What?
Seriously, what?
"... So I was moving at mach five. Why didn't I hear the sonic boom?"
"You were moving much faster than sound. You couldn't hear the boom because you were moving so much faster than the air carrying the sound. And also you were moving faster than mach five you might have been moving mach six we have no way of knowing."
"Why couldn't I tell that I was moving so fast?"
"Because there wasn't any frame of reference to compare to. The projections inside were moving almost as fast as you were and if you noticed there are no clocks inside of the Danger Room."
"So if I were to run past you than I would be able to tell?"
"Yes lets say you and Logan here were to race. If you gave him a sufficient start, say enough time to get to the center of the hall and you were to run passed him he would appear as though in slow motion."
"Cool."
"That is until you fully passed him and the cone of air you are dispersing knocks him down."
"Then it's hilarious."
"Hey! I'm right here." Logan interrupted.
"Relax man it's a joke!"
He grunted in response.
"I would like to see just how fast I am though. Is there any way of measuring that aside from maxing out the Danger Room?"
"Well I almost wish you could fly so that I could accurately measure the cone of air that would from behind you with out potentially harming anyone."
"Well maybe I should flap my arms." I said with sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Kidding of course, but really flying. I mean come on."
"I know almost as impossible as running five times the speed of sound." Logan said with equal amounts of sarcasm.
I turned to glare at him.
"It isn't impossible David. In fact I know one or two students who have the ability to fly."
"Next thing I know you'll be telling me that people can teleport!"
He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh come on!"
"Stranger things have happened." Said Charles' voice in my head reminding me of my increasing distance from my former, normal life. "Things are happening in your life that no one ever prepared you for. Things no one ever could have possibly prepared you for. That isn't doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Perhaps it could even be a good thing, that all depends on you." He said poking at my chest with his index finger. "You have got to keep an open mind about this, and I'm not talking about this."
Logan had gone back to his room and I hadn't kept an eye on anyone else. Xavier lead me back to his office again. This time he didn't levitate any books at my head and I didn't try and get into his.
"I'm certain you must be curious as to what the conversation between me and Jean was about."
"Me, I'm guessing"
"Yes. Jean and I are concerned about the ease in which you were able to not only force your consciousness out of your head but also how easily you were able to suppress mine and force your way in. Now before you start to try and defend yourself I'm not going to punish you because you didn't know what you were doing at the time. Also if I were to punish you I would have to punish myself as well."
"You've done it too Professor?"
"Yes, but I only managed to do so easily with years of practice. Decades even."
I was beginning to see the cause of his concerns in a much clearer light.
"Did you ever knock yourself out like I did?"
"No."
"Oh."
"But neither did you."
"What?"
"You didn't really loose consciousness not really, your body went into a state of sensory over load after your mind stopped regulating all of the inputs you naturally get."
"That makes sense."
"It also explains the screaming when Logan carried you to the Hospital Ward. You were feeling everything with such accuracy that even the slight edge of the hair on his arms would've felt like knives. And the pulsing of his veins would've hurt as well. And I can't even think of how the lights and sounds in the hall must've effected you." I could tell without him needing to say it that he was apologizing for the amount of pain I went through.
"It isn't your fault Professor, I had no clue what I was doing."
"Well that's what this school is really for. Helping gifted people learn how to control the powers and abilities they possess. A formal education is just a bonus."
"A very fine bonus."
"I thought so. And the state of New York believes so as well due to the funding they provide."
We continued talking about what the Professor thought the limits of my powers were and after we had talked that subject dry he started talking about his reasoning for the school and why he decided to help the students that came to him. After about three seconds it was plainly obvious that the only reason he even opened his doors to the students is because he had a heart that defied the size and state of his body. I felt a sort of pride in being able to know this man.
We continued talking until I could no longer keep my eyelids open.
"I must apologize for keeping you up so late. Also for never showing you your room."
"That's alright professor, no worries."
