Welcome to Year Four! As I'm starting this chapter, I'm almost done with the first semester of my senior year in my undergrad (and just got accepted into one of the grad schools I applied to as I'm actually writing it, which is months later than the start of this AN).

[And as I'm updating this very early in the morning, I'm on my way to grad school. Time flies.]

Year Four: The Final Year

Operations Weight Room A - 9:02 AM

The final year of being a cadet. Alumni say they should get used to the idea of killing (debatably bad) people and making impossible calls, but it's alright not to be comfortable with killing. There's nothing wrong with feeling a little guilty. It's harder this time of the year. Training starts without a flashy welcome back and tour guide.

Instead, it was welcomed with Princess Iqadi of Wakanda's surprise visit to the Academy. And with her visit came the thought of Iqadi versus Angela and Xavier, at her request. And how could Angela and Xavier refuse such an offer? Everyone in their weight class was sitting in the bleachers, even Merida was in the viewing gallery recording this for Emily (and future entertainment).

"She's been training since she could walk," Angela whispers to Xavier as Iqadi stretches across the floor.

"You wanna tag-team?" Xavier asks.

"Nah. I'll let her kick your butt. You think she has a strategy?"

Xavier shrugs. "Probably kick our asses. What if she throws a lightning bolt at us?"

"I'll duck behind you and then you could chuck me into her tornado."

Angela laughs as they get in their sparring stances at Agent Vander's request. Iqadi stands across from them. She beams as her eyes dart back and forth between the twins, their fellow classmates getting riled for the fight of the bests.

"I respect the Princess but don't let us down," Bonnie tells Angela and Xavier.

"Fair warning," Iqadi says as a precursor, "I just came from a gala in Copenhagen and might be stiff."

"How modest," Angela says sarcastically. Stiff still translates to ready to obliterate you. "Let's go."

Angela attacks first, grabbing Iqadi's arm. She bends down to grab Iqadi's leg and throws her over her head. Iqadi flips and sticks the landing, looking up and seeing Xavier behind her. They exchange punches, narrowly missing each other with ducks and side-steps as they shuffle across the floor.

The next time Xavier throws a punch, Iqadi catches his arm by the wrist and holds him. She pounces around him and jumps on his back, grabbing him in a chokehold and tightening her grip and leaning forwards. Xavier grabs her forearm but Iqadi flies off his back when Angela kicks her off like swatting a fly. The moment Iqadi is back on her feet, she grabs Angela's neck and forces it downwards. She doesn't smash it into her knee but uses it as leverage to pick herself up and throw her legs around Xavier's waist. As she throws Angela down, Iqadi tightens her grip on Xavier. She crosses her arms and forces herself down, catching herself as she flips Xavier over her. He catches himself and kicks her off her feet.

Iqadi lands on her stomach, looking up at both Rogers twins who stand ready for her next move.

"Academy training seems to be more on brute strength, especially for you two," Iqadi says.

Iqadi hesitates not because she's scared to fight, to lose, or doesn't know what to do. She's calculating.

Then she smiles. And anyone, even in all of Wakanda, knows that if Princess Iqadi T'Challa smiles before making a move, everyone better watch out.

Iqadi rolls forwards, ducking at a punch she expected. She stands between the twins and throws herself down into a handstand. She locks her ankles around Xavier's neck and pulls herself to grab Angela into a chokehold from behind. In one fluid motion, Iqadi brings her hands and her feet together, causing the twins to hit their heads against each other. As they stumble, Iqadi lands on her back. She turns onto her hip and spins on it, knocking them both down.

At the sound of applause from the other cadets, Iqadi stands and rolls her shoulders back.

"Why did that hurt?" Xavier groans. "I thought you didn't have anything up there."

"It hurt cause you have nothing in yours to cushion it," Angela fires back.

"Fuck off."

"You first."

"Good fight," Iqadi says, holding out her hands to help them up.

Once the Rogers twins were back on their feet, their SOs were in front of them. Iqadi stands between the groups, alternating her smile with both of them.

"She isn't even a super-soldier spawn and she took you both down without breaking a sweat!" Vander yells.

"I'd be less embarrassed if she summoned the elements, but she didn't," Bonnie adds.

"They're physically stronger and faster but I'm smarter," Iqadi beams, ignoring the glares from Angela and Xavier.

"Woo!" Merida cheers from the bleachers and Iqadi waves up at her. "That's my best friend!"

-o-

The Boiler Room - 10:58 AM

It's barely noon and the start of the school year so nothing much is happening in the Boiler Room. Students are catching up while telling stories of the summer, introducing each other, and comparing timetables and professors. Pool balls clink as darts are being thrown and people are exchanging notes and textbooks.

