Xavier hadn't yet become the moral paragon he'd be famous for in the future, still had that youthful idealism that made him think every problem could be solved with understanding and compassion.
But that was exactly why he couldn't join Mario's operation.
The "savior complex" was already showing. Give it a few years and he would be preaching about how even vampires deserved redemption, how every monster was just misunderstood. Mario would end up having to put him down, and that would be a whole mess he didn't need.
Xavier walked over to where Erik lay unconscious on the ground. "What happened to him?"
Raven glanced at Mario. When he didn't object, she explained, "Just a mutant suppressant. He'll wake up soon, don't worry."
But Xavier's concern only deepened. Through telepathy, he'd seen Erik's buried secrets. Losing his powers would destroy him.
"A suppressant? Will his abilities come back?"
"They can be restored."
Raven didn't elaborate on how. Company secrets. Besides, Erik wasn't her problem. She barely knew the guy.
Mario walked over with an amused smile and crouched next to the unconscious Erik. He poked Erik's cheek with one finger.
"Take me to the mutants hiding in New York. Do that, and I'll give you the cure for the suppressant."
"You don't want Erik living in pain for the rest of his life, do you?"
Xavier stared at Mario, his fists clenching involuntarily. Something about this guy just made him want to punch that smug face.
"Can't you promise me—"
"No." Mario's expression went cold. "Professor Xavier, you need to understand something. When I'm in a good mood, I draw one vial of blood. When I'm in a bad mood, I drain it all. Negotiations only work when both sides have equal leverage. And right now? You've got nothing I want except access to your mutant network."
With that, he stood and headed into the mansion. There was another mutant inside, Beast. His powers weren't particularly important, but his scientific expertise was invaluable. The guy was basically Xavier's entire R&D department rolled into one furry blue package.
Xavier watched Mario disappear into the building. Only after Mario was out of sight did he turn to Raven.
"Help me with him."
With the powered armor's assistance, Raven grabbed Erik by the collar and lifted him one-handed like a piece of luggage.
"Where do you want him?"
Xavier sighed. "Follow me."
The nano-armor's boots clicked against the stone floor as Raven carried the unconscious Erik through the mansion. The sound echoed in the empty hallways.
"Don't provoke him."
Xavier glanced back, surprised by the warning in her tone.
Raven continued, "His power is beyond anything you can imagine. Just do what he says. As long as you don't piss him off, he's actually reasonable."
"Where did they take you?"
Raven shook her head without answering.
"Were you being held against your will?"
"I don't even know what that place was..." She hadn't been restricted, exactly, but the planet she'd been on was 95% robots. The only living humans she'd encountered were lab researchers and Ivan, who'd come to gather information about mutants.
They arrived at a simple guest room. Xavier pushed open the door, revealing basic furniture and nothing else.
"Just put him on the bed."
Thud.
Raven tossed Erik onto the mattress, then turned to Xavier.
"Who is he to you?"
Xavier didn't notice the edge in her voice, too focused on Erik's unconscious form.
"His name is Erik. He's also a mutant, he can control magnetic forces. I saved him from Shaw when I was helping the CIA capture Hellfire Club members."
"So you've got feelings for him?"
Xavier nearly choked on his own breath. "What?! No! That's not—"
Looking up at Raven's dead-serious expression, he stood quickly and raised his hands defensively. "My orientation is completely normal. There's nothing wrong with me in that department. I just learned about his tragic past through telepathy. I wanted to help him, that's all."
Raven stared deep into Xavier's eyes. At that moment, she desperately wished she had telepathic powers herself.
"You better not. Even if you fool around, don't pick a man."
She paused, then added for good measure: "And even if you do pick a man, don't be the bottom."
Xavier stared at her in bewilderment. "What do you think is going on in my head?"
His telepathy was useless on her while she wore that collar, so he couldn't even defend himself properly.
That's when Mario's voice came through Raven's communicator.
"Raven, is the professor with you? Ask him if he wants to go find the New York mutants now, or if he'd rather stay here and nurse his boyfriend. If it's the latter, just give me the addresses and I'll handle it myself."
Raven looked up at Xavier.
"I'm going with him," Xavier said immediately.
If he didn't go, any mutants they found would end up claimed by Mario's organization instead of his.
He gave Raven a pleading look. "Can you watch over Erik? When he wakes up and realizes he's lost his powers, he's going to be emotional. Please just keep him calm until I get back."
Raven nodded and pressed her communicator. "Xavier says he's coming with you."
"Good. I'll be right there."
Mario cut the connection, tossed a vial of blood into his inventory, then handed the pre-arranged suppressant cure to McCoy.
"Give me a copy of your research data on curing mutant genes."
McCoy accepted the suppressant. "Of course! I'll need some time to organize the files, though."
He had been researching a cure for mutant genes for years. He was sick of his deformed feet. Unfortunately, instead of a cure, he'd developed an enhancement serum. Originally only his feet were mutated. After injecting the serum, he'd transformed completely into a blue-furred "Beast."
"Think about my offer. I can arrange a job for you. One that actually uses your talents properly."
---
Screech.
The car lurched to a stop in front of a strip club, the tires protesting loudly.
