One Month Later
Training was hell. Turns out you need to be "110%" according to Mr. Summers, the team leader. In the past month, my body had gone through physical changes. Not just the kind you are supposed to get when you are 16. About a week ago I had gone to take a shower to find a small bulge just below the small of my back.
Like any other rat-boy, I went to see Dr. McCoy.
"It seems your mutation is causing you to grow an extra appendage. I would like you to check in at regular times so I can monitor this, if you don't mind."
Slowly, the bulge grew until the night that I awoke with the feeling of being stabbed. A scream of pain and a few concerned X-Men later, I sat in Dr. McCoy's lab with a small…tail. And like any other doctor, Dr. McCoy wanted to study it.
"Is it prehensile?" Hank asked.
"Is it what now?"
"Can you move it?"
After a few attemps, I got it to wiggle. Dr. McCoy was astonished. A few hours later, he allowed me to go back to my room. Katie slept soundly in her bed. I figured that the tail would make pants even more uncomfortable. So I went to work cutting holes in every pair of pants I owned. Katie rose with the sun and asked me what I was doing.
"While you were asleep, I grew a tail. So I'm cutting tail holes in my pants."
"Can I touch it?"
After a coughing fit from me swallowing my gum out of shock, I let her.
"It feels like fuzzy rubber. Cool!"
With that, I went to work on my outfit. I had to accommodate for the tail hole and my legs. While it lacked protection, it allowed me to move freely and fit into compact spaces.
Since today was a free day, I decided to find a place for me to hide out when I needed to. I was naturally drawn to small places that were dark and closed off. They made me feel safe. Guess I really am a rat. I milled around the campus for a while. I stopped when I saw a girl being hassled by some kid who's ego practically oozed out. I had encountered this back in Chicago when the prostitutes had cheated a guy. I didn't like it then and I didn't like it now.
"Hey, dude! Quit harrassing the lady."
"What are you gonna do? Squeak at me?"
The kid had two lackeys that looked like they couldn't spell the word A.
"Listen, Draco, I'm sure that Miss…" I waited for her name.
"Rasputin."
"I'm sure that Miss Rasputin has better things to do. Hey, your name sounds familiar."
As I thought about her name, the boys got visibly frightened at something. They turned tail and ran just as a shadow covered the surrounding area. I turned to see a mountain of metal above me.
"That's where I know Rasputin from! Hey Peter!"
"Is Mr. Vermine here giving you trouble?"
Miss Rasputin said no, that I had actually helped her. She introduced herself as Peter's sister, Illyana. Me and her talked for a good bit. She came from a farm in Russia with Peter a few years ago and hasn't left since. She asked about my story.
"For as long as I can remember, I've been shut out of everywhere. I went from place to place and eventually ended up in Chicago. I had to resort to stealing scraps from deli shops and restaurants. Then I was picked up by Logan and brought here."
"Oh Marcus, that's so sad. Well, I'm glad your here. Everyone is too scared of him to do anything."
"What does he do, use his dad's boat money or something?"
"His mutation is pyrokenesis. He can control fire."
Lucky me. I've picked a feud with a guy who controls my fear. Every since that night when mutant haters burned down the house I was staying in, I've been terrified of fire. Not just spooked by fire, I mean paralyzed in fear type of scared.
Marcus, you are needed in the Danger Room.Coming sir.
I said goodbye to Illyana and headed towards the mansion. I poked my head through the door of the Danger Room to see Scott, Jean Grey, Dr. McCoy, Logan, Kurt, Peter, and the Prof. gathered around a computer. The screen showed a map of America with a dot on Atlanta, Georgia.
"You rang?" I say as I set into the room.
The Prof. spoke first.
"Marcus, there is a situation in Atlanta. We must leave to take care of it but we ask a very big responsibility from you. Logan thought that a task group of some of the more animalistic students here could help with certain situations. We want you to lead this group."
"Sure. I've got nothing else to do."
"This will be a full time ordeal and you will be excused from your classes if needed."
I accepted. I was tasked with gathering the members of the team and naming the team. I thought for a while before coming up with the perfect name.
"The Ferals."