18

Tony came round very suddenly. It was as if someone had flicked a switch, and consciousness returned with a jerk. "Most likely," he thought, "my body was regenerating, and that's the reason I woke up on an unfamiliar couch. Opening his eyes and nearly hissing from the bright light of the LED white lamps, Stark saw a ceiling of metal slabs with minimal joints. Definitely not his lab, garage, or any other room he knew. And definitely not an ordinary hospital room. SHIELD? The infamous X-Men? Or someone else? It wasn't clear yet. Squinting his eyes, he saw IVs hooked up to his arms and a cardiograph. Well, at least they're not trying to kill him, and that's good. Three walls of the small nine-square-metre room were empty; one had a full-length, full-height mirror, most likely a one-way mirror for observation. There was also a vanity unit, a washbasin, an open shower room with a screen and two security cameras.

- You're thinking too loudly, Mr Stark," came a voice in Tony's head so suddenly that he nearly fell off the couch.

Strengthening the mental barriers did nothing, the voice continued. It was as if the unknown man didn't even notice it.

- Interesting technique. I'm increasingly eager to get inside your mind and learn your secrets. But I'm too polite and old for that.

'For this shit,' Tony thought, and it was as if an aged laugh sounded from afar.

- 'You could say that. Don't worry. I've only established a mental link, and your thoughts are yours.

Despite his convictions, Tony didn't really believe them. And now he guessed why Pierce had been careful not to use legilimenship. He realised that a man's thoughts were more intimate than the sight of his genitals, and reading them was akin to rape.

- Can we talk in person? I don't like extra voices; I have enough of my own.

Stark was growing less and less fond of the mutants. One of them had stabbed him with blades, fried him with lightning, and pulled all the adamantium out of his body. But at least he's doing something for the cause because Tony attacked him first. The other one sees nothing wrong with climbing on people's heads. And given the piece of erased memory he's recovered, there's nothing wrong with erasing memories, either. You can justify doing it for the greater good, but that makes you a hypocrite. The nasty thing here is that Tony, as a mage, could handle almost any mutant... Five hundred years from now. Mutants get all the same things almost immediately; the same Xavier has powers beyond the reach of even the strongest mentalist archmages! And he reached this level not now but thirty years ago! But instead, the mutants' powers are narrowly focused.

- Yes, of course, I'll send my student right away, - the voice this time sounded from the speaker on the ceiling.

But no one said it wasn't a trick, and he wasn't actually drooling out of his arse right now while in a mental illusion. Tony was a realist, though, and always took even delusion as reality. So Stark stood up. It turned out he was completely naked, took the IVs out of his arms, the electrodes off his chest, and dressed in clothes next to him on the bedside table, obviously left for him. It consisted of sizeless grey trousers and the same shirt with a detachable flap at the butt. By the bed, he spotted some disposable slippers. As he was pulling them on his foot, she walked in... What the hell is this?!

A conspiracy? All redheads! Yes, it was a long-haired girl with hair so red that it was unlike anything else in nature. Her eyebrows were also red. It was as if she had been dyed to the roots. And the girl's beauty was unnatural. No, not as if from under the hands of the greatest plastic surgeon, but as if nature decided to show perfect, without flaws, beauty. And looking at the girl... It was unpleasant. It's similar to the uncanny valley effect when someone looks very much like a person but not quite a person. It evokes feelings like fear and disgust mixed with admiration and awe, for one cannot be perfect.

- I see you've seen my true face," the girl said with a snicker. - Usually, I suggest a different appearance to people, but your mental block rejects such a light influence. If you wish...

- No, it's just that your face is... unfamiliar.

- Angelically alien," the girl hummed as if repeating someone else's words, and only then did Tony see her fully.

She was wearing a long, beige-coloured sweatshirt and blue jeans. Her jewellery was a small silver locket with an emerald on her chest and small earrings in her ears, also with emeralds.

- Very often, I have had the urge to have plastic surgery.

- I won't lie to you that it would prevent you from having it," the billionaire answered honestly. - My name is Stark, Tony Stark.

