POV: Adonai
"Wait," Rogue said, confused. "Come again?"
"I may have found a solution to your mutation," Adonai declared, unbothered.
Rogue sat with the others in the living room, staring at him in disbelief. Adonai had barged in out of nowhere and announced that he had finally found a way to solve Rogue's issue, leaving everyone looking at him as if silently begging for an explanation. He, however, just stood there, meeting their gazes with calm indifference. Seconds passed in awkward silence.
"Start from the beginning," Kitty said with exasperation, clearly used to his habit of dropping bombshells without context.
"Ok," Adonai said seriously. "So in the beginning, God said 'let there be—'"
"Not that far back!" Kitty cut him off, deadpan. "Just what's relevant to what you said earlier."
"Ahh," Adonai said in mock realization. "Why didn't you say so?"
Kitty looked like she wanted to argue but sighed instead, forcing a brittle, customer service smile.
"So, remember when we first met and I made a promise to you?" Adonai asked, turning to Rogue.
"Hard not to, sugar," Rogue said softly. "That was my first impression of ya, after all."
"Right," Adonai muttered, scratching his head. "So I've come to fulfill my promise. I have a somewhat working solution. I've been developing it for a while, and while I can't guarantee success, I'd like to at least try – if that's alright with you."
They were all watching him intently, and though Adonai was no stranger to being the center of attention, this kind of attention felt different. It wasn't the usual curiosity or amusement he was used to. It was cautious, uncertain, heavy with expectation. Rogue's face in particular struck him, there was hope in her eyes, but it was fragile, trembling, as if she had been disappointed too many times to trust it fully. She looked at him for a long moment, lost for words, caught somewhere between disbelief and longing.
"Do you accept, Rogue?" Adonai asked quietly. "It's mostly based on guesswork and a hypothesis I formed after talking with Dr. Hank, so it might not work. But I'd say it's worth a try."
Rogue's voice trembled when she finally spoke, her eyes glistening. "All this time, when ya were holed up in yer room, y-you were workin' on findin' a way t'help me?"
Well, aside from the occasional nightly excursion to unwind- yes, that was technically true. He had assumed they knew that. In hindsight, he'd never explicitly said what he was doing beyond mastering his abilities. But it had seemed obvious to him that the reason he was pushing himself so hard was to help Rogue. He'd just figured Jean would've mentioned it. Apparently not.
I guess she didn't want to get their hopes up for nothing.
"Yeah," he said simply. "I promised, after all. It's a matter of pride for me."
"I knew you were a softie on the inside," Alison snickered, though her voice carried unmistakable warmth.
She is ruining my mysterious and nonchalant aura.
He screamed internally but maintained an impassive expression, preserving his carefully curated mysterious persona. If he timed this ordeal perfectly and it worked out in the end, maybe he could finally escape his potential-man allegations and silence his haters. The fact that all his haters were imaginary was irrelevant.
"So," he said evenly, "do you accept, Rogue? It's your decision at the end of the day."
"YES," Rogue exclaimed, then froze, realizing everyone was staring. She cleared her throat, her cheeks turning pink. "I-I mean, I'd like t'try it out."
Adonai nodded at that and looked around the room. The living room was vast, befitting the enormous X-Mansion. "Excellent, we need to make some space here," he said, gesturing to the sofas and other furniture scattered around.
The others immediately got to work moving things out of the way. Jean and Kurt handled most of it, their mutations making the job far easier than it would have been otherwise. Within minutes, the once-furnished room was cleared, leaving only open space and the group standing in a loose circle.
"All the others besides Rogue can step aside and watch from afar," Adonai said calmly, motioning for them to move back.
"What's going on here?" came the smooth, commanding voice of Storm as she entered, followed by Professor X, Logan, and Dr. McCoy.
Behind them trailed several of the younger students, faces Adonai rarely interacted with. He recognized a few of them: Roberto and Jubilee among the crowd, both of whom he had spoken to once or twice. Looking closer, he realized there were far more students in this school than he had thought, of all different ages. The newcomers glanced around the now-empty room with wide-eyed curiosity.
Kitty quickly explained his plan to the teachers and the newcomers. Their expressions shifted from surprise to disbelief and then to intense curiosity. The idea that a mutant ability could alter another mutant's powers was practically unheard of. The younger students whispered among themselves, glancing at Adonai with awe.
"I see," Professor X said thoughtfully. "Then today may be a joyous day indeed. Adonai, how confident are you in this procedure?"
