Marvelous Pals #56

Getting out of bed, I glanced at Isabella, still asleep and looking serene under the soft morning light. I winced, muttering to myself, "That didn't do much for my stress." Slipping out of the bed as quietly as I could, I tiptoed out of the hotel room, careful not to wake her. My head throbbed, and each step seemed to make the pain worse.

It was like the worst hangover I've ever had, but ten times more terrible, and I didn't even have any drinks.

Reaching the hallway, I staggered, feeling the headache intensify like a vise tightening around my skull. I leaned against the wall, clutching my head. Just then, Vito appeared beside me, a smirk playing on his lips.

“You okay there, buddy?” he asked, his tone laced with mock concern.

“Shut up,” I managed to mutter, the effort of speaking sending a fresh wave of pain through my head. I couldn't hold on any longer. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was Vito’s smirk widening as darkness closed in around me.

I passed out.

...

Waking slowly, I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the unfamiliar ceiling above me. The soft sound of pouring water caught my attention, drawing my gaze to the window. There, I saw a tall, dark-skinned woman tending to the plants on the windowsill. She wore a long purple skirt and a sleeveless silver shirt that shimmered in the light. Her long white hair swayed gently as she moved.

The rustling of the bedsheets must have caught her attention, for she turned to face me, her deep blue eyes meeting mine. I spoke almost unconsciously, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "Am I in heaven?"

She smiled, a warm, genuine smile that made her eyes sparkle. "I was going to ask how you're feeling, but if you're making jokes already, you must be feeling well."

I felt a flush of embarrassment and smiled bitterly, trying to hide it. "I don't feel half bad. The headaches are gone, and my mind feels unusually clear..." I trailed off, my mind catching up with my situation. "How did I get here? This is the X-Mansion, isn't it?"

The woman nodded, setting down her watering can. "It is. You got here on your own two feet and immediately passed out." She narrowed her eyes, her expression almost amused. "Logan found you and brought you to this room... it seemed you had quite the day."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What...? I remember passing out in the hote—" I stopped mid-sentence, my gaze falling to my arms. Two golden Desert Eagle tattoos adorned the lower sides of my forearms, the skin around them still red and irritated.

"Oh..." I intoned, the dots suddenly connecting as Vito's grinning face flashed in my mind just before I blacked out.

The woman shook her head, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "There's no need to worry. The Professor said not to judge you for the state we found you in. Apparently, you were under the influence of another." Her smile widened, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "And several other influences."

Confusion turned to realization as I processed her words. My eyes widened even further, and I quickly sniffed myself, the pungent stench of alcohol and burnt cannabis filling my nostrils.

My expression shifted to one of exasperation and anger. "Oh god... I'm going to kill that bastard!"

The woman chuckled softly, a melodic sound that momentarily eased my frustration. "It seems you have quite a unique relationship with this 'bastard.'"

I sighed, feeling the weight of frustration settle on my shoulders. "You have no idea. He's like an annoying brain parasite, always gnawing at the back of my mind, never up to any good..." I shook my head, trying to dispel the lingering irritation. "Anyway, has the Professor said anything about that?"

Before Storm could reply, I grabbed the edge of the bed, attempting to sit up straight. To my surprise, both of us paused as the bed suddenly began to float. My expression turned blank as I stared at the hovering bed, then slowly, almost robotically, shifted my gaze to the woman.

She looked troubled, her brow furrowing. "I was about to get to that," she said. "It seems you're now a full-fledged mutant."

The shock of her words disrupted my thoughts, causing the bed to crash back onto the ground with a loud thud. I nearly fell out of it, barely catching myself in time. Storm's eyes twinkled with thinly veiled amusement.

"As for your condition," she continued, "the Professor said he'll run his tests once you're up and yourself again."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of this new revelation. "I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later... at least the headaches are gone, and hopefully so is that guy..."

I fell silent, my mind racing with questions and concerns. Shaking my head, I realized I had been so absorbed in my predicament that I forgot my manners. "It seems I've been a bit rude. I've been so caught up in my own mess that I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Vito Moretti."

Storm nodded, understanding evident in her eyes. "I understand. My name is Ororo Munroe, but most people call me Storm."

I smiled, feeling a sudden surge of boldness. "That's a beautiful name. How does one graduate from being 'most people'?"

Ororo shook her head in exasperation, a small smile tugging at her lips. "By being honest and upfront. You've had a good start so far. I'll be sure to tell you once you're there."

I chuckled, appreciating her candor. "Something to look forward to, I suppose..."

Storm seemed like she wanted to say more, but the door creaked open, drawing our attention. Logan walked in, his presence commanding the room as always, followed by Professor Xavier in his wheelchair. The Professor's calm demeanor contrasted with the tension that had been building up inside me.

"We heard a loud noise and assumed you had woken up," Professor Xavier said, his gaze shifting from Storm to me.

I chuckled bitterly. "Yes, and as you might have guessed by the slightly misplaced bed, I learned about my mutant powers the hard way." I let out a sigh, feeling the weight of my new reality pressing down on me. "Telekinesis?"

Charles nodded. "Yes, but that's not all."

I winced, dreading the next words. "Please don't tell me I can read minds too."

The thought of telepathy sent a shiver down my spine. Beyond its obvious advantages, it was one of the most volatile and dangerous superpowers, a double-edged sword that often caused nothing but misery to its user.

Vito was already one too many voices in my head, and the mere idea of being able to tell what everyone was thinking, to pry into their deepest, darkest secrets, all the way down to their thoughts about today's lunch, was disturbing in more ways than one.

"Mind reading and telepathy aren’t part of your mutation at present," Xavier said, "but it’s not entirely out of the question."

I frowned, the idea gnawing at me. "Did you go fiddling around in my brain while I was out of it, professor?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. "This isn't one of those situations where I'd suddenly remember you blocking something in my brain and go ballistic ten years from now, is it?"

Xavier's eyes widened momentarily, but he quickly composed himself. "I’ve only intervened in such a way once, to help a child whose emerging powers would have caused her irreparable harm. Unlike her, you’re an adult—capable of managing the potential stress of such abilities if they were to develop. But as it stands, you don’t possess them."

A wave of relief washed over me. "Good to know. I’d have asked you to block any such powers if they existed, but I certainly wouldn’t have appreciated you tampering with my mind while I was out cold."

I took a deep breath, meeting Xavier’s gaze. "You mentioned that telepathy and mind reading aren’t part of my powers ‘as of yet.’ What exactly does that mean?"

Xavier hesitated, glancing at Logan and Storm. "Would you please excuse us for a moment?"

Logan and Storm exchanged a brief, questioning look before nodding in agreement. However, I spoke up before they could leave. "They can stay."

Xavier’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion at my words, but I continued, unphased, "I’ve decided to trust you, Professor. That trust extends to your team, especially considering they’ve gone out of their way to help me. This isn’t something I should be hiding from fellow mutants anyway."

Logan leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his gaze a mix of curiosity and guardedness.

Ororo, on the other hand, offered a reassuring smile. "I appreciate your trust. I’ll do whatever I can to assist you."