Dark Days

Today was nice, I woke up to birds chirping and people talking to each other nicely, I made breakfest for everyone in the tower before I headed out to the mansion for my morning classes. After I cleaned up I headed to the city then I headed to the school slash mansion, I rode my bike and smoked a nice cigar on my way. Some kids and younger teenagers looked at me in aw but some of the adults, I saw they looked at me with fear or hate because of some reason I really didn't know. I looked at myself in my mirror of my bike and I saw I looked like a grease head from the 70's, I laughed, "I guess I look out of place today with this outfit, thanks Tony." I said to myself and I saw a young woman heard me talk to myself and she glared at me for a moment but then she smiled at me. We were at a stop light when I said what I said to myself, "You're that Hero who works for Shield right That Willow guy right?" She asked me and I shook my head, "My hero Name is Agent Willow, and I just work as a security guard for Nick Fury sometimes, but I'm actually a Avenger when I'm not doing that." I told her and she didn't believe me till I showed her the I.D card before the light turned green, She looked back at the guy she was with and he was glaring at me. He tought I was trying to steal his girl, when I pulled away from them I saw she was still watching me from the back window when I headed down another road.

After a ten minute ride I made it to the school and I heard X in my head, "Jacob, I want you in my office right away we have a request for you." He said and I went straight for the office without haste, I open the door and a couple of people where waiting for me there, Scott, Jean, Storm and Logan who was sitting on the desk watched me closely. I felt threatened for a moment so the air got really cold with me emotions started to control me till that was when X calmed the room. "Jacob we are not here to do anything to you, but we have a request, can you start a cooking class for our students here?" Jean said to me getting closer to me with every step, X even shook his head in agreement with that comment. "We heard from a green source that you're a really good home cook, and we need that around here, Jean and Storm try but I think everyone needs training." Scott said almost getting a lightning bolt through his face by storm, but everyone noticed me laughing after I fully settled down from the awkward moment. "From what Scott is saying is that we or the students want an extra class to learn things other than fighting and regular schooling, can you help us with that Jacob?" X asked me and I shook my head in agreement, "Sure, I can do that but I will take full control just like with my morning class, and not everyone can be a good cook but everyone can make edible food, it just takes practice"

I left after letting X and everyone know what type of class this cooking class was going to be, I was only going to teach the standerd lessons I was taught by my mother and father. Flavor and prep, then when I was ready to let some of the kids cook we'd do a couple compitions to see who can make the best dish of the day, cooking compition style. I was deep in thought watching everyone in my class using their powers over and over so that they could get use to them. Some of the kids in my class where to scared to use their's so they stayed in the back watching with me, I noticed the girl I had saved from her own powers, not Rogue but the Ice Mutant was doing well. She could make sculptures from Ice and she placed them all over the place, I smiled a bit then I notice the younger girl who had tan skin and red hair tried to use her powers but it blew up in her face. I ran over to help her but she started to curse at everything then went to leave but I stopped her with a wall of ice, "Miss, no leaving my class without my permission," I told her and she looked extra pissed off after I said that to her. "You can't keep me here, I have my rights you Ice freak!" She said to me yelling at me but I never flinched, I smiled at her then I put up a dome over us. "If you can make a simple flame with your powers on my hand you can leave for the period, but if you can't you get an extra hour of detention for using foul language." I told her and everyone began to freak out for a moment but noticed the air was still warm inside the dome, The girl sighed then she turned back to the group then she said to me, "I can't do it, everytime I try to use it when I want to it blows up in my face, I seem to only use it when I'm angry or scared." She said to me not trying to sound like a typical spoild brat, I looked at her and I asked her, "What was you're home life like, sometimes when you hide things deep inside your heart, our abilities get effected by them, like me, when I get scared or threatened my powers can explode to protect me. Or they use to when I was younger, I figured out what I needed to change and I was able to control my powers, what are you hiding?" I said to her and she looked away, then she told me, "you wouldn't understand you've never..."

