It may not look like it to you, but I put off writing this chapter and I honestly can't tell you why.

Year Three: Inner Monsters

Present Day - Common Lecture Room - 11:01 AM

"We live in a country of violence," Agent Iyu presents in another one of her Gift of Fear lectures. "It's a part of us and our species. Some of us are luckier than others to have had less exposure. The fear of violence at work is understandable because work is a place where many of us are forced to interact with people we didn't choose to have in our lives."

Merida wouldn't tell her SO this to her face, but she couldn't agree more. She glances at Angela who sits beside her. Merida can't read her friend's expression but that doesn't matter. Merida's glad Angela came to the Academy with her since she couldn't imagine being forced to room with someone random. Xavier was lucky to get someone as cool as Ashton. Knowing her luck, she would've been stuck with someone who'd make her want to jump out a window. Hell, Merida was forced to interact with Victoria.

"The worst any agent could do is betray their own, especially in battle. It's even worse than being a coward," Agent Iyu continues. Merida zones out for five seconds and now there's a sudden topic change. "You can call people monsters but think about this: violence is committed by people who look and act like people."

Merida tenses, slouching in her seat. She really hates this class. Angela notices, looking over and putting her hand on her arm, squeezing a little. Merida knows why. Their parents are nearly the same. Aside from being Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, they come from roots of being spies or even assassins; Merida's mom from the questionable origins. At least Angela and Xavier's parents grew up relatively normal and went through more conventional training (in essence). Now they're in a school training to become those because they're not equipped for anything else. She and the Rogers twins might be more alike than she ever thought.

Merida knows her psych eval would pick on that more so than Angela's. Why? Because Angela sits with perfect posture in class with an attentive smile while Merida slouches and wishes to be literally anywhere else.

-o-

Edison Residence - 14:26 PM

Daniel was having a fine morning until he awoke because he accidentally slept with his glasses on, which he can't remember or explain to save his life, but they broke. His only pair of glasses on his broke which means he can't see anything. Everything's blurry and he hates that this was the one day James wasn't sleeping in. Alone in his dorm, with classes he couldn't skip and work he could push off for another day. He has papers and a whole dissertation to finish.

Make a deal with the devil. His inner monster. If he uses his Hulk's eyes, which are bright green but have perfect vision, then he could get on with his day with a pair of sunglasses.

Amazing. Good plan. Just calling on his worst fear and greatest nightmare for help. He's never actively sought out his Hulk, purposely called on him in his mind to talk. Great plan. This is why Xavier's in charge.

He's never only worn his Hulk's eyes, which he liked to consider as bright green contacts, but boy, he never wants to do it again. Giving his Hulk a little access, even to do much as see, meant his Hulk was running actively in his mind. All the side comments and one-sided conversations making fun of him? Not worth seeing but he couldn't get rid of it because he had to see.

Yeah, fuck it. He'll have to endure with this.

Speaking of Xavier, thank god he stopped by his dorm.

"Dude, are you alright?" Xavier asks when Daniel lets him in. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Right when Daniel got some vision back, he put on dark sunglasses, the kind people wear to block out the light when they have concussions. Daniel isn't sure why he had a pair in his dorm, probably from James' sparring classes, but he's grateful people want to punch James so badly. (Merida included and especially Xavier). Despite being in his dorm for most of the day so far, he didn't want to catch his reflection and see himself with bright green eyes so the sunglasses helped a lot.

Daniel sighs, lifting the sunglasses for a second to show Xavier his green Hulk eyes. He has never seen Xavier's expression drop and pale so fast and it made his stomach drop and the Hulk laugh in his head.

"So, no," Xavier says, closing Daniel's door.

"I'm trying to work from my dorm but I can't concentrate in here. He keeps talking to me and I just start remembering things I've tried repressing for years. You know, the crap that'll get brought up at my psych eval?"

Xavier nods. That stuff. Every time he's ever transformed all the way and lost control.

"So, please distract me because I can't even write my dissertation without this - Hulk - calling it stupid," Daniel begs.

"Uh…" Xavier hesitates. "So did you get out of your field test yet?"

"No," Daniel states. Another thing he's working on.

"Are you, Dr. Daniel Banner, procrastinating?" Xavier grins a little.

Daniel doesn't repeat the expression mostly because his Hulk is having a field day in his mind and it hurts more than a concussion ever would. "I'm not proud. Care to tell me why since you brought it up?"

