Chapter 2
Welcome to the Freakshow
NEW YORK CITY
Brooklyn 1997
"Get… Get away from me!" Adrian shouted, throwing a blast of darkness at Magneto, a bright bubble of magnetic energy appeared around the white haired mutant, "I mean you no harm." Magento said to him, Adrian couldn't believe it, he'd lost his dad, his humanity and now the worst Mutant alive was trying to tell him he didn't mean him any harm.
"Yeah, you may have oiled those traitors at the UN, but I know better." Adrian said as he held his hands up he tried to summon up the black energy at Magneto who looked him over, "I only want to speak to you young man, you should be grateful considering your old people turned on you, like dogs, my new mutant." Magneto said as the strange ether splashed off his shield.
Adrian saw it didn't have any effect, "I'm not a mutant- I'M NOT!" Adrian shouted, he felt his body rush forward the teleportation power rushing him toward Magneto who dodged him letting Adrian splash into the water, it was ice cold but Magneto still held his hand out.
"On the contrary, your powers say otherwise." Magneto said.
Adrian tried to throw another blast of darkness at Magneto but the cold water made him miss, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Adrian felt the power surge through him and the ether flung him from the water in a cloud of crimson aura and black shadow, Magneto evaded him as Adrian landed back on the shore under the brooklyn bridge. He was soaked to his bone, shivering, angry, scared.
Magneto came to him landing on the sidewalk of the underbridge, Adrian lashed at him, but the white haired giant moved, "Hmm increased speed, you did run across the city here." Magneto said as Adrian through a fist at Magneto but it crashed into a part of the bridge's foundation Adrian expected to feel his hand shatter when he heard a crunch, but when he drew it back it was hardly scraped but the bricks were cracked "And strength it would seem." Magneto said as he floated over him.
"You are scared, alone, abandoned by your own, I'm sorry Adrian." Magneto held his hand out and Adrian felt his whole world start to spin, "What… are… you doing?" Adrian asked as he grabbed his head "Can't… think…"
Magneto held his hand out focusing on Adrian with his magnetic powers, "Vertigo young man, with a high enough strength in magnetic fields your own mind won't know what to do, I'm sorry but this is for your own good Adrian."
Everything went black.
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*Beep*
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*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
"Uuuuhhhhh…" Adrian woke up, from the worst nightmare he'd ever had, he sat up rubbing his throbbing head. He was with his dad on a mission like he'd always wanted, fighting for humanity against Mutants, only it all went so wrong it had to be the nightmare. He breathed with a sigh of relief and looked around… not his room? It was a room but not anyone he'd seen, it was a nice room or at least it use to be with a carpet covered floor, a king sized bed that he'd seen in older houses like when he visited his grandparents. There was a dresser and wardrobe in one corner by a large window with the burgundy curtains drawn, the walls were covered in posters of of old bands, from the 70s and 80s, there was even a first edition Star Wars poster dated with 1979, groaning he sat up and pushed the blanket off, his shoes were gone but his clothes remained everything except his beret and flakjacet, the ones with the Friends of Humanity eagle on it. Adrian felt naked without it, he saw a pitcher of water on a nightstand with a glass, already condensating.
He grabbed the pitcher hydrating himself and instantly felt better, if he wasn't back at the hideout or Adrian and his dads apartment in the Bronx, where was he?
Adrian sipped the water again and walked over to the window he drew back the curtains when he reached for it, he saw his red bandana was wrapped around his right arm covering up his Friends of Humanity tattoo, "Huh?" Adrian looked at it, he wasn't cut, but he'd seen a few guys around New York with bandanas on their arms. Few local gangs had done it and then there was the time he went to a club and a large biker kept giving him fist pumps, whatever that was about?
Drawing back the curtains he let in a stream of sunlight that made his eyes wince, as he adjusted he saw the exterior of a large estate, a massive lawn maybe over a hundred acres with trees around a large field with a fountain and small pond the long driveway let to a gate and Adrian tried to remember where he was. His dad and him could never afford a place like this in their wildest dreams, what had happened to him.
