Being Headstrong Is Not Always A Good Thing

Three days later John was still having trouble adjusting. "Why do we have to do these practices every day?" He grumbled as he fiddled with his uniform.

"It's called being prepared for anything," Scott told him. "Practicing teamwork which you seriously need to work on." The teaching staff was readying for Danger Room practice.

"Teamwork is highly overrated," John grumbled. "Especially at 6 am!"

"By the way I just spoke with Kurt and some of the others," Scott folded his arms. "What exactly are you teaching in your class? It's not the lesson plan I assigned you that's for sure!"

"So I'm taking a few liberties," John told him.

"A few liberties?" Hank asked. "You won't believe what I caught Multiple reading! And he told me you assigned it!"

"Can we just get on with this or are we gonna just mince around all day?" John snapped.

"What was he reading?" Jean asked.

"Some kind of soft porn," Hank shuddered.

"Hey those Westerns are not soft porn," John said. "They're just showing the way the west was."

"Inside a brothel?" Hank asked.

"Okay we are definitely having a discussion after practice!" Scott said. "Begin Danger Room training sequence F-T2!"

Thus the session began. It seemed to John that there wasn't ever a time when he was dodging lasers and hurling projectiles. And he was clearly annoyed with it. These people are way to into this stuff, He thought to himself, temporarily not paying attention.

"Thunderbird watch it!" Scott shouted. "Those lasers are too close!"

"I've got it kid! I…AAIRRGGH!" John shouted as one of them grazed his leg.

"Stop the simulation!" Hank said. He ran over to John. "You're hurt. Let me help you to the infirmary."

"I'm fine," John grunted as he stood up. "Don't need any help. Ow," He winced in pain.

"That's not how it looks to me," Hank told him. "That's a nasty burn."

"Nothing a little band aid can't cure," John told him. "You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough!" Scott told him. "You could have gotten killed!"

"Don't be so over dramatic One Eye," John grunted.

"The name is Cyclops," Scott told him. "And if those lasers were running at full strength you would have lost your leg or worse! You were careless and that's dangerous! Even the younger cadets know better than that!"

"Listen Cyclops," John growled. "You can talk like that all you want to your kiddie cadets like that but you'd better change your tone when you talk to me! I'm a god damn ex-marine and I'll be damned if I take any crap from a kid like you!"

"KID?" Scott snapped. "Who are you kidding? You're only four years older than I am! And a hell of a lot less mature!"

"You've been riding me since I got here and I'll be dammed if I put up with it any more," John made a fist.

"You wanna make something out of it?" Scott shouted. "I thought Logan was a pain but at least he knows what he's talking about. You haven't got a clue!"

"I'm gonna rearrange your face!" John shouted.

"That's enough!" Xavier interrupted from the control booth. "Thunderbird report to the infirmary. Cyclops I need to speak with you."

"Somebody's in trouble," John mocked.

"You watch your mouth you…" Warren snapped.

"That's enough!" Xavier said. "Beast help him to the infirmary. I will speak to you later Thunderbird."

"You are certainly one for stirring things up aren't you?" Hank smirked as he helped John to the infirmary.

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Later that day as the main X-Men team finished practice Kurt caught up with Scott. "Cyclops is it true that you got in trouble with Thunderbird today?"

"Not really," Scott told him. "Once I told the Professor that Proudstar wasn't exactly teaching you guys the stuff he should have."

"I told you ya shouldn't have said anything," Rogue said to Kurt.

"It's not his fault," Kitty told her. "Like the Professor would have found out anyway. Especially with Jamie blabbing it all over the mansion."

"Yeah but still don't you think you're being a little hard on him?" Rogue asked.

"Rogue he's supposed to be a teacher and he's acting worse than some of the students here," Scott said. "Training mutants on using their powers and educating them is a huge responsibility."

"Yeah but don't you think you're like totally going overboard on it?" Kitty asked him. "You weren't this uptight when Angel started to teach us."

"Angel doesn't talk about how to mix alcohol in his lesson plans," Scott said.

"He what?" Kitty blinked.

"Yeah you weren't there," Rogue chuckled. "Right after he goes totally off complaining about his old high school he decided to tell us all this stuff about alcohol. What not to drink and how much and how to mix it."

"Class certainly wasn't dull that day," Bobby chuckled. He had been reinstated to the main team. "Or the next when he literally started throwing books out the window and telling kids to use 'em for target practice."

"I should have known something was up when Gambit wanted to sit in on a class," Warren indicated Remy with his thumb.

"Yes well let me deal with Mr. Proudstar," Xavier wheeled up to them. "We have more pressing issues. Cerebro has recently detected a mutant signature in the South Pacific. And it's the utmost importance that we find him."

"Why? What are his powers?" Jean asked.

"I'm not sure," Xavier frowned. "In fact this mutant signature is so powerful that Cerebro cannot classify it."

"That doesn't sound good," Scott frowned. "If someone like Magneto or Cobra found out about him, who knows what will happen."

"Cyclops I need you to assemble a small team to investigate," Xavier told him. "And Angel I want you to go with him to assist."

"Okay," Scott nodded. "I'll take Jean, Iceman, Shadowcat, Rogue and Gambit."

"What? No Fuzzy Dude?" Kurt made a mock pout.

"Not this time Kurt," Scott told him. "X-Men move out!"

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Several hours later the Blackbird was near the island. "Wow looks like paradise down there," Kitty remarked as she looked out the window.

"Yeah maybe to you," Bobby grumbled as they landed. "I'm not really too big on the tropical island thing myself."

"Okay people let's be careful," Scott warned as they disembarked the Blackbird. "Especially since we have no idea what this mutant is or what he can do."

"Or what she can do," Rogue pointed out.

"True," Lorna Dane appeared before them in her battle uniform. "But you do know what I can do!"

"What are you doing here?" Rogue shouted.

"Isn't it obvious…sister," Lorna spat out that last word as if it was an obscenity. "I'm here to recruit that mutant for Magneto."

"Pretty dumb of you to come here alone," Bobby iced up.

"Pretty stupid of you to underestimate me. I am going to prove myself so butt out!" Lorna snapped. She created several weapons from her travel pod. "Or do I need to make my point?"

"Bring it on!" Kitty balled her hands into fists. The X-Men prepared to attack.

"Wait!" Jean put her hands to her head. "Something's wrong! The mutant we're looking for…it's NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

None of them knew what hit them.