JohnnyZ
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[Life is Good] Chapter 14 (Tier 1)
🕑 Added 2024-12-12 12:22:55 +0000 UTCBursting out of my room, I dashed to the one next door. I yanked the door open—it wasn’t locked. Peeking inside, I caught sight of a woman in a yellow sweater diving through the wall opposite my room’s. I slammed the door shut and sprinted down the corridor at full throttle. I doubted the wall diver would catch her breath in the next few rooms, so I bypassed five doors and flung open the sixth. Same scene—a woman slipping through the wall again, this time clutching a pair of men’s underwear! Who would’ve thought that Kitty Pryde in this universe was some sort of kinky voyeur with a fetish for men’s undergarments? Or worse maybe... a panty-sniffer?
The chase continued—the shameless thief bolted into the hallway, heading straight for the stairs to the first floor. Makes sense; the ceilings were high enough that jumping down could mean a sprain—or worse—on a bad roll. After her! The thrill of the chase consumed me. Why was I running? At first, probably out of shock and a sort of amused rage, but now it was pure adrenaline. “You won’t get away! Return the underwear and save your soul!”
Bounding down the stairs after her, I charged along the first-floor hallway. People were milling about now, either dodging her or watching in astonishment as she phased through them. I, on the other hand, had to weave through the crowd and the furniture.
The inevitable happened—I crashed into a girl who was busy putting a glove on her bare hand. I grabbed her hand to steady her and caught her waist to keep her from falling, blurting out, “Sorry, gorgeous!” before darting off again.
Then, a sharp tug yanked me back by my collar—someone had me by the scruff. My momentum stopped dead, and I dangled like a kitten held up by the neck, my legs reflexively flailing in the air.
“Hey, kid, why are you chasing Kitty?” came a deep, powerful voice, tinged with curiosity, a hint of menace, and a Russian accent. Turning my head, I found myself face-to-face with a female version of Colossus holding me effortlessly aloft. Beside her were two girls—a petite Asian and a blonde with angelic wings sprouting from her back. What do I say to that? When in doubt, tell the truth.
“If Kitty’s the one who phases through walls, then she stole my underwear.” As I said this, their faces grew comically wide-eyed, and a mischievous spark lit up in the Asian girl’s gaze (I think I knew who she was). I added with feigned pain in my voice, “And after everything we’ve been through...”
Cue the three-car-pileup of expressions. Jubilee—assuming that’s who the Asian girl was—looked ready to explode with what I could only describe as Enthusiastic Outrage. The blonde pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly embarrassed for all involved.
“Kitty… she… she did things with him and didn’t even invite me—us?!” Jubilee stammered, barely able to contain herself. “Raissa! We have to catch her! This is so un-sisterly! You’re supposed to share these things!”
“You know, Jubilee,” the blonde muttered, rubbing her temples, “I don’t know who’s more embarrassing right now—Kitty or you. Raissa, put the boy down already.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, kid,” Raissa mumbled, her cheeks faintly red as she set me down on my feet. “It’s just… Kitty ran by looking all panicked, then you came barreling after her, so I, uh, stopped you to figure things out.”
“It’s fine, I get it,” I replied with a grin. Glancing at Jubilee’s animated expression, I chuckled. “It’s been a weird day for me too. I was just unpacking when suddenly, this face pops out of the wall. Scared the hell out of me, so I threw whatever I had in my hands—she grabbed it and ran. I chased her, and then… well, here we are. Funny how things turn out. Name’s Tobias, by the way. Friends call me Toby.”
“I’m Windy,” the winged girl said, smiling. “And these are Raissa and Jubilee.”
“Wait, wait!” Jubilee interrupted, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “What was it between you two?”
“Between us?” I paused for dramatic effect. “There was... my underwear. I was sorting them, you see.”
Raissa burst out laughing, followed by Windy, and finally me. Jubilee pouted for a moment, her expression a mix of mock indignation and reluctant amusement, before joining in.
“Well, I figured it was your mess,” came a raspy voice behind me. Turning, I saw Logan standing a few meters away with Mystique by his side. “Kid, they’re waiting for you. Let’s go.”
I waved goodbye to my new acquaintances, noting another girl—gloved hands, streak of white in her hair—approaching them. Rogue? Looked like it. As I followed Logan and Mystique, my thoughts drifted. If I grabbed her bare hand earlier… does that mean my ability negates hers? Interesting. Kitty got away this time, but something tells me our paths will cross again. Let’s hope next time, she learns not to phase through walls and spy on people. What if I’d been fantasizing about Sabretooth’s titties or something?
Thinking of all this nonsense, I trailed after the two senior mutants. Logan’s face carried that familiar ‘I’m so done with this’ look, while Mystique wore a sly smile. Before stepping into the director’s office, she gave me a once-over, adjusted my collar, and dusted off my shoulder before gesturing for me to enter.