Adrian started to get worried, first the nightmare now he'd been kidnapped he went to drink some more water from the pitcher when he saw his hand, it was covered in the smoldering black from the nightmare, but worse it was real.
"No!" He yelped, dropping the glass "NOOO!" He ran for the door forgetting to even look for his shoe he burst into an ornate hallway with fine hand carved wooden furniture that Adrian crashed into, he knocked over what looked like an expensive vase and ran.
He felt himself stumble forward as he looked back, he wasn't sure what the building was but the hallway was long with multiple doors, one of them had to be an exit?
Footsteps?
Adrian could hear footsteps and he wasn't sure who they belonged to, but he had to get away, had to get out. Adrian kept running, for his life when it all came back to him the nightmare it was real that meant Magneto was real, he'd done something to him and now he'd taken him prisoner.
Had to get out.
Had to get home to dad.
Adrian stopped on the edge of a grand staircase, he could see the door to the outside at the bottom of the floor but he didn't move, his dad that means he'd really been hurt in the explosion of the truck, but how did that happen "Where's the fire Sugar?" a southern belle's voice said, Adrian looked back to see Rogue standing there.
"Get away from me!" Adrian shouted falling back "Uh oh." Rogue said seeing Adrian about to fall down the stairs, when he suddenly teleported in a poof of red and black smoke, "Oh sweet tea, a teleporter." Rogue sighed.
Adrian hit the floor of another room, he was in a kitchen, a large one with an island, white tiled floors and someone else was in there, he saw someone rummaging through the fridge when he heard a beastly
*Sniff-Sniff*
A growl followed Adrian saw the fridge close and Wolverine with his cowl down holding a beer and some food growled at him, "Looky what I found, a rat in the kitchen." He growled claws out.
"Crap." Adrian leapt to his feet and ran for the door, his body burst into smoke again and he teleported running down the hall he kept jumping ten feet ahead with the teleporting. Wolverine followed by pulling his cowl up, smiling "I love it when they run."
His belt started to blink with a message, he pushed the button "Wolverine here, looks like we got an intruder."
"Yeah about that, he's a squirrelly one-" "Teleporter, I know." Wolverine chased after him claws out "Just makes it more interesting."
Adrian looked over his shoulder to see Wolverine chasing after him faster than one that short would be expected to move,
WHAM!
Adrian crashed right into a wall of the first floor, "RAAAAH!" Wolverine let out a howl pouncing like a wolf claws out pointed right at Adrian's head, he screamed when the claws pierced the wall on both sides of his head "Boo." Wolverine snarled.
*Poof*
Adrian vanished and Wolverine grumbled as Adrian flet himself reappear on a wet damp metal floor, warm steam all around him as he splashed up to his feet. He heard the hiss of a shower head running. He was in a locker room like bathroom only nicer, like something out oa sci-fi channel and he could smell wet dog?
The shower went off and he turned around to face the smell, "Salutations, young man but I am not yet finished grooming myself." Beast said his blue fur damp and darkened even with a bonet on his head, "GYAAAH!" Adrian slipped as he ran for the door and his wet socks made him struggle to get out as Beast followed "To be fair, I was hear first."
Adrian ran out of what was a lockerroom, into a metal hallway to teleport again "Stop it!" he snapped at himself, "I'm gonna-urk-" Adrian curled over puking onto a pair of metal boots, Adrian looked up to see a pair of black skin tight trousers up into a pink torso with a brown trenchcoat and open faced cowl with flowing brown hair and a set of blacked out red pupil eyes. "Baise-moi, these Gambit's favorite boots." the man calling himself Gambit pulled out a joker card that went alight with pinkish flame. "Gambit is gonna teach you some manners." Adrian turned around and ran to see the rest of the mutants heading his way, Rogue, Wolverine and a still wet Beast in a towel. Adrian looked to the nearest door and ran in it, and it slammed behind him.
The mutants looked at the door "Oh you gotta be kidding me." Wolverine said.
