Chapter 5 - Trial & Error

(This chapter is 1884 words)

As Sukuna and Satoru emerged from Hank's office, they both held new phones in their hands. Satoru couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Sukuna, saying in a taunting tone, "How does it feel finally having something similar to an iPhone?"

Sukuna, who had been staring intently at his new phone, turned his head slightly towards Satoru. The look he gave him was like staring into the face of death itself. Satoru couldn't help but giggle mischievously at the reaction he had elicited from Sukuna. "What?" he said innocently.

Sighing, Sukuna merely started walking away, with Satoru following closely behind. As they were walking up the stairs, they were met by Anna, who greeted them with a warm smile. "Hey, guys! I haven't seen you in a few hours. What have you been up to?" she asked.

Sukuna shrugged nonchalantly, replying, "Nothing much, just helping a guy in red and blue."

Satoru chimed in excitedly, "We went ghost busting!"

Sukuna gave Satoru a brief glance before Anna could ask any further questions. Instead, he asked her, "What about you? What have you been up to? I haven't seen you since yesterday." Sukuna's tone was casual, but he smiled slightly at Anna, who nodded in response..

Anna tilted her head in confusion at Sukuna's statement about helping a guy in red and blue. She wondered if he was talking about Spider-Man, but then she became even more confused when Satoru mentioned ghost busting. However, she brushed it off and responded, "Well, besides showing sugah around the school," she gestured towards Satoru, "I was just hanging out with Storm and Jean."

Sukuna responded casually, "That's cool."

A couple of moments of silence passed before Rogue suddenly spoke up, "Well, good pep talk, I should probably get going." She continued walking down the stairs and walked away, leaving Sukuna and Satoru alone.

Sukuna shrugged and continued walking up the stairs. Satoru looked back at the now walking away Rogue, muttering "Awkward" under his breath before catching up to Sukuna.

Once they reached Sukuna's dorm, he paused and looked at Satoru, who was just staring at him. "Fuck you doing?" Sukuna asked in a passive-aggressive tone.

Satoru responded, confused, "What do you mean? I'm going with you?"

"Nah," Sukuna replied, immediately shutting the door in Satoru's face.

Satoru frowned, realizing he was now alone. He looked around, feeling nervous but also bored. He decided to take a walk and made his way to the yard with his hands in his pockets.

——

Third Person: Sukuna

Sukuna sat on his bed, his back straight and his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and clasp his hands together, summoning a dark portal in front of him. The once crying girl appeared from the portal, her eyes wide with hope and fear, her body trembling. She immediately knelt down before Sukuna, her head bowed in submission.

"My lord," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Sukuna looked at her with an impassive expression, his eyes cold and distant. "There's no need for that," he said, his tone flat.

The girl looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. Sukuna could see the pain and despair in her eyes, and he felt a pang of sympathy for her. He knew what it was like to be trapped, to be powerless.

"I see your pain," Sukuna said, his voice softening slightly. "And because of that, I wish to help."

The girl looked up at him, her eyes filled with hope. Sukuna hesitated for a moment, then reached for his arm. He grabbed it tightly, his fingers digging into his flesh. He hesitated again, then closed his eyes and used his Cleave technique, slicing his own arm off at the elbow.

Sukuna bit back a scream, grunting in pain as he tossed the severed arm to the girl. She caught it, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"Why?" she asked, staring at the arm in her hands.

Sukuna glanced at his regenerating arm, watching as the flesh and bone knitted themselves back together. "You want to live a normal life, yes?" he asked, his voice still soft.

The girl nodded, her eyes filling with tears once again.

"This is a way for humans to see you," Sukuna said, standing up and patting her head. "Don't worry, I'll let you get the life you want."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Do you have a name?" Sukuna asked, his tone gentle.

The girl shook her head. "I... don't know," she said, her voice barely audible.

Sukuna nodded, expecting that answer. "Then I suppose I'll give you a name myself," he said, placing a hand on his chin. "I suppose you can be Kotari, then."

The girl nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Thank you... Sukuna," she said, before falling into a black portal and disappearing from sight.

Sukuna watched her go, a sense of satisfaction washing over him.

Sukuna stood up from his bed and walked out of his room, closing the door behind him. He made his way down the hallway, passing by several closed doors before reaching the stairs. As he descended the stairs, he looked around trying to get his bearings. He had only been in the Xavier Institute for a short while and was still getting used to the layout of the place.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a voice call out to him. "Hey, bub," Logan said, causing Sukuna to turn around.

"What's up, old man?" Sukuna asked nonchalantly, a smirk playing on his lips.

