[IC] The Mutants

[Euphoria]

CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO THE INSTITUTE

_{DEC 17 2022 | Somewhere in Northwest Italy}

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The constant wind made the huge windows that covered the institute's walls creak. A lot of movement was going on. Several androids carried heavy objects around. Cassandra had changed her mind about the arrangement of the rooms at the last minute. All the students who would make up the new class had already arrived. They were probably all still asleep from the heavy dose of XNM that had been given to them.

Karine wasn't sure if she was proud of having invented the drug. It was a heavy chemical, capable of making people forget pieces of their lives or selected moments, according to a specific electromagnetic pulse. If it weren't for the drug, new students would be able to remember the path they took to reach the facilities of the European Union's new venture. And secrecy was a fundamental part of it. That was the second class to enter the institute. Karine had been part of the first and was the only one to choose to continue.

Things would be very different this time according to Cassandra, thanks to the mutant prodigy's inventions. The androids and artificial intelligence developed by the young woman made the whole process much more automated and restricted. Cassandra no longer needed the help of a staff connected to Alchemax Industries, one of the main developers of the project. Just her and Karine were enough. The project was almost closed after the graduation of the first class.

Cassandra had not managed to cultivate a strong enough feeling between them to cement the creation of a team of heroes that could defend Europe in case of attacks. The United States owned the Avengers, but the European Parliament urgently wanted a group it could direct at close quarters. It wasn't easy for her to convince them to give her the opportunity to create this team. And four years later, she still hadn't shown significant progress. Not only was her chance slipping away, but closing the institute would also mean the end of the diplomatic immunity granted to her. They still didn't know exactly who Cassandra Nova was. But the acts committed by her would never be forgotten.

Karine watched the new students wake up through her augmented reality lens. Each student would encounter one of her "blobs" - small floating robots purposely built as cute spheres. They were cute, at least in Karine's eyes. They would serve as personal assistants to the students, always guiding them through the halls, reminding them of their schedules, and keeping records. The girl couldn't wait to meet them in person. She and Cassandra handpicked them. All with unlimited potential to become great heroes. But some with powers with the reach to wreak an even greater disaster than her last gang.

[Euphoria]

POLTERGEIST

_{DEC 17 2022 | Unknown place}

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<sup>Otto's spirit floated face to face with his own body. Something was preventing him from leaving. There was no calm, placid expression on his sleeping face. A daze he didn't seem to recognize overcame him. When looking around he didn't identify where he was. He tried to remember how he got there, but the last thing he could remember was going to bed with a college classmate. There was something, a message from his father, the contents of which escaped his mind. He knew he would leave when he remembered walking into Lionel's room. But he couldn't remember where to. As he watched his own sleeping body, he also didn't recognize the clothes that covered it. A pair of pants and shirt in a thick, white, fleece-like fabric with an almost antiseptic appearance.

With some effort, he was able to more effectively detach himself from his body to explore his surroundings. As he floated through the door, he found himself in a hallway with rooms with an entrance identical to the one he had left. Curious, he entered the first one and came across a girl with short black hair, fair skin, and a few piercings on her face. She wore the same tracksuit as him. The rooms, as little as he could remember, were the same. No big difference. He tried to recall if he was in a hotel or retreat, but he felt that was not the case. While exploring the other rooms, he found some other people. All dressed the same. He questioned his vision as he saw one of them with blue skin and the other with a pair of horns. He wondered if the four-armed girl was truly a person or one of the spirits he usually encountered.

Even stranger than those people was the lack of spirits in the room, he had realized. He couldn't remember such an empty spot since he'd discovered his gift. The few souls he saw hid from him. Maybe, they weren't used to seeing a person who could look back at them. Like a magnetic wave, he had felt his body waking up. He could resist and maintain in astral projection. But he had decided to go back and find out what was happening. He was sure that as soon as he looked at the recent photos of his neglected iPhone XR, he would remember how he got there. Maybe he'd had more than enough to drink after all.

