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Sitting in the back of an ambulance, Henry allowed the emergency medical personnel to examine him.
With his abilities, he was naturally completely unharmed.
However, George Stacy had insisted, and Henry saw no reason to refuse.
After the paramedics finished their examination, the police captain finally walked over and sighed.
"Even though I already knew you were a mutant with special abilities, seeing it in person is still hard to believe."
While Henry's body hadn't suffered so much as a scratch, his clothes had not been nearly as fortunate.
The sleeve covering the arm that had gone into the tiger's mouth was shredded to pieces, and tiger saliva still clung to the fabric.
Even from several feet away, one could smell the pungent animal odor.
Holding up the ruined sleeve, Henry said,
"This is about all I can contribute.
"Fortunately, the zoo staff arrived quickly enough and hit that tiger with a tranquilizer dart in time.
"Otherwise, I was just about at my limit."
Watching one of the ambulances pull away, Henry casually asked,
"The two officers are alright, aren't they?"
"One was mostly suffering from shock.
"The tiger never actually touched him. His injuries came from falling.
"The other will need to spend some time in the hospital, but he'll be fine. He'll just be carrying a few extra scars from now on."
Henry smiled.
"Sounds like they got lucky.
"Being attacked by a tiger and walking away with only that much damage."
He stood, preparing to leave.
"Since everything's under control now, I'll head home.
"I don't need to go to the station and file a statement, do I?"
"No."
George Stacy hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"About today... thank you.
"If you hadn't stepped in, I probably would've been injured too."
Henry chuckled.
"You don't need to thank me.
"It was Ms. Hepburn who told me to come take a look.
"Otherwise, I'd still be sitting by the fireplace drinking hot tea."
"Have you ever considered joining us?"
"How much does a police officer make?"
Henry's immediate response drew a bitter smile from Stacy.
"That was a foolish question."
The police captain had naturally looked into the background of the man who kept a tiger as a pet.
Given Henry's wealth and income, there was absolutely no reason for him to spend his days working as a patrol officer.
---
Just as Henry was about to leave, he heard someone nearby mutter:
"Fuck mutants."
The words stopped him in his tracks.
Turning his head, he saw a police officer spit contemptuously onto the ground.
There was no need to guess who had spoken.
Before Henry could react, George Stacy stepped forward.
"Is there a problem, Officer?"
"Sir, if this guy's so capable, why didn't we just let him handle everything today?
"Why did our people have to get hurt?"
"Because it wasn't his responsibility.
"And because he isn't a police officer.
"How about you do the job your uniform and paycheck are supposed to cover?
"Or would you prefer to hand your position over to him?"
"But—"
"Do you have anything else to say?"
"...No, sir."
George Stacy pointed toward the offending officer and his nearby partner.
"You two.
"Go to the hospital.
"Since you're so concerned about your fellow officers, you can check on them personally and write me an incident report."
Both patrol officers stared in disbelief.
Especially the innocent bystander who had been dragged into the punishment.
The look he gave his colleague suggested their friendship might not survive the evening.
Seeing them remain rooted in place, Stacy barked:
"Move!
"That report isn't going to magically appear on my desk."
"Yes, sir."
The pair replied weakly before trudging off.
Only after they had disappeared did George Stacy turn back to Henry.
"I apologize for my officer's behavior.
"I hope you won't take it personally.
"If you do have any complaints, I'm sure you're familiar with the proper channels."
"I accept the apology.
"No problem."
Since the captain himself had intervened, there was no reason to make things difficult.
Still, Henry couldn't help asking:
"Has prejudice against mutants really become this serious?"
"No.
"That's still a minority attitude."
George Stacy paused.
"But I should be honest.
"The overall trend isn't encouraging.
"Mutant-related crime has increased significantly compared to when I first joined the force."
He spoke carefully.
Then, realizing how his words might sound, he quickly added:
"I don't mean that in a discriminatory way.
"I'm simply stating a fact."
"I understand."
After a moment, Henry asked another question.
"Do you think it's because there are more mutants now?"
The question caught Stacy off guard.
He considered it seriously before answering.
"Some people don't reveal they're mutants until they use their abilities.
"But there definitely are more people with obvious physical mutations than there used to be.
"They don't spend much time in public, so most people don't notice.
"But from what I know, the communities where they gather keep growing.
"And there are more of those communities now than before.
"So yes.
"When you put it that way, I suppose I do have the feeling there are more mutants these days.
"I'd just never thought about it in those terms."
Henry's expression became thoughtful.
"I sincerely hope those people can find stable jobs and live peaceful lives.
"Instead of getting impatient and trying to find shortcuts to a better life."
"Ha. The American Dream."
George Stacy snorted.
"As though arriving in this land flowing with milk and honey automatically guarantees prosperity."
The words slipped out before he realized it.
He immediately looked embarrassed.
"Forget I said that.
"That was inappropriate."
Henry mimed zipping his lips shut.
George Stacy responded with a helpless expression.
To the old policeman, Henry was simply one of those rare people who naturally inspired goodwill.
That was probably why he'd spoken more freely than he normally would have.
Even if Henry didn't seem offended, some things still shouldn't be said aloud.
Pretending not to have heard the earlier complaint, Henry simply said:
"Since everything's settled here, I'll head home.
"Ms. Hepburn seems to be coming down with a cold, and I'm a little worried."
The captain instantly slipped back into professional mode.
"New York winters aren't as brutal as those farther north, but the damp cold isn't particularly kind to the elderly.
"So yes, it's worth being careful.
"Oh, and please give Ms. Hepburn my regards.
"Especially for being the one who sent you here today."
Henry smiled.
"I will.
"Goodbye."
Then he left.
---
The matter of the escaped tiger would now be handled by the New York Zoo.
Henry didn't need to worry about it anymore.
Instead, another issue occupied his thoughts.
For years, he had hidden his alien identity behind the convenient disguise of being a mutant.
Only the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. knew the truth—or at least part of it.
Now, however, social attitudes toward mutants were growing increasingly hostile.
That disguise wasn't something he could easily discard anymore.
It seemed wise to prepare for the possibility of backlash.
In the modern world, status and social identity mattered.
After all, the Hellfire Club's mutants had never been treated the same way as the X-Men or the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Not that Henry had any intention of joining a villain organization.
The real question was:
Now that he had given up the title of CEO of Stark Pictures, what protective layer could he place around himself next?
"Katharine Hepburn's personal assistant" didn't seem particularly sturdy as a shield.
He had absolutely no desire to return to the days when minor police officers and FBI agents constantly bothered him.
The Kryptonian found himself deep in thought.
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