I don't own anything except any original character and/or any original plot

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Chapter Nineteen: Cure

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"Is this really necessary?" I poked my head through the space between the two front seats.

"You're getting help," my dad stated in determination, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"Oh, I know that. I meant is it necessary to have Peter come with us."

"Hey!"

"Aunt May is out and she told us to watch Peter because apparently he's seven. We're just doing what she said."

"When did you even get May's number?"

"I ran into her at the store and we went out for coffee. We're best friends," Mom smirked.

I crossed my arms and slid down in my seat. My mom turned up the volume on the car bluetooth, 'THE Playlist' playing in the background.

"I'm not that bad," Peter mumbled, sinking down as well.

"Of course you aren't," I jumped to reassure him, "I'm not worried about you, I'm worried what the X-Men could do to you. They're deadly."

"Are they gonna kill me?"

"Only Logan or Wade would do that on purpose but they're cool most of the time," I shrugged.

After listening to nearly half of the songs on THE Playlist we pulled up at the school. I smiled when Peter stared out his window in awe. Mutants laughing and being themselves was a refreshing sight compared to normal high school.

As soon as I stepped out of the car the X-Men ran out of the school and pulled me into a large group hug. All except Logan who waited until everyone stepped back to give me a pat on the shoulder.

While the group was catching up with my parents Ororo noticed Peter waiting quietly by the car.

"So this is Peter," she stated.

"It's- It's nice to meet you," Peter stuttered out.

"Welcome to our school."

"(Y/n), Hank is ready in the lab. Mr. Parker, you are welcome to come along. Perhaps you will learn more about our kind on the way."

My parents stayed behind with the others to continue their catch up. He led Peter and I through the halls to the hidden elevator that led to the basement floor. There, the Professor brought us to the med-bay where Hank was getting his equipment ready.

"Alright (Y/n), so I'll need a sample of your blood and I'll put that through the examiner so we can find out what your cells are doing that is causing your pain. It shouldn't take very long."

Hank held up a long, thin needle. I tensed. I wasn't necessarily scared of needles, but that didn't mean they didn't make me nervous. Moving to the closest chair, I held out my arm.

I jumped when the needle penetrated my skin, looking at Peter for comfort. He smiled reassuringly and grabbed the hand of the arm that wasn't getting blood drawn from.

"So you finally told your parents about the pain you were going through," Professor X stated. It was a statement. Not a question.

"If you knew why didn't you say anything?" I watched as Hank placed the blood sample beneath a microscopic scanner.

"While I knew that your mutation had a side effect I could never figure out how much it harmed you. From what your parents told me it was quite a lot. I also felt that pushing you to speak about it would only push you away."

Nodding, I lowered my gaze. All the sound in the lab was coming from the machine Hank was running my blood through. Thanks to how advanced the equipment was, he came back with the results in a few minutes.

"I have good news, and bad news."

"Bad news first. That way we get it over with."

"You'll have to not use your mutation for a week, no matter what," Hank used his doctor voice, "The good news is that you won't have to worry about your mutation bothering you after that."

"What exactly has been going on with my mutation?"

Hank pulled up the results of the scan on one of the screens, pointing out different cell formations.

"These right here are clumps of bacteria attacking your mutated cells. When your mutated cells are active, they scare away the bacteria. But when they aren't, the bacteria attack the cells until they activate again. That created a cycle. Your immune system hasn't dealt with the bacteria because it doesn't recognize it. This is a mutated illness for mutated cells."

"And how is not using my mutation going to stop them? Wouldn't it just kill my mutated cells?"

"It's like killing off cold germs. While the bad cells are scared off, the energy your mutated cells give off is what feeds them. Taking away their food source kills them off. I can give you something to numb the pain but you'll have to stay conscious through it."

Groaning I threw my head back. I could barely handle that day, much less an entire week of excruciating pain. But when I thought back to the dark dream I had, I knew pressure points weren't an option again. Whatever I had done to be sent there, I wasn't going to do it again.

The Professor's wheelchair screen beeped. He read it over, then wheeled over to me and Peter.

"I have guests arriving to discuss something with you. Hank, perhaps you could show Peter the technology in the lab, I've heard he's quite fond of it," Professor X suggested.

"I'll be back soon," I assured Peter. I leaned up to his ear and whispered, "Hank is one of the nice ones. You'll live."

Leaving the lab and taking the elevator again, the Professor and I walked/wheeled into his office. I was shocked to find Tony reading over the books he had on his shelf.

"Stark? What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"I wanted to be the school, make a donation. That and the Professor and I got to talking, and he found this wizard person, why doesn't he just explain it actually, it'd make more sense."

"I have made contact with a sorcerer at the New York sanctum of magic. His name is-"

"Doctor Strange," a man in a red cloak entered through a glowing portal that reminded me of Blink's, "Sorry I'm late. We had an issue with an artifact."

"Doctor Strange? As in Doctor Stephen Strange? I read about your crash. My mom works with Rachel."

"Yes, well, that crash changed quite a few things."

"No shit Sherlock," Tony muttered, crossing his arms, "That's why you put an AI in your car."

Tony and Strange exchanged glares. They just met and there already tension between them.

