Chapter 28: Another Day

Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel Characters r logos.

Professor Xavier watched the students train from the window of his office, feeling a sense of calm from the daily proceedings. After everything that he had learned several hours ago, it was nice to see that thoughts of doom and destruction had not spoiled the lives of his fellow mutants. Of course these notions still lingered in the back of his mind, and as the head of the institute, the professor still had many more things to attend to before the day was over. In addition to the paperwork for the upcoming school year, the telepath was also anticipating the session he had with Scott and Jean, while worrying about the wellbeing of his other students and staff members.

As he straightened out another stack of papers, the door to his office slid open, revealing the face of the last person he had expected to see. Professor Xavier had expected that it was Beast coming to explain the result of his research, but was surprised to see the face of Remy LeBeau. He was wearing his usual garb minus the coat, his expression unreadable for the most part. The telepath dropped his stack of papers in surprise as he realized who his visitor was, quickly attempting to remedy the situation as the newcomer casually settled onto the couch in front of his desk.

"Sorry for barging in like that, but when ya can blow down the door I don't see a point of knocking." Gambit replied with a wave of his hand, acting as if they were discussing the matter over drinks. Upon seeing the other man's surprised look, his crafty expression deepened. "Did I offend?"

The professor shook his head, slowly trying to regain his composure. After taking a small breath, he frowned at the guest, although not in an offensive way. "Do not believe that I am displeased by your presence." He began tactfully, gently laying one hand on top of the other on the surface of his desk. "After being assigned to help the others in New York, yet you disappeared from view and did not contact anyone else over the course of several days. Surely you can see why this lack of responsibility would concern us."

"You got my apologies, but being the new guy, I wasn't totally aware that the rest of us had to let you in on everything that goes down." The former thief explained in a crafty tone.

The bald telepath did not underestimate the former Acolyte's nature. He knew that when dealing with these types, one could not afford to ignore such issues. "Considering that the others yielded results while in the field, your actions do not seem to have caused any harm. Due to your lack of familiarity with our methods, perhaps I should have given more specific instructions to you before departing."

"That would've been helpful…" Remy took a moment to bow his head, although he did so mockingly in the presence of his new superior. "Believe it or not, I got a good reason for not talking to you guys the last few days. I would be happy to share it, that is, if you would be gracious enough to listen."

Professor Xavier considered the options for a moment before nodding once to affirm his decision. "Considering that your actions could have caused even more complications, I am certainly interested to hear how you will explain them."

The explosive mutant smiled, revealing a mischievous grin. "I get the impression that some of he folks in this school don't trust me all that much. I figured you wouldn't be so aloof, considering that I saved your students a bunch of time when we sprung Wolverine's clone from that joint."

"Perhaps the others may not entirely trust you based on your past employment, but I believe that everyone deserves a second chance, especially those who have the strength of character to ask for it… I am not Erik." The crippled man answered with a resolute stare. When the card bomber said nothing in response, the psychic mutant made a simple gesture with his hand. "In any case, I am eager to listen to your story."

The explosive mutant looked amused by his new superior's reaction, especially when comparing it to how Magneto would have responded. One of the reasons he had gone off alone in New York was because he wanted to exploit some of his own skill without the interference of his new teammates. The master of magnetism would have crushed him for such insubordination, especially since he kept his minions under his thumb. This was one of the many reasons why he left the Acolytes. There were some more personal issues at work, but he had no intention of sharing those anytime soon.

"You see, the reason I ran off by my lonesome was simple. You wanted to gather some info Magneto while keeping an eye open for those weirdoes that tried to auction off Wolverine and the girl." Remy ran a hand through his hair in a suave manner before speaking again. "I've got loads of skills and connection that are perfect for this sorta thing, but to use'em to the fullest I needed to be alone."

Charles Xavier seemed unsure of how to judge him yet, and beckoned he continue. "Your current argument doesn't sound particularly convincing yet. If your own methods were affective, I would feel more comfortable if you explained them in greater detail."

"Chill out, pops… I was just getting to that." Gambit waved his hand in a defensive manner, although for some reason he looked like he was enjoying himself. "Since those HYDRA guys were involved, I had a gut feeling that something big was about to go down in New York's underground. Needless to say, I figured that the best chance of finding out anything about it was to talk to head down there myself, and hopefully some of them creeps would also know a thing or two about Magneto."

"How exactly did you go about doing this?" the professor questioned his new recruit.

"I didn't exactly come from a respectable family. Ask Rogue if you haven't… She saw it for herself." The card shark played with the deck in his hand, turning over the cards between his fingers several times before getting to the point. "Before I joined up with Magneto's group, I was a professional thief for hire. The guild had some jobs in New York, and even after all this time I've still got some knowledge and connections to exploit."

His superior paused in thought before inclining his head slightly. "If this was the case, I don't think that Scott and Jean would have been able to assist you as easily. That still does not explain why you did not contact the institute with any findings, unless of course, you have none to share."

Gambit let out a dry chuckle, although it was barely noticeable. "Didn't have a phone on me at the time, and there was no point looking for one. I did a lot of eavesdropping while wandering those streets, but it would've been just as easy for someone to do the same to me. I was hanging around back alleys and sewer tunnels. Don't even get me started about the folks that live in those kinda places."

