MARVEL: BUYING GODHOOD

Third Person POV

The moment Gwen heard Chris and Helen downstairs, the relief on her face was obvious. She had been waiting for him for hours, and now that he was finally home, she wanted to get everything over with. She looked toward Sara and Emily before standing up. “They’re back. I’ll go get them.”

However, just as she was about to leave, someone knocked on the door. Chris’s voice followed a moment later. “Gwen, can I come in?” She immediately answered, “Yes, come in.” Chris opened the door and stepped inside, looking toward the three girls. He noticed Sara and Emily watching him with unusual curiosity, while Gwen appeared relieved but still somewhat nervous.

Chris turned toward Gwen. “Did you tell them already?” Gwen shook her head. “No. I only told them that we have something important to discuss.” Chris let out a small sigh before nodding. “All right.” He then looked toward Sara and Emily. “Do you two want to talk about it now, or would you rather eat something first?”

“Now,” Sara answered immediately, and Emily agreed. Before Chris could respond, Gwen added, “Please, let’s just tell them now. I’m already so nervous that I don’t think I’ll be able to eat anything until this is over.” Chris looked at her for a moment before turning back toward the others. “Are you both sure?” When they nodded again, he finally agreed.

“All right. Helen, come upstairs. You wanted to hear this too.” His voice carried downstairs, and Gwen looked at him in surprise. “Wait, you’re telling Mom too?” Chris nodded. “Yes. There’s no reason to keep her out of this.” Gwen seemed a little surprised by his decision, but she didn’t object.

A short while later, Helen entered the room. She looked at the four of them before asking, “Chris, what’s going on? You said you had something important to tell us.” He nodded and asked her to sit down. Helen took a seat beside Gwen, while Chris pulled a chair closer to Sara and Emily.

For a moment, he remained quiet, apparently considering how to begin. Eventually, he turned toward Sara. “Sara, you’re studying genetics and molecular biology, right?” She nodded, although she looked confused by the question. “Yes. Why?” Chris continued, “Then you know mutations can occur in human genes.”

“Of course.” Sara looked at him curiously. “Where are you going with this?” Instead of answering, Chris asked another question. “What kind of changes can those mutations cause?” Sara thought for a moment before replying, “Quite a few things, actually. They can affect physical traits, like hair or eye color, or cause certain genetic disorders and birth defects. It depends on which genes are affected.”

Chris nodded. “Then do you think a mutation could give someone superpowers?” Sara stared at him for a moment before asking, “What exactly do you mean by superpowers?” Chris glanced around the room and snapped his fingers before answering, “Something like telepathy, controlling magnetic fields, or manipulating different kinds of energy.”

Sara frowned. “Chris, that’s not how genetics works. Mutations can change biological functions, but what you’re describing is completely different. You can’t suddenly read someone’s mind or control metal because a gene changed.” Chris watched her for a moment before asking, “Are you sure?” She nodded without hesitation. “Yes. That’s too absurd.”

“Then look at my lips,” Chris said. Sara was confused, but she did as he asked. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then she suddenly heard his voice asking the same question again. Are you sure? Her eyes widened. She had been watching his mouth the entire time, and his lips hadn’t moved. Yet she had heard his voice perfectly, almost as though he had spoken directly inside her head.

“How did you—” Before she could finish, Chris interrupted. “There’s a gene called the X-Gene. People who possess it can develop abilities that ordinary humans don’t have. They’re called mutants, and Sara, you have that gene too.”

Sara stared at him, the color slowly draining from her face. For several seconds, she couldn’t find anything to say. Then she shook her head. “No. That doesn’t make sense. What you just did could’ve been some kind of trick. Maybe a recording, or some device I didn’t notice.”

Chris didn’t argue. Instead, he raised his right hand, and a small fireball appeared above his palm. Sara immediately stopped speaking, while Emily leaned forward in disbelief. Before either could react, Chris raised his other hand, forming a sphere of water that floated above it.

He then made the fireball change color. It turned blue, then green, followed by purple, with the colors continuing to change every few seconds. Throughout the demonstration, the water remained suspended above his other palm.

“Are these tricks too?” Chris asked. Neither girl answered. Sara kept looking between the fire and water, apparently trying to understand how either could exist without any visible source or equipment. Emily seemed equally shocked, although her curiosity was beginning to overcome her disbelief.

Seeing their reactions, Gwen decided to speak. “Listen, you two. Chris isn’t lying. I have powers too.” Sara immediately turned toward her. “What?” Gwen didn’t answer. Instead, she jumped from where she stood and landed against the ceiling.

Before their stunned eyes, she began crawling across it as easily as she would walk across the floor. She moved several feet before stopping and looking down at them. “See? I wasn’t exactly planning to tell you like this, but I thought it might help.”

Sara stared at her, completely speechless. Emily looked between Gwen and Chris before slowly sitting back against the couch. Whatever explanations they might have considered earlier were becoming increasingly difficult to believe.

Gwen eventually dropped back onto the floor and returned to her seat. Chris dismissed the fire and water before looking toward Emily. “Now, there’s something I need to tell you too.” Emily swallowed before asking, “About me?” Chris nodded. “Yes. You’re different from Sara. She has the X-Gene, but you possess something else. Emily, you have the potential to use magic.”

For a moment, the room became completely silent. “Magic?” Emily repeated, staring at him. “You mean actual magic?” Chris nodded. “Yes.” Gwen looked almost as shocked as Emily. She turned toward Chris and asked, “Wait, magic exists too?” Chris raised his hand again. Electricity began gathering above his palm before spreading outward and taking the shape of a small horse. The creature was made entirely of crackling blue electricity, yet its shape was remarkably detailed. It moved its head and took a few steps through the air before Chris dismissed it.

“That should be enough to prove it exists,” he said. Emily continued staring at the empty space where the horse had been. She had spent years studying energy and the laws governing it, yet Chris had just created something she couldn’t begin to explain.

Meanwhile, Gwen was looking at him with an unhappy expression. “Chris, why didn’t you tell me about magic before?” He turned toward her. “Because you’d only just discovered your own powers. I wanted to give you some time to get used to everything before telling you that magicians exist too.”

Gwen didn’t look particularly satisfied with that explanation. Still, considering everything they were discussing, she decided not to argue about it now. Sara, who had remained quiet for some time, finally looked toward Chris again. Her expression was much more serious than before. “Chris, if I really have this X-Gene, then what exactly are my powers?”