An Exercise to Forget

A few days after the incident Xavier decided it was time for a training exercise with both the X-Men and the Misfits. They were inside the Danger Room. "Okay the object of the exercise is to get your team through the gauntlet and be the first one to capture the flag," Logan said. "One of you will stay behind to guide your team through the maze. So who's staying behind for the X-Men?"

The X-Men team consisted of Scott, Jean, Kurt, Rogue, Kitty, Amara, Forge and Bobby. "I will," Kitty remarked as she headed to her station. It was a small bunker like fort.

"Who's staying behind for you guys?" Logan asked the Misfits. The team consisted of Althea, Todd, Lance, Wanda, Fred, Xi, and Pietro.

"Don't worry," Lance grinned. "We've got it covered. Our guy's already teleported into position." He indicated the bunker.

"It's gotta be the Triplets," Scott said. "So be ready for anything!"

"Okay teams! Go!" Logan shouted. Both teams started to work their way through the holographic maze. At first it seemed like the X-Men had an early lead. "Those Misfits of yours are falling way behind," Logan grunted to Roadblock. "At this rate they won't make it until next week."

"Let's just say we have a back up plan," Roadblock grinned. "Don't worry we'll catch up right about…now!"

All of the sudden all the cannons on the Misfit side retracted. The walls folded giving the Misfits an easy path to the flag. "WHAT?" Scott shouted "Kitty what's going on?"

"I don't know!" Kitty punched furiously at the controls. "Somehow I got shut out! It's gotta be Trinity! But I had no idea they were that good at computers!"

"We're not!" Trinity popped up in the Danger Room control room. "But we're learning fast!" They chirped as one.

"What?" Bobby looked around. "But if they're there…Then who's in the Misfit bunker?"

"I'm going to find out!" Kurt teleported. However a force field prevented him from entering the bunker. "Whoever it is has shut me out somehow! I can't get in!"

"Somehow that Misfit must have downloaded my schematics for an anti-teleportation field!" Forge said. "Remember I made one a ways back when the Misfits kept stealing our breakfast?"

"How could we forget? Yikes!" Kurt barely dodged a laser blast.

"How did they get control of the cannons?" Jean shouted.

"I've seen this before I know I have…" Scott gulped.

"And victory is ours!" Pietro casually sauntered and grabbed the flag.

"Oh man we lost!" Kurt groaned as the maze deactivated. "All right you, come on out! Show yourself!" The door opened to the Misfit bunker. "No way!"

"YOU!" Scott gasped along with every X-Man.

"Hi guys!" Arcade grinned. "I'm ba-ack!"

"What the hell is he doing here?" Logan turned on Roadblock.

"He's our new recruit," Roadblock told him calmly.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Scott shouted.

"Arcade? A Misfit?" Kitty shouted.

"Figures," Bobby groaned.

"You let him into your group after everything he did to us?" Kitty shouted.

"Something tells me it's because after everything he did to us they let him in!" Rogue snapped.

"Did you know about this?" Kurt asked Xavier.

"No," Xavier frowned. "This is the first I've heard of it as well."

"How could you let him on your team?" Bobby shouted. "In the first place he's not even a mutant!"

"Which probably makes you feel really stupid that you lost now doesn't it?" Lance grinned.

"He's an insane maniac who destroyed Cerebro!" Rogue snapped.

"Oh don't be such a whiner!" Pietro snapped. "It wasn't exactly the first time Cerebro got trashed! Besides we've done a lot worse to you guys and you've forgiven us!"

"Says who?" Kitty fumed.

"Roadblock I'd like to have a few words with you if I may?" Xavier asked. He and Logan conferred with him in private. "All right Roadblock exactly how did you acquire Arcade on your team?"

"His uncle's a big wig at the Pentagon," Roadblock shrugged. "Well let's just say the boy is part of an experiment of sorts. To see if humans and mutants can work together. It's been working very well."

"You call this working well?" Logan growled.

"Xavier we're making progress with the boy," Roadblock told him. "I know this you do not enjoy. But you have to calm down your team. Technically this is part of your dream."

"Yeah well the dream is now starting to turn into a nightmare," Logan grumbled.

"You must understand after our last encounter we had with Arcade we're a bit…hesitant," Xavier chose his words carefully. "We've only just finished rebuilding and upgrading Cerebro."

"He's been given orders not to go near Cerebro," Roadblock assured him. "He's reformed."

"OH NO JUST BECAUSE YOU MURDERED CEREBRO AND GOT AWAY WITH IT MAKES EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT!" Arcade screamed. Fred was holding him as he struggled to attack the X-Men. "LET ME AT 'EM! LET ME AT 'EM!"

"Uh Arcade maybe we should go to our happy place now?" Fred gulped.

"He's gotten a lot better since he entered the Misfits," Pietro said. "He used to foam at the mouth at the mere mention of Cerebro."

"Oh yes he's much better," Scott said sarcastically. "Great! Just when I thought the Misfits couldn't get more annoying!"