The X-Folk are the exclusive property of Marvel and their folks.
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Kurt stretched out to his full height as he meandered lazily down the hall of Xavier's school. He caught sight of himself in the hallway's full-length mirror and stopped. Slowly his reflection smiled as he took a long look at himself.
A lot had changed in the year since he and the X-Men had fought Apocalypse and won. He was taller, leaner and felt far more confident. With a dashing smile he pointed his finger, as though it were a gun, at his own reflection and winked as he "tsked" at himself and let his thumb fall as though he had pulled the trigger. With a jovial grin he continued on his way to the common room.
His stomach dropped as he felt the eyes fall upon him. An eerie silence had crept over the room as he entered and the smile drifted slowly from his face. He didn't know what it was about until he saw where the other students were gathered. They were standing in front of the posting board.
It isn't time for mid-term grades to be posted yet… He thought to himself. What could… Then he remembered Xavier's surprise test.
Just before their one-week spring vacation Xavier had summoned all his students to The Danger Room. But instead of running yet another near lethal program they were directed to take seats at rows of desks and were issued a surprise test.
It was a comprehensive overview of everything Xavier had tried to teach them over the years they had spent at the mansion. But it was more than that too. It asked them to expound on ideas, theories and possibilities that none of them had ever heard of before.
There had been a lot of speculation as to why they had taken the test and what it meant. But slowly, over the course of the day, that had given way to who had thought they had done the best on the test.
Scott and Jean were, of course, the heavy favorites for the high score. Scott had even gone on to explain and pronounce answers to some of the more difficult questions much to Kurt's chagrin and embarrassment. It seemed from Scott's explanations that Kurt had seriously missed the mark on many, if not all, of his answers in the essay section.
Slowly the sea of students between Kurt and the posted grades. Kurt swallowed nervously under the weight of their attention. I must have really screwed dis vone up bad… He reasoned, still not making eye contact with anyone or even the grades themselves.
Out of the corner of his eye Kurt saw Scott, leaning with his back against an adjacent wall, watching Kurt carefully in a lizard-like fashion. Kurt flushed with embarrassment. He must think I'm a total loser! Kurt shook his head slightly and looked away from Scott. Granted, they were great friends in Kurt's mind, but Kurt always felt like he was playing catch-up behind the older boy.
Scott had been here at the mansion longer. He had studied more. He was remarkably gifted, hand picked by Xavier to be a leader. He was on the mutant 'fast track' to a destiny that would forever shape how mutants and humanity saw each other and interacted.
He was… fourth?
Kurt blinked twice and rubbed his eyes absently with a thumb and forefinger. He was right. Scott had scored the fourth highest grade – not the first. Jean had scored slightly higher, coming in at third.
Kurt's eyes darted to the bottom of the list and began working their way up looking for his name. About halfway through he stopped, and started again at the bottom thinking he had missed his score somewhere, but he had not. Eventually his eyes crept up past Scott and Jean's name. He was surprised to find that Kitty had scored second place.
But he was even more surprised to see the name of the highest scoring student. It was him: Kurt Wagner.
He blinked again. His mouth was dry and his eyelids felt like sandpaper against his eyes. He felt an overwhelming pressure of the attention and silence around him. So much so that it took all his concentration and focus to read the handwritten comments next to his name. It was written in red ink, the kind that Xavier graded papers in, and it read only "See me." And was marked with Xavier's trademark "X".
Kurt turned slowly to his right to find Rogue grinning madly at him. "Congrats Fuzzy!" She beamed and mussed his hair idly with a gloved hand.
Suddenly the tension broke around him and he was in the center of a cloud of shouts, shoves, congratulations and affectionate chuckles.
But even though he smiled wide and nodded – his eyes sought out Scott.
Scott hadn't moved from his spot against the wall – but once Scott saw that he most definitely had Kurt's attention, he smiled affectionately and gave Kurt a brief 'thumbs-up' before waiting for Kurt's attention to be diverted. Then Scott slipped out of the room quietly and walked alone down the empty corridor.
Kurt shook his head in wonder as he strolled through the mansion towards Xavier's study. He couldn't recall a time when he had aced a test – let alone beat out every student at the mansion. Maybe I'm good at essays. He reasoned silently to himself.