"I suppose that is understandable, although I was hoping that you had made some more important discoveries." The older mutant remarked with a tiny note of disappointment.

"Believe it or not, the scum of the Earth's probably forgotten more about crime than the world's best cop could ever imagine." The Cajun surmised with a clever expression.

Professor Xavier nodded in agreement. "Although this may be the case, it remains to be seen in your case. This being said, you have not yet divulged any findings that can provide some insight into our recent endeavors."

Gambit's expression wavered for a second, realizing that he had been unintentionally beating around the bush. After a brief pause, the former Acolyte raised his hands defensively under the scrutiny of his superior's gaze. "All right, then! I'll let ya know what I found out, although whether or not it's useful to the X-Men is for you to judge."

"As you were…" the bald telepath extended a hand in a welcoming gesture.

"While the others were trapped in the middle of that mess going on topside, I was off perusing the nasty neighborhoods, shaking down some of New York's more colorful inhabitants." The explosive mutant grinned in amusement before continuing. "I found out some interesting stuff that concerned not only Magneto, but also the guys that tried auctioning off Wolverine and the girl to the highest bidder."

Charles Xavier wore a pensive expression as he eyed the thief. "Hold on for a moment, Remy."

"Did I say something, Mr. X?" His guest winced slightly with an odd expression.

"I just wish to ask something directly before you proceed any further." The handicapped man added with an unreadable expression, his hands folded neatly on his desk. "We theorized based on testimonies from Scott and Jean that there was some greater scheme going on in the city, or perhaps something that might have been related to our own activities."

"Funny you should mention that." Gambit flipped a series of cards in the air with his left thumb, flawlessly piling the deck into his opposite hand. He turned his focus back on the professor with a quick glance. "As it turns out, HYDRA sent some flunkies into the city to ruin the Kingpin after our break-in caused their deal to fall through."

The professor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm… So do you believe that they might have been after X-23 again, or was this about something else entirely?" he mulled the situation over for a moment or two before adding. "The real question is, how much were you able to learn?"

His guest reclined, stretching backwards as he attempted to get comfortable. "Judging by some of the stories in the morning paper, and several things I saw myself, you probably know must of what I weaseled out of crooks in the red-light district. Still, there's several things that the others might not have found out."

"Would you care to specify?" the telepath leaned forward slightly in his seat.

Gambit's expression became more serious than before, although he still radiated a constant sense of amusement. "Rumors floating around kept saying that those HYDRA people were backing a geezer named Silvio Manfretti who led a rival gang against. Word on the streets was that they wanted to topple the big man."

The older mutant nodded in agreement. "We were already aware of this due to Logan's recent involvement with the United Nations peacekeeping force, SHIELD. It appears from what little he found out that they were manipulating the crime lords for some unknown reason."

"Heck if I know what they were planning, but I also heard that a scientist in the city was doing some kind of anti-mutant research. Imagine my shock when word came up that Magneto had been nailed by the local freaks." He began with a small frown, not certain of what else he could say. "There was also a rumor that the Kingpin was looking for some type of secret formula to make human super soldiers."

His host hadn't shown any particular interest until hearing this last part, the pieces of the puzzle coming together at last. "So that's why they were after Magnus!" the psychic muttered to himself, earning a look of interest from his guest.

The explosive mutant placed a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, care to repeat that a little louder?"

"Erik had previously discovered the super soldier formula that created the original Captain America during World War II." He began with a downcast expression. "The results would be catastrophic if the world knew that this forbidden knowledge still existed, and managed to take the information from Magnus."

"He once mentioned using enhancements to live longer." Remy answered thoughtfully as he mind briefly returned to his days among the Acolytes. "It sounds like that crazed old man was willing to go through almost anything just to stave off death."

Professor Xavier thought about this for a while as he realized the connection, although it did little to help them predict Magneto's next move, or to understand what their other enemies were ultimately planning. At the same time he was also surprised that one of the institute's newest recruits was surprisingly good at gathering information, having learned many things that it took his teammates much longer to figure out through the use of his own methods. Thinking quickly, he decided to see what else the clever mutant had managed to find out.

"So, is there anything else you would like to share?" he began tactfully.

"Following that gang war, HYDRA pulled out of New York. Rumors in the criminal underworld say that the people in charge called back all remaining forces from North America because they have something big in the works." the card shark scratched the back of his head with a small shrug. "I don't know how much is true."

The psychic mutant considered this for a moment, looking upon the explosive mutant as if he were scanning him for signs of dishonesty. He wasn't the type to read minds without a reason, and out of respect he did not pry. "If that is all you have to say right now about your mission, then perhaps it would be best for us to discuss your future at the institute."

"What exactly do you mean, professor?" Remy looked less than enthusiastic, having guessed that this was bound to come up eventually.

"You are certainly not a student, but at the same time I am not certain it would suit you best to become a teacher." He reasoned out loud, giving the younger mutant a respectful look. "Of course, should you desire the position, I would be more than willing to give you a chance to teach the students."

Gambit shrugged again, this time with a small laugh. "Teaching kids never appealed to me, but it's not like I've got anywhere else to go. If you need a spy, a thief, or a fighter, than look no further… Not sure what kind of class I could teach, although based on my talents I doubt it would be anything you would approve of."

