I walked around the mansion, trying to find someone to help me into a room. I sighed, then activated my enhanced sense of hearing and tried to find a heartbeat. But instead I heard a rumbling coming from below. Growing curious, I decided to check it out. I looked around for a way to get to the basement, when I realised it was probably hidden.
I did my best to remember what I could from the TV show — didn't they have some kind of secret entrance? Hidden behind a suit of armour of some kind? Hm.
I looked around and — ah-ha! I found it. A suit at the end of a dead-end corridor. I searched around for a secret button and found it immediately near the back.
I pressed it and slowly the armour split in half and opened up. I walked in with a smile and had the lift go down.
The doors opened to a metallic hall that was so advanced I could hardly believe it. I walked down the corridor and found the noise coming from the door to my left. I found a control panel to the side and pressed it open, revealing the Danger Room.
In the middle of the room was a giant hall — metallic walls with lasers and giant machine guns coming out of them. Running around it in a sort of high-tech deadly obstacle course were the X-Men.
"Alright, Kurt, you're doing great, just hang in there!" Jean cheered from the finish line with Scott as they watched Rogue, Kathy, and Kurt run the course. I looked around for Evan but couldn't find him anywhere.
I turned to the X-Men running the course and I have to admit I was impressed. The way Kathy moved through instruments of death made her seem like a perfect candidate for infiltration missions. While Kurt and Rogue had to work harder for their victory, Kathy just breezed through it.
She ran to the finish line and jumped into the air, "and I'm first! Again!"
"No fair!" Rogue called out as she jumped over a hurdle and under a laser beam, coming in second while Kurt brought up third. How a teleporter had so much trouble winning a race I had no idea, but whatever.
"Well, that certainly was impressive," Scott said smiling, "Kurt, you managed to reach all fifteen needed marks in order to pass the course — I'm impressed." Ah, that explained it. "Rogue, you need to work a little on your gymnastics, but otherwise you're just fine," the girl scoffed, "and Kitty...we'll need to get you a new course."
"It doesn't matter what course we get her! She'll just phase through it!" Kurt cried out, "it's not fair!"
Kathy snickered, "says the teleporter!"
"I have limitations on my powers — can't you do the same?" Kurt asked in a begging tone.
Scott and Jean shared a look before the teenage boy replied, "we'll see what we can do."
"Maybe I can help," I called out, leaving my duffle bag at the door as I walked in. I looked around and whistled, "I have to say, very impressive. I wish I had a room like this...on second thought I would probably just turn it into a really kinky sex dungeon first chance I got."
Scott groaned as he pinched his nose, "how did you get in here?"
I shrugged, "I'm a pretty good detective. So what's this place called? Gym 101?"
"It's called the Danger Room," Jean supplied with a smile, "would you like to take a run at it?"
I looked around, "meh, why not? Shouldn't be too difficult."
"Oh really?" Rogue asked, scoffing, "shows what you know."
"This is training for people with powers, Peter — you can't take this lightly," Scott warned.
"Well then it's a good thing I have a power, isn't it, Scott?" I said. Everyone looked curious while Jean looked surprised. I waited for a moment before smiling, "I'm super handsome!"
They rolled their eyes as one. "Where did you find this guy?!" Kurt asked as he laughed heartily.
"Tell you what — if you can get through this course, I'll wear a pink tutu for the rest of the week," Rogue scoffed.
I raised an eyebrow, "is that a bet?"
Rogue met my eyes and smiled, "yeah, sugar, it's a bet."
"Oh, you are so going to regret that," I grinned, taking off my coat and throwing it aside, "hey Jean, set it up for me, will you?"
"Jean —" Scott warned.
Jean chuckled, "it's fine, Scott, trust me," she moved to a data pad and punched in some buttons. Slowly the entire room began to reset itself and the machines went back into the walls. "Alright, the moment you start the timer begins. Whenever you're ready, Peter."
"Right," I looked at the path ahead and grinned. I took off in a dash, charging headfirst into the course.
"And he's out," Rogue said with a smirk as the ground below my feet rose up to form a barricade.
