Testing Limits, Talking And A Spar

"What you're lifting now is the equivalent of 200 tonnes, Tom," Ororo told me with a somewhat stunned tone of voice and I found myself smirking despite the fact I felt like I was being squashed like a bug under the hydraulic press pressing down on me from above.

I'd been here for about an hour, testing out everything I could think about. The amount of tendrils and...well, things I could summon before I lost control of them.

I summoned blades, clubs, hammers--hell, I even summoned a pair of wings on my back. I can summon about a dozen things before I start to lose control of them and they become clumsy and not-so dexterous and it seems like the strength is spread a bit too thin over the things I summon when I summon a lot of them.

Basically, two tendrils that end in blades would be individually quicker, stronger and more durable than twelve tendrils that end in blades. But at that point, the latter isn't about individual ability and more about overwhelming an opponent so it all depends on the situation.

After a lot of lifting, I discovered my baseline strength lies around ten tonnes and my armor, which I was testing now, gives me a twenty times boost to that when in darkness. In dim light, it only gives me a ten times boost. In bright and intense light? Only a five times boost. But that's a hell of a lot better than the original hosts of The Darkness got. They wouldn't be able to use their powers if you focused a floodlight on them let alone under the sun.

My tendrils and summoned things also rely entirely on my physical strength at the time. In a certain way, anyway. They rely on it in the sense that my tendrils can only ever lift as much as I can. So, the max I can hold up with two tendrils is 200 tonnes. Basically, the stronger I am, the stronger my summoned appendages and weapons will be.

Or at least, that's what I've discovered so far.

I get the feeling that I'll be able to increase my baseline strength anyway through intense and regular exercise, so it isn't that big of a problem.

...Another reason why I should take up Charles on his offer to learn here, it would seem. I can't see myself being able to match these facilities on my own anytime soon. Maybe in a few years when certain investments start becoming more profitable but even then I doubt I could make an exercise room as good as this one. Not because I wouldn't have the money or the engineering expertise - but because these rooms have been built and perfected through experience and dozens of mutant students training in them and finding problems with them.

I'd have to take months or years to work out all the bugs. And I will still have a private place to test out new things with my powers, but for now I could use this while I work out the kinks and bugs in my own ideas.

Slowly, I let the pressure I was putting up against the hydraulic press go and stepped back just as Ororo turned the machine off.

Turning, I dispelled my armor and the lights went from off to on, the darkness in my veins shirking away in a silent scream. I winced but pushed through the uncomfortable feeling - being in bright light didn't affect my baseline strength. It was just a bit uncomfortable to be in. Ororo saw the wince and turned the lights down a shade and I flashed her a thankful smile as I ran a hand through my hair - as pitch black as The Darkness flowing through me.

"I'm still not used to not liking bright light," I said with a somewhat sardonic tone, "Feels like a flame to my skin and makes my powers all agitated," I explained, feeling a need to get across how it felt to Ororo so she didn't think I was just some edgy teen who didn't like bright light.

Thankfully, she showed an understanding look and nodded, "We've had a few students like you who have a sudden dislike to certain environments and stimuli. A current student who you'll no doubt meet if you join has powers related to ice and the cold - he very much doesn't like exceedingly hot environments. It gets better with time."

I can only hope she's right. Reflexively recoiling from sudden light is quite annoying after all.

I nodded in reply and rolled my shoulders, the muscles underneath my t-shirt coiling and rippling as I did so. Just as I did so, someone strode into the training room.

A pretty girl, though obviously not fully developed as of yet. Compared to the fully-grown and mature feel Ororo gave off, this new arrival gave off a very girl-next-door feel and it was obvious to anyone with eyes she'd be a real stunner when she was grown up. For the most part, she seemed to be around my age.

She had brown hair tucked behind her ears and held in place by clips, some of her hair came down across her forehead in the form of some messy bangs. Her skin had a healthy tan to it and contrasted brilliantly with her most eye-piercing feature - her icy blue eyes.

Then there was the way she held herself. Confident almost to the point of arrogant. Casual almost to the point of being nonchalant. Something about her was just...different.

The girl didn't spare a glance at me and walked toward Ororo, "Ms. Munroe, Logan wants you to come and do a demonstration for Gym Class. Something about being able in a fight even without the use of your powers," she explained a somewhat bored tone, her enthusiasm for whatever was being taught being at an all-time low. That's when she seemed to realize I was in the room.

She turned to me and even despite living two lives, I was mentally still a teenager - I mean, most of my first life was spent inside a hospital room and most of this life has been me studying and exercising. So, when she turned to me and those bright blue eyes looked at me...I was kinda at a lose for words.

Now, I don't mean that in the sense that I became a bumbling mess like some beta Japanese MC you see in those Harem anime. No. I just mean I was slightly taken aback by her and the effect she seemed to have on my hormone addled body.

At first, her eyes scanned over me in an appreciative manner - she obviously liked what she saw from the smile she sent my way - but then her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and then aggravation. Before she could say anything, Ororo spoke up.

