Chapter 8 : Feeling off
Author note : Hey guys ! Don't fall asleep : it's a pretty long chapter. Hope you like it ! Tell me what you think, leave a stone, a review or comment. You can also, if you're interested, visit me on Patréon and read more of that where it came from ! Up to 10 chapters ahead for both 'Squib who became Iron Lad' and 'Marvel : the Author'. Search for Cathbel on the website, or use this link : https://www.patre*n.com/user?u=66371596 (e instead of *)
Have a good read !
================
It's been a week since Doreen came clean about our 'situation' to Skye. Although she showed a bit of envy at first, when she learned of our more physical differences, she settled down. Now she's mostly curious about our powers… Mostly mine really. Not to say that Doreen's powers don't interest her but she realizes the potential behind my 'ink' and what I could do with it. She's particularly interested in my programs.
I showed her a couple of simple ones I wrote recently. Although they were pretty simple, my mom and dad pointed out how similar to spells they were. Well, a mix of spells and enchantments, rather… For example, I created yet another symbol of a circle intertwined with a smaller one ; I called it the grenade symbol. It was inspired by my first fire symbols with the idea of defending myself more effectively…
I know ! Blowing things up isn't the same thing as defending yourself. But, considering the kind of threats I might have to contend with, I figured it might come in handy sometimes.
Anyways ! This particular symbol has been programmed to react much like a real grenade. Once I smudged the smaller circle (the Pin), it launches a countdown of 5 seconds. Needless to say : I need to throw the object on which the grenade is drawn before it reaches 0. Then, it explodes. The explosion itself depends on the material where I've drawn the symbol on. For example, on paper, it combusts swiftly but generates next to no blast while on a rock, the flames are small but the blast throws pieces of rock everywhere like a fragmentation grenades.
It's really interesting ! Unfortunately, my parents don't seem to like the idea of me blowing things up to find out exactly how it works. I wonder why ?…
Obviously, I don't show those things to Skye ! Not only are they too dangerous, I fear how she'd view me because of them… Besides, I keep those codes and definitions under lock and key at my house ! If and when I need to use them, I don't want to lose them because some villain lit my clothes on fire or something.
What I show are a few of the codes I made for my animated characters. Basically, they're like emotes from a video games where you input a code (e.g. : /kneel) and the characters does the action. In my case, I write the code-word in the appropriate police.
Doreen is actually a fan of those, since she's as much of a nerd as I am. And apparently, I find out that Skye too, loves them !
« You should totally become a manga artist ! » She exclaims as she clapped her hands.
Doreen nods repeatedly and adds :
« Yeah ! You could even be my personal artist for the… » She gestures with her right hand as if reading from a neon sign : « Great Adventures of the Fabulous Squirrel-Girl ! »
I quirk an eyebrow as I gave her a look :
« Fabulous, really ? » I shake my head : « I don't think I'll become a manga or comic book artist. I mean… Although I can change my ink to pretty much any color I want… » I just started a sentence I didn't know how to finish. I'm not even sure where I was going with this. Once again, I shake my head : « I mean, the reason why you guys like it is because it's animated. I can't exactly sell my animated drawings… People would want to know how it's possible. Meaning it'll draw unwanted attention. »
Skye seriously replied :
« Actually, I like your stories, too ! Sure, some parts of them are childish or don't seem to make sense… But I like how much you've thought and made such a deep world. You've basically taken and changed the History of a country and gave it an alternate, believable one. And the… attitudes of the characters, depending on if they're Nobles, Royals or common people is interesting. »
As she continues to talk with Doreen joining soon after, I stop at one of her words : Alternate. With the prefix Alter meaning other. Suddenly, I exclaim :
« That's it ! That's how it should be called ! » I grab my notebook and dip my pen in my mouth for a second. « Not mutants. Not gifted. Not inhuman or metahuman ! Alter-Human ! 'Cause meta suggests being beyond human. Mutants are often portrayed as monsters in culture or reminds of cancer and inhuman… Well ! »
Skye asks :
« What are you mumbling about ? »
« I'm talking about terminology. » In a lower voice, I explain : « You know how I've always hated the word mutant, right ? Especially considering that I'm one of them now… Well, I wanted another term to call my… kind. That's how I've decided we should be called. Thanks for the tip, Skye, by the way ! Alter-Human. And not just for mutants but for you, Doreen, too or anyone presenting some kind of genetic difference from other humans. »
Skye tilts her head while Doreen seems to ponder it for a moment before she nods and says seriously :
« It's not bad. Much better than freak anyway ! »
Our conversation is rudely interrupted by the bell, and reluctantly, we tidy our things before leaving for class.
