Marvel: Elden Ring System

Waking up from his slumber, Ray gets up and goes to the closet and throws on a shirt, wondering why it feels tight to his skin. He looks down and sees his stomach peeking out from under his shirt, his toned abs looking mighty fine if he says so himself. 

Ray rubs his temples and sighs, wondering how he is going to explain his transformation to Fury. He spends a moment staring into the bathroom mirror before coming up with the most likely scenario. 

The rapid change of environment and decreased stress of not having to worry about 'when was I going to get his next meal' or 'wondering where I was going to sleep tonight' enhanced his mutant abilities overnight. 

With his story straight, he makes himself a large breakfast and just finished eating when an agent knocks on the door before entering. 

The agent looks at Ray and his eyes widen considerably, his hands instinctively rubbing his eyes but finding that Ray has indeed grown taller and more muscular overnight. 

Ray looks at the agent and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know what happened either, I just woke up like this… Do you think you could get me some new shirts? These don't really fit me anymore." 

The agent stands there for a moment in shock before nodding absentmindedly. "I will get right on that… After I let director Fury know about your… changes."

Ray nods in acceptance, grabbing a glass of orange juice and downing the whole thing in seconds. 

An hour later, Ray is back in the training room being examined by the doctors again. They ask him question after question to try and figure out what happened but he sticks to his story of it being stress related, the doctors finding that to be the most likely cause for his change. 

While Ray is relaxing in his apartment after his checkup, Fury is busy coming up with an education plan for him. He decides to have Ray trained in covert operations and combat alongside some standard history and math lessons, assigning him a small selection of tutors and fellow agents to teach him all he would need to become an effective agent. 

He is also given an IQ test, his scores being around high school level at best. This surprises Fury as Ray shouldn't have had any formal education if his story is to be believed. 

With Ray having the Gamer's Body, his training goes smoothly for the most part. His combat instructor was quite pleased with his progress over the following days. The only real issue Ray has is that his mind seems to quickly get overwhelmed by the large influx of knowledge being pounded into his skull by the other tutors, making him feel mentally drained. 

…

While Ray is being trained at the SHIELD headquarters, a certain bald professor is plugging himself into Cerebro, searching for mutants that need the help of the X-Men. His mind scans over thousands of mutants every second, hearing their innermost thoughts and feeling their emotions firsthand. It is a sensation that he has never gotten used to. This feeling of invading privacy, while necessary, always leaves a bad taste in his mouth. 

Charles is brought out of his musings when he feels the mind of another mutant, except… He can't seem to read any thoughts from the individual. He can sense where they are, but their mind appears to be completely shielded from his telepathy.

Curious about this individual, Charles focuses on the minds of the people around them, finding out that the mutant he is sensing is a boy named Ray and that he is being trained to be an agent for SHIELD.

Charles lifts the helmet connecting him to Cerebro and turns his wheelchair around before leaving to find Logan. He finds him lounging in the sun, a bottle of alcohol clutched in his grip and snoring loudly. Charles shakes his head exasperatedly.

"Logan? Wake up…"

"Huh?!!" 

Logan jolts upright, his claws flashing out incredibly quickly as he looks around in confusion before seeing the professor a ways in front of him and relaxes, his claws retracting. 

"Professor?... You got a mission for me?" Logan clutches his head as a pounding headache makes him squint his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I do, Logan. I need you to come with me for a chat with director Fury."

Logan rolls his shoulder blades and stands up. "That guy again? What is he up to now?"

"It seems that a mutant was picked up by them and is now being taught how to be an agent. I doubt that I will be able to persuade Fury to release him into our care but it doesn't hurt to try."

Logan nods. "I'll go grab the jet."

…

Meanwhile, Maria Hill enters Fury's office with a PDA in her hands. 

"Director Fury, we got a hit on our resident mutant. Ray Winters was born to William and Sarah Winters on February 14, 1991 in the state of North Dakoda. After his birth, they moved to Canada illegally, leaving them as missing persons that went unsolved. Eight years ago, they were in a car accident that killed his parents, Ray being the only survivor."

"From there we completely lost track of him, only finding his trail when he arrived in New York a week ago. We have video evidence of him entering the city with a large backpack and meeting a group of individuals that are suspected of being former associates of the Kingpin."

Fury nods resolutely. "So he was telling the truth… What about the currency?"

Hill shrugs her shoulders. "Without any more to verify, The most likely scenario is that it's just another money scam. Our tests of the currency show glaring flaws that align with this theory. I will have our police contacts keep an eye out for more."

"Good work, agent Hill. If that is all, have Natasha report to me in twenty minutes."

"Of course, sir." 

Hill exits the room, leaving Fury all by himself. He spins his chair around and faces the window, staring out into the New York skyline. This brief interlude before his next meeting is abruptly cut short when the phone on his desk starts to ring. He picks up the phone and holds it to his ear.