"Alexa, play the Gimme Gimme Gimme remix on YouTube Music." Said Otto as he returned to his body. His muscles felt tired, and his head was extremely clumsy. He had never felt a hangover like this. Maybe someone had drugged him to drink the night before.

"I'm not Alexa, but I can play a song if you want." The boy looked up and saw a small metallic sphere floating above him. Startled, he threw one of the pillows within his reach at the thing that didn't seem to move a millimeter.

"Don't worry, Mr. Whitestone. I'll be your personal assistant while you're at the Istituto Nova per Giovani Eccezionali." The robot said explaining itself. 'Istituto Nova.' Otto remembered that name. His father's message on the phone seemed clearer. Now he remembered that the only reason he'd agreed to go out with Lionel was the fact he was going to spend some time in seclusion on a military program in the Italian countryside. He also remembered something about memory loss. But he wasn't certain.

"I hope your transfer was smooth and that you were able to get enough rest." Otto still wasn't sure if the floating metal ball was a robot or if it was a speaker and someone was talking through it. The voice sounded very human. Alexa could never. "Actually, I need to ask you to get dressed and to change for the opening event. You will have time to shower if you wish."

Otto did not object. He felt like he needed a shower to soothe his muscles. He felt extraordinarily tense. Glancing in the mirror he noticed how deep and purple his eyes looked. He took off his clothes with some difficulty. He hadn't stopped to realize how luxurious the place he was in was. He had grown up surrounded by fine items and knew how to recognize the level of detail and finish in the room. From the millimeter cut of marble to temperature-regulated lamps. The touch of hot water felt like a refuge. He still wasn't sure why he was there. But now he was resigned. He remembered his father's angry glare telling him he had a "duty to collaborate with international security". And that it was the least he could do after "electrocuting James Klark" all those years ago.

There was a wardrobe full of his clothes. Apparently, the staff at Istituto Nova had taken care of everything. The boy dressed and went to the room indicated by his robotic assistant where he found half the people he had seen in the other rooms.</sup>

[Blizz]

F I N G E R T R A P

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Carrie dreamt of fire. It had been the only thing on her mind in recent days, only tonight, the dreams lasted longer, and they felt warmer. It was like she was there again, scuttling through clouds of smoke to pull her mother from the burning house that claimed her life. She wasn’t reliving the events, no, she was dreaming of them; Dwelling on the memories of that evening and their finality. She hadn’t realized she was dreaming until she woke up from a particularly heavy night of sleep.

A message on her phone. It was jarring, but out of sheer habit, Carrie hauled herself out of the bed she was in, into a standing position at which point she realized she was less awake than usual, and not at home. Carrie flicked her eyes across the room she was in, and felt confused. It was an awfully fancy room, better than anything she had at- Oh.

Right.

Carrie grabbed her phone and looked at who texted her. No recipient. It was a video, she opened her phone and saw that it was her consenting to being taken here. It made sense now, her memory was starting to come back, and Carrie remembered that she met someone from here. What were their names? One sounded like hers, the other was a longer name… Kassidy? Karen? It would probably come to her at some point. Carrie slid the phone into a pocket and continued looking around, getting more used to her surroundings when something chirped at her.

She turned and saw a floating object that looked like it had a pug’s face. Big eyes, stubby nose, maybe not like a pug. It looked funny, though. ”The hell is-“ Carrie was stopped when the ugly little machine starting blurting out words. “Ms. Mullen” this, and “personal assistant” that. So it was a robot. Like an Alexa or something. Pretty cool, actually. Then it told her to get dressed and get moving. Well, okay then.

Carrie spent the next 30 minutes looking through what she had with her and taking a shower. It was pretty easy to “put on her face” as they said when she had four hands to work with. One hand to comb her hair back, two fidgeting with a shirt and the other holding her phone watching the full video of her consent. This room she had to herself was nice. Back home, if you turned the sink on then the shower would lose water pressure for a while, but that didn’t seem to happen here. Whoever stole Carrie away to- where were they again? Italy? Wherever they were, someone seemed to snatch up a lot of her belongings beforehand. She even had the jacket she used for blending in back home. Carrie recalled that there would be other mutants here, so she wondered if she would actually need it.

