It was a little crazy how so much could happen in one day, enough that you were sure your life was about to change forever… and then nothing of any real importance could happen for months afterwards. It still felt a little surreal, but that was precisely what had happened. In one single day back in the latter half of his Senior Year, Thaddeus had met three different factions who all wanted a piece of him. He’d quite literally fucked the representative of one of those factions as well, gaining the ability to very slowly, over the course of minutes, adjust his appearance however he wanted. There were still times to this day that he thought about Mystique. Despite how their interaction ended, he wished her well. He hoped she was doing alright. But he couldn’t keep looking back. He had to look forward. Even if the last several months HAD felt a lot like a situation where he was forced to ‘hurry up and wait’. After signing on with Emma Frost and her Hellfire Club, it had been just as she said it would be. Both the X-Men and the Brotherhood had immediately backed off, not showing their faces again around his town even a little. Thaddeus had been slightly surprised by their complete withdrawals, but he supposed he couldn’t really complain. Meanwhile, school had been school and football had been football. Partially out of a misplaced sense of guilt, Thaddeus had led the football team to one last Championship, making his friends and teammates, his Coach, and the Principal all extremely happy with him. And then he’d graduated with grades that had undoubtedly turned heads… and if it wasn’t Thaddeus’ grades that turned their heads, then it was probably where he’d ended up going for his higher education. There were Universities known for their sports programs and there were Universities that focused on the higher learning above all else. Empire State University in New York was one of the latter. While it still HAD sports scholarships, seeing as Thaddeus managed to secure one, those sports scholarships also came with stringent requirements regarding test scores and overall GPA. Both of which Thaddeus had managed to pass with flying colors.
ESU was established as a Research University, meaning it was a lot less focused on its sports program than some of his other prospects had been. Some of his other prospects… that his friends and teammates from high school had managed to get full rides to. He would never say it out loud, though he imagined some of the smarter guys suspected… but the real reason Thaddeus had picked ESU over his other options was because it represented the cleanest break. Not a single person from his school was going there except for him. He was leaving his old life behind… and yes, that was entirely by design. After all, it was true what they said. Sometimes you just… outgrew certain people. Still, on top of giving it his all and making sure to win the last Championship before he graduated from high school, Thaddeus had also felt guilty enough to let his friends and former teammates drag him around to all sorts of parties and Summer Bashes over the intervening Summer Months. During which he’d gotten it on with all sorts of girls, some that he recognized and some that were total strangers to him. Indeed, while his life had mostly calmed down after that one crazy day in early Spring, that was one area in which Thaddeus had continued on full steam ahead. With the encouragement of Ms. Frost, of course. He and Emma Frost were in semi-infrequent communication throughout the rest of the school year, and when Thaddeus had asked if he needed to lie low and lay off the sex until he graduated, Emma had told him that there was no need for that. In fact, she’d said that for the sake of their new working relationship, she wanted him to explore his abilities as best he could… even with the limited stock he had on offer. Those were her words, not his. Thaddeus wasn’t so far gone that he was considering the girls he slept with ‘stock’ just yet. Even if he admittedly couldn’t remember all of their names. Regardless, with Emma’s prodding Thaddeus had fucked what felt like at least a hundred different girls in the past several months. Some of them multiple times, some of them one offs. Each and every one of them had fed his abilities, to the point where he felt like he was past the point of human and well into superhuman. Before, he’d figured there were at least Professional Athletes out there, as well as Olympians, who could give him a run for his money, if not outright beat him. But now? Thaddeus didn’t think that was the case anymore. And his mind had been ramping up right alongside his body, which had allowed ESU to be an option in the first place. Now here he was, riding in the back of a private car provided by his mysterious benefactors in the Hellfire Club, waiting for a call from Ms. Frost while he was steadily being driven towards his new college dorm. When the call suddenly comes through, a beeping on the screen embedded in front of him, Thaddeus makes sure he’s as presentable as he can be and then reaches out and taps the ‘Answer’ button. Immediately, Emma Frost’s face appears on the screen in front of him, the connection established without delay. The Hellfire Club’s technology really was something, Thaddeus couldn’t help thinking, even as he was aware that the small camera at the top of the screen was transmitting his own face right back to her. She gives him an affectionate smile and a nod. “Thaddeus. So good to see you again. I’m sorry it couldn’t be in person, but you know how it is.” Considering this was the first time they had even spoken face-to-face since she’d gotten him to sign on with her organization, Thaddeus did not in fact know how it was. But he could guess. He could theorize. And he definitely suspected a woman like Ms. Frost was exceptionally busy even at the best of times. Much too busy to waste too much of her precious time on him anyways. With that in mind, Thaddeus just smiles right back and nods as well for good measure. “I understand perfectly, Ms. Frost. I appreciate this call, knowing how busy you must be.” “Of course. Anything for my favorite football star.” Thaddeus blushes a little bit at that and rolls his eyes good-naturedly. His future had been the focus of several of their over-the-phone conversations they’d gotten to have these past few months. He was growing more and more convinced that he didn’t want his entire future to be tied up in football or any sports really… and Emma, while understanding of that desire, had turned to teasing him a little bit over it. Still, he knew she was just teasing. Before he can respond, she carries on, waving a hand in front of her face. “How has it been so far, leaving home for the first time? You’re going from the small town to the big city… the adjustment period will likely be difficult, but I assure you, it will be well worth it.”
-x-X-x-
The Patreon Vote:
[ ] Bluntly ask her what's going on - 41% [X] Flirt with her, it's habit by now - 49% [ ] Stay quiet and figure things out on his own - 11%
(From this chapter on, I will be posting the results of the Patreon Vote for the chapter to increase transparency and alleviate the issue of constant cliffhangers.)