Father and Son Reunion

Mainframe (a.k.a. Mr. Parker) looked at Paul. "I wasn't sure that was you."

"Well it has been a while," Paul said, his voice oddly without any trace of bitterness.

Mainframe sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I…um…I guess an explanation of why I haven't written lately is probably overdue."

"Not really," Paul said. "I mean when you're fighting terrorists every day as part of GI Joe I guess it does take up a lot of your time."

Mainframe's jaw dropped. "How did you…?"

"I overheard a lot of your arguments with Mom. Kind of hard not to."

"I'm sorry," Mainframe apologized. "I didn't want you or your brother and sister to hear that. I admit I'm not exactly the perfect father. I've made a lot of mistakes and…"

"Look…Dad," Paul interrupted him. "You don't owe me any explanation. I mean mom wasn't exactly blameless herself. At least when you left you had a good reason."

"Paul I wanted custody of you kids. Really. But with my work…"

"I told you, you don't…"

"Yes I do! At the time, I was just starting out with GI Joe. Moving from place to place all the time. I thought you'd be better off with your mother."

"Well I guess you were right," Paul sighed. "I mean it wasn't like Mom was bad or anything. She just wasn't cut out to be a mom, that's all."

Mainframe looked at his son. "You're certainly acting a lot more mature about this than I expected."

"Well Aunt Robin and Uncle Troy have been great to us," Paul explained. "So I really can't complain. Peter may still be a little bitter, but I guess that's cause he's older. He's doing well at college."

"And your sister?"

"Gonna be a freshman here next year. Let me ask you something, that was you who got her into that space camp last year wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Mainframe shrugged. "I knew a friend who knew someone. It was the least I could do."

"How'd you know?"

"I give your Aunt a call every now and then. Just to see how you are. Sorry I stopped writing though. I shouldn't have done that."

"No you shouldn't," Paul snapped slightly. Then he smirked. "I'm not that mature."

They chuckled quietly, then sank into an uncomfortable silence. "So," Paul asked, breaking the silence. "What are you doing here? I mean what is a member of an elite terrorist unit doing at my high school posing as a computer instructor?"

"I can't tell you," Mainframe sighed. "I was afraid you were gonna ask me that."

"And I was afraid you were gonna say that," Paul snapped. "Come on Dad, cut the secret agent stuff! What's going on? What could possibly interest GI Joe in Bay…" Then it hit him. "This is about mutants isn't it?"

Mainframe's silence told him everything. "Oh my god," Paul gasped. "Now it all makes sense! All the weird stuff that's been happening at school! The monsters at the dance…"

"Paul listen to me," Mainframe said. "A lot of people here aren't what they seem to be. That's all I can tell you. You also can't tell anyone you're my son. It's for your own safety!"

"Oh well that makes me feel a lot better!" Paul groaned. "Dad if I'm in danger…"

"Not you specifically, but other students are," Mainframe told him.

"Like who?" Paul asked. "Come on Dad tell me! It's the least you can do after abandoning me!"

"That's emotional blackmail."

"Yes now spill it," Paul told him.

"Listen Paul if there's any trouble and you can't find me I want you to go to either Mr. Falcone or Ms. Ark. Understand? You can trust them!" Was all Mainframe said.

"How can I know what trouble there is if I don't know what it is?" Paul asked. "I'll do what you say, but are you sure you can't tell me anything else?"

Mainframe debated within himself. "Okay I want you to listen to this, you don't repeat this to anyone! You hear me! Anyone! I want you to stay away from the Brotherhood kids and…the Institute ones as well."

"You mean they're…" Paul looked at him. "What about Scott?"

Mainframe said nothing. "Oh come on Dad!" Paul spat. "He's my best friend! We talk about everything!"

"Not everything Paul," Mainframe told him. "He could be in a lot of danger. I don't want you hurt if something happens! Understand?"

Paul stood there shaken. "Anything else…Mr. Parker?" He said in a controlled voice.

"No Paul, that will be all," He sighed as his son left. God forgive me if I've jeopardized this mission! Falcon is gonna kill me!

Paul left the classroom shaken. Scott my best friend is a mutant? And he never told me? What is going on? How can I just go on like nothing's happened? I don't know how I'm gonna handle this! How can I lie to my friend like that? Or was he ever my friend in the first place?