C177 Caught

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In the infirmary, Mikaela stirred on the medical bed, her eyelids fluttering as she slowly regained consciousness. She could hear faint voices around her, but everything was hazy and unclear, like a fog that was slowly lifting.

"…mutant…"

The word cut through the haze like a knife, sending a jolt of confusion and fear through Mikaela's mind. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling, the harsh fluorescent lights making her squint.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Hank McCoy, who stood at the foot of her bed. His blue-furred, animalistic appearance was startling, to say the least.

"?!" Her eyes widened slightly.

Hank spoke quietly with Peter and Professor Xavier. "…definitely a mutant," Hank was saying, his voice steady but filled with a clinical certainty. "Her abilities are a mystery, for now, but the neural pathways, energy signatures, and blood tests are unmistakable."

"W-What…" She stammered, drawing everyone's attention.

Mutant.

The word reverberated in Mikaela's mind, bringing a surge of panic with it. She wasn't a mutant! She was just... normal, wasn't she?

"I can't be a mutant, right?" she thought, but then she remembered the phone—the strange sensation—and how she suddenly understood everything about her old house phone, even how to upgrade it far beyond its current form.

As the realization began to set in, she couldn't help but remember the countless news stories from the past few years. A sense of dread settled over her; mutants weren't exactly welcomed these days, to put it mildly. If she truly was a mutant, then…

Her breath hitched as she realized the truth, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She wasn't normal. She wasn't human. At least not anymore.

She was a real-life mutant…

"No… no, no, no!" Mikaela muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as her mind raced. Her heart pounded in her chest, panic rising like a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm her. Her vision blurred, and she could feel a strange sensation building up inside her, like a pressure that was about to burst.

Peter, noticing the change in her breathing and the look of fear on her face, turned quickly. "Mikaela?" he called softly, stepping closer. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe."

But Mikaela was beyond hearing him. The shock of discovering she was a mutant, combined with the realization that this was probably not a good thing, overwhelmed her—not because she despised mutants or found the idea of having superpowers unappealing, but because the world seemed to hate them.

What would she do when the whole world turned against her? And worst of all, would Peter turn against her too?

The thought scared her more than she would ever dare to admit…

Panic overwhelmed her, and suddenly, a surge of energy erupted from her body, sending a wave of light outward.

*BOOM!*

The explosion of energy was instantaneous, a fiery burst that radiated from Mikaela's body like a shockwave. Medical equipment around the room sparked and exploded as the energy passed over them, unable to withstand the strange force that seemed to reject anything that wasn't purely mechanical.

Peter instinctively shielded them from the blast, holding his hand up to block it with a well-timed force push.

When the smoke began to clear, Peter's eyes widened as he took in the damage. The once sterile and orderly infirmary was now a chaotic mess of shattered equipment and smoldering debris. The machines, all with their components burnt or blown apart, littered the floor in a chaotic mess.

Mikaela's eyes darted around the room, panic evident in her expression. "I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I didn't—" Her voice was choked with fear and confusion, her breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps as she realized what she'd done.

Peter moved quickly to her side, sat down and gently pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping around her in a comforting embrace. "It's okay. It's not your fault," he said softly, his voice calm and reassuring. "None of this is your fault."

She clung to him, her body trembling with the aftershocks of her panic. "But I… I did that," she whispered, her voice small and filled with guilt. "I destroyed all of it…"

Peter shook his head, holding her closer. "We'll buy new equipment," he said with a reassuring smile. "What matters right now is that you're okay. We can replace the equipment, but we can't replace you."

Mikaela looked up at him, her eyes wide and filled with uncertainty. "Are you sure? Are you sure I didn't hurt anyone?"

Peter nodded firmly. "I'm sure. Everyone's fine. Just take a deep breath and try to relax. It seems like your powers are being triggered by your intense emotions. Try to take a few deep breaths and calm down."

Slowly, Mikaela began to reign control over herself, her breathing steadying as she took comfort in Peter's words and the warmth of his embrace. The fear and panic that had gripped her moments ago began to ebb away, replaced by a tentative sense of reassurance.

"We'll give you two some time alone…" Xavier said as he, Hank, and the rest of the staff made their way out of the room.

Peter continued to hold her, feeling her body gradually relax in his arms. He knew there was a lot to figure out, a lot of questions that needed answering, but for now, he was just grateful that she was okay.

As the room emptied, leaving only him and Mikaela behind, Peter made a mental note to talk to Xavier later about how best to help Mikaela adjust to her newfound abilities. 'Maybe I should enroll her in his school?' He thought.

But for now, he was just going to help calm her down…

…

Mikaela sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling over the side, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap. She still felt shaken from the surge of energy that had erupted from her moments ago, but Peter's calming presence beside her was a comforting anchor in the storm of emotions raging inside her.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her thoughts were a chaotic mess. "Peter… I'm scared," Mikaela finally whispered, her voice trembling. "What if… what if everyone at school turns against me because I'm a mutant? You've seen the news—they don't exactly show people like me in a good light. I don't want to be hated..."

She paused for a moment before glancing up at Peter, her eyes brimming with tears as she hesitantly asked, "Y-You don't hate me, do you?"

Peter's expression softened, "Of course not." He smiled reassuringly.

He understood where she was coming from; the world wasn't kind to those who were different, and mutants were often misunderstood and feared. However, he was also aware of the Jedi's efforts to support Professor Xavier and Magneto in changing these perceptions, to show the world that mutants were simply people, like everyone else.