"Perhaps you can join the others as a supplementary instructor, at least for the time being." The professor suggested. "This way you are not forced to bear the full responsibility of a full-time teacher, but at the same time this will allow you to gain some experience in the field."

"Part time doesn't sound like a bad gig. If this works out for you, then fine…" he answered with a sly expression.

The bald telepath considered the options a second time before nodding once to affirm his decision. "Even without the use of my powers, I believe that you will be a very interesting person to work with in the future." He held out his hand to the shifty mutant standing in front of his desk. "Nevertheless, I look forward to see what you can do."

"I guess it's a living." Remy extended his hand, his thoughts returning to the real reason why he joined up. He smiled subconsciously as a certain girl's face came to mind. Although he quickly buried this thought, his gesture did not go unseen by the telepath.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. LeBeau." Xavier added in cheerfully as he accepted the other man's handshake.

Meanwhile…

X-23 let out a calm sigh as she sat beside her male counterpart, silently watching the other children train in the fields behind the mansion. Today was her first day as an instructor at the institute, although due to her lack of familiarity with the job, she had been assigned to serve as Wolverine's aid for the next few weeks. During this time, she would watch him teach and act as an assistant in case he needed some help dealing with the students. So far the job seemed pretty simple, although due to the kindness that they had given her, she was beginning to feel new emotions.

While she had been annoyed by the other X-Men during her initially encounter, the former assassin felt almost obligated to help them for giving her a place to call home. At first her paranoia had prevented her from relaxing, but now she could sleep comfortably in the room that Professor Xavier provided. It had taken almost a week to adjust to the way things worked, but she felt more relaxed now than she ever had before. As annoying as some of her new teammates could be, they were generally harmless. She still didn't talk to the others if it could be avoided, although it was still a start.

Logan sat on the metal bleachers a few feet to her right as he watched the students struggle through another obstacle course, looking on with a satisfied expression as their students began setting off the traps he had planted. Iceman tumbled backwards into a camouflaged pit alongside Berserker, while the others leapt over them and continued down the path. The feral mutant shook his head disapprovingly before turning away from them, his gaze settling on the young girl sitting beside him.

He hesitated upon feeling the emotional wall surrounding his female clone, but by now he knew by now that she wasn't usually the one to break it down. After letting out a small sigh, he decided to address the volatile teenager that sat just beyond the perpetual scowl. "So, how are you holding up?"

X-23 snarled instinctively in his direction, although to his shock she almost looked sorry a moment later. "I have no blatant grievances…"

"Even I've got my complaints about this place from time-to-time. It's not like we'll kick you out if you say anything bad."

She turned her head to see him better, although her expression was much less hostile than usual, her nasty grimace replaced with a look of indifference. "This lifestyle is somewhat predictable, and the professor has been most hospitable to me, despite the fact that I haven't been able to render any services in return for his kindness."

Wolverine sized her up with a serious expression before nodding his head in an attempt to be supportive. He wasn't usually the fatherly type, but in this case he felt as though there was little other option. Charles had told him to keep an eye on the girl because he was the only person who could possibly understand her. He couldn't come up with a reason why it shouldn't be him, because he actually felt compelled to help her the same way that the professor believe it was his mission to help mutantkind in general.

The Weapon X mutants were two of a kind, both subjected to the same terrible research, and yet they had survived to recover some semblance of life. It would probably take her longer to adjust, but the subtle changes in her mannerisms and demeanor told him that she was at least beginning to trust people. It was a far cry from their first meeting, when she had savagely attacked innocent people without any worry or care, all to accomplish her goal of misguided vengeance. In many ways she was like a feral cat, slowly warming up to those willing to care for her.

He looked at the ground beneath his feet as if trapped in a trance, although his mind returned to the conversation as he felt her gaze boring into him. "Anyway… Don't think too hard about what he did." He rested a hand on the younger hero's shoulder. "Chuck took a lot of us in when we had nowhere else to go and helped us without expecting anything in return."

"Hmmm…" the younger mutant groaned, her teeth gritting against each other as she let the notion sink in.

His female clone turned her head away as she contemplated what it would be like to possess such a selflessness nature, but it was difficult to understand for someone in her position. Having spent her entire life working as a living weapon for one of the most powerful syndicates in the world, she had very little experience with someone like Professor Xavier. The closest thing she could think of was her encounter with Wolverine that night he had comforted her, expressing a desire to protect her from HYDRA even after she had attacked his friends.

X-23 looked back up almost pleadingly, her eyes softening slightly as they settled on the face of her male counterpart. "If you want me to understand, then answer one question."

"Oh yeah… What's that?" Wolverine was never the best when it came time to this sort of thing, slowly running a hand through his messy hair in exasperation.

"Why do people help each other even if there is no mutual benefit to be gained, or explicit motivation to perform a task?" she looked slightly confused by the thought, having been used her entire life and abused both physically and emotionally.

He let out a weary sigh in response to her question. "Ugh… You're really asking the wrong person about this kind of thing. My life wasn't much better than yours."

"At least try to answer!" she snapped irritably, her sour behavior returning almost instantly.

Wolverine looked down at her with a confounded expression, silently thinking the answer over to himself. He was the last person to answer a question like that, even although he understood the importance of it to the girl sitting before him. Laura was a tortured soul who endured every bit of pain that he had once suffered at a much younger age, and unlike him she remembered every bit of it. According to one of her creators, she had very little knowledge of what it was like to live an ordinary life save for what little she was able to observe while training to blend in with society.

