Spar

______

We were in an underground sparring room. The walls were padded and cushioned. I was wearing a thin leather uniform with an X on the right side.

It was really comfortable, almost like a second layer of skin.

Moe and the rest of the X-Men were in the observation room above, watching us through a glass pane.

"Peter, you look so cool!" Moe spoke into the mic excitedly.

"Thanks." I gave him a thumbs up.

"Let's see if you're half as good as you think!" Wolverine said as he entered from the other side.

"Logan, go easy on him…" The professor took control of the mic, much to Moe's dismay.

"I won't hurt him too bad...I promise." Logan said with a nasty look.

"Remember if you're having second thoughts now's the time to speak up." Cyclops added.

I didn't bother to look at him, my eyes were completely on my opponent.

Cyclops started reading the rules,

"Alright then. The rules of the spar are as follows: The contest will be one-on-one. If any of the participants is knocked out, submitted, or otherwise unable to continue, the session will end.

We will be simulating a real-life fight scenario. So until one of the participants gives up the session will go on. This is not a boxing match or a sport, there will be no points or scores; anything goes. The winner takes all and standard rules are temporarily suspended….."

He paused for a second, turned to the professor and said something. The professor waved away his concerns.

Scott didn't look too convinced but spoke into the mic again,

"Okay…remember kid, if you don't want to continue you can tap on the floor or just yell out-"

"Quit stalling and start the damn thing already!" Logan was getting irritated.

"Okay...fine…the session will begin in one…two….three...Now!"

The siren signaled, and the room turned red for a second, then shifted back to white again.

"Finally!" Logan howled and dashed to where I was.

He was fast, blindingly fast compared to the mercenaries and the mutants. But when you compare them all to Theo, they all might as well move at a snail's pace.

When he got close to me, he lunged, positioning himself for a right jab midway through the jump.

I evaded him easily, my senses greatly helped me time his landing.

When he hit the ground, the floor almost cracked under his weight.

'Damn he's really coming for me, isn't he?'

'What…how?" He turned to see me a few paces away from him.

He got really pissed and tried to catch me again.

I moved out of the way at the last second so he couldn't change his direction in the air.

"QUIT jumping around!" He yelled out angrily,

"Heh...I could say the same about you."

This time he didn't jump, instead opting to run towards me.

I knew that no punches or damage that I did to him would last, and he would heal up pretty quickly. So that meant only one thing.

He didn't jump this time as he came close to me. He readied his right hand to take a wild swing at me. I prepared to duck when…

DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

'Oh wait a minute why did my senses just go off-'

Then I noticed that he had his other fist tucked away behind his back.

'Don't tell me…'

I pretended to get into a boxing stance with both of my hands covering my chin.

Logan was delighted when he saw me ready to finally start fighting, "What happened kid? Did you finally find your balls!"

He had a maniacal look on his face as he came closer. Almost giddy like a child.

He started moving his right hand, as if he were going to throw a punch.

I stepped in to receive it to counter his right, this made him smile with glee.

He stopped the punch midway and switched to his left hand, but it wasn't in my range, it didn't need to be.

His left hand, which was curled into a fist, released the sand he was holding, aiming directly at my eyes.

'Just as I thought!' I leaped back, anticipating the move.

He grunted when he realized I didn't fall for his dirty trick.

"That was dirty." I said loudly, my eyes were glued to the berserker.

I heard Cyclops say,

"Anything goes. Remember this is a sparring session simulating real life battles...there won't be any-"

"Enough talk!" Wolverine roared as he came for me,

He pursued me relentlessly, not letting me rest for a second.

"Are you going to keep running away brat? I thought you were the shit!" he taunted with each unsuccessful lunge.

'Lets see…ooh there's an opening.'

He let his guard down for a second and in that moment I stopped leaping back.

"What the-"

He was completely surprised by my change in tactics, he threw a half assed punch which I ducked right away.

I clocked him right in the jaw.

'Ah!' It hurt more than I expected. So that was adamantium...good to know.

"Not bad…[spits blood] kid." His lip was busted but it healed before I could even fully assess the damage.

'Yeah…I'm not beating him in a fist fight.'

