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"Where am I...?"
Logan awoke to find Clark and Charles sitting by his bed.
"Looks like you're okay," Clark said.
"Where's Rogue? How is she?" Logan's first thought was of Rogue, even though she was the one who had rendered him unconscious.
"She's fine," Charles reassured him. "She's already back in her room."
Logan let out a breath of relief. Even though he had recovered, he could still feel a profound sense of weakness. The experience gave him a new understanding of why Rogue felt the need to cover herself completely.
"Her ability is to absorb life force through skin contact," Charles explained. "If the person she touches is a mutant, she also absorbs their powers."
A shiver of fear ran through Logan. "She almost killed me..."
"If the contact had lasted longer, yes," Charles confirmed.
With Logan stable, everyone returned to their rooms, including Clark. The academy had arranged a new room for him and Benjamin, but neither father nor son had any intention of resting. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Benjamin hesitated before speaking.
"Clark, can you tell me what you've been through?"
Benjamin knew his son was a boy who feared pain. Despite his strength, he used to cry in his mother's arms after a simple scraped knee. Charles had told him that when they found Clark, he was covered in burns and had a broken neck.
Benjamin couldn't bear to imagine what had happened to his son to make him so resilient. Others might see this as growth, but Benjamin felt only deep pain.
"Dad..."
Clark saw the worry in his father's eyes. He told him everything, from traveling to the world of DC Comics to his adventures there. Benjamin had heard from Richard that his son was the Superman from the comics, but hearing Clark's own account of a world where Superman was real was still shocking.
"A parallel world?" Benjamin asked. "Do you think you could travel through time again?"
Clark explained that the time travel had happened without warning, and he had no idea why. "I don't know, but it's very likely."
Benjamin was lost in thought for a moment before making a decision. Parker Biotech was already well-established in the field of biology. He had been looking for a new direction for the company, and now he knew. He would venture into high-tech development, not for money, but to ensure his son's safety. He kept this to himself, knowing it would only make Clark feel guilty.
"Get some rest, Clark. We're going home tomorrow. Your mom has made all your favorite dishes, and your Aunt Mary is about to give birth."
The mention of Mary's pregnancy was old news to Clark, a fact known before his unexpected trip. The name of his future brother had already been decided: Peter Parker. The name sounded ordinary, but for some reason, it felt incredibly familiar to Clark.
The night passed quickly. The next afternoon, after confirming that Magneto was unaware of Clark's presence, Benjamin planned to leave with his son. This was also what Charles advised. With the X-Men and Magneto on the verge of conflict, it was best for Clark to stay out of it, especially since he wasn't a mutant and wasn't Magneto's target.
"Dad, wait a second. I need to find someone," Clark said.
Benjamin knew Clark was worried about Rogue and wanted to say goodbye. He was proud of his son's kindness.
"I'll wait here for you," Benjamin said.
Clark nodded and headed for the lawn, where he thought Rogue was sitting. But when he got there, she was nowhere to be found.
"Did she go back to her room?"
He used his x-ray vision to scan the building for her, but while he didn't find Rogue, he did spot a familiar figure at the entrance to a large underground facility.
"Hank?"
Clark's sharp memory recognized the figure as Hank McCoy, also known as Beast. But hadn't he just seen Hank at the main gate? In the next moment, the figure began to transform, its bones shifting and its body changing shape until it looked exactly like Professor X. Clark immediately knew this was an imposter. After all, Professor X needed a wheelchair to get around.