"Not yet, Tutu!" I yelled as I leaped over the hurdle and jumped on the wall, kicking away and over a laser beam that I remembered seeing hidden away. I then ducked under a giant buzz saw, leaped over another hurdle, and rolled under a giant mallet.
"Woah," I heard Kathy say.
"You haven't seen nothing yet, buckos!" I yelled as I leaped over a set of mechanical pincer arms that tried to catch me. I landed on a roll and moved to keep running when suddenly a metallic pole shot out of the wall, coming at my head.
My spider-sense warned me before that even happened. I ducked with an inch to spare, then leaped over another giant metal hurdle before landing on the finish line with a bead of sweat on my brow, "what's my time?"
Jean looked at the timer, "six minutes and thirty seconds — a full minute shorter than Rogue's."
"I'm not wearing a tutu!" Rogue cried out.
"But you promised!" Kurt shot back. The girl growled and walked away with Kathy running after her, calling out for her to stop.
I sighed as I put my jacket on and turned to the others, "so what's her deal? Super emo powers?"
"Go easy on her, Tiger," Jean gave me a sad smile, "her powers are different."
"How so?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"She can't touch anyone," Kurt explained, "if she does, they get hurt."
I knew this, but I did my best to act surprised. "Woah...that's...okay. If I could never make out ever again, I'm pretty sure I would be pretty pissed off too."
Scott growled, "her condition isn't a joke, Parker! You have no idea what she's going through!"
I shrugged, "and you do, I suppose?"
"Yes, I do," he spat as he walked away, leaving just Jean, Kurt, and me.
Just then Evan walked in wearing his uniform and looked around. He grew confused, "ah, did I miss something? Where is everyone?"
Jean sighed, "it's fine, Evan, I'll set the course. You and Kurt get another run at it."
Kurt nodded without a word as he joined Evan in the course. I sighed as I leaned against the wall next to Jean, "I'm sorry. I was harsh there, huh?"
Jean waved it away, "no, it's fine. It's just...you know what they're like. Still getting used to their powers. Scott's...he's protective of Rogue. She saved his life. And well...you can understand why Rogue's upset."
I sighed, "yeah, it's just humour's my defence mechanism, you know. So...shit, I'll go and apologise to her."
"You don't have to —"
"Yes, I do," I smiled at Jean, "I wouldn't be me if I didn't."
Jean looked at me in surprise before she smiled and shook her head, "noble bastard." I smiled, leaving the Danger Room and heading for the elevator.
I put my duffle bag in the living room and used my sense of hearing to find Rogue. I could hear her heartbeat in the gardens. I found her scent in the air pretty quickly. I walked over and found her curled up behind a rose bush, crying.
"If it's any consolation, I think you would look hot in pink," I said slowly.
She looked up, "I...I didn't mean to snap...I'm sorry."
I shrugged, "no, it's my fault," I sat down next to her, "Jean told me about your powers. I get it — if I found out I could never make out ever again I would be pretty pissed off too. I'm guessing the depressed outlook on life you have is just pent-up sexual frustration, yeah?"
Rogue went slack-jawed, "you know, when people are apologising they don't usually end up insulting the person more."
I shrugged, "I'm not used to saying sorry. Well...I am, but...anyway. Look, I'm sorry — I am — but honestly, this whole attitude you have is frankly sad, so I'm going to fix that right up."
Rogue wiped her eyes, doing her best to glare a hole through my head, "how?"
"I'm going to cure you!" I smiled.
She looked at me like I was crazy, "what?" Frankly, I didn't blame her.
That afternoon:
I put away my stuff in the room Xavier had allotted for me and immediately had Jean show me to the lab they had on campus.
It wasn't as fancy as the one I was used to in the Baxter Building, but most usually aren't. It was, however, equipped with tech that was tuned towards mutants and their powers, making my job a lot easier.
The doors opened as Rogue walked in, looking around, "you wanted to see me?"
"Oh, hey, Tutu — sit," I pointed at a chair as I walked up to her with a notepad.
Rogue looked at me warily as she sat down, "what's this about?"
