This chapter starts with a flashback and it's one of the cutest flashbacks to date.

Year One: Head in the Clouds

Four Years Ago - Foster House

Xavier wasn't sure why Apollo called him over. It could've been to hang out since that's always the case but when Xavier arrived at his house, Apollo wasn't even there. It was just his mother. Jane wasn't sure where Apollo went but he was out since this morning. She did let Xavier stick around till Apollo came home.

He waits for thirty minutes. Xavier hesitates on leaving and texting him later, but it's Apollo and it took him around an hour to get here. With his luck, he'd be halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge when Apollo called him back.

Finally, Apollo comes bursting through the door. Jane walks over to see the commotion and Xavier stands up as well.

"Dude!" Apollo exclaims to him. "I got my licence!"

Before Xavier could react, Apollo grabs him in one of those bro hugs that completely consume the other person. It doesn't help that Apollo is way, way stronger than him with his Asgardian genes. Regardless of suffocating, someone in their friend group got a licence! A driver's licence! Xavier's still working on his but now one exists for them to use (and likely exploit). They can finally drive around without relying on their parents. That means more freedom to go wherever and even a later curfew.

"Yes!" Xavier finally cheers once he's free. "Let's go!"

From behind the two boys, Jane's eyes widen. Sure, she's happy for her son but she only wished that someone else got their licence first. She taught Apollo how to drive and was there for some of his practice and, dear God, that boy did inherit something from her. Why couldn't it have been a greater love for academics? If only Xavier looked at her for a second so she could mouth take the bus.

-o-

Present Day - Sci-Tech Lecture Hall - 12:50 PM

"These online quizzes are so hard," a classmate complains.

James looks up from his phone to pay attention. He didn't find the quizzes that difficult. Sometimes, he scored a perfect. Others, he made a mistake and lost a fraction of a mark. Nothing worth spending another thirty minutes to redo and fix. But he thought everyone found them simple. There are a lot of people in this classroom that are smarter than him, but now he realizes they're not smart in the same ways as him.

It's his time to shine.

James stands up from his seat and sits next to his struggling classmate.

"How do you do the quizzes?" James asks.

"I flip through the book -"

"Like the actual physical copy?" James questions.

When the classmate nods, James pauses. There was a physical copy? People bought it. Sure, people have their preferences but James found life easier with his downloaded version. Mostly because there was nothing to carry. It helped that it was free.

"Okay…" James mutters. He points at his classmate's laptop. "May I?"

"Sure." He slides over the laptop.

James starts typing and downloads the online version of the textbook. When he opens the file, he turns the laptop to face his classmate and other people start to peer over.

"So you scroll to the chapter or section the quiz is on and know the page range," James starts, pointing along the screen as he talks. "Then you look at the question, find a keyword. Let's use isotope. Press control and F. This search bar we all know will appear. Type isotope and it will show you where it is in the whole book but just use the pages associated with the chapter."

Everyone around James is silent. They have the same stunned faces as when they found out Emily was engaged. Oh my god, are they going to worship him like her? How flattering. James's ego won't survive but thrive which is all that matters. He and Emily are too powerful for this school. That's why they couldn't attend the Academy together ... it would explode.

"You don't have the textbook?" Someone asks him.

"I have this online version and my roommate is the textbook," James responds. Look at him being a saviour. How did the others survive up to now without him?

James lets his classmates play with the online textbook as he heads back to his seat. When he sits down, he notices the girl next to him browsing through face masks. James peeks for a moment before going on his phone to search for some better ones. He dated a girl into skincare and all things dermatology and cosmetology so he absorbed that knowledge through osmosis when she would talk. He would consider himself an aesthetician. His skin is flawless. But when he finds the right store, he copies the link and airdrops it to her.

James watches the girl receive the notification. She stares at it for a few seconds, not accepting or rejecting it. When she turns to face him, she sees his stupid grin.

