Methos stumbled unsteadily down the driveway. His resolve and courage (fairly meager to begin with) had all but melted away at approximately the same time he walked through the immense wrought iron gates with the demure plaque proclaiming that just up this drive was Xavier's School.

Methos struggled with himself, more so because he was out of practice with going against his nature then because of the severity of his inner turmoil. Every fiber of 5000 years of experience and survival told him to turn his butt around and go lay on the beach in the Bahamas for a century or two. Yet for some reason his feet kept moving forward. The grit between his shoes and the driveway crackled accusingly and he shook his head. This was stupid. Why was he going to the school? Why did he feel so driven to confront Xavier and the X-men. Something inside of him was whispering that this strange compulsion and the events in his nightmare were linked but try as he might he couldn't fathom the link.

If only he knew what his nightmare portended… was it some horror spat up by his subconscious mind after however long he had been captive or was it the twisted representation of some real event that had driven him to Stryker's side. He only hoped that the matter would either clear itself up soon or just go away all together, fretting was such a bother, even for someone who didn't need to worry about wrinkles.

He walked around the corner of the driveway and to his surprise found more driveway.

"Oh well, more time to think." He muttered to himself sadly. All he really wanted was to get drunk, stark raving drunk. He promised himself to rectify the mistake of his sobriety at the next possible opportunity, adjusted his pack and continued walking.

What in the world was he going to tell them was his power? Well, there was the obvious but he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to tell them about the whole, no dying thing, too many years of ingrained suspicion railed against it. Deep down inside however, he knew… that would have to be it.

"I just won't tell them until they ask." He promised himself.

Methos was distracted from his bothersome inner conflict by a slight sound off to the left side of the driveway. Another man may have ignored or dismissed such a slight disturbance of the general foliage and underbrush but Methos was aware of it immediately. Without shifting his gait or betraying the fact that he had heard it, Methos began using his senses to scan the area around him. Since tasting, touching and smelling were pratically out of the question, he concentrated on sight and hearing. No other out of place sounds made themselves known but Methos became aware of subtle movement in the underbrush before him. A branch swayed almost imperceptibly against the wind and Methos caught a flash of black and green fabric.

Cursing silently under his breath, Methos relized the truth of the situation. Of course the military wouldn't leave such an obvious threat as a school for mutants unwatched. If he hadn't been so caught up in the mysterious pull towards the school he would have realized that far sooner. Methos continued to walk along the driveway briskly.His hurry due more to the cold wind that was beginning to blow through the trees then his camoflaged shadow.

As he trudged along though the trees one guard dropped away only to be replaced by another almost as soon as the last disappeared. They stayed to themselves and mostly clung to the underbrush and shadows. Methos decided that so long as they weren't threatening him, he simply wasn't the type to pick a fight against unknown odds (a.k.a. Not the stupid type,) and so he continued along, keeping one ear out for the guards and devoting a significant amount of his concentration to inner turmoil.

Methos mused to himself about whether the occupants of the school knew of their stealthy companions in the grounds around the school but decided quickly that with Charles Xavier as their leader, there was no way they could not know. As he walked he whistled to himself, attempting to appear as the innocent bystander. For a few minutes he couldn't place the tune until he realized that it was that silly Queen song...

"I am immortal... i have inside me blood of kings..."

Methos smiled to himself and shook his head... what the hell was he doing here?

Meanwhile in the beautifully paneled common room of the not so common school, The Professor and Scott were sitting with several children watching a strange television program. Logan stood in the entryway, leaning in his usual moody way but with an uncharacteristic smile on his features as he listened to the conversation going on between the children and the two adults.

"Now which one is the one with the spiky black hair again?" Scott moaned in his usual wimpy way.

"Goku." One of the kids said matter-of-factly

"I thought the other little one was Goku" Charles said questioningly

"No, no that's Gohan."

"I don't understand how you can tell the difference..." Charles whispered resignedly.

"And what's with the crazy fighting style, doesn't anybody notice that they are flying around throwing energy balls at each other in strangely empty fields that are somehow located next to civilized areas?" Scott asked.

The children just rolled their eyes and turned their attention back to the television. Sometimes there is just no hope for grown-ups.

Charles Xavier, mutant psychic extrodinare was smiling at the expasperated thoughts emanating from the group of children in front of him when he felt a spike of emotion from one of the guards outside. Sending his power out to search for intruders in the immediate vicinity he suddenly had a sense of immense age. Starting, Charles opened his eyes and silently mouthed the name of the approaching presense to himself...

"Methos..."

Unhurredly, Professor Xavier turned to Scott and glanced at Logan who had sensed the Professors' mood change and was standing up straight, ready to face whatever was coming.

"Logan, Scott, there is someone coming... would you please come with me to go show him in?" Charles asked politely.

As he turned his wheel chair to head towards the door he heard Logan fall into step behind him,

"What kind of guest are we looking at here, show him to a room or show him the morgue?" Logan asked, relatively politely...

"I do not know yet.." Professor Xavier said somberly.

Outside the heavy wood door, Charles could sense Methos coming closer, it was difficult for him to read more than general turmoil emanating from the presense approaching the school. Charles wondered what this visit boded.. Why would Methos come here? Who was he really and what connection did he have to the controled and subdued presense he had sensed while with Stryker. Charles worked to push down his impatience. The answer to all his questions was about to ring the door bell.