Logan raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "Old man?" he questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, old man," Sukuna replied, unbothered by Logan's reaction. "Anyway, where's the cafeteria or kitchen?"

Logan gestured towards a hallway that led to the kitchen. "It's that way," he said, pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

Sukuna nodded his head in thanks. "Thanks," he said, before turning to walk in the direction of the kitchen.

"Wait," Logan called out, causing Sukuna to pause and turn back towards him. "After your classes tomorrow, meet me outside in front of the school."

Sukuna raised an eyebrow in question but nodded his head in agreement. "Alright, I'll be there," he said, before turning away and continuing down the hallway towards the cafeteria. He waved his hand backwards towards Logan in a dismissive gesture, not wanting to waste any more time talking to the older man. He had things to do and people to see.

——

Third Person: Satoru

Satoru sat by the lake, his mind lost in thought as the wind rustled through his white hair. He couldn't help but compare his old life to this new one, filled with curses and danger. But could he truly call it his own if the body didn't even belong to him?

With a sigh, Satoru removed his teashades glasses, allowing his six eyes to take in the world around him more clearly. He could see the energy flow around him, processing the constant influx of information. But then he noticed a different type of energy, and before he could process what it was, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Satoru?"

He turned around and saw a familiar redhead. "J-Jean?" Satoru said, feeling nervous and confused as he realized he was alone without Sukuna.

Jean sat beside him, looking out at the lake. "I can feel your anxiety, Satoru. And it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you," she said, trying to reassure him. Satoru hesitantly nodded, still feeling uneasy.

As he glanced over at Jean, he noticed an unusual energy emanating from her. He wondered what it was, but before he could ask, Jean turned to face him. They looked at each other for a moment before Jean kindly smiled at him, looking at his six eyes. Feeling self-conscious, Satoru looked away in embarrassment. Jean slightly frowned, noticing his discomfort.

"So, why are you out here?" Jean asked, trying to change the subject and get him to open up.

Satoru stayed silent for a moment before responding, "Sukuna was busy.."

"I see," Jean said, nodding her head. "I noticed you're not as shy when you're with Sukuna. Do you feel safer when he's around?"

Satoru nodded, feeling a sense of comfort when Sukuna was nearby. "He's like a brother," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jean smiled softly at him, understanding his feelings. "I'm here for you too, Satoru. If you ever need someone to talk to or just want some company, don't hesitate to reach out."

Satoru looked at Jean, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her for being so kind and understanding. He softly smiled at her, appreciating her efforts to make him feel comfortable.

Jean opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, her phone buzzed, indicating that she had received a notification. She glanced at her phone and then looked back up at Satoru. "I'm sorry, I have to go, but I hope we can continue this conversation later," she apologized, feeling disappointed that she had to cut their conversation short.

Satoru nodded, understanding that she had other obligations to attend to. He watched as she got up and started walking away towards the X-Mansion.

As he sat alone by the lake, Satoru processed their little talk. He felt a sense of relief wash over him as his heartbeat slowed down. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if it was just for a brief moment.

——

Third Person: Sukuna

As Sukuna walked into the kitchen, he paused for a moment, taking in the delicious aroma that filled the room. He noticed Ororo standing by the stove, stirring a large pot of what appeared to be stew.

"Hey," Sukuna said casually, catching Ororo's attention. She turned to him with a warm smile.

"Hey, Sukuna, you hungry?" Ororo asked, her eyes sparkling with kindness. Sukuna nodded, walking over to her.

"What are you making?" Sukuna asked, peering into the pot. Ororo chuckled slightly.

"A lot," she said, gesturing to the various pots and pans on the stove. "Everyone likes something different, and I'm just trying to serve some of them."

Sukuna raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Even the cookies?" he asked, nodding towards the tray of freshly baked cookies on the counter.

Ororo laughed. "Of course," she said, glancing at the cookies.

Just then, a girl appeared from a portal that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She stared at the cookies with interest, Ororo stared at the girl with surprise and wariness.

"Wha-?" Ororo questioned, taken aback by the sudden appearance of the girl.

Sukuna shook his head. "Don't worry about her, that's just Kotari. She's, uh, a friend I guess."

Both Sukuna and Ororo watched as Kotari stared at the cookies with longing. "It looks like she wants some," Ororo said, accepting the fact that the girl had just appeared out of nowhere.

"Yeah, it'd be her first time having something that sweet," Sukuna said nonchalantly, getting a raised eyebrow from Ororo. But she didn't ask any questions.

"Since you're here, mind helping me cook?" Ororo asked, hoping to get some assistance in the kitchen.

Sukuna shrugged. "Sure," he said, walking over to the stove to help.