MARVEL: BUYING GODHOOD

Inactive X-Gene detected.

The message appeared just as I stopped in front of Sara’s house.

I looked toward her as she waited outside while Gwen lowered the window and waved.

I hadn’t asked the Research Assistant to check Sara, so I asked in my mind, “You detected that yourself?”

Yes.

An abnormality was detected and identified as an inactive X-Gene.

That was useful.

“What’s the range?” Twenty-five meters.

I asked how much it would cost to keep the detection active, and the answer came immediately.

One thousand Magicules per hour.

That wasn’t much anymore, so I told it, “Keep it active.” Confirmed.

Sara reached the car and opened the back door before getting inside.

I started driving again while Gwen turned around in her seat to talk to her.

After doing that for about a minute, Gwen finally looked at me and asked, “Can I sit behind with her?” I nodded.

“Sure.” I pulled over when I found a place to stop, and Gwen got out before moving into the back beside Sara.

Once she closed the door, I started driving again.

Sara immediately asked, “So, are you finally going to tell me what happened for the last three days?” Gwen told her there wasn’t much she could explain right now, which only made Sara look at her.

“You disappear from college for three days and that’s all I get?” Gwen smiled slightly.

“I’m fine. That’s the important part. I’ll explain the rest later.” Sara asked when she was coming back, and Gwen said it should be soon.

“Okay, but Emily is going to ask exactly the same questions.” Gwen sighed.

“Then you can tell her you already interrogated me.”

They moved on to college after that, and I mostly listened while driving.

A little later, I noticed Sara looking at me through the mirror.

She looked at my hair first and then my face before turning toward Gwen.

“Did he always look like that?” Gwen didn’t understand what she meant and asked, “Like what?” Sara glanced at me again before answering, “His hair is almost completely white, and his eyes look different too.”

Gwen looked at me between the front seats and finally paid proper attention to my appearance.

She had been around me for the last three days, but she’d also spent most of that time dealing with her own changes.

After looking at me for a few seconds, she leaned forward slightly.

“Wait, your hair really is almost white.” She kept looking before adding, “And your eyes changed too.

When did that happen?” I glanced at her through the mirror and answered, “Recently.” Gwen knew that wasn’t much of an explanation, but with Sara beside her, she didn’t ask me to explain what had caused it.

Sara looked at Gwen.

“You seriously didn’t notice any of that?” Gwen shook her head and answered, “The last three days have been complicated.” Sara looked at me once more before telling Gwen, “Apparently.” I decided that was a good time to change the subject and asked, “Where does Emily live?” Gwen gave me the address, and I changed direction toward Emily’s house while she and Sara went back to talking.

Emily was already outside when we reached her house.

Gwen waved from the back, and Emily walked over before getting inside beside them.

As soon as she came close enough, another message appeared.

Dormant mystic potential detected.

I looked at Emily through the mirror while she greeted the other two and asked the Research Assistant in my mind, “How strong?” Current potential cannot be fully determined without further examination.

Subject possesses high natural compatibility with mystical energy.

No active training detected.

Sara had an inactive X-Gene, while Emily had dormant magical potential.

Neither of them knew anything about it, and there was no reason to tell them today.

I could look into both of them properly later.

Still, with what I’d learned and how close they already were to Gwen, I was starting to think I wanted both of them working for me eventually.

I didn’t know enough about either of them yet to decide anything, but there was plenty of time for that.

Emily didn’t wait long before looking at Gwen.

“So where have you been?” Sara immediately told her, “Don’t bother. I already tried.” Gwen looked between them.

“I said I’ll explain later.” Emily asked, “But you’re okay?” and Gwen nodded.

“I’m fine.” That seemed to be enough for Emily for now, and the conversation quickly moved to everything Gwen had missed at college.

Sara complained about one of their classes, Emily corrected some of what she said, and Gwen kept asking what else she’d missed.

After some time, Gwen leaned forward between the seats and asked, “Can we go to the same hotel where we had the family brunch?” I remembered the place immediately and asked, “You liked the food that much?” Gwen nodded.

“Yeah.

It was really good.” Sara asked what hotel they were talking about, and Gwen told her, “We went there with Mom before.

The food was really good.” Sara looked at Emily.

“Any objections?” Emily shook her head.

“No. Gwen disappeared for three days. She can choose lunch.” Gwen smiled.

“See? Emily understands.”

“Fine, but if the food is bad, I’m blaming you,” Sara said.

Gwen immediately told her, “It won’t be.” I changed direction toward the hotel while they continued talking, but thinking about the last time we’d gone there reminded me of something.

I glanced at Gwen through the mirror and asked, “You remember what happened with your clothes last time?” Gwen looked confused for a second before understanding.

“Your blazer.” Sara looked between us and asked, “What blazer?” Gwen explained, “I wasn’t really dressed for the place, so he gave me his blazer.”

Sara looked down at her own clothes before looking at Emily.

“And we’re not exactly dressed for it either.” Gwen shrugged.

“We can still go. Nobody cared last time.” That wasn’t exactly true.

Nobody had bothered her because she’d been with me, but there was no reason to correct her.

We could still go exactly as we were, and nobody would say anything this time either.

Still, now that I was thinking about it, I didn’t want to.

I turned at the next intersection and said, “We’re making a stop first.” Gwen asked where, and I answered, “Shopping.”

Sara leaned forward slightly.

“Why did that sound like you’ve already decided?” I smiled.

“Because I have.” Emily asked, “You seriously want us to buy clothes just for lunch?” and I told her, “Yes.” Sara immediately suggested going somewhere else, but Gwen protested, “No. I want the food.” Sara looked at her.

“Then you buy a dress.” Gwen pointed at herself.

“Why am I the only one buying one?”

“I’ll pay for all three,” I said, ending that argument and immediately starting another one.

Sara told me, “No. You’re already taking us to lunch. You don’t need to buy our clothes too.” Emily agreed and said she could pay for her own if we were really doing this.

Gwen looked between them before saying, “You know arguing with him probably isn’t going to work.” Sara turned toward her.

“Whose side are you on?” Gwen thought about it for a second before answering, “I want the food, so currently his.”

“Traitor,” Sara said, making Gwen laugh.

I continued toward the shopping district and told them, “We’ll decide when we get there.” Sara told me there was nothing to decide, while Emily agreed with her.

I didn’t argue.

There wasn’t much point when we’d be at the store soon enough.