X-Men Evolution characters? GI Joe characters? Don't own 'em! Well I got the idea for this story and it didn't fit in with 'Trouble with Teleportation' but it takes place around that time frame. Just another mad fic running through my mind.
Career Day for Dummies
Chapter 1: What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
It was a typical evening at the X-Mansion. Well as typical as one can have with several hyperactive mutated teenagers in the house. Xavier had called all the adults for their weekly faculty meeting. "I see that there haven't been that many papers to grade this week," Xavier remarked.
"I'm amazed we got anything done this week with the Misfits popping over here every day causing havoc," Logan growled. "On the up side the kids' fighting abilities are improving."
"How could they not? They and the Misfits are having brawls nearly every day!" Xavier sighed. "But right now I am more concerned about the academic side of our school. I don't want them falling behind in schoolwork if they are readmitted to Bayville High."
"Fat chance," Logan grunted. "They still blame us for blowing up the school."
"Yes well," Xavier sighed. "Perhaps it's just as well I was able to get the Institute certified as a school. Although I did have to pull a lot of strings."
"I just wish you could get more teachers," Logan muttered. "Now why do I have to be the one to teach the Home Ec Class again?"
"It was either that or Driver's Ed," Hank reminded him. "And Kitty and Bobby still have their learner's permits. As well as several other students."
"On second thought how hard can teaching cooking be?" Logan asked. "Wait a minute…Kitty and Jean are in that class too right? Oh man, either way I'm dead!"
"Charles I'm really starting to get worried about the students," Hank said. "I mean look at these writing assignments. They were supposed to write about what they think they will be doing in the future. Read these! They're a bit disturbing to say the least. Take Tabitha's paper. It's only a sentence. 'Blowing something up.' That's not even a full sentence. It's only a fragment. I mean her entire future boiled down to three words."
"With Boom Boom it's also pretty accurate," Logan chuckled.
"I'm serious," Hank said. "Nearly all the student's papers are like that. Of course most of them are a lot longer but they all pretty much convey the same message. Take Rogue's for instance."
"Future? What future?" Ororo read the paper. "The only future I have is to beat a whole bunch of morons up to stop 'em from blowing up the world, or blowing up mutants or robbing banks or something. That's me, the perfect living weapon. And if a certain roommate doesn't stop calling a certain rock head all the time I am gonna personally…" She looked up. "You're right Hank this is disturbing."
"What did she write?" Xavier asked.
"Trust me," Hank sighed. "You don't want to know. Although I have to give her some points for originality. I never thought you could do that with a telephone and a watermelon."
Just then Shipwreck and Roadblock appeared via their teleportation machine. "Hello everybody!" Shipwreck grinned.
"Not now Shipwreck," Xavier groaned.
"What?" Shipwreck asked. "We're just here to say a friendly hello!"
"Well we're discussing a problem with our students," Ororo glared at him.
"Go ahead, don't mind us, discuss," Roadblock said. "Maybe we can help."
"I doubt it," Logan sighed.
"Wait a minute Logan," Xavier said. "Maybe they can…"
"Oh no Chuck if you're gonna ask 'em what I think you're gonna ask 'em…" Logan groaned.
"We'd better buckle up," Hank groaned. "Because we are going to be in for a bumpy ride!"
************************************************************************
*Attention Students. Tomorrow there has been a change of schedule," Xavier sent at telepathic message throughout the building. *First, all Danger Room practice has been suspended for tomorrow. Repeat, there will be no Danger Room sessions tomorrow for the entire day. *
"No big surprise," Bobby grumbled. "Especially after Quicksilver managed to fill it up with chocolate pudding."
"Hey it gets us out of practice for one day!" Ray told him. "I'm happy."
*All classes tomorrow have also been cancelled. We will be having a special all day assembly. You will all report to the large classroom in sub basement 2 by 9 am tomorrow. Attendance is mandatory for all students. That is all. *
"Whoo Hoo!" Bobby raised his fists in the air. "No class! Sweet!"
"Are you nuts?" Sam asked. "Didn't you hear him? We are going to have some kind of assembly tomorrow, all day! Lord only knows what that's gonna be!"
"Oh come on," Bobby said. "How bad could it be?"
"How bad could it be?" Scott frowned. "Here's something to jog your memory. Two words: 'Fire Island'!"
"Oh yeah," Bobby's face fell. "I forgot."
"I don't see how you could!" Sam groaned. "It was only three days ago!"
"Yeah nearly getting roasted alive would kind of stand out in most people's minds wouldn't it?" Scott groaned.
"Well maybe the Misfits won't show up tomorrow," Bobby said.
"Yeah and maybe pigs will fly," Scott groaned.
************************************************************************
"So what's up Professor?" Scott asked Xavier at dinner.
"Yeah how come none of us have regular school or Danger Room sessions tomorrow?" Kitty asked. "Not that we're complaining mind you."
