Peter looked around the large room. They had gotten to the compound about an hour ago. The number of files that had been boxed up from Windsor's office was mind boggling. It would take weeks if not longer to go through it all. There was just so much they didn't know but it seemed like Windsor had used the anti-mutant sentiment to enable him to continue his experimentations on mutants. It was even possible that he was the one behind the whole movement. Then there was the super soldier stuff. He had obviously been involved over the years. He looked over when Bobby and Davis walked over with Warren and Doug in tow. "Where'd Johnny and Wyatt go?"

"Johnny checked on Amanda in MedBay and then they crashed." Bobby glanced back at Warren and Doug then nudged Peter.

Peter pulled his gaze away from the boxes neatly stacked up and being methodically catalogues by a SHIELD agent. He fully took in the expressions on Doug and Warren's faces - a thinly veiled shell shocked expression. "You two did good tonight."

"You all deal with this kind of stuff all the time?" Doug looked between the three older boys. They were older, but not by much. He had heard they had been together as a team for over a year. And everyone knew Spider-Man had been around for years. He had mixed feelings about what had happened tonight. Part of him loved it. The other part of him was still trying to wrap his head around Windsor. Professor X had warned them about people wanting to exploit their powers but this was more than exploit. From what he was hearing, Windsor had been experimenting on mutants for a very long time and that thought didn't sit well.

Bobby chuckled. "Sometimes people try harder to kill us."

Peter shot Bobby a glare. "People don't always try to kill us. This isn't for everyone. I'm glad you were there though. I heard your skill sets and knowledge came in handy."

Warren crossed his arms. "I'm in...the fact that people like Windsor exists was eye opening but in a way it gave me a little bit of clarity. He's not going to be the only devil masquerading as a man."

Doug nodded. "We're not entirely sure how it'll work with the amendments in place but we're both in. So is Kitty."

Peter understood what they were feeling. "We've all been where you are. Terrified but you know what you'll do. It's been pounded into me over the years and subsequently I've pounded it into these guys. Training is the most important thing you'll do - not just in how to use your powers and abilities but also how to use them together as well as combat training. If you need help, let us know."

"Thanks. Logan would probably love to put us through more intense training. Professor X has always put limits on it. His focus has been training us to use our abilities and not necessarily combat training."

Davis nodded. "My guess is you might see that start to change. If it doesn't we'll set up something." Davis looked at the group. "It's something like 4am. I'm tired. I'm going to bed before another person asks me to portal them somewhere."

"I'm checking on a few things first. See you in a couple hours." Peter watched the four of them retreat before turning back to the boxes.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tony walked into the compound holding area. Tables had been set up and boxes were being divided. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Peter had apparently and hopefully gone to bed. He could survive on less sleep but it didn't mean he needed no sleep.

Natasha looked up from a clipboard as Tony made his way over to join her. "Windsor make it into cryo-stasis?"

Tony nodded. "I need to see about upgrading the tech. He was showing increased signs of activity in stasis. I think Bobby probably had him colder."

Natasha frowned. "You're worried about it being able to hold him?"

"A little. Fury's team is already transporting him. If they get him there at least if he wakes up he'll have to get through more layers of security." Tony crossed his arms and looked at the agents reviewing files and sorting them into different areas. "How's this going?"

"It'll take a while to go through and even longer to cross reference. Charles is going to review all of the genetic research. When I told him about how the chemical suppressant worked and Windsor's comment about the 'Essex gene' he said his own research had led him in that same direction. He calls it the X gene."

"Anything on this threat he talked about." It's what they were all concerned about. Tony wanted as much information as he could get if there was a new threat on the horizon.

Natasha shook her head. "No. They're looking."

"Ok. Keep me informed." He started to leave but turned back to Natasha. "Any idea when Peter went to bed?"

"About an hour ago. He was still down here when I got here. I didn't give him an option." Natasha put down her clipboard and turned to Tony. "We need to be on the same page. The fact that they didn't tell anyone is a problem."

"They're off any kind of briefing, mission, research...all of it for the immediate future."

Natasha laughed. "Good...we're at least in the same book. Steve wants to do a debrief when everyone gets up. Maybe around noon?"

"I'll be there."

