Chapter 41 : Xavier’s lesson
Greetings, gentle ladies and men ! I hope you're having a great time !
The book of the day is… The villainess is an SS+ rank adventurer by Kaye Ng. It's… pretty hilarious ! The way the MC views the world and society, how she interacts with the people, and also the idea she has about herself and her actual abilities… I won't spoil you anything but I suggest you try it ! You can find the first 4 books on Amaz*n for a pretty decently cheap price. Beyond that, you can find them on Royal road.
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I tense up the moment I see him. I can't help it really… Standing in front of a telepath is like standing in front of a crowd naked ! You gotta get used to it ! And the first few times is… unsettling to say the least. Personally, I want to run and hide, and the fact that this idea crosses my mind makes it spiral into an endless loop of 'Has he heard this ?' I clamp down on my paranoia, choosing to focus on the conversation happening before me.
« Partly… Which means, there's another reason ? What is it ? »
Charles Xavier sighs and admits :
« One of the drawbacks of opening a school for superpowered and gifted youngster is… The kind of trouble they can cause. My guess is one of them, probably Katherine and Kurt, got into the Danger room's system and tempered with the settings. This… scenario is probably one of their own creation. Still, it bears a number of valuable lessons so I think to keep it for the future. »
Well, that's a disappointing reason… I think to myself and wince again. And then, I remember that, the man's not supposed to be able to read my mind : mom and dad made sure of that. The amulet of protection I'm wearing is supposed to protect me even against the most powerful of telepaths, which Xavier stands amongst. Wait, is this sentence even correct ? Oh, no matter ! You guys get what I mean right ? Charles Xavier might not be the most powerful telepaths, but he stands up high on the list… And my parents promised me that the amulet could protect me.
I wonder how well it'll fare against a Phoenix-force powered telepath… Or another telepathic freak which exists in this universe. Best not to test it.
« Katherine and Kurt ? » Doreen repeats, obviously curious. Personally, I don't care who they are… Whether it was the shows or the comics, there was a lot of canon fodder, background noise and mob characters in the Xavier institute. People with no name, seen only once and forgotten… In reality, they might have a name, but I doubt they're important.
« People know them best as Shadowcat and Nightcrawler… They're our resident pranksters. And although it is tiring sometimes, being too serious is also a detriment in our line of job. Something I hope you'll never forget !»
… Or they are important ! Oh, man… I'm starting to think that I have some kind of MC's halo, trouble magnet or some shit like that. 'Cause except for Gagna, I tend to meet only important characters of the Marvel reality. And Gagna, while not mentioned in any comic books by name, is still a Dwarf of Nidavellir. So… Also important!
Well… I guess important is a relative term. Hyde, while a villain, is a rather minor one, all things considered. Which is good, because I'm not ready to face the likes of Thanos, Hela or even Loki ! No idea why these three are the first villain name that came to mind. They are worse ones in Marvel… I'm not even sure we can consider Hela and Loki as true villains. At least, they had reason to behave the way they did… In the movies, anyway.
Loki lived his whole life in the shadow of his moronic big brother, who was also the crown prince. Knowing you're smarter than the guy who would rule over you in the future was frustrating enough… And then, he discovered it wasn't even his real brother, that he wasn't Asgardian. That he was no more that a diplomatic hostage to end a conflict… No wonder he started mischief…
As for Hela… Born and bred as a warrior and a conqueror, she was suddenly asked to stop and lay down her weapons. When she refused, instead of trying to talk her down, her father decided to use force to make her obey. And then, he locked her up in her room… For thousands of years ! If that wasn't bad enough, he also repainted her room to make everyone believe she never existed in the first place. And people bought it because, well, you don't contradict the All-father, do you ? That'd make me mad, as well, too !
All things considered, in the movies, Odin was a crappy father ! Unfortunately, I know too little about the Marvel Asgardian Mythos to speculate about how they are here… Moreover, it's useless to do this ! Why am I even thinking all this shit ?
I shake my head and focus my attention back on the baldie in the wheelchair. He's still talking ? God, he must love hearing the sound of his own voice ! He's trying to be all cult leader or some shit and giving us life lessons… I'm not sure, I'm tuning him out so hard I'm trying not to yawn. That basically takes the whole of my concentration !
I don't know why I dislike the guy so much… Xavier was basically the same as the 3rd Hokage and Dumbledore. A good guy with a plan. A flawed man, with a questionable moral compass, but still… Overall, good. He was also a puppet master which is probably what I hate about the guy now that I'm standing in front of him.
It's easier to like someone when you don't have to fear becoming one of his pawns. I nod to myself as I decide this is the reason why I don't like the dude. But it also means I probably won't like Fury either…
Suddenly, in a surprising turn of events, Xavier shut up. It's so surprising I almost exclaim 'finally !' But manage to voice it only in my mind. His patient, teaching persona is switched and I can figuratively imagine him changing his cap from 'professor' to 'leader of the X-men', even if only spiritually. Except for self-righteousness and moral high-ground, Charles Xavier doesn't bring much in a fight, either tactically or on a more personal level… Which is stupid, because, being a telepath, the man can be the best strategist and fighter in the world. At least, theoretically.
Xavier excuses himself, and when I hear him, I feel like he's asking for help in a way that it looks like we were the one who proposed our help…
« My apologies. It seems an urgent situation has cropped up on school grounds. I need to make sure the children are safe… »
Before I can even scoff or sarcastically comment, Peter rushes to offer his help, and by extension ours. While I'm frowning, the others all seem in agreement, which makes me sigh. I think to myself : Well played, you bald guru ! Well, played !