No… I looked at our audience in the observation room. My eyes went to the professor, who was looking at me with careful consideration. Then it clicked. They don't expect me to beat him. No, what they cared about most was whether I could survive an encounter with one of their best fighters. So if I could just show them that, then they would let me join the rescue mission.

"Yoo-hoo, pay attention, sweetheart!" From what I could hear, he was extremely close to me. I didn't bother turning as I aimed my web shooter at the ceiling and swung to the top. Avoiding the flurry of punches headed my way.

I grabbed the ceiling with both of my hands and hung in the air. I had shoes on so I couldn't use my feet to stand on the ceiling.

"How in the hell did you get there?" Wolverine screamed from the ground.

'I don't think he could jump this high, [sigh] I can finally think for a few seconds.'

I tuned out his rambling and focused on a way to win the fight. Which would have been easier if this were outside, but in this white room I stuck out like a thumb. I worked best with camouflage and I had none here.

This was a bad place to fight for me and to make it worse my opponent was Wolverine.

He was something else. His insane healing factor paired with indestructible claws made him a son of a bitch to fight. Especially in close quarters, where he was free to be as reckless as he pleased.

I couldn't use my strength to knock him out without breaking my hand. His powers were pretty darn useful in combat. All he had to do was land a single well placed punch or god forbid cut me up with his claws.

My best bet would be to web up his feet and hands. Once he was immobilized, I could cocoon him with my webs. Sure, Adamantium was indestructible but if he couldn't generate any force, then it wouldn't matter!

I stopped thinking for a second and then looked down to see Wolverine.

'Wait a minute, where the hell is he?'

I looked everywhere on the ground and couldn't locate him. What the hell?

Where the hell did he go?

Snikt!

I heard the sound of something being ripped open. The cotton falling on the ground was the first thing that caught my attention. I followed the trail of ripped pads to its source. There he was, staring me down with a huge shit eating grin.

"Hey there darlin!" He jumped without hesitation, this time with even more power than he had on the ground.

'He was holding back-' I quickly realized.

My supersenses tingled.

He was halfway there already. I couldn't just drop to the floor, he would definitely catch me there and I didn't have enough time to react.

He smiled from ear to ear, happy that he finally caught me off guard.

That pissed me off.

So I didn't think anymore; instead, I let my instincts completely take over.

I removed my left hand from the ceiling and aimed my web shooter at his face.

I could barely make out his expression changing from a grin to nervous anticipation.

Before he could even fully realize what was happening. His face was completely covered with webs.

He yelled something but I couldn't make out what he said exactly. Instead, I vaulted myself so as to land on Wolverine's midsection in midair.

"Wh..t..te..fu..!!!" My webs muffled his angry curses. He tried clawing at his own face to escape, but I didn't let him. I held both of his hands apart, and the claws came out exactly as I separated his fists.

THUD

We hit the floor and I made sure to land on him extra hard.

I webbed both of his hands to the ground and then his legs, everything happened within seconds.

I made sure to completely exhaust my Spider-Web fluid.

Making sure to web his hands and not the claws, the adamantium would easily cut through it.

After ten seconds I had him completely covered in webs. Not leaving anything to chance, I even webbed his head, just in case he tried to chew through it with his teeth.

This is Wolverine we're talking about; I'd rather not take a chance.

I could still hear his muffled shouts, but it was futile, he couldn't break out but I kept a vigilant eye on him this time.

I wouldn't want him to scare the living crap out of me again!

"Is it over?" I yelled out.

Wolverine was still struggling, trying to free himself. He was going to suffocate to death if they didn't put an end to the spar.

"I said "IS IT OVER!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, still not taking my eyes off Wolverine. I was afraid that he would rip out the webs and kill me the second I turned away.

Suddenly he stopped struggling and went limp.

'Oh shit! Did he die?'

I finally turned to the observation room and yelled,

"Guys, seriously end the session, and he's going to die…."

I couldn't finish the sentence as I realized they were all in disbelief. They were completely shocked by my victory. Even the professor had his mouth open.

"Guys.." I said slowly..

"Huh...yeah...you win kid! Free him!" Cyclops said, still not completely believing his eyes.

I went over to where Wolverine was and ripped the webs off his face.

