Guest: I'm glad to welcome you to the world of fanfiction. Thanks for the compliment. I do my best. It gives me joy to write this.

Shout out to my new beta Arces. Thank you thank you I really appreciate the help.

It didn't really hit me until a few days after the fact. I'd beaten Mystique. I'd BEATEN Mystique, a woman that had been trying her hardest to make my life hell for a year. Mystique may have not have powers of magnetism or telepathy but she was a formidable opponent... Making me one by extension.

Before, I didn't have anything to compare myself to. Everyone I'd went against were too pitiful for me to gauge my power properly. But now I knew just how strong I was.

And I'd only get stronger. That was a fun thought to dwell on. Every now and again I'd simply wonder about how much more power I had yet to discover.

Toad had, to my disappointment, ceased with all pranks as if I were going to kill him for the occasional trick.

Our relationship shifted a ton too. Before, I could slip into the tech room and we'd chat amicably for hours no problem. But after I handled Mystique he'd cower in fear if I did so much as said "Hi"

What had changed? I was just the same as last week. Just as powerful too. I considered it strange but wrote it off as nothing. It would be like the knife incident. He'd let it go.

Except he didn't. It was actually really frustrating. So one day I decided to confront him about it. Toad lived and breathed tech so it was no surprise he spent all his time in the tech room.

"Afternoon." I said.

His breath hitched and he froze before slowly, ever so slowly turning around in his swivel chair. The face he greeted me with was of utter terror.

"Toad?" I said.

"Y-yeah- Um yes."

"Why have-?"

"No don't kill me man. I'm not even 21 yet! Didn't even bang a girl. Do you know how hard it is to get a girlfriend with a face like mine?"

I raised an eyebrow "I can imagine it could be a pain." I shook my head. "No matter. Why are you acting so weird?"

"Weird? What do you mean?"

"Scared, nervous?"

"Umm well, is it that obvious?"

"Yes. Which clearly why I'm asking you this." I said.

"Well um. You took down Mystique."

"I did. She'd been bullying me for too long."

"Well you're angry and I perfectly get that. Like she's beaten the crap outta me multiple times too and- well. I just don't want any of that anger on me."

I paused, thinking.

"Um can I get back to work now?"

"Sure. Wait. No. This." I sighed. "Toad I'm not your boss and I'm certain not going to boss you around. You have my father for that. Let's just act like before."

"Will do."

"No. I- That's a suggestion not a..." I shook my head. "See you later."

Actions have consequences. As smart as I was I hadn't even thought about that. Everyone was afraid of me. But they all acted far more respectful than before.

I couldn't wrap my head around it.

The strangeness of everyone's behavior made me feel very isolated and with father busy the only thing I could do was think. I wondered about what the future would hold. What plan would be used to destroy the Sentinels? Did my father discover the limits of our mutation or was there more lurking under the surface?

I decided to go for a walk to mull over everything. I didn't bother caring which way I went and quickly found myself in a poor neighborhood. The buildings were abandoned and boarded up, trash littered the streets, and if I looked closely I could see the shadow of several guns and knives hidden under a tree by a school. Likely placed by the students themselves for protection.

The place instantly felt like home.

I passed the high school and continued walking. I heard a rustling noise from a nearby alley and looked inside.

"Yo it's a humy scram." A pink skinned girl said.

"Wait. I'm - just like you..." They had already fled.

Wait, those could be the Morlocks!

They were a slippery bunch. The odds of this happening again were extremely tiny.

So I began to follow them on foot quietly. I hopped over the 'out of order' sign on the front of the subway entrance and followed them down into the darkness. I kept trailing them until I saw a large camp of mutants living in tents, cooking out of rusted pots with wood and matches fetched from the trash.

"You there. Human." A gruff voice called out.

Oh no.

Well they'd already spotted me. I stepped out my hiding spot behind a wood heap and mentally recounted the speech father made me memorize in case encountered any of our kind. I could do this. I could do this... I hoped I could do this.

"Hello I'm-"

"I don't give a damn who you are. Get over here." The same voice said.

