"I didn't know you were personally acquainted with Professor X."
"Not really acquainted, we just had some business to discuss, and I figured I'd drag you along while I was at it," Tony said as he plopped down on a nearby public bench.
Hearing that, I turned to look at the man in the wheelchair.
Professor X—the guy who built the school that bears his name, basically the home for mutants everywhere.
Wise, calm, super intelligent, world-class wheelchair drifter, kind-hearted, does wheelchair backflips like a pro—wait, something feels off about that list.
Anyway, he's the absolute center of the mutant world.
"You're Peter Parker, right? My students have told me about you. They keep calling you 'one of us.'"
"Oh."
"But I can see why they'd think that. After all, Wade and Logan aren't exactly textbook mutants either, yet everyone still calls them mutants."
"Uh-huh."
"If it bothers you, I apologize. The kids just really want to help any mutant out there who still doesn't have a place to belong."
"Oh."
"…Alright, you don't seem very interested in this conversation, do you?"
"Ah."
'This is the most effective strategy: give short, vague answers and he won't be able to predict my next move!'
[Doesn't this guy read minds?]
'Yeah, but that doesn't mean he can read everything.'
[He's an Omega-level mutant, dude…]
"Peter, may I… ask you one question?" Professor X looked straight into my eyes.
"…Go ahead."
"Are you… gay?"
[?]
"?" A giant question mark appeared above Tony's head.
"???" I was completely dumbfounded by the question.
"Alright, don't get me wrong, but… you seem really, really close with your friend—Harry, was it? So I got a little… curious."
"????"
'What does he mean? That's just how best-friend relationships work! There's nothing gay about it—it's completely normal! Why would he even think that?!'
[Whoa whoa dude, no need to overthink this hard.]
I started sweating bullets, staring at Professor X warily.
'…Is he suspecting I'm a villain because there's an alien god living in my head?!'
The more I thought about it, the more I sweated.
'Calm down, Peter. Think like a person with a functioning brain. If I flatly say 'No,' it'll sound super suspicious—like I'm desperately trying to deny being gay even though I'm not.'
[Peter?]
'But if I say 'Yes,' then I'm basically proving him right even though I'm NOT gay! Oh god, why did I suddenly end up in this impossible situation?!'
[Slow down, Peter—you're overthinking way too much. Breathe—]
'I need a perfectly neutral, natural answer that gently denies it without giving away any clues that I'm being mind-controlled into being some eldritch entity's personal bitch!'
[OI!]
'So… the safest, most reasonable answer right now has to be…'
I looked him dead in the eyes—eyes filled with worry yet determination—and hesitantly opened my mouth.
"I already have a girlfriend… well, not exactly, but kinda like that," I answered.
"…pfft! Hahaha!"
Professor X burst out laughing while I just sat there confused.
"Haha… sorry, sorry… I didn't expect your brain to be quite so… haha."
"..."
"Haaa… Alright, I won't lie to you—I've been reading your mind this whole time."
[Does this guy know what privacy is?!]
"But honestly, even though most of your thoughts are crystal clear, whenever you think about a certain someone, I just hear this awful static. And I'm pretty sure that's not your fault."
"Wait, for real?"
"Yes, for real."
[Hell yeah! He can't read my thoughts!]
"But thanks to that static, some of my suspicions about you have been cleared up, young man. You've been forced by some incredibly powerful entity to do things you didn't want to do… and over time the two of you grew close, and the things you didn't want to do slowly became things you wanted, right?"
What the—?!
[Nah we're cooked. This guy's too good. Is he a detective or something?]
"Alright, what the heck are you two talking about?" Tony looked back and forth between me and the Professor.
"Nothing, Mr. Stark. Just that this young man doesn't know whether to call himself lucky or cursed."
"Cursed," I answered instantly.
[Hey hey, what's that supposed to mean?!]
"If you say so. Sorry for bothering you," Professor X said, looking satisfied.
"…So I can go now?"
"Yeah, I've confirmed you're not evil or anything. That's enough for me."
"…Okay? Bye, you two." I quickly stood up and bolted.
There's way too much to do… especially regarding Emma.
The moment I disappeared from sight, Professor X's smile vanished as he turned to Tony.
"I'm not in the mood for small talk, so let's get straight to the point."
"Fine by me—saves time."
Their relationship was clearly not great.
"I'll let the cafeteria incident slide, but there's something I'm curious about. Not sure if it involves you."
Tony raised an eyebrow as Professor X pulled something out.
"…!"
A Stark Industries employee ID badge.
"If I remember correctly, nobody except the Avengers was supposed to visit the school that day, right?"
"Yep. I'm not in the habit of inviting random employees, especially not Bruce or Marc—they refuse to wear suits. Lila's just a hired hand."
"Really? Because one of my students found this in the school's science lab."
"Why were your students even in there?"
"Ask them, not me."
Tony took the badge and examined it closely.
"…Isn't this the ID of an employee who went missing months ago?"
He remembered the guy—short, kind of baby-faced but with a big head, stood out a bit. Worked in R&D. Then vanished without a trace.
"Looks like someone's pulling strings behind the scenes. There was probably a reason that school shooter showed up."
Tony sighed. "God, what a pain. One day off and I get yelled at by the public, plus a new villain appears. Being a hero is exhausting." He pocketed the badge and looked at Professor X.
"By the way, I'm curious—what did you mean earlier about the kid being possessed by some powerful entity?"
"Hoh? You care about the boy?"
"What? He's my employee."
"Hmm… Fine. I can't fully read his mind—if I tried too hard, I'd be the one in danger." Professor X spun his wheelchair around to leave.
"That's it? Nothing else?"
"…And that thing has been watching us—especially me—ever since I peeked into his thoughts. It is not happy with me right now."
"The kid wasn't kidding… definitely cursed." Professor X sighed, wheeled away, and left Tony standing there alone.
"..."
Tony pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"Kid, ever since I met you, trouble just keeps showing up faster and faster, you know that?"