"I told you, didn't I? I'm going to find a way to cure you," I told her, "now, tell me — when did your powers first activate?"
Rogue blinked, "ah, I was...ah, kissing my boyfriend."
"Tongue?"
"Why do you need to know that?!"
"Because, if it was, that means it is also a surface on your body that can absorb another person's life force," I said, noting the details down.
Rogue growled, "tongue."
"Oh, kinky," I chuckled.
"How exactly are you going to help me?" Rogue asked quickly.
"No clue," I replied, jotting down several points.
"What? Then how do you know you can even help me?!"
I shrugged, "no clue. But I'm going to try," I smiled.
Rogue rubbed her temples, "God help me, you're crazy."
Poof!
Kurt and Kathy appeared in a puff of smoke. "Stop stealing my stuff!" Kathy cried out as she snatched a hairbrush out of Kurt's hands.
"Hey! It's mine! I bought it!" Kurt snatched it back.
"Yeah right, like you —" Kathy stopped as she realised where they were, "ah, hey."
Rogue sighed, "hey, Kitty."
"What ah...what are you guys doing?" Kathy asked.
"I'm trying to figure out Grumpy's powers," I explained as I picked up a scalpel, "now, hold still."
Rogue's eyes went wide at the sight of the sharp surgical tool in my hand, "what are you going to do with that?"
"Oh, this?" I looked at the scalpel before smiling, "I'm going to cut you open and harvest your kidneys! Mwahahaha!"
"What?!" Kurt gasped in horror, "no! I won't let —"
Whack.
Kathy hit him upside the head, "he's obviously joking, Kurt."
Rogue groaned, "kill me now."
I chuckled, "sorry — whenever I see someone so unbelievably depressed I can't help cracking jokes. As to the scalpel," I pressed it on my skin and made a small cut. I took a syringe and drew the blood out, watching as my wound quickly healed itself. "Alright, show me your arm," I asked her.
Rogue blinked, "why?"
I sighed, "because I need to figure out how your powers work."
"I told you how it works! People touch me and they get hurt!" Rogue cried out.
"Yeah, but I need to know how that happens. Now — arm," I motioned her to roll her sleeves up.
Sighing, she did just that. I grasped her arm and slowly put a drop of blood on her skin and waited. I looked at her, "nothing?"
Rogue shook her head, "no. Now what's this supposed to do?"
"This proves that your body conducts powers not through blood but through something else," I scribbled away on my notepad, "my best guess? Skin-to-skin contact must transfer something...but what? It's not blood, so...what is life force anyway?" I hummed to myself before turning to Rogue, "hey, Tutu — tell me, when you're absorbing someone, what does it feel like?"
She grumbled at the nickname, "it feels like a rush of power. Suddenly I remember everything they do — I can see everything they see and know whatever they know. It's like...it's amazing."
I frowned, "wait...did you say you gain their memories?"
Rogue nodded, "yeah, why?"
"Well, then that means...oh! Oh, that's brilliant! Oh, why didn't I see this before? That's freaking amazing!" I began scribbling things down on my notepad furiously, "this makes perfect sense!"
"What does?" Rogue asked.
"Five bucks says he's mad," Kathy whispered.
"You're on," Kurt whispered back.
I cackled, "I've figured out how your powers work! You see, the skin is extremely absorbent — it's actually one of a kind when compared to the rest of your organs. But it has something else: nerves. Nerves attached to every millimetre of its surface. And each nerve is connected to the brain.
"The way I see it, you're like an electric eel — or a reverse electric eel. You absorb someone's life energy, or to put it in a more scientific way, you take in their bio-electricity and use it for yourself. This is why you don't just absorb their energy, but their memories, which are stored..."
"In the brain," Rogue realised, "s-so how do you fix it?"
"Well, I can't," I smiled.
"What?! But you said —"
"I know, but I can't do it unless I experiment on you for days upon days, which I'm sure you wouldn't like. But I do have a way you can control it," I looked around the lab, trying to find what I was looking for, "my solution isn't permanent, but it should help you out a little."