I walked into the harsh light . Several pairs of eyes watched my every move but I kept going. I kept powering through feeling a strange mix of fear and excitement. The stress of my stage fright threatened to make me pass out again. I fought it off. I wouldn't pass out. Not here. I had too much to do.

Their leader was a gigantic African-American man with several pair of eyes, each staring at me with disapproval.

Ha. This guy's got nothing on Magneto. He really thinks a few glares will scare us? Rebellion said.

"Are you being followed?" He asked.

"No."

"Are you lying?" A blue woman asked.

"Because if I were I'd certainly say so." I couldn't help it. This was getting ridiculous. They were trying to intimidate me?

Ha, I could burn them all to crisp and still have the energy to fly home… Woah dark thought. I'm on a diplomacy mission.

"Answer the damn question." The man said.

"Already did. No. "

Suddenly I noticed that my pocket felt less heavy.

What?

"Dude this guy got two phones! They look like they'd sell for a pretty penny." A small boy with tentacles for arms said.

Since they didn't seem to want to listen to me, I decided to give them a demonstration.

I conjured an large bolt of lightning and made it leap from my hand.

"This is ridiculous. I'm a mutant, like you all."

"Really? Just like us? Then why do you live up there and we live down here?" The guy who took my phone said.

"Because we're a minority group and we haven't-"

"Wrong answer. It's cause you look normal. You can pass." The thief said.

Angry that they refused to listen, I tried once more to relay my message. "That doesn't matter. We need to make it so that one day we can all-"

Everyone broke into laughter. "It always mattered and it always will kid. Let me guess you haven't even worked up the nerve to tell your mommy and daddy?" The leader said.

That made them laugh even more.

"That's a nice coat you got there. Did your mummy buy it for you?" Someone I couldn't see taunted.

I could feel my teeth clench. "I'm a member of the Brotherhood and if enough mutants like us worked together we could end this oppression once and for all."

"And I'm the queen of England." The unseen man taunted. More laughter ensued.

I decided to leave before I ended up decapitating someone.

"Stay here and rot for all I care. Fine. Passively accept your subjugation. But I certainly won't."

I turned to the thief " Give me my phone back."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll electrocute you to the point of you passing out and I get it that way." I said without any expression on my face.

"Ha kid you're all bark and no-"

"Don't test me!" I snapped. Everyone went silent. The guy handed me my phone quietly and I walked away.

Fun fact: Not only had I learned how to my mutation from my father but I had also picked up how to scare people.

I told my father about my findings and expressed disappointment in my inability to get them to listen to me.

My father said he wasn't surprised they acted this way

My age would make it hard for anyone to take me seriously.

No matter how strong I get people will still act stupid.

Well, on the bright side we didn't pass out due to stage fright. Optimism said.

That was because we were too busy being angry about their stupidity. Rebellion replied.

A day later I lied on grass in the park watching the clouds with Marie. "I've noticed somethin'." Marie said

"What?" I asked

"Ya call ya dad father."

"I do."

"Why?"

"That's what he is."

"No, why use father? It's so distant."

"It... fits him more."

"Oh I see." I began to notice the pity in her eyes.

"No it's fine. That's just how our relationship is. It's not an issue. He's not very affectionate, but I have my mom for that. Still, I know he cares."

"You know, when you talk about him he sounds more like a boss then dad. Sounds like you train a ton."

"He's not a dad. He's a father. He's bossy sure but that's because he cares. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to me."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Like what you havin' some fun?"

"Marie, I think you do not consider the gravity of my situation. I'm a powerful mutant and to those who don't see me as a person I'm a potential lab rat or... weapon."

"That- that doesn't happen nearly as often as you think."

I began to laugh bitterly at her naivety. "Marie you couldn't be any more wrong. I've been there. I've seen bodies of people- kids our age who were taken and experimented on. This isn't a laughing matter."

"I... I guess I get it now."

Being instantly connected to my father no matter what I did was getting old. I loved him, sure, but I needed space to be me. So I could have my own separate identity.

So if he was the master of magnetism, why not take on the title of master of electricity?