All eyes turned toward him. Some looked hopeful, others skeptical. When he glanced at Rogue, he caught a flicker of nervousness in her expression, as if she still couldn't quite believe this was happening.
"Well, if my calculations are correct, and they usually are," Adonai said with a confident smirk. That earned him a round of eyerolls from those familiar with his personality. "I'd say about ninety-five percent chance of success."
There was a ripple of surprise across the room. Apparently, they hadn't expected the odds to be that high. Did they really think he would give Rogue false hope with anything below ninety percent? That would be cruel, even for him.
In truth, the odds were even higher than what he claimed, but one must always maintain plausible deniability in case things went wrong. It was like when you give your friends advice but end it with, "but, I don't know though," just in case their life falls apart afterward.
"That's good," the professor said calmly. "Is it safe to do it here?"
"Fifty-fifty," Adonai replied with a casual so-so gesture.
"What do you mean fifty-fifty?" Bobby shouted. "Like fifty percent this place blows up and fifty percent it doesn't? How does your percentage distribution even work?"
"Fifty-fifty," Adonai repeated with a shrug.
They all stared at him in alarm.
"I'm sure this is just another of Adonai's eccentricities," the Professor said, amused. "But in case anything goes wrong, we'll be ready to assist."
"So you finally finished your project," Dr. McCoy said, his tone carrying genuine curiosity.
"Yeah," Adonai replied easily. "And before you ask, yes, you can take notes for your later experiments."
The blue-furred scientist chuckled but still pulled out a notepad and began scribbling observations.
"Ready?" Adonai asked, finally turning to Rogue. She was fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable with being the center of attention.
During his short time living at the mansion, Adonai had noticed how Rogue seemed to unsettle some of the younger students. It wasn't outright fear or hatred, but there was a certain distance. Her mutation could render anyone unconscious with a single touch, and that alone made people wary.
There was also a quiet distrust surrounding her because of her past ties to the Brotherhood. At least, that was what Alison had told him, though she had avoided giving details, saying it wasn't her place to talk about it. Adonai, with his meta knowledge, had already made the connection. Rogue was, after all, the adopted daughter of Mystique in the comics. A name that carried quite the reputation.
"As ready as Ah'll ever be," Rogue said with a nervous smile. "So what do Ah gotta do?"
"In order for this to work, I need you to have faith in me, Rogue," Adonai said seriously. "You have to do exactly as I command, and you must keep going until I tell you to stop. No matter what happens, do not stop unless I say so. Ok?"
"Ok… Ah guess," Rogue said uncertainly.
"And most importantly," Adonai added, his expression solemn. Rogue leaned forward slightly, hanging on his words. "I need you to look cute and cuddly."
Rogue blinked, confused for a moment, then broke into a soft smile when she realized he was teasing. From the sidelines, Adonai could hear the others muttering about his shameless flirting.
He ignored them, focusing instead on his aura. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hands.
"With this treasure, I summon…"
He extended both arms forward at a slight upward angle, fists closed. Slowly, a large eight-handled wheel materialized above his head, radiating power.
He had been in quite the dilemma when faced with finding a way to solve Rogue's issue. There were specific criteria that needed to be fulfilled before he could commit to any method.
First of all, it had to be cool enough to be used for Aura-farming. After all, what is a man without Aura-farming? Nothing but a mere mortal unworthy of his own legend. This single condition alone disqualified the majority of his earlier practical solutions.
The second criterion was utility. It had to be useful beyond simply fixing Rogue's mutation. Sure, it was more than possible to create a specific Hatsu designed to counter the effects of her absorption ability, but that would make it a one-trick pony.
A single-use ability with no long-term benefit. He wasn't about to pour weeks or months of work into something that would become obsolete after one use. No, he wanted to create something he could continue to use for combat, utility, and general awesomeness after helping Rogue.
And that was why he decided to recreate the ability of the "potential man" himself. If he wanted to prove that he was better than that bum Fushiguro, what better way than to take his power and do it better?
Reconstructing it through Nen had been relatively straightforward. Shinigami, when viewed through the Nen framework, were essentially Nen beasts. He could recreate them through Conjuration, then use Emission and Manipulation to control them. Depending on the beast, he could enhance their strength through Enhancement and grant them unique abilities through combinations of other Aura types.
Each beast existed within Adonai's aura, meaning they couldn't exist without it. However, by using Emission, he could separate them from his body and allow them to act autonomously.
Each active beast drained a portion of Adonai's aura proportionate to its strength and complexity. The stronger and more intricate the beast, the more of his energy it consumed.
