"So that's wot these tossers call a school? Innit bad. Kinda like one of them posh boarding schools, eh Bets?" Pete talked around the ever present fag hanging between his lips. Once they'd landed, they'd been given freedom to wander around for a while before any immediate meetings. Which he'd been all too glad to slip away from others for a time.
He hadn't counted on Braddock following him. She was watching him the way a cat watched a bird, and he wasn't too sure what to make of that just yet. Instead he grunted at finding a bench to sit on out past the pool amongst the trimmed shrubs, that offered a nice view of the mansion.
"Wot?" She had that smug aristocratic look on her face, and he didn't like it.
"Oh, just you Wisdom. You're quite amusing, you know. Have you even reconciled yourself to the fact you agreed to teach American mutant teenagers? You're still acting like you came across the pond for a pint with an unpleasant relative, instead of for a new job luv." Those bloody purple eyes watched him far too knowingly. What had she seen or glimpsed in his head while he'd been out, or what had LeBeau told her?
"Teaching innit that bad. Used give lessons fer new hires, an such like. Kids just mean being more of a hard ass, so they don't get out of line." Plus it was a long way from the United Kingdom, which right now was something he definitely needed. Amongst this bunch of pacifist creeps he probably wouldn't have to kill anyone either, and that was a decided benefit. "Dunno wot ya find so funny about that, petal."
Betsy coughed at the bit of smoke he'd blown her way, and gave him an annoyed look, that vanished quickly enough. "Do you always have such charm with women, Pete, or is it just an effort you make with me?" One elegant eyebrow arched at him.
To which he just laughed.
"Usually lot easier ter get yer type off me back. A bit of smoke, some overly personal petals and luvs dropped in, a few crude jokes.."
"Doesn't work on a telepath, Wisdom luv." She damn near purred at him like she had back when they first met, licked her lips, then stood up and walked away, with a shake in her hips. And as much as Pete Wisdom was a man who was by and large immune to such things? He still found himself swallowing.
"Wot the 'ell have I gotten myself into?" He asked the open air, not expecting an answer.
"Was bout t'ask dat question of ya myself mon ami. Glad to see ya don't know either. Belle femme, she got a nice walk." A faint rustle as the cajun dropped down onto the bench with him. He'd never even heard him approach, beyond those last few feet when he probably wasn't trying to hide it. He couldn't afford to go and get complacent, even in a place that might be safe, even if only temporarily.
"Sod off LeBeau. It ain't like wot yer thinking. Innit here for the girls. Just avoiding some shite back home fer a while, good place to be in the mean time as much as any other."
His annoyance rose as Gambit laughed.
"Ya know what I like bout ya mon ami? Ya name. Wisdom. Biggest oxymoron dat I ran across for quite a while. Enjoy de view. 'Ro said dat when ya come in, dere be a small deal t'introduce ya to de rest of de faculty an de students."
"Wot, she's talking business after a mission an those looks you two were sharin? You must be slipping, LeBeau."
He found himself frowning as he stalked off, because Gambit's answer had just been a cocky grin and a laugh. Maybe Xavier's wasn't a better place to be then London after all. It was full of raving mad Americans, and at least one raving mad French-American! Damned French..
When Gambit had told him that Storm wanted him to stop in on a 'small introduction' he'd assumed it'd just be the faculty, and maybe it'd take him ten twenty minutes and he'd be able to go crash out in his sleep. He had been appallingly wrong.
When he stepped into the faculty study he was confronted with two facts. One, it was a good deal bigger than he had expected a glorified teachers lounge to be. The second fact was there were either quite a few young teachers, or there was more than just the faculty present. Judging from the way Ororo wouldn't quite meet his eyes initially, Wisdom guessed that it was indeed more of a social meet-and-greet then a presence-required type of meeting. Damn cajun.
Before he could track Remy down and cuss him out though, he caught a cough from behind him and stepped out of the door way, while Logan stepped in and nodded to him. "Wisdom."
"Logan." A nod of his head in return. There was just a shade of respect in the tone of each of them, and quite a bit more distaste. Yet for a moment, they shared a similarity as they stood near the door, eying all of the gathered people distrustfully.