- It's hard to find a man who doesn't know you, Mr Stark. My name is Jean Grey. I'm Professor Xavier's student," the girl laughed. - And I like honest people. I'm a telepath; even without direct mind-reading, I can sense lies in my gut. And ninety-nine per cent of people lie. Directly, indirectly, understatement, understatement, exaggeration.

- And the remaining one per cent lie that doesn't lie? - Tony asked.

- And the remaining one per cent don't hide the fact that they lie, and I like that one the best," Jean clarified. - Follow me and try not to be surprised. Our school is made up of children who are gifted but extremely vulnerable. They've been through a lot.

- Have you, too? - Stark asked, following the girl, who soared five centimetres above the floor.

When Tony left the room, he wasn't surprised to see a whole medical box with many vials, microscopes, ultrasounds... They even had an MRI, which only some hospitals could afford.

- If this is too personal a question...

- If you were a normal person, I might take offence. But as it turns out, you're a mutant, too. Or not really? To be honest, Hank has a better grasp of biology in general and X genes in particular, as does the teacher... Professor Xavier. But from what I understand, until yesterday, you didn't have the X gene, but you weren't human.

- This just gets weirder and weirder.

They stepped out into a steel-panelled corridor and then up a flight of stairs into a hallway in a completely different, Victorian style. Futuristic doors and steel panelling were replaced by oak panelling, paintings, floor lamps, statues, silk wallpaper and wooden doors.

A girl of about sixteen ran out of the wall, greeted his guide confusedly, and ran through the second wall. From around the corner came a two-metre tall guy with the face of a teenager, as if composed entirely of liquid metal, and carrying two boys of about seven years old, one of whom changed skin colour like a chameleon.

- Now I see why you asked me not to be surprised.

- Alice in Wonderland? My favourite book," Gina replied, nodding at the steel boy's greeting.

- Did you want to be Alice?

- More like a rabbit. I always wanted to go with the flow and be led. I'd rather introduce children to the world of wonder myself. Besides, children's thoughts are usually guilt-free, and their whims and "sins" are laughable. The thoughts of adults are much dirtier, and they often realise it themselves, but that doesn't make me feel any better.

- You could just not read them.

- Could you just not breathe? - Jean asked, turning round sharply, causing Tony to slam into the girl.

- Not for long.

- I can't read minds, either... Not for long. Thanks to your barrier, though, I can't hear your thoughts as you stare at my arse, like most men.

- Would you like me to stare or not?

- Which answer would you like? Which one do you want to hear or not?

- I'll make a note not to argue with a telepath.

The girl suddenly smiled and flew onwards with a giggle in her hand:

- Now I understand where the rumours about you being a catcher come from. We're here.

Xavier's office stayed within the style of the ground floor. Two stained-glass windows, carved wood panelled walls, a bookcase built into the wall, a solid, solid desk with lots of drawers, two leather visitor's chairs, one of which someone was sitting in, an antique globe in the corner, and a vintage brass-covered chandelier. It could be made entirely of brass. But the futuristic electric chair of the master of the room and the whole school was out of style. It was made of transparent composites, which, considering Magneto's abilities, was quite farsighted, and the wheels had spokes in the form of a cross or, rather, the letter X.

- Well, here we are, Mr Stark. I'm not surprised by your identity under the helmet. Still, the fact that you will help us is truly amazing. Let me guess, the shield? Oh yes, Gene, thank you, you can go now," Charles said, distracted from his conversation with the stranger.

Tony noted the pleasant baritone of a completely bald older man in a tweed jacket and trousers that held too skinny, atrophied legs. Stark knew this resulted from a conflict with Eric Lehnsherr nearly half a century ago, in which a bullet had injured the Professor's spine. Such an injury might be difficult to heal, but only immediately after the wound.

- Didn't you already read all this in my head?

- Your suspicions are well-founded but wrong. I try not to abuse my powers.

- Are you such a moralist?

- No, it just gets boring and sad to live," Xavier replied with a smile. - Have a seat and meet Henry McCoy, our chief physician, a doctor of genetics and biology.