And, like any proper Nen ability, it had to come with restrictions and conditions to ensure balance and power.
First, in order to summon a beast, he needed to perform the correct hand sign corresponding to the one he intended to call forth. This gesture served as the anchor for shaping the aura. If the gesture was broken mid-summon, it caused severe aura feedback damage, leaving him unable to use his ability for a period of time.
Second, to gain a beast as a summon, he had to defeat it in ritual combat and tame it afterward. The ritual had to be performed alone. If anyone interfered, it would collapse entirely.
Third, if a Nen beast was destroyed in combat, it was gone forever. It could never be recreated.
Next, each Nen beast consumed a fixed amount of aura depending on its strength, which placed a limit on how many he could summon at once. If he went over that limit, his aura would drain completely, resulting in his death.
Naturally, the Nen beasts he summoned were nowhere near as strong as Fushiguro's shikigami. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that a fraud like Fushiguro might be better than him at something.
Then again, maybe it worked to his advantage.
While his beasts might not be as strong as Fushiguro's shadow creatures, they were easier to tame, which was no small benefit. He would never have been able to tame Mahoraga in its original form. He had nearly died fighting it in its current version, after all.
Mahoraga was his masterpiece. Recreating it with Nen had been ridiculously difficult, but he succeeded nonetheless. It was the ultimate Nen beast, an adaptive construct born from the synthesis of all Nen types.
Within its aura existed a core algorithm that allowed it to change its composition. When struck or damaged, it could restructure its Nen nature, switching, for example, from Enhancement to Transmutation, to resist that same phenomenon the next time.
Each adaptation came at a cost. Every change consumed an enormous amount of aura, and the adaptation process engraved itself into Adonai's aura, causing excruciating pain. Another difference from Fushiguro's Mahoraga was that his version took far longer to adapt, making its reactions less immediate but more thorough in the long run.
There were, of course, additional weaknesses and limitations. The mental strain of controlling multiple beasts simultaneously was considerable, and each summon carried its own risks. But even with all the limitations, he regarded this as his greatest work to date.
He could see curiosity reflected in everyone's faces, and Rogue stared at the large, spectral wheel that had materialized above him like a halo, her expression filled with awe.
"It looks like the Dharma Wheel," Adonai heard Dr. McCoy murmur from somewhere in the back, his enhanced hearing catching every word. McCoy began explaining to the others what the Dharma Wheel represented in Buddhism, its symbolism of transformation and enlightenment, but Adonai easily tuned him out. His focus was entirely on the girl in front of him.
"This wheel," Adonai began, his tone calm and deliberate, "has the ability to adapt to any and all phenomena. When it spins sixteen times, I will become completely immune to your powers of absorption."
That was the minimum number of rotations required for the adaptation process to complete. Depending on how complex the target ability was, the wheel could need even more.
"R-really…?" Rogue asked in a stunned voice.
"Yes," Adonai said softly. "But for it to work, you'll have to use your powers on me until it spins sixteen times, alright?"
Fear flickered in her eyes, mixing with hesitation. "And… what happens to ya till the wheel finishes spinnin'?"
"The same thing that happens to everyone else you touch," Adonai said truthfully.
"W-what?" Rogue stammered, her voice trembling. "How long's it gonna take for it to finish spinnin', then?"
There was a quiet hope in her tone, a plea that it wouldn't take too long. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
"The adaptation process begins analyzing an attack upon initially receiving it," Adonai explained, his voice steady. "The more I'm exposed to your ability, the faster the process of adaptation."
"You didn't answer my question, Adonai," Rogue said, forcing her voice to stay calm.. "How long's it take? How long do ya need t'be exposed to my ability?"
"A couple of minutes," Adonai admitted with a sigh. "...At most, five minutes."
A chorus of shocked gasps filled the room. Rogue's expression turned to one of terror, her hands trembling.
"But if you're exposed to my ability that long," Rogue said, voice breaking, "you'll die."
"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," Adonai said with a casual shrug.
"But Ah ain't," Rogue shouted, her voice full of conviction. "Ah don't wanna hurt ya, Adonai. Ah don't wanna hurt anyone… Not again."
The way she trembled, the tears in her voice. It was clear she was reliving old wounds. He realized then that he had chosen the wrong dialogue option.
"Shh," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "That was a bad joke. I'm not actually gonna die. Just put your faith in me, will you?"
There was still skepticism in her eyes, though it hid behind the veil of fear.
"We'll take breaks if it gets too much, ok?" he said gently. "It's all gonna be fine. Trust me."