"I need a beer." The canadian growled, and started to walk towards the refreshment. Wisdom, taking this to mean there was alcohol, had a bit more of a bounce in his step as he set himself to follow after the Wolverine. Surely there was some kind of booze, if this was a teachers function.. Yet a number of them looked a bit too young to be there if there was booze, this was Puritan America after all. No hopping down to the pub when you were sixteen in America. Ripe old age of 21 for drinking here across the pond.
"Must be 'ell." Pete said in a conciliatory voice to one of the younger women, although he considered her jacket must be too. All that yellow. She blinked at him in confusion.
"What must be?"
"Being American, luv. Innit able ter drink till yer 21, cultures afraid of all the shite in life that's worth doing. Sex, nudity, booze, daft bunch yer are, but yer relatives all risked crossin an ocean in boats so guess that's that. Yer have me condolences." A nod of his head, as he saw Logan did have beer, and stalked away from Jubilee with a few quick steps.
She was left sputtering, while the two girls standing right behind her were having a hard time deciding between laughing and glaring at Wisdom, unsure if he was trying to be insulting, or if he'd just done it to prove he could leave Jubilee standing there unsure what to say. The human claptrap temporarily without words.
His respite was not meant to last long, however, because once he had a beer he found another man had wandered over. This one was wearing glasses. Indoors. He didn't need to be told twice who it was though.
"Scott Summers." He identified himself, offering a hand. Pete took it, and offered his own name.
"So wot's the glorious idea 'ere, ya know? Looks like one of those 'orrible meet and greets they have on TV, that always ends up bursting wot with a fight or drama of some sort. Mebbe someone getting drunk and dancing on the tables. Ya gonna give us a show after a few beers, Scott?" Wisdom grinned a wicked grin, especially the way the question seemed to take Scott offguard. He appeared to be used to disrespect from Logan and Gambit, but he hadn't appeared ready to hear it from a man dressed in a fairly nice suit – even if that suit was somewhat rumpled, and he smelled like an ashtray.
"Anyway, there's yer Professor, so if you'll excuse me." Stepping away from Scott while he was still trying to figure out if Logan had blabbed about his drinking habits, Wisdom seemed unaware that he'd begun to gather a bit of attention on himself from about the room.
"Professor Xavier, nice ter meet ya in person fer once instead of as a voice in me ruddy head. Good ta know I innit been imagining yer all these years, though truth tell, always figured yer wore a tupee in real life." Wisdom shook his head, while the Professor coughed and demurred politely.
"So wot's the deal with the kids? They innit teachers themselves are they, look pretty wet behind the ears fer that."
"Ahh, no no. Jubilee, Kitty, and Rogue are all Teachers Aides, their all Seniors this year who volunteered to help the faculty with classes, keeping order, and the like. Ahh, Elizabeth, I'm glad to see you could join us. I trust you had time to relax before coming down?"
Wisdom wasn't oblivious to the politeness directed to Betsy compared to him, after his own show of rudeness. However when his blue eyes shifted over to regard Betsy, they narrowed just a little. She'd found the time, apparently, to completely shower, do her hair, and still make it down on time. Not looking the least bit as if she'd been on a jet that day, let alone in a fight for her life some hours back.
A shrug of Pete's shoulders, and he just leered at her a bit. "Lookin nice luv." Without waiting to hear her response, he left her and the Professor, seeking to find Logan or even the cajun to join. Unfortunately, the cajun and Storm seemed to have disappeared as if by magic. Logan was ensconced by a window, drinking his beer and talking to the girl he knew was Rogue. It looked like a private conversation, from the look Logan shot Pete when he took just one step in that direction.
Right then, Logan was out of bounds. Well, there was more beer. Or he could head back to his room, since LeBeau and Munroe had sneaked off, which meant leaving was fair game for him too.
"So like, you're English huh?" There was the younger Asian girl, with her mousy haired book-wormish friend at her side. He'd been too slow.
"Yer think? Wot gave it away? Bet it was me use of the word bloody, wasn't it?" Sarcasm dripped from Pete's words as he gazed at the yellow trenchcoat clat girl. "Been taking fashion advise from LeBeau, have yer? Onea these days he's gonna get himself arrested once and fer all, an it's gonna be fer wot he calls fashion. Specially if he went an baught that, which I bet he did." A nod of his head at her jacket.
Jubilees companion started snickering, and he caught her muttering 'He's got you pegged there, and sounds like he has Gambit's number too Jubes'. But it was never Pete's style to only pick on one of the girls, even if one of them seemed to find him amusing.