Logan sighed as he realized she was still staring at him before stringing words together. "Look, kid… Some people who understand the problems of others try to help them. You really picked the wrong guy to explain."

She tilted her head down and stared at the space between her knees again. "The concept of kindness wasn't something I really understood growing up?" she replied with a bitter scowl.

"The folks at SHIELD told me that you wanted freedom because you began to understand the truth about people." He explained somberly. "After seeing ordinary humans living normal lives, I doubt it took long to figure out what they had taken from you. Think about it a little bit, and you can probably find your own answers."

"I do not understand completely, but am not entirely unaware. Some people feel a connection with each other due to familial connections, and a friendship may exist between people due to common interests and shared sentiments. My question still remains…" She responded tactfully, her gaze never leaving the ground. "Why do people show kindness outside of these bonds?"

Wolverine grasped his forehead like someone with a migraine. "Well… Yeah… … Erm… You could say it's common decency to show respect to other folks" he began with a scowl of his own. Despite trying to explain it to her, he rarely harbored tender feelings for complete strangers. After mulling it over for a minute, the male mutant shrugged again. "I guess you could say that everyone's got their own burden, which is why people understand each other."

X-23 nodded to signify that she had heard him, but her as the notion bounced around in her mind, she related it to her own observations and experiences in order to fully comprehend the idea he had expressed. She knew what the concept empathy meant, but many of the HYDRA operatives she knew were evil, nihilistic, insane, or even a combination of the three. This obviously gave her few examples to use here, and it was even worse considering that the spy network had conditioned her since birth to breed out these types of emotions. Being left along to train with machines was certainly not the best way to learn about human interaction.

Thinking back to her days blending in with crowds and observing normal people, the former assassin had seen love and friendship. The only real example she had of empathy was during her first meeting with Wolverine, when had shown a certain willingness to take care of her, who back then was a complete stranger. He was the first person she had ever met that truly seemed to understand her plight. According to what he had said, all humans possessed the capability to comprehend each other, because everyone understood pain and because of this, many of these individuals were compelled to ease the suffering of others.

After several minutes of sitting quietly, the younger mutant nodded again so that her counterpart would notice. Laura allowed her hair to sway as the wind swept her hair, almost as if all of her troubles were wafting away in the breeze. "I think I understand…" she looked to her mentor.

"Good to hear it!" Wolverine clapped a hand onto her shoulder with a softer expression.

Although neither of them smiled, they both felt a sense of understanding that prevented her from rejecting his gesture of kindness. Her stoic expression did not change, although her eyes had a sense of warmth that they lacked before. "Thank you…"

"Yeah… Sure thing!" he answered with a sense of uncertainty. After a short pause, the older mutant gave her one of his gruff smiles, although it only lingered for a second before he groaned again. "Glad to see you got something out of that convulsion, considering even I had no idea what I was talking about!"

Although she did not dignify his comment with a verbal response, the younger mutant placed her hands on her knees and leaned forward slightly so that she could get a better view of the school's students. The man sitting beside her did not attempt to force conversation upon her, considering that he wasn't exactly the most excitable individual either. Logan shifted his view to the field where many of the younger mutants were still struggling to the finish of the obstacle course he had assembled. Seemingly content with this assessment, the erasable mutant let out a breath slowly as he attempted to relax again.

"So, you still remember what to do for the next exercise?" Logan asked his younger counterpart.

Her face lightened as she remembered the next activity they had planned for the class, although she seemed almost hesitant to discuss it. "They may not be prepared… Are you certain you want me to participate?

The irascible mutant nodded in agreement. "Yup, but just make sure you don't get carried away once we start."

"I have not forgotten what you told me earlier." She responded with an inscrutable expression, her hands coming together in her lap. "My creators trained me to exert only the amount of force necessary to complete the task at hand, less I exhaust myself in the process."

"All right…" he answered calmly, looking convinced that she understood the ramifications.

Several minutes passed as they continued supervising the class, but when the entirety of the group was stationed at the finish line, he decided to take charge once more. Standing up from his place on the bleachers, he gestured forward for X-23 to follow him. With his female clone in tow, the animalistic mutant crossed the gap and quickly made his way over to the assembled students, many of whom seemed exhausted by the brutal obstacle course that their instructor had thrown together. Coupled with the fact that they had gone through a particularly long danger room session earlier that day, the students were noticeably wiped.

"Good job out there, team…" Wolverine clapped his hands once to get their attention.

Iceman, Cannonball, Magma, Multiple Man, Berzerker, Wolfsbane, and Sunspot me their teachers halfway as the two groups approached each other, the students looking as though they had just run a marathon. Due to her quiet and somewhat unpredictable nature, X-23 was not particularly keen on saying anything, although she found their lack of endurance and dedication to their training to be pitiful at best. Based on what she had heard from Wolverine, she assumed that they would rather be off having fun, although her understanding of the concept was limited at best, even after it was explained to her.

"Ugh…" Bobby took a large gulp of water from the bottle of water in his hand. "Man, it really stinks that you didn't let us use any powers for this session. Are you trying to kill us, or is this just your idea of fun?"