I carried around a pair of batteries in my pocket at all times as a reminder of my goal. I began to practice everyday when I was with Marie. I'd hoped my efforts would inspire her to work harder but she only became worried.

"Don't kill yerself." She'd say. "So why do you practice so hard? You seem to have this whole electricity thing down."

"I want... To stand out."

"Stand out?"

"Many people can use electricity and I want to be different. Have my own style."

"So it's pride."

"No."

"It is," She insisted, "you can't stand the idea of someone being the same as you."

"Wanting to stand out isn't always pride. You make it sound like difference is a bad thing."

"Well... it is. Ain't that why we train?"

"No. That's not at all why. We train to improve your quality of life. Achieve your goals. There is nothing wrong with you and there never will be."

"But I'm different. I hurt people."

"So am I. I made this guy need stitches. Marie, people are afraid of me because I'm different. Because I can do things they can't. But that doesn't make me a terrible person does it?"

"No."

"It's the same with you."

"Thanks, but why ya here helpin' me? Don't you got more important thangs to do?"

"This is most important thing I could be doing today. Helping a friend go farther, achieve more."

She smiled and pulled me into a half hug careful to not touch me.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem."

We broke out of our hug. I stared her straight in the eyes and said, "Your a wonderful person. Please don't forget that. The world is damaged when a a good person isn't allowed to love and appreciate themselves."

Then came the tears. I wasn't thinking I was doing anything special, just reassuring a friend, but apparently it was pretty important to her.

Huh. I'm best at comforting people when I'm not trying. I think.

I didn't account for my friend hugging me again and we fell down a hill. We landed together in a tangle of limbs.

"Oh my god I'm so so sorry." She bolted off me.

I stayed on the ground and began to laugh extremely hard.

"That was fun. Don't worry about it."

"But if I touched you..."

"You didn't. Don't worry about it."

Next I insisted on her doing her homework.

"I don't wanna."

"Why?"

"Cause readin's boring."

"Not true. Come on, you got assigned.. Anabelle Lee by Poe."

"Annabelle Lee?"

"It's a nice poem."

"Ya' an' it has part of mah name."

"Anna?"

"Yeah."

"Well you're a southern belle so it fits."

If I'd looked up I would have noticed the pinkish tinge on her face. I wasn't trying to flirt simply reporting what I saw. I began to read.

"It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought,
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me."

"Not so boring now is it?" I said.

"Nope you're a real good reader."

I smiled.

"Maybe you could be a politician. Make laws that help us."

I wanted to go and lecture her on the complexities of the US law system, tell her that no one man makes the laws and that several checks and balances insured this. But that would destroy the hope in her big brown eyes. I couldn't bear to do that.

"What happens next?" She asked.

"Read it and find out."

It was the first time she'd done her homework all week.

Marie said, "It's sad you know. That she died."

"Well, sure. But that's how things were back then. Colds were deadly."

She groaned.

"But, at least the guy has the memories of their experiences." I said.

"Experiences?"

"Memories of their love and so on. They live on in his heart, in this poem."

"You know, you act like you're logical and stuff but you're as sweet as they come."

"Thanks."

A few hours later, I left the park. My father had called me to pick up the tea we drank and I figured I could swing by the corner store near home.

I was walking home from a short trip to the grocery store when I saw a small puppy sitting on the curb. It had the brown, white, and black pattern common to purebred beagles and playfully wagged its tail.

I figured it wouldn't hurt me and began to walk past thinking of how to help my friend with her issue. We'd been seeing absolutely no progress after two solid weeks of training. Still, I certainly wasn't the type to give up.

I heard a crunch of leaves behind me and immediately got into a battle stance. My opponent greeted me with a loud bark.

I smile at this.

"You got a problem with me?"

"Arf arf!"

"Put em up!" I got into a boxing stance and and begin shadow boxing. Of course I punched at a my own height, so I didn't hit it. The puppy got on its hind legs and waved its front paws...

...and proceeded to fall onto its back.

I laughed at this, crouched low, and petted it on the head. The puppy had other plans and rushed to lick me on my face, to which I laughed.