He reached out, taking her hands in his, his touch gentle and reassuring. "Mikaela, I know it's scary right now. The world can be a pretty messed-up place, and people fear what they don't understand. But you're not alone in this. Mutants are just people, with all the same hopes, dreams, and fears as anyone else. And I believe that, with time, the world will come to see that too."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "But what if they don't? What if… what if I lose everyone?"

Peter gave her hands a reassuring squeeze, his gaze steady and full of determination. "Then I'll protect you," he said firmly. "No matter what happens, you won't have to face this alone. I promise. We'll figure this out together. And until the world understands, you can stay by my side, okay? You have nothing to worry about."

Mikaela felt a wave of warmth wash over her at his words, a small, tentative smile forming on her lips. "Thank you, Peter," she whispered, her voice filled with gratitude. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Peter smiled back at her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "Well, lucky for you, you won't have to find out." He glanced around the room, noticing her looking around with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "I guess you're wondering where we are, huh?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes still wide with uncertainty. "Yeah… this place… it doesn't look like a hospital. Where are we?"

Peter grinned, his expression mischievous. "Welcome to the Red Room," he said, his voice filled with a playful pride. "It's my base of operations."

Mikaela's eyes widened in surprise, and she was about to ask more when Peter suddenly scooped her up from the bed. She let out a startled yelp, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. "Peter!" she exclaimed, her heart racing. "What are you doing?"

Peter chuckled as he carried her over to the nearest window, where she could see nothing but open sky and clouds stretching out as far as the eye could see. Her eyes widened in astonishment. "Are we… are we in the sky?" she asked, her voice filled with awe.

Peter nodded, his grin widening. "Yep! The Red Room is a floating base, high above the ground. Pretty cool, huh?"

Mikaela stared out at the vast expanse of sky, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing. "How… how did I get here?" she asked, her voice still tinged with amazement. "The last thing I remember is passing out during our phone call while I was at home."

Peter's expression turned sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that… I kind of rushed over and brought you here for treatment. Might have scared the workers at your house and some of your neighbors too."

Mikaela's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Scared them? Why?"

Peter hesitated for a moment before admitting, "I may or may not have picked you up in a spaceship… and they may have misinterpreted my actions as, well, kidnapping you."

Mikaela blinked, completely forgetting her initial fear. "Wait… you have a spaceship?!" she asked, her voice filled with incredulous excitement.

Peter smirked, clearly amused by her reaction. "Yeah, I do. Wanna see it?"

…

Peter led Mikaela through a series of corridors in the Red Room, each one more intriguing than the last. At least for her.

The excitement in Mikaela's eyes was unmistakable; she had never seen anything like this before. The two finally arrived at a large hangar bay, its doors sliding open with a soft hiss to reveal a vast space filled with various spacecraft.

Mikaela's jaw dropped as she stepped inside, her eyes wide with awe. Sleek starships of different shapes and sizes were lined up neatly, their hulls glinting under the bright hangar lights. Some were small and nimble-looking, while others were larger and more imposing, designed for heavy combat or long-distance travel.

"Whoa…" she whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "I've never seen anything like this… It's incredible!"

Peter smiled, pleased with her reaction. "Yeah, the Jedi have quite the fleet. These are just a few of their ships, each one designed for a different purpose. That one over there," he pointed to a sleek, silver vessel, "is mine. It used to belong to a famous bounty hunter named Cad Bane."

Mikaela's eyes sparkled with excitement as she took in the sight of the ship, its design both elegant and formidable. She moved closer, examining the ship's intricate details with fascination. "This is amazing, Peter… I can't believe you have a spaceship—" She paused, her eyes scanning him up and down as if something had just clicked. "Wait, are you an alien? I mean, you don't look like one…"

Peter chuckled, "No, I'm not."

Mikaela seemed confused, asking, "Then how do you have—"

She was about to ask something when, suddenly, a voice called out from across the hangar. "Peter!" The voice was sharp and bright, causing both he and Mikaela to turn to see Natasha Romanoff approaching them.

But as Natasha drew closer and caught sight of Mikaela standing beside Peter, something shifted in her demeanor. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a strange, almost foreign expression crossing her face—a mix of confusion, curiosity, and something else. Something like… jealousy.

Natasha's gaze flickered between Peter and Mikaela, her eyes lingering a moment longer on Mikaela. She was a beautiful woman, there was no denying that. And something about the way she was standing so close to Peter, her arm casually draped around his, sent a spark of irritation through Natasha.

"Who's this?" Natasha asked, her tone calm but with an underlying edge to it, her eyes never leaving Mikaela.

Peter, doing his best to ignore the growing tension between the two women, smiled and introduced them. "Natasha, this is Mikaela. Mikaela, this is Natasha."

Mikaela gave a polite nod, but her eyes were wary as she sized up Natasha. She could feel the intensity of Natasha's gaze, the unspoken challenge in her eyes. She recognized that look; it was the look of someone who was protective, maybe even possessive, of Peter.

A rival?

For the first time in her life, Mikaela felt a surge of something she had never felt before—a fierce, possessive instinct. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt an intense need to stake her claim, to show Natasha that she wasn't going anywhere.

Almost instinctively, Mikaela moved closer to Peter, wrapping her arms around his arm a little tighter, her chin lifting slightly as she met Natasha's gaze head-on.

Natasha's eyes narrowed further, a dangerous glint appearing in them. She could see what Mikaela was doing, and it didn't sit well with her at all. Her hand twitched, moving instinctively toward the knife on her belt. She could feel the weight of it against her side, her fingers itching to pull it out, to put this girl in her place.

Peter, meanwhile, stood between them, sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere. He could see the tension between the two women, the silent battle of wills playing out before him. He realized, perhaps a little too late, that bringing Mikaela here might not have been the best idea.

A/N: 2423 words :)

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