And despite the misconception that forests are the 'lungs of the world'( it is algae that really do most of the job), forests are still important… They do much more than recycle carbon dioxide into oxygen, like maintaining ecosystems, giving us other materials…"

After he is sure they all understand the quick lesson, Eidolon resumes the treasure hunt.

"Everyone get a backpack; there are a lot of things you may need… Take a lantern first; it is what we normally need in those places."

"But conveniently, this cave seems to have some luminescent crystals and algae… that help us see almost everything." Emma drawls on the side, giving him a look.

"Yeah… we are very lucky." Eidolon replies shamelessly to her before turning to the girls. "Go on, lead the way. Explore."

With his permission, the Stepford Cuckoos start waddling forward. A cute sight that Eidolon records before following with Emma by his side.

It does not take long to prove that the cave is not as straightforward as the tunnel they used to reach here. There are bifurcations and dead ends, but it is not boring because they find something interesting every time.

"Oh, a mural…" Eidolon points out

"..." Emma looks at him with suspicious eyes. There is no way someone would make such a mural in this place.

On the wall, there are paintings of ships, people… different people meeting to trade, apparently.

"It seems to describe the first contact between cultures… It was through maritime exploration that very different people were able to meet in the past; previously they were separated by the scary ocean, but humanity always pushes forward to overcome their fear of the unknown… it is by overcoming that fear that we progress."

That is how he gives them moral and history lessons through the exploration.

Emma noticed that it is mostly focused on maritime stories, including the earliest voyages, the Bronze Age, the expansion of Europe, and even piracy. He explains which countries came into contact with others and the connection that exists to this day.

"England was everywhere, and that is why most of the world speaks English." He says to the girls. Kids are always surprised when they're taught the reason for things they consider common sense.

It is linear to reach the point where Eidolon explains that every good thing has bad people trying to take advantage of it, and some of those people are pirates…

She doesn't need to be a genius to guess that all of this will end with them finding some lost treasure of a pirate.

That becomes even more evident when, here and there, the girls find clues like a lone gold coin with a skull on it, a rusted sword, and other trinkets.

There is a moment they seem to be in the right direction, but Eidolon interferes.

"Okay, why don't we go back to check the paths we didn't take?"

"Isn't this the right path?" Emma asks

"Yes, but we should always check every part, even if they're dead ends."

Emma doesn't know, but that is Eidolon's gamer mindset talking. If you find the right path, you should always go back to check the other paths, especially if they are dead ends.

"It is one of the joys of exploration… sometimes there is nothing, but sometimes it is worth the effort. You will only know if you check. In any case, it is better to know." He explains.

Emma finally understands why he is not using a map here, because he planned to take the girls everywhere anyway.

And yes, in some dead ends they found some nice things, like other murals that Eidolon explains and material discoveries.

In some, they found nothing, but he doesn't mind. And the girls don't seem to mind either, having fun exploring the place.

After making sure they didn't miss anything, the group goes back to the main route.

"Hmm, some time has already passed… why don't we take a break to eat?" He says as they conveniently find a wider space.

Emma doesn't comment on that; instead, she agrees with him. "That is a good idea."

"Hydration is important, but it is not enough," Eidolon explains to the girls. He urged them to drink water all the time, but not enough to fill their stomach and make them lose their appetite. "If you want to go to the bathroom too… here." He pulls a container from the inventory and settles it a little farther away, inside a bathroom no different from one they would find in a house.

After the girls, and even Emma, go to the bathroom, they come back to find Eidolon sitting on a picnic cloth, with some plates of sandwiches already in front of him.

"Sandwiches… great for any travel. I love them for how practical they are and the variety you can make." He smiles as he offers them to the girls.

They all eat like always, talking about silly things while the parents wipe the messier girls' mouths clean. This time, Eidolon didn't bring alcohol for Emma, so she has to settle for juice like all the others.

The mood is nice, even if they are in a damp cave; Hector chose a spot that shines with a million crystals encrusted in the walls and ceiling, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Something Emma also found very convenient…

But that was interrupted when the hero suddenly frowned and turned his head in another direction.

"What?" Emma is the first to notice his change in behavior.

"A lifeform is approaching…" Eidolon's eyes narrow

"!" Emma gets on high alert, but Eidolon stops her

"Don't worry, it is not strong, just… weird… this shape… it has a superpower too… but it doesn't have any bad intent aimed at us." Hector's En and Haki are strong enough that nothing could get closer to him without heavy scrutiny if he is on guard.

And if he is with his daughters, even if they are on vacation in an isolated place, he is always scanning everything.

He never once turned off those two abilities.

