The Scientist

Animal Perch

Xavier pov:

These people are so weird. I mean, I thought they were strange when it was just the handful of them half-awake, mumbling, and spilling coffee, but as more of them stumbled into the kitchen, the more chaotic it got. I’d never seen anything like it. They laughed too loud, talked too much, and seemed entirely too happy for such an early hour.

I tried to slip away from the table, but as soon as I stood up and saw Mumbo—or Mr. Jumbo, as I mentally dubbed him—I immediately regretted it. He looked right at me, looking ridiculously cheerful as he casually sipped his coffee. I didn’t even bother greeting him, let alone that hyperactive sheep bouncing around nearby. I just wanted to get back to Xisuma’s apartment and escape this madness.

But before I could make it out of the kitchen, the doorway was suddenly filled by none other than Dr. Doc.

Great.

“Good morning, Xavier!” he boomed, like he hadn’t noticed I was trying to make a discreet exit. He looked me up and down, his eyes narrowing in that way that made me feel like he was mentally dissecting every single one of my neurons.

I muttered a “Morning” under my breath, glancing back to the kitchen for an escape route, but the others were too wrapped up in their pancake feast to notice. Doc, on the other hand, seemed to take my muttering as an invitation to start a conversation.

“Exciting day, isn’t it?” Doc said, grinning as he moved to pour himself a coffee, blocking my exit with an enthusiasm that felt almost sinister.

I managed a shrug. “I guess.”

Doc chuckled and patted my shoulder, giving me an encouraging nod that somehow managed to make me feel even more uncomfortable. “Oh, you’re gonna love it. Christmas here is… an experience.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Define ‘experience.’”

At that exact moment, Scar—the Scar—phased his head through the wall, looking around as if he’d simply misplaced something inside of it. “Hey, did I hear breakfast?”

Doc gave a knowing smile. “That.”

Right. Of course.

I took another sip of the surprisingly decent coffee, reassuring myself it wasn’t going to kill me… though the rapidly growing noise level in the kitchen just might. I took a deep breath, determined to make a quiet exit, and finally managed to slip past Doc and into the doorway, on the verge of freedom.

But just as I stepped over the threshold, someone grabbed my hand, yanking me back with a firm grip. Pain shot up from my palm, the cut I’d nearly forgotten about suddenly screaming back to life. It was as if the sensation slammed straight into my head, making my vision blur for a split second.

“Xavier!” It was Skizz, his ever-bright face looking as if he hadn’t noticed the world’s worst timing. “Hey, you good? Didn’t get to say ‘morning’ yet, but thought I’d catch you before you ran off—”

I winced, gritting my teeth and pulling my hand back quickly, trying to act as if I wasn’t seconds away from shouting. “Yeah. Morning. I was just, uh… heading back upstairs.”

Skizz tilted his head, eyes darting to my hand. “Wait, are you hurt?”

I cringed inwardly, giving him the most casual shrug I could manage. “Just a small cut, nothing serious.”

But of course, this only seemed to light up Skizz’s sense of duty like a beacon. “Oh, no, no, we can’t have that! Here, let me take a look.”

In the middle of my resistance, Skizz’s grip softened, his gaze steady and intense. His eyes took on a warm golden glow, and then… a soft halo of light appeared, not only above his head but over mine as well.