All right, time to evaluate the one character I was nervous to write for this entire story.

Year Three: Cadet #170 092 084 107

Three Years Ago - Central High School

With the end of high school coming, Xavier's football team has been under a lot of stress. Their final season is almost over and not only do they have to worry about playing their best to end triumphantly, but there are also final exams and university prospects. Playing the best wasn't for a celebratory stature, it was for football scholarships. A lot of them will be relying on the tuition help.

Xavier isn't oblivious to the reputation football plays have around school. Intimidating giants bigger than the majority of the student body, standing bolder than others to emphasize their size while screaming across the hall so everyone knows their presence. Then, on the field, they'd spit in each other's faces and tackle each other into the ground to prove a point.

There's more to that picture, though, way more. Some of them are loud so they're noticed and known, especially by scouts attending random games. Sometimes, scouts would ask people watching about certain players. Colleges don't flag someone because they made one triumphant pass in one quarter. They like progress, improvement, presence, and commitment on top of skill.

But if he can help them win the game, then he can continue to help them once they score the final touchdown. Even after the games, he's their team captain. They chose him for a reason other than being the so-called best on the field.

"I'm not taking a scholarship since I don't need it," Xavier states to all the college reps sitting at the table. Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State - all the top schools. "I have other plans. But nobody's leaving this table till everyone on my team that needs one is taken care of."

-o-

Present Day - Academy Counselling Room 3

Xavier wasn't sure what to expect in this psych eval. Angela already had hers and said it wasn't bad. Even some roommates in his building said theirs went fine. It was like how Brody and Ashton described theirs: catching up with a friend. However, there was James who went home for the weekend after his evaluation without explicitly saying anything other than she wrote it like a prescription and throwing in a potential it's classified bullshit, but he didn't pry. Xavier didn't know what his evaluator would poke at since he doesn't think he has immense trauma. All he can think of is Britney and football which, as described by Daniel and not his Hulk no matter what he says, ended at the same time before his life shifted.

But that can't be brought up if he doesn't mention it, right? It's not mentioned in his file, right? Or the few bullet points he can catch but not read in his evaluator's notebook?

Should he be concerned she didn't write a lot? Even the few notes present didn't seem expansive.

"How are you?" She starts, folding her hands across the empty desk as she looks at him with a pleasant smile.

"I'm good," Xavier responds.

"What does good mean?" She shifts the position of her pencil, getting ready to write under her three bullet points.

Xavier isn't sure since it was an automatic answer, one he would give his parents often whenever they asked or questioned how school was. Looking back, he isn't good anymore but he can't erase his answer. Xavier doesn't know what to do since he already thinks he's failing after one basic question that was more so a pleasantry rather than the evaluation itself. There isn't even much in this room's decor for Xavier to latch onto, just the desk, the chairs they're sitting on, and the evaluator herself.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" His evaluator asks when Xavier doesn't say anything.

Again, he's silent. She has notes so shouldn't she know?

She doesn't write anything down but keeps her eyes on him. "What would you consider to be the scariest moment of your life?"

Xavier wonders if he's forgotten how to talk. At least this time, he could look like he's thinking, re-evaluating his entire life to pinpoint the scariest moment. His only issue is if he picks an event that happened directly to him or something by association. Does it matter? What would it make him look like?

"Take your time," she encourages.

"High school graduation," Xavier states almost immediately.

No reaction from her. Just a slight pencil fiddle between her thumb and pointer finger. "Go on."

Xavier shifts positions in his chair. "I was scared but not about the actual ceremony or what happened in lieu which isn't my story to tell. Even if you badgered me to explain it, I won't. It's what happened after. My girlfriend and I broke up, and then she left with her cousin who's my best friend. Haven't seen or heard from them since and they said a year. It'd be three by the summer. The breakup and them leaving was sad but the silence is the frightening part."

"Why?"

"Because…" he thinks for a second. "Because it feels like an unanswered question. I don't know what I'm waiting for anymore."

"So you haven't moved on from her?"

Xavier shrugs despite knowing damn well the answer is a strong and affirmative yes. "I don't know if I can since I still love her. It doesn't hurt as much but there's still something lingering."

"Your unanswered question," she states, scribbling something down, likely those words. "You're not sure you'll move on because your heart still wants her and is expecting her to come back. And now this silence is making you wonder what happened, right?"

"Exactly."

His evaluator put her pencil back on the original bullet points. "Let's stay in high school for a second longer. You were a football player, weren't you? Team captain for three of the four years you played?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiles a little at the formality. "Why didn't you take a football scholarship if you miss playing it? Any school would've wanted you."

