Anything you can do, I can do better (Lex)

Tobin stepped out of the Institute’s mansion and into the brisk morning air of the East Coast, New York to be exact. He could hardly believe he was in such an interesting place, surrounded by a motley crew of misfits just like him. Never once in his life had he considered that there would be others like him, and now he was at a school dedicated to training him and to teaching him. He didn’t need to hide, but he did need to be careful. His powers were dangerous, and they needed to be trained. Though, Tobin had to admit that the feeling was exhilarating. He was finally free of running and of being scared and could finally start a life for himself. However, one thing he could have done without was the craziness that was his thoughts now that he actually had time to think about them. That was what had brought him out to training field. He needed to get a good run in and to just work off some of the stress. The baggy workout clothes he was wearing didn’t do much for the cold, which was all the more reason for Tobin to get a move on. Plugging in some headphones and starting his iPod, Tobin took off at a slight jog.

It was a pace he could keep up for distance, and it was only meant to warm him up a bit before he actually started getting to work. Tobin was no stranger to the work out scene, and he knew that he needed to warm up and to stretch out before he actually started with the hard stuff. He had a full body workout planned, all of which used his own body weight. Planks, burpees, push-ups, etc. All of which would be mixed with some sprints and cardio. The last time Tobin had done this workout he had been sore for a couple of days, but it was exactly what he needed to jump start his training schedule here at the Institute. Eventually, Tobin would have to incorporate using his powers while training, but he didn’t know when that would happen. Instead of focusing on the future, Tobin decided to turn off his thoughts and just focus on his workout. He could feel his heart pumping in his chest, and he knew that he was sufficiently warmed up. Turning into the middle of the field, Tobin chopped his steps for a bit while he checked his pulse. He slowly counted as the seconds ticked away. Yup, that was his target heart rate, giving him the green light to start working himself hard.

Minutes passed, and sweat was dripping off Tobin’s nose as he held his body in the plank position. He could feel the fire in his core, the burn of a great workout, and he let out a grunt to help push through the pain. His watch lay on the ground in front of him, and he watched the seconds tick away. A minute was his goal for this rep, and Tobin knew he could do it. He let out another grunt as the final seconds ticked away. Sighing, Tobin let himself down from the plank, and went into the Cobra position to stretch out his abdominals. He breathed in and out, settling his mind and finding his center. Yoga helped him stay focused and calm, which was necessary with his powers. And so Tobin began to cycle through the different positions. Some were harder for him than others, but he just let his mind empty out. It was calming.

The day was warm, and Lex did not like it at all. He had been expecting New York to be one of the colder places in America, but the temperature didn’t quite reach his expectations. He had wanted the sun to hide behind the clouds, for an extremely bright sun would only drain his energy. However, the sun’s brightness was not that bad compared to how it was in Los Angeles. It also didn’t feel very humid, and from his window Lex could see the trees swaying peacefully in the forest. Their shadows danced gracefully under the sun’s rays, and for a moment Lex deemed it the most comforting thing in the world to look at. Whilst he didn’t fully trust the Institute, he had to give them credit about creating such a brilliant place. He had yet to explore the whole Mansion, but from what he has seen he could tell that place is well taken care of. Even his room wasn’t small like how dorm rooms were usually supposed to be. Lazily, Lex stretched and yawned as he looked out the window. There wasn’t a lot to do now that it was summer and there were no classes, but Lex didn’t mind that. Secretly, he wasn’t too fond of having to take classes. Just the idea of training and self-studying seemed good enough for him.

Lex got up from his position by the window to look around his room. His room was awfully messy, which completely contrasted his current appearance. While Lex wasn’t exactly a neat freak, he was a hygiene freak, and he did almost everything to maintain his impeccable appearance. His hair was neatly combed and his clothes were spotlessly clean. He was done with his morning routine, but that left him feeling bored. What was he to do in a place like this? He was in no mood to research at the library, and socialising with anyone was a completely ridiculous idea. Taking note of how he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, sweatpants and running shoes that were fit for training, Lex decided he might as well train outside. It could help him improve his resistance against the sun, and he would be able to maintain his physical condition. With that, Lex decided to head to the training field to work out for the day. He just hoped no one else would be there, because he didn’t like sharing his space—even if the space was as a big as a football field.

