Disclaimer: I am making no money from this, just enjoying a sense of escapism from an ordinary life

Scene Twelve

The Confidential Construction Company rolled up the front drive to the Xavier Institute one more time to repair the latest damage to the buildings. Meanwhile the Teen Titans said their goodbyes to their new friends. Starfire embraced Kitty strongly, almost making Shadowcat's eyes bulge.

"You will come and visit wont you?" Star enthused, "You must! We can go to the mall, and discover the delights of Earthly hair ornaments and of nail manicures!"

"Of course I'll come," Kitty giggled, phasing out of Star's arms. "Just wait 'til the holidays alright?"

"Is she always this over-excited?" Rogue asked Raven, indicating to Starfire.

"Pretty much," Raven grumbled. "Is Shadowcat?"

"Yeah," Rogue smiled. "I don't know how either of us cope."

"Well if you ever need someone to moan to," Raven humbly suggested, "You've got our number Rogue."

"Oh man, this is getting way too emotional," Cyborg grumbled with his arms folded. Bobby and Magma looked up at the big semi-android with innocent eyes.

"Aren't you gonna miss us at all Cy?" Bobby pleaded.

"Nope," Cyborg replied, not looking at the kids.

"Not even a little bit?" Magma asked, "Not even slightly?"

"Well, maybe you two…" Cyborg conceded, giving them a grin. "Take care alright?"

"Mush!" Beast Boy exclaimed, "I think I'm gonna puke."

"Not if I do first dude," Nightcrawler gagged, covering his mouth.

"Dude, how is that ever gonna stop me from puking?" BB asked, looking bewildered. "I still want a rematch with you on Gauntlet anyway, and this time you have to actually do the course, not just port to the finish alright?"

"Anytime," Nightcrawler agreed, "Come back soon, ya?"

"You bet buddy," Beast Boy grinned. Robin came up to the gathering, and called an end to the goodbyes.

"Time to go Titans, this mission is officially over," he smiled at the X-Men, "Its good to know that Bayville is in good hands. I don't think we will be needed here again."

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"Its clear we overestimated your capabilities when we left you in charge," Storm addressed Blaze and Gambit in the library where this had all began.

"We did the best we could," Blaze replied, every muscle in her body tensed as she took the disciplinary speeches.

"There ain't nothin' else we could've done," Gambit protested as well, equally as uncomfortable as Blaze.

"You could have trusted your teammates," Beast pointed out. "You could have at least pretended to be part of this Institute, instead of keeping yourselves to yourselves and building up walls between the others and you. The fact remains that you were exceedingly lucky, but this could quite foreseeably have ended in tears."

"So what are you going to do to us?" Blaze asked, raising her chin defiantly.

"Nothing," Storm said, turning to leave the room with Beast. "You know how much you have disappointed us. We can't ground you or give you chores to do like we would the children. Neither is any punishment we could inflict on you for your recklessness likely to be as hard on you as what your teammates are going to put you through now."

"How do you mean?" Gambit wanted to know.

"You didn't trust them," Beast explained. "So now they wont trust you either. Whereas you two seem capable of seeing the world in shades of grey, to them it is black or white. You are either with them or against them, and I wouldn't be surprised if now they thought you were against them. You are going to have to earn that trust back and it is going to take time."

The door closed behind the instructors, and both ex-thieves breathed a sigh of relief.

"You reckon it'll be that bad?" Blaze asked her tall friend.

"Face it Cherie," Gambit replied seriously, "We're doomed."

Roll credits………………………….