He spoke as softly as he could. He wasn't exactly an expert at comforting people. His usual coping strategies involved sarcasm, alcohol, and questionable life decisions.
"Ah'd trust ya more if ya weren't crossin' your fingers behind your back," Rogue said dryly, though there was a glimmer of relief in her face.
"Damn, you caught me," he said, raising his hands in surrender.
He let her breathe for a few seconds before asking, "So, shall we?"
Rogue nodded slowly and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Then she pulled off her gloves and stared down at her bare hands with visible dread. When she looked back up, there was determination in her eyes.
Adonai raised his hands and took hers gently. The instant their skin touched, he felt it- his strength leaving him in waves. It was like something inside him was being sucked out, devoured piece by piece. Her ability drained him, stealing energy, memories, and vitality all at once. It wasn't pleasant. It was like being hollowed out from within.
After five seconds, he tore his hands away and fell to his knees.
Damn, that hurts.
If not for the Nen reinforcing his body far beyond normal human limits, he doubted he would have stayed conscious at all.
"Are ya okay, Adonai?" Rogue asked, her voice trembling with worry.
"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth as he tried to steady himself. "But please be gentle, it's my first time."
He didn't even have to look up to know she was rolling her eyes. The others sighed in relief.
"You're unbelievable," Rogue said, though her tone carried a hint of amusement.
"Ok, let's do this again," he said, forcing himself upright.
Rogue hesitated but eventually took his hands again. The sensation returned immediately. If he had to compare it to something, it was like the worst hangover imaginable; his head pounding as if squeezed in a vice, nausea swirling in his stomach, his limbs heavy and unresponsive, his thoughts foggy and slow.
This time they held contact for thirty seconds. To him, it felt like an eternity. When he finally let go, he collapsed to his knees once more.
For several seconds, he could neither speak nor hear. Everything around him was spinning, the walls seeming to melt and twist. The air shimmered like heat waves on asphalt. Slowly, sound returned, and the first thing he heard was Rogue's crying.
He could sense others rushing toward him, but he lifted a trembling hand, signaling them to stop. They froze where they stood.
He slowly pushed himself up, though his balance was unstable and his breathing shallow. After a few seconds, he managed to stand upright and took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Do not approach unless I say so," he said, his voice slow and strained. "You'll only interfere with the process."
They hesitated but nodded reluctantly, still watching him with worry.
Then he felt it, the wheel above him shifting. His aura was changing, flowing.
"The wheel's spinnin'!" Angel shouted, her voice full of excitement. Cheers broke out among the crowd.
Adonai turned to Rogue again. Her expression was a mix of fear and fragile hope. At that moment, she looked heartbreakingly beautiful.
Just fifteen more spins.
"Let's do this again," he said with a faint smile.
He approached her once more, and they joined hands. This time they held on for thirty-five seconds before he had to pull away, his body trembling with exhaustion. The wheel consumed vast amounts of his aura to complete the adaptation, adding even more strain.
He dropped to the floor, one knee down, bracing himself with his hands. The pain wasn't something he could get used to, it grew worse each time. It took him longer now to even catch his breath.
"Adonai, can you hear me?" a voice echoed, but it wasn't a single one. It was a hundred overlapping voices, some near, some impossibly far, blurring into one.
"Adonai!"
"Adonai!"
"Adonai!"
Slowly, the sound sharpened, and he recognized Rogue's voice closest to him, hovering nervously just out of reach. She was kneeling close, afraid to touch him.
"Adonai… can ya hear me?" she asked desperately.
"Yes," he managed to say, his voice weak.
"We gotta stop this," Rogue said, shaking. "This is too much. Ah'm hurtin' ya."
"No," he said slowly, forcing each word. "We're getting close. We won't give up now."
"B-but… Ah don't wanna hurt ya," she said, sobbing. "Look at ya, ya can barely stand!"
He could barely understand her through the tremors in her voice.
"Did you notice it?" he asked quietly, hoping to distract her.
"N-notice what?" she asked through her tears.
"Anything different when you absorbed me?" he clarified.
"W-what do ya mean?" she asked, confused.
She was too shaken to notice small details like that it seems.
"Did you get my memories this time?" he asked again.
"Your memories…?" she repeated, lost at first. Then her eyes widened in realization. "Your memories… Ah didn't get any of your memories this time. It was different from before. The first two times Ah got your memories and thoughts, but this time… nothin'. That means—"
"It's working," Adonai said with a soft smile.