He stopped dead in his tracks suddenly. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand up and he whipped around quickly.
"Whoa there." Wolverine cautioned. "We're not training today." He chuckled slightly.
"You still shouldn't sneak up on people." Kurt told him. "Training or not."
The Wolverine nodded absently as he studied the elf. "I was just checking to see if you were paying attention." A slight smile came over his face. It was an odd one that Kurt had only seen a few times before. "Making sure that all that book-learning hasn't gone to your head."
Kurt smiled back a bit as he realized that Logan's smile was one of pride.
"So, you heard about that, hunh?" Kurt asked almost sheepishly.
"Charlie ain't talked about much else all morning." Logan assured him. "He's waiting for you ya know."
"I'm on my way dere now." Kurt assured him.
Logan nodded slowly. "Say yes Elf." He said softly.
"Vhat?" Kurt was perplexed.
"You're ready and you can do it. You'll have all the help you need, so when Chuck asks, just tell him you'll do it."
Kurt felt his mouth going dry again. "Logan… Vhat are you talking about? I…"
Logan held up his hand and cut Kurt short. "That's for Charlie to explain. I'm just telling you like it is and giving you something I never really had – a bit of .. well .. fatherly advice. You can do this. And you should."
Kurt stood there, feeling like a slight breeze might knock him off his feet, studying Logan's face carefully. There were no answers there – only a sense of both pride and loss. Kurt felt the importance of Logan's words.
"O-okay." Kurt heard himself say. "Vhatever it is… okay." He nodded slightly and Logan added one affirmative nod.
"Go on then." He smiled. "Don't keep Chuck waiting."
And Kurt turned slightly, took two steps down the hall and looked back – but when he did, Logan was gone.
The mansion was empty between Kurt and the study, never the less he slowed his pace. Logan's words floated through his head. "Say yes – you're ready - Fatherly advice... Fatherly?"
Kurt shook it off as he approached the study door. Whatever it was couldn't be so bad. If Logan thought he could do it – he probably could.
He knocked softly and paused.
"Come in Kurt." Xavier called through the door.
The smell of Xavier's leather couches filled Kurt's nostrils as the great wooden door gave way to the warm room beyond.
"Have a seat." Xavier gestured toward the chair opposite his desk and Kurt hopped up in to it. "You've surprised me a bit Kurt. Your essays were quite … on target."
Kurt realized that Xavier had multiple copies of Kurt's exam in front of him. The original was unmarked but the Xeroxed copies had been carefully edited with a thick black marker to edit out certain sentences.
"In fact," Xavier continued. "Your many of your remarks are going to be incorporated in to the Advanced Mutancy Textbooks we use here at the mansion for next semester."
"Really?" Kurt was stunned.
"Indeed." Xavier nodded. "I found your answers to be quite, if not almost too, insightful. You've stumbled on to a few things that I keep as… well for lack of a better word, secrets."
"Professor, I…"
But Xavier waved him in to silence. "But that's all just icing on the cake. What I've really come to talk to you about is something far greater."
Xavier wheeled himself back, away from the desk and then forward to face Kurt without the desk between them. "You are probably aware that I have been attempting for quite some time to establish a working relationship with our government in regards to mutant affairs. And it is common knowledge that this relationship has not gone as well as I would have hoped. However…"
Xavier smiled. "There are other governments and people with much more open minds who have been quite receptive to what I've had to say."
Kurt swallowed and Xavier smiled warmly. "In fact, that test you took was put together for one reason only Kurt. I am looking for a person to head up an independent team that is to be attached to the British government and help them handle mutant affairs. It's a team that we've taken to calling Excalibur, and I would like you to seriously consider accepting the position."
Kurt felt a shudder pass through him. Xavier noticed it as well.
"It may be a largely ceremonial role at first but you will of course have all the necessary support and guidan…"
But Kurt interrupted. "I'll do it." He forced the words out of his mouth without allowing himself the time to think about it. "It seems like a huge responsibility, but I'll do it."
Xavier sat back, obviously stunned, and he surveyed Kurt as though seeing him for the first time.
"Excellent." Xavier decided out loud. "I'll make all the arrangements. You'll leave this time next week."