The office was beautiful—spacious, with a large desk at its center. Behind it sat a bald woman in a wheelchair with a kind, serene demeanor. A wall of bookshelves stood behind her, and a chandelier above imitated the glow of six lit candles. Two armchairs were positioned in front of the desk, one of which was occupied by none other than Erika Lehnsherr, sipping what looked like tea.
Mystique and Logan stayed outside as I approached the empty chair Erika gestured to. Politely, I sat down, smiling.
“Charlene, this is Tobias,” Erika began, gesturing between us. “Toby, this is Professor Charlene Xavier, an old friend and ally of mine. While you’ve been introduced in passing, formalities are important.”
“Good afternoon, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you. The Sisterhood spoke very highly of you,” I said, smiling warmly.
But in my head?
The endless white expanse stretched from horizon to horizon, fortified by a solid line of defenses. A winding network of trenches spanned its entire length. Every hundred meters, bunkers rose above the ground, their silhouettes stark against the pale backdrop. Every position was reinforced with sandbags and meticulously wrapped in barbed wire. Countless lasgun barrels pointed toward the presumed enemy, interspersed with the imposing forms of heavy stubbers and hellguns. Slightly entrenched, just behind the main positions, stood dreadnoughts, their weaponry menacingly scanning the surroundings. Here and there, towering figures of Space Marines could be seen. Across the vast white plains, from hundreds of thousands of throats, a single unified cry thundered—no, ROARED:
"Trust in the Emperor at the hour of battle.
Trust to him to intercede, and protect his warriors true as they deal death on alien soil.
Turn their seas to red with the blood of their slain.
Crush their hopes, their dreams
And turn their songs into cries of lamentation."
In the real world, Charlene gave me a warm smile.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Tobias. And no need to tense up so much; your power blocks my abilities, so I can’t read your thoughts.”
The endless white expanse, the hundreds of thousands of defenders at the fortifications, and one lone voice saying, “Alright, boys, pack it up—no movie today; the power’s out.” Immediately, a cacophony of voices rose up: “What a waste of time,” “The Emperor protected us,” and “Hey, which way is Cadia?” were the most frequent and least profane remarks among the chaos.
“Ah… alright. Sorry. It’s just a little… well, a bit unnerving.” My polite smile turned sheepish, but inside, I was practically singing. Perfect! Absolutely perfect ability! Honestly, telepaths in Marvel—or anywhere, really—always gave me a solid dose of fear. Every thought, every desire—laid bare for them to see.
“I understand,” Charlene said kindly. “As a telepath who has lived a long life, I know how unsettling my abilities can seem. That said, you were invited here so I could finally meet you. Erika has told me a lot about you—a remarkable young man with a highly promising power, who didn’t harbor any disdain for us even before he became a mutant. I must admit, I was quite curious to see you for myself. And Raven has referred to you as a genius more than once. I’m thrilled to welcome such a talented young mind to our family, even if your arrival here came about through rather… unusual circumstances.”
Oh, no. Have she and Erika conspired to drown me in compliments during our first meeting? By the way, Erika might be trying to hide it, but her proud little glint is hard to miss. She’s clearly delighted that her protege is being praised. Time to puff up a little and modestly cast my eyes downward.
“Thank you, ma’am. That’s very kind to hear, but I can’t agree about being a genius,” I said, humbly. Modesty is an asset, and older ladies do love modest kids. “I’m just hardworking.”
“Well, I won’t argue with you, Tobias. Now, regarding your schedule: settle into your room today and go over your materials. Starting tomorrow, you’ll take your exams alongside the others. Your schedule will be sent to you shortly. Erika also mentioned that you’ve been training—our facilities are at your disposal. Later, I’ll ask someone to give you a brief tour and show you where everything is. As for your abilities, Dr. McCoy will help you explore and develop them. We’ve already arranged this, and starting tomorrow evening, you’ll visit her lab. Don’t worry, she won’t do anything frightening.”
“Understood, ma’am. Thank you very much for your help.”
“You’re welcome, my boy. We must help one another to weather these challenging times together. Go on, get settled in while Erika and I finish our conversation.”
“Goodbye, Miss Xavier, Miss Lehnsherr.” After receiving Charlene’s farewell and a kind nod and smile from Magneto, I left.
Stepping out… no one was there. Great. Where do I go now? The mansion isn’t just big—it’s enormous. Oh well, I’ll retrace my steps back to where I came with Mystique and Wolverine. Maybe I’ll remember the way, and in the meantime, I can explore. If I meet someone, I’ll ask for directions—or at least where I might find an adult.
Honestly, I’d underestimated my powers. They’re amazing—I block telepaths, Scarlet Witch’s manipulations and energy blasts don’t affect me, and even Rogue’s touch doesn’t scare me. I’m practically a paladin with endless mana—just pump in the energy! Though, kinetic energy is still a problem. The stronger the hit, the more I feel it.