- I'm not familiar with you," Tony almost stammered when he saw the blue gorilla-like mutant sitting in the chair in a white shirt and jeans. - But I've read your work.

- Relax, Mr Stark, everyone reacts that way when they see me. Even other mutants," Henry said, with a sad smile that read the lingering pain and sadness of decades of contempt, fear, and resentment, as well as the practical lack of even a chance at a personal life. - You can call me Hank.

- Tony," the billionaire shook his hand in return. - By the way, I thought Jean said I was a mutant now, but not really.

- You are," McCoy said calmly and politely, in a way you wouldn't expect from such a big man, just like a monster from a fairy tale. - You see, you're definitely not human, and this is the first time I've seen a DNA structure like this. Two per cent of your genes are normal, but the rest are artificially created by some genius or super being. And yet you didn't have the X gene. Although the definition is flawed due to an error from the early researchers because mutants have extra chromosomes.

- Like downs?

- Yes, exactly like downs - Hank did not take offence at the comparison, as it was true. - But instead of duplicating some chromosome, it appears as if from nowhere and has ten times more complexity. And on top of that, each X chromosome is individual and does not repeat even in close relatives with similar abilities. It also happens that X chromosomes are added not one but two, three or more. However, mutants with more than two chromosomes become physically and mentally unstable and rarely live to seventeen.

- So what's happening to me? - Stark asked the burning question.

- You, Tony, have mutated. Left without your armour, which by the way, we found and collected, then you can take it back... Sorry, I got distracted. So, you have the beginnings of two chromosomes due to the radiation of the installation, from which nothing protected you. If you were a normal person, you would probably die. Still, your body somehow suppressed all the negative radiation factors, leaving only the positive ones. However, your chromosomes just haven't had time to fully form, and the process of chromosome formation has slowed down.

- So I'll be a mutant? And what kind of ability will I have?

- Alas, no one knows, - Xavier entered the conversation. - I've been researching this phenomenon for seventy years. There were theories that the ability is related to the emotion that the mutant feels upon awakening, that everything depends on heredity or the structure of genes ... But in detail, some of them were confirmed, some of them were disproved, but ...

- Complete randomness, right?

Charles nodded with his hands.

- By the way," Hank asked, "can you tell me who you are? Why is your DNA almost entirely non-human?

- Me? Iron Man! - Stark chuckled. - 'To be honest, even if I told you, the name wouldn't do you any good. And I hope that the structure of my body will remain a secret.

- Of course, I can guarantee confidentiality to anyone who comes to me for help or, even more so, to help us," Xavier covered his eyes affirmatively. - Thanks to your intervention, New York was saved.

- Not the first time," Hank hinted at the battle with the Hulk and Abomination.

- It's nothing personal. I just have business there," Tony joked, crossing his arms over his chest, twisting the famous phrase. - So you killed Magneto?

- No, my old friend is too strong, and only his love for our kind keeps him from killing us. And neither do we with them. We all wish prosperity for the mutants. However, given your explosion, he should be dead or at least badly wounded.

- Except your methods are different, I see.

It's not that Stark doesn't care about this whole mess, but he does. As a businessman and a rather selfish man, he was more often than not looking for profit or pleasure, even in helping and saving others. However, it was unfortunate that the terrorist had survived. Probably covered himself with metal or something.

- While we're on the subject, I recommend employing your students. Of course, if they meet the requirements, I won't accept them only based on species and race. But I'm not going to leave them out.

- If only all people... or not so people, were like you. The struggle may not be necessary. There would be no senseless victims - the eyes of the bald man froze for a moment. The elderly telepath remembered how many people and mutants had died during his long life. - And I promise that if someone wants to come to work for you, they will absolutely be a professional match for the position. Some of my students are already working for you, hiding their powers.

- Silly mutants could do a lot of good.

- Silly, but that's what most people think. And in the case of camming out, persecution often ensues.

- A cornered rat has no choice but to fight. Well, that's your fight.

