Tales of a Young Mutant

Chapter 4-Dr. McCoy

I wake up the next morning, Saturday, at about 7:00 am. I was kind of nervous, yet excited. Today would be the day that I found out exactly what my mutant powers were. I already knew I was telekinetic and telepathic, plus that my body healed it's own wounds, and that I could make claws pop out of my fists. And that I could tell what others were thinking. But I wondered if I had any other powers, and how strong could the powers that I already had become.

I got on a robe, then got some clothes and went to the boy's bathroom down the hall, where I took a shower. I was getting out the shower, when Logan came in, fully nude. I was somewhat embarrassed that he had indeed caught me nude, but then I also aroused by catching him nude too. His hairy, muscular body also looked sweaty. He must have had more bad dreams last night. I thought, then hurriedly got dressed with the jeans and blue shirt I brought with me, before he smelled my arousal again, and left before I got the chance to stare at him in the shower. I came out the door to bump into Orroro.

"Mom! Sorry!" I say, trying to make sure I hadn't hit her with the door or anything.

"That's okay. Actually, I came looking for you. Professor Xavier told me to tell you that Henry will be here in a half hour. I was going to tell you to shower and get dressed, but I see that you already took the liberty of doing that." she says.

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm just also super-efficient, too." I say. We both laugh, then Storm looks at me a weird way, then looks closer at my eyes. "What? What's wrong."

"Your eyes! They're blue like mine!" she says. "Wow. Something else we've got in common."

"Yeah. That's weird. They were brown until today." I answer.

"Well, Henry will be here soon to examine you fully." she says. "In the meantime, how does breakfast sound?"

"Breakfast sounds yummy!" I answer.

"And you'll never guess what's for breakfast." she says. The both of us say "Pancakes!" and laugh as we head for he kitchen.**

At kitchen, me, Orroro, and Scott talk about this and that, you know, making small talk, and then Scott reverts to telling me about the training I'll have to go through to be an X-man. I have to train with them in the danger room, a room that, as Scott says, "simulates real-life mission situations." Mom just tells me that I'll see what it is when I have to use it. Scott tells me I'll also have to do some standard exercise first, some weight training, running and such, to get me in shape. That will probably be for only a couple of days, though. I also have to come up with a code name, for field purposes. Now I discover that his is Cyclops, and to show why, he changes from his shades to a visor, which help him control his powers in battle. However, it does make him look like he has one-eye, like a Cyclops. He says I'll also have to have a personal trainer, someone to teach me fighting skills, and that I'll have to go through survival training too.

"To help you with that will be Logan." he says while I have a mouthful of orange juice, which I wind up choking on when I try to swallow it.

"Is everything all right?" asks Jean as she comes to the table.

"No, everything's fine." is what I say. But my mind says something else. No, everything's not all right! I'm going to be training alongside a hot, muscular, sexy stud for a while it seems, who is rumored to be somewhat against gay guys, and I am a gay guy, which wouldn't be a problem for me to hide, except I get a hard-on every time I see him, let alone him being shirtless or sweaty, or shirtless and sweaty near me. And then he can smell when someone is turned on! I mean smell it! I'm dead. I'm so dead. He's going to find out that I'm gay, and then he's gonna stab me over and over again, and when it keeps healing back, he'll slice me up into eensy weensy teeny weenie pieces!

<Don't fret over it!> Jean sends into my head, <Everything will be okay. He's not going to cut you up into little pieces, or anything like that. Just be calm, and don't think about it, and concentrate when you're in training.>

<Easy for you to say! You don't get turned on every time you see him, do you?> I send back.

<Of course not!> she snaps.

<Jean, that sounded like you're trying to deny something that's really true. I don't blame you if you find him attractive. Considering I do too.>

<Well, I do find that muscular body and hair of his attractive. But still, I'm happily married, and nothing will change that.> she says.

<Yeah, I know.> I sigh, looking at Scott.

<You're not going to try and steal my man, are you?>

<No, no, no, you two are a very happy couple, I`ve been told that by the both of you. I won't try and get between what's already meant to be.> I say.