Then again, she didn’t actually know anyone here, and it felt weird being away from home, let alone in another country.

She put it on anyway, a large, old Carhartt jacket that would definitely look out of place in a place as fancy as this. Carrie slid her front arms through the sleeves and folded her back arms so they wrapped across her stomach. She then zipped it halfway up. To someone else, it would have seemed strange, but Carrie felt comfortable putting it on; From what little she knew about this place, there would be strangers around. While she didn’t mind strangers, she wanted to seem normal at first. Hopefully no one would say anything about that, right?

Right?

Carrie asked to funny-looking robot for directions and headed that way, towards where other people- other mutants would be.

C L O U D C H A S E R

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In times of waking up in a strange room with a lack of your own memories, there were usually one of two things that a person did.

In case number one, the first instinct was to simply lie there as you took in your surroundings, looking around and seeing where everything was as you tried to rouse your brain into remembering just what the hell transpired in the correct sequence that could possibly lead you to this exact situation. The other thing people usually did in this situation was the get up and panic, knowing that something had to be terrible wrong if they went to sleep and woke up in a place not even remotely familiar to them. Nathan Kay, being an individual possessed of immaculate individually, did both. When he opened his eyes, he was expecting to see swirls of colors that he had seen countless times before, and while Nathan did see swirls of colors, they weren't quite the swirls he was used to seeing. The vague shapes that the colors curved around were not the curves he recognized in his mind. This was not a place of familiarity any more than the feeling of absolute fatigue was familiar.

Nathan didn't stand up or roll out of bed upon realizing this. No, his first inclination was to stare forward and assess the situation: He felt like shit, like he was drugged. What was he doing before this? He was in a public setting... Something with a lot of people in a crowd... Where? Nathan couldn't remember. Could it be that someone had found him? Was this some kind of imprisonment for his actions in the past? Had Blackhawk not been-

Blackhawk. Cloudchaser. Candles, sadness, Jotun. Something stirred in Nathan's head. He could swear he remembered something. He met somebody, and that was related to him coming here. Rather than stand up, he floated up. Directly up out of the bed and into a cross-legged position a few feet above the bed he was in. The room proceeded to shake slightly as he stretched his powers outwards to better understand the room. A door, windows, a bed, and... Something mutant-related. When Nathan turned, he could see something floating by his bed, it glowed like a person but it was shaped more like a trash can. Patterns danced across it like an ocean of white hypercubes shrinking and growing infinitely. Mutants. Mutants Mu- Nathan had seen that pattern once already, someone else had it. Who was she? Karen?

"Do not be alarmed, Mr. Kay. I am your personal assistant while you are attending Istituto Nova per Giovani Eccezionali. If you are struggling, I am a robot. Not a mutant." That lifted some of the fog out of Nathan's mind, he came here willingly. He was told this was a safe place for mutants.

"Okay... I remember this. Yeah- Yeah, I get it now. Okay, robot. Now what."

"There will be an event taking place soon, which you will be required to attend. You have time. If you would like, I can accompany you until you're adjusted to the surroundings."

"Nah, I got it. Just tell me where to go."

The robot gave Nathan the directions after he grabbed a shower, at which point he found the door and floated his way through the halls. He could see faint traces where another mutant had flown through the walls, which would hopefully be there when he came back so he could find his way room easily. He passed by other mutants, and it was very clear that he himself was one with the way his feet didn't touch the ground and the way his eyes fumed with white smoke. He was starting to remember things more now, and had a feeling that this would be a good things. Nathan had been drifting aimlessly for a while before he came here, and honestly, he wasn't sure he was even going to eat that day. As long as those people he met beforehand agreed not to spill secrets ahead of his own decision, this would be easy. He felt confident.

