Marvelous Pals #47

I sat in Professor Charles Xavier's office, feeling the weight of the examination and the lengthy, jargon-filled explanation that had just been thrown at me. My head was already pounding, and the professor’s technical terms were only making it worse.

I stared blankly at him, trying to process what he had said. "Can you repeat that in a way that someone without a doctorate degree in neurology can understand?"

The professor sighed, a hint of exasperation in his expression. "You are a mutant. A late-blooming one, but a mutant nonetheless."

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My brain seemed to have short-circuited. Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I tried to alleviate the intensifying headache.

After a minute, I managed to gather my thoughts and spoke up. "How is that possible? And why didn’t you notice it on my first visit?"

Professor Xavier leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady. "I did notice it, which is why I offered to take you in back then. However, you weren't fully awakened at the time. I didn't feel there was a significant chance of that happening, so I chose not to tell you. I felt such knowledge would only complicate your life needlessly."

"A fat load of good that did," I muttered, shaking my head to dispel the stray thoughts. I took a deep breath, trying to focus. "So, what does 'not fully awakened' mean? I haven't noticed any special powers..."

Professor Xavier pointed at his head, his gaze steady. "Even if you didn't notice it, your mutant gene was always there. Your brain is more developed than the average human's. Though your mutant gene wasn't fully awakened, it granted you a near-perfect memory and an advanced ability to process information."

My eyes widened slightly. "That explains a lot."

At first, I thought Vito, the original owner of this body, was simply a genius with a super brain, but even then, my ability to remember almost everything from the comics I read in my past life, down to even the vaguest and most irrelevant side characters like Hammerhead, still felt strange.

I looked at the professor, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in my eyes. "What should I expect now?"

The professor's expression softened. "Mutant powers manifest in different ways. It's impossible to predict what shape or form they will take." He tapped the table slowly, adding, "Given that your mutant power is related to the mind, you can expect something of that nature."

I winced at his words. If I had a choice, telepathic powers would be my last pick.

Other than Xavier, who had perfect control over his abilities, other mutants with similar powers suffered immensely just to manage them. Jean Grey, for example, had to have her telepathy sealed to prevent her from destroying herself.

Even worse was Legion, Xavier's own son. He was such a powerful telepath that his mind housed thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of personas, each an omega-level mutant in their own right, with more personas being birthed daily.

Considering I already had a second persona in my mind, this didn't bode well, to say the least.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling the headache intensify. "So, if my powers are related to the mind, does that mean I'm going to have telepathic abilities?"

Xavier nodded. "It's a strong possibility. However, telepathic powers can vary greatly. They can range from mind reading and telekinesis to more unique abilities like projecting illusions or influencing emotions. Your abilities may develop over time, and with training, you can learn to control them."

I sighed heavily, the weight of the revelation settling on my shoulders. "Great, just great. This is exactly what I needed in my life right now... another thing to worry about..."

I just hung my head back and vacantly stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before turning back to the professor. "And I suppose this awakening is because of stress or something?" I asked, trying to piece together the jumble of thoughts in my mind.

The professor nodded. "Yes, stress can be a trigger, but there's more to it than that. As I mentioned earlier, I didn't think your mutant gene had a significant chance of awakening from stress alone..."

He trailed off as if to gather his thoughts before going on. "However, I failed to account for the unique condition of having two sets of personalities and memories in your head. That has undoubtedly influenced the matter."

I frowned, confusion etching deeper lines into my face. "What does that mean exactly?"

Xavier hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'll make an educated guess and say that something has happened recently, causing a rift between you and the secondary persona in your mind."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, something did happen, but it was before my first visit. I don't see how this is connected to awakening my mutant gene..."

The professor sighed. "It's as I suspected. Your desire to rid yourself of the secondary persona led your subconscious mind to tap into your mutant gene, attempting to achieve a higher state of development."

He looked me straight in the eye. "In layman's terms, your brain is simply attempting to fulfill your desire by seeking to achieve a state where it can merge the two sets of memories at an increased rate..."