"Wot yer giggling about petal, least yer friend 'ere be 'aving the courage to stand out of the crowd. Yer dressed like yer just wanna blend in, or spend the rest of yer week curled up wot with a book away from people." Pete half expected them to turn on each other, it seemed like all of these American kids were kiss asses for a new teacher.
He was therefore, actually surprised when Jubilee started giggling at his take on Kitty, but Kitty turned on him. "Now wait just a minute. How is someone who looks like they've slept in his suit for a week, smells like an ash-tray, and doesn't look like he even knows which end of a razor is sharp, going to go criticizing mine, Jubilees, and Mr LeBeau's fashion sense?" Each word emphasized by her wagging her finger at him.
She didn't, however, expect to be rebuffed by him laughing in her face. "Yer got some spirit petal, but save it fer a fight wot that matters. Now how bout one of yer point me towards the direction where the faculty quarters are, eh?" Steam rolling the girls was easy, although they both looked indignant still, he got his directions out of them and was slipping out of the room as quickly as he could.
Yet before he even made it to the door, a hand fell on his hand, at the same time he heard soft laughter. He didn't need to turn his head to see who it was. He could smell Betsy's perfume, and a quick glance of blue eyes to the side confirmed that it was indeed Elizabeth Braddock, those purple eyes looking curiously back at him.
"All tired out already, Petey? Here I thought you were made of sterner things. Even the youngest children aren't in bed yet, luv." She was teasing him, they both knew it. Especially the way she took a step closer, and batted her lashes at him. To make matters worse, the rest of the people in the room were watching while talking amongst themselves.
"Using me ter make yerself the center of attention, Betsy? An 'ere I figured ya wouldn't need ter use me fer a thing like that." He stared at her, evenly, no chuckles or bids at real humor. He was trying to figure out what her game was.
She was the one who laughed. "Oh, Wisdom. I've been the center of attention since I walked in. I just thought I'd be gracious and share the attention with you, it isn't as if your used to it now is it? But then, you've spent your whole life trying to avoid attention haven't you? Ah yes, what was it you said in the Crown about attention... Oh, that's it. 'If I need attention, I'll pay fer it.' Really Pete, paying for it? Tsk."
One of those finely manicured fingers was being wagged at him, while she smirked. Pete just narrowed his eyes at her. "Ain't ever needed to pay fer that whatever yer think ya over heard, Braddock. Better then Bond, me. You want me ter stay? Fine, I'll stay."
And to the horror of everyone, Peter Wisdom offered the whole room a very bright happy grin. He'd just noticed Logan was smoking a cigar in the room, which was a few seconds later, joined by a cigarette in his own lips. It was a hollow victory though, when after he'd lit his fag that Betsy reached delicate fingers over and asked if he minded, which he told her go ahead.
He hadn't realized it'd been the last cigarette he had on him, and he bloody well wasn't going to ask for it back.
When the pounding on his door finally quit, he thought it was shortly after he threatened to shoot whoever was doing the knocking, Wisdom finally threw the blanket off his head and fell out of bed. His head was aching, and it took him a minute to find a pack of fags to open up and have one from, while he found a clean suit to pull on.
He recalled last night, in all of it's grim detail. Him and Braddock were going to result in the death of each other, at the rate they were going. It wasn't that they precisely hated each other, so much as they were different creatures. She was a spoiled princess rich girl, had all of the privileges she could ever have, even got a new body when she died and lost the first one. Where as Pete had come from a dirt poor family, and had to work for everything he'd ever had. Even the shitty job in Black Aire, or the cheap cologne he favored.
Not that most people ever realized he wore cologne, it couldn't be smelled over the scent of his cigarettes unless your name was Logan anyway.
Patting down his pants from last night, he pulled out the pack of cigarettes he'd thought was empty, then frowned realizing it was over half full. "Bloody 'ell. Now which one was it.. Xavier or Braddock? Bollocks, I hate telepaths. Knew this was a bleeding 'orrible idea, I did. Still, beats the alternatives.. fer now."
Swishing the last two swallows of the warm bottle of beer still sitting on his dresser from last night, Pete stumbled out into the hall to make his way down to the kitchen, seeing as it was a weekend. When he stumbled in, it was to find LeBeau standing behind the stove making breakfast. Apparently for all of the people in the kitchen, as well as himself, seeing as he was sharing with the kids.
