GI Joe/Marvel universe crossover.
I don't own Marvel or Hasbro.
Silence
Chapter 21: How to Play Well with Others
Time: 10:27 local time, Tuesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
"Beach! Watch your back!"
Lifeline' voice rang across the battlefield, bringing Wayne Sneeden's attention to a robot that had appeared behind him. The ranger moved out of the way to avoid being struck by a plasma discharge. He sent a blast of telekinesis at the machine and threw it against the back wall. The ranger swore slightly as two more robots materialized in front of him.
"Ain't too much for you, is it homme?" A Cajun voice called out. The ranger scowled at the red eyed man nimbly dodging between robots. The other mutant pulled a couple of cards out, energized them, and threw them at the two robots attacking the ranger. Bits of scattered metal flew everywhere as the cards detonated.
"Dat's how you do it!" Remy LeBeau gloated.
"Suck it Gambit!" Beach Head snarled, "Ah had them!" The Cajun retorted with something in French, which the ranger didn't understand. Wayne pointedly ignored the man and watched as Lifeline easily smashed up several robots. The ranger ducked as several more machines materialized and shot at him. Two of the robots blew up with another telekinetic blast and Beach Head threw the third across the room. The things were nasty. They were faster, stronger, and more agile than Cobra's B.A.T.s.
Beach Head levitated a couple of robots and threw them at a small group of their friends.
Damn it. He was starting to get a headache from using his powers continuously like this. Unfortunately, that was the whole purpose of this training session. Professor Xavier hadn't allowed him to bring any weapons into the X-Men's Danger Room.
Sergeant Major Wayne Sneeden had been a student at the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning for a grand total of four days so far. This was Edwin Steen's second day. Since then, he'd been training non-stop, even when the professor told him to take a break. Beach Head had begun to slowly gain more control over his powers, but the X-Men's leader still refused to remove the remaining mental blocks until the ranger gained more mastery with his current level.
Beach Head looked down in surprise when the ground began to move. The section of the Danger Room floor underneath of him shot up towards the ceiling and the ranger jumped off before it could hit. As he landed, a holographic robot hit him in the back and sent the ranger sprawling. An X-Man named Rogue swooped down and grabbed the machine.
"Ah got him Sugah," she told him. Rogue threw it across the room. The inside of the battle simulator shimmered slightly as it created a different holographic environment. Wayne now found himself standing with Gambit on top of a large platform. Turbulent water swirled below them.
New robots appeared, only the new batch was faster than the previous ones. Beach Head attempted to block the barrage of fire. He managed to push a few off the platform while Gambit threw a few charged cards and blew up most of the rest.
A stray weapon discharge caught the ranger in the chest and sent him flying. He managed not to fall off the platform. However, one of the robots landed on him and struck him hard in the face. Beach Head pushed it off with a mental burst and sat up with a groan. Four machines landed in front of him.
Damn it all to…
They suddenly blew up in front of him. The ranger scowled as a smirking Cajun made a show of wiping his hands.
"Child's play, non?" he asked. Beach Head snarled as the man casually threw several more cards and easily dispatched the rest of the robots attacking the two of them. Gambit thought this was a game, did he? The ranger was willing to bet good money that the Cajun wouldn't last long in one of his PT runs.
"Halt simulation," a voice called out.
"Simulation halted," the Danger Room's female voice replied. Beach Head looked up at the control booth situated over the simulator. He could just make out Charles Xavier and Scott Summers on the other side of it.
"I think that will be enough for today," Charles Xavier said over the comm system. "I'd like for Rogue and Lifeline to continue training with a different simulation. Gambit, you're welcome to stay if you wish."
"But…" Wayne started.
"Your powers still need training before you can use them at a more advanced level," the professor told him. "I'd like you to take a break and then train with Jean later this afternoon." Beach Head scowled a little bit as he stood up. He hadn't thought that the Danger Room would be this difficult and from the way Gambit and Rogue were acting, it was currently set at one of the easier levels.
"Yes sir," the ranger replied. He didn't like not being the best. It didn't help that a certain Cajun had continually mocked him throughout the training session. Remy LeBeau had been a thorn in his side ever since they'd met. Wayne was pretty sure that Spirit must have gotten his vision wrong. There was no way in hell he was going to become friends with that pogue. The man was a thief, he was wild, he had absolutely no discipline, and he was downright irritating.
"Don't worry homme," Gambit said. "It ain't your fault dat your powers are kinda useless."
Okay, that was it. Beach Head whirled around, and before the man could react, planted a steel toed boot into his side. The ranger took great pleasure in kicking the Cajun off the platform. He considered letting him fall into the holographic water, but reached out and caught the man at the last minute with his mind. Gambit dangled upside down a few feet from the water.
"Useless, huh?" Beach Head drawled. Gambit swore in French and this time the ranger understood him. Years spent serving alongside Gung Ho had taught him the finer arts of French swearing, or at least of the Cajun variety. Even though the ranger couldn't pronounce most of the words, he at least knew what they meant.
"That will do," Professor Xavier told him telepathically. Beach Head sighed as he let the Cajun go. He was already having a hard enough time adjusting to how the X-Men operated. While there was some semblance to military order, it wasn't much. For the most part, the group was a civilian school as well as family. Wayne Sneeden didn't yet know how to deal with the different atmosphere, as well as with the teenagers running around the school.
"Yes sir," he repeated.
The ranger felt a bit embarrassed as he made his way out of the Danger Room. It was especially humiliating when Gambit stayed behind to train with Lifeline and Rogue. He wasn't even precisely sure when he and the Cajun had started to annoy each other. The X-Man had seemed nice enough at first, but his lackadaisical attitude as well his loud mouth had started to grate on the ranger's nerves. Even more disconcerting was the fact that Beach Head couldn't read the man's mind. Both he and Storm seemed to be immune to telepathic scans. Wayne couldn't even feel their emotions.
Beach Head took a long drink from his water bottle and made his way towards his room. He and Lifeline were sharing one of the spare bedrooms at the moment. The X-Men had offered to give each of them a separate room, but neither soldier saw the need to occupy an extra room. The school, although quite large, still had a limited capacity for living space.