"Are you two done yet?" Scott asks.

"Huh, oh sorry." I say. "We were just talking about stuff."

"Ms. Munroe!" says a blue furred, thin guy who appears out of nowhere.

"Aaaaaaah!" I scream, then bolt for the door. Somehow the door slams in my face. I get ready to slice it open, but Jean yells, "Wait!"

I turn back to her and Scott and Mom and the blue guy. He's actually more of a person, just covered in blue fur. I calm down, realizing that he's obviously not a monster, just another one of us mutants, who was probably born looking completely different.

"Joshua, this is Kurt Wagner. Also known as Nightcrawler. His powers are superhuman agility, limited invisibility in shadows, and, as you've just witnessed, teleportation." Mom says.

I hold out my hand for shaking, as I have read his thoughts and, sure enough, he teleports in front of me and receives my handshake.

"Sorry for screaming." I say. "You just startled me when you teleported the first time."

"I understand." answered Kurt.

"What was it that you had to say, Kurt?" asks Mom.

"Oh yeah, Dr. McCoy is here!" he says.

Just like when I first saw Kurt, my first thought was to run. He looked more like a demon or monster than Kurt did. But in truth, looking past that fur, he was kind of attractive. He was 5'11', and like seemingly all of the male X-men, visibly muscular and attractive. Even under the lab coat.

We had been introduced and then we talked about stuff for a while. Like what some of my dreams were, and I said that I had wanted to become a doctor. Or a writer. Hank said that he was a lover of literature, and we talked about some of the books we liked. Then we got down to business. He performed a bunch of tests on me, blood drawing, and scanning and stuff, and then I finally got the results.

"Wow. Mr. Munroe, You have vast potential. There's a long list of things. Aside from the reflexive healing factor, you also should be able to heal other people too, mentally, but it will probably take skin to skin touch. You also have telepathy, telekinesis, and empathy, as you know. Those claws of energy as you called them are most likely of psionic energy, you could, in fact, call them psi-claws. Those things can cut through anything except adamantium and probably the Blob and Juggernaut's skin.

"Your powers all have the potential to be very very very strong. You could lift a hundred 18-wheelers at the same time, all filled to maximum capacity with gold bricks, or use tk-bolts that could destroy a planet, or kill 1,000,000s of people telepathically with psi-bolts. Being able to kill many people by just paining them to death. But Jean and the Professor will tell you more about that later."

This left me something to think about. I have so much power, it's incredible. It's a good thing the X-men found me before someone evil came along. Or the world would be in serious trouble.

"You also have some psychic abilities," he continues, "but those will only come for you as premonitions and like a sixth sense that there's danger. Not all of your powers will come at once, though, and I think you need to take your power development one step at a time. As Xavier and Phoenix know, telekinesis is much easier to develop and control than the rest of the powers you have, so you'll be working with that first. He'll most likely only block out your ability to control the weather, though. That's a power that you definitely need to be in control of your emotions for, and you have too much going now to use them."

"Okay. I understand." I reply. Then I think back to that dream that had been bothering me. "Um, Mr. McCoy--"

"Please, Mr. Munroe, my friends call me Hank, and I can tell that we have made friends, so I'd appreciate if you'd call me Hank, too." he says.

"Hank. There's this dream I've been having for the past week, since my adoptive parent's death." I pause, then he tells me to continue. " It's like I'm seeing it happen. But the worst part of it is I try to do something to stop it, but I can't. The strange thing is that it really started when I was standing there looking at them dead."

"Mr. Munroe--"

"Hank, if I'm going to call you Hank, you're going to have to call me Joshua, or Josh."

"Josh, then, I think you actually saw into the past when you were standing there. It's one part of having psychic powers. I'm sorry you had to actually see that happen. But now that your powers seem to be developing, and when you go through training with Xavier, you should actually be able to control those powers." he says, then looks at his watch. "Well, would you look at that. It's noon already. Lunchtime for everyone at the school." Sure enough the school's lunch bell rang, and the stomping of footsteps could be heard from all over the place.

"Well, thanks for the examination, Hank." I say.