"Okay, thanks for telling me, Emma," she said and turned to me, "If you don't mind, I need to go do this, Tom. You're free to come with me or continue looking around. Just try not to use the weights without supervision, okay?" she gave me a pleading look and I tore my eyes away from the new girl - Emma - and nodded toward Ororo.

"I'll, uh, come with you," I said before gesturing to the room and composing myself fully, "I'm done in here for now, thanks, Ms. Munroe," I smiled and she returned the smile and nodded before making her way passed Emma and out of the room.

Still with her brow scrunched up, Emma turned and followed after Ororo. I followed just as quickly.

"Hey," I started, turning to Emma and sticking out a hand, "Name's Thomas. Thomas D'Angelo. Just call me Tom though," I put on my best smile and tried to be friendly but her piercing eyes glanced sidelong at me in an inquisitive manner.

She didn't take the hand but introduced herself nonetheless, "Emma Frost," she said in an indifferent tone that matched her surname. Things went quiet for a few more seconds as we followed Ororo through the halls before she spoke up again, "...You a telepath?" she asked, glancing warily up at me.

She wasn't short by any means but my broad and tall figure made most people look a little small unless they were around six foot themselves. She seemed to be about 5'6" or 5'7" and I doubted she weighed much at all.

"No," I answered her honestly, quirking an eyebrow up at her, "Why do you ask?" I curiously shot back at her.

She gave me an accusatory look before answering through somewhat grit teeth, "I can't read your mind so you're either a telepath or you have an abnormal amount of mental defence. The former is much more likely considering we're in this place."

"Do all telepaths try and get in people's heads without permission?" I asked, rolling my eyes in disbelief, "Second time today that a telepath has admitted they can't read my mind so shamelessly.Though I guess it's nice to know people can't just wander on into my head," I smiled smugly down at her and she gave a somewhat playful scowl before looking away from me.

As we continued to walk, she seemed somewhat at unease but continued to talk nonetheless, "I see you've met our oh so gracious school headmaster then?" she asked with a layer of sharpness to her tone that told me there was perhaps something that had happened between the two of them - probably an argument about how telepathy shouldn't be abused. Something Emma Frost does quite a lot of, if I remember correctly.

"Yeah," I simply replied, choosing not to really take either side in whatever beef those two had, "He seemed alright enough. Definitely a lot more apologetic than you were about trying to get into my head," I verbally jabbed at her and she just seemed to ignore it, taking it in stride.

"So," she started before looking up at me again, "You're here so you must have something special. Is it just that telepathic shield you have?" she seemed curious but also competitive in a way.

Like our abilities were somehow a representative of us on some hidden totem pole only she could see. She no doubt saw her own power as pretty up there - probably why she was so miffed that she couldn't read my mind.

I summoned a tendril hand behind us and tapped her on the left shoulder, causing her to turn away from me. While she was turned, I summoned my armor and shapeshifted the part of the armor that covered me from the eyes down in a sort of face mask to cover my entire head and then I shifted it all to looked like a toothy maw. Sorta like how Carnage and Venom look.

Wasn't thinking of making this a thing...well, for anything other than pranking and scaring people.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Thomas--AHH!" Emma started by faking some laughter and started to turn while seemingly scolding me for tapping her. When she laid eyes on me and my inhuman appearance, she yelped, jumped back and screamed. Man, I wish I had a camera right about now - THE Emma Frost yelping like a little kid because of me.

Ororo turned back to see what was happening and when she saw my appearance, even she looked a little concerned. That was until I dispelled the temporary new face and let my armor revert back to normal before letting it dissipate altogether. While doing so, I began bursting out in laughter at Emma's reaction and seeing it was a joke, even Ororo cracked a smile at my antics. While Emma glared at me while covering her mouth, I came to a stop with my laughter.

"I can do that type of stuff," I said before flexing an arm, "And I'm strong," my bicep flexed rather impressively against my shirt and Emma's eyes darted to it for a second before she huffed and dropped her hands, charging off and passed Ororo who was trying to keep her smile off her face.

Seeing Emma wandering off in a tantrum, Ororo looked to me with a reprimanding gaze though it lacked any real heat behind it, "Did you really need to do that, Tom? Would a worded explanation really hurt you that much?"

"Mortally so," I clutched at my chest with a mock despairing expression on my face, causing Ororo to chuckle as she shook her head at my reply.

. . .

Right now, I was watching two people fighting. And I was frankly outmatched, from what I could see.

I'd trained with everything I had, and I was talented enough that my effort and hard work was rewarded multiple times that of other students at whatever dojo or gym I was practicing at. But I severely lacked one thing:

Actual combat experience. Life or death struggles. Whatever you wanna call 'em, that's what I lack. I've been in fights before but nobody's ever came after my life in them.

Wolverine and Ororo have that edge to them that I'm lacking. That killer instinct that's developed through actual fights where your life is on the line and through years of having these types of fights. They have it and I don't. Another reason I should come here - the teachers are all extremely strong. Not in the grand scheme of things, no, but they're strong enough that they can help ME get stronger.