He decided to take a slight detour. The ranger had already been given a tour of the school, but he still felt like exploring a bit. Beach Head was a bit fascinated by the high standards of the school, as well as by the mutant only student population. All of the children at the school were from various backgrounds, but were all disenfranchised because of their mutations. If it wasn't for Xavier, they wouldn't even have a chance to get an education.
Wayne Sneeden knew full well how important education was. Growing up in poverty, as well as a mutant, had taught him that. His classmates growing up had all expected him to amount to no more than a janitor at the most. Beach Head had worked hard, however, and made straight A's in all of his classes. Graduating as the class valedictorian had been the ultimate revenge for the years of bullying and disrespect he'd been forced to endure.
"So if we combine the hydrogen atom with…"
Dr. Hank McCoy's voice drifted out into the hallway. Beach Head paused and listened for a few minutes. The blue mutant was currently teaching a chemistry class. The students inside alternated between interest and boredom, understanding and confusion. Wayne remembered those days. He'd been one of the ones interested and paying attention.
What would it have been like to go to a school like this? Wayne had often pondered that question since he'd arrived. While he didn't have an answer to that, he did come to the conclusion that there needed to be more schools like the Xavier Institute. One school wasn't enough to address the educational and social concerns of the mutant community. Beach Head was well aware that most of the children in the school were living in the school dorms because they had no home to go to.
This was their home.
He wandered past several more classrooms. Jean Grey was in one classroom, lecturing about Greek history. An Irish brogue could faintly be heard behind another classroom door. The X-Man known as Banshee was teaching math.
Beach Head walked quietly down the hall and arrived at a staircase. He tried to ignore his growing restlessness as he walked up to the living quarters.
Wayne had no paperwork, no greenshirts to supervise, no PT to run, no misbehaving Joes to yell at…it was a bit like torture. Even with all the training he'd been doing, he still had quite a bit of free time. Beach Head honestly didn't know what to do with it. He'd tried compensating by finding things to do. Jean Gray had rolled her eyes when she'd caught the ranger trying to polish the school's door handles to shiny perfection. The X-Man had thanked him for his efforts and then had the gall to snatch the cloth and polish from his hands.
He'd been banished from his task with the instructions to 'relax.'
Wayne sighed as he finally walked into his and Ed's bedroom. He stretched his muscles and paced around the room. What the hell was he doing here anyway? Yes, he desperately needed the training, but Beach Head didn't really feel like he fit in with the X-Men. He wasn't even sure how to, or if he even wanted to.
He'd tried to determine some sort of command structure. Professor Xavier was obviously in charge, followed by Scott Summers, Jean Grey, and Ororo Munroe. The ones who'd been X-Men the longest seemed to have a bit of seniority, but not much. In the X-Mansion, neither Wayne's military rank nor his ranger background gave him an automatic spot in social environment. He felt a drift with the lack of structure and Wayne wasn't really sure how he was supposed to fit in.
His cell phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. The ranger looked down at it curiously. He was even more intrigued when he saw the number, which had only recently been added.
"Tony?" he asked, surprised by the phone call.
"Hey Wayne!" Tony Stark said cheerfully. "How're things going?"
"I just got my butt kicked by the Danger Room and I'm trying not to kill Gambit," Beach Head drawled irately. The man on the other end laughed.
"Everyone tries not to kill Gambit at some point," Tony laughed. "It impossible, non?" he asked, trying and failing to imitate a Cajun accent. Beach Head felt his lips twitch slightly.
"That was horrible," The ranger told him.
"Sue me," the Avenger replied. "It's not my fault I wasn't born in a swamp."
"Gambit belongs in a swamp," Beach Head said sourly. "Or the zoo." The other man chuckled slightly.
"Okay, I understand you're not exactly a people person," Tony Stark said. "And I know that Gambit's a…"
"Pain in the ass," the ranger supplied.
"You called me a pain in the ass," the Avenger pointed out. "You call just about everyone a pain in the ass."
"Yeah, but…" Beach Head protested. "He's got no discipline, he's not respectful, and…and he's annoying as hell!"
"Okay, so you're not getting along," Tony said. "Forget about Gambit for a moment, how're you and Lifeline getting along with everyone else?"
Wayne hesitated a moment before answering honestly. Tony was a civilian, but he interacted enough with the military to understand the differences. Beach Head finally admitted to feeling out of place. He somewhat suspected that Tony had guessed it would happen and had called for that reason. The man was remarkably good at reading people. Besides, Wayne felt like venting a little bit and the other man was apparently willing to listen.
"Not much you can do about it," Tony told him when he was done. "The X-Men are good people though. You'll find a place there. Both you and Ed will." Beach Head snorted in reply, not as confident as the other man that it would happen.
"I'm serious Wayne," the other man said. "If Wolverine was able to make a place for himself there, then you guys can."
"I'm tired of hearing about Wolverine," Beach Head growled. There was brief silence and he realized that his new friend didn't understand.
"I'm always being compared to him," the ranger explained. "People keep having to point out how similar they think we are. I've only met the guy once." There was a pause before the irritated ranger added, "And Rogue and Gambit keep calling me 'Wolvie Jr.'"
It was infuriating him to no end. So he wasn't 'Mr. Popularity,' fine. That didn't mean that people had to constantly point out that if 'Wolverine could do it,' if 'Wolverine made friends'…he was sick of it.
"I'm sorry," Tony apologized. "I wasn't trying to compare you to him. It's true that you guys are both stubborn with a bit of a temper…and ornery…and..."
"Tony," Beach Head growled. The other man wasn't helping.
"The point is, even if you guys are similar in some ways, you're totally different in others," the Avenger said. "Try not to let it bother you."
The ranger sighed. Tony was right of course, but that didn't make it any easier. He swore, the next time Gambit said 'Wolvie Jr,' he was going to punch the Cajun in the face. Beach Head mentioned it out loud, which caused another chuckle.