"You're quite welcome." he answers. Then we walk and talk as we make our way to the cafeteria. "By the way," says Hank, "I noticed the way you were eyeing me." he says. I immediately start turning red. "Don't worry, I don't care that you're gay. And I must say that I am flattered that you find me attractive. Most people just think of me as a big blue monster."

"Nonsense!" I say, "you're really a sensitive, intelligent man, who is also a hairy hunk." Realizing that I said the last part and didn't just think it, I again go red.

"Well, as I said, I am flattered." he responds, then we go to the cafeteria.

In the cafeteria, I spot Kurt, Bobby, Evan, and a girl sitting at a table. Evan waves to me, and I wave as I join them.

"Joshua, this is Jubilee." says Bobby, indicating the girl.

"Hi." she says, holding out her hand. I extend mine. A weird feeling washes over me. Attraction. Uh-oh. she's just met me and already she has a crush on me.

We're eating our food, burgers and fries today, and Jubilee asks me how I like the school so far.

"It's really cool here. I actually feel like I found a place where I belong." I answer. "Besides, my family's here, too."

"Yeah, I knew you'd find it cool here." says Evan.

"You're saying that now, wait till you start your training." says Bobby.

"Training? Oh, you're going to be joining us in the X-men?" asks Jubilee.

"Yeah. I'm supposed to go through abilities training with Jean, and through survival and fitness training with Logan." I answer.

"Are you serious?" asks Evan, "You're training with Logan?"

"Come on, Logan isn't all that bad. He's really cool once you get to know him." says Jubilee.

"You only say that because you have a crush on him, Jubilee." says Kurt.

"Do not!" says Jubilee, "I just know him well, that's all. Considering how many times I've fought in battle with the X-men."

"Aww, c'mon. Joshua does too." says Bobby. "Right?"

"Yeah, well you have to admit he is kind of a hunk, huh." Jubilee says to me. Obviously they've already told her that I was gay.

"Sure, he is, kinda." I answer.

"Who's kinda what?" asks a voice behind me. I almost jump out of my seat. I turn to see the owner of the voice, who had spoken in a Cajun accent. He's really handsome, and has that ladies man look about him. He's got long, reddish brown hair, done up in a ponytail, and these weird eyes, with red irises, and the area that's supposed to be white is black. He has a leaner, more slender body than most of the male X-men, but the weight he does have is still impressively muscled.

"Joshua, this is Remy Lebeau, A.K.A. Gambit." says Kurt. "And it doesn't concern you Gambit. So go away."

"What? A Cajun can't even ask wha's goin' on?" says Gambit.

"Gambit!" says a female voice behind him, with a country accent. "Can't you see them churren are tryinna eat?"

"Aww Rogue, c'mon now cher, I'm only pickin'." says Gambit. I realize he's the other one that is very opinionated, so I was glad that the attractive lady with the brown eyes and brown hair with white streaks named Rogue, wearing completely non-concealing clothing, saved me.

Don't worry. she thinks to me, Jean and Scott told me about you and to definitely keep Remy away from ya.

<Thanks.> I send back.

No problem. replies as she walks away, pulling Gambit by the ear. It seems to be really be hurting him.

"Guys what are their powers?" I ask.

Jubilee answers, "Well, Gambit is somewhat empathic. He has this `charm' power that he uses to pick up women sometimes. It doesn't seem to work on Rouge, though. His main power is that he can charge up objects with kinetic energy and cause them to explode. HI main weapon in battle are playing cards. They are the easiest things to charge and easy to carry around. He also has an extendable metal staff.

"Rouge has the mutant ability to absorb other people's minds and physical abilities for a limited time, and knock them out, depending on how long she touches them. In the case of a mutant, she borrows their power. She has permanently absorbed from Ms. Marvel her abilities to fly and of super-strength."

"Joshua?" says Logan's gruff voice, "The professor wants us to go into conditioning now."

Good luck. says Jubilee.

Nice knowing ya. says Bobby.

<See ya later guys.> I say, then leave for -gulp- my first training period with Logan.

Send me your questions and comments to me, Jeremi, at jas931@hotmail.com.