Eventually he found a room with some other mutants... One glowed with a pattern that didn't stay the same, and another looked like the was made of Lichtenburg scars twisting around each other in the shape of limbs It was almost blinding to see this many mutants in the same room at once after so long. There was a third who looked as if she was a mix of both other mutants. Everything else was a murky blur to Nathan. Not that this was unusual.

"Yo." Was all he said, as he took a spot by some chairs, floating above the ground in a cross-legged position. Others in the room might have noticed a faint trace of something moving through the room, like a weak brush of the wind or something prickling against their skin.

[The Man Emperor]

Daybringer

---

---

Isaak groaned as the lithe robot chimed in, reminding him to get up. How long has it been, anyway? He couldn’t quite remember; the memory erasure that the Instit… insut… ah, what was it? Instituto? Institute? Whatever it is, anyway. They removed the memories of how he and the other mutants got here to begin with, all in the name of safety. That was reasonable, he supposed, as he painfully got off from the bed and began fixing the ravaged sheets.

“Ay, Alexa,” he called out the floating spherical machine, which reminded him of those drones that Stark Industries liked to use, “Can you play, ah, the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Yes, yes, the 3 hour version. Just keep it on while I prepare for the classes eh?”

The robot nodded with its deceptively adorable big eyes… or photoreceptors? It almost looked like a pug that had sought the purity of cold steel and became one with the machine gods. Well, he had a pug once, too, but he was given away to some French person.

And so he began his morning rites.

All of that preparation took about 45 minutes. Isaak took his sweet time taking his breakfast, which was composed of some pasta and some french toast. He contemplated while he showered, though he wasn’t sure what he was pondering about to begin with. Or if he was actually thinking about something during those moments. It was most likely that he stared at the wall for no particular reason at all.

When he was more or less done, Isaak finally took a moment to comb his hair. He had grown it out somewhat, but it sometimes just obstructed his eyes when he hadn’t fixed it specifically. Sighing at himself in the mirror, Isaak combed the hair into a sideways swipe. He didn’t apply anything other than that.

Finally, Isaak donned his white hoodie. He looked more or less just an ordinary guy for his age, with the jeans and glasses… though he had boots, as if he was expecting it to rain. That, and he was holding a dragon headed cane, which he used to safely channel his mutant power.

After a few more moments, he finally strode out of the room. Sure enough, someone else was already in the hallway. A girl… what was her name again? Oh, right, Carrie?

“Good morning,” Isaak greeted, walking towards her while gesturing along the length of the hallway. “I trust we are going the right way to the classes?”

[Martian]

^{G E M I N I}

---

Thom couldn’t move as the brick burst through the window. He had seen this particular memory many a time, but it still hit him like a train every time he relived it. Thom’s gathered family and friends let out the same yelp as the anti-semitic action that changed his life happened again.

The shock of this experience once again released Ezra from his dormant state. The energy twin burst forth from the body of the thirteen year old Thom, shocking everyone in attendance at the sight of this mutant power. Thom’s eyes locked onto Ezra, the physical twin begging in his mind to escape from this repeated event.

After what felt like several minutes, Thom finally got his body to move, turning away from his family and dashing out of the room. Only to wake up in a jolt on an unfamiliar bed. For a few seconds he wondered if this was the bed in his new apartment in Paris, which was essentially still an unfamiliar bed. But a quick glance around the room, Thom’s still droopy from sleep, showed that this was somewhere else.

As Thom looked all around the room in confusion, he finally noticed that Ezra was floating above him near the ceiling. Apparently releasing him in a dream released him in real life. But as Thom looked at his energy twin, he realized that Ezra was asleep while separated from Thom. This had only a handful of times in the past, as it usually required both twins allowing the release.

“Ezra?” Thom muttered, his mouth still dry from a deep sleep.

An almost unnoticeable shift appeared on Ezra’s head. Most people wouldn’t be able to notice it as Ezra appeared as static like energy. But Thom had been around his brother long enough to be able to notice the slight variation in Ezra’s energy. His body stiffening before a challenge, the faintest of smiles, or right now the opening of his eyes.