"Just try not to get into too much trouble," Tony said. "I mean…you haven't already, have you?" Beach Head glared slightly as he answered 'no.' Then after a moment, he reluctantly told the Avenger that he did actually get into trouble for trying to polish the door handles. The ranger was rather annoyed that he'd been caught, although considering it was by one of the most powerful mutants on the planet, it was probably to be expected. Jean Grey should have been grateful though. After all, he had been trying to do something productive.
"You were polishing the door handles?" Tony laughed. "Good God Wayne…you're on vacation! Relax a little."
"I can't," Beach Head emphasized. "Ah…" he trailed off. He relaxed by cleaning guns and going for runs. Wayne couldn't just sit idle with nothing to do. "I don't know how to relax here," he admitted. Everything about the place was driving him crazy. The lessons and training sessions were fine. It was the rest of the time that made him want to tear his hair out.
"And there's teenagers," the ranger added a moment later. "Everywhere." He was answered be a snicker.
"Well you are at a school," the Avenger replied dryly. Beach Head grumbled slightly under his breath.
"Look Wayne," Tony Stark said after a moment. "I know it's hard right now, but that's what makes it a challenge, right? Don't tell me you're going to back down from a challenge just because you don't like it."
Beach Head froze a moment. Damn it, why did the other man have to phrase it like that? He was fully content with complaining about the X-Men's lack of discipline, as well as about the walking aneurism known as Remy LeBeau.
"I'm not going to back down," he replied stiffly.
"Good," Tony replied. "The next time I talk to you, I fully expect a report detailing how you've managed to get at least half of the X-Men to do PT." Wayne felt himself smirk for the first time since the conversation started.
"Half?" Beach Head drawled. "Ah'll get all of them." Tony laughed again.
"I've got to get going," the Avenger finally said. "I'm actually back in California at the moment so I can take care of some company business. I'm going back to the Pit tomorrow."
"Okay," Beach Head replied. "Ah'll talk to you later." He hesitated a moment. The ranger debated whether or not to say what was on his mind. After a moment, he gave in.
"Uh…Tony…thanks for calling," Wayne said awkwardly. Tony had been a good friend so far, even if they hadn't known each other very long.
"Hey, no problem," Tony said. "I wanted to check up on you. Tell Ed I said hi." Beach Head told him that he would. There was a click as the line went dead. He stared at the phone for a while before looking at the door. Wayne was surprised to find that talking with Tony had improved his mood a bit.
The ranger stripped off his sweaty fatigues. He nearly put on a new pair, but after a moment of thought, he dressed in simple civilian attire. The green button down shirt and jeans felt odd to wear. He neatly tucked the shirt in and put a sturdy, brown belt on. With fresh resolve, Sergeant Major Wayne Sneeden walked out of the room.
If the X-Men lacked discipline, then it was up to him to remedy it.
Time: 11:45 local time, Tuesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
Lifeline sighed as the Danger Room's simulation finally ended. He hadn't liked being forced to remain training while Beach Head had been told to leave. Edwin could tell that his friend had been embarrassed and frustrated.
Even worse, Professor Xavier had changed the level of the training seminar, including adding the holographic images of people. The medic had balked at fighting them, which had produced a stern rebuke from the professor.
"Your ideals are admirable," the professor had told him. "And I wish we lived in a world where you could realistically live them out, but we don't. You are here to learn how to use your abilities and that includes using them for possible combat."
Lifeline had responded by pointing out that he'd managed just fine in a military unit. Neither Charles Xavier nor the two X-Men present in the Danger Room had been too impressed with his argument.
The medic had finally, with great reluctance, done what the professor had wanted. Edwin had rationalized it by telling himself that the holographic constructs weren't real people, so it was fine. However, his own stubbornness had prevented him from actively using his powers as a combat tool when he could manage it. He'd instead tried finding ways to incapacitate his opponents in ways that followed aikido principles.
When he'd had to fight someone called the Juggernaut, Lifeline had defended himself, but had refused to lay a hand on him. Rogue had given the medic an annoyed look as she proceeded to pummel the hologram.
"Some soldier you are," she'd pointed out afterwards. "Ah'd hate to have to depend on you to back me up."
"Chere's right," Gambit had said. "You're no good in a fight. You're really going to stand around while people are getting hurt?"
"I'm a medic and a noncombatant," Lifeline had responded stiffly. He'd tried hard to keep the anger out of his voice. "I'll defend people and treat their wounds, but I won't intentionally try to hurt someone."
"Fer Gawd's sake," Rogue groaned. "Yer still helpin' with ah fight. Even if yew don't punch someone directly, you're still helping someone else to do it!"
Lifeline looked over his shoulder as Rogue and Gambit stood together on the opposite end of the Danger Room. They spoke in low voices, but the medic still clearly heard them.
"First de grumpy bear 'n now a damned pacifist," Gambit complained. "Remy don't even know what he's done to piss ole Beach Face off. It ain't my fault he can't get a long wit 'a bunch of undisciplined civvies.'"
Edwin sighed. He didn't want to hear any more of it and right now, he didn't even feel like talking with Professor Xavier about the training. The medic exited the battle simulator with a flash of superspeed. He was standing outside an instant later.
Suddenly feeling very restless, Lifeline floated up into the sky and decided that he needed some fresh air. He flew around for nearly twenty minutes as he explored the countryside. The sun and the wind in his face felt refreshing. Even though Edwin had mixed feelings about his other powers, the ability to fly was one that he wouldn't willingly give up.
With great reluctance, he eventually turned back towards the school. He landed on top of the mansion and sat for a while. Edwin could hear several classes in session. Elsewhere inside the school, he could hear Charles Xavier, Ororo Munroe, and Scott Summers discussing their newest trainees.
"They're both hot headed," Scott Summers pointed out. "Beach Head won't work with anyone and Lifeline barely wants to work. He just left the simulator and didn't even bother to talk to anyone."
"He was upset," Professor Xavier said calmly. "This is a struggle for both of them. Beach Head and Lifeline are both accustomed to working inside a military environment. Wayne, however, is having a harder time adjusting to us."
"But that's the thing I don't understand," Cyclops said. "Lifeline is a soldier. I don't get how he can be so stubborn about fighting people."