"Lookin bit like a dead man walking, mon ami. Mebbe chocolate chip pancakes cheer you up, take some of dat sour mood away eh? Less ya want some cajun special, but dese kids, dey can't handle de spices."
Pete eyed the cajun warily, eyed the kids sitting around the kitchen who were all staring at him without trying to stare. "Right. Wotever, pancakes, sure."
Remy just shook his head, then laughed. "You gotta lot to learn, ya gonna be a real teacher Wisdom. Petites, dis be Pete Wisdom, he de new.. er. What ya here to teach anyway, Wisdom?"
"Physics an Chemistry, be wot I'm teaching." When, as he expected, a number of people groaned, Wisdom smirked.
"Yea, used to think that way meself, I did. Then when I got in the field, I had ter figure out ways ter survive. Amazin, things ya can do with chemistry an a quick wit, an just how important physics be if yer got energy powers. Knowing how ter bend the rules is important, don't matter if it's the laws of physics, or jay walking."
Pete was giving Remy a bit of a wary look, the cajun had given him that set up, and just grinned. It also left the kids all staring at him, as only a fraction of what he'd said settled in. The one who asked the question was one of the older kids, named Drake he thought from his glance over school profiles.
"Assignments, Mr Wisdom? Were you some kind of military type?"
"Some kind, yer could say that. God, Queen, an Country an all that." Wisdom waved his hand, and then focused on his food as there was chatter slowly rising back in the kitchen. It, of course, faded out when Elizabeth entered.
Not that he could blame everyone. She was wearing a purple robe and matching slippers of some silky fabric, that showed she was wearing a somewhat thin nightgown beneath. She stopped next to Pete at the counter, before slipping into the seat next to him, and leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Morning luv."
While he scowled at her, she stole his plate.
"Wot? Now that innit quite fair, an yer know it Braddock. Then again, LeBeau made 'em fer me, so guessing yer be able to tell me if their safe to eat eh?" He shot a nasty glance at her, then at LeBeau.
Remy, however, just shrugged. "Wasn't anything wrong wit' dem mon ami, but ya lucky I got some chocolate chips left. Make you a couple more. Lookin tres belle, Bets. Even if ya just subjected yaself to a horrible way t'start ya breakfast, kissin Wisdom."
Betsy just smiled beatifically. "Luv, I'll have you know it was the perfect way to start off my morning."
No one in the kitchen believed her, obviously. Not Remy, not Pete, and certainly none of the students who were eying Wisdom with apprehension. He certainly wasn't a looker, like Mr. LeBeau was, and Betsy certainly was a model, so there was somethings not adding up.
With a bright smile for Pete, she explained. "You see, when I woke up this morning, I had the most horrid thought that this was all a dream. Being across the Pond, at a new job you see? If I'd been asleep, Wisdom's sand-paper like stubble would have cut me awake. As it is, I'll have to redo my facial, and wash my mouth out a few times. You even taste like an ash tray, Pete."
Wisdom just shrugged, letting her barbs slide over him, and past him. All of the students seemed to be expecting a retort from him, instead he just lazily ate, blue eyes peering evenly at Braddock. As they ate and the minutes ticked by with nothing being said, he noticed she was starting to fidget just a little bit. Possibly trying to draw his eyes down the front of her nighty, which had slightly come open. Doubtless just to tease him, yet his gaze stayed from his plate to her eyes.
"LeBeau, yer need ter show me the way up town. Need ter lease me a car, get some supplies, an take care of some matters. Yer innit on duty or something like, are ya?" Wisdom's gaze hadn't even moved to LeBeau while talking, and he felt his fists clenching a bit. Betsy was smiling.
"Well Petey, I be happy t'take ya, but Betsy here she already ask me last night. If ya wanna come wit' though..." He sounded as if he knew damn well Pete would rather chew his own arm off, but knew that Wisdom was going to say yes just to annoy her.
"Right, fine with me. More the merrier, right Bets?"
"Oh, of course Pete. You'll even be able to help carry my bags!" She sounded positively delighted, not even deigning to notice the look in his eyes that said any bag she handed him was likely going to end up incinerated in a blast of cosmic energy.
Oh Pete, do relax. It hardly does for the children to think two of their instructors are going to kill each other, or to always argue in front of them. It wouldn't kill you to be a little polite in front of them to other human beings, now would it?
