“US officials have released information on ‘Immortal’, the name given to those responsible for the recent incident involving a mutant evading law enforcement. This designation was given in an international investigation into the disappearances and disruptions in the containment of mutants and this was the first time that ‘Immortal’ had acted openly. Whether or not ‘Immortal’ is a group or an individual has yet to be determined but they are believed to be associated with various criminal and terrorist organizations across the world. The Pantheon’s inability to deal with this threat has detractors calling into question the effectiveness of the program. Pantheon representatives have responded that this is exactly the situation that proves the program’s necessity for such threats and that the situation was enabled because of the remaining uncooperative nations that serve as sanctuaries for such groups.”
Kenny sat at a table on the upper floor of the Olympus cafeteria hall where he picked at his food with a fork while he watched the news. Kenny had just been discharged from Olympus Sanatorium after a physical examination. There, they also examined your body for your mutation.
Beyond radioactivity, they checked stuff like blood samples, heartbeat measurement, stool tests, and brainwaves to narrow down precisely what the mutation was: for Hannah and Garrick, it was their nervous system; for Max and Zariah, it was in their eyes; for Kenny, however, they could not find any physiological basis for the mutant power and would have to do further radiological examinations another time. Aaliyah is the same way: she emitted radiation but the only physical basis for her mutation was exhaustion from using it.
If it’s not caused by something physical, is it really a mutation? Kenny had thought of asking but held his tongue. At least there wasn’t a prostate exam.
Now, Kenny was waiting in the luxury box of the cafeteria. Ok, it was just the same table on a higher platform overlooking the rest of the cafeteria, but it was reserved for licensed members. The kitchen in the conference lobby at the top of Iolcus tower was the one that made all the actual gourmet was prepared.
Olympus as a whole felt more like a campus than the asylum Todd had described it as. Kenny had only toured the former before, so he might not know campuses or asylums that well. Maybe they are more similar than he imagined.
Whichever Olympus was like, if the rooms were bigger and the walls a bit thicker, it wouldn't be a bad place to live. It’s probably the most secure place on the planet. Besides the private hospital and cafeteria, they also had a gymnasium with a running track.
Not making many friends with the other mutants though; he’d be pretty upset to see someone else get put on the express lane if he were in their shoes, so he couldn't blame them. The soldiers kept their distance when they can so they are not much better. They seem to see Max and UnderDog as human, and all the others as threats. The drones keep their distance but they definitely follow you around. The place is so secure to keep mutants in, after all. Ok, maybe Todd had a point.
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“Food’s not that bad,” said Max Force as he sat down with a tray of his own.
“He’s probably still too nervous to eat,” said Zariah.
“I’m not nervous,” Kenny said, voice cracking, “Ok, I’m a little nervous but I think GalvanGal’s hazing actually did help. I prefer to cook for myself anyways.”
“She hazed you?” asked WhiteOut, who was here now apparently without a tray of her own. “Hey, if you’re being bullied I could have you moved to someone else. I introduced this sidekick idea so I can be as flexible with it as I want.”
“Miss, people don’t like the ‘sidekick’ connotations. Mentorship is better approved,” said Zariah.
“No it’s not like that,” said Kenny, “it just seemed like she acts before she thinks if she doesn’t have someone to stop her. I think she needed more time to stew as a sidekick before taking on one of her own.”
“Sorry about that,” said Zariah, “Aaliyah usually keeps her on a tight leash, but I can’t keep up with her when she wanders off.”
“Tell me about it. You said she should have stayed a sidekick, but Garrick is the same way,” said WhiteOut, “He’s always lost in his own head or going off without my permission. Just because they’re strong, they think they can do whatever they want. I’m gonna make sure you turn out to be a respectable young adult unlike those two.”
“Oh don't worry ma’am. I won’t give you any trouble,” said Kenny to a girl younger than him. WhiteOut squinted her eyes.
“Really? Because when Garrick showed me the footage he had of you, it seemed like you had a lot of fun when no one was around to stop you.” Kenny’s face went pale and hunched over as the warmth of blood flushed from his body.
“Th-that was j-just because m-my brother…”
“Blaming others for your actions is unbecoming of a hero,” said Max, the only one eating his food. Kenny sprang up straight.
“Yes sir! You’re right! Of course!” Kenny said.
“Peer influence is important for young people, especially boys, right Max? That’s why we want to have him here rather than on the streets. Hey, maybe it would be better to have Max mentor him since he already did a good job with UnderDog.” said Zariah. Did she just compare me to a dog? thought Kenny.
“Nope. I had to have him neutered because the little playboy was picking up girls when we weren’t looking.” Max to a swig of his drink. “Are you worried about him?” he asked Kenny.
“I can’t imagine he’s happy about losing his balls.”
“I meant your brother.”
“Him? Nah. He knows how to navigate that kind of crowd so I’m not worried about him at all. He probably already slipped out of whatever crazy stuff they tried to pull him in. I mean, he’s not coming here anytime soon. But he knows how to take care of himself, so I’m sure he’s completely fine.”