"He has his ideals and is willing to stand by them," Storm finally said. "That is an admirable trait in anyone. We should not be so quick to condemn someone just because we don't agree with his beliefs."
"I'm not condemning…" Scott Summers sighed. "Look, I'm glad he thinks that highly of other people that he doesn't want to hurt them…"
"Then I suppose he'll just have to find ways to use his powers that are acceptable to him," the professor said, this time his voice was laced with amusement. Lifeline had the sudden uneasy realization that the man knew he was eavesdropping.
"And Beach Head?" Cyclops asked.
"Even with the problems he is having, he hasn't been shirking his training," Charles Xavier said. "In fact of all the students I have ever trained, he is the hardest worker. He's wants to learn."
Lifeline hopped off the mansion and attempted to distance himself from the conversation. He didn't like eavesdropping anyway, especially when he'd been discovered. The medic sighed and wandered aimlessly outside around the school grounds.
Edwin paused for a moment in curiosity when he spotted a figure up again. A heavily built man was sitting under a grove of trees. An artist's easel was set up in front of him. Lifeline watched for a few minutes as the other man carefully painted a garden scene. He recognized the mutant as Colossus, whom he'd briefly been introduced to. The medic considered going up to say hello and make small talk, but decided against it. Lifeline really didn't want to bother the Russian, especially since he was so engrossed in his painting.
The sound of giggling drew his attention. Lifeline glanced to his right and noticed a couple of teenaged girls watching from a second story window. They giggled again when they saw him looking at them. The medic rolled his eyes as he kept walking.
"I heard he's stronger than Rogue," one of the girls whispered.
"Cool," the other one said. "And he's even got a nice butt."
Of for the love of God. Edwin felt his cheeks blush as floated up into the air and out of the girls' sight. He heard them sigh when he left. Lifeline floated for a few seconds and debated what he should do.
The medic finally decided to seek out Henry McCoy. He'd gotten along so far with the furry, blue mutant. Lifeline had also heard that he'd been studying the Legacy virus. Edwin had taken notes about the infected mutants he'd examined in South America, as well as some tissue samples. Since he had nothing better to do at the moment, the medic figured that he might as well try to do something useful.
Edwin floated down and walked back inside the school. He tracked down the scientist, who had just finished teaching a class. The Beast greeted him with a smile and invited the doctor to join him for lunch. Lifeline felt somewhat relieved that there was at least one X-Man he could get along with.
Time: 14:23 local time, Tuesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
Ororo Munroe glided gracefully into the mansion's vast library. A few students were scattered throughout out it. Her eyes paused on the solitary figure sitting at the opposite end of the large room. Beach Head sat alone at a table, with an open book in front of him. Storm considered the soldier for a moment before walking over to join him.
"May I sit here?" she asked him politely. Wayne Sneeden gave her a surprised look before nodding his head. Storm sat down across from him and laid a stack of papers and several books down.
"Um…" the ranger had an awkward look on his face. Storm gave him a professional smile. He was obviously uncomfortable, so she carefully considered her words before she spoke.
"If you wish, I can work elsewhere," she told him. "However, as you're training here as a student, that automatically makes us teammates," Ororo pointed out. "And if a crisis should arise that warrants your help, either Cyclops or I would be your commander in the field. I should like to get to know you better."
The man relaxed at that. Storm took note and decided to keep her interactions with him at a friendly, professional level for now.
"That makes sense," Beach Head admitted. Storm opened a notebook and took out a pen. She still needed to finish her lesson plans for the rest of the week.
"I'm sure that Professor Xavier and Jean have already explained many things to you," Ororo told him. "However, if you have any questions about anything, please feel free to ask me."
"I will," the ranger replied. He paused a moment before adding, "Thank you." Storm nodded and began to work on a lesson plan. The man went back to reading his book. Ororo noticed that he was taking occasional notes as he read. She watched out of the corner of eyes as he carefully wrote something into a notebook. Storm hid a small smile. The ranger wrote in the small, neat script of an academic. His handwriting was very close to how Hank McCoy wrote.
"Have you found our library adequate?" she asked. Storm looked up at him. "You seemed to have found something interesting." Beach Head shrugged in reply.
"It's a book about ancient Greek warfare," the ranger replied respectfully. "I write things down that I want to remember. There's nothing else for me to do when I'm not training. I might as well make use of the library."
Storm studied him for a moment. She didn't know much about the man, other than that he was a ranger and in GI Joe. Ororo didn't recall that he'd ever attended college. She also wasn't sure what kind of training he'd had in the military. Judging from what the professor had said, however, Beach Head was a very intelligent and very observant individual. It didn't surprise her that he would self-educate himself during his free time.
"What…are you working on?" he asked hesitantly. The ranger seemed to be making an effort to take part in the conversation, which Ororo took as a good sign.
"I teach English and American history," she answered. "I'm working on lesson plans at the moment. After I'm finished, I have papers that I need to grade." The ranger seemed slightly interested after she'd said that.
"What area of American history are you teaching now?" he asked.
"We are currently covering the Great Depression," Storm answered. "My students were instructed to write an essay about one aspect of the New Deal. I have yet to grade them." She indicated a small stack of papers. Beach Head gave them a curious look.
"You may look at them if you wish," she said. The ranger reached over and plucked an essay from the pile. He scanned it for a moment before scowling slightly.
"This essay doesn't even have a thesis in the introduction and there are only two sentences in the conclusion," Wayne Sneeden criticized. "And there're grammar mistakes." Ororo resisted raising an eyebrow as she studied the ranger.
"Would you please show me?" she asked. The ranger gave her a confused look.
"Why?" he asked. "You're the teacher. Can't you see them?"
"Yes," she answered matter of factly. "I only wish to see how you would grade the paper, if you were the teacher." Beach Head looked surprised for a moment before shrugging. He put the essay down and began to go through it with her, pointing out all of the grammar mistakes, as well as problems with the student's research.
