Happy Multiverse of Madness Day!

Chapter 195: Effective Immediately

James (and Angela's) Condominium - 10:56 AM

At this time, Angela would assume that not only is James at Camp