"Don't go getting too comfortable, because I've still got one more session in store before we call it a day." Logan explained, earning a chorus of muttered complaints from his gathered students.

Amara groaned in dismay. "This is the third session today, and we weren't even allowed to use any powers while running through the obstacle course. Can't we take a break?"

"I think you'll enjoy what I have in mind." Their teacher replied with a look of interest, his eyes settling on the girl standing beside him. "My new co-instructor seems to think that you half-pints don't get enough practice, so I thought up one more exercise for you guys to finish up before we turn in and call it a day."

"She's probably younger than most of us… I don't see why that new girl gets to call the shots!" Iceman objected rather loudly.

Wolfsbane jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, causing him to double over. "Be quiet, doofus… She's standing right there." She made a tiny gesture to the newest X-Men recruit, although their teacher did nothing to acknowledge either of them.

Amara looked slightly hesitant to ask, although he did so anyway. "What kind of activity are we talking about, anyway?"

"Pipe down and let me explain… As it turns out, I actually agree." Wolverine took a step forward, causing the younger students to grow silent. "You guys spend too much time goofing around to the point where a simple training exercise does this to you!" he gestured to Cannonball, who was struggling to catch his breath. "Not to mention that most of you guys can't even control your powers!"

"We can control our powers!" Berzerker's hands crackled with energy as he stepped forward, but he was quickly caught off guard, tripping over a large rock on the ground and pushing into one of his classmates.

Multiple Man toppled forward, spawning several more copies of himself as he hit the ground, all of which were positioned in the exact same manner as the original. "Ouch…" the newly formed mob screamed in unison.

Their teacher looked satisfied by the convenient example one of his students. "Now you guys see what I mean?"

"It's not fair to judge everyone by Jamie, considering he always does that!" Iceman added jeeringly. This earned him an angry expression from the younger student, although he ignored this. "You guys wanna see some mad skills, let me show you the ropes!"

Bobby Drake held out his hands, shooting a blast of ice at the ground in front of him. He controlled the flow of his powers to create an accurate statue of himself similar to the one he made as a stand-in during Scott and Jean's first class. Seeing the lack of reaction from his peers and instructors, the elemental mutant made several more with a casual wave of his hands, following up his first series of creations by constructing a large platform to stand on. He smiled down at the others with a pointing gesture in an attempt to show off.

"Not to mention that some of you guys get a little too cocky." Wolverine added bluntly, using his free hand to slice the head off of one of the ice sculptures.

"There's no need to be so rude about it." Bobby returned to the ground with a small pout.

Cannonball let out an ironic snicker. "Lighten up Bobby… He does have a point, you know?"

The two began bickering, although Magma ignored them and shifted her focus back to the original question. "So, you still haven't told us what kind of exercise is this?"

"Just hold on a second… I was just getting to that." Wolverine dismissed her concerns without much thought. "As I was saying earlier, Laura thinks the students don't get challenged enough, and the rest of you keep complaining about the way we do things around here." He paused with a gruff expression. "Today, we're gonna see how you kids handle yourselves when the challenge is more than just a few hurtles."

"Isn't that what the Danger Room's for?" Berserker added in with a shrug.

"Let me put it in words you can understand!" The former Weapon X shook his head with an impatient moan. "When taking an assignment the field, you'll be up against more than a bunch of machines. You kids remember how tough it was when we went up against Apocalypse. That should've been enough to tell you that there's no off switch in real life!"

Iceman frowned again, looking as if someone had just cancelled his favorite holiday. "Hey, if that's the case then you guys owe me an explanation! I've already been on a load of missions the main team, and you still won't put me on full-time!"

He quickly grew impatient with the arrogant student, but and idea came to him that would fit the exercise well assuming it worked. "All right hot shot… If it'll shut you up, I'll make you a deal!"

"What do you mean?" the elemental mutant replied challengingly.

"If you kids do well in the next activity, I'll talk to the professor about putting you kids on the main team." Wolverine explained with a note of amusement as he considered their chances of victory. He pointed to the trees behind him before explaining further. "This next exercise will take place in the fenced off woods behind the baseball field. The students get a head start can have to survive for an hour in the woods avoiding capture."

"Just wait a minute!" Multiple Man protested nervously. "Are you saying that you want us to run into the woods so you can hunt us like a bunch of animals?"

"Gee dude… That's pretty harsh, even for your classes!" Bobby added with a frown.

"Who said anything about me being the enemy?" Logan explained, causing some of his students to sigh in relief. He paused for a second to allow them to relax before making the big announcement. "I asked Laura to handle the dirty work this time around. When she's done, you'll wish I had been doing the training!"

The group looked uneasy at the idea of dealing with the X-Men newest recruit, several of them having been on the end of her wrath during her first day at the mansion. They had been goofing off in the back yard, using their powers in a chaotic display, when Wolverine had her restore order by jumping into the fray. It had only taken X-23 a matter of seconds to put an end to their irresponsible behavior. She disabled them with minimal effort, and surprisingly enough she didn't even need to use her claws.

Wolverine noticed their expressions and took interest, although he decided to make a few things clear before they began. "Before you guys run off, let's start with some major guidelines. First of all there's about five acres of forest, and if you leave the boundaries you're out. Secondly, you've got full use of mutant powers within reason. Third, if Laura touches you it means you lose the game."