I calmed down and continued to stroke it.

"You probably have a family that misses you."

It began to rain.

I scooped up the pup figuring I'd call the owner when I got home. To keep the pup dry and warm I held it inside my trench coat.

It poked his head out curiously as I walked home.

"What is that?" Toad said.

"That, my dear Watson, is a dog." I said.

He rolled his eyes. "You bought a pet?"

"No, I found it. Couldn't leave it in the rain. It wouldn't last a day. It's such a little guy." I began to pet it some more.

"How you going to get your dad to greenlight him?"

A pause. "No idea."

I brought the puppy into my bedroom and arranged a suitable spot with blankets and newspaper. I then went about the task of making dog food. An internet search, some meat, veggies, plus a bit of time and I was done.

I returned to my room and fed the pup as I thought of a way to convince father.

I pet it a little before heading to my father's office.

"Got the tea?" He asked.

"Yes, it's in the cabinet already."

I sat down and handed him the change.

"Soo what is your opinions on dogs?" I asked.

"'They're loud and annoying. Cats are far better."

"Well, you see…"

The door swung open and I saw the puppy I'd brought home.

It waves its tail when it spotted me and bounded over.

I looked back at my father and he seemed to be on the cusp of exploding in anger.

"You brought a filthy dog into our home?"

"It's a house pup sooo it's actually pretty clean. Haha…" I began to laugh nervously.

My father started to grind his teeth.

OK. Humor not helping.

"I found it and it was raining."

"Then leave it." He said. "Let it go home."

"It'd die outside. The weather's too cold. It can't be more than a few months." I placed the dog in my lap.

My father pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Can it stay in my room for a night? Then I can give it back to its owner." I pleaded while I held the dog to my chest in such a way that maximized our combined cuteness. Its big black eyes and my brown ones were too much for my father.

"Just... keep it out my sight."

I quickly left with the pup before fist pumping at my good fortune.

I'd have a pet for a whole night! I had never had one. Not even a fish.

The dog knew a ton of tricks and happily sat, rolled over and played fetch while I rubbed its belly and gave it treats.

Eventually, I became tired from all the fun and fell asleep with the puppy on my chest.

Little did I know the pup had no plans of going to bed. It left my room despite the door being locked and headed to my father's office...

I woke up, shocked that the puppy was no longer there. I rushed out and looked around furiously for my new friend. I rushed into the kitchen when I see my father reading a paper with the puppy napping under a nearby table.

"Huh?" I asked.

My father looked up from his paper, amused. "I did say you could keep it for a night. We settled on a truce."

I sighed in relief.

I went to the kitchen, pulled out some leftover dog food and poured it for him.

"There you go." I petted it a bit before calling the number on his collar.

"Yes? I found your dog."

The man on the phone cursed a lot and said they'd pick it up in an hour.

"Thank you." I forced myself to say. It's ridiculous for me to get attached to a puppy when it had to leave the next day. I was strong and logical. Loving a dog and making decisions based on emotions was a ridiculous notion. Heck, I'd teased Marie about it several times.

The puppy followed me out of our abode. We played several games of fetch until I saw the car.

I handed the puppy to a grubby man in the black truck. It immediately jumped out of the window into my arms.

"No." I said.

I placed the dog in the car once more. The windows rolled up and they drove off, taking a piece of my heart with them.

Another hour later, and I spotted the same puppy with its owner at a nearby dog park I often walked past.

I looked away and began to leave when I heard the pup scream in agony. I looked back and saw the man backhand the pup again. "Don't fucking leave the house. I didn't pay big bucks for a show dog just for it to run away!"

Was anyone going to do something? No, they were too shocked to. I however wasn't.

I can't remember the details of the confrontation. I was just too angry. I do recall hearing a loud pop of broken bone and then seeing the man run off.

I gently pick up the dog as I said "You're safe now."

I got home, told my father the story and by some miracle he let me keep it. I suppose the fact they both had bad pasts warmed him up. Plus, he didn't have to get his own newspaper anymore.

We need dog names! Any ideas?

Till next time!