* * * * *
It's been a few months since my epiphany. My parents seem to support my idea and try (though it's sometimes hard for them) to use the new term instead of the M-word. As expected, my father grew up and accepted the word to define himself, it isn't exactly easy for him to suddenly change it. Still, he admits than it's probably a better word to use.
Anyway, on the school side of things, I've noticed, along with Doreen, that Skye is becoming more withdrawn. I have a hunch on why, but I'm afraid to ask. I think I'll either wait for her to open up, or for Doreen to get fed up.
On another unrelated note, it's been a few weeks since I've started feeling… off. I don't know exactly how to explain it. In my old life, I sometimes had this feeling which I thought was because of blood sugar. Dizziness, weakness of limbs, a bit of vertigo. Later on, I realized it was probably caused by a deficit of iron, since I was a heavy tea drinker. Long story short, I've been feeling like this but almost constantly.
It has made my magic studies, as well as my researches into my powers, slow down considerably. Most often than not, after having supper with my parents, I crash in my room and it's lights out. Sometimes, I can't even do that !
Of course, my parents noticed ! Unfortunately, me being what I am, I can't exactly go to a regular doctor to find out what's going on with me. What if he discovered octopus DNA after drawing my blood for testing or something ? I mean… I'm not sure how blood tests work exactly but I'm guessing there are a lot of things in mine that would raise a few eyebrows.
Apparently, my dad has called on an acquaintance and now we're waiting for his arrival. I lay on the couch, the back of my hand on my forehead as I rest my eyes. In fact, I don't know if I'm half-asleep right now, since I seem to have lucid dreams. And well… They're a doozy ! I can't really process them or even explain what I'm seeing since my brain seems to jump from one thing to the next without giving me time to understand anything.
That's when the bells awakens me ! Opening the door, my father greets the man :
« Good afternoon, Hank ! Thank you so much for coming ! »
« No problem, Hank ! » A deep, slightly growling voice with gentleness to it, responds. I raise an eyebrow under my hand when I hear my father and the other man are both called Henry. At the time, I don't think of known Henry from the Marvel comics ; I'm too exhausted and my mind doesn't seem to work half as efficiently as before. « So, where's the patient ? I still can't believe you went and got married ! »
« In the living room. Of course, I did ! I've always told you about my future wife. You thought I was lying, I bet ! Well, you can meet her too if you want. She should return in a couple of hours at most. She's with a client at the moment. »
« Braggart ! Anyway, before we go in, I need your help with the equipment. »
« Alright ! »
I hear the door close before it opens again a few minutes later. My father is huffing as if carrying something heavy. The other person on the other hand doesn't seem to have any trouble. Trying to focus, I notice the stranger has rather heavy steps and yet the timing between each one are harmonious… At least, that's what it feels like to me at the moment.
Perhaps half a minute later, the stranger came in the room :
« Hello, Nathan ! I am Doctor Henry McCoy. »
Hearing this, I look at him. Indeed, he is ! Hank McCoy, AKA Beast, geneticist and engineer for the X-men, as well as one of them. At the moment, he isn't blue, or hairy. He looks like your every day nerd, with a pair of glasses but with a somewhat stout figure. I wonder idly if it's some kind of optical camouflage…
After my dad's arrival, along with the equipment, the doctor sets it up with efficient movements. Soon, he focuses back on me :
« Can I ask… What is your mutation ? » A pause, then : « There doesn't seem to be any obvious external factor beyond a lack of hair. So, I assume like a notable percentage of the mutant population, it is internal… Correct ? »
« Wrong ! » I say warily. I dip my index finger in my mouth before tracing a symbol on my wrist ; a circle with squiggly lines coming out of the bottom. For the line, I use my nails to trace them. Thankfully, when defined this symbol, I drew it with my fingers so I could do it at the drop of a hat. Never know when it will be useful not to have bones…
As soon as I finish drawing it, I feel the effect take place in my body. I revert back to my human/cephalopod hybrid form and I watch with a certain amount of glee how much the doctor is surprised.