"Follow me please." He lead me back up the elevator and down two or three hallways to where I would be sleeping. Your bed is the second to last on the right side of the room. There should be a chest of drawers to the right of your bed with some clothes you can sleep in. At the foot of your bed is a chest you can put your belongings into."
"Thanks Professor. See you in the morning."
He nodded in response. "Sleep well."
"You too."
The pajamas were right where he said they would be. Both the pants and the shirt had the school crest emblazoned in a dark blue. The shirt was a size or two too small but the pants fit just fine. The bed was comfortable enough. For some reason I dreamt of pulsing waves of black and white that night.
Weird.
I woke up around eight the next morning. There was a ferret sleeping on my lap. I stayed still so the ferret wouldn't wake up and try to claw my eyes out. I'm kidding. But I figured that there wasn't any need for me to wake it up. It wasn't bothering me I wasn't going to bother it, why mess that up?
A young boy that looked about ten woke up from the bed to my left about ten minutes later. He had gray hair and blue eyes.
"Hey kid!" I whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Whose ferret is this?"
"I don't know. Maybe my sister knows."
"Great where's your sister?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think one of the other kids in here would know who this ferret belongs to?"
"I don't know."
The ferret woke up and stretched. It walked in a slow circle of my lap. After completing its little circuit it crawled under my hand. I started scratching its back absently for a second before looking up at the space the boy had just been occupying.
"Okay then?" I said. The ferret looked up at me with curious eyes. It was rather cute. It had light brown fur with slightly darker patches on its face. "Let's see about finding your owner."
The rest of the boys in the long room started waking up and as more of them woke up the more I realized that the boy with gray hair probably knew the most about the ferret. Who I figured out was actually a girl after it revealed its belly for me to scratch at.
I got dressed in my old clothes again realizing that I really needed to hit up a Wal-mart or something because I didn't want to spend another week in the same clothes. The ferret climbed onto my shoulder after I put my light gray jacket on.
I asked all of the other people I saw if they knew anything about the ferret who was making its home on my shoulders. No one knew anything even some of the adults I saw knew nothing about it. Weird. I went to the hidden elevator to ask the Professor if he knew anything about the ferret only to have the door open to the man himself.
"Ah David did you enjoy your night? I'm sorry but I really have to get to my class I'm a bit late. Follow me?"
I did. "I did have a good night I guess. I was wondering if you might know who owns this ferret? I woke up with her sleeping on my lap."
"I didn't even notice her until you pointed her out." He looked over at my back where the ferret was sitting in my hood. "I haven't seen that ferret before. And I make a point of knowing the name of every pet inside of my mansion."
"There are other pets here?"
"Yes there are dogs, cats, even a bird. But other than the one on your back no ferrets. She must've snuck in some time last night. I'll have one of the caretakers take a look outside of your room after I've completed my lessons."
I had a question on my mind but I didn't say it out loud. I didn't need to.
"Yes you can keep her if you want."
"Thanks professor." We had reached his classroom by then.
"Remind me later that I need to get you into the system so you can attend classes."
"Okay I'll try to remember that. Hey professor?"
"Yes?"
"Is it alright if I leave the mansion to go and get some new clothes? I've kind of been wearing these for at least a week."
"Of course I was going to recommend it myself but I didn't want to appear rude."
"Alright see you later Professor." I looked up at the class. There was a guy wearing an old timey black cloak with the hood up. Next to him was a girl wearing all white. I waved at the class stupidly and walked away.
The ferret climbed out of my hood onto my shoulder. I looked at it and she looked at me.
"I have no idea what I'm going to call you." It climbed back into my hood.
As always feel free to tell me what you thought of this story so far. I'm still hoping for someone to pitch in a good chapter title I'll be certain to give credit to the person who gave me the title. Also feel free to name the ferret if you like. Thanks for reading and be sure to tell your friends about it if you liked it.