Wisdom didn't even bother answering her telepathically, just started counting from one and kept going, as he pulled a fag from his coat, and slipped out of the kitchen.
It was going to be a long day, and he hadn't even met more then two or three of his students.
The garage seemed like a good place to get away from the others now that it was evening. LeBeau only worked on his bike during the day, and who knew what Logan did. When Wisdom slipped into the garage he'd expected it to be devoid of people, a nice place for him to sit and puff on a fag, surrounded by the scents of grease, motor oil, and paint.
What he hadn't counted on, however, was Scott Summers, dutifully working away on a slick little sports car.
"Trying to escape from everyone, Wisdom? Well, as you can see, this is my escape for the night. Hard to find a place to get away from other people here at the school. All the students have their own little cubbyholes, and us teachers try to give them some privacy. Some, not too much though. Never know what kind of horror they'll get into, if we let them have total free reign. Can you hand me that wrench? Thanks."
"Yea, sure mate. Innit yer gonna harp me bout smoking spite the warning signs? Thought ya were the boyscout type round 'ere?" Wisdom was eying Summers, wondering if he'd been told wrong. Scott just shook his head, then shrugged.
"Few months ago, I would've. Now though, it doesn't really matter does it? A few months ago, I'd have been against someone like you coming to the School, you and Betsy both. You're like Logan, you've both crossed the lines of what's acceptable. You were doing it for the right reasons, at least."
"Reasons innit always wot they're made out to be, Summers. Right or wrong, a dead body, still a dead body, and innit a lot anyone gonna do fer 'em once their dead." Unlike LeBeau, Wisdom didn't go out of his way to blow smoke away from people. If anything, he tended to blow it towards people.
"Maybe so, Wisdom, but you're here for the time being. You going to make the whole time miserable on yourself and everyone around you?"
Pete actually cracked a grin at that. "Bloody right, if'n yer read me bio, yer know that's wot I do best. Done with me fag, I am. Enjoy playing with yer wrench all by yer lonesome, Cap'n." Wisdom flicked a salute, with one finger, to Scott and walked out humming a tune to himself. Scott thought it was 'I fought the Law'.
"So whatcha t'ink, Stormy?"
"I think the view was better before you put a shirt on." Ororo demurred at him from where she was pulling her shoes on at the corner of the bed, eying Remy where he stood at the window looking out over the mansion grounds.
"Meant bout Wisdom an Bets, 'Ro."
"Well, Elizabeth seems to be a bit wilder then I remember, but otherwise she'll fit right in. I just worry about the male students getting the wrong idea from the way she dresses. Then, you already have given them the wrong ideas about just about everything, so I don't think she could be considered a bad influence compared to you Remy."
"Oh, dat flattering, Stormy. Just remember dat you be de one dat got me t'stick around and be a corrupter of de innocent. What about Petey?"
"He's an odious little man. He hardly acts like he's alive at all, and all he has is nasty words for everyone. I don't believe he knows how to bathe properly either, that or he never washes his clothes." Ororo gave a displeased look, since both cases were horrible.
Remy just shrugged. "Oh, he know how t'do both. It's dat jacket of his dat smell. He had dat jacket for years now, an he don't take care o it de way dat I do mine. But ya right, he's a prick. Why ya t'ink I be so surprised when Charlie show us dat file dat he was coming here? Petey be a spy, not a teacher. He ain' even an X-type, chere. Wisdom.. ya saw what he do to dat Ape guy of Sinisters. Now, dey just clones like alla Sinister's bad guys, but ya saw what Petey did. Melted his face clear off, chere. Ain't de kind of t'ing an X-man does."
"He's not here to join the X-men, Remy. He's willing to offer a hand as a teacher, or to protect the students, but he laughed at the Professor when he suggested he join the team in the first place." Storm looked both pleased and displeased at this.
"Well, least dat leaves someone to stick wit' de Prof when we go on missions, eh? Means Scottie can be active again." Remy couldn't hide his grin. He was getting sick of Scott 'borrowing' some of his booze collection a couple of nights a week. If it didn't stop soon, he was going to have to have words with Scott.
X-men, to the War Room immediately. We have a situation. The telepathic sending from Charles was strong and urgent, leaving both Gambit and Storm running for elevator.
Author's note: Been a while since I updated, and this chap was a bit of a lurch, just to let me brush the rust off my pen and re-familiarize myself with the characters and the story. More to come!