Upon reaching the training field, Lex immediately felt dismayed. Someone had gotten there before him, and he seemed to be doing yoga. He seemed to be truly meditating, and so Lex decided to ignore him. If the guy turns to look at him, Lex would probably nod politely and then continue minding his own business. After all, Lex didn’t come here to socialise… and Lex never socialised with anyone. To him, people should be either ignored or silenced forever. With that thought, Lex started to warm himself up before moving on to the harder stuff. He was careful enough to keep himself distant from the guy lest the guy thinks he’s “looking for new friends”. He remained there for a few minutes until he was done with his warm up. When he turned to look briefly again at the guy, he saw the guy still doing various yoga positions. Lex had never tried yoga, and he wasn’t interested. He had heard of how yoga was supposed to clear your mind, and Lex, an extreme thinker, just wasn’t interested in clearing his mind. He preferred his racing thoughts over a clear mind. With those thoughts, he decided to jog around the field at a steady pace without having another glance at the guy doing yoga.

The music pounding out of Tobin’s earbuds blocked out any and all sounds that the newcomer to the field made when he arrived to work out also. Tobin was so engrossed in the calm of his yoga poses that he didn’t even notice the guy for some time. Instead, Tobin was a series of fluid motions, moving from warrior 1 to warrior 2 and other poses. He felt at peace with everything. His mother had introduced him to yoga when they discovered that his anger was a trigger to his “little problem,” as his mother had called it. Tobin’s dad would’ve thought it was cool that his son could project lights and different forms of radiation. He wouldn’t have tried to fix his son, as if there was something wrong with him. Sam Abernathy would have accepted his son for who he was, and perhaps Tobin wouldn’t have left if his father had still been alive. But needless to say, that was all speculation, and the fact of the matter was that Tobin had left and was now at the Xavier Institute. He would be finishing high school here, learning to master his gifts, and exploring just how deep down the rabbit hole he was willing to go when it came to those gifts. Tobin had only really used the higher energy sides of the electromagnetic spectrum as they helped him expel his anger. However, the lower energy waves of the spectrum, such as radio waves, shouldn’t be out of his reach, and they would have many different uses if he could tap into that power. The possibilities were endless.

As he was thinking about his potential, Tobin saw the newcomer for the first time. The guy had decided to take a light jog around the field, which had brought him into Tobin’s line of sight. Tobin couldn’t help but immediately size the guy up as he ran. He looked really neat and clean, which Tobin thought was silly. The guy had probably showered before coming to work out, a waste of time because he would have to shower again after, or a normal person would have to shower. Tobin didn’t know who this guy was or what his ability was, so it was possible that he wouldn’t have to shower. The world was a whole new place because of the revelation that mutants existed; it changed everything. Tobin watched the guy run for a little while longer. He had to admit that Mr. Clean had good form and seemed to know what he was doing, which for some reason agitated Tobin. Deciding to return to his yoga, Tobin decided he would take it up a notch. A laser light show during yoga wouldn’t be too strenuous, or so Tobin thought. He had never tried it before, but it was worth trying to see what Mr. Clean did in reply.

Focusing, Tobin emptied his mind again as he shifted into the Tree position. It was an easier position, so Tobin would be able to focus on manipulating the light around him. He pictured green light in the shape of an evergreen tree, and that light was coiled around him, hiding his form. The tree would be small for an evergreen, but other than that, it would look like a real tree, unless someone tried to touch it. Tobin could produce light, but he couldn’t make it solid. Holding the position for an extended period of time was harder than just a normal rep, but Tobin was focused on holding it for as long as he could. Absently, he wondered if Mr. Clean had noticed the obvious display. The stray thought broke through Tobin’s focus, causing him to stumble to the ground and for the illusion to vanish. Tobin’s eyes immediately looked for Mr. Clean to see what his reaction was.

Whilst Lex jogged around the field, he noticed how the guy doing yoga was watching him discreetly. A small smirk formed on his face. Yoga guy was probably one of the competitive guys in this place, and though Lex would not admit it he himself could get competitive once in a while. After all, he didn’t maintain his physique and aptitude for nothing. To win in this life, you had to be on top, and you can never be on top if you haven’t got everything with you. And so in his quest to be nothing but perfect, Lex measured himself in comparison with other people to see how he could improve and be even better. For most, it was a sad way to live, but for Lex competition was like oxygen. He started to watch yoga guy critically and yet subtly as he continued to jog around the field. He seemed to know a lot of yoga positions, and for a moment Lex half-expected the guy to levitate from the ground. It wasn’t like that was impossible. After all, this place was a school for mutants, and mutants tend to do the most unbelievable things the world has ever seen.