He could see her face brighten, her tears slowing. The others erupted into cheers once more, hope returning to the room like light through storm clouds.
That had been one of Adonai's main concerns. Rogue possessed the ability to absorb the life force, memories, personality, abilities, and powers of other living beings through direct physical contact. The absorption was temporary, but the longer the contact, the more extensive and lasting the effects became. If the contact persisted for too long, the victim could fall into a coma or even die.
The most troubling aspect of her mutation, however, was her ability to absorb memories. The fact that he originated from another world, one where they were all fictional characters, was not something he could allow anyone to discover. It could become dangerous if the wrong people ever found out. Therefore, he had made it a priority to ensure that such information would remain hidden.
The solution he devised was to manipulate his own memories through Nen. Manipulation, by nature, was the ability to control both living and non-living entities. It could be used to dominate the minds of others, as was common among Manipulators in the world of Hunter x Hunter. But that same principle could be turned inward. A skilled user could manipulate their own mind and even their memories through Nen.
That was precisely what Adonai did. He had inserted a Nen needle into his brain to conceal the knowledge he could not afford to share. The needle locked away information about his origins while bringing irrelevant memories to the surface. That way, even if someone managed to bypass his natural mental defenses, like Rogue's absorption, they would only obtain useless or misleading information.
"Let's continue," he said, rising with great effort, his body protesting every movement.
What followed was a grueling repetition of contact and separation. Each time Rogue touched him, the pain and exhaustion grew worse. The intervals between his recovery stretched longer, his body trembling, breath uneven, vision flickering between clarity and haze.
The cheers from the students, once loud and hopeful, had faded to silence. Now they only watched with bated breath, their eyes wide with worry. Some had tears streaming down their faces.
For some, Rogue represented hope, the chance to overcome the curse of her mutation. For others, this was morbid curiosity. But all of them bore witness to the sight of one man defying his limits, flesh and spirit laid bare, fighting to alter fate itself.
"Adonai, can ya hear me?" Rogue's voice was hoarse, worn from crying.
"Yes," he said slowly, struggling to breathe. "Where am I?"
He should rest his eyes. He was so tired. Why was this girl staring at him so tearfully?
Then he saw her clearly, her auburn hair streaked with white, her trembling hands, her terrified expression. He remembered her. He felt foolish for ever forgetting. He remembered why he was here. Why she was crying. He did not know how long he had been out.
"Please, Adonai," Rogue pleaded. "Please, keep your eyes open. …Professor, please help him. He can't keep goin' like this."
He could feel movement around him, several people rushing forward, but he forced his body to respond.
"No," he said suddenly, forcing as much strength into his voice as he could. "We must continue."
"No! Ah don't want this!" Rogue cried out, stepping closer but too afraid to touch him. "Ah'm okay livin' like this! Ah made peace with it a long time ago! Ah don't wanna hurt you, please! Please listen to me, Adonai! You don't need to do this!"
"The warmth that comes from connection with others," Adonai said with effort, his words heavy and slow, "is a very precious thing. Every human being has a right to that warmth. There is nothing more cruel than taking it away."
"Ah don't want it if it means losin' you," she said through tears. "Ah don't want it at the expense of anyone."
"I'm still standing, aren't I?" Adonai said with a faint smile, trying to reassure her.
She stared at him, wide-eyed, disbelief written all over her face. He knew she could see through the false bravado, but somehow, that lie gave her strength. Determination replaced the fear in her eyes.
"How many spins?" he asked, his voice hoarse. He had lost count somewhere along the way, his mind fogged by pain. He prayed that someone had kept track.
"Nine spins," Scott said from behind the crowd, his tone measured. "Seven more to go."
A mix of dread and relief washed over Adonai. Dread, because each spin meant enduring more unbearable pain. Relief, because the end was finally in sight.
Well, there goes my chance to Aura farm, he thought with a bitter, self-deprecating chuckle.
"Good," he said louder, his breath coming in shallow bursts. "Seven more to go. We're almost there."
He didn't know whether he was trying to convince Rogue or himself. But the fire in her eyes told them both the same thing, he wasn't stopping until the wheel finished spinning.
Rogue looked at him with determination, as if she had finally found the answer to a question she had been asking her whole life. A gentle, kind smile spread across her face.
"Yes, Adonai, we're almost there," she said, her southern accent soft but resolute. "Look at you, comfortin' me even though you're in so much pain for my sake, when I should be the one encouragin' you."
She lowered herself to the ground and met his eyes, her gaze steady. "We're almost there, Adonai. You can do it."