"The content's not bad," the ranger said. The essay in question had focused on racism within the New Deal. "He's right about minorities being pushed out of jobs by unemployed whites. But FDR couldn't put any guarantees into the New Deal to protect minority workers against racism. If he would have, it wouldn't have passed Congress. It wasn't morally right, but I think he probably did the most he could do politically. Eleanor handled most of the civil rights issues since he couldn't."
Ororo Munroe raised an eyebrow. The man knew his history. There was a lot more to Beach Head than he let on.
"So how would you grade this paper?" she asked him. "Theoretically at least, if you were the teacher." The ranger stared thoughtfully down at the paper. Storm was pleased that she'd found a way to mentally engage him.
"Probably a 'B,' or a 'B minus'," he answered. "If the grammar was better, I'd have given it a B plus." Storm gave a satisfied nod. That was close to the grade she probably would have given it.
"Perhaps you wouldn't mind grading papers for me," she said. Ororo was curious to see what kinds of grades the ranger would give. She would of course go over the essays herself to double check them. Besides, Beach Head seemed to be bored.
"What?" Wayne Sneeden asked, completely caught off guard. "I'm not a damned teacher. I have no idea what to look for."
"On the contrary," Storm replied. "You have a natural eye for catching grammar and you seem to know the history of this period well." The ranger continued to protest and Ororo felt her lips quirk slightly.
"You said yourself that you had nothing to do," she reminded him dryly. Wayne Sneeden stared at her for a long moment.
"You're good," he muttered.
"I should be," she replied calmly. "As a teacher and as one of the X-Men's field commanders, I should be able to notice strengths and weaknesses…and be able to exploit them." Beach Head gave her a slightly admiring look before shaking his head.
"Ah suppose you're kind of my commander here, so Ah don't really have a choice, do Ah?" he asked ruefully. Storm smiled slightly as she pushed the stack of papers his way.
"Of course you do," she told him. "You don't have to help me at all. I can do them after I finish with the lesson plans." The ranger considered that for a moment.
"You're trying to guilt trip me," he said. "By making it sound like it gives you a lot more work if I don't help."
"Not precisely," Storm smiled. "But it would of course be helpful if you did accept this mission." Beach Head's lips twitched at the word 'mission.'
"Fine," the ranger replied. "What do I need to look for?"
I think you already have a good idea, Storm thought. She didn't voice it however. Instead, she explained that the essays were all required to use at least four sources. At least one of the four had to be a primary source. Wayne Sneeden nodded as he listened to her explain the requirements, as well as her grading standards.
Beach Head set to work on the essays. Storm quietly worked on her lesson planning until Jubilee suddenly rushed into the room.
"Storm! Angelo and Shawn TP'd the girls' dorms!" she complained. "And it stinks too!" Storm sighed as she gathered up her things and stood up. Beach Head chuckled under his breath.
"It's like they're junior greenshirts," he muttered. Storm didn't know what 'greenshirts' were, but the ranger didn't seem surprised by the prank. If anything, he seemed somewhat amused.
"If you'll excuse me," Storm told him. "I need to go discipline a few rowdy students."
The ranger nodded at her. Ororo Munroe followed Jubilee out of the library and walked swiftly towards the students' dormitory. Once she arrived, order was quickly restored and punishments were swiftly meted out. Two very unhappy teenaged boys spent the next two hours cleaning up their mess.
Time: 15:11 local time, Tuesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
"What're you doing?"
Beach Head looked up from a particularly atrocious essay about Eleanor Roosevelt to see Lifeline curiously watching him. The grammar was horrendous and the student had gotten all of his facts from only two sources, one which of course had to be Wikipedia. The ranger shook his head as he neatly wrote 'Wikipedia is not a valid source. Next time, try looking in the school library.' at the bottom of the paper.
"I got suckered into grading papers," Wayne scowled after he finished writing. "Storm's making me." Edwin snickered and sat down next to the grumpy ranger. Beach Head pushed a pile of unread papers to the left to give him some room.
"How'd your day go?" Beach Head asked. The medic shrugged.
"Had my pacifism questioned, talked with Beast about the Legacy virus …got ogled by some teenaged girls…speaking of which…" Lifeline nodded his head towards the opposite end of the library. Beach Head looked to see a small group of teenagers, mostly girls, standing around and gossiping. They were giggling and were glancing every so often at the two Joes.
"Great," Beach Head muttered.
"It gets better," Lifeline grinned. "You should hear what they're saying." The ranger was going to reply that he wasn't interested in what the little pogues were talking about, but curiosity got the better of him. He reached into the Edwin's mind and 'listened' through his ears.
"…the shorter guy is cute…"
"He's not as hot as the other guy," a different teenager said. Beach Head felt his face redden. It was bad enough to listen to a conversation like that…it was even worse coming from a couple of girls who probably weren't even seventeen.
"They must be new teachers," a boy said. Some of the girls disagreed, but the teenager persisted. "Dude…they're totally teachers."
"I don't know," another girl said. "They could just be training here."
"They're training with the X-Men," the boy persisted. "And all of the X-Men teach, even just as subs. Even Wolverine teaches."
"Phys Ed's been great without him," a different boy said. "I hate doing the mile laps he makes us do."
"Professor Logan's not that bad," another teenager said. "And I still don't think those guys are teachers."
Edwin started chuckling softly under his breath. Beach Head knew that he had a strange look on his own face, judging from the medic's mind. The ranger was suddenly very conscious of the history papers sitting in front of him.
"What'd you think they teach?" a girl asked. "Or will teach?"
"Go ask them," a teenager urged.
"I'm not asking them, you ask them!" she replied. A snort escaped Lifeline's mouth. Beach Head could tell that he was trying as hard as he could not to laugh. The ranger didn't really see what was so funny. He was getting annoyed, a bit embarrassed, and maybe it was slightly amusing, but still…
"I think one of them's grading some papers," a girl said. "The hot one in the green shirt." Beach Head groaned slightly, as he was the one wearing the green shirt grading damned high school papers. He scowled down at the red pen in his hand. Lifeline's shoulders began to shake as he laughed silently, or almost silently. The ranger easily felt the man's amusement.
