Episode 99: The Power of the Cerebro Helmet!
After Quill, Gwen, MJ, and Steve woke up along with their Marémon, they were properly introduced to Professor Xavier and the X-Men. While Xavier was the principle and Homeroom teacher, Jean Grey, Scott Summers, and Ororo Munroe were senior students that taught Art, Math, and Combat Studies respectively. Logan was not a student, though he taught History, and the blue-skinned man Hank McCoy taught Biology. Hank also spoke on behalf of Mutant rights to the Marvo Region's politicians.
"We appreciate your willingness to let us stay, Professor," Steve said to Xavier. "Though being a Super Human, it shouldn't take too long for me to heal."
"I would trust your body to decide the rate it should heal, not you," Xavier advised. "And I need time to consider your…proposition."
Steve looked surprised. "Did you read my mind while I was asleep?"
"Jean Grey did, though I was the one who told her to. I had to be sure your intentions for coming here were good to ease the fear of my students."
"Not many people know about this place, Bub," Logan said. "I thought Xavier made it clear to Nick Fury that SHIELD was to stay out of our business."
"Fury is well-aware of the arrangement, but he needs your help," Steve said to Xavier. "As you might already know, Sokovia City was recently affected by an anomaly. And it was caused by the city's Realm Champion Wanda Maximoff."
"Wanda?" Logan frowned. "You're saying she created the Anomaly?"
"Yes." Steve nodded. "She abused the power of her Infinity Stone to bring back a dead Marémon while also trapping the city's civilians in a pocket dimension of her own creation against their will."
Xavier was distraught upon hearing that. "What happened to her after the Anomaly dissipated?"
"She was taken into Doctor Strange's custody, and now Sokovia City doesn't have a Realm Champion."
"And now Nick Fury thinks I might be able to replace Wanda as Sokovia City's Realm Champion," Xavier realized.
"Hold on!" Quill exclaimed. "We risked getting killed by HYDRA agents AND crazy mercenaries just to ask an old man to fill in for Wanda?"
Logan frowned and picked up Quill by the collar of his shirt. "Care to insult Professor Xavier to my face, Bub?"
"Put him down, Logan!" Hank insisted. "You're being very rude."
Grumbling, Logan let go of Quill. "Just watch your mouth while you're around me. Got it?"
"Yeah, sure," Quill said.
Logan then left the room, followed by Hank.
"Don't let his prickliness get to you," Jean said to Quill. "Logan cares a great deal about Professor Xavier because he saved him from a bad place."
"What kind of place?" MJ asked.
"It was…an abandoned government facility, where Mutants were experimented on," Jean explained. "Xavier found Logan there with no memories of his past life and his Marémon was completely feral. So he brought them both here for rehabilitation."
"Trust me, they're a lot better now than when they first arrived," Ororo interjected. "Logan's Wolvie used to attack our Marémon quite frequently, but now he only plays rough."
"Well, as much as I would like to stay and chat, I have to run a school," Xavier said. "Be sure to give our guests another examination, Jean, before releasing them from the infirmary. And Ororo, if you could show the guests to the spare rooms I would appreciate that."
Jean and Ororo nodded in agreement as Xavier wheeled himself out with Proffix. Once Xavier left, Jean held the sides of her head. Immediately, Peter, MJ, Quill, Gwen, and Steve froze as they felt Jean's presence pass through each of them in a non-corporeal form they couldn't see.
"Everyone except Steve is physically healthy enough to leave," Jean declared after her examination was finished. "Though I detect confusion and shock in their minds."
"Maybe giving them a tour of the school will help clear that up," Ororo suggested.
So Peter, Gwen, Quill, and MJ followed Ororo out of the infirmary along with their Marémon. They made their way through the hallway of an old English-style mansion where kids of various ages darted in and out of various study rooms and guest bedrooms. Outside, there was a large hedge sculpture garden with an open field in the back and an iron fence surrounding the area. But what caught Peter and the others' attention were the various Marémon that roamed around with no Wielders by their side.
"Do these Marémon belong to anyone, or are they wild?" MJ questioned.
"We believe in the concept of Free Roaming," Ororo explained. "Than means our Marémon can move about freely without being confined in a PDB."
"Aren't you worried they might wander off and get lost in the woods outside the school?" Quill said.
Ororo pointed to the fence. "That fence acts as a physical barrier, but it's also imbued with strong telepathic energy from Professor Xavier that deters students and Marémon from escaping the moment they go near it."
"How is he able to do that?" Peter asked. "Wouldn't that put a lot of strain on Xavier mentally?"
"Xavier renews the Mind Barrier by putting on the Cerebro Helmet at certain times of the day," Ororo said. "It's a device that amplifies the telepathic power of a Mutant or Marémon, allowing Xavier to find Mutants who are in trouble but also protect them."
"Did he use that device on us?" Gwen wondered. "Because after Peter passed out from Kamelio's Knockout Dart, I remember feeling suddenly weak and everything went black."
"I remember that happened to me too," Quill recalled.
"Same," MJ added. "Though I don't know if Steve passed out as well."
"You were all put to sleep by Xavier, who was monitoring the situation using the Cerebro Helmet," Ororo confirmed. "He did it to protect the exact location of this school before bringing you here, in case someone from HYDRA or the Brotherhood tried to get that information out of you by force."
"Wait, you mean…the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants?" Peter looked surprised. "I thought the X-Men defeated them long ago."
Pausing, Ororo responded, "Let me show you to the spare rooms you'll be staying at for the time being."
Though Peter was tempted to question Ororo further, MJ pinched his shoulder as a way of deterring him. So Peter and the others said nothing as they followed Ororo back into the main building.
To be continued…