I suspect there’s a difference between a punch and a cannon shot. The fact that I feel impacts differently depending on the force suggests that hits are significantly weakened rather than completely nullified, whereas fire—whether from a bonfire or a lighter—feels the same. Ah, I need offensive potential. Guns are great, and when I’m older, I’ll make sure to carry some. But at fifteen? Yeah, that’s a no-go. I’d get sick of running from the cops. I need to try and develop my power. There were mutants who expanded the scope of their abilities through training—and some whose powers evolved!
Lost in thought, I found myself at my door without even realizing it. Didn’t get lost—impressive. There, the group of mutant girls from earlier was already waiting. Only now, they were joined by the wall-walking Kitty and the girl with the streak of white in her hair, presumably Rogue.
“Hello, ladies. What brings you all here?”
“Hi, Tobias. Uh… I’m Kitty,” said the wall-walker, taking a shy step forward. “I, um… wanted to say sorry. See, I got curious about who’d been brought to the school, so I… kinda decided to take a look. And when you screamed, I panicked. Heh-heh.” She scratched the back of her head awkwardly before pulling my underwear out of her pocket and holding it out to me. “I grabbed these reflexively… Sorry again. It was stupid.”
“And, uh, who’s Jashin?” Jubilee asked. Did they all study it together? Oh, great—I was blushing. Total cringe. Jubilee got a light smack on the back of the head from Windy, the angel-like girl.
“Ow, what was that for?!” Jubilee yelped. Judging by their red faces, they had indeed examined it as a group. I’ll save my revenge for later.
“Satan from Hell, but he’s got a great PR agent,” I smirked.
“How’s that?” Rogue asked, suddenly intrigued. Then she seemed to remember her manners and introduced herself, offering a gloved hand. “Oh, Tobias, I’m Anna-Marie—we bumped into each other in the hall earlier.”
“Yes, I remember.” I shook her hand. Too bad it was gloved—I could’ve tested my theory again. “Sorry for crashing into you back then; I nearly knocked you over. As for Jashin… I read a story about him somewhere, but I’ve forgotten which one. His character just stuck with me. Were you here just to return these, or was there something else?”
It sounded a bit unfriendly, but honestly, I wasn’t sure what else to say. The girls quickly explained that they’d brought Kitty to apologize and were already leaving, adding that I should feel free to approach them if I needed anything. Jubilee seemed eager to ask more questions, but Windy kept pulling her back.
Whew. What madness. Closing the door to my room, I looked around and even peeked under the bed—just in case. I’m a calm, normal guy, but weird stuff keeps happening to me.
After finishing unpacking, I changed into casual clothes—jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt—and collapsed onto the bed. It wasn’t night yet, just early evening, but I decided to relax until they brought me my schedule or sent someone to give me a tour. With so much new stuff to process, I needed a break.
I lay there for about twenty minutes before there was a knock at the door.
Behind the door stood Anna-Marie from earlier, holding a schedule and inviting me on a tour. I took the printout, placed it on the table, and off we went to explore the mansion.
Let me tell you, it’s massive. I won’t go into detail about all the rooms, the large and small lounges, and whatnot. The key areas were the cafeteria, the training halls in the basement, and the laboratory zone—which we didn’t enter because, as Anna-Marie explained, you can’t just wander in there without permission.
We chatted along the way—she’s nice, by the way. A bit reserved, but I figure that’s because of her powers. Naturally, I asked about her gloves, and she explained her ability to drain energy with a touch. I pointed out that I’d grabbed her bare hand earlier without any gloves and suggested we test it again. It took about five minutes of convincing, but I managed to persuade her. Though, to do it properly, we had to find a teacher—and Logan, whom we bumped into in the hallway, got the “lucky” job of supervising.
What can I say? We held hands, and I felt nothing—just a regular hand. Anna-Marie, however, spent the rest of the tour deep in thought, frequently giving absentminded answers.
Dinner, by the way, was… well, like school, I guess. A big cafeteria with lots of kids—really, a lot. There are about forty young mutants here, plus adults and others who didn’t show up. I spotted Storm, Dr. McCoy—Beast herself… though, what’s her title here? Beastie? Heh-heh. Cyclops was there too, wearing his visor—wait, is that the right word? What do you call that thing with a single horizontal lens? Not a monocle, right? Let’s stick with “visor.” Oh, and I recognized Nightcrawler—seriously, she’s like a proper succubus! Blue skin, cute, sharp little teeth, and a tail! Hopefully, she’s not religious in this universe. Not that I’m against it, but in the movies, her male counterpart was a hardcore believer… Then again, a succubus in a nun cosplay… Heh-heh-heh-heh… Okay, focus! No drooling!
Anyway, after dinner, I headed back to my room. A lot happened today. I needed to prep a bit for tomorrow. What’s on the agenda? World History, U.S. History… Thankfully, these are some of the subjects I actually studied properly, not just crammed, so a little review should do.
That’s how the day ended—studying, reviewing, and eventually crashing in bed.
