I took a vacation for a month, so that I rest from a very difficult semester of college. I am deeply sorry if you all were anticipating weekly updates over break. I am trying to do weekly updates but more than likely it will be biweekly. Enjoy reading! This chapter is a plot twisting crazy train. Please note new readers to understand this chapter fully please read Natalie Foster's chapter from X-Men: Restoration.

Disclaimer: Don't own X-Men and the OCs are owned by their respected owners.

X-Men: Retaliation

Chapter Four: The Art of Being Sneaky

"Not everyone has invisibility as their mutation but there are still ways to be invisible. Let me go into detail, you can sneak through a high security area without being detected. You have to be smart." Noah lectured to the class. He was a student himself at The Mutant Academy but he was a pro at sneaking about so the Professor wanted him to talk about his experiences. "You have to know the layout of the area before you even try to infiltrate it. You have got to be quick witted and quick on your feet also."

The students stared at him with dull, glazed eyes. They weren't taking in a word he said. "Alright, let's set a scenario since none of you are actually listening to me." He brought up some blueprints of The Institution on the computer; he drew on the digital notepad. "There are Sentinels here, here, here. How do you get past them? And that is only the beginning." Noah said to the class where they perked up a bit, listening with a bit more interest. Suddenly, someone walked in late to the class. Noah turned to see it was Fred. He had seen Fred around but never really talked to him. Fred looked a little frazzled from being late, stared at Noah for a second and was about to walk out of the classroom.

"Whoah, slow down this is Tech in the Field. I'm just guest lecturing. Take your seat." Noah said before he could go out the door. Fred sat, slouching in his chair. "Now, you tell me how you would go through these Sentinels undetected without your mutant abilities." He pointed to Fred.

"What me?" he asked dully, sitting up in his chair. Noah shook his head. Fred leaned forward drumming his fingers against the desk staring up at the diagram. "I would…go through the air vents." He answered. Noah smiled as everyone else in the class commented on his intelligent answer.

"Good answer…" he said as he paused then he continued, "But sadly it is wrong. You would call for back-up. I know it is silly to think that way but first of all, you have no idea if the air vent idea will work. You have no idea the size or capacity they could take. Sentinels also have x-ray vision so they would regardless see you in an instant. You need a distraction to sneak in undetected. Sentinels have a weak point and that is they become overwhelmed with enough fire power they don't see beneath them. You get someone to attack all three Sentinels and you sneak by undetected without going through vents and what not." The class was stunned at his solution.

"That is cheating. I mean you are still visible, you have to call in others…and they get to use their mutant powers not you." A girl piped up from the back of the class.

"I never said there were any other restrictions except that you couldn't use your powers. Think outside the box and all of the resources around. This exercise is for showing the importance of team work because what if you were injured and couldn't use your abilities? These are the steps to remember for good invisibility. First rule, don't go at it alone. Second, know your enemy. Third, no monkey business." Noah replied.

The students nodded agreeably. He smiled at them.

"Remember the people around you. Look at them and cherish the time you have with them. One day they maybe will save your life." Noah said. They gazed at each other unknowing of the future and how they would one day step up to the plate and fill the X-Men's shoes. Noah knew that when The Institution was on the rise none of his friends were ready, including him. He would make sure that everyone would be ready for anything to come their way. He was sure of it. "Now let's get on to how technology can apply to this situation and how we can make it even more difficult."

-The Professor's Office-

"Professor, I respect your school in all but my sister isn't ready. Please." Olivia begged. She was still dressed in her waitress uniform, bothered as can be. The Professor sensed her panic. He tried to search her mind. Olivia backed away. The Professor sensed a darker secret within the girl's mind.

"Olivia, I sense your distress." Professor Xavier replied. "Your sister has made a decision though and I think it would be best for her to stay here with us. We have the resources for her to control her gift and you can come here too alongside your sister."

Why was it so difficult? She had seen her sister's death. She couldn't prevent it any longer because it was inevitable. Her sister really does want to go here and she thought she could at least grant her sister's last wish. Olivia sighed deeply; her conflicted feelings were getting in the way of her own sanity. "Alright, but if anything happens please call me. Keep her as safe as possible. If it is the last thing you do Professor. Everyone's wellbeing depends on it," she said. She hugged Hope and walked out the door without even saying good-bye. She knew if she said good-bye she would doubt her decision to let her be free.