Although the class fell silent, Iceman was the first to recover. "All this stuff about real life and you make it a game of mutant tag. Sounds pretty lame, huh guys?" he asked the others, earning some murmurs of agreement. "What's the deal with this one touch, stuff?"

"You kids obviously still don't get it." Logan answered glumly, his expression becoming deathly seriously. "If Laura wanted to kill anyone, all it would take was a single strike. If you can't last an hour in those trees without getting caught, it means you would be dead in a real fight!"

"So, when do we start?" Berzerker questioned.

Their instructor reached into his pockets, pulling out a stopwatch similar to the ones used during sporting events. "We start right now… You get a five minute head start before the game begins. If you half-pints can last an hour in the woods without getting caught, I'll talk to the professor about promoting the rest of you guys to the main team." He reiterated the basics quickly before adding in some extra incentive. "If at least one person hasn't been rounded up in the next hour, you can take next week off!"

Bobby piped up instantly, looking as though someone had splashed him with water as he turned to the others. "You guys hear that?" he jumped onto a platform of ice, propelling himself into the woods. "Let's go!"

A chorus of laughter erupted as the group followed his example, making a mad dash for the fenced off forest behind the institute. Wolverine and his aid watched them go, the former finding their reactions amusing. The group was so lazy that the promise of a week without classes had been enough to motivate them, although he knew that they stood no chance of winning so long as his partner did her part. Crossing the lawn, he took a seat on metal bleachers across from the baseball field, barely noticing that his clone was still following him.

Wolverine glanced up at her with a bored expression for several seconds before pressing the button on the timer in his hand. "Sheesh, they didn't even wait for me to say go."

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, apparently not understanding the method that he had used to deal with the class. "The students in this group lack too much focus to be entrusted with more responsibility." She pointed out with an irritated expression. "Even knowing this, you would risk granting them this promotion."

"It won't happen so long as you do make sure it doesn't." He dismissed her concerns without putting much though into the equation. "You're free to use any methods to win the game, or at least, anything short of maiming them."

"Understood!" X-23 nodded in compliance like a soldier who had just been given an order.

Meanwhile…

Magneto paced the floor of his metal complex, silently waiting for his subordinates to return from their information gathering missions. He wore a cold expression, having been distraught since his disgrace in New York, and even angrier at the fact that he was unable to kill the people responsible for it. Mastermind, Pyro, and Scanner sat around the large steel table in the center of the room, neither attempting to force conversation due to their fear of their master's retribution. The fire user had remained behind due to his loyalty, although the illusionist had been forced to remain due to his lack of reliability.

The sole female of the trio was new to the group, and since her powers were not used for offensive purposes, she rarely had a reason to venture beyond the safety of the metal dome. Due to her lack of seniority and fighting skills, Scanner had little authority among the Acolytes to begin with, and remained in a trance as she monitored the surrounding area with her mental abilities. This continued on for several moments until at long last she finally detected the presence of her returning comrades.

"They are coming." Her eyes shot open with a strange expression as the feeling came closer.

The master of magnetism stopped his procession, his gaze shifting towards her. "Are they all present, or are the others still missing?"

"I can sense four mutants…" she replied in a hushed whisper, using her abilities to double check the source of the power. "Yes, it seems like the entire group is accounted for today. Mellencamp, Senyaka, Blink, and Sabretooth converging on our position and should be arriving any moment now. Perhaps we should prepare for their arrival?"

Her superior did not answer this comment, although he didn't bother wasting any energy to open the metal dome. The woman sitting behind him looked as if she were about to ask why, although she had briefly forgotten to factor in the powers of her comrades. Magneto stepped backwards as a strange glow erupted in front of him, the light subsiding seconds later to reveal the presence of his remaining underlings. Blink stood at the head of the party, one of the small pink crystals she carried clenched in her fist.

She placed the jewel into her quiver-like hood before releasing her powers, allowing the others to step forward. Their leader eyed his assembled mutants with a sense of urgency, his ironclad gaze lingering for a few seconds on the less reliable followers. Sometimes finding powerful disciples willing to step over moral boundaries forced the seeker to settle on murders like Sabretooth and Senyaka, or shifty types such as Mastermind. Nevertheless he had recruited some useful mutants since the departure of Gambit and Colossus, all of whom were better than the original group of teenagers that Mystique had initially gathered.

Magneto waited for the assembled mutants to take their places at the table, addressing the group as a single unit once they were all seated. "Have you discovered anything relevant to the location of the final artifact that we seek?" When no one gave him an answer, the extremist clenched his fists, causing the room to rattle violently. "Time is of the essence, especially with humans who possess the X Gene increasing by the day!"

"You desire relics that have been lost with time… What exactly did you expect from such an endeavor?" Senyaka hissed with a note of displeasure.

"Buzz off, towel face!" Pyro retaliated with a nasty expression, causing his opponent to narrow his eyes dangerously.

Seamus Mellencamp saw his master's expression and quickly stood up, drawing the group's attention onto himself, and also ending the would-be argument instantly. "With all due respect, my lord, the energy drainer has raised a valid point." The monstrous mutant remarked with a solemn nod. "The only reason we found the other crystals so easily was because they were accounted for by the archaeological community. It is unfortunate, but the last of the set has never been accounted for."