"This is nice," Imanu says as he sits in the middle of James and Daniel in a booth. "I finally get what Iqadi means by the luxury of going to America where nobody knows you. It's like I go to school here."

"You really don't want to," James mutters. "I'm glad to be out of here after this year and maybe a semester, whatever Prof Nine has in mind. Anyways, so you're telling me that you just showed up after your fancy pseudo-honeymoon or anniversary trip just so Iqadi could beat up my girlfriend and her brother?"

"Yeah."

"You're a great husband," James laughs, raising his glass to that notion. "Not to brag but I beat up Xavier too. Hell, I did it first."

"You're lucky that wasn't homicide," Daniel interjects. "You needed an earthquake to even hit Xavier. You and Iqadi are not the same."

"Iqadi is sparring and mine was in self-defence. He was about to decapitate me."

"Allegedly. You threw the first punch."

"Fuck off, you weren't there."

"Thank god for that…" Daniel mutters.

The boys look up to see Iqadi saunter in with Merida. She takes a seat beside her husband, needing to climb over James as she smiles at Daniel. She doesn't have a hair out of place nor a stray string on her clothes, not even sweating. Nobody would've guessed that she just came from a spar session with Angela and Xavier.

Angela and Xavier follow in shortly, ignoring the laughs from their table as they sit beside Daniel.

"I'm ordering drinks," Merida says.

"It's not even noon," Daniel tells her.

Merida shrugs as she looks at the bar. "We're celebrating. Can't do that with stupid old lab reports being dealt in secret like drugs."

"Lab reports are fun."

Angela gags. "Such a TA getting an MA," she spells out the letters just to get a cringe out of Daniel (and, inevitably, from everyone else around them).

"Please change your name when you get married," Xavier mutters.

James nudges her and mouths Marry me. Angela grins and mouths back One day.

"God, I wish I can get drunk," Xavier continues. "Make me forget that."

"Hence the drinks," Merida says. "Fuck it. I'm going behind the bar myself."

"This is fun," Imanu says as Merida jumps over the counter instead of walking around.

-o-

Hudson Residence - 12:01 PM

Xavier was tired of his job as an RA ever since he got it.

He has no weekends off, has to constantly remind his cadets to uncover the smoke detectors, has a daily internal crisis with the other RAs, and never sleeps. He has an emergency phone that he has to carry with him at all times in case anything happened. He's supposed to deal with any issues, intervene in problems, counsel and refer cadets to whatever campus service they'll need. He sorts mail and lends an ear when people were homesick. He tries to enforce the rules. Shockingly, his floor listens to him, to an extent. He met them when they first moved in and they even have a floor group chat and one for the whole building.

They seem intimidated by him, even without Agent Vander nearby.

Xavier missed Ashton more than he expected, despite the single room being nice. He missed everything more than he expected. It wasn't just his friends but the Academy itself. The predictable rhythms, the things he's complained about.

Is it worth the good pay? Is it even good pay?

"Rogers, are you listening?"

Xavier nods, looking up at his SO. "Of course, Sir."

He forgot he was in the middle of a conversation.

-o-

Sci-Tech Lecture Room - 12:09 PM

"I just finished making the last online quiz," Daniel says.

Dr. BV nods as she scrolls through it on her computer before smiling at Daniel. "Perfect."

Before the year started, he and Dr. BV spoke for many hours dividing tasks (meaning she told him how things would go). She'll handle her regular lectures, half the office hours, and mark exams. He'll run the lab components, proctor exams, make the online quizzes, have his own set of office hours, and mark the lab reports. He's the one cadets will go to for help or questions if they didn't want to approach Dr. BV.

All this to pay off his engagement ring. Was it worth it? Will he even pay it off?

"It'll be light since you're finishing this year," she says with a perky grin.

"... right," Daniel says.

At least he got to pick what time to have his office hours.

-o-

Sci-Tech Laboratory - 13:26 PM

He wasn't technically a TA since he wasn't officially working for the school, but more so a PA because he was hired by Prof Nine and would be paid by Prof Nine. Either way, he has the duties that a TA normally would. James has a set of office hours, more than Daniel.

James is only sitting in Prof Nine's class because he had to introduce himself as the "TA." He figured he'd stay since he had nothing better to do.

"And what do we see here?" Prof Nine says pointing at their experiment.

"I see a wad of gum," James says putting his hand up.

The class snickers and Prof Nine can't help but grin.

This would be the part of the AN where I spoil something and say, "Don't worry, Angela, you're engaged now in PNG" … but we're not there (yet).

And since this story is back, we will be having weekly updates again! I have a good number of chapters so we'll see how far that takes us.