XXXXXXXXXX

Peter slid into a chair in the briefing room between Johnny and Bobby. His hair was still damp the quick shower he had taken. He glanced at his phone to see if he had any messages before putting it face down on the table. He had texted MJ last night when they had gotten back to the compound to let her know they were all ok. He had gotten a very sleepy "ok" in response. He had also texted Matt to see how last night had gone. That was the text he kept checking for. It bothered him that he hadn't heard from Matt yet but right now he could only focus on one crisis at a time. Pushing the thought to one of the boxes in his mind, he focused on Natasha.

"It's going to take us weeks to go through all of this but there's enough pointing in the direction of Windsor being connected to the anti-mutant movement as well as to the creation of a new batch of super soldiers. That's where we'll focus. Profession Xavier's team will go through anything genetic and anything super soldier related we'll take."

Peter scooted forward and rested his arms on the table. "What about the big bad Windsor mentioned?"

Professor Xavier rested his elbows on his chair, tapping his fingers together. "When I probed his mind, he had considerable defenses in place...even in stasis. He is quite possibly the most powerful mind I've come across." He glanced around the room. "What I did get from him was merely shadows of something very old and very powerful."

Johnny tapped the table with his fingers. "I'm assuming when you say very old we're not talking Steve old."

Professor Xavier chuckled. "I think a little older than that...possibility a millennia or more."

Davis whistled. "Ok...so old. What's the plan? Are we on file duty?"

Tony shook his head. "You're not doing anything. You're going back to New York City and then back to Boston. You all have finals next week."

Peter started to speak but was shut down, not by his dad or Natasha, but Steve. "You five are lucky things didn't go south. Going in on your own was reckless. Tony's right. Back to New York then back to Boston. Christmas is right around the corner so if you behave we might give you an update."

Bobby looked at Professor Xavier. "But surely this is more important."

Charles shook his head. "You will find that we are a united front. You will return to the city then back to school. We will reassess once this semester is over. I trust you all are still maintaining your grades."

Peter glanced to both sides of him. He didn't see an opportunity to argue further. "Yes sir."

Charles smiled. "Excellent. I look forward to hearing about your choices for your thesis's. I believe they have to be turned in before the end of the semester?"

Tony leaned back in his chair. "We leave for the city in an hour. Why don't you check on Kitty and Amanda...the other two that don't seem to understand the purpose of a team."

Peter knew a dismissal when he heard it. "Yes sir." He pushed his chair back from the table, careful not to take the frustration he felt out on the chair or the table. The four other boys and made similar movements as they all retreated from the briefing room.

Door closing behind them, Bobby fell into step behind the other four. "Well, that did not go well. I knew they'd be mad but I also thought they'd see that our plan was really good and we handled it well."

"They're teaching us a lesson." Wyatt shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. "Always tell the adults."

"We are adults." Johnny grumbled and waived his hand across the scanner to let them onto the medical floor. "Adults that came up with a good plan and executed it perfectly."

Peter started to push open Kitty's door when it was pulled open from the other side. The taller boy from the cells was leaving in almost a hurry. "Lance, right? Everything ok?"

"Sure." Lance pushed past the group and stalked down the hall towards the same door they had just come through.

Peter watched him go, frowning, then turned back to Kitty's room and pushed the door open. Kitty looked just as irritated. "Everything ok?"

Kitty glared at the group. "Boys are irritating, illogical, and selfish."

Bobby smirked and sat on her bed. "Yes we are. What's the problem?"

"I thought I could convince him to stay. Offer him something more than what he's had in life so far." Kitty pulled a spare pillow into her lap and squished it in anger. "But he's not a joiner." The tone in her voice at the word 'joiner' gave the boys every indication as to what she thought of that statement,

"We're an acquired taste. Just keep trying." Davis sat down next to Bobby. "When do you get out of here?"

"In a couple hours. They're just waiting for some test results to come back. They cleared the other prisoners earlier but since Amanda and I didn't get back until later it's just taking time."

Peter nodded. "Heads up...we're in trouble and I imagine you and Amanda are too."

Kitty shrugged. "Still worth it."

Peter smiled. "Agreed. We're headed back to the city in about an hour and then back to Boston tomorrow night. We all have finals next week."

Kitty grinned. "Ah yes, back to our regular lives." She looked at all five boys. "I didn't have a chance before to thank you for coming to get us. We should have trusted you with what we were doing."

Johnny nodded. "I get why you didn't. I had already shut Amanda down too many times. Next time though...leave a note or something."