The monstrous man's words seemed to have a sobering affect on his leader, who seemed much less violent than he had moments before. "Very well…" the magnetic mutant responded with a serious frown, his gaze wandering the room once again in a suspicious manner. "I sincerely hope that no one is withholding information from me. When our time comes, there will be no place for those who lack conviction and loyalty! Mark my words!"

An eerie quiet descended upon the gathering for several seconds, only broken by Sabretooth's animalistic grunts and the sound of Mellencamp's heavy breathing. The others didn't seem keen on challenging their leader's perspective, although Pyro looked rather amused by his master's statement and waited eagerly for an excuse to alleviate his boredom. Most of his fellow Acolytes seemed relatively indifferent to the threat set down by their leader, although Scanner appeared concerned for her own wellbeing, since she would not be fit for combat if a fight broke out.

Blink cleared her throat as she stood up, causing the others to look at her. "There was one point of interest that I discovered, although before I begin, remember that there is no guarantee whether or not my testimony will prove useful to us."

"Since subsequent searches in the last twenty-four hours have yielded no other leads, I see no reason against it." The master of magnetism wore a gaunt expression as he spoke, although his tone was calm and rational in comparison to his earlier display.

"While the others were in the field looking for clues to the whereabouts of your precious rock, I used my powers to infiltrate a library containing archaeological records." The pink-skinned woman replied with a dutiful expression. "Upon searching through several historical records, I discovered that Adolf Hitler had a certain interest in the arcane and superstitious."

Magneto's lower lip slid back to reveal gritted teeth as he heard the name of the man whose ambitions had ruined his childhood, although he bit back his anger upon remembering his original objective. "Explain to me now how this is relevant to us!" he blurted out with a note of aggression.

She added a quick nod before continuing. "This led him to pursue artifacts rumored to possess mystical powers in the hopes that they would facilitate Germany's victory during World War II. According to several accounts hand-written by the Fuhrer himself, he had possessed two of these crystals, yet only one of them was found in his possession following his death."

"I remember hearing that the second artifact we stole had been imported from a German gallery before being purchased by the museum in Manhattan." Mellencamp rationalized. "If one of these objects was found in Europe, then perhaps the records do relate to our plans."

"Good job, mate! Now you lot just need to find the other one, and we'll have what we need to fire up that gadget buried in China!" Pyro remarked with a sadistic smile. "That narrows down the search to… Who honestly knows!" he burst out.

"Whether or not the last artifact is still in existence is debatable, although we could assume that someone stole it following Hitler's death." The beast-like man suggested.

Their leader remained silent as he contemplated this new discovery, now seeing how smart he had been to recruit someone like Blink into his group. Along with Mellencamp, she was one of his more useful supporters, and both provided a source of intelligent conversation among a group of mutants who were most sadistic killers and vengeful outcasts. The magnetic mutant gave the group a small nod as he waved his hands, fashioning several metallic pods from the thick steel walls of his dome-shaped fortress. They seemed to understand his intentions almost instantly, each of them standing up in anticipation of his next command.

"Perhaps this small bit of information will increase our chances of success." Magneto turned his back toe the group for a second, his cape swaying and casting shadows in the dingy light.

The fiery mutant glanced around wildly, his smile vanishing as he realized the severity of the situation. "Ya gotta admit, we didn't exactly shrink the search by much. A trip to Germany that could turn up empty doesn't sound all that promising." Pyro commented rather loudly.

"At this very moment, we have no other leads!" their superior barked, causing Scanner and Mastermind to jump in a startled manner.

The magnetic mutant seemed too wrapped up in his own ambitions to notice the nasty looks he received from some of the others, although he ignored the reactions of the group. Pyro was loyal to a fault, but like many of the others he didn't look like he wanted to run off into a foreign country with no guarantee of finding anything. This sentiment was shared by the others, although Mellencamp's level of devotion prevented him from saying anything. Going to Europe was still the best chance to find out what they were seeking.

"You're insane, old man!" Senyaka remarked in a loud whisper, causing several of his fellow Acolytes to step away from him.

Magneto did not even dignify this comment with an answer. Raising his arms into the air, the mutant terrorist opened the top of the dome to reveal the blue skies above, his followers instinctively looking towards the sky. "Come… We're going to Europe! This is not up for debate!"

Several Hours Later…

Professor Xavier gasped in shock as he released Jean Grey from his mental probe, the visions in her mind filling him with a sense of dread. As promised, he had conducted session on both his former students to interpret the knowledge they obtained in New York, but upon seeing the future visions shown to them by Spider-Man's mysterious benefactor, he felt himself at a loss for words. Such an accomplishment was not easily yielded, considering he had seen his own share of terrible things, but these mental images were far beyond anything that even he had imagined.

Pressing his fingers to the side of his face, the bald telepath attempted to interpret the knowledge he took from his students. His face contorted with intense disgust as he saw the horrific images in detail, although the acts of heroism he saw within their minds gave him a certain sense or pride that he had taught them well. Despite having been in a new place with no obligation to help, they had placed their lives on the line to free Manhattan from the crime wave that had plagued the city.

"Yes…" he opened his eyes, eyeing the two mutants sitting in front of his desk as he regained his previous composure. "It appears that the terrible events you endured while visiting New York may have yielded more interesting results than any of us originally anticipated."