He lay there emotionless, I feared the worst but then,

"AHHhhh!" He roared with rage.

He had bloodshot eyes and spit out some of my webbing. I was right, the crazy monster actually tried to eat his way through the webbing.

'You fucker…I'll fucking kill you!!!" He yelled while trying to get up.

Probably the most intimidating sight I've seen in my life….okay maybe Magneto was a wee bit scarier.

"Look I won…okay...so…stop…doing....that? please..."

He let out a low growl.

'Oh shit…do I have to fight him again?'

"Enough. Logan, you lost the spar. No shame in that!" Charles Xavier entered the room in his hoverchair.

Logan grunted again but this time he rested his head on the floor, admitting defeat.

'Damn that looks so cool... I wonder if he'll let me ride it if I ask him politely.'

"Hrnn!" Logan was still salty at the result.

"That was insane!" Jean and the rest of them entered the practice room.

Cyclops fiddled with his visor, probably to adjust the intensity of the laser.

Zzzzzttt

A small beam started firing out of his eyes, freeing Logan from the webs, one limb at a time.

"These webs are pretty damn strong." Cyclops observed as it was taking him more time than expected,

"They're a pain in the ass, that's what they are!" Logan said angrily.

"I see you have some kind of gadget for those webs…did you invent that?" The red haired woman asked me.

"I did tell you I'm pretty smart." I say with a grin.

Logan let out a small grunt again.

"Very impressive Peter! I didn't think you would win against Logan." Storm congratulated me.

Moe patted my back and said, "Never doubted you for a moment, kid."

He was munching on a chocolate doughnut with his other hand.

"When did you get that…you know what, forget I asked." I didn't want to waste anymore time.

"Professor…"

He turned to me but said nothing to me, he still looked conflicted about involving me.

Wolverine got up from the floor, finally free from the webs. He got up, rotated both of his shoulders and cracked his neck. He proceeded to say,

"Chuck…you better bring the kid, he might have a mouth but he's good….real good!"

"Yeah, I think we saw that when he whooped your ass!" Cyclops spoke quickly before the professor could reply.

"Hrnn!!" Logan showed his teeth like a feral animal and growled at Scott.

It looked like a fight was about to break out but then Storm brought the topic back,

"The main thing is he won. Professor, I think he is fit for a mission, despite his age he has proven he can handle himself in the field."

I was surprised that she would vouch for me.

She winked at me when she saw my surprised face.

"Yes...I think so too!" Scott agreed with his colleague's assessment.

"Yup...Peter performed way better than I ever could." Jean agreed enthusiastically.

'Yeah...sure...me, more powerful than the Phoenix herself! You've got to be kidding me.'

Still couldn't believe that the kind, bubbly woman before me would end up becoming one of the most powerful entities ever known to Marvel.

Moe was the only person I knew who could rival her.

"That's because you're a non-combatant, Jean. Your support skills are more valuable!" Scott tried to reassure his girlfriend.

"Yeah that's right Jeanie! Don't put yourself down too bad." It was Wolverine's turn to be a simp.

"Hey! How many times do I have to tell you not to call her that!" Scott exploded with anger, getting right in Wolverine's face. He was braver than most men.

"Oh yeah...what are you going to do about it, glasses?"

"Guys stop!" Jean tried to calm them both.

'God I don't have the time for this.'

"SO.." I said loudly, attracting everyone's attention. I continued,

"Professor…can I join your team's mission?"

He looked at me and said, "I don't want to put children in danger…that's not why I created this institute-"

"Chuck-" Wolverine cut him off.

But he, in turn was interrupted back by the professor.

"I know…I know...he can take care of himself and I gave him my word that he would have a fair chance and I plan to keep my word!"

I was glad that he would finally allow me to join his team.

"My feelings are irrelevant to the matter, you have proven yourself Peter. I shall grant you access to all information we have about Magneto. We also would appreciate your gracious help if you want to accompany the team for the rescue mission."

Everyone looked at me with a giant smile. Even Logan had a small smile, which he tried to bury under his frown.

"It would be my honor, Professor!"

_________________________________________________________________________

POV - Theodore Wellspring

Thirst and hunger.

Two old companions of his previous life. In his previous life, it wasn't a strange occurrence to go without eating for entire days.