"Don't tell me, he ran into the danger room." a man in a red and blue spandex suit like wolverine with a leather jacket that had the X-men logo on each side, he had no nose, his skin was milky white and so were his eyes like a mannequin. "That's a yes Morph." Wolverine said
The rest of the X-Men sighed in it being obvious, "At this point why don't we have a lock on this thing, so what was the program?" Morph said.
No one spoke, then Rogue coughed "Savage Land."
On the other side Adrian fell down into a muddy jungle floor, he was out of the mansion and standing in some strange forgotten world, there were trees and vines everywhere. Getting up he pushed through the brush, he found a fallen log and sat down. "Okay…. Okay, out of the enemy base, get your bearings… take a breath." Adrian sucked in lungs full of air and blew out, but the world wouldn't wait for him.
The ground started to shake.
Something big was heading his way and he saw it break through the trees, a massive Tyrannosaurus rex. "What." it was green and scaley "The." with massive jaws "FUCK!" Heading right for him. Adrian rolled off the log before the t-rex could eat him and it in one bite. Rolling over he got to his feet the t-rex roaring at him, his looked to his hands to try and summon the power but nothing happened.
"Right when I need them I don't have my powers, perfect." Adrian shouted running from the t-rex, tearing through the jungle as it tore after him. He looked at his hands "Come on, come on, come on." He said over and over again.
He focused on his hands, focused like he was at the shooting range with his dad practicing his marksmanship, "Come on."
Shadowmatter covered his arms "Yes." Adrian turned around "Alright you big overgrown lizard, come and get your throat cut." Adrian said as the T-Rex charged him, Adrian ran for it's legs and held out his arms a series of red hued translucent blades appeared and he heard the t-rex scream and the tearing of metal, when he looked back he saw the T-rex go down without it's… cybernetic legs?
The t-rex had both its legs chopped off but instead of bone and blood gushing out, it was a metal frame with fractured wiring sparking at the ends, "It's a madhouse." Adrian muttered when it couldn't get any stranger it did. Jungle started to fade away in a glowing green grid all around him, like it was the base layer of a videogame before it all melted away into a large drum shaped metal room. Even the T-rex vanished before him into a skeletal robot of one, Adrian heard something else then. Not the bloodthirsty roar of a mutant or even another killer robot, but a clap.
Applause?
Adrian looked up to see Magneto descending down from what looked like an observation room.
"I thought you'd find yourself in here, my predecessor has told me that the last unexpected guest found his way into this training simulator, we call it the Danger Room." Adrian stepped back but then he remembered he took down the t-rex, his arms still simmered with the dark energy.
"Why did you bring me here?" Adrian asked.
Magneto's smile vanished as he stood over him, a staggering 6'10. "There are few places you could go young man, like it or not you are a mutant." "No, No I'm not I'm human." Adrian argued but when he looked down at his arms the glowing darknessr said otherwise.
"Fuck….All my life, I was told that mutants were gods mistake now, I don't know what to think." he said dropping his arms to his side.
Magneto stood there, "God as you say, has a terrible sense of irony I'm afraid." Magneto said pointing to the bandana on Adrians arm "Born into the life of those who hate and fear what they do not understand, you were destined to become a mutant, I understand."
"How do they hell would you know what it's like, you're a terrorist why don't you sick your X-men freaks on me and get it over with." Adrian barked.
Magneto didn't seem phased at what was clearly meant to be an insult "I am a man who knows more about persecution and fighting for what he believes in than most, the X-Men were not my creation, and even my enemy at times. But we are not what we are born into, we can choose our own destiny Adrian."
Adrian scoffed "What the hell is that supposed to mean, if they find out I'm with Friends- were with the Friends of Humanity that claw guy will cut me to pieces."
"All of the X-Men here have come from something before, things they ran away from, or are trying to redeem themselves, like me." Magneto said pressing his hand over the M on his chest, "... you haven't told them?" Adrian asked.
Magneto shook his head, his white locks shifting "It's not my place to tell them, nor is it my place to keep you here against your will." Magento told him.
A long silence filled the air "What are you playing at?"