The three mutant teenagers were quietly watching me scrounge through the lab, trying to find the equipment I needed.
"Dammit!" I cried out, "there isn't a single fucking quantum inhibitor anywhere! Argh! Why does this always happen to me?! I look for a quantum inhibitor but I find a gene silencer, and when I'm searching for that I — oh, found it!"
I began to work. The three mutant teenagers looked over my shoulder curiously as I began creating the five devices I would need. But I'd need a container...hm.
"Kurt!" I called him over.
"W-what?" he asked.
"Go to Kathy's room and steal all the pink scrunchies she has!"
"You got it, boss!"
"What?! No!" Kathy cried out, "don't you dare, Kurt —"
BAMF!
The Jewish girl growled, "goddammit! Why me?!"
"Why, Kathy, don't you want me to help your friend?" I asked with a pout, guilting her immediately.
"N-no, nothing like that, it's just —" Rogue glared at the girl, who eventually sighed, "fine...I still don't like it."
BAMF!
"I'm back!" Kurt called out as he appeared before me, tossing three bright pink scrunchies on the table and two black ones, "she didn't have enough pink ones."
"Nah, this is perfect!" I held up a chain-like stretch of metal with a blinking light in the middle that generated a humming sound that was nearly silent, even for my ears. I grabbed a scrunchie and tied each rope-like machine around it before tossing one to Rogue.
"What do I do with this?" Rogue asked.
"Put it on," I instructed her as I began to fix the second scrunchie.
"What? But it's pink!" she cried out, holding the offending object at arm's length.
"Would you rather wear pink or not touch anyone ever again?" I asked.
"I...you planned this, didn't you?" she glared.
I tossed her a second pink scrunchie, "you promised to wear a pink tutu, didn't you? This should be close enough." She narrowed her eyes but complied, following my instructions to put a scrunchie on each limb and one around her neck.
"Alright, let's see if this works," I took out a custom-made remote and activated it. Instantly all the hairs on Rogue's body stood up — the static electricity generated by the devices caused goosebumps all along her skin.
"W-what was that?" she asked me.
"Hopefully? A form of protection," I reached forward. She flinched. "It's alright...trust me, I'll be fine, Rogue." She looked unsure, but when I continued forward, she didn't pull away.
My fingers touched the back of her hand. She flinched, but then...nothing. I smiled as I slowly cupped her entire hand in mine.
"Tolle!" Kurt cried out in German, "you are amazing, Peter!"
"H-how are you doing this?" Rogue asked, looking shocked.
"The machine cancels out your powers," I pointed to the metal chain-like device I'd wrapped around the scrunchie, "they act like a neutralising agent. A buffer, if you will."
"But how?" Kitty asked.
"Well, Rogue's powers allow her to absorb a person's bio-electricity through touch. She's sort of like an electric leech, absorbing not just their powers but their memories as well. What my machine does is emit a magnetic field around four feet wide. Rogue's skin is special — it's like an open conductor, so when she touches someone, electricity passes through from person to person. But the magnetic field my machine generates neutralises this, causing a disturbance in the transference and preventing her from absorbing anything."
I looked at their faces — utterly confused, blinking in bewilderment — while Rogue looked hopeful.
"S-so can I touch people again?" she asked.
I nodded, "yup. And if you keep those bands on, you can kiss people too. The range of the machines should be effective enough to prevent any harm...especially from tongue."
"Thank you!" She leaped forward, colliding into me with a hug, "thank you, thank you, thank you!"
I chuckled, "it's fine," I patted her on the back, "hey! Want to prank Scott?!"
Rogue and the others grinned. Guess that meant they were in.
A few minutes later:
We snuck into the living room where Jean and Scott sat on a couch watching TV while Logan and Ororo sat apart, playing a game of chess — and judging from the way Logan kept growling, I guessed he wasn't very good.
"Alright, you know the plan?" I whispered to them.
"Yes," Rogue smiled as she removed her gloves and rolled up her sleeves, exposing her pale white skin, "this is going to be fun!"
I nodded as we all snuck in, doing our best to stay silent. Logan and Ororo noticed us immediately. I smiled and pressed a finger to my lips, winking at them. The two remained silent, though their attention was now on us instead of their game.