Ever since he was born into this world however that was not the case. He had never experienced the unfortunate reality of poverty. He had access to all kinds of foods and refreshments.

Perhaps he took those privileges for granted. He was now in the same situation as in his previous life.

Hungry and thirsty.

"Please...feed...me...something." He pleaded with the gigantic man for what felt like the 100th time.

The man, as usual didn't respond, he had a cold look of indifference.

"…water?" He tried his luck once again but was only met with silence again.

The seconds passed and time marched on. He didn't know if it was night or day.

At some point his stomach stopped growling and his body stopped hurting. He was becoming numb.

He slept at random intervals but they would always make sure he woke up after two hours of sleep.

'They wouldn't want me to die before they use me to get rid of humanity.'

His mind had given up on any attempts to escape by this point. Even if he were free from the construct, he doubted he could have the energy to walk anymore, let alone run.

Still, there was a small part of him that believed and held out hope.

That, the superheroes he saw on TV from his previous life, or maybe the police or someone his family hired to investigate his disappearance. Someone has to find him before it's too late.

He had just started his life, everything was going so well. He loved his family and his girlfriend, and he made a new friend in Peter.

Everything was going so well until these people attacked his school.

"My turn to babysit him...You can go now Sabretooth." It was the guy from before…Pyro.

It seemed that it was finally his turn to watch him again. He was carrying something with him, a plastic bag…maybe it had some food.

The huge man left the room quietly.

"So...it's just us both again." He said with a smile.

He sat down on the ground, grabbed the bag and went through its contents. Pyro took out a sandwich and started eating it.

He wanted to speak up but his throat was too dry.

"Mmmh…man I love these chicken sandwiches!"

The delicious smell of the sandwich was driving him crazy. Pyro then grabbed a nearby plastic cup and drank it.

SLURP SLURP SLURP

"Ah...nothing like some strawberry milkshake to quench the thirst!" Pyro said out loud again.

If he had the energy he would have gritted his teeth; instead, he simply closed his eyes.

His mind Imagine how it felt to eat the sandwich. His consciousness was fading out.

"Oh, what's the matter…you want something to eat?" Pyro remarked sarcastically.

He knew that he was taunting him. He knew that he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up but when he heard the word 'eat' his brain stopped thinking.

He nodded weakly, "pl..ea..se"

"Oh you poor thing…here you go…" He walked up to him and raised the sandwich really close to his mouth.

It was so close, yet so far away! He could almost taste the chicken. His eyes feasted on the food before his lips could even touch the bread, his mind imagining how good it would taste. He got closer, to bite the piece of bread when-

SMACK

Pyro smacked him clean, he was too preoccupied looking at the sandwich.

"That's what you get for trying to manipulate me!"

He went back to where he was before and focused on finishing his meal.

Unbeknownst to Pyro, something had changed within Theo. He wasn't hungry anymore. The humiliation had ended his hunger and thirst. The only thing he wanted right now was to kill the man in front of him.

He didn't care about surviving anymore. He truly let go of the possibility. His life was over.

The only thing that mattered is killing them all.

'I'll dedicate what's left of my life…to destroy you and your brotherhood!' He swore to himself.

"Oh what's the matter Theo, want some milkshake? I know you're thirsty!" Pyro caught him staring at him again.

This time though, he cleared his dry throat and answered clearly,

"No I'm good."

It hurt to speak but he didn't show it, his enemies don't get to enjoy his suffering anymore.

Pyro looked confused for a second and then shrugged, "I would have given it to you had you said yes. For real this time!" He said with his eyes closed.

"No thank you." He replied to the man, not bothered by his taunts anymore.

Pyro didn't say anything back to him. But he could tell Pyro was frustrated by the way the corner of his lips lowered.

"Your loss." He shrugged and threw the plastic cup right in front of him. There was still a little bit of it left in the cup.

He looked back to Pyro, who had a cruel smile on his face.

'I see the game you're playing!'

He ignored him by closing his eyes and going back to sleep.

He could hear a "Tch" from Pyro. Guess his lackadaisical attitude infuriated his captor.

'I'm going to enjoy killing them all.' He vowed to himself once more.

_____________________________________________________________________________

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