Magneto held his hands up gesturing to the danger room and greater estate, "This place above all others is a school, built by my late friend the great Charles Xaiver, a place for mutants like us to learn how to control our powers and integrate with society, or stay and become his X-Men."
"So what, you want to recruit me?" Adrian asked.
"I'd be lying if I did not see potential in you young man." Magneto replied "I was there the day you're Friends of Humanity were about to attack Rogue and Beast, you cared only to get your wounded away and tried to stand up to the others when they started rioting."
Adrian scoffed "Don't make me laugh, you Magneto the 'Leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants'." Adrain said remembered he'd read about it in the Daily Bugle.
Magento did something that Adrians skin crawl. He smiled "Our enemies make such clever names for us, I find Mutie almost funny sometimes." he said looking at the bandana hiding the Friends of Humanity symbol on his arm. "Did you watch my trial at the UN, or were you with the mob that attacked?"
Adrian nodded, "My chapter… the FOH I was with had no idea it was happening." Adrian said "Do you think the UN was wrong for putting me on trial, pardoning me?" Magneto asked.
"Yes- no, everyone deserves a trial under the law, to be treated fairly." Adrian said, stumbling over his words. Magento gestured to the FOH tattoo "And yet you wear that on your skin like a badge of pride, when a mob of FOH would have killed me and the UN leaders?"
"I only wanted to protect humanity, protect my people from… from people like you!" Adrian pointed at him "How could we not after you attacked so many places, hurt so many people, hell you had a giant Asteroid hanging over the planet that-" Adrian cut himself off Magento hadn't said anything to defend himself from any of the accusations "Everything you say is true." Magneto said.
Adrian lowered his arm, "I am trying to be better Adrian, I only want to help create the dream that Charles Xaiver died to protect." Feeling like a real piece of work Adrian continued to listen, "Stay, go, it is your choice Adrian but at least let me help you learn to control your powers as Charles would have wanted and once you are confident in them you may go wherever you wish."
"What about the others, if they find out I was with the Friends, they'll-" "Do not do such thing, I have already come up with a way to keep you safe should you wish to stay?" Magneto asked him.
Meanwhile up in the mansions living room, the X-Men were waiting, "So you're saying Mangeto brought in some random teen last night and he woke up, ran through the house like a mad man and trapped himself in the danger room?" A tall handsome man with brown hair, a strong jaw wearing a beige polo tucked into some dark jeans with a belt, wearing red tinted sunglasses asked the mutants.
"Geez boy scout, it's like Rogue didn't just say that?" Wolverine grumbled as he leaned on the wall arms folded, the boy scout Scott Summers aka Cyclops beside him stood a beautiful red headed woman with a green shirt and light jeans, "Logan stop, with so many people coming and going lately, can you blame him for being on edge?" She asked.
Wolverine grumbled "Sorry Jean."
Walking into the living room fully hair dried with a tow around his neck was Beast, dressed in his signature speedo, "Every house guest brings you happiness, some when they arrive and some when they are leaving, Confucius."
"And to they often enter when you're in the shower?" Morph snickered sprawled out on an armchair with a smirk on his face.
"Or make a mess on Gambits new boots?" Gambit asked, walking around barefoot in the living room "Cajun you wear the same damn outfit everyday?" Wolverine asked Gambit.
Gambit scoffed "If Gambit ain't broke, Gambit don't fix?" he asked in this thick cajun accent.
"So why are you all in here and not the danger room?" Scott asked.
Rogue answered that "Magneto wanted us to wait up here while he talked to him."
"I don't like it, something smells fishy about that kid, and it's not from the river he was in?" Wolverine said, snarling his keen nose, something he trusted more than most people.
"Allow me to put that suspicion to ease everyone." Magneto walked out into the living room Adrian behind him, the rest of the mutants turned to listen "This is Adrian Luca, our newest student at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. You'll forgive him for his previous actions he has been through quite the ordeal."
Wolverine sniffed at him again "Ordeal huh, he smells like trouble, Friends of Humanity Trouble." Wolverine popped out his left hand's adamantium claws.