He doesn't have to think about this answer. "Because what else am I supposed to do? I never dimmed down on my physical advancements. Sure, I was careful, but I mostly let my teammates play while I led and helped them out."

"You can still be proud of that. Hell, you should be prouder given the circumstances. It shouldn't have stopped you from having fun."

Xavier can't help but grin. "It didn't."

"So have you ever been in a fight? Not limited to the football field, sparring in class, or potential roughhousing with your sister as kids, but generally."

Xavier nods. Stupid Camp SHIELD against stupid James is one of many. "Yup."

"Killed someone?"

His eyes widen. At the moment, he kind of wanted to kill James. "No."

"Ever thought about killing someone?"

Xavier pauses, sitting straighter in his chair. She basically read his mind. He's at the Academy which should say enough but she probably wants to hear it. "It's passed my mind because I'm here but I never want to do it."

"Even in a line of work where people want to kill you?"

"Doesn't mean I have to kill them back. It's naïve but what am I supposed to say? No?"

The evaluator nods, glancing down at her bullet points again. "Would you like to have your father's shield?"

Xavier takes a breath. He forgot to ask if Angela's evaluation mentioned the shield. She didn't bring it up so it skipped his mind. Now that his evaluator mentioned it, the shield was definitely a topic of discussion during hers and it was likely the same question.

"I would, but I think he'd give it to Angela," Xavier responds.

His evaluator looks at him questioningly. "Why do you believe that?"

"I don't think I'm enough to carry it."

That painfully guilty silence, and that tremendous relief when a feeling is finally out in the open. The big expectation of being the team leader of Project: New Generation is the now-revealed elephant in the room or his life. Xavier never volunteered to be Project: New Generation's leader or even the captain of the football team. Others pushed him in that role and expected him to fill it, succeed in bringing them to victory. It almost felt like he was chosen by default since the others didn't want the traits that came with the position. Everyone in both situations believes he's best suited but why would they think that if he's never shown it?

Either way, someone had to do it. If they were on the line, he'd step in.

Every job is hazardous and dangerous, with life-threatening surprises everywhere. As the team leader, Xavier's chief responsibility is to be aware of all the dangers as he could so he could minimize and eliminate them, and make sure his team - his team, friends, and family - stay alive.

"Why not?" She asks.

"Nobody's asked if I'm capable," Xavier replies. "I don't even know if I've ever shown I'm capable. You could think it's because I'm Captain America or Steve Rogers's son but what does that have to do with anything? Especially since he has a daughter as well. A daughter who was born first and is more fit for the part if you ask me."

"Not your father but experience? You were the football captain and Camp SHIELD's head counsellor for Operations. Vander's even mentioned he wants you as one of the RAs for next year."

"Yeah, but they thought I'd be team leader even before those moments."

This time, she leans forwards on her desk, still maintaining a professional stance. "Cadet Rogers, they wouldn't have even picked you at those times if you weren't capable. You're set to be an RA for next year. You have a long way before even thinking of being the team leader. This is all building experience so you could feel capable and competent."

Xavier shrugs. "I guess."

"If you had to pick one trait, what do real leaders lead with?"

"Love." He didn't even have to think about that one.

His evaluator smiles at him, closing her notebook. "You're dismissed, Cadet Rogers."

Xavier is skeptical for a moment, not believing it's over with nothing to follow up. Either way, he doesn't ask. If it's over, it's over.

"Thank you," Xavier says, shaking her hand before heading out.

If he had to guess, the three bullet points were football scholarships, his father's shield, and future team leader. At least he got one of those right.

-o-

[CLASSIFIED EXCERPT FROM SO: Agent Amory Vander]

"Cadet Rogers is more than capable of anything he wants to do and he knows that. He has the skills, the willpower, and so much more but he's been holding back for so long. He needs to be pushed into situations he will follow and excel. When put in circumstances that need him to take the lead, he'll do better than anyone could've ever thought, even himself."

You know what Xavier, I get it. I can't move on from Britney either.

Xavier won't say anything about graduation but you can read them (again) here:
Emily's Counterparts - Chapters 283-290: Graduation Parts One to Eight
Britney's Counterparts - Chapters 280-287: (Britney Braun) Graduation Parts One to Eight

And here's his breakup because he mentioned it:
Britney's Counterpart - Chapter 292: (Britney Braun) Broken Glass, Broken Hearts