Tony had been thinking during the whole conversation, running his mind to the limit, thinking of options. At the very least, he could swap his body with a dead man's mask or a test-tube-grown homunculus - a body without a soul. However, would it be worth it? Stark wasn't sure. At first, he would have chosen this option without hesitation, but now he liked being strong. And what's next? He's going to be beaten to a pulp by Magneto? Who also knows the secret of his identity and can come for a "friendly visit". And how do you fight someone who controls electromagnetism?

I mean electricity, light, metal, maybe radiation. He had managed to take the mutant by surprise then, but it was unlikely to work a second time. Yes, he could already think of a few countermeasures in the form of artefacts, chemical weapons and composite armour, but what if there was another mutant like Jean Grey with telekinesis? Or is someone else who can sizzle or disintegrate into atoms with a single glance? Of course, you can create artefacts, armour or weapons against most of them, but to do that, you need to know who you're facing, their abilities, and their level of power and possession. And not only know but also having enough time to prepare, which was different from the previous battle. Tony had little choice, though. The lives of millions of people were at stake. Though that doesn't change the fact that Stark himself was too reckless. Too used to relying on the strength of his weapons and his armour.

If Stark had a few decades to develop... He may have become strong enough to avoid most threats in a few years. But who's gonna give it to him that easily? It's the Hulk, it's Asgardian aliens, it's mutants, it's mutant schoolchildren. And then there's the company and Pierce's knowledge-sending mission. And all he does is use the knowledge he's received. So the option of becoming a mutant isn't the worst. But relying on random? What if he becomes ugly, dumbed down, or has a useless ability like a constant deadly fart? Or even uglier, like a dick on his forehead? Statistics is a ruthless bitch, and says that for every useful ability, there are a hundred useless ones and a dozen more frankly harmful ones. And even among the relatively useful abilities, the ones that can be used in combat are few and far between. And here Stark has almost ready serum and geneticists, who can transfer the ready chromosome to the place of the embryo, even if it's not a piece of cake, but already from the category of "difficult, but possible".

- However, it may well become mine. And that's where I have a mutually beneficial proposal for you.

- What is it? - Charles was interested, restraining himself with a steely will not read his guest's thoughts.

Curiosity is not alien to all people, telepaths included. Or rather, especially telepaths. It's like having glasses that allow you to look under girls' clothes without using them.

- You see, I recently hired a couple of brilliant geneticists and biologists and got samples of some extremely interesting individuals. Anyway, I could transplant myself with X chromosomes. And if I can do it... - Tony didn't say he would increase his chance of success with protean technologies and magic. That's unnecessary information.

- It's quite possible to remove or change them," Hank continued for him, looking at Stark with such hopefulness that he felt uncomfortable. - It's a chance, Professor! A chance for many mutants to live a normal life without being horrified when they look in the mirror.

- That's not what I wanted when I opened the school," Charles frowned. - I wanted all humans to be able to accept mutants regardless of their appearance. And they could accept themselves. But I'm not being hypocritical; it's hard for many people to accept their abilities and appearance.

- Besides," Stark decided to hook the Professor himself, "the standard model of the serum completely rebuilds and renews the body. That means all injuries and illnesses are cured.

- Many people have told me this, and all have lied or failed to fulfil their promises.

- You can look at my mind.

- You may sincerely believe your promise... However, as my Russian friend used to say, "Trying is not torture". But you didn't just start this conversation for no reason, did you? Do you need something?

- Just a little thing, - Tony shrugged his shoulders. - Cells of various mutants.

- The pursuit of power rarely leads to happiness - philosophically noted frowning Charles, who was not a fool and realised that Stark would want to transplant the chromosomes of the strongest mutants. You don't need to be seven eyes on the forehead.

- But with the power, a man can choose his own path, - Tony also answered. - I need it to protect myself and my family. Would you give up your powers for a simple human life?

- No, - the Professor decided this question for himself long ago. - You're right, Tony. I just had to ensure you weren't just another man chasing power.

- If I was chasing power, Charles, I'd surround the entire planet with satellites, with lasers and antimatter projectiles inside, and no one and nothing could harm me, not just interfere. But I have too much respect for humanity's right to destroy itself," Tony finished with a joke.

But few people realised that it wasn't a joke at all.