I walked forward, gaining Jean's and Scott's attention. "Hey guys! What are you watching?" I asked, plopping down between Scott and Jean, forcing them apart — much to Scott's annoyance and Jean's delight.
"Just something about cats," Scott grumbled as he flipped the channel to Nat Geo, showing a documentary about lions, "which seems to be the only thing on TV these days."
"Huh," I said, "cats. Stupid things."
"Peter, if you want, I'm free to talk," Jean told me, holding my hand in hers and giving it a firm squeeze.
"I'm fine...it's just...she's left. Besides, I've never been a cat person. The only kind of pussy I like is the kind —"
"Peter!" Jean blushed, "watch it!"
I smirked, "oh, what's wrong, Birdie? Did my dirty mind make you nervous?"
Jean raised an eyebrow, "have you forgotten that the professor can also read minds?"
I blinked, "huh...but I mean, he wouldn't, right? He promised he wouldn't do that again."
"He wouldn't have to read too deep to hear that," Jean smiled, "you're basically screaming it out so loudly any decent psychic can pick up on it."
"And you don't need to be a mind reader to know what you were thinking," Rogue said as she leaned forward, wrapping her exposed arms around Scott's neck and pressing herself against his back.
"What the — Rogue!" Scott cried out as he immediately jumped off the couch, patting himself all over, "what are you doing?! Are you crazy?! What if I...I'm not dead?" he asked in utter confusion.
"Wahahaha!" I laughed, holding my gut as it threatened to jump out of my body, "that was priceless!"
"And I got it all on video!" Kurt cried out, hanging from the ceiling and holding my phone upside down to capture the whole thing.
"What is going on?" Jean asked as she got to her feet, looking between Scott and Rogue, "how was she..." Jean narrowed her eyes at the surprising pink scrunchies Rogue now wore and the machinery wrapped around them. Immediately she turned to me, "did you do this, Peter?"
I smirked, "I may have."
"He made it so that I can touch people again," Rogue said. Logan and Ororo were by her side, holding her as she slowly let out tears of joy once more, "I'm normal again!"
"Not really," I shrugged, "I mean, no normal person is that pale. Unless they're a vampire...you aren't a vampire, are you?"
She didn't even mind — she just laughed, happy to have a semblance of normality in her life again.
"What's going on here?" Xavier asked as he rolled into the living room to find us all gathered around a crying but happy Rogue, "Rogue? Did something happen?"
"You bet it did, Professor!" Kathy cried out, "Peter helped Rogue control her powers! Isn't that amazing?!"
The man blinked, "you did?"
Rogue nodded, holding up the metal bracelets around her hands, "I don't know how, but this boy here cured me!"
"This calls for a party!" Kurt cried out, jumping down from the ceiling, "party like there's no tomorrow!"
And just then Evan walked in. All of us were cheering. He blinked, "ah, did I miss something?"
That night:
The X-Men were gathered in the dining room again. This time there was a small feast prepared instead of a simple dinner.
"WOO!" Rogue cried out, throwing her arms around Kurt and nearly crushing the poor boy, "I'm never letting go!"
"You probably should, Rogue — he's going blue from suffocating," Jean joked, causing them all to laugh.
"Who wants bacon?" Logan asked as he entered with a pan of freshly made bacon.
"Is that fried bacon?" Scott asked surprised, "where did you get it?"
"I cooked it," Logan grunted.
"You can cook?" Kathy blinked, surprised.
"Yeah," Logan grunted as he put a few strips on her plate, "it's fried with maple syrup — get it while it's hot."
"Maple syrup?" Kurt asked, picking at his food.
"Yeah," Logan grunted.
"What are you, Canadian?" Rogue asked in suspicion.
The man grinned, "hell yeah I am."
Xavier and I stood out in the gardens. The patio doors connecting the dining room to the backyard were left open. I could hear Kurt teasing Logan and the sound of Logan's claws popping out. I smiled as Kurt squeaked and backed away. They were all enjoying themselves. It was sad, really — I doubted they would get a chance to be this carefree ever again.
