CHAPTER VIII
ONE OF US
After dreaming about directing a movie about giant flamingos who liked to tap dance, Curt woke up to find himself in a dark silver room light up by white lights. He saw a middle-aged woman, wearing a white lab coat and somehow using levitation to make several medical supplies all go into one container.
"You must be Marvel Girl", said Curt. The woman turned around at the comment and smiled.
"How would you know?" asked Marvel Girl. "Did Logan tell you or something?"
"No", said Curt. "I read about you guys in Newsweek". Marvel Girl then laughed at remark and started to pat his head.
"Well, just call me Jean", said Marvel Girl. "Marvel Girl is just a call sign we use on important missions."
"Okay Jean", beamed Curt. It was good to be away from trouble, and it was good to know he was in good hands. He had dread about the X-Men in several magazines and even read the fictional tales of their adventures in the comic form; so based one what he had read, they were good guys. He had a hard time remembering what happened since his brain was so dull, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get back to his family and embrace their love.
"You will see them soon, Curt", said a voice in his head. He whipped his body around in all directions, but he saw no one but Jean, and the voice in his head was that of a French male.
"Who was that?" asked Curt.
"It's just Professor X", said Jean. "He's messing with your mind."
"Aw, Jean", said the voice again in his head again. "You spoiled the surprise." The doors to the clinic then opened, and out came a man in a wheelchair, a man and a woman dressed in black leather uniforms, and, unfortunately for Curt, a man he knows as Hank McCoy.
"Hello", said the man in the wheelchair, who happened to be the voice in his head. "I am Professor Charles Francis..."
".... Xavier", finished Curt. "And that's Wolverine, Storm, and Beast. Right?"
"That's right", said the man known as Wolverine. "You've got a problem with that?"
"Calm down, Logan", said Xavier. "Now, how do you know our names?"
"The article in Newsweek", said Curt. Suddenly, Wolverine unsheated his claws and clenched his fist.
"I'm going to kill those slimy pig bastards", said Wolverine.
"That's the fourth time you said that this week", said Storm, who put her hand of his shoulder.
"Now then", said Xavier, who was trying to break up the hostile tensions. "Where was I? Oh yes! Curt, are you comfortable here?"
"Yes", said Curt. "These beds are great."
"No, not that comfortable", said Xavier. "I mean comfortable, meaning I want to know if you'd like to live here".
"Why would I want to live here?" asked Curt.
"I know your history", said Xavier. "Your alter ego was created when you injected yourself with a special serum to make your arm grow back, but instead you became a lizard whenever you were under pressure. Now, I know that, unlike most of the people here, you weren't born with your mutation, but you still are a mutant. Your power is more dangerous than some of the people in this school. Let me help you harness your power. With my help you will be able to control it, use your power to help people. It would be a far greater contribution to society than any of the scientific advancements you have achieved."
"I'm sorry", said Curt. "I can't."
"Why did you drag me in here?" exclaimed Wolverine. "This bub here obviously doesn't want to be one of us, so why don't we just do something better than this?"
"I have a family I need to support", said Curt. "I have a feeling that I need to spend as much time with my wife as possible".
"This is your choice", said Xavier. "But just remember, you may be able to save many lives if you do this". Curt barely had to think about this. He had his family to support. They wouldn't want him going around on crazy adventures with other oddities like him. However, he could save live this way, but what about his wife? What would she do for a living to support Billy? How would Billy feel?
"I'll pass", said Curt.
"That's perfectly fine with me", said Xavier, who had a disappointed look on his face. "Here's my card if you ever change my mind". Xavier then handed him a card that said 'Xavier's School for Gifted Individuals' and had a number and an address. "Is there anywhere you need to get to?"
"I need to go back to Florida," said Curt. "Are you going to pay for the plane ticket or something?"
"Wolverine, Storm", said Xavier. "Will you take him to his home? It's just a small token of gratitude."
"I think we've shown him enough gratitude", said Wolverine. "We've taken the drugs out of his body, turned him back to normal, and given him a job interview! What more gratitude can he want?" Xavier then stared into Wolverine's eyes really hard, as if they were communicating telepathically, and then Wolverine said a simple 'sorry'.
"Come on", said Storm. "Let's go for a ride".
"Remember", said Xavier to Curt telepathically. "I will always be here for you." Curt walked out with Storm when he saw Hank McCoy working with Jean Gray. Curt always wanted to tell him that it was his fault for his mutation, but he never had the courage. It's like telling the Jews after World War II that you introduced the idea of the Nazi Concentration Camps. But this might have been the last time he would ever Hank again, so he ran up to him.
"Hank!" exclaimed Curt. "Hank McCoy!" Hank, who set down his medical supplies, ran up to Curt and looked him in the eye.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" asked Hank.
"Never mind", said Curt. "It's not important". It was true. It wasn't really important that Hank knew of his rumored origins. Since it wasn't a clear fact that that was the cause of his mutation and that Hank would be better off without knowing, Curt just went back to storm and walked down the silver hallways. They led him to a dark tunnel, which still smelled as clean as the hallways they led him through. Suddenly, Wolverine turned on the lights and Curt saw a large, strange jet that looked like an American fighter plane. They walked up the ramp and Curt sat down and buckled up while Wolverine and Storm buckled themselves up in the pilot seats and pressed several buttons on the control panels.
"Hold on to your tail", said Wolverine. Suddenly the roof above them opened up, and the jet's engines powered up. The jet slowly climbed up out of the cave, and then shot at a fast speed towards their destination. The ride was exhilarating for Curt. He hadn't had so much fun in ages. Not only that, but he was going home. This was better than any adventure he could ever have.