Lex continued to jog around without fail. As an impatient person, any sort of running was favourable to him over just simply walking or something as mundane and slow. He also liked how running improved his stamina. Besides, as a hunted murderer he had always been “on the run” (pun intended). His build was also perfect for sports that required speed and agility, and because running didn’t require teams (unlike ball games) Lex had the freedom to be solitary whilst training. His mind had started to wander with thoughts of how the Institute would be like once school starts when he noticed yoga guy go into a Tree pose. Lex knew nothing about yoga, but he was familiar with some things about it due to the Beverly Hills people’s addiction to yogalates. He then saw yoga guy literally turn into a tree, and Lex’s eyebrow rose as he did. Interesting way to practise using your powers, he noted. He was about to continue ignoring yoga guy again when yoga guy suddenly stumbled to the ground. The image of the tree vanished with his fall. Lex’s brows furrowed. He wondered if he should approach the guy and help him up, but he knew of how painful that can be to the ego. Still, despite being a cold-hearted young lad, Lex knew he had to see if yoga guy was all right. They were the only ones in the field, and he didn’t want to be blamed for whatever happens (or happened) to yoga guy.

A thought suddenly entered his mind. He turned to his shadow to use it as a portal, then he stepped toward it and seemed to vanish into thin air. A second later, he popped up from the yoga guy’s shadow. The sun was overhead, and its being so weakened his powers, but with enough practise he could probably develop a resistance to the sun. His face looked deathly pale as he popped up, and for a few seconds everything looked blurry before his vision became fine again. “Need help?” asked Lex unemotionally. He wasn’t sure if yoga guy wanted his help, and so he just stood there with his hands in his pockets. Underneath his stony expression, he started to wonder how he had gotten himself in this situation. He wasn’t one to talk to other people, but now here he was asking the guy if he needed help. Clearly, he’d have to learn how to speak more if he were to stay in this Institute where he seemed to be always surrounded by people.

Tobin looked for the running guy, Mr. Clean, and he found him watching Tobin’s utter humiliation on the field. Great, just great, Tobin thought to himself. He had been trying to impress that stupid runner, but instead, he was probably laughing at him as Tobin lay there in the grass. Tobin looked away from Mr. Clean for just a moment, instead focusing on the blades of grass that had lodged themselves in his mouth during the fall. When Tobin looked back, Mr. Clean was gone. Could it be that he had left to tell everyone in the mansion about what a fool Tobin was? He didn’t think that Mr. Clean was the kind of guy that did that. Tobin hadn’t seen him around with any of the other mutants before. Then again, there were quite a few mutants at the Institute, so it was fair that he had just never run into Mr. Clean’s group of friends. Still, something about that man made Tobin guess that he didn’t have very many friends.

Just as Tobin was thinking that last thought, a figure seemed to materialize out of his shadow. It was weird to watch, to say the least. At one moment, there was nothing behind him but shadow. Then, Mr. Clean was standing there, as if the shadows had solidified and spit him out. Tobin looked at Mr. Clean in disbelief, until he realized he was doing just that. Way to be easily impressed, doofus Tobin said to himself, and he quickly shook away the look on his face. “Need help?” asked Mr. Clean, and if Tobin hadn’t seen the words come out of the man’s mouth, he would have doubted they were human. There was no emotion in the words, no legitimate concern, which only made Tobin smile.

“I think I can get it by myself,” Tobin said. For some reason, this young man’s disinterest was what Tobin wanted to hear. Standing up, Tobin dusted off the grass and dust from his work out clothes. His earbuds had fallen out during the fall, so he picked them up and wound them up. Pulling the jack from his iPod, he stored them in his pocket. “I’m Tobin,” he said extending a hand. “That was an interesting trick you did there. Did you use my shadow as a teleportation device of some sort?” Tobin was always open to learning about other mutants and their powers. It was all new to him, and he was soaking it all in.