"Thank you for what you did for Rogue, Peter," Xavier said as he sipped his glass of celebratory champagne. The adults drank that while the minors were forced to settle for grape juice. Kurt had tried to steal some alcohol, but after a very scary glare from Ororo he was discouraged from such an action.
"It was the least I could do," I shrugged, "she got a shitty draw in powers...it just seemed unfair."
"May I ask why you chose to help her?" Xavier asked.
"It was the right thing to do."
"Ah...so while the spirit of Spider-Man may be broken, your sense of duty is still intact. That is good to hear."
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Because anything that is broken can be fixed, given enough time," Xavier smiled, "you came to me looking for meaning in your life, yes?"
I nodded, "yeah...and?"
"Well...if I'm not mistaken, maybe this should be your purpose," he turned to look at Rogue and the others laughing and cheering, "there will be others like her — maybe not a mutant, maybe not a human, but people who have been dealt a bad hand in life...you could help them. Maybe not as Spider-Man, but maybe as Peter Parker."
I raised an eyebrow, "a superhero training camp?"
The man chuckled, "if you like."
I smiled and looked back inside. Maybe he was right...maybe, if I can't be a hero, I can at least help nurture those who want to be. Maybe.
A few hours later:
I sat down on my bed in the guest room and sighed. It was a long night — Rogue had insisted on stuffing my face with food every chance she got. She was smiling, happy, no trace of her depressed personality. Guess being able to touch people really changed things.
The highlight of the night, though, was when Rogue got a little daring and took advantage of her new lease on life. She had grabbed Scott by the neck and pulled him into a secluded corner, kissing him as hard as she could. I didn't know the details after that, since I stopped listening, but ten minutes later they returned, Scott looking happy.
Knock, knock.
"Come in," I called out. The door opened and Jean walked in with a smile on her face. "Jean? What's up?"
She walked over and sat down next to me, "so...we never got a chance to talk about how you've been handling...everything."
I snorted, "which part? The one where I quit being a hero, or the part where my girlfriend dumped me?"
"Both, I suppose...you still love her," it wasn't a question.
I sighed, "yeah...I can't just stop...do you remember what you said that day?"
Jean smiled, "you mean the day I lost my virginity, with both of you? Yes, I have a vague recollection," she chuckled as I blushed, remembering that night.
"R-right, well...you told me she loved me, that she wouldn't ever leave me...do you think —"
"Yes," Jean nodded, "she loved you. And...I'm sure she still does. But right now, if I know her, she's probably ashamed of herself for what she did."
"I see...so what do you think I should do?"
"I think...I think you need to get over yourself," she snorted, "you've been brooding too much. I know — Liz and MJ told me. You need to get up and stretch yourself, Peter. She wouldn't like it, and neither do I."
"She left me," I snorted, "I don't think she has a right to an opinion."
"Fine, then what about me?" Jean put her hand on top of mine and squeezed, "I can't stand seeing the man I love looking like a shadow of himself...you're more than your difficulties, Peter...much more. And the only way you will ever lose is if you let yourself be defeated."
She looked into my eyes, and for a moment I felt my pain and sorrow leave me. I felt so alone, with no one to share this hurt with. And suddenly, here she was — probably the only other person besides Felicia who could even begin to understand.
She leaned forward and kissed me. Her hands immediately reached down my pants, unbuttoning them with her fingers while her telekinetic powers took her own bottoms off.
Our clothes flew off as we curled up underneath my bed's blanket. I bit her neck as my hands went under her shirt, taking it off and throwing it across the room. I kissed her, unhooking her bra. Jean moaned into my ear as she removed my clothes with her mind.
For the rest of the night we made love. For the first time in months, I didn't feel alone. I woke up the next day with Jean still in my bed, wrapped in my arms. I held her tight, afraid to let her go.
"Don't worry," she said as she wrapped her arm around my body, holding me close and pressing her ear against my heart, "I won't be going anywhere...for today you can stay with me. So you don't have to worry, Peter." I smiled. I believed her.