Olivia slowly walked out of the mansion and got in her car and drove away. She had tears rolling down her face all the way home. Once at the apartment, she quickly pulled out a drawer from her dresser, she gazed at the chest inside the cavity. She pulled it out and dusted it off. She breathed deeply in and clicked it open. The lid creaked, she rifled through some letters, old pictures.

Olivia stopped at one picture, she saw her parents with the both of them, her and Hope. She wiped away the tears. She dug all the way to the bottom and saw the unopened letter. She was always forbidden to open the envelope when she was little. Her mother had countless times told her not to open it unless they were already in the school.

Scrawled across the top of the envelope was written: ATTN: Charles Xavier, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She ripped it open without hesitation.

Dear Professor Charles Xavier,

I cannot express how much we have seen the school grow before and after The Institution. During our time there it was the greatest gift that anyone has ever given us. Our time there was short but so sweet. Thank you.

We survived. We are Trent and Grace Bamback. Ella never did kill us. Ella had us sent through time to a time where it was happier. Trent could speak now and he told me about how he had always had feeling for me. Truthfully, I had too. After a few years of wandering about together, we got married took on a false surname of Dawson. We were going to have a baby girl but Ella showed up alive and in the flesh. She was much older than the last time we saw her. She had a child with her only two or three years old. The little girl had her frizzy brown curls.

Ella felt so guilty about what she did. Ella had been searching for us for years through time, knowing that her life was mere breaths. Soon, she checked into a hospital because she was so weak. Ella was diagnosed with cancer, brain cancer. They operated immediately and removed what they could. Her time travelling abilities went away apparently the time travel was caused by the pressure on her brain and heightened her time manipulation. She fell in love with her doctor, Timothy Greendale. They were married and had a child named Olivia. Timothy, however, mysteriously vanished one night. Ella was left alone with her baby.

Ella told both of us all of this and more. She told us that our child, a baby girl would be part of a prophesy. She told us to name her Faith. Faith was the key to ending all mutant attacks in the future. Ella didn't know how or when it would happen. Ella told us to stay away from Xavier's until The Institution chaos passed so time could be set right again. She then gave her last breath and died from exhaustion and malnutrition. It was so sad. Trent and I took her baby girl and raised her as her own.

We had our baby girl and we raised both children, happily. We felt danger was lurking around every corner. If you are reading this Professor, we are dead. We protected Faith from others who had found out about the prophesy. We know that our daughter is going to do something great someday. We changed her name to Hope and we moved constantly but we returned here to raise her.

Keep them safe. Our daughter Olivia already knows this and has taken on the duty of protecting her after our death. If she comes to you with Hope please take care of the both of them.

Love,

Trent and Grace Dawson

Olivia bit down on her lip, crying. She trembled there, looking at the letter. She had always known that her sister was part of something greater. She even picked out the name Hope for her when her parents decided to change her name for her protection because she loved Hope Winters speeches about mutant integration. She had protected Hope growing up after her parents passed.

She stood, not wanting to think about the consequences of letting Hope go to an academy where unstable mutants were walking around. She herself was a mutant but she never let her sister know. That was the problem: Olivia couldn't go to The Mutant Academy unless she went into the mutant studies class there.

She got dressed in a casual outfit and grabbed all of things she needed, going out the door without turning around. Olivia sighed, dreaming of the chance when she could have lived a normal life. The date with Chase would have to wait, family always came first.

Okay people! Hopefully, you were not expecting this! I did drop a few hints. The family Noah sees at the end of X-Men: Restoration is indeed Trent and Grace Bamback (Dawson), and their daughters.

It is so sad about Olivia since she has such a conflicted family. Her mother died (who in the past tried to kill her current adopted parents) and her father vanished. She grew up knowing that her sister was special, that she was just a protector. Grace and Trent loved her like their own though.

RogueRecruit- Your welcome! I have big plans for Hope Dawson but also all of the other old OCs too.

Paperman0- I love the interplay too. I think Fred is going to be a great character in the rest of the story.

Pinkie Pie the Destroyer- Thank you for your encouraging and lovely comments. They encouraged me so much.