Mario groaned and rubbed his temples. "Did you pass your driving test? Or did you just telepathically convince the examiner you could drive?"
Xavier's vintage car was pure torture. Zero comfort or suspension, and apparently zero concern for traffic laws.
"Thank God it's 1962," Mario muttered as he climbed out. "Modern traffic laws would've gotten us arrested ten minutes ago."
Xavier looked confused by the comment, but Mario was already heading toward the entrance, studying the list of addresses in his hand.
The neon sign above the door flickered: PARADISE FOUND - GENTLEMEN'S CLUB
"God bless America," Mario said with feeling.
He followed Xavier into the establishment. Pounding music assaulted his ears while the "entertainment" assaulted his eyeballs.
Xavier scanned the room and pointed toward a woman dancing on the main stage. "That's her."
Mario nodded. The mutant Salvador was working enthusiastically behind the bar, completely unaware she'd become the target of two men.
Salvador's mutation granted her flight through cicada-like wings that normally appeared as tattoos on her back. She could also spit superheated saliva, decent for self-defense, useless for her current employment. Maybe because it was daytime, the bar area wasn't crowded. They found two empty seats and settled in.
Xavier leaned close. "We'll need to talk to her privately."
He pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and held it up conspicuously.
Salvador's eyes locked onto the money immediately. She swayed over to their spot and crouched down in front of them, all smiles.
Plucking the bill from Xavier's fingers, she purred, "Well hello, handsome. With money like that... You can enjoy a private dance in the back room."
She stepped down from the bar and gestured for them to follow.
Mario started to stand, but Xavier grabbed his arm.
"First time in a strip club?"
"Of course. If you hadn't dragged me here, I would never set foot in a place like this."
Mario put on his most offended expression.
Even without reading Mario's memories, Xavier knew the guy wasn't exactly monogamous. But first time in a strip club? That he believed.
"You can't just walk into the private room. We need to buy drinks first. What do you want?"
"Whatever."
Soon they were in what the club generously called a "private room," really just a partitioned booth with sliding glass doors. The music from the main floor still thundered through the walls.
Mario and Xavier reclined on the couch while Salvador entered carrying a small bucket of ice and wine, closing the door behind her.
"Double the usual rate for two people."
Before Xavier could negotiate, Mario pulled out a thick stack of bills and slapped it on the small table. Today he wanted to see exactly how far Salvador would go.
"Money's not a problem. Take whatever you think your performance is worth."
Mario watched her with the focused intensity of a man conducting scientific research. He refused to believe someone with special abilities would strip completely naked just for cash.
He was wrong.
The moment that $5,000 hit the table, she turned and pulled the curtains shut. Then, fixed her eyes on Mario, she said, "If it were just you, you could do anything you wanted."
She started dancing, moving closer to Mario. Within moments, the few clothes she wore came off until only one piece remained.
Xavier sat frozen beside them, eyes wide as he stared at Mario. He didn't say anything, but his expression screamed: You're going through with this?!
Mario smiled slightly and addressed Salvador. "That's not what I want to see. I want to see your wings."
Salvador's movements stopped abruptly. She blinked in confusion, then her expression shifted to disdain. "I just stripped down and you're telling me you want to see my wings?"
Perhaps Xavier provided some telepathic explanation, because the tattoo on Salvador's back suddenly detached from her skin, transforming into transparent cicada wings that began fluttering rapidly.
Xavier smiled with relief. "How about I introduce you to a job where you don't need to take your clothes off?"
"Sure."
---
Mario and Xavier drove Salvador back to the school.
Standing at the mansion gates, Mario idly toyed with a vial of blood in his hand.
"You can't do this. She's one of my people," Xavier said with distress.
Mario's hand paused. "You can't control me, but you could easily control Salvador, couldn't you? You were watching even harder than I was back there. Now suddenly you remember she's your people? Put your hand on your heart and ask yourself that question again."
Xavier's face turned bright red. He straightened his spine defensively. "I don't casually use my abilities on people."
"Right. Good point. I'm heading back."
Mario patted Xavier on the shoulder, then found a suitable spot nearby. He dug out a small underground chamber, placed a waystone, and returned to Endstar.
He was heading toward the biological lab to deliver McCoy and Salvadore's blood samples to Banner when a robot intercepted him.
Ivan's voice emerged from the machine's speakers. "The Ravagers sent information about Rocket and Groot, along with their current coordinates."
Mario's face lit up immediately. "Prep the fastest ship we've got. I'm leaving now."
The universe was vast, even leaving immediately, there was no guarantee he'd find Rocket. But it was worth the attempt.
He shoved the blood samples into the robot's hands. "Give these to Banner."
A flight platform descended in front of him. Mario stepped onto it and headed toward the spacecraft docks.
From a distance he could see Ivan waiting beside a sleek ship.
"I want to come with you."
Ever since he had met Rocket, he'd been obsessed. Now that there was intel on the raccoon's location, he looked excited.
The sight amused Mario. Who would've thought a hardened Russian weapons designer could get so attached to a tiny raccoon?
"Sure. I could use a pilot anyway. Let's go find your furry friend."
The two boarded the ship and launched into deep space.