I'm nursing a dull headache as I trail behind Jubilee down the mansion corridor, her yellow coat flapping like a neon battle flag. Last night's mission report is crumpled in my hand, covered in coffee stains and question marks where I tried to explain the whole MODOK situation without sounding insane.
"All I'm saying is, if you're gonna live in a mansion this big, at least install some moving walkways or something," I grumble, trying to match her energetic pace.
Jubilee snorts, her black hair catching the morning light through the tall windows. "You literally regenerated an entire body part yesterday, and you're complaining about having to walk to a meeting?"
"It's the principle of the thing."
She rolls her eyes but slows down slightly, falling into step beside me. "So how was it with the White Queen yesterday? Did she try to get in your pants the whole time?"
"No comment," I reply, though the memory of Emma's breast in my hand makes me wish I could have seen it.
"That's definitely a yes," Jubilee laughs, nudging my shoulder with hers.
We round the corner toward the war room, and Jubilee suddenly stops walking, her expression turning serious. "Hey, random question," she says, tilting her head. "Is there a reason you haven't healed Professor Xavier's back?"
Her words hits me like a freight train. My brain short-circuits, mouth hanging open stupidly as I try to process what she's just said.
"I... I honestly never even thought about it," I stammer, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. "It completely went over my head."
Jubilee's eyebrows shoot up. "Seriously? It never occurred to you that the woman running this place is in a wheelchair?"
"I just never really pictured her without a wheelchair. I don't even know if I can heal old wounds," I say defensively, running a hand through my hair. "Would it even work? Is a scarred wound healed already, or is it something else entirely?"
She shrugs, her pink crop top rising slightly with the movement. "I don't know either. Just thought it was weird you never mentioned it."
"Yeah, I..." I shake my head, genuinely bewildered at my own obliviousness. "I didn't really think much about it at all."
"Well, maybe you should ask her," Jubilee suggests as we start walking again. "Could be a game-changer for her."
The idea rattles around in my head like a loose marble. How the hell did I never think about this before? I've been so wrapped up in my own drama, killing people, hooking up with mutants, dodging Emma's advances, that I missed something this obvious.
We push through the doors to the war room, and there's Professor Xavier, bathed in the blue glow of her computer screen.
My heart suddenly hammers in my chest. What if I can help her? What if I can actually make a difference for the woman who gave me a home when I had nothing?
"Professor?"
Xavier looks up, those piercing eyes focusing on me with that intensity that always makes me feel like she can see straight through me, telepathy or not.
"Yes, Jack?"
I step forward. "I just had a thought. I... I can heal myself, right? Pull injuries into my body and then regenerate?"
She nods slowly, curiosity dawning on her face.
"Well, I was wondering..." I take a deep breath. "Would you let me try to take away your injury? So you could walk again?"
The room goes so quiet I can hear the faint hum of the computer fan. She smiles at me, a warm, gentle curve of her lips that makes her eyes crinkle. "That's very thoughtful of you, Jack. But I'm not sure you'll be able to. My injury is quite old."
"I mean, worst case scenario, nothing happens, right?" I press, stepping closer.
Xavier studies me for a long moment, then nods. "If you're willing, I am too."
She wheels herself away from the desk, turning to face me directly. "Jubilee," she says, not taking her eyes off me, "would you stay behind him, please? In case he falls over."
Jubilee moves into position without a word, her hands hovering near my shoulders.
"Jack," Xavier adds, her voice taking on a gentler tone, "this could hurt a lot."
I shrug, feeling the confidence of an Ox. "It'll be fine."
I reach out my hand, gently placing it on Professor Xavier's shoulder. The fabric of her suit jacket feels cool under my palm as I close my eyes and concentrate. I try to picture her injury, visualize the damaged nerves and broken bones that keep her confined to that chair.
Nothing.
I furrow my brow and push harder, mentally reaching for that familiar sensation of pulling damage into myself. That weird feeling I get when I absorb someone else's injury just isn't happening. It's like trying to grip water.
"Come on," I mutter through gritted teeth, squeezing her shoulder a little tighter.
Still nothing. Not even a flicker of pain or that weird rush I usually get when my power kicks in. My stomach sinks as I open my eyes and look down at Xavier.
"It's not working," I say, dropping my hand to my side. "I can't feel anything to pull."
Professor Xavier looks up at me. "That's okay, Jack. Nothing gained, nothing lost."
"I'm sorry," I tell her, genuinely bummed that I couldn't help. "I really thought it might work."
"Don't apologize," she replies, reaching up to pat my hand. "The attempt alone means more than you know."
I step back, feeling Jubilee's hands steady me even though I don't need the support.
"You know, perhaps..."
The deep, thoughtful voice makes us all turn. Dr. McCoy stands in the doorway, her massive blue-furred frame filling the entrance. Her golden eyes narrow in concentration as she steps into the room, adjusting her glasses with one clawed finger.
"Perhaps what?" I ask, suddenly hopeful again.
Beast moves closer, her powerful frame surprisingly graceful as she kneels beside Xavier's wheelchair, examining her with a scientist's calculating gaze.
"Well, maybe if we surgically wounded Charlene," she muses, her voice taking on that clinical tone she gets when she's deep in thought. "Perhaps if we cut out the scar tissue, and maybe break up the spine a little more..." She looks up at me, those golden eyes intense. "Maybe then you could do it?"
My jaw drops. "You want to deliberately hurt her more?"
"Not hurt," Beast corrects, standing to her full impressive height. "Prepare. Your ability seems to work on fresh injuries, not old, healed ones. The professor's injury is decades old, scar tissue, calcification, the body's natural healing processes have already done their work."
Xavier's face remains neutral, but her fingers tap thoughtfully against the armrest of her wheelchair. "An interesting hypothesis, Harriet."
"It would be dangerous," Beast continues, her scientific enthusiasm growing. "But potentially revolutionary. If Jack could heal a spinal injury of this magnitude..."
"Sitting in the back corner this whole time, Gambit suddenly clears her throat. "Hold up, chérie," she drawls, those ruby-red eyes glinting as she leans forward in her chair. "I thought it was your legs that got crushed, Professor?"
I turn to look at Gambit, surprised to see her there. I hadn't even noticed her lounging in the shadows this whole time, shuffling a deck of cards between her nimble fingers.
Xavier sighs deeply, her hands folding neatly in her lap. "That was a different injury, Remi. An alien named Lucifer crushed my legs many years ago." Her eyes take on that distant look people get when they're remembering something painful. "But later, I ended up in a clone body. And then during my duel with the Shadow Queen, there was a blast of psychic energy so great it shattered pieces of my spine."
I look around the room to see if anyone else is as shocked as I am, but everyone's expressions remain neutral, like the Professor just mentioned she had a slight cold last winter.
"Jesus Christ, that's a lot," I finally manage, trying to wrap my head around aliens, clones, and psychic spine-shattering.
Xavier just nods, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "We've been through a lot as a team, Jack." Her eyes meet mine, filled with years of experiences I can barely imagine. "This is just another challenge."