"Really?" one of the boys said. "Maybe he is a teacher…"
"Ah ain't a damned teacher!" Beach Head bellowed, turning around in his seat to glare across the library. The group of students jumped and stared wide eyed at the two Joes. Lifeline slapped his face, but still continued to chuckle under his breath. This of course didn't help the ranger's growing irritation.
"Oh yeah?" One of the girls countered boldly. "Then why're you grading papers?" Beach Head scowled at the teenager. She squeaked slightly, but refused to back down.
"Ah'm…" Beach Head paused. The girl did have a point. "Ah'm doin' a favor for Storm…now scram and stop oglin' us!" he barked. "We're above your age limit anyway!" The group of teenagers quickly scattered. Lifeline finally couldn't hold his amusement in any more. He began to laugh hard and tears started to form in his eyes.
"Laugh it up you danged medic," Wayne growled. "It ain't funny."
"Course not…" Edwin managed between laughs. He paused a moment and tried to collect himself. "Professor Beach Head…" Lifeline couldn't help adding. The medic broke into laughter again and Wayne sighed.
The two men sat for a while and talked quietly, at least after Lifeline got over his laughing fit. Beach Head glared down at one of the essays. This one by far had the worst grammar. He sighed again as he soon covered the paper with red ink. Whoever Sarai Demsky was, she was going to be a sad girl when she got her paper back. While Wayne wasn't experienced enough to really be able to tell the difference between middle school and high school level English, he was fairly certain that the essay failed to meet even fifth or sixth grade requirements. It was certainly not sophomore level English. That much he did recall from his own school days.
"A lot of kids are going to be crying when they get their papers back," Edwin observed dryly. Beach Head shrugged. If they wanted to do well in school, then they should produce better essays. Besides, not all of the essays were horrible. Quite a few were decent or even good for their grade level.
"Storm will probably go over them anyway before she hands them back," Wayne said. "I don't really know why she's even making me do this, other than to give me something to do."
"Good practice?" a new voice asked. Dr. Hank McCoy smiled down at the two Joes before asking if he could have a seat. Both men motioned towards an empty chair.
"Practice?" Beach Head asked. The scientist shrugged as he peered down at the marked up papers.
"Hmm…" the Beast mused. "A bit on the harsh side…but you not only circled what was wrong, you also wrote how to correctly fix the errors."
"Of course I did," Wayne said, somewhat surprised. "How're they supposed to learn what they did wrong if they don't have any examples?" It was exactly like trying to teach his recruits a new maneuver. How could he, as a drill instructor, expect his greenshirts to do something right without showing them the correct way to fix their screw ups?
Hank McCoy smiled again as he pushed up the glasses that had slipped down his nose.
"You're a drill instructor, correct?" the Beast asked. Wayne nodded.
"Then your primary role is that of a teacher," the other man pointed out. "I imagine that Storm realized this and was testing the waters, so to speak."
"I train people how to kill, accomplish their missions, and come back home alive," Beach Head pointed out. "Not how to write an English sentence without tripping over yourself." Wayne reached over and picked up the essay by the Demsky girl. "And Ah swear, if this essay was a mine field, this girl would've been killed even before she made it to the second paragraph."
Lifeline snorted, apparently amused by the analogy. The Beast's eyes twinkled with hidden humor as well.
"Is that Sarai Demsky's paper?" he asked. Beach Head raised an eyebrow and nodded. Hank McCoy sighed as he took the essay and scanned it.
"She's one of our more troubled students," Hank said. "Her parents abandoned her at an orphanage when she was still a toddler. No one of course wanted to adopt a child with physical mutations like hers. She ended up on the street and grew up with a gang for a family. We found her about a year ago and brought her to the Xavier Institute, but…"
"But the kid's having problems," Lifeline said. Beast nodded.
"Many of the children that come here have emotional or psychological problems," Dr. McCoy told them. "We do the best we can to help them, but some like Ms. Demsky have many issues to work through. The Xavier Institute is the first real education she's ever had."
Wayne felt slightly guilty for the remarks he'd made about her. However, he still stood by what he'd written. The girl wouldn't learn if she was babied. None of the X-Men, especially Storm, seemed to be the type to pass a student if she couldn't meet the educational requirements.
"How is she even passing?" Beach Head asked.
"She has several tutors," Hank McCoy said. "However, she's a rather stubborn individual. Ms. Demsky is trying; however…she is still having problems with her school work, as well as dealing with her classmates. We may have to hold her back next year."
Beach Head took the girl's paper back from Hank McCoy and frowned slightly at it. He wasn't surprised anymore by the essay's atrocious writing. The kid, after all, hadn't had any structure or education growing up. What bothered him even more was that there were a lot more children growing up like her.
"Point her out to me sometime," he told Beast. Wayne really didn't know what he would do, or if he could even do anything. He wasn't a teacher or a counselor, he was a ranger. If Xavier or Storm couldn't do anything more than they already were, then he sure as hell couldn't do anything to help the little pogue. However, he did at least want to be able to put a face to the girl's name.
Henry McCoy smiled, pleased by the ranger's interest. The blue mutant reached into a pocket and pulled out two flash drives. He handed them to the GI Joe medic.
"This is some of the research I've done on the Legacy virus," Dr. McCoy said. "You'd expressed interest in learning more about it."
"Maybe Lifeline can help you," Beach Head suggested. He had full confidence in the medic's ability to contribute, even if he wasn't a world renowned geneticist.
"That would be greatly appreciated," Dr. McCoy said. "I would enjoy the company as well...from both of you."
Beach Head found himself liking the furry mutant. Henry McCoy was a highly intelligent, as well as kind, person. There was a certain humble eloquence to the man's voice that made you sit up and notice him.
"By the way…before I forget," Beast said, looking at Lifeline. "I leave for Muir Island on Thursday to collect Moira…Dr. MacTaggert's research," the furry mutant said. "Would you be willing to cover my biology classes on Thursday and Friday?" Lifeline looked stunned for a moment and Beach Head bit back a snicker.
"Um…sure…" the medic answered hesitantly. "I've never taught a high school class before though…" Hank waved him off, apparently confident in Edwin's ability to handle it. The other mutant seemed both pleased and relieved to find a substitute for his classes.