"Okay, the ones I sent you are more expensive," James starts. "But it'll be worth your money since you'll get the results you want faster."

She eyes him for a few seconds longer before accepting the link.

-o-

Operations' Aviation Training Wing - 13:24 PM

Today is (sort of) the day.

After obtaining their learner's permits to fly and trying out simulations, they got access to the aviation training wing. In front of them were quinjets. Everyone was amazed and the professor let them. Most of them have only seen these vehicles in news reports. Angela, Xavier, and Merida have seen them before and have even been in them, but the idea of being the pilot is mind-boggling. The concept of flying is still a big one to grasp.

From beside him, Xavier can feel Angela's nerves behind her smile. He remembers helping her practice driving because she was so neurotic behind the wheel. She couldn't understand why the other drivers wouldn't drive according to the rules. That's why their parents, mostly their dad, wouldn't let her drive until she had to get a licence. Xavier has memories of forcing her to pull over and refusing to let her continue driving until she calmed down. It's times like that when he misses Apollo's driving. Not really.

Even now, he would do most of the driving if they had to go somewhere. It's better that way. He would rather have her be a backseat driving and tell him that he's breaking so many rules over wanting to jump out of the passenger's seat every second.

"You can barely drive a car so should you handle something bigger that flies?" Xavier asks his sister.

Angela glares at him although she knows he's joking. "Maybe I would do better with more space and no neighbours."

"You're a flight risk for birds."

"They'll be smart enough to fly away."

"Pay attention to the classes on crash landing."

Angela mocks him. "It'll be a crash course."

Xavier cringes. "That's a bad one."

"As if you can do better."

"If you're next to me making those stupid jokes, I will crash the plane."

They laugh amongst themselves before the professor calls everyone's attention. They're all standing underneath a quinjet. Some eyes wander around since everything still feels so surreal.

"It's usually in the cockpit where you learn about your limits and liberation," he explains. "Soaring is mastered by those who practiced self-control and discipline. It's not meant for emotional, impulsiveness, carelessness."

Merida straightens, especially when she thinks the professor looked at her as he said that. She feels attacked. Sure, she's impulsive and careless but she isn't emotional. Fuck him. It's her emotions that lead her to be impulsive and careless.

"Impulsiveness is passion," the prof continues. "Carelessness is bold. Emotions are human."

That time, she's positive he looked at her.

-o-

Wakanda's Council Room - 14:32 PM

Imanu doesn't remember the last time he spoke. He's been in a meeting with The Tribal Council since this morning. If he was alone, he would've been obligated to say something. But he's grateful to be with Queen Ororo since she holds the entire room. Besides, Imanu feels like he'll say the wrong thing or worse, a stupid thing, in front of all the Elders of Wakanda's tribes.

He knows that he's here as a part of his training but he would rather be anywhere else (except learning to spar). At least Queen Ororo has a calm ambiance that puts him at ease.

When they get dismissed, Imanu has never been happier. His favourite part of the meeting was all the farewells. Goodbye!

"Imanu, my dear, they're taking it easy on you," Ororo tells him once they're alone in the room.

Imanu looks at her confused. He thought they forgot he was in the room. "They are?"

Ororo nods. "You are less of an outsider than I was."

Imanu can't argue with that. He remembers growing up hearing stories about Queen Ororo. She was known as the mysterious wind rider who arguably saved Wakanda by bringing their king home. Imanu never understood why some people still hold resentment towards her after all these years. She has a legacy, a story, a happy ending. He has nothing comparable.

"A good king doesn't matter how much power you have or fear you put towards others," Ororo tells him. "A good king is one with people who will follow him."

That control+F method is what everyone in my French class uses for the online quizzes. Use that information to save a life. (I swear, this is another chance of the things I write come true because I was cramming a French quiz before the due date - which was 50 minutes from when I started - and so that control+F for the two textbooks and many slideshows was my saviour).

There is also foreshadowing I didn't mean to write. Goddammit.