"It's come to my attention that there is a certain…attitude towards your own futures that is prevalent among you," Xavier explained. "Now while I find it admirable that many of you want to fight for mutant rights and hone your powers, I am disturbed at the recent belief that because you are mutants all you can do is fight."
"Well…isn't that true?" Ray asked. "I mean, isn't that the point of all this training so that we can be some kind of soldiers?"
"The point of training is to be able to use your powers to help people as well as control them," Xavier said. "However this school isn't just about that. It's also about helping mutants fit into society."
"Ha!" Tabitha picked at her salad.
"How the heck can we fit in society when it doesn't even accept us?" Ray grumbled.
"But one day society will accept you," Xavier said. "In time. How can you expect the world to see mutants as anything other than weapons if that's how you view yourselves? I'm afraid I am partially to blame for this. In my efforts to train you on the use of your powers, I neglected to educate you on possible futures you can have in the world. I don't want any of you to feel like you're trapped at the Institute forever because you don't have anywhere else to go. I'd love to have all of you stay here and teach when you graduate as well as go on missions. But I also want you to succeed in the world. I want you to see you have a choice on what to do with your life. That just because you are mutants, it shouldn't discourage you in what you really want to do in life."
"So what does this have to do with tomorrow?" Kurt asked.
"I've made a few calls to certain agencies and places and tomorrow representatives will come to discuss possible careers," Xavier told him.
"Career Day for Mutants?" Rogue groaned. "You have got to be kidding me!"
"Oh man," Ray groaned.
"Those things were boring enough in school!" Bobby groaned. "I thought that at least one good thing would have come from us being kicked out of Bayville High!"
"You haven't been kicked out," Hank told him.
"Not yet," Bobby grumbled. "Wait…does this mean that we won't be seeing the Misfits tomorrow?"
"Hey yeah," Remy brightened. "Maybe tomorrow won't be a total loss!"
"I'm afraid the Misfits are attending this too Cajun," Logan said. "There are gonna be a few Joes to talk about possible careers as well."
"Oh goody," Kurt moaned.
"I knew it," Scott sighed. "Total disaster."
"Another fun day with the Misfits and GI Joe," Tabitha twirled her finger around in the air. "Whoopie."
"Among other guests," Xavier said.
"Oh come on Professor," Kitty said. "Who's gonna show up for a career day for Mutant High?"
"How much you wanna bet only the Joes show up?" Rogue grumbled.
"Have a little faith Rogue," Jean said.
"I do have a little faith," Rogue said. "Very little faith."
"I gotta agree with Rogue on this one," Scott said. "No offense Professor but you gotta admit our track record with special events isn't very good. They always end up in a disaster."
"It will not be a disaster," Xavier said. "Trust me."
"Famous last words Chuck," Logan shook his head.
************************************************************************
The next day Xavier and some of the Joes were waiting in the hallway with Ororo and Logan. "I can't believe none of the people whom I contacted showed up!" Xavier sighed.
"I can," Logan said. He saw Hank walking towards them. "So Hank, did you find out what's the hold up?"
"Yeah where are they?" Roadblock asked. "They're gonna miss Career Day?"
"They're…not able to attend today I'm afraid," Hank sighed.
"Oh I gotta hear this," Shipwreck groaned. "Did they chicken out gracefully or just a 'So long Sucker' quote?"
"Well they all have excuses," Hank sighed. "Very inventive excuses."
"Such as?" Xavier raised an eyebrow.
Hank consulted his notes. "Well, our first speaker has the flu. Our second speaker's wife has the flu and needs to go to the hospital. The third speaker's grandmother has the flu and a broken leg and needs to go to intensive care…although I could swear I could hear somebody calling out 'Fore' in the background."
"Figures," Logan grumbled.
"The other excuses were some relative died, one person called and claimed the speaker died," Hank went on. "And one apparently ran off to join the Peace Corps in Bermuda."
"So none of them wanted to show up," Logan said.
"Oh no, one did," Hank said. "The accountant from that large corporation. He really wanted to come but as the nice officer on the phone explained things to me, it could be quite a while before he manages to make bail."
"Oh…fudge…" Xavier put his hand on his head.
"So the only people who showed up are from GI Joe," Ororo said. "For some reason I am not surprised."
"I knew it!" Logan threw up his hands.
"Now don't fear, each Joe has a special career," Roadblock said. "In fact we can get some more Joes with different skills down here. This could still work."
"Wanna bet?" Shipwreck snickered.
"Well it's worth a shot," Xavier sighed. "It's too late to back out now."
"So who's gonna be crazy enough to go first?" Logan asked.
"I'll do it!" Psyche-Out, the Joe psychiatrist spoke up.
"It figures," Logan sighed.
Next up: Career Day begins! Let the festivities commence!