"Excellent," Beast answered. "Now I just need to get someone to cover my chemistry classes…perhaps I can get Peter to come in and do it," the mutant mused to himself. Lifeline and Beach Head looked at each other and shrugged, not sure who 'Peter' was.
"Ah…I'm sorry," Hank apologized, noticing their blank expressions. "Peter Parker. He's a friend of ours."
"Is he a mutant too?" Lifeline asked. The Beast shook his head.
"No, but he is a mutate," he answered. He hesitated a moment and Beach Head raised an eyebrow when he read the man's mind. Henry McCoy gave a small grin when he noticed, realizing that the ranger had read his thoughts.
"He's Spiderman," the scientist explained, mainly for Lifeline's benefit. "This information of course doesn't pass beyond the two of you."
"Of course," the two Joes answered. Beast nodded and stood up. He bid them farewell, gathered up the books he'd been carrying, and walked off. Beach Head turned to look at Lifeline and didn't bother to hide the large smirk on his face.
"Get it out of your system," Lifeline sighed, knowing full well what was coming.
"Of course…Professor Lifeline," Beach Head smirked. "It ain't so funny now…is it Professor Lifeline?" The medic groaned slightly.
"Shut up and finish grading your papers," Lifeline finally said.
"Of course, Professor…"
"Shut up Wayne!"
Time: 18:45 local time, Tuesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
Jean Grey took a sip of coffee as she thought about the school's two, newest students. She'd spent the last hour and a half helping a particularly ornery ranger develop his telekinetic abilities. He'd made significant improvements in the short time he'd been with the X-Men, but a lot of work still remained.
Wayne Sneeden was a good student. He tried until he got something right, no matter how long or hard he had to work at it. The ranger had begun to develop finer control and was able to manipulate his powers in smaller, but more difficult ways. Jean had created a psionic puzzle with her mind. It had taken Beach Head a while, but he had finally managed to deconstruct it one piece at a time.
"How'd it go?" her husband asked. Scott sat down next to her. She knew she was referring to the training session.
"Fine," Jean told him. "The professor is thinking about removing the remaining mental blocks in a few days. I'm going to start showing Beach Head how to create force fields." The ranger might not be powerful enough to create strong fields at the moment, but Jean felt that his abilities would increase enough after the blocks were removed, allowing him to do it more easily.
She also suspected that he was unconsciously using his powers to slightly enhance his physical stamina. Jean didn't think that the ranger would be too happy if that was true. He seemed to take great pride in the physical level he'd worked himself up to.
The sound of arguing drew both of their attention. A Cajun accent, mixed with the distinct sound of a pissed Alabama voice, drifted in from the hallway. Jean sighed as she felt Beach Head's irritation spike as he clashed with Gambit.
"Damn it," Cyclops swore. "I'm tired of listening to those two go at it."
He stomped out of the room to break up the fight. Jean shook her head as she continued to relax and drink her coffee. Beach Head was a very prickly person and Gambit was by no means innocent of antagonizing him.
Jean took a sip of coffee and flipped open her favorite novel. As long as Scott was taking care of the brewing battle, she was determined to get some reading done.
Time: 18:51 local time, Tuesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
Beach Head scowled at the Cajun standing in front of him. He wasn't sure what had started the argument this time, but Wayne was positive that it was all Gambit's fault. The X-Man had been mocking his performance in the Danger Room again after dinner and questioning what kind of physical training the Joes had. If the ranger had in all actuality started the argument by calling LeBeau an 'undisciplined wild card,' he chose to ignore it. After all, he felt that his criticism had been justified.
"What you got against Remy anyway?" the frustrated Cajun finally asked. "Mon Dieu, you're even worse dan Wolverine. He at least have a sense of humor."
"Ah got nothing against you," Beach Head growled. "It's not my fault that you're a stuck up, uncontrollable little…"
"Shut up, you ain't so great yourself!" the Cajun shot back. "You can't just waltz in here and start ordering people around like you own de place. Dis ain't de military, ours grincheux!" Beach Head growled in response. Spirit had definitely gotten his vision wrong. There was no way in hell he was going to even begin to like the man, let alone become friends with him.
"Course it ain't the military," Wayne drawled. "The girl scouts have more discipline."
The two men continued to argue like this and the confrontation gradually grew worse. Neither man was quite sure who threw the first punch, but the argument soon escalated into a fight. Beach Head noticed that the man was quite agile and quick on his feet. In fact, he was quite adept at using his feet.
The ranger swore as Gambit kicked him in the abdomen and then managed to knock his feet out from under him. Beach Head later learned that the Cajun was fully qualified in Savatte, otherwise known as French kickboxing. Beach Head was a ranger however and had trained with the likes of Snake Eyes and Scarlett. Gambit looked distinctly displeased as Wayne began to get the upper hand in the fight.
"ENOUGH!" A commanding voice rang out. Both men paused as an irritated Cyclops intervened. Beach Head let go of Gambit's body armor, but the Cajun couldn't resist getting a cheap shot in and smacking him in the head. The Cajun earned an instant rebuke from the X-Men's second in command.
"I don't know what caused this," Scott Summers said sternly. "And I don't care. If you two have a problem with each other, then find a way that doesn't involve fighting to solve it."
Both men stared at Cyclops as if he'd grown horns. Solve their differences in a way that didn't involve them trying to beat the other man's face into the ground?
"Dat's impossible," Gambit said. Beach Head agreed, but tried not to show that he actually agreed. He crossed his arms and glared stubbornly at Scott Summers.
"I don't care," Cyclops told them, clearly pissed with both of them. "I want both of you to shape up now. We're the X-Men, not a group of out of control school boys."
Scott Summers left the two men, who both glared after him. They looked at each other for a long time before Beach Head finally spoke.
"Ah don't like you LeBeau," the ranger finally said. "But Ah'm not going to cross Summers if Ah kin help it."
"Fine by me," Gambit replied. "Remy don't plan on becoming friends wit you anyway."