I stopped her, "right there, you need to accept thoughs things happened and find ways to combat though feelings, councling or theropy could help you." I told her and she looked at me like I was the crazy one. I then was told that the only ones that helped them with their mental health was only Professor X and Jean, I stood up and I put my hand on my beard that had growned in since I let it grow out again. I stroked my beard then I pulled out my phone, I then texted tony and asked him if he could get me a tutor to help me get a Doctorite in Councling or psychology? He messaged me saying, "We can talk about that when you get back to the tower later tonight." I smiled at my phone then I patted the girl on her head, "I'm no doctor but a little help and a healing hand can be the answer to unlock your powers, all I ask of you is to practice your powers when you can, just don't over do it." I then talked with the class as they all practiced with their powers as Rogue came to see me about something, I knew it wasn't anything crazy by the way she was looking at me waiting for the class to be done. "Alright guy, you can stop for today if you want, enjoy your next classes today, and if you're in my cooking class later bring nothing but your hands and clean shirts." I said to the group and everyone ran off heading to the mansion when Rogue got closer to me, "Jacob. do you mind if I join your cooking class, I know it's for the younger kids but.." I raised my hand stopping and I said to her " You can take that class, I never put a age limit on my class plus from what I heard from Scott, Jean and Storm could use a lesson or two." I watched her smile a bit then I felt a surge of energy aimed right for me, I looked around to see Storm was pointing a bolt of lightning at me for a moment. She stopped when Jean grabbed her hand, "I don't think you'd be able to hurt him very much?"

I was already in the building with Rogue talking about what type of cooking everyone was going to be doing right away, like I told X, I would only teach them the basics on flavor and methods of cooking different proteins. When we got to my room where I would be teaching out of, I saw how well stocked it was with stoves and counters for everyone to try out their cooking. I looked around a bit more and saw I already had a couple students waiting for the class to start. I had Rogue sit in the closest spot to the front, then everyone started to come into the room as the bell ran for the next period. I watched my class fill up and even Jean came into the room and sat next to Rogue and waited for to start the class. The last bell rang and I watched the last kid sit down in their chair. Then I walk right in the middle of large chalk board and then I started the lesson. "So everyone here is want to learn how to cook or to enforce their mind with they already have, well I'm here to tell those of the ladder, if you're in my class you know nothing. Being able to make edible food and making great meals and dishes that are as tasty as they are nutritious are to very different animals." I began to say and Jean raised her hand, "If you have questions please wait till the end of class and don't interupt me again miss Gray," I told her and I contiued when she put her hand down, "I have been taught from a very young age how to cook and making good dishes is what I had to learn on my own. The key way to make good or great dishes is by two factors, seasonings and product, even with that a well trained cook can turn a subpar ingredient into a composed dish. Now I went a head and got these delivered for everyone(A Book on Seasonings and Flavors for cooking.) and I expect you to read the whole thing by the end of the month, for now though we'll learn to make a simple stock from greens and bones from fish."

I got fully into the class and everyone was suprised that I was going this far into my roll as a teacher and when the class ended, everyone saw how a simple lesson can help understand how hard cooking could be. I had fun but since the school day was done I wanted to head back to the tower, so I got on my bike but was stopped by Jean and Storm who was also in my class. These two where about my age but they still had things to learn so when they heard that my class was for everyone that was when they jumped at the opprotunitty to join my class. "Jacob, you could of answered my question during class but what is the point on learning all of this in this book you gave us?" She asked me and I told her as I turned on my book, "If you read the damn thing you'll understand why that book is important, but I see that's not a adequate enough for an answer, in there it tells you which seasonings and produce is good together and what is harmful or bad for said food. If you read it you can learn all of that, I did give everyone a month to read the whole thing." I said to them and I saw they were still not getting my reason for the book, I turned off the bike for a moment then I broke it down, "can you eat a green Cashew before you roast them?" I asked both of them, and they didn't have an answer, "The answer is no, you can't, in it's raw form it can contain the toxin urushiol which is like eating poison ivy and can even kill you in some cases. If you're going to learn from me, I want you guys to know what I know so that one day you can make your own dishes without harming people. Cooking can be simple but knowing what you're doing is very important even if it's homecooking."

