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Chapter 96: He's Thirsty For Blood, She's Thirsty For Him
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"And you, young lady. I hear you've been naughty. Thinking about bad stuff? Tsk tsk. What's your progress on the power control? We can't have you going all psycho on the wrong people."
He kept it vague, not wanting to say that the bad stuff she's thinking about was putting his parents in a coma.
Rogue's frosty expression melted into a blush, flustered by the sudden shift and the intimate, chiding tone.
"Ah… Ah'm workin' on it," she mumbled, the southern drawl thick with embarrassment.
Only then did Adam turn to Jean. He opened his arm and pulled her into a firm, one-armed hug.
She stiffened for a second, surprised, then relaxed into it, her head resting briefly on his shoulder.
Adam was, as Domino often noted, a "huggy" person. Physical affirmation was a language he spoke fluently.
He released Jean and moved on, embracing Storm who accepted it with graceful bemusement and then Scott.
The latter remained rigid, awkwardly patting Adam's back with one hand, utterly unaccustomed to such casual, physical camaraderie from someone whom he doesn't feel close to.
Finally, Adam's gaze settled on Charles. He tilted his head, curiosity plain. "Professor. To what do I owe the visit? Not that you aren't always welcome."
"I think you know why I'm here." The professor's response was simple, and he was right. Adam has a sneaking suspicion of why he's here.
He gestured for everyone to sit as he took the central spot on a large sectional sofa.
Jean settled immediately to his right, Domino claiming the spot to his left. Rogue perched on the arm of the sofa next to Jean, eyes never leaving Adam.
Once everyone was seated, Jean leaned in. "What did you do?" She asked again, her voice softer now, just between them.
"My senses… they're not lying. You feel… cold to the touch. But inside… it's like a cold fire is burning. What happened over there?"
Adam's face lit up with the memory. He chuckled, a dark, delighted sound. "Oh, it's quite the story. Such good fucking memories."
And he launched into a recounting of the hunt. He spoke of the Carpathian woods, the legion, the truck detonation, the confrontation with Dracula; editing out the grislier details and his own metaphysical gambit.
He framed it as a thrilling, high-stakes adventure. "Can you believe it? Vampires! Actual, capital-V Vampires! With a hierarchy and everything! It was fantastic."
"And I got to meet Dracula. Do you know about Dracula's castle in Romania? It's fucking real. Speaking of which, he passed the torch to me, although a tiny bit forced, so I own the castle now?"
He was amused.
And he was a captivating storyteller, and for a moment, even Scott looked intrigued.
But Adam cut the tale short, his amused gaze settling on Charles. "Is that why you're here, Professor? Because you know what I've become?"
Charles met his gaze evenly. "In part, yes. Blade contacted us, filled in the blanks, and warned me to be wary." He paused, choosing his words with care. "Adam… why have you chosen this path?"
Adam raised a brow, then nodded slowly, as if the question was perfectly reasonable.
"I understand where you're coming from. I do. The average vampire is a slave to their thirst."
"Their emotions, their desires; the transformation heightens them, twists them. It's a recipe for cruelty. A path to evil, more often than not."
He leaned forward, his single hand resting on his knee. "But I am not 'any person,' Professor. Think of it from my point of view. I don't see mutants, or vampires, or any empowered being the way the world does."
"To me, they are lines of code. Results of science, or magic, or chance. They are discoveries."
"And when I see a flawed line of code, a buggy program, my first thought isn't 'destroy it' or 'fear it.' It's: 'How do I debug this? How do I patch it? How do I improve and perfect it?'"
He spread his hand. "This isn't a path, Charles. Not in the moral sense. It's an experiment. It's a tool. A new set of parameters to work with. You needn't worry about me 'straying.' My goal remains the same, alright?"
Charles was silent for a long moment, his blue eyes seeing far more than the physical, though admittedly, Adam was a cypher, difficult to unravel.
Finally, he nodded, a gesture of weary acceptance. "I understand you a bit more now, Adam. Very well."
The pragmatist in him took over. "Can you control the thirst? Do you require assistance?"
"And your company… it seems to be under significant duress. I have connections in the business world. I may be able to provide some aid."
