Pass It On (Book 3)

3 - The X-Gene

Friday, March 3rd, 2028 - 8:32 am

I set the cup in front of Awsten and sat across from him at the table. 

"Thanks," 

"So what's up? Linds said the NYPD is planning some raid you wanted Gwen and I to help out with?" 

"Yeah. We're planning a raid on a Fisk property and our captain is pushing us to do it at the end of March but I'm afraid we aren't prepared enough. I wanted to see if you could swing by and check it out. I asked Gwen but she's busy trying to track down Tombstone." 

"Yeah, if I have time. I just started training a S.H.I.E.L.D. group."

"They any good?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

I laughed. "Uh, they need a lot of training." 

- 9:34 am

"I figured we'd start with a little lesson before the actual training," I said as the three sat down at the table I had set up. 

Walker groaned as he slammed his head onto the table. 

"So, do you guys know what gives you your powers?" I asked them. 

"Some genetic thing?" Jenna guessed. 

"Right, it's called the x-gene. Now, I'm not completely sure about all this, it's just what my husband told me. He's the biochemist."

"Isn't your husband Spider-Man?" Walker asked.

"Iron-man's son?" Sweets spoke. 

"He's not Iron-man's son," I told them, writing on the whiteboard. "Now, Laura, I know you're not a mutant but this still might be interesting so I'd appreciate if you'd listen." 

She smiled and nodded, while the other two rolled their eyes. 

"There are actually two types of mutants. Homo sapiens superior and mutate humans. Mutants born with powers, like you two, and humans who gained their powers by other means. I'm a mutated human, I gained my powers from a radioactive spider bite. Mutants and Mutates are not the same but most people call both mutants."

"Shouldn't you be a spider-themed superhero?" Jenna asked. 

"I used to be, then I faked my death and someone else became Spider-Woman." 

She looked confused but shut her mouth. 

"Anyway, other means would be gamma radiation, cosmic rays, magic, super-soldier serum, etc." 

"Hold up, magic?" Walker interrupted. 

I ignored him. "There is pretty much no way to distinguish a mutant or mutate from regular humans unless their mutation comes with a physical alteration. Like Jenna, you didn't have red hair until your powers developed?" 

"Uh, no."

"That would most likely be due to your x-gene. The only way you would be able to tell I was a mutate would be this." I picked up a pencil off the table and opened my hand, leaving the pencil to stick to my hand. "That's the only physical alteration I have." 

"So your hair?" Sweets asked. 

"I dye it," 

Walker sat up. "So if we're mutants, does that mean we aren't human?" 

"That's a matter of debate and interpretation as to whether or not mutants can still be considered as human, but there are a lot of laws regarding mutants and mutates. Proposition X which legislates mutant reproductive rights, the Mutant Registration Act and the Super-Human Registration Act deal with the registration of Mutants and super-humans." 

"Didn't the Avengers split up over that?" Jenna asked.

I shrugged. "I wasn't around when that happened." 

She leaned back in her chair. "Who's side would you be on? Iron-man or Captain America?" 

Well, would I vote with my husband and mentor and register? Or vote with the closest thing I have to a father currently and complete freedom with my powers?

"It doesn't matter because the Avengers are complete and the Registration Acts were amended." 

Jenna smirked. 

- Saturday, March 4th, 2028 - 12:46 am

I laid down on the bed with a sigh. 

"How was it?" Peter asked. 

"Never drinking again," I said into the pillow. 

He laughed. "Oh, hey, what's your brother's full name? It's been bothering me all day." 

"Which one?" 

"T.J." 

"Thomas Jameson Stevens."

"His birthday is on Sunday, isn't it?" 

I nodded. 

"Is he doing anything?" 

"He said he's just spending the day with his daughter. Oh and guess what?" 

Peter hummed. 

"She's a mutant," 

He sat up and looked at me. "Really? What are her powers?" 

"She can phase through stuff, like that girl from the X-Men. Shadowcat, I think." 

"Wait, how?" 

"Her mom's side of the family doesn't have any mutants so they think it must have come from T.J.'s side, which means that my family has the x-gene." 

"Wow, do you think you would've been a mutant anyway if you hadn't gotten bit?" 

I shrugged. "I wasn't bitten though, remember? Gwen was, I just took over the timeline and it got reversed when she was released from the sword." 

"So, your powers didn't come from the spider?" 

"They might've, I don't know." I sighed. "Maybe I didn't get the x-gene." 

"Your siblings don't have powers and neither of your parents had powers." 

I sat up and looked down at him. "My mom was a witch."

"Come on, Layn, she was really nice." 

"No, I mean, literally a witch. Like religion. She practiced witchcraft. Maybe she really had powers and used them for her religion." 

"You and your siblings could get tested."

"There's a test for mutants?" 

"Yeah, Oscorp developed it. It tells you whether or not you have the x-gene but can't say what kind of powers, just if you have it and if it's dormant."

"How can you have the x-gene without having powers?"

"It's usually triggered by a stressful event. Maybe none of you triggered it."

"My dad dying wasn't stressful enough?" 

"Well, by then, you already had your powers from the bite. That might have interfered with them." 

"Ok, I'll, uh, talk to them, see if they want to get tested. Now I'm gonna go pass out." I laid down. 

"Guess I'll be making you a hangover smoothie for breakfast?" He said, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck. 

I nodded.