“Huh? Thom, where are we?” asked the ethereal voice of Ezra, “And what are you wearing?”

Thom changed his gaze from the ceiling back down to his bed. Sure enough, Thom was wearing a set of simple white colored shirt and pants. They immediately reminded Thom of hospital clothing. Anxiety rushed through Thom’s body.

“Were we in an accident?” questioned Thom, scanning his body for any kind of mark, “Do you remember anything Ezra?”

With a frown that only Thom could notice, Ezra replied, “Last thing I recall is us returning to the apartment in Paris after the busker festival. I don’t remember anything of us being hurt or sick.”

“I can confirm that neither of you are injured or sick,” said a voice coming from the corner of the room.

Thom whipped out of bed, seeing a small metal sphere floating closer to his bed. Ezra immediately positioned himself in-between Thom and the sphere, energy crackling in his hands.

“We’ve seen one too many sci-fi movies to know not to trust the mysterious robot,” Ezra stated.

“Or it could just be a Stark drone?” theorized Thom, “I’ve heard that they are quite widespread now.”

“I can confirm that I am neither a mysterious robot or a Stark drone,” the sphere stated, “I am a proprietary design of Istituto Nova per Giovani Eccezionali. I am to be your assistant while you study here.”

The mention of the Istituto Nova caused some of the fog to lift within Thom’s mind. He remembered just arriving in Paris, going to the apartment he rented, only to find an invitation. While he had never heard of the school before, it seems that they had heard quite a deal about Thom.

It was the offer to train with and perfect his mutant powers that hooked Thom and Ezra. The notion of mastering his powers brought back thoughts of wanting to join Alpha Flight, of Guardian telling him he wasn’t ready.

Thom’s musings were cut short by the sound of a chime. Glancing over to the nightstand next to his bed, Thom found his phone. Sure enough it had gotten a text. The thing was it didn’t show that it was from anyone. The text itself just consisted of a video.

The video itself was of Thom, clearly back in Paris, consenting for the Istituto staff to drug him so that he couldn’t remember the way to the school. As the video finished, Thom looked over to the sphere assistant, more understanding evident in his eyes.

“So I guess we’re starting at a new school,” said Thom to Ezra, “Should be interesting since everyone else is a mutant.”

“Yes, your classmates are mutants as well,” explained the sphere, “And you will meet them very soon. A meeting is happening down the hall for which you are required to attend. But before that, feel free to shower and change. You will find the washroom and closet fully stocked for your needs.”

“Great, cause I feel grimy,” said Thom as he got out of bed, “Would you mind returning Ezra?”

Ezra nodded, though again only Thom would be able to notice it, before flying back into Thom’s body. The recombined twins then entered the washroom, peeling off the white shirt and pants. Thom then found the shower to be state of the art, with things like temperature controls and different water pressures. It was a far cry from the small apartment in Paris he had rented, where the washroom hadn’t been updated in several decades.

After an intense scrubbing, Thom finally felt clean enough to present himself. Wrapped in a towel, Thom opened the closet, only to find it comprised of his own clothing. Like everything that had been in his apartment.

Deciding not to question it, Thom through on a dark red turtleneck and a pair of gray jeans. After styling his hair somewhat in the mirror, Thom turned to the robot assistant.

“So where exactly are we going?” asked Thom.

The sphere replied by giving a simple set of instructions. Apparently the meeting room wasn’t so far away. Thanking the little floating robot, Thom left his quarters. Following the assistant bot’s directions exactly, Thom came upon a room full of what looked to be other students.

Initially, Thom was wondering what there powers could be, until he saw a four-armed girl. Which probably meant her powers were having four arms.

<<Stop staring,>> said Ezra telepathically to Thom, <<You don’t like it when people stare at me.>>

<<Sorry,>> Thom replied in his mind, <<It’s just I’ve never been around so many other mutants before.>>

Thom then made a distinctive decision to not look at anyone, instead diverting his eyes to look at the door to the room. Whoever was supposed to officiate this meeting had yet to arrive.