I turned on the bike once more and was just about to leave when I said to the women, "If you learn to cook better maybe you'll land a man," Right when I said that I got hit with lighting and I fell to the ground. I passed out from the pain and then everything just went blank for ten minutes till I woke up in the mansions nurse area. I woke up to Rogue and Jean sitting near my bed, both of them were upset with something but I didn't know what the problem was. I looked out the window I was near and I saw Logan pick up my bike from the ground, I then looked at the girls and I sat up from the bed I was in. "Oh, Jacob don't move, Storm hit you with a bunch of lighting after you made that comment, she didn't know you were vulnerable to that type of attack." Jean said sitting me back in the bed, I though didn't lay back down I got right to my feet. "Are you really ok Jake, Storm didn't mean to hurt you like she did," Rogue said to me grabbing my hand, I looked at both of the women then I smiled. "I maybe bullet proof but attacks like that can hurt me, I'm not angry but I'm disappointed in Storm for that attack, I didn't , I didn't mean to say thoughs things I said. That was more of a bad joke than me being serious, I'm not that old school of thinking." I put my keys in my pocket and I left the mansion finally and I headed home, when I was riding my bike I saw a cigar was but in the bug shield with a note, "Keep your bike off the ground bub." It wasn't signed but I knew who wrote the note, I smiled then I felt the side of the bike and I felt the tank was scratched up a bit.

I lite the Cigar and I smoked it all the way to the tower, when I pulled into the garage of the tower steve saw the scratch and asked me what had happpened. "My bumbass said something to a woman who can throw lightning and I got hit, bike fell on it's side." I told him, telling him I found a weakness towards lightning, he asked me if I was going alright but all I could tell him that I was tired and Tony wanted to talk to me. "Well Tony is in his lab and dinner is getting ordered in tonight if there is not a last minute emergency," I left Steve and I headed right to Tony and he was working on the Hulk buster armor, it was painted black and looked very familiar to me. "Is that for me sir, I see it's the same color for my hulk form?" I asked him and he turned around and smiled at me then jumped down from the body of the unit. "He kid, yeah I built it just incase we couldn't get the Hulk to stop you if you lost control," I understood why he built it then I told him. "You should put some tazer weapons on this suit, I found out a couple hours ago I'm weak to electricity, enough of that you wanted to talk about my request for a tutor?" I said to me Tony and he sat me down with him by his lab table, "Why the sudden intrest in becoming a councler, I thought you wanted to be a hero like Avengers?"

Tony asked me and I told him about the kids and that I wanted to help them correctly, that X and everyone there don't have the modern appropriate training and I'd love to learn to help them. I was or when I was graduating from highschool I was planning on going to college for some kind of doctorite." I told Tony and he sat back in his seat and we hashed out how I could get school for that and then I went to my room till dinner was ready. I was taking a long hot shower when I heard a knock on my door, I turned off the faucet and I wrapped a towel around my waist right before I open the door. I could smell a sweet scent on the other side and I knew who it was by how gentle it was on the nose. Jen was standing there in a nice black dress and a sad look on her face, She looked at my half naked body and she smiled a bit. "Did you have plans or were you just getting back from something?" She asked me and I smiled back at her, "I just got back from the school and I was taking a shower to clean off the sweat, whats up Jen?" I said to her and she motioned to come into the room, I let her walk by while I check the hall for ease droppers. I went into the bathroom to change into my regular clothes then I went back into the main part of my room. Jen was waiting for me and she still looked kind of sad, "Let me guess another guy didn't show up for a date again?" I asked her and she shook her head "yes" thats when I started to laugh a bit. "Men are so stupid when comes to women who might or are stronger than them, they fear different when they could be welcoming it." I told her and she turned to me then asked if I wanted to go for a walk with her. "Do you want to go for a walk to the park near by, I know I'm kind over dressed but I could use a nice walk in the cooler night air." She looked at me and I grabbed my jacket on the table near the door, "I would love to go for a walk with you Jen, maybe we can get a cup of coffee or something to keep us warm." I said to her and we headed out to the park together, we kept getting looks but at this point it was normal for the both of us.