Adam's smile was one of genuine pleasure. Finally, he thought, we're speaking the same language.
"The help isn't strictly necessary, but I'll never say no to more connections. Speaking of connections…"
His tone shifted, becoming casually probing. "What do you know about an entity named Mephisto?"
Charles didn't look surprised, only concerned. He frowned. "I have heard… stories. Nothing concrete. Nothing useful. Why do you ask?"
Adam waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind then. Just idle curiosity."
He always felt like a man in his position, with his gifts, would have a… deeper understanding of the world's nature. The true depth of the rabbit hole.
Maybe that's why Charles has always advocated for caution, for not pushing boundaries. He knows what's lurking in the dark."
Charles didn't prey further. Instead, he added, "Be wary, Adam. The M.R.D. is becoming more brazen."
"They are pushing legislative lines and have quietly instituted bounties for the capture of several prominent mutants. You are on that list."
"Oh?" Adam's interest was piqued. "How daring of them." He shrugged, the motion effortless. "Don't worry, Professor. I'll deal with them soon enough."
Charles frowned at the casual promise of retaliation but, with a final, resigned sigh, knew the conversation was over.
He bid his farewells, and Storm and Scott followed, the latter giving Adam one last, unreadable look behind his visor.
The door shut, leaving Adam alone with Jean, Rogue, and Domino.
The formal atmosphere evaporated instantly. The three women turned to him, a united front of intense curiosity.
"Okay, spill," Domino said, kicking her feet up on the glass coffee table. "The real version. No storytelling flourishes."
"What's it feel like?" Jean asked, her empathic senses subtly extended, trying to feel what he feels, burning with curiosity.
"Are ya… are ya okay?" Rogue asked, her voice small, her eyes flicking again to his missing arm.
They bombarded him with questions; about vampire senses, strength, the mechanics of his new existence.
He answered with a mix of clinical detail and dark humor, enjoying their fascination. Finally, the conversation circled back to the inevitable.
"And the thirst?" Jean asked, her voice gentle but direct. "How bad is it?"
Adam laughed, but this time it was a tad amused. He ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly? I'm barely holding back from tasting those beautiful necks right now. The scent is… distracting."
The statement hung in the air.
Domino's eyes didn't widen in fear. They lit up. A brilliant, reckless spark of excitement ignited in her gaze.
"Oh?" She said, her voice dropping to a purr.
Before anyone could react, she moved. In one fluid, confident motion, she swung her legs off the table, stood, and then settled herself directly onto Adam's lap, straddling him.
She faced him, her expression one of daring invitation.
With a deliberate slowness, she hooked her fingers into the collar of her black top and pulled it aside, exposing the elegant, unmarked line of her throat and the pulse point fluttering at its base.
The shock in the room was palpable. Jean gasped, "Domino!" Rogue's jaw dropped.
Adam was astounded, his own vampiric composure cracking. His mismatched eyes; one grey, one hazel; locked onto the exposed skin, the blue vein tracing a path of incredible temptation.
A low, involuntary sound almost escaped him.
"Domino, no," Jean said, stepping forward, her voice firm. "Let me. My powers can stop him. There's no risk if I do it."
Domino didn't even look at her. Her gaze was fixed on Adam's, a wicked, challenging smile on her lips.
"No way. I want to do it. It sounds… exhilarating. I can't let go of this opportunity. I want to be your first."
She leaned closer, her voice a whisper meant only for him. "I want to feel alive."
Her words, her shameless, eager offering, held a strange, potent allure. The idea was suddenly, overwhelmingly tempting.
Not just the blood, but the trust, the danger, the intimacy of it. It called to the new, hungry thing inside him, and to the part of Adam that craved extreme experiences.
Adam shook his head, a violent motion as if breaking a spell. He frowned, his voice rough. "No. I was just making a joke, why are you taking it seriously?"
"I've never fed before. I don't know what it's like, what I might do. If I lose control…"
He looked from Domino's throat to her eyes, imposing his will. "I'd prefer to start with a blood bag. In isolation. Where a mistake only costs me a meal."
Domino, however, wasn't having it. The idea had sunk its hooks into her, fueled by her own nature that thrived on risk and chaos...
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