I Want to Talk to You

Donnie had assumed dinner would be a small gathering with only the professor, Jean, and a few others. As fellow high-level Mutant powerhouses, they could get acquainted through the gathering and have an easier time talking when they met in the future.

But he had not expected dinner to turn into a schoolwide carnival.

Professor X had opened up the school hall, and Mutant students from every grade had joined in. Dozens of tables had been pushed together, covered with famous delicacies from every continent and all manner of rare, unusual foods.

The air was filled with enticing aromas and brilliant colors, enough to make anyone drool.

Children and teenagers of all ages ran about amid laughter and cheers. Some crafty kids even pulled out alcohol from who knew where, drinking cup after cup until the teachers quickly shut them down.

They were not old enough to drink and would definitely be punished severely. Xavier's School's rules were strict in certain respects.

Donnie always felt that he did not belong in this kind of setting. It was certainly lively—kids of all ages running around, shouting, and smearing cake everywhere. It was fun. But Donnie still felt awkward.

As soon as he sat down, a group of troublesome boys surrounded him. They stared at him without blinking, yet none of them said a word, looking at him as though he were some rare animal.

Donnie finally snapped. "You lot, if you have questions, ask them. What's the point of just staring at me? Looking for a beating?" Their silent stares had started to creep him out.

At last, one shaggy-haired boy could not hold back any longer. He was impatient by nature and had drunk a little, so he jumped up and asked first, "Are you The Mechanic?"

What a stupid question! If I'm not, are you?

Donnie gave him a disdainful look and asked who he was.

The shaggy-haired boy introduced himself as John Eldridge. He had given himself the nickname Pyro.

"They say you killed a lot of people," John said. He was very young, impulsive, and hot-tempered, just like his fire-controlling ability. He was extremely curious about someone like Donnie.

"People? That depends on your definition of 'people.' Not long ago, I killed a guy who happened to be named John. Was he your brother?" Donnie teased, spearing a small fish with his fork and sniffing it. It smelled wonderfully fresh.

Rather than being afraid, Pyro's eyes lit up. His temperament was too restless for him to remain peacefully at school as a good student, and he longed for Donnie's life.

Another boy suddenly spoke up. "What are you going to do next? Will you keep hunting Vampires?" The calm boy introduced himself as Bobby Drake.

Donnie looked at him in surprise. News of his slaughter of Vampires had spread mostly through the dark world, while everything in the open had been suppressed by organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Council. How did this boy know?

"I know a little about hacking. I broke into some systems and found that a lot of people were talking about you. They're waiting to see what you do next," Bobby said. That was also when he learned that creatures like Vampires really existed, rather than existing only in movies and television.

The other listeners were astonished and immediately bombarded Bobby with questions. Did Vampires really exist?

"Could they be a type of Mutant too? Like Angel Mutants and demon Mutants—could there be Vampire Mutants?" someone guessed. He was well-read and knew about some of the ability factions among Mutants.

Donnie smiled and shook his head. He picked up another plate and, under the stunned gazes of the teenagers, used his hands to shovel food directly into his mouth. He paid no attention to table manners, completely at ease and utterly uninhibited.

Many people looked over, then turned back with smiles. Professor Charles and the others watched from afar as he joked around with the troublesome boys, happy to see Donnie getting along with them.

Donnie wiped his mouth and warned the teenagers that Vampires were nothing but lowly beasts. They fed on innocent ordinary people and were enormous parasites attached to humanity. If they ever encountered one in the future, they had to strike without hesitation.

"One bite from those things, and you're basically done for," Donnie advised. He wanted to teach these greenhouse flowers about real dangers and awaken their vigilance and instinct for self-preservation.

"Then what will you do? Will you keep hunting Vampires, like some people are guessing? A lot of bad people are saying a great war is about to break out. They're even guessing that you might lead the entire Mutant community in a massive global war against the Vampire race." Bobby would not let Donnie go. He had lived at the school all year round and rarely entered the outside world, so he wanted to get some information from Donnie.

"I don't know whether a war between Mutants and Vampires will break out. I don't have that kind of influence right now, and neither the professor nor Magneto would listen to everything I say. But one thing is obvious: my war with the Vampires has begun." Donnie wandered around as he spoke. He had never seen so many good things before, much less eaten them. He had not even heard of many of them. This time, he intended to eat his fill, with a pack of teenagers following closely behind him.

What sounded like ordinary words to Donnie created enormous waves among these greenhouse flowers, sending his image soaring to incredible heights.

One person starting a war! And the man saying it sounded as though it were only natural! As if fighting a war alone was the most normal thing in the world!

The edgy teenagers went a little crazy. They had little experience of the world and had never encountered someone so wild. More importantly, they thought this young man had every right to be this wild!

One person could start a war. One person could be an army!

The teenagers instantly sank into fantasy. On a wilderness battlefield engulfed in flames, they too stood alone and charged fearlessly into an enemy army, smashing them into disarray. Pyro John was the most excited of all. He slammed the table hard and, in his excitement, even pulled out a can of alcohol he had long treasured, opened it, and began chugging it.

Pyro John would have sworn that he had never met anyone like this. The image of the young man before him became endlessly taller, punching open the door to a New World for him.

Ororo walked over, slapped John down, and snatched the alcohol from his hand. She reproached Donnie, "You shouldn't be telling them these things, and you definitely shouldn't be letting them drink. They're still too young. They shouldn't be exposed to things they're not meant to encounter."

This had always been the philosophy of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. They carefully protected these young members of their kind.

Donnie shrugged and gave an apologetic smile, though inwardly he disagreed. This world was cruel. There was not much time or room for these teenagers to grow up slowly. Flowers in a greenhouse might be beautiful, but they could not shoulder great responsibilities in the end.

Donnie led a group of troublesome boys on a food raid, drawing plenty of complaints from the students. But soon, even more people joined in, sweeping away the abundant food and stuffing it into their stomachs.

That night, everyone had their fill. That night, many people came to know and accept Donnie's unfamiliar face.

By the time the gathering ended, it was already deep into the night.

Donnie returned to the room prepared for him and rubbed his overstuffed belly to settle the food. While everyone else went to bed satisfied, he did not sleep. Donnie was waiting for something. He believed someone would come looking for him.

Before long, soft, stealthy footsteps sounded in the hallway, followed by a knock on the door.

"Mr. Donnie, are you asleep? I'm John. I want to talk to you," Pyro John whispered, afraid of being discovered.