They glared irritably at each other, as if daring the other man to restart the fight.
"You play basketball?" the Cajun asked. Beach Head tried not to look too surprised by the strange question.
"Yeah…why?" he drawled. The other man shrugged nonchalantly.
"Cyke said we can't fight, so I figured I might as well beat your ass on the basketball court," Gambit explained. Beach Head growled and replied that there was no way in hell he was going to lose. The two men walked in silence out to one of the school's basketball courts. Both men stripped off their shirts. Beach Head studied the other man's body armor for a moment before smirking.
"Nice armor," he drawled. Gambit gave him a suspicious look.
"It's a nice, pink color," Beach Head explained.
"It ain't pink!" the Cajun retorted.
"Well, what the hell kind of color is it then, if it ain't pink?" Beach Head growled. There was a pause as the other man thought about it.
"It's magneta," he finally replied.
"Shut up Gambit, it's dang pink," Beach Head growled.
"Only cause I'm dat manly," came the cheeky response. Wayne Sneeden gave a frustrated sigh. The Cajun was so damned irritating.
Beach Head was even more pissed when he lost the basketball game, quite badly in fact. Remy LeBeau gloated as the ranger scowled darkly. He considered throwing a punch, but he didn't want to get into trouble with the X-Men again.
"Ah bet you wouldn't last ten minutes in my PT," the ranger finally growled.
"Yeah right," the Cajun responded. "You can barely handle the Danger Room and you stink at basketball."
"Oh yeah…" Beach Head drawled dangerously. "Prove it. Come running with me tomorrow morning. We'll go on a nice, ten mile run. That should warm us up for the day." Remy LeBeau gave a derogatory snort and agreed. The ranger smirked to himself. Gambit was going to be a Dead Cajun Walking the next morning, he'd make sure of it.
"Good," he finally told him. "Be up at four and we'll go." He continued to smirk as LeBeau's face fell slightly when he realized how early Beach Head wanted to go running.
"Four?" the Cajun asked. "Dat's crazy!"
"Fine," Beach Head shrugged. "Back out and prove that you can't handle it. Not my problem."
Remy LeBeau glared hotly at him as he turned and walked away. Beach Head was looking forward to the next day. Cyclops wouldn't let him pound on the smaller man, but that didn't mean he couldn't find other ways to break him. The ranger resolved that hell or high water, he was going to instill some discipline into the red eyed rogue known as Gambit.
Wayne hummed to himself as he walked back into the school.
Time: 04:00 local time, Wednesday
Location: the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning
Gambit was woken up at four in the morning by a loud knock on his door. He stared blurry eyed at the door, wondering if he'd really heard it or if it had been a dream. There was a knock again, followed by a grumpy bear telling him to get his ass out of bed. Remy swore as he remembered the stupid promise he'd made the night before.
He stuck his head under a pillow and willed the ranger to go away. Beach Head was having none of that however and barged into the room. The former thief always locked his door, but the other man seemed to have used his powers to unlock it. Gambit vowed to make his bedroom door ranger proof from now on.
"Go away!" Gambit yelled. His Cajun accent thickened in irritation. "Ah'm tryin' t'sleep! "
"Get out of bed LeBeau!" Beach Head barked. "We're going running. Lord knows you need some discipline anyway!"
"Remy ain't goin'! Non non non!"
The bed sheets were telekinetically ripped off the bed and a rough hand grabbed him around the ankle. Gambit twisted his torso and planted his other foot into the man's face. Remy LeBeau swore violently as the other man still managed to yank him out of bed. An instant later, the other mutant flipped him around with his powers and dangled him upside down in the air.
"Va te faire foutre!"Gambit shouted in French. The man's eyes narrowed into a hard glare.
"Ah should have known not to trust you," Beach Head growled. "You gave your word that you'd go running."
"Remy did, but not at four in the damn morning!" he hollered. The man was positively insane. No one in their right mind got up at this hour.
A soft knock drew their attention to the doorway. An unamused, silver haired goddess stood frowning at them. Gambit marveled at how even though she was dressed only in a robe at an ungodly hour of the morning, Storm was still capable of mustering a commanding presence.
"What is going on?" she asked, in a tone that clearly conveyed that both men had better straighten up. Beach Head immediately snapped to attention and let the Cajun go.
"Gambit promised to go running with me this morning ma'am," the ranger replied immediately. "It's not my fault he's trying to back out." Ororo's eyes turned on Gambit and the Cajun shifted uneasily. It figured that it had to be Storm that intervened. She was probably the only member of the X-Men fully capable of keeping him in line.
"I didn't know he meant at four, otherwise I wouldn't have agreed," Gambit explained. "And it's not Remy's fault dat he's a sore loser at basketball."
"If you don't think you can cut it, don't come…" Beach Head started to say. Storm cut him off and the ranger stood silently.
"I don't want another disturbance like this when people are trying to sleep," she told them. "Gambit, you promised him you'd do it and you're already awake now anyway." Beach Head looked positively smug as Ororo Munroe left. Remy glared at the man.
"Fine," he spat. "Now get out of here so I can change."
The ranger smirked in triumph as he went out into the hall. Gambit grumbled under his breath. Beach Face thought he'd won, but Remy didn't intend to make things easy for him. At least, that was what he told himself. Once they were actually outside and running down the road, Gambit discovered that the man was a stamina beast. Half way into the run, the Cajun started to get winded. However, his own stubbornness refused to let him show it.
Even so, it became apparent to Mr. Something Unpleasant Stuck Up His Ass that he was getting tired.
"Something wrong LeBeau?" the ranger mocked. "This is child's play, non?"
Gambit scowled through the rest of the ten mile run. When they finally arrived back at the mansion, he collapsed in his bed. Beach Head was going to be a Dead Alabamian Walking. At least once he dragged himself back out of bed.
He just had to wait for his muscles to stop hurting first.
Story notes:
Ours grincheux is French for grumpy bear, which is one of Gambit's current nicknames for Beach Head (other than Beach Face.)
"Va te faire foutre!" is "Go ** yourself"
A big thanks to Karama9 for helping me with the French in this story.