Prompt Suggestion: Someone, anyone (I would say Steve Rogers) calls Charles out on using Scott, and by extension the rest of the O5, as a child soldier. for mutantleaderinthemaking on tumblr
Scott tugged at the frayed sleeve of his favourite sweater, one - despite many of his friends urges - he refused to get rid of. He focused intensely on how the light grey and dark maroon threads crisscrossed in a static pattern, weaving in and out of each frays on his sleeve threatened to slip from under each other and unravel the sweater.
He swallowed as voices were raised and flinched, biting his bottom lip and tugging at the loose strands. He couldn't hear what was being said but they weren't happy or nice words. After a few more minutes, the sound of stomping feet came toward the door and a sharp command from Professor Xavier entered Scott's mind. You can come in now.
As Scott reached for the door, Captain America swung it open, anger evident on his face. The hard blue eyes softened minutely when they landed on Scott, who swallowed hard and scurried past him, forcing himself to remain passive and unmoved. He had to work on controlling his emotions; he was supposed to become a good leader and good leaders didn't falter in the presence of things that scared them.
Captain America shut the door and made his way back over to the chairs where Scott sat, but he didn't sit. Instead he gripped the leather material of Scott's chair, standing behind him, making Scott feel claustrophobic. Scott took a deep, shaky breath and tried to focus on Professor Xavier, whose eyebrows were knitted together in a mixture between sorrow, anger, and worry.
"Mister Steve Rogers is here today because he - and a number of other Avengers - have brought forth a complaint about this school and its activities."
Scott's back straightened and he turned to look at Captain America, his mouth agape in confusion. "But why? This school - what you do here for us - is incredible. You help us learn how to control our powers and you teach us hand-to-hand combat and you get us ready for the real world and-"
Captain America cut him off, his voice slicing through the air like a blade and Scott flinched. "The real world doesn't involve children fighting in battles that don't concern them. Children aren't made to become superheros overnight. And that's what Charles is doing. This isn't a school to hone your abilities and teach you safe practice or mathematics and science. This school is a training ground, a cull meant to create children soldiers."
He stepped away from Scott, toward the desk, his hands clenched tightly into fists. He wasn't wearing his suit, instead adorned in normal clothing, his hair falling into his face slightly as he moved. "You're using Scott Summers - this poor boy who's been through more than enough - as a child soldier!"
"I am doing no such thing!" The professor countered, voice raising as well, but not nearly as loud as Steve's. Scott felt his stomach churn, worry and fear trying to claw its way out of his chest and throat, wanting to escape in any way possible. "I am honing their abilities so that they may integrate with normal society someday without being perceived with fear and mistrust!"
"By teaching them to dodge projectiles and hand-to-hand combat? Sending them out to fight battles that the Avengers could easily take care of? We are often cleaning up more messes created by the X-men than the X-men save the day." He scoffed, and Scott flinched again.
Charles opened his mouth to defend himself again but Stever cut in once more, slamming his fist on the table. "The Avengers have files on every single one of your students. All of them. Scott Summers has been through enough, you do not need to, nor should you, be sending him out to battle crazed lunatics, putting his life on the line. You shouldn't be doing that with any of these children. Not Scott Summers, not Jean Grey, Hank McCoy, Warren Worthington or Robert Drake. They are children."
Scott closed his eyes behind his glasses, feeling sick. He was stressed out and tired of being talked about as if he wasn't sitting right there. Steve words ignited thoughts in his mind that he tried to squash down. He opened his mouth to speak but the Avenger was still going. "Children have no place in war or fighting. That's what this is coming to, Charles. War. There will be war among the mutants and you know that. That war will happen some day, pulling all of humanity into it. But these children do not have a place in it."
"We'll have a place when the war happens!" Scott interrupted, cheeks going hot. "Why is it such a problem that we train and hone our skills? Don't you want us to be able to defend ourselves?"
Steve turned and faced Scott, a softening expression crossing his face. "I want you to be able to defend yourselves," he said, voice quiet and not as hard as when he had been yelling at Professor Xavier. "But that's it. I don't want him sending children out to fight when the Avengers can handle it." He knelt down to Scott's height, placing his hands over Scott's. "Children don't need to fight other children or adults. It's just not right. It's not safe. And I'm not comfortable putting children in jeopardy; I'm not comfortable putting you in jeopardy like that."
He stood and faced Charles again. "I'm not telling you to shut down this school, but I'm warning you. Leave these children out of the battles and fights. That's for adults. Train them all you want, but keep it in the school and off the real field. Because, someday, something bad will happen, because something bad always happens. And no one needs the death of a child on anyone's conscience."