He nodded softly and slowly took her hands, bracing himself for the inevitable pain. They held each other for a long while before finally letting go.
He couldn't open his eyes anymore.
He felt cold, like he was drowning.
He took her hands again. And again. And again. Each time, he felt himself slipping farther, losing a part of himself with every touch.
"How many spins?" he asked.
"Three more left," came the answer, though he could no longer distinguish whose voice it was.
"Good," he whispered.
"He is bleeding," someone said.
He touched her hands again. Pain surged through him.
He saw his mother lying in a bed with white sheets, smiling gently at him. A soft, comforting smile.
"How many spins?" he asked.
"Two more."
He remembered his older brother's cold body, hanging from the ceiling, lifeless eyes staring down at him.
"How many spins?"
"One more," came the voice.
He slowly touched her hand again. A brief flash of pain shot through him, then vanished. He could feel her hands on his, but there was no longer any pain.
"..I-I ain't absorbin' nothin' no more," a voice cried out. "It worked!"
Hands touched his face, caressing his hair. Then came a fierce, deep embrace that lasted both a second and an eternity.
He could feel himself remembering. He remembered the sobbing girl holding him. Her name was Rogue.
"Look, Rogue," he said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're not hurting me anymore."
"Yes," Rogue said, tears still glistening in her eyes. "You did it. It's over now. You can rest."
He focused what little aura remained in his body into his eyes and opened them. He saw her auburn hair as she clung to him, and the others had formed a circle around them, some wiping tears from their eyes.
"I… want… to… try so—" His words came out haltingly, each one a struggle.
"You want to try somethin'?" Scott repeated, cautious.
Adonai nodded.
"Anything ya want," Rogue said softly, "just tell me."
He gestured toward Logan. "Skin… contact… with him," he managed to say.
The others looked unsure, but Logan met Rogue's gaze and nodded. She stood, Jean supporting Adonai from behind so he wouldn't fall.
Logan offered his hands, and Rogue touched them, anticipation thick in the air.
"Nothing," she said in astonishment. "Ah ain't absorbin' nothin' from him."
They all stared in shock. Kitty quickly placed her hands on Rogue's face, still nothing. She touched her hands and her hair. Still nothing.
"S-still nothin'," Rogue whispered, then froze as Kitty hugged her tightly. Slowly, Rogue hugged her back.
"How… how's this possible?" Rogue asked, amazed and shocked. All eyes turned to Adonai in wonder.
"Fear," he said simply.
"..Fear..?" Rogue repeated, and the others looked confused as well.
Adonai nodded.
"I think I understand," Dr. McCoy said gently, looking at Rogue with compassion. "Adonai means that it was fear that kept Rogue from controlling her powers, right?"
Adonai nodded again.
"..What do ya mean, professor?" Rogue asked defensively. "...you mean it was all in my head? That it was all my fault?"
"No," Dr. McCoy said softly. "Remember, Rogue, how you first awakened your mutation?"
The room grew silent, curiosity in every gaze.
"Cody," Rogue said, voice pained. "His name was… is Cody. We were just kids… friends… best friends… experimentin' with love. He kissed me. That's when Ah found out Ah was a mutant… my mind was flooded with memories… and he… he… he's been in a coma ever since."
The students looked at her with pity, each understanding in their own way what it meant to struggle with a mutation.
"Yes," Dr. McCoy continued softly. "I hypothesize that the event traumatized you so severely that it caused your mutation to remain permanently active. Your subconscious fear made it impossible to control."
Rogue looked shocked. "But… that means that—"
"Yes," Dr. McCoy said. "It means control was always possible, but you had to conquer your fear first. Adonai used what's called shock therapy to force your mind into fight-or-flight mode. Combined with your desire not to hurt Adonai anymore, your powers evolved into a controllable state."
They all glanced at him with awe. He nodded weakly, too exhausted to say anything.
"..He forced you to confront your fear and overcome it," Professor X said softly, his gaze warm on Adonai.
That was the last thing Adonai heard before he finally succumbed to unconsciousness.
AN: So, a new chapter is up! I tried to strike a balance here between exposition and actual events, so hopefully it feels like both worldbuilding and story are moving forward. You'll also see some of Adonai's more positive qualities shine through, a brief glimpse beyond his usual hedonistic self. I'm curious, how many of you guessed he'd end up using Mahoraga as an ability? And, of course, as usual, he tried a bit of aura farming, but I'll leave it to you to decide whether he succeeded or not.