"I'm past the crash now. I've come to talk to you about something else. Your ability to heal. You see, there is a mystical and scientific side to every mutation, why I'm still researching, but either way that means they follow the rules of balance."

"Right. My theory is that damaged cells from the person's body exchange with healthy cells from mine. When I heal myself, they simply spread farther."

"Correct, however, it isn't that simple. Whenever you heal someone you are taking their damaged cells into your body, but your exchanging- the easiest way to say it is 'life forces' with them."

"It's an eye for an eye situation," Tony simplified.

I let out a small 'huh'. I was aware of the backlash of healing, but I wasn't aware I was giving up a piece of myself and exchanging it when I did so.

"(Y/n), you must be careful who you heal and why," Professor X warned.

"I will be, don't worry. No healing someone who can't be saved," the thought of not being to save an innocent person to save myself gripped my heart.

"Good, you can go collect your friends and your parents. I have a few things I must show Mr Stark but I will be there for the goodbyes."

Professor X and Tony left the study. Doctor Strange circled his hand and made another portal. I spoke up before he could leave.

"Doctor, I have something I need to ask you. When I knocked myself out the first time I twisted a pressure point. When I was out I had a dream, but it didn't feel like a dream."

"It was Stomach Nine wasn't it?" I nodded, "Twisting that pressure point triggered your astral form, making it leave your body. When your body was moved your form must have moved as well. Who taught you how to do that? It's a magic technique."

"Wade. Of course he knows about magic."

"Yes, Deadpool," Strange grimaced at the name, "He's quite a pest. Anyway, if that's all then-"

"Actually, I have one more question. How far can my healing power go?" I thought back to the second portion of my dream. Peter and Tony dying right in front of me.

"As far as you can throw it. You could potentially bring back the dead if they died recently. But you understand what it would cost you, don't you?"

"What if, hypothetically, a person was disappearing and there wasn't anything for me to heal?"

Strange hummed thoughtfully, "That's a good question. One I'm not sure I have the answer to. Perhaps you could keep the cells together until they've healed, or it will be happening too quickly for action. Goodbye (Y/n), perhaps we'll meet again."

Leaving me with more questions than answer, Doctor Strange walked through his portal. I let out a sigh and left the study. I took the elevator back to the lab where Hank and Peter were having a debate over whether or not Star Trek was plausible in the future.

"Alright boys, time to go home," I gave Hank a hug, "I'll see you soon, hopefully."

"I hope so. Oh!" Hank tossed me a pile of pills from the counter, "These will bring the pain down. Take two every day when the pain is at its worst."

"Thank you again Hank," I grabbed Peter's hand and dragged him out the door before they could bring Star Wars up.

My parents were talking to Professor X and Tony when we got outside. Peter and Tony shared quick pleasantries before we shared goodbyes. The X-Men threatened Peter about hurting me and he seemed ready to crawl into a hole, but Logan didn't kill him so that was a plus.

The ride home we were listening to THE Playlist again, with Peter humming along to the songs he had learned on the way there.

We dropped Peter off at his building and we returned to our own. Setting the pills on my nightstand I got ready for bed, stopping by my parents' room to talk to them before lights were shut off.

"I need you to call me in sick for a week," I informed them.

"Alrighty, I'll do it tomorrow on the way to work," my mom assured, not questioning my motives.

"Thanks. I can't believe I'm missing exam week. It's going to suck making all those up."

"No kidding, exams are hard."

"Oh yeah, like you have to take exams," I rolled my eyes playfully at my dad's comment.

"I was a kid once, like a hundred years ago when Nirvana was cool."

"Everyone was sad about something," I chuckled, hugging my parents goodnight, "Thanks for being the being. Love you."

"Love you too kiddo."

I went back to my room and fell asleep, feeling as though all of my problems were going to turn out okay.

~*~

The next week was hell. Although the pain turned into a routine. I would wake up and enjoy the short hours I had before pain and no school, then I would lie in bed the rest of the afternoon waiting for the time I felt I was going to die so I could take my pills.

Peter, Ned, Harry, and MJ would text me regularly. In the groupchat or personally. Harry joked that I was avoiding the post-breakup awkwardness, Ned sent me memes, MJ gave me book suggestions, and Peter did a little bit of everything, visiting me as Spider-Man when he could.

On those nights we would sit on my bed together and discuss theories on the Green Goblin with Shane Dawson playing in the background. He made me forget about the pain while he was there, always leaving with encouraging words.

I kept track of the days like my life depended on it. Slowly, I felt myself getting better as well. The first few days were the worst, but the less I gave in to using my mutation, the shorter the hurt lasted. It became less and less intense. Eventually, it disappeared altogether and I could go back to school again.

"Oh my God, you're alive!" MJ beamed, giving one of her rare smiles.

"Surprise surprise," I laughed, holding out my arms to hug her.

Soon the boys approached us, expressing their relief at my health as well. All of us talked as long as we could before we had to go to class. I forgot all about my worry over my out-of-body experience and when it did come up randomly, I pushed it to the back of my mind. Nothing like that would happen. Earth had its fair share of aliens already and even with the Avengers fractured, we'd survive.

Though Peter and I were holding off a conversation about what we were with everything going on, the talk was inevitable, and though it was a source of some anxiety, I couldn't wait.