My mom is a genius. Not a genius as in me or Magneto but I'm talking extremely profound genius. She actually makes me look dense. She knows at least a dozen languages some dead with skill, is a master artist, calligrapher, religious scholar and is a wonderful historian.

So when she says I'm not that smart that's her view really. I'm her slightly dense son that often can't keep up.

But I am a genius and she was just unearthly intelligent. it was as her father called it inhuman. Mom knew things about everyone. No one could keep a secret from her. She knew exactly what anyone would do most of the time and she didn't know why. She actually won the lottery on her first time and if she kept playing...

She got older and soon recognized that being bright was great for getting A's but not so much for having friends etc. So she hid her intelligence something that everyone in the family was relieved to see. booksmarts don't get husbands and all that.

So my mother's supreme inhuman brilliance was a secret that only people who knew her well knew about.

I had earlier said that I had a grudge a not so small one against my mother. This is what happened.

It was my 15th birthday. I still lived on father's Island.

I woke up not expecting anything special. After all we were working for a cause. Besides I'd only celebrate my birthday once anyway. To be honest, I'd forgotten what day it was. It was just that irrelevant to me. The day of my birth wasn't anything special. I just happened to begin existing out that day. Whatever.

I didn't have birthday parties. My mother said I didn't need them. Because she showed how much she loved me every single day.

Birthdays and other celebrations of oneself were sinful displays of idolatry. And her son would have nothing to do with that.

She meant well. But I found that I wanted a party for myself. I was a bit jealous of the kids I knew at school. But I knew better than to ask. My mother was the master of The Guilt Trip.

I woke up got out of bed and strange things started happening. Magneto cancelled training for the day. The weird part was that he didn't even give me any homework assignments to replace the training time.

So naturally I was very confused.

I spent the free time I had playing Underwatch and no one told me to go do something productive. Yes, hatred of kids playing games all day is not exclusive to normal parents.

This was just weird...

My communicator beeps and I switch it on while playing.

"Electron I want you to come to my office." My father said.

"After you finish this round up your game." He added.

What the heck? When Magneto wanted something to happen that meant do it now. What do you mean after I finish this round?

That was confusing but I finish my round and headed over to his office.

I decided to test something. I enter the room without knocking to see what would happen.

The man looked irritated at this but didn't say anything.

What? Whenever I just walked into his room even by accident I could expect some sort of verbal reprimand followed by him saying that I didn't live in a barn.

What had happened to my mentor?

"How are you enjoying today?" He says after I'm seated.

"Umm it's been great."

Damn this is weird. Rebellion said.

I'm confused. Logic added.

The way I see it...Magneto must've been abducted and this is a robot double. Optimism said before he began to cry. I mean he's a jerk sometimes but I don't want him to die. And what about if my powers go crazy again. And Mystique is really mean!

Rebellion says. He's not dead dum dum. He was acting fine yesterday.

Then they switched the clone with him last night. We might still have time! Optimism suddenly wore a Sherlock hat and donned a trench coat.

Rebellion shook his head at this. Fucking hell. Damn it I'm just gonna ask him.

"Why didn't we have training today?"

"Why would you work today?" He asked confused.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"It's your birthday."

"It is? Right I was born in August."

Magneto was very confused that I didn't even know when my birthday was.

"August 15." He added.

"Right... But what's so special about it?"

"It's the day you were born."

"But what's so special about that? What's special about my existence?" I say confused.

I'd had the birthday with friends and enjoyed it but it felt like I was playing at the concept that I mattered. I wasn't anything special. Mom told me so.

Magneto for a moment had nothing to say to me. He just stared at me sad for some reason.

He finally says "Everything. You're a unique and strong person. The likes of which I've never seen."

"Really?"

"Yes. And don't you dare say otherwise."

I smile and nod at this.

And with that he levitated a metal suitcase towards me. It had a cursive E on the side.

I opened it up.

It held several well crafted steel knifes.

I picked a knife and held it in my hand. It fitted perfectly.

"Thank you." I beamed with happiness.

"You're very welcome."

I also had gotten a chess set that my father made for me out of metal and a telescope.

I get up and immediately decide to test my knives. I rush to the training room.

"Be careful those are far sharper than the ones you normally use." My father calls out from his offices door into the hallway

"Of course sir!" I continued running a smile wide on my face.

I reached the room placed several target up and found the knives were great. It was so easy to throw them at a target. It wasn't even hard anymore.

I couldn't believe that I'd be able to hold such well crafted knives. I certainly didn't believe I deserved them

I played around with my new gifts for hours. I just kept thinking of ways to use them! A new chess trick to try or finally being able to safely view the sun with the telescope's sun filter. I'd even gotten a few new books that I just had to read.

It was a great day.

Of course the key word being was.

I called my mother from my cellphone.

"Mom."

"Chris. How are you?"

"Great. Mom I've learned a few new things today."

There a simple lie by omission the easiest trick in the book.

"I suppose you've been out enjoying yourself with your friends partying. Partaking in their heathen ways."

"How?"

"So you are."

Damnit.

Rule Number One- When you lie always stick to your guns.

"It's not that hard to figure out. You're young and want to be accepted by your friends. That plus your shaky moral structure and there we go."

"Shaky?" Fury began to build up in my chest.

"You've just never been the stick up for anything type. You too self absorbed usually. Probably a phase."

"Mom I have more morality in one pinky than all the idiots you listen to put together."

"Really then why don't you act like it? Why break under pressure from others?"

"I didn't break. I just wanted a birthday party."

"Because you've been around-"

"For God's sake!" I couldn't deal with her now.

"And there you are taking the Lord's name in vain."

"I want a day where I'm special darnit. Is that wrong?"

"Is wanting the world to revolve around you wrong? No, but it is a sign of immature narcissism."

"I am not immature!"

"That yelling is certainly proving your point. Well I see it's clear going to boarding school was a mistake."

She went on about how my ego has swelled tremendously and said that being away changed me.

"Being the smartest person in the room clearly is doing nothing to improve your humbleness. You're not as smart as you think you are young man."

I angrily hang up. Who cares she'd forget the conversation in a week anyway with all new ways she invented to avoid taking her medication. The lack of meds destroying her mind more and more.

All the fun and joy of my birthday had been obliterated by my own mother. And I had be consoled by Magneto because of how depressed I suddenly felt for hanging up on mom.

Of course he didn't advocate for forgiveness and told me that she was wrong in every respect. So I didn't bother to apologise as well. I was right. And it was amazing that someone in my life would tell me this.

I lost all respect I had for mom that day. But none of my love.

My father was very subtle about it but kept hinting about how my mother's mental health was declining. That I had to grow up and stop being so attached to her. It would really only be a matter of time before she was gone for good.