Jen was just as tall as I was and for yen years in that other earth I only had people smaller around me, even Logan and Banner who barely turned into the Hulk I was the tallest person around. with me standing almost six nine, six ten I was just a inch or two taller than her. She couldn't change back into regular Jen anymore when she was awake but I think she didn't really care that much, only when it came to the dating other people part. I walked with her till we reached a guy selling coffee in the middle of the park, I smelled the coffee and I reconised the man behind the cart from when I ran into Rogue when I first met her. He noticed me right away too with Jen and he motioned for us to come closer, "Ah well if it isn't my old buddy from the other month, who are you doing sir?" I said to him and the old man shrugged at me, "could be better, with the colder months coming I had to switch from soul food to coffee and hot chocolate, to keep passerbyers warm. Would you like a cup of my coco and coffee mix?" He asked us and I looked at Jen, she looked cold and I asked for two and the guy gave us the drinks and I paid him twice for what the drink were worth. I said goodbye to the man and we continued on our walk looking at the little pond. I was watchin Jen when she smiled and started to laugh under her breath, "You are always very kind to complete strangers, even with the ones who are afraid of you, why is that?" She asked me and I told her something that Banner from the other world told me once about having these types of powers. "A person can say what they want to us but it's us who should care what we think about ourselves. For the caring for others that hate me, people are stupid but if you show them enough times that you're here for them they eventually accpet us with opening arms. Sometimes thats not the case and you just got to move on, like you said, don't dwell on past problems because theres nothing we can do."

I told her that and she stopped moving for a moment, when she looked up to see something red and glowing heading right for us. She pushed me out of the way to see it was a Red She-Hulk much like the one from the other Earth but different. I fell the ground and I froze in place as Jen clashed with the red woman, I watched for a moment then my mind flashed from when I last ran into a Red She-Hulk. A tear ran down my face when I heard the other Hulk told me to run. I slapped myself in the face and I came to right when the woman was about to hit me in the face, I caught it and threw her back, then she started to laugh. "Good to see Jen has you trained enough to unfreeze, I'm Betty the Red She-Hulk and daughter of the Red Hulk." She held out a hand to me and Jen stopped her, "Thats the kid who came back from the other world, I pretty sure your appearance freaked him out a bit." Jen told Betty and she asked why but I answered for Jen, "A Red She-Hulk from that other Earth killed Banner and my friend Logan in front of me." I said standing up without taking the Woman's hand, "I'm Jacob by the way, why did you cause a scene, did you want to see Jen that bad or to meet her newer friend?" I asked her and she said, "Both actaully, I was on top of that building and I saw you guys buying drinks from that man over in the center in the park, I'm sorry for scaring you kid." She said to me and I told her that, "I'm not a kid anymore, or not physically and mentally anymore, I've gone through more than my share of problems in that world." I talked with Betty for a little bit then I and Jen went back to the Tower, after we got to my room she crashed on my couch in my room and I stayed up a bit longer before I passed out on my bed.

Days have gone by since that night and I've become very close to my students at the Mansion and with Jen, I slowly got everyone in my cooking class to read that Food bible book I ordered for them all. I also started my extra school so I could become a councler for the extra gifted, or that's what Beast the friend of Professor X called the course. I took that very seriously and took extra care with my own homework, I guess you could say it's been longer than a few days. It's been kind of hard to count all the days that have gone by, tonight has been very cold and I just wanted to sleep, so I skipped dinner completely and I crashed in my bed. The next morning I saw that my bed was broken, I didn't know how that happened but I just brushed it off and I headed to the Mansion like I did everyday. Right in the middle of my class I started to freak out hardcore, I was shooting around ice and breaking the ground up like a crazed beast I could feel my body begin to change. Then X came out and connected with my mind and saw something was wronge with my head, like something was going to happen that happened in the other world. X put me to sleep and then he looked at the kids who where freaked out, but they all helped me up when I came to. I saw they were scared but not at me, "I think something is happening with your brain, since you were on another world for ten years your mind hasn't fully come back to this earth just yet." He told me and I smirked but I felt pain where I was hurt from the other Red She hulk years ago. "Professor, I think it's more than that, I think something is going to happen and my mind is trying to warn me."