"Yes, there is an explanation for that." Magneto interjected "We're all ears, Magneto?" Cyclops asked skeptically. Magneto turned to him "Adrian has been my agent inside one of the FOH chapters in New York, keeping me apprised of their activities it was him who told me of the attack on the Morlocks in the sewers." Magneto said, Adrian gulped as he saw all of them look at him.
Morph scratched his bald head "But how did they not know he was a mutant, isn't that like a prerequisite to join 'don't be' us?" Morph asked them.
"Adrian's gifts have grown too powerful to conceal, he was discovered by the so called 'Friends of Humanity' no doubt your nose has picked up years of his hard work." Magneto told Wolverine.
The hairy canadian grunted, "Hmmr." He glared at Adrian that made a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck, "An undercover agent and so young, sounds like a Jane Austin novel?" Beast said as he approached.
He offered Adrian his hand or paw, Adrian wasn't quite sure, "Dr. Hank Mccoy at you service youngman, I apologize for the startling introduction you and I had earlier, I assure you I was as shocked as you." Adrian reached out and felt his hand his palm was as firm as a dogs pad but he shook it so gently.
"Nice to meet you, Doctor." Adrian said.
Rogue giggled, "First time I ever heard someone call ol'Beasty here Doc?" Rogue said leaning on the big blue fur ball.
"So, Adrian what is your gift?" Scott asked arms folded against his chest.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a gift-" "Hrnn." Magneto grunted and Adrian shut up, he raised his hand up he tried to think of the that feeling again, the sheer panic and in the palm of his hand appeared a smoldering shadow with a crimson hue.
"Fascinating?" Beast said looking at it inquisitively, "It's as it's Shadow Matter." Beast said poking it with a claw it zapped him with the red hue, "Ow."
Adrian closed his fist "Sorry I didn't meant to."
"It's alright sugar, he's a tough old furball." Rogue said, "Thats not all he can do, he's a teleporter too, like our swashbuckling german friend, Kurt." Rogue said.
The other mutants took that in, "Yes, yes Adrian has many talents, and in time he'll learn to control them with our guidance." Magneto said, putting his hand on his shoulder. The rest of the mutants all smiled at Adrian and he felt so strange, these mutants were supposed to be his sworn enemy. Demons, gods mistake and all of them they just seemed like, people? "Beast, perhaps you could show our newest student to his room, I have taken the liberty of assigning him the old room on the second floor the one with all those… posters."
"Bobby's old room, yes he was quite fond of the arts." Hank or Beast said "Please this way young man." and Adrian followed him.
He headed out of the living room and the rest of the mutants except for Beast watched him go, "Whats your game Magneto?" Scott said unconvinced that something suspicious wasn't going on, "For once, me and Summers agree, something don't smell right."
Morph propped his feet up hands behind his head "Lighten up guys, we could use some new blood around here."
"Thought not as elegantly this is a school Cyclops, and that is a young man in search of guidance would you deny him the safety that was given to you by Xaiver?" Magneto asked.
Cyclops tensed up "Don't you dare compare yourself to the Professor." Scott stepped forward poking Magneto in the chest, "Nor would I ever, I only wish to honor his legacy."
"Scott, I don't want to agree with him but Magneto does have a point, we haven't taken any new students since Jubilee and Roberto is still uncommitted, we shouldn't be so quick to judge." Jean said, patting her beloved Scott on the back, her touch calmed the fire in Cyclops eyes ready to break out of his red shades "Fine."
Up stairs Adrian followed Beast down the hallway, "Ah it feels like only yesterday the Professor was taking me down these very halls when I was your age." Beast said looking over his shoulder and pointing to a picture of five teenagers all of them dressed in yellow and black tight suits, they had black cowls with yellow down their chests with X buckled belts, each of them wearing matching pairs of yellow gloves and boots. One of them appeared to be a living snowman, another a boy with angel wings, two in the middle stood behind a blad headed man in a wheelchair. He could see red hair out of the only girl's hair with the tallest boy with a red tented visor, clearly Jean and Scott. But kneeling beside the wheelchair was a boy so big he didn't wear gloves or boots his hands were so big "Though of course, I am far more handsomer than that whipper snapper." Beast chuckled.