"Did you see the visions that Madame Web showed us?" Jean questioned, although she was certain she already knew the answer after judging by his expressions.

The professor nodded in agreement. "Although you didn't explicitly claim that this mutant showed you visions of the stories she told, seeing them for myself through your memories is more than enough to confirm the validity of your testimony." He ran a hand down his face with a small frown. "Although I do question the wisdom of allowing a stranger to project visions directly into your minds as she obviously did."

Jean returned his expression with one of her own. "It really wasn't that simple, considering that she also had telepathic abilities. The extent was unclear, but she was strong enough to block me out with minimal effort."

"Not to mention that her visionary prowess bordered on omnipotence." Her boyfriend explained nervously. "Whether we liked it or not, I don't think she was willing to give us a choice in the matter. She sure in Hell didn't ask before tossing us headfirst into those visions."

"Please correct me if you think otherwise, but Spider-Man clearly trusted her, and despite being a weirdo, he didn't give us any reason not to trust him." She added with a shrug. "In either case, I do believe that Madame Web was sincerely trying to help, in her own way."

Charles Xavier nodded in agreement. "From what little I was able to figure out, I do agree. It is a pity that I did not meet this mutant for myself… Her powers could cause unimaginable harm if they ever fell into the wrong hands."

The trio took a moment to play with the idea as they realized the truth behind the statement, although the older mutant quickly realized the importance of the visions. This session had only emphasized everything that Scott and Jean had told him during the meeting the X-Men had been in earlier, except that now he had seen everything from a firsthand perspective, further cementing the severity of the situation into his own mind. There were more than a few hints that what they had seen in Madame Webs precognitive views was actually the truth, especially considering that her past visions coincided perfectly with the ancient writings that Beast had read on the walls of the Egyptian tomb.

Charles Xavier considered his options of what to do next, but all three mutants were pulled from their respective trains of thought by the sounds of the door. Without warning, Storm burst through the entry, her face alive with a sense of terror that they rarely saw from someone who usually worked to remain calm. The dark-skinned mutant scooted past her former students as she crossed the room, coming to an abrupt halt when she reached her superior's desk. Pressing her hands against the surface, she leaned forward with an anxious expression.

"Quickly… Turn on the television." She implored him with a hasty demeanor.

"We were in the middle of a session." Jean replied with a look of disapproval. "Can this wait until after we're done?"

The weather witch opened her mouth to answer, but her superior spoke instead. "I do not believe that Storm would have interrupted us were it not important."

He pressed the button on the remote on his desk, causing the television on the far wall of the room flicker. It did so once before revealing the image of a female news anchor, relaying a special report from her news desk. The woman tapped her papers against the desk as another man came from off camera, whispering several things into her ear and handing her a seconds stack of reports to read from. Although there were no major visuals to be seen, her words were extremely disconcerting, especially to those who understood the danger posed by the situation she was talking about.

The reporter straightened her glasses before continuing the report. "Due to sanctions placed by local law enforcement, no news crews are allowed within ten miles of the rampaging mutant, and the airspace above has almost been shut down. Eye-witness accounts indicate that this is indeed the same monster that almost destroyed that dam several months ago before being halted by the interference of Xavier's X-Men."

A picture came up on the screen depicting the Juggernaut, probably taken from footage that was shot during his last attack shortly after Magneto revealed the existence of mutants to the world. The picture resulted in a shocked reaction from Scott and Jean, although the professor turned his head as if he were ashamed by the incident. He had always felt a sense of hatred towards his brother that came from personal experiences, although at the same time his empathy for his fellow man always won out in the end. In many ways, he felt responsible for keeping Cain from harming innocent people.

"Crap… That's the Juggernaut!" Cyclops called out unnecessarily.

"I thought he drowned months ago when Rogue pushed him into the river and Bobby froze him in a block of ice." His girlfriend added with a sense of dread.

Their former teacher shook his head slowly in response to their questions. "Cain's mutant powers make him a threat that transcends any normal boundaries of life. He does not require air, nor can he truly be stopped by any force that nature has to offer."

Storm turned her focus away from the television before addressing her superior. "So what do you want us to do, Charles? Shall we stop him?"

"Gather the staff members together and alert the most experienced students." Professor Xavier addressed the three of them. After a brief pause, he slid his wheelchair out from behind the desk and positioned it so that he was facing them once more. "We must put an end to his rampage before anyone else is harmed…"

Note to Readers: I honestly didn't like this chapter too much, but it was mostly an information chapter coupled with some screen time for the X-Men. I tried tying up some loose ends like Gambit while bringing the Acolytes back into focus, and of course there's the battle with Juggernaut to look forward too. This one will end much differently than the two from the actual cartoon. There will also be a hint for the sequel in the next chapter, but until then I hope you enjoy this story. I'll also go back to HYDRA's activities when I can. As usual, sorry for any typos, spelling errors or grammar errors, but it's usually late when I type chapters for this story.

I also decided that this series will be a three-parter if I get around to writing it.

Book 1: Webs of Deceit (Spider-Man Crossover)

Book 2: Civil War (Avengers Crossover)

Book 3: The Dark Phoenix (Enter the Hellfire Club)

Oh, and please REVIEW… If you like something in particular, or have an idea of contribution, I would love to hear it. Not to mention that it motivates me to write and thus update faster!