The end
ONE OF US
After dreaming about directing a movie about giant flamingos who liked to tap dance, Curt woke up to find himself in a dark silver room light up by white lights. He saw a middle-aged woman, wearing a white lab coat and somehow using levitation to make several medical supplies all go into one container.
"You must be Marvel Girl", said Curt. The woman turned around at the comment and smiled.
"How would you know?" asked Marvel Girl. "Did Logan tell you or something?"
"No", said Curt. "I read about you guys in Newsweek". Marvel Girl then laughed at remark and started to pat his head.
"Well, just call me Jean", said Marvel Girl. "Marvel Girl is just a call sign we use on important missions."
"Okay Jean", beamed Curt. It was good to be away from trouble, and it was good to know he was in good hands. He had dread about the X-Men in several magazines and even read the fictional tales of their adventures in the comic form; so based one what he had read, they were good guys. He had a hard time remembering what happened since his brain was so dull, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get back to his family and embrace their love.
"You will see them soon, Curt", said a voice in his head. He whipped his body around in all directions, but he saw no one but Jean, and the voice in his head was that of a French male.
"Who was that?" asked Curt.
"It's just Professor X", said Jean. "He's messing with your mind."
"Aw, Jean", said the voice again in his head again. "You spoiled the surprise." The doors to the clinic then opened, and out came a man in a wheelchair, a man and a woman dressed in black leather uniforms, and, unfortunately for Curt, a man he knows as Hank McCoy.
"Hello", said the man in the wheelchair, who happened to be the voice in his head. "I am Professor Charles Francis..."
".... Xavier", finished Curt. "And that's Wolverine, Storm, and Beast. Right?"
"That's right", said the man known as Wolverine. "You've got a problem with that?"
"Calm down, Logan", said Xavier. "Now, how do you know our names?"
"The article in Newsweek", said Curt. Suddenly, Wolverine unsheated his claws and clenched his fist.
"I'm going to kill those slimy pig bastards", said Wolverine.
"That's the fourth time you said that this week", said Storm, who put her hand of his shoulder.
"Now then", said Xavier, who was trying to break up the hostile tensions. "Where was I? Oh yes! Curt, are you comfortable here?"
"Yes", said Curt. "These beds are great."
"No, not that comfortable", said Xavier. "I mean comfortable, meaning I want to know if you'd like to live here".
"Why would I want to live here?" asked Curt.
"I know your history", said Xavier. "Your alter ego was created when you injected yourself with a special serum to make your arm grow back, but instead you became a lizard whenever you were under pressure. Now, I know that, unlike most of the people here, you weren't born with your mutation, but you still are a mutant. Your power is more dangerous than some of the people in this school. Let me help you harness your power. With my help you will be able to control it, use your power to help people. It would be a far greater contribution to society than any of the scientific advancements you have achieved."
"I'm sorry", said Curt. "I can't."
"Why did you drag me in here?" exclaimed Wolverine. "This bub here obviously doesn't want to be one of us, so why don't we just do something better than this?"
"I have a family I need to support", said Curt. "I have a feeling that I need to spend as much time with my wife as possible".
"This is your choice", said Xavier. "But just remember, you may be able to save many lives if you do this". Curt barely had to think about this. He had his family to support. They wouldn't want him going around on crazy adventures with other oddities like him. However, he could save live this way, but what about his wife? What would she do for a living to support Billy? How would Billy feel?
"I'll pass", said Curt.
"That's perfectly fine with me", said Xavier, who had a disappointed look on his face. "Here's my card if you ever change my mind". Xavier then handed him a card that said 'Xavier's School for Gifted Individuals' and had a number and an address. "Is there anywhere you need to get to?"
"I need to go back to Florida," said Curt. "Are you going to pay for the plane ticket or something?"
"Wolverine, Storm", said Xavier. "Will you take him to his home? It's just a small token of gratitude."
"I think we've shown him enough gratitude", said Wolverine. "We've taken the drugs out of his body, turned him back to normal, and given him a job interview! What more gratitude can he want?" Xavier then stared into Wolverine's eyes really hard, as if they were communicating telepathically, and then Wolverine said a simple 'sorry'.
"Come on", said Storm. "Let's go for a ride".
"Remember", said Xavier to Curt telepathically. "I will always be here for you." Curt walked out with Storm when he saw Hank McCoy working with Jean Gray. Curt always wanted to tell him that it was his fault for his mutation, but he never had the courage. It's like telling the Jews after World War II that you introduced the idea of the Nazi Concentration Camps. But this might have been the last time he would ever Hank again, so he ran up to him.
"Hank!" exclaimed Curt. "Hank McCoy!" Hank, who set down his medical supplies, ran up to Curt and looked him in the eye.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" asked Hank.
"Never mind", said Curt. "It's not important". It was true. It wasn't really important that Hank knew of his rumored origins. Since it wasn't a clear fact that that was the cause of his mutation and that Hank would be better off without knowing, Curt just went back to storm and walked down the silver hallways. They led him to a dark tunnel, which still smelled as clean as the hallways they led him through. Suddenly, Wolverine turned on the lights and Curt saw a large, strange jet that looked like an American fighter plane. They walked up the ramp and Curt sat down and buckled up while Wolverine and Storm buckled themselves up in the pilot seats and pressed several buttons on the control panels.
"Hold on to your tail", said Wolverine. Suddenly the roof above them opened up, and the jet's engines powered up. The jet slowly climbed up out of the cave, and then shot at a fast speed towards their destination. The ride was exhilarating for Curt. He hadn't had so much fun in ages. Not only that, but he was going home. This was better than any adventure he could ever have.
The end