"You're afraid of rejection, being told you have to do your field test. It's a defence mechanism. You're protecting yourself without even trying."

Daniel pauses, even the Hulk is silent. He didn't think his psych eval came early and from Xavier Rogers, of all people. "… I didn't think you'd say that."

Xavier scoffs. "Please, the Academy has harnessed me, broken my soul, crushed my fragile ego, and obliterated all traces of my former personality - whatever that was, and now you have to make a deal with the devil to do so much as fucking see."

Daniel starts shaking. Tears start welling in his eyes and his Hulk's laugh at his building cry echoes in his brain, bouncing against his skull. Xavier doesn't notice due to the sunglasses until the tears stream down his face and he wipes them away.

"I'm sorry," Xavier says, "I didn't think -"

"No, no," Daniel whimpers. God, he sounds pathetic. "Please stay with me because he keeps talking to me and I need you to distract me. If anyone asks, I got a concussion from hitting my head which, honestly, could be true. My stupid glasses come in a week and I can't survive another minute."

Xavier doesn't hesitate or ask anything else. Daniel pieces together why. Since neither of them brought up Emily or his parents, Xavier knows Daniel didn't tell anyone. Besides, even if Daniel did, Xavier wouldn't just leave him to his own devices.

"Why didn't you already have a spare?" Xavier asks.

Daniel shrugs. "I didn't need it for the past three years so, no."

Xavier nods, taking a seat at Daniel's desk. "So, uh, what else is new with you?"

"Okay so you brought up my field test and I've actually thought of a way to getting out of it. I've succumbed to using Apollo's logic to getting out of doing my field test."

"God, you really hit your head, haven't you?"

"No, really ask yourself what would Apollo do in this scenario - put in a situation where he has no choice but to do what he's told when he doesn't want to go through with it."

Xavier pauses, turning a bit in Daniel's chair. "Do what he has to do without actually doing it. What are you thinking of using to get out of your field test?"

"My upcoming psych eval."

Xavier slowly nods approvingly, simmering into a laugh. "Oh, that's clever. Apollo would be proud of you."

Daniel nods but isn't as impressed since he mentioned Apollo's name and the Hulk started asking about him to make him sad, not because he was curious since he couldn't care less.

"Do you think that's why Apollo isn't back?" Daniel asks. "He's in some crap he's figuring out? Kinda like us but debatably worse?"

"Are you thinking that or the other guy?" Xavier questions.

" … let's go with the other guy."

Xavier sighs. "Daniel, fuck the other pair you ordered. I'm driving you home to get your spare."

Daniel smiles. " … that's a good idea. Apollo would've started with that."

-o-

"Are you worried about your psych eval?" Daniel asks as he and Xavier walk across campus to Xavier's car.

Xavier shrugs. "Not really. What are they going to ask me? My file doesn't mention Britney or football, my two character traits, apparently."

"You mean the two parts of your life that ended at the same time?"

Xavier stops walking and Daniel winces. He didn't think those words actually came out of his mouth but they did. God, now Xavier will be stuck in a moving vehicle going at top speed on the freeway with him like this.

"...the other guy said that," Daniel says.

Xavier rolls his eyes. "Sure he did."

"I'm sorry. You did mention that the Academy got rid of your former personality so it makes sense. Britney and football end as the Academy begins."

Xavier's expression drops even more as they continue walking. "But you're right."

"But you're right. They can't ask us shit that's not on our file, can they? Unless you bring it up?"

"They probably know everything." Once they arrive, Xavier unlocks his car. "Or pull an Apollo and cater the situation to your own needs."

-o-

Four Years Ago - Central High School

"The next person to answer a question gets to leave," the history teacher states.

Apollo is one of the many students who groan in annoyance. It's the last class of the day and it's Friday. To think they'll get held past the bell just to answer a question on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Apollo doesn't have time for that. He has to leave and run to his car before Britney gets behind the wheel and drives away first.

An idea pops into Apollo's mind. He knows what to do.

He looks at his thick textbook on his desk and slides it onto the floor. It crashes with a sound loud enough that the sleeping students jumped in their seats. All he does is grin as he watches his now-startled teacher.

"What was that?" Their teacher asks.

The question he needs.

"That was me," Apollo says, standing out of his seat to pick up his textbook and grab his bag, "and since I just answered a question, I'll be on my way."

Not Daniel predicting Apollo's seven years in Asgard.