ALPHA/OMEGA

Book Two

ONE

Sunlight made rich beams of gold through the dim office. The room was decorated with understated opulence, heavy with English oak and the scent of books. The man in the motorized chair smiled sadly, briefly, to himself, looking at a picture on the desk of three youngsters. Turning towards the door, he called out, "Come in, Scott." Even as he regretfully slipped the photo under a book, his voice was cultured and even, full of warmth and an underlying note of amusement, as if the whole world tickled his sense of humor.

The young man who entered was barely over thirty, with short brown hair and a pair of wrap-around sunglasses on. He had an air of anger and sorrow around him that made sensitives also living in the large mansion give him a wide berth. He moved as if everything gave him pain, like a man missing a limb, though at a glance, he appeared in excellent physical form. Standing before the large desk, he asked, "You wanted to see me, Professor?"

Charles Xavier smiled sadly at his protégé. Scott Summers still wore his grief over the loss of his wife like a cloak. Two months had passed, and yet the man was still touchy, and the professor felt it necessary to give Scott this news before he notified the rest of the staff of the Xavier Institute. "I wanted to let you know who I've found to fill one of the open staff positions here at the Institute."

Scott relaxed a little. "So, you did find someone? We were wondering. Is he or she... one of us?"

"A mutant, yes. Also highly qualified in a number of fields."

"Well, good." Scott paused, then asked, "Why did you want to tell me now? I assume you're going to announce it at the staff meeting this afternoon?"

Professor Xavier gave Scott a stern look. "I wanted to give you the chance to get anything out of your system in private." He pulled a folder from a drawer. Flipping it open, he slid the folder across the wide desk.

Scott glanced down at the dossier. Immediately, he scowled. Turning, he began to leave the room.

"Scott." The young man paused at the Professor's voice. "Scott, he lost her too."

Without responding, Scott left the office.

Professor Xavier drew the dossier back and closed it. Pulling the photo back out, he sighed. "This world is an uncertain place for a mutant. Must you hold everything else against him too?"

That afternoon, Logan sauntered into the conference room, deliberately late. Quickly, he noted the position of everyone in the room. Storm and Kurt sat comfortably in armchairs, across from the Professor who was next to the table. Scott stood by the windows, staring out.

"Logan, so good of you to join us."

"Listen, Chuck, next time, tell me there's a meeting in person, or send a note. Just quit talkin' into my head, ok?"

The Professor smiled at the man's impertinence. "I shall endeavor to remember."

Logan sprawled into a chair, taking the packet of papers Storm passed him with a nod.

"Well, then. Let us begin." Professor Xavier indicated the packets they all held. "Despite the recent events, and our sad loss, the Xavier Institute is, first and foremost, a school. Storm, Scott, you'll see in the packet how I've rearranged our schedules to balance out the classes for older students. Logan." The Professor turned to the raffish mutant. "It's time you started earning your keep."

Logan sat up. "You want me to teach?" He sounded dismayed.

"Yes I do. However, it will not be Art." Xavier smiled to see the expression of surprised embarrassment on Logan's face. "I'd like you to devise an Athletics Department. You'll be our Physical Education teacher. I'd especially like it if you developed more 'advanced' classes for some of our older students."

Logan nodded. "Self defense and combat training."

"Indeed. I'd like Kurt to assist, if you're willing?" The blue teleporter nodded immediately. "Also, Kurt, I'd be delighted if you'd be willing to create a German Language course for the school."

Grinning, the man replied, "I vould be honored."

"Professor, this leaves the teacher slot open for a lot of the basic classes for younger students," Storm said, reading her packet.

Xavier sighed. He hoped Scott could control himself. "Yes, that brings me to two announcements. Later in the term, we will be welcoming Doctor Hank McCoy to our ranks. He'll be responsible for all our medical needs. He's very highly respected, well qualified, and most importantly, sympathetic to our cause. But more immediately, within a day or two, I expect, we'll have a new teacher for our younger students. One Carl Grey, PhD."

"Jean's brother?" Storm exclaimed.

Logan asked, "Who is this guy?" Both looked to Scott, who ignored them and kept his vigil at the window.

"Yes, Jean's brother. Her fraternal twin, in fact." Professor Xavier said. "He's more than qualified to teach the standard courses to our youngsters, as well as advanced sections in Literature, History, Quantum Theory, Engineering, and if there's interest, a seminar in Archeology."

"Jeez," Logan huffed. "With this guy on board, why do you need us?"

"Does he know?" Storm asked quietly.

"Yes. In fact, I had half a dozen voice messages from him before we landed."

Suddenly, Scott made an angry noise from the window. "And where the hell was he? He left years ago, I can't believe you're bringing him back!"

"Scott –"Began the Professor, but Scott just shook his head.

"No. I'll work with him, and I'll deal with him, but only within the confines of a teaching colleague. He's not on the team." With that, he stormed out of the room.

"So, Scott hates this guy? I like him already!" Logan snickered.

Kurt looked concerned. "Vill this be a great problem? It vould not be goot to haff two teachers at each other'z throats."

Storm shrugged. "Professor? It was before my time."

The Professor nodded. "Scott and Jean and Jean's twin Carl were some of my first students. Carl was not so talented as Jean, but brilliant in his own way. He developed the optics for Scott's visor and glasses."

Logan gave a low whistle. "That smart?" He had an idea of how complex that visor was.

The Professor smiled. "Never give Carl Grey a problem unless you really want an answer. He'll disappear into his research. I had a difficult time getting him to come back to us. He was heavily involved with the Talamasca."[AN]

"The who?" Logan asked.

"Nevermind," Storm poked Logan, hushing him.

"The three were very close. And then, something changed. Tension began building between Carl and Scott. I honestly don't know if it was due to Scott and Jean's relationship, or something else, but one day, Carl packed up and left. The Greys are well off, and since Carl was not obviously a mutant, he found it easy to enroll in college. He's been either attending universities or engaged in research ever since."

"You said he wasn't as talented as Jean." Logan pressed.

"Carl does not have the telepathic or telekinetic abilities Jean had. His mutation is more the possession of a genius intellect than any special abilities, though he does have more prescience than Jean, in a rather unique way. He sees both the future and the past."

"Vhat goot vould seeing the past be?" Kurt asked.

"Many mysteries are lost to the passage of time," the professor stated. "But Carl's visions are not so broad. He sometimes sees very specific images of the past or the future. A specific event. A person. Though he says he remembers his own past life."

Logan snorted in derision. "Sounds like a fruit loop."

"You'll have to judge that when you meet him. I expect he'll arrive by the day after tomorrow." With that, the professor dismissed them. Classes were scheduled to begin in ten days.

[AN - Anne Rice reference. It's not important to the story]