Adrian felt his lip curl up "You know for a man named beast, you talk like a librarian?"
"I will take that as a compliment my dear boy, a strong mind is greater than any muscle. Then again the brain is a muscle unto itself." Beast explained walking down the hallway Adrian passed by a few more photos, ones with the modern roster of X-Men.
*POP*
"Who's this?" Adrian looked forward to see walking down the hall were two teenagers Adrians age, one was an girl with short black hair flared up some red earrings with X's on it, she wore pink sunglasses and a long yellow jacket, a matching pink shirt and jean shorts with blue shoes, she reached up with yellow gloves revealing her brown eyes, an asian woman. Beside her a boy, he had wavy black hair and smooth tan skin. He wore a white and orange tracksuit jacket, with a black shirt and beige baggy pants tucked into shiny white sneakers.
Hank smiled "Ah, Jubilee, Roberto please allow me to introduce our newest student to the school, Adrian Luca." Hank said as gestured to Adrian, "This is Jubilation Lee and Roberto Da Costa."
"Da Costa?" Adrian asked the displeasure in the name clear.
Roberto's curious face turned to a grimace, "Got a problem with that?"
Adrian looked at Roberto in his nice clothes and wavy hair, by comparison Adrians sleeveless white shirt was torn and his jeans had stitches on them, his dirty sneakers were blotches compared to the crisp white jordans Roberto wore, "Yeah with Da Costa's."
Roberto stepped forward "What never hangout with a lot of people of color do you, wop?"
"No, I don't hangout with rich assholes who send jobs overseas and pocket the money." Adrian stepped forward fists raised, "And who are you calling wop, rich boy?"
*Snap*
Jubilee snapped her fingers and her energetic rainbow light powers sent a flare between them, "Down boys, is this really any way to make new friends?" Jubilee asked, putting her sunglasses on her brow keeping her hair up.
Roberto looked back offended. "He started it."
"And I can finish it too." Adrian replied not to let the wop comment go, Hank got between them before the two boys could be start a fight he pushed them back, "Adrian has a had a long day adjusting to the mansion, he was an undercover agent in the Friends of Humanity, no doubt trust was a luxury he couldn't afford until now." Beast explained.
Roberto lowered his fists "Oh, I didn't know… must have been hard." Adrian knew it was a bold face lie, but it was either that or they learn he was really a soldier in the FOH branch of the Bronx, "Those guys are really nasty aren't they." Roberto said.
Adrian thought of his dad and then of Hyde, "Yeah really nasty." Adrian lied.
"I would suggest Jubilee show you a tour of the mansion, but I believe you've probably seen enough for one day, no?" Hank asked Adrian.
Adrian nodded, "Yeah, I've had enough of the welcome party." He pushed past Jubilee and Roberto to the room he'd fled out of, the mess on the floor from the shattered vase still their, he opened the door to his room and slammed it leaving the three mutants alone.
"Well he's a real charmer, Beast." Jubilee said.
Hank scratched his chin "Watch over yourself. Be your own accuser, then your judge; ask yourself grace sometimes, and, if there is need, impose upon yourself some pain. Seneca the Younger." Beast said to the two of them before Beast walked away.
Roberto watched him go, "So does he just quote people all the time?"
"Yeah, it's kind of his thing." Jubilee replied "That and walking around in a speedo but wears full pajamas when he sleeps." Roberto said, walking with Jubilee down the hallway.
Back inside Adrians room he sat on the bed looking at his hands, the black ether or as beast called it 'Shadow Matter' reappeared on his hand and he held it up, he wasn't as afraid of it anymore, he shut his eyes "I never wanted this."
A/N: His mutant name is still up in the air, but thank you for those who replied, I really do like Shadowmancer, could use some ideas going forward maybe another Superhero he meets. And yes I will update Spider-Boy soon.