Maybe it goes against the entire "time to relax" objective, but he doesn't care. His children's security is more important.

"It is coming…" Eidolon stands up as Emma pulls the girls to herself.

It happened very fast: something on the ground moves, cutting through it at high speed before jumping at them… no, it jumped at the food.

"Grrr, agree. Uuhhh…" But Eidolon stopped the creature in its tracks by touching it and locking it in the air.

"What is that?" Emma asks with wide eyes.

What they are seeing is a quadrupedal shark. It is big, but not long, so it does not look like an adult.

It is divided into two colors by a horizontal line: white below and dark grey above, which can look blue in a dark place.

"A baby shark-dog hybrid?" Eidolon answers with some doubt, "It has a collar…"

He reaches for its collar while the shark still tries to reach for the food.

"NhacNhac Grrrrr, ngh…" The creature struggles, but it can only helplessly move its jaw and short legs.

"Jeff…" Eidolon reads the tag, "It seems to be someone's pet."

Eidolon is not familiar with Jeff, the landshark, but he can guess it must be an obscure character from Marvel comics, maybe a later addition to the Pet Avengers.

"Okay, little buddy… You are lucky you didn't target us… are you hungry?" In the end, he can't be heartless with an animal; it doesn't matter how weird it is. Because he is so strong, Hector can be nice even to alien and scary creatures. He is strong enough to be gentle.

"Are you communicating with it?" Emma asks incredulously, looking at the shark with suspicious eyes.

"Yeah… He is not that bad." Eidolon talks with the shark while Jeff makes weird noises, and the two apparently really are having a conversation.

Hector even releases the shark and offers it some sandwiches, which it gobbles up like it's starving.

"I saw you swimming in the ground… I have a similar power… Treating solid objects like water, huh?" Eidolon caresses the shark like a dog; it is the size of a large dog, but acts like a puppy.

He checks all over the collar, but finds no contact information. "Are you lost? Maybe an Atlantean is your owner… Maybe a girl, because the collar is pink and you are male? A girl, huh? I am right… Blonde? What is the name… Eh, that I can't understand. Do you even know her name… Maybe I should check your memories…" He continues to talk with the shark.

Sophie, the braver of the girls, approaches Jeff.

"Pet?"

"Sophie, no!" Emma immediately objects, but Eidolon assures her that it is safe.

"Relax, Jeff here is harmless to us. Yeah, you all can pet him… be gentle." Those last words are directed to Phoebe.

And that is how Jeff finds himself being pampered by five girls who caress and feed him.

The strange creature appears to be enjoying himself, clearly smiling despite his animal features.

"..." Emma is still not convinced, approaching slowly while looking down on the creature with contempt, using her telepathy to feel its intentions.

But it can only find some childlike innocence… And something stirs inside her.

"Well, let's continue on our path…" Eidolon stands up and quickly cleans the place.

"Can" "We" "Keep" "Him" "Please"? The quintuplets ask with puppy eyes.

"Eeeh… He has an owner… we need to check that first…" Eidolon starts denying carefully.

"Yes, he has an owner… us." But Emma interrupts him, grabbing Jeff in her arms. "He is part of the family now."

"What?"

"The owner doesn't deserve him if she let him alone like this. Look at this poor baby~ Alone, hungry and afraid…" Emma stares at Jeff's big eyes and smile, almost cooing, "He will be better with us."

"Emma… we still don't know all circumstances…"

"Eidolon, you are not gonna take my baby from me." She hugs the shark defensively; the creature, just happy to be here, tilts his head while smiling, tongue out as he breathes like a dog.

"Is he your baby now?"

"Yes, time doesn't matter… I will kill whoever tries to separate us." Emma continues strongly

"..." Eidolon is a little perplexed. Would offering to clone the creature be enough to dissuade her? Probably not.

The girls also look happy after their mother confirmed they are going to keep Jeff.

As always, children side with the parents who do what they want.

Now, in a 1v6 situation, against his five daughters, the hero is helpless. He can only sigh, shake his head, and facepalm… not exactly in this order.

"We… We are gonna talk about this later." He can only delay this conversation.

Maybe after meeting the owner, they will change their mind. It is not fair to separate anyone from their pets for selfish reasons.

In the worst case, Eidolon will see if he can acquire Jeff. He has his means, and he can try for his daughters.

"Hmpf." Emma turned around, as if to shield Jeff from his evil intentions of returning the shark to his owner. "Don't worry, little one. I will not let the big bad man take you away."

"..."

...….

"I have only known Jeff for 5 minutes, but if something happens to him, I will kill everyone and then myself."

-Emma "Mommy" Frost

.......

A.N.: Hello There

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