I let out an annoyed grunt. "So basically, I wanted to get rid of Vito so badly that my brain decided to make me into a fucking mutant." I paused, realizing the weight of my words and who I was speaking to. "No offense. I have nothing against mutants, but my life is already a mess without adding persecution and volatile superpowers to the mix."

Xavier gave me a sympathetic look. "I understand your frustration. The emergence of mutant powers can indeed complicate matters, but it can also be a source of great strength and potential..." he said, trying and failing to console me.

Vito materialized beside me, his smirk as insufferable as ever. "So it wasn't my fault after all. Looks like this one's all on you, chief," he said, smug satisfaction dripping from every word.

I ignored him, heaving a sigh and keeping my focus on the Professor. "At least I'll be rid of the jackass inside my head more quickly, so it isn't all bad news," I muttered, trying to find a silver lining in the chaos.

Professor Xavier's expression turned troubled, deepening the lines of worry on his face. "That's not a certainty," he said cautiously.

My face darkened. "What do you mean? I thought the whole point of this mess was to get rid of Vito."

"Yes, that is the goal your subconscious mind seems to be working toward," the professor said, his tone measured.

"However, while I can speculate on the intention behind your mind's efforts, the manifestation of mutant genes is far more unpredictable. They could manifest in any number of ways..." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Although it’s not always the case, a mutant’s state of mind or body can influence the outcome. The awakening might remove the secondary persona, but it could also make it permanent, or even alter it in some unforeseen manner."

I felt a knot tightening in my stomach. "In other words, this could make things worse instead of better?"

Xavier sighed, a weighty sound that seemed to carry the burden of countless uncertainties. "Both the study of mutations and the human mind are fields rife with guesswork and theorizing. We lack a methodical way to completely predict their causes and effects."

Vito chuckled beside me, his presence like an annoying itch I couldn't scratch. "Looks like you might be stuck with me, buddy."

A sudden, sharp pain shot through my head, causing me to grunt and clutch my forehead. The professor looked concerned, but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

"I told my students not to interrupt us," Xavier said, irritation creeping into his voice. "I'll send whoever it is away."

I waved dismissively, trying to gather my thoughts. "It's fine. I need a second to process all this anyway."

Xavier nodded and cleared his throat. "Enter."

The door creaked open, and a familiar feminine voice spoke. "Professor, there's someone outside who wants to meet you."

I didn't bother turning around, but I recognized the visitor instantly—Kitty Pryde. Her voice was unmistakable, even though I'd only heard it once. Just another quirk of this body I now inhabited. Now that I thought about it, The perfect memory that let me recall the smallest details with uncanny accuracy was likely another reason it was taking so long to merge my two sets of memories.

Xavier asked, "Who is it, Kitty? I don't have any other appointments today."

"I'm not sure," Kitty replied. "But he said his name is Steve Rogers. Funny thing is, he looks just like Captain America. Even shares his name."

My eyes widened at her words. Xavier, however, seemed more dismissive. "Tell him to wait until I'm finished—"

"Wait," I interrupted, my voice urgent. "You should see him now."

Xavier gave me a puzzled look. "Why? Do you know this man?"

"Yes. He's the real Captain America," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my head. "And if he's here, he needs your help or a friend of his does. But before that, we need to discuss something important."

Kitty's eyes widened in shock. "What? You're kidding, right? Captain America's been dead for over fifty years or something now... everyone knows that."

The professor's eyes narrowed, a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Kitty, leave us and tell Mr. Rogers I'll be with him shortly," he said, putting an end to her skepticism.

Kitty nodded and left the room, albeit reluctant closing the door behind her. Xavier turned back to me, his expression serious. "What is it you need to discuss?"

I slowly blinked, trying to get the headache under control. "It's about Captain Rogers, and why he's here... you need to know what's at stake, what you stand to gain and lose should you choose to help..."