Marvel: Cultured Reader System

The mourning that went on in Khamar-Taj was different from the mourning I had known in my old life. The sorcerers would tell stories about their friends, their happy moments, achievements and even defeats. Perhaps, due to their proximity to the spiritual plane, the warriors of these different monasteries only see death as a kind of temporary farewell.

To tell you the truth, I understand where their thoughts come from. In the past, I was quite skeptical about the afterlife. Today, I am "living" proof that there is a connection between two worlds.

Well, they were born in a universe where Thor the Thunder God is a recurring figure on television... Maybe that simplifies things. Illyana even lived in Limbo.

That's a lot of thoughts in my head.

...

After a quiet meal, Illyana and I returned to our temporary accommodation. As veterans of Khamar-Taj, we chose to stay in a joint room. A wooden cubicle with a lozenge-shaped window with a cross in the middle. On the wall was a bunk bed that looked more like two doors glued together with concrete.

I put down my pillow and a blanket, Illyana did the same, teleporting to the top of the bunk. Until then, not a word had been spoken about everything that had happened. Even though she was a strong girl, Illyana was still slow to process her feelings.

"I wonder if Doom ever put a penis in those robots, since they were identical copies of him," I said, breaking the silence.

Illyana started laughing, "The way he's a narcissist, I guess so."

"Do you want to check?" I continued.

Illyana yelled at me, punching the wall which reverberated throughout my bed. "That's disgusting Dante! You're disgusting sometimes"

That lightened the mood a little, we continued laughing for a few minutes, until reality came knocking on our doors again. Illyana stood up, sat down on the bunk and put her feet towards me.

She was barefoot, her feet visibly bruised from running. There were calluses between her toes, as well as a little blood on her heel; she had put in a lot of effort in the aftermath of the war.

"I'm going to miss the old woman," she said, swallowing her tears.

That was enough to make my throat and chest tighten. Getting up from the bed, I looked at Illyana. The delicate Russian warrior's face was completely red, tears streaming down her cheeks like a river.

Illyana beamed behind me, wrapping her thin arms around my chest. Clutching me as she put her face to my back, without holding on, she began to scream in pain and suffering.

It was a difficult time for all of us, and it seems that people are also grieving in this new world.

It took a few minutes for Illyana to catch her breath, and I used some magic to create a glass of water to help her. We both sat on my bed while I stroked her head and brushed her long blonde hair with my hand.

Ilyana almost fell asleep on my chest. Slowly, I lowered her body until she lay on my bed. For a few seconds, I watched her rest, her face was serene, although her eyes were still a little swollen from crying.

...

A few days passed with no news from the Khamar Taj, our numbers were not contacted by either Strange or Wong. The rebuilding process was to take longer than they had imagined. Unlike I thought, Illyana managed to cope with her grief without any problems. Before long, she was back on the job, helping the X-men.

Perhaps out of a need to stay close to her brother, Colossus. Who, well, she still refused to introduce me to.

"Why can't I see him?" I said dejectedly.

Illyana looked at me with a worried face. "I'm afraid of what he'll do when he meets you, we've already talked about it. But I don't think it's a good idea"

Getting up from the chair, I grabbed a mug of coffee and walked over to the machine. The silence in the apartment was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the coffee machine, which screeched as if it were in pain as it ground the beans.

As the black liquid slowly flowed into my mug, I continued to stare at the woman's face. Lya knew I was insistent, so perhaps she sighed and gave up.

"Okay... I'll check with the mansion, you're practically a mutant, right?" she said.

That stuck in my head. In the comics, chasing mutants made no sense in extended universes. Why was Spider-Man considered a hero, but Cyclops had to be arrested? That never made sense to me.

It's as if a gene that gives you powers is weirder than the idea of having a man flying between buildings with spider webs.

Well, at least this universe didn't seem to have so many problems with mutant discrimination.

A few minutes passed and Illyana returned with an animated face. Sitting down next to me, she said excitedly, "The doctor took a while to accept, they were a bit afraid, but they let you go".

My heart raced a little, apart from my brief encounter with Spider-Man, this was the first time I was going to talk to real superheroes. I had so many questions, but obviously I needed to hold back.

Only God could know what Wolverine would do if I commented on the Weapon X project, or even Charles and his sister. I have so much personal and secret information that practically any comment about the comics could land me in trouble.

So, while Illyana was getting ready, I put on my most elegant clothes.

A black dress shirt, black slim pants and comfortable sneakers. I avoided wearing red, I didn't know if Colossus was a pro-Soviet version.

Illyana was radiant, she was wearing a simple outfit. A pair of jeans and a white button-down shirt, over which she wore a white blazer, the whole light look contrasting with her golden hair.

Then, with a snap of her fingers, she opened a portal to Xavier's Mansion.

...

The place was huge, much bigger than the version in the classic (and horrible) Fox movies. Our portal appeared just in front of a gigantic iron gate, a discreet sign, surrounded by plants, announced the place.

"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters"

Both the gate and the wall were easily four meters high, and it seemed impossible to have contact with the place, except, of course, if you clicked the bell button.

*Beep* *Beep*

A security camera poked out from inside the wall, pointing at the two of us as a voice answered the doorbell.

"Illyana, nice to see you. I'll call the teacher, you can come in"

"Thanks Kitty"

Kitty? Like in Kitty Pryde? There's so many hot girls in this school, it would suck to live here as a teenager.

When the gates opened, Illyana entered first, gently moving her head, she called out to me. "Let's go"

As I took my first step into the mansion, I felt my body pass through a gelatinous wall. Probably a force field that kept the place isolated.

"What a strange feeling," I commented.

"Oh yes! The force field, not unlike a magical barrier," Illyana replied, looking a little nervous.

Hurrying a few steps, I took her hand, "It's okay," I said.

She sighed, looking at me with a smile, "I know it is, I just never thought I'd introduce my family to a boyfriend"