I can't help to add in the silence :
« Also, I'd like it if you didn't refer to me as a mutant. This word is demeaning. Personally, I prefer Alter-human… »
« Alter… Human ? Hm… » The doctor loses himself in thought for a short while before he goes back to the subject of my health. « So… Your mutation has indeed affected your appearance and probably many other things in your body. What you drew on your wrist… Was that ink ? You can use it to change your appearance ? »
I shake my head :
« For now, I can only change it to how it was before my mutation… Well, that's not entirely true since I've gained a couple of inches since then. So, I still grow and puberty is still taking its toll on me. My ink does… a lot ! We're still trying to figure out how much it does, in fact. My parents helped in that regard. »
« So, your ink basically has reality warping powers, is that right ? »
As he asks this, he draws some blood from my right tentacle. By the way, my current appearance is that of my original transformation (with the face tentacles) so it doesn't show much expression no matter how happy, sad or angry I am. I mean, besides the tentacles hiding my mouth, I don't have eyebrows or a skull to support a frown. Moreover, my face is beyond alien right now, so nobody could really read my expression.
« We believe so, yes. Though it has rather stringent rules we're still trying to figure out. At first, I thought it affected only me… or rather my genetic alteration. But as I continued to experiment, I've discovered more and more things. »
I stop there. Although Hank McCoy is supposed to be a good guy, I didn't really trust the man he was associated with : Charles Xavier. When your only power is telepathy, I figure you spent a lot of time in the minds of other people… Either to train, or keep in shape, so to say, or because it's become a force of habit, a sort of addiction. Besides, nobody except myself and those I trust completely should know the full extent of my powers !
« I'm guessing you've been producing and using a lot of this ink… »
After this, Beast leaves me alone to my thought and exhaustion as he works with his machine. From time to time, he talks with my father about the mansion, the 'new kids' as well as some of the old ones. At this point I wonder if maybe my dad was part of the X-men at some point… or if he just crossed paths with them a few times.
After a while (I don't know how much exactly), the doctor finally announced his findings :
« As expected… You've been overusing your ability too much. » He waits, probably to see if we have something to say or ask. Frankly, I might have been curious had it been another time. Right now, I just want to get better ! « You see, a common factor for mutants… Sorry, Alter-humans ! » He corrects himself when I gaze at him sharply. « A common factor for Alter-humans like you who produce your power internally via chemistry is the consumption of certain resources. In your blood, I see too little iron, trace amounts of other metals, melanin… The last two I mentioned notably are too low for your new physiology. I'll give your parents a list of ingredients and food supplement to help you cope with that ! »
He then turns to my father and says :
« Now, I think it would be good if I re-conduct the tests when he's human-looking, to see if there's a difference between the two states in the internal chemistry. »
My father gazes as me, asking in silence, to which I just shrug.
« Alright ! » Dad then looks at the doctor and asks : « Will you be eating with us, Hank ? I make a mean Basque-style chicken ! »
« You're the one cooking ? » Hank halts his movement when he hears this and looks at my face with a look of horror. He shudders : « I still remember the pasta you cooked in 87 ! »
Now, this has me almost interested. If it wasn't for the fatigue, I'd have liked to hear something incriminating about my father… Well, let's just listen anyway. Not like leaving wouldn't take just as much effort. Actually, it would be harder…
« Now, now ! Come on, Hank ! I'd never cooked before. I've become a lot better since then ! Next time, to make you forget my… mistake, I'll make you my pasta carbonara dish ! »
As they banter, I slowly drift to sleep.