And the best/worst part? Despite their fighting skills being so ahead of mine from what I've observed, I can tell they're holding back. This is a spar, not a fight to them.

Finally, their 'spar' came to an end and they both turned to the group of students I was currently a part of.

"See?" Wolverine, or Logan started, "You don't need fancy powers to kick someone's ass--uh, butt," he corrected himself and kept it semi-professional when he caught Ororo giving him the stink eye, "Ahem, anyway, you need to know how to fight without your powers just as much as you do with your powers. You lot understand what I'm getting at here?"

Most gave enthusiastic nods but Emma who stood on the opposite end of the group to me - still salty about my prank - was checking her nails with what looked like a perpetually bored look on her face, "Do I have to? What's the point in this if I can just make someone go to sleep?"

From the eye roll Logan gave, this wasn't the first time Emma had said this.

"Put me to sleep," Ororo suddenly said, stepping toward Emma with her hands on her hips, "If you can put me to sleep, you can skip this class entirely."

Emma looked like a kid on Christmas and without even asking if Ororo was serious, she stepped up to the taller woman and narrowed her eyes - no doubt using her telepathy to put her to sleep. Ororo didn't even flinch. She just stood there and took whatever Emma was trying to do, and whatever she was trying to do obviously wasn't working.

After trying for a few more seconds, Emma let out a breath she'd apparently been holding and stepped back a few steps, "W-what the hell...?" she asked, mainly to herself before looking around with an accusatory expression, as if to look for whoever had helped Ororo reject her telepathy. When she looked to me, I just shrugged to gesture I don't know what happened.

"Even people without telepathy can resist telepathic commands, Emma," Ororo started, walking over and laying her hands on Emma's shoulders, leaning down so she was on eye-level with the brunette, "We teach you how to fight without your powers so you can be prepared for the time when, not if, someone resists your telepathy. Do you understand?" she asked and Emma, despite looking like she'd just ate a fly, nodded begrudgingly.

There were a few snickers, but most of the class seemed utterly terrified of the icy-eyed brunette - and probably for good reason too. You don't wanna piss off a telepathic girl who can spread your deepest, darkest secret to everyone she knows.

I was one of the snickers, of course. She can't get in my head, so who cares if I piss her off?

Before they moved on, however, I raised my hand which Logan saw before Ororo, "Kid? What d'you need?" he seemed to have only just noticed I was who I was, no doubt too focused on his fight with Ororo or Ororo herself - not that I blame him for either.

"I was wondering if you could give me a spar," I asked and a collective gasp of air was taken in by the students in this class as they all looked at me like I'd just said something utterly suicidal. Maybe I had because the way Logan grinned over at me like some sort of feral animal, I suddenly didn't feel so safe anymore.

"Sure thing, bub. You thinking of joining this school? I guess you need an example of the teaching around here," he chuckled and cracked his knuckles - something that sounded much more like metal sliding and bending than anything like bone. And knowing this was Logan, The Wolverine, that was exactly what it was.

Regardless of whatever I was feeling, I strode up onto the mat they'd laid outside in the sports area and stood across from Logan.

And before anyone gave me any warning, Logan rushed at me.

Physically, I had the advantage. I was quicker, stronger, my flesh was harder (probably with the exception of my bones) and I no doubt had enough stamina to match him. Technique-wise, as we've discussed, he thoroughly trumps me. He has 100+ years of fighting under his belt. I have just over a decade.

So, when I dodged backward, I realized too late that it was a feint. Then he had his boot dug into my stomach. Even my newly enhanced abs faltered under the utter hardness of his kick - no doubt his technique working in tandem with his nigh-indestructible bones.

But I didn't panic. I took the hit and took a few steps back to stabilize myself. Then I countered with a jab that used my superior range to my advantage.

He slipped it but I threw another one and another one as I pressured him back. He wasn't trying but he did have a glint in his eye that made me feel like he approved of either my technique or my power and speed. Or both.

As I planned, he grabbed my wrist on a jab I'd purposefully slowed down and I let him pull me toward him. As he reared back for a punch, I twisted my arm around and grabbed his wrist before pulling him toward me and effectively cancelling out his pulling. He wasn't stronger than me, so my best shot was to keep him close and use my superior strength to my advantage.

He threw his punch and I grabbed it mid-air before taking a note out of his own book and slamming my foot into his stomach. But because I held him by both his hands, his lower body was blown backward and then up, so I took my chances and threw him as hard as I could toward the school.

Was about one hundred yards away. He got awfully close, let me just say that.

He was waaay heavier than he looks as well. Guess his bones really are just that heavy. Looking at the ground and grass he hit after I threw him could tell you that as well. He'd left a torn up tract of land for a dozen or so yards, alongside throwing up a cloud of dust as well. And yet, seconds later, he walked through the cloud of dust no worse for wear other than some dirt on his clothes. Worst of all, he was smiling.

...Yeah, I could definitely learn a lot off of him technique wise.