"This is Fury."

"Sir, Charles Xavier is on the line. He wishes to speak to you."

Fury nods assuredly, knowing that this would happen sooner or later.

"Patch him through."

…

Twenty minutes later, Natasha enters Fury's office, taking a seat in front of his desk. 

"You have a mission for me, director?"

Fury looks up at her. "I do. A sanctioned infiltration mission. I need you to gather sensitive data from Trask Industries, specifically on their projects involving mutants. Our inside sources say that Trask is nearing a breakthrough in mutant suppression devices. Then we also have his sentinel program, which is far more concerning seeing as they are giant robots outfitted with advanced weaponry. We need that data so that we can make a contingency plan should something go wrong, or better yet, create a backdoor for controlling the sentinels."

Natasha nods. "Consider it done."

Fury stands from his chair, Natasha doing the same. "You will head out tomorrow, seeing as Charles Xavier is making a house call for our newest prospect later this evening. I want you with him to make sure everything goes smoothly." 

Natasha's eyes narrow. "I figured he would show up sooner or later but within a week? That seems a little suspicious to me…"

Fury smirks. "I will be asking Charles about how Ray went under his radar for so long at the meeting. Let's go have a chat with Ray now, shall we?"

…

Meanwhile Ray, who is supposed to be studying right now, is actually playing a high stakes game of poker with some off duty agents. How he got into this situation is a long story, the short version being that he overheard an agent talking about the game and 'coerced' them into allowing him to join.

Ray is sitting on a four of hearts and four of spades, giving him a solid three of a kind with the flop being a four of diamonds, a ace of clubs, and a king of clubs. Two of the agents have already folded, leaving just him and Johnny, the agent that showed him to his apartment on his first day here. 

Johnny checks and Ray thinks for a moment before deciding to raise. Johnny calls and the dealer places down a king of diamonds, giving Ray a powerful full house. Johnny checks again, Ray scratches his chin before checking as well. 

The dealer throws out the last card, the ace of spades. Ray's eye twitches, knowing that if Johnny has an ace or a king he easily wins this pot. Johnny raises and gives Ray a knowing smirk. 

Ray grits his teeth in anger before taking a calming breath. He sighs loudly before folding, throwing his cards on the table in disgust. Johnny reveals that he had the last two kings, making Ray whistle in relief that he didn't call his bluff. 

As Johnny is scooping up his chips, a pager on his belt goes off. He looks at the code and his eyes widen. 

"Shit… Ray, you need to get back now. Fury is on his way to your apartment."

Ray shrugs and points at the dealer. "Cash me out and give it to Johnny, he will keep a hold of the money for me." He turns to Johnny. "This isn't over Johnny. I will play you under the table next time."

Ray walks out of the room with a confident swagger, the agents chuckling to themselves as they clean up and head out. 

…

At Ray's apartment, Fury and Natasha enter the room, finding Ray seated on the couch while looking over his study materials. He looks up at them as they enter, a surprised look in his eyes as he sets a paper down. 

"Eyepatch? What do you need from me?"

Natasha manages to keep a straight face, even though she is chuckling to herself in her mind, while Fury glares at Ray before shaking his head. 

Fury "Now is not the time for jokes, Ray. The X-Men are coming tonight. They wish to speak to you…"

Ray's eyes widen and he stands up hurriedly. "The X-Men!!! I thought they were a myth." Ray clenches his fist whilst looking down in anger. "Why the hell are they showing up now? I was living on the streets for years and now that I have a place to call home they finally show up…"

Fury's expression softens just the tiniest fraction. "I don't know why… But we can find out when they get here. For now, I want to confirm one thing with you." Fury looks Ray in the eye. "Are you going to stay here and officially join SHIELD, or would you rather go with the X-Men. I won't fault you for your choice."

Natasha looks at Fury with a raised eyebrow, knowing that Fury would never let an asset leave like this if he could help it. Ray, on the other hand, feels conflicted. Joining the X-Men would help him in many ways. Far less surveillance to keep an eye on him, access to the danger room, and a myriad of other mutants to learn from.

On the other hand, Fury has been good to him, saving him from a life on the streets and giving him a place to live and grow. Who cares if he is planning on making him an agent. Ray would much rather stay with Fury and build his trust then let some wheelchair bound, mind reading, pacifist dictate his actions. 

Ray smirks, looking into Fury's eye with determination blazing within his own eyes. "With me its first come, first served. You saved me from a life on the streets. Gave me a place to live and hope for the future. I'm with you for the long haul…"

Fury stares into Ray's eyes for a moment before flashing him a genuine smile. "If that's your choice, then welcome aboard, agent Ray."

Ray grimaces. "Don't smile like that ever again. It's creepy…"

Fury glares at Ray, genuine anger and the thought 'Why is it always the weird ones that pass the tests' going through his head. 

