Book of Wagner 10:3

"The main team is in the Danger Room, currently. Scott is determined to have them above peak condition."

"He always was."

"It's more so now. I.worry for him, at times. He's like a son I never had, Kurt, and he's become so detached from emotions and the others, I worry."

"Scott was always a loner," Kurt hedged.

"Yes, but not to the point of almost total isolation. Something happened to him at college, Kurt. Something that turned a conservative youth who knew when too much was too much into a cold militaristic leader. While I admit the team has never functioned better, I feel I have lost a son."

"I take it you haven't peeked at his college life." Xavier looked at Kurt, one severe eyebrow raised.

"I try not to pry into my student's brains, Kurt. You know that."

"I do. But I also know that if you are this concerned you would have done a cursory sweep." Xavier nodded.

"That I did. However, Scott's mind has always been hard to read. His optic blasts create a lot of psychic static and he is naturally shielded. When he makes a conscious effort to erect a barrier, there is no entryway into his mind that I am willing to take." Kurt nodded. That meant the professor would stop just short of using a mental battering ram. They arrived at the rec room and Kurt followed Xavier inside.

Armageddon was on. Kurt rolled his eyes. In the limited time he allowed himself to watch television, that movie was always on and as a result he had seen it quite a few times. Frankly, he was tired of it. So, apparently, where the viewers in the room, for as soon as they entered Tabby was out of her seat and headed for Kurt.

"Hey, Blue! I'm so glad you made it!" She gave him a big hug which he returned gladly, his tail swinging gently. Todd waved from his position on an easy chair.

"Hey, fuzzbutt." He said before retuning to the movie. Well, it seemed one person wasn't bored by the movie. Evan smiled at him from the couch.

"Hey, Man, welcome back." Kurt grinned wide, his fangs glinting in the dim light of the room. There were only two other people in the room, a young woman with what appeared to be green hair pulled back into a high ponytail, and a teenaged girl with her blond hair in two pigtails.

"Vas is dis?" Kurt asked, pouring on the charm. "Two lovely young ladies whom I do not know. I demand to know who is responsible for such an oversight in these introductions." Evan laughed.

"You never change, Fuzz-man, do ya. Don Juan, meet Lorna Daine (the green- haired one nodded) who is known as Polaris for her magnetic abilities, and Illyana Rasputin, (the pig-tailed one waved) Colossus's little sister. Girls, this is Kurt. Don't let his flirting get to you, though. He's harmless." Illyana giggled while Polaris rolled her eyes. Kurt stuck his tongue out at his old friend.

"If I haf said it once, I haf said it a thousand times. Chicks dig the fuzzy dude."

"It's that collar yer wearin that they're interested in Elf. Some women just can't give up a chance to corrupt the innocent, and you normally don't get much more innocent that a priest." Kurt rolled his eyes at his feral friend, who had entered the room at the last sentence.

"Shouldn't you be in the danger room vith the others?" Kurt asked, a bit peeved. Logan shrugged.

"They're almost done. Figured I let them handle it themselves. I'm not always gonna be there to pull their sorry asses out of the fire."

"Language, Logan."

"Language this, Elf."

"As a matter of fact," The Professor said, "They are done. The others have left, but Scott is still in the control center if you wish to say hello. Kurt froze for a moment, the happy exterior he had donned automatically when surrounded by his childhood mates faltering for a moment. He bit his lip.

"I think I vill. Thank you Professor." And he disappeared in a puff of sulfur. The girls waved their hands in front of their faces to dispel the odor. Logan made a face and growled, then left the room for the woods. Why? Why else? He's Logan.

***

Scott Summers, Field Leader of the team of mutants known only as the X Men watched the taping of their danger room session closely, watching for just the slightest.flaw.

BAMF

The muted noise of imploding air and the accompanying smell of sulfur passed through Scott's brain in a millosecond, his brain immediately coming up with the identity of his visitor, even as muscle memory raised a his hand to his visor. It took his mind a few seconds to believe it, though he saw it with his own eyes as he spun.

"Kurt?"

The blue mutant smiled sheepishly as he waved, a bit startled by Scott's reaction to what was basically, an invasion of his privacy.

"Hello, Scott."

Scott simply stared at his old friend, cataloging all the changes ten years had brought on. Kurt hadn't really grown much taller, maxing out at maybe 5'8", but his stooped posture made him more of a 5'5" His long hair had been cut short, it's natural curl coming out in the shorter locks, curling about his ears and neck. He was dressed totally in black, hand and feet bare, a familiar cross hung about his neck, and that's where Scott saw the most drastic change in his friend.

A white Priest's collar.

While this happened Kurt was studying Scott. His former leader's hair was shorter as well, though still long enough to flop across his forehead. The visor was the same as he remembered, but the uniform was different. The basis of the uniform was bright blue, with a yellow belt across his waist and across his chest over one shoulder. A big red X stood inside one of the links going across his chest. There was a break in the monotony of the blue body suit with Yellow gloves and a yellow speedo-looking piece. The uniform was completed with yellow boots. Scott had filled out as well, broadening in the chest and developing the muscles that would give Mr. Universe a run for him money. 'Gorgeous,' Kurt though, then immediately began both reprimanding himself in German for such thoughts.

All the feelings that Kurt had thought gone from his prolonged absence returned, however, and no amount of mental reprimands were going to make them go away.

For his part, Scott was at a loss as well. Seeing Kurt again, a strong reminder of his more fun-loving youth, brought back feelings he had also thought long buried. The strongest of this, however, was unresolved grief over the passing Jean Gray. Kurt had left right before the Dark Phoenix had attacked and in his mind, the two were linked. Feeling the tears come, Scott set his jaw and turned back to the viewer.

"So you finally have the nerve to show your face." Scott said unkindly, yet not really caring. He was hurting as he hadn't hurt in ages and it was all Kurt's fault.

Kurt's face fell at hearing the ice in those words.

"Ja. I guess I could say that. I finally received an invitation from somebody other than the professor.someone who I felt had a better understanding of the other's reception of me. I had the impression that I vould be Velcome. Vas I mistaken?" Scott clenched his jaw, trying to stop the tears.

"No." He said, hesitantly, "No, you were not mistaken. You are welcome at the mansion. But you are no longer an X Man. You should not be down here." Kurt nodded.

"I see. I vill go then." He stopped and paused. "It's funny, you know. The professor and everyone are telling me, once and X man, Alvays an X man. You are the only one who says different. You're also the only one who I agree vith." He smiled a bit sadly. "I vill see you topside, ja?"

"Yeah." Scott said, still not turning. Kurt waited a minute for more of a reaction, but got none. Lowering his head Kurt sighed, and Ported.

In front of the view screen a single tear escaped underneath the visor of the Leader of the X Man. It was a tear of morning for those passed, as well as opportunities lost and things never to be.

Alone with his tactics, in his beloved danger room, Cyclops cried.

TBC.