X agreed with me on that one and sent me home for the day via a blackbird ride to the tower, before I reached the tower my mind began to freak out again and I jumped out of the jet and my body began to run on it's own. Scott and Jean who were taking me home lost me right as I reached the ground, they had everyone search the area but I had already made it about sixteen miles away from them. For that night I stayed in the woods near a lake, I was open in the trees where I could see everything and so I stayed for about a couple days. It was calm and quiet all day, I had a fire going down on the ground and I was roasting fish on the rocks. I was enjoying my time for beig alone for the first time since I was at the other earth, No one but me, but then my mind thought of Jen and my new friends. I still had my cell on me and it just had twenty five persent left on it. I had texted Tony every two days that I was ok, but still needed time to control my mind, today was different, he responed to my last text with. "Everyone misses you and misses your cooking Jacob, you should return to us and I mean all of us," as he said that I heard foot steps behind me, then I smelled the air like what Logan showed me when I was at the otehr place. I turned to see it was Logan himself and She-Hulk aka Jen looking right at me, what they saw was a very calm Jake cooking over a nice fire. "Like what Professor said, he's fine just searching for answers," Logan said to Jen slapping her shoulder, "You both were right more Charles but both of you knew where were he would be," She said back to Logan.

I pulled up a log for the both of them and they sat next to me, or Logan said on the log and Jen sat right next to me. She looked into my eyes, and saw I was back to being me, "Kid what are you doing out here, I know you lost it on the jet but coming out here?" Logan was saying to me and I smiled at him, "This place is the same woods that I watched the other you and Banner die, I thought maybe going to the place where my trauma came from maybe I could get answers from my visions." My two friends looked at each other then understood my reasoning for being here, Then Jen said putting her hand on mine. "We all want you back, you don't need to hid from the stuff thats in your head, I am here too and since the day you saved me, or everyone from that first day, you've proven you're more than a hero." Jen said blushing for a moment, then Logan broke up the awkard moment saying, "Kid we have all of your students and family waiting for you at the tower for you, X believed that if we came to get you. you'd come back with us." He stood me up and I towered over him alot but he said something uncharacter like for Logan, "You're my friend, and from someone whos lived a long time a good friend is all you need sometimes. Come home with us, you can even cook when we get home," Logan walked back to the trail and Jen went with him. I looked at the fire then I shot a bolt of ice and put it out, I grabbed the jacket, the only thing I had and I went with them.

An hour later, I was standing in the middle of a group of heroes and kids from the Mansion yelling at me for leaving, then Spiderman a guy I've only had a couple conversations with said. "Come on guys, he must of felt horrible about leaving us like that, give him a chance to explain himself." I put my hand on his shoulder and then I told them why I jumped from the plane and why I stayed out there. "I had images of something that might be coming, memories of me fighting someone in a green cloak. I left before my Hulk form destroyed the jet, I woke up as my hulk form and for a couple days I stayed like till I stopped having though episodes in my head." I looked at everyone and they knew who I was talking about with the green cloak part, then Steve or Captain America asked me, "Do you know who's responsible for taking out those heroes from the other Earth?" I knew the answer then my memories and my little bit of Avengers knowledge put two and two together, "That green cloak is Doom isn't it?" I asked Steve and he shook his head "yes" then the memories from what I was seening days ago came back. It was me or a very younger me, I was about fifteen taking on Doom and the vilians he hired, I felt myself die from the confretation but I didn't have the powers I do now. No Ice, no strenght, no bullet proofness, I just died protecting the Kamala of that world. I came to in the room with everyone looking at me and some pointing their weapons at me, well everyone except Spiderman and Logan. I looked into my reflextion in the panel of the wall and saw I was in my hulk form, "Jake are you still you, or has someone else taken your mind like with Banner?" Jen asked me who got closer to me wth every step, "I am me, and I now know why I was having those memories, the me of that earth or the other me. He died defending his friends from Doom, but there was something wrong," I stopped talking for a moment and everyone leaned in to hear the last part.