Meanwhile, Natasha, who has been on the sidelines this whole time, has to look away and hold a hand over her mouth. Not even her black widow training can stop her from laughing quietly. 

Some hours later, the quinjet decloaks and lands on the roof of shield headquarters, Logan wheeling the professor down the exit ramp. Waiting for him is Natasha, who offers a polite greeting before leading them to a conference room. 

Inside the room are Fury and Ray, both sitting quietly and observing the two mutants as they arrive. Natasha walks in and sits next to Ray just as the professor begins his spiel. 

"You must be Ray. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Charles Xavier, and this is Logan." Charles says as he is studying the young man before him. 

Ray nods resolutely. "I would say that it's good to meet you, if the circumstances were different…"

Charles sighs lightly. "I can get the gist of why you would think that."

Logan finishes wheeling Charles's wheelchair up to the table before taking a seat next to him, his eyes staring at Ray with a quizzical look. Charles looks over the young man, knowing that his work is cut out for him to convince Ray to leave with him. 

After a few seconds of everyone sizing each other up, Fury stares at Charles menacingly.

"So professor, I will just get right to the point. Why was Ray not picked up by you during the past eight years he was living on the streets, having to fend for himself?"

Charles flinches, his eyes filled with genuine sadness. "Ray's mind is shielded from my telepathy. I only noticed him just this morning when I did a cursory glance around New York."

Charles leans in. "It's quite peculiar, your mind. It's like trying to grasp fog. I can feel your mind is there but I can't get past this 'fog wall' if you will."

Ray tilts his head in confusion, acting as if this is new information whilst trying his hardest not to laugh. Fury, on the other hand, is ecstatic at this news. If Ray is immune to mental manipulation, he can be trusted with higher clearance levels, allowing him to work on higher level missions sooner. 

Though that also begs the question. What is Ray's mutant power? How can a single mutant have so many different abilities? All mutants that have been recorded in the past have had a connecting factor for their powers. 

Logan has enhanced regeneration, giving him an unnaturally long life and the ability to survive the process of having adamantium grafted to his skeleton. Charles has a powerful mind, allowing him to peer into and even control the minds of others. But what is the defining factor of Ray's X-gene? What can tie together photographic body restoration, a body that only grows by seemingly random amounts and at unspecified intervals, and now a shielded mind?

While Fury is thinking at a million miles an hour, Natasha leans forward, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I find that quite hard to believe, professor. I found Ray only a week ago and now you show up? It's far too convenient."

Logan holds his hands up placatingly. "When you put it like that, it does sound suspicious. But if the professor had known about Ray before today, he would have been brought to the school. We find a handful of mutants every week and take them in, giving them a home where they can truly belong. Charles would never leave a child on the streets if he knew about it."

Ray's eyes narrow. "But you didn't know about me… If all the mutants that you find don't have mind shielding, how many others have been left on the curb that do? What about them?"

Charles sighs, his old age showing on his face. "With the number of mutants in the world right now, there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, that I can't see with Cerebro… An oversight on my part that has cost more young mutants their lives…"

Logan places a reassuring hand on Charles's shoulder. "You did everything you could, Charles."

Charles shakes his head. "No Logan, I haven't. With the power I wield I also have a great responsibility. Failure on my part costs more lives then nearly anyone else on this planet. But even with my abilities, I am only human…"

Ray stands up and walks over to Charles and kneels down next to him. "We all are human, whether we have powers or not. I won't blame you for not finding me, but I have made my decision to stay with SHIELD. This is my home now, and I will protect it with all that I have at my disposal. Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to get a little tutoring at your mansion every once in a while. Hang out with other mutants."

Ray looks at Fury expectantly, his expression shifting from serious to exasperated. Fury thinks for a moment before sighing loudly. 

"I guess you can visit the X mansion from time to time. It would help you catch up on your studies."

Ray smirks. "Alright then, it's settled. We can come up with a schedule later. Let's take some time and get to know each other better."

Charles smiles warmly. "That's a wonderful Idea. There is so much I wish to teach you. There are even a few young mutants that are in desperate need of friends. Why, just the other day…"

With Charles regaling Ray with tales of his students, Fury has a silent conversation with Natasha, their eyes speaking volumes. With a subtle nod, Fury excuses himself and heads back to his office. 

Charles and Logan stay for a few hours before heading back to the X mansion, leaving Ray to head back to his apartment while Natasha preps for her infiltration of Trask Industries.

…

Inside the X-Jet, Logan activates the autopilot before swiveling his chair towards Xavier. 

"Charles…"

Xavier turns his chair to face Logan "Yes, Logan?"

"That kid, He has killed before…"

Charles brow furrows. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be. I've seen enough killers in my time to see the signs. He may act nonchalant but he is weighed down by something, then you add to that the feeling I was getting from him…"

"What kind of feeling?"

Logan looks Charles straight in the eye. 

"Danger…"