"He didn't have any powers, nothing not even a gun or armor, I felt saddness and failure after he killed everyone." I saw ice forming on the wall then I took a moment, I unfroze everything then I realized something. "Though when he rears he's head on our Earth I will be read, because this Willow, this Jacob has power and powerful friends to bring this vilian to his knees." I said and everyone backed off and I talked with the Avengers and some of the X-men about the plan if he would show up. We stood there for a moment then I felt my stomach was hungry, but before I could say anything about it Tony called a Pizza place and bought them out to feed everyone. I took a box and I headed up to my favorite spot in the tower, which was the landing pad, I put the box next to me and I sat at the edge of the pad. I turned back into my normal form and I took a couple slices out and I ate in peace for a moment. I felt a tap on my right shoulder and I saw it was Doctor Strange, he looked like he had something important to tell me or say to me. I motioned for him to sit and he took it lookin out with me, "I always wondered why that world didn't fall apart from having two yous' in it, after what you said I now know why," He paused for a moment then he put his hand on my right shoulder and said to me. "I am sorry you had to go through all of that heartace and pain, twice, I hope you can..." I stopped him and I told him, "In this life things happen for a reason, I'm not a religious like at all but that's what I believe, If I hadn't gone there I would not be this hero or man today. So in a sence you helped me grow up in a world that will need me to be at my best." I watched Strange hold out his hand for me to shake it and I grabbed and shook his hand, he left after grabbing a slice of pizza and then Jen sat right next to me.

We watched the sun go down on this world, she asked me how I slept eveynight and I told her, "Like a log," She looked at me like I said the worst joke ever then she saw me smirk. She punched my shoulder and I almost fell off the pad, she caught me quick. "Sorry about that, That joke though was pretty dumb though and cheesy," She told me and I told her, "I know but I thought it was well placed." I started to laugh a bit, after an hour of people celebrating my return I pulled Spidy and Logan aside. "Why didn't you both flinch when me Hulkness came out, everyone else was ready to attack but the both of you weren't going to." I asked them and both of them looked at each other, "Well I have this spider sense that tells me when I'm in a dangerous situation," Spidy or Peter said and Logan told me, " You didn't seem different even though you looked blue, I can smell hostile intentions a mile away." They talked with me for a bit then I went to sleep that night in my bed for the first time in days.

Days later I was on a mission to recover some containers that went missing off the coast, I was lead by Cap, Hawk-Eye and War Mechine, I was to be the muscle and Rody or War Mechine was to be the person to contain leaks if some were damaged. We came to this opening to a shipping dock and I saw a couple of robots putting the Containters we were looking for. One turned to see me and shot a bunch of rounds at me. Every bullet hit me but nothing happened, I then saw the robot panic and it grabbed a rocket launcher and sent it after me. I watched as the rest of the team went behind the bots fighting me and waited for me to move. I after a minute of blocking and catching rockets I jumped into the middle of the group of bots and I started to dismatle everyone of them that I saw. Metal and crackling circuits popping right next to me then I spotted one coming from the warehouse behind me. I went to jump at it but Cap stopped me from engaging the bot, "That's no bot Willow, that's Doom and his pawns, they must need these containers for something evil." He told me and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up, "You are the kid who stopped Rhino from full filling his duty, I also hear you like to fight like the green giant himself?"

Doom said to me and I didn't move one each but I straightened up and I said to him, "I'm like no other but I share goals with every hero," Doom looked at me puzzled from that comment but then stopped a spike of ice from hitting him. He looked back to me but saw I was with in a foot from his face with a punch fully cocked back ready for him, then he shoved me with his powers to the ground. I got up from the ground and dusted my pants off, I looked at him and he saw a fire in my eyes that spooked even him. "You're very different than the other heroes, this might be a funny little fight." He said back to anyone who could hear him and then he moved right for me. I charged at him as well and we clashed right in the middle of the shipping docks and sent a wave of energy all the way to the Tower." Tony who was on the moniters put out an S.O.S activating everyone on th Avengers list to head to the fight with Doom. "Doom is at large and Agent Willow is holding him off at this location, please drop what you're doing and head there now." Everyone who got that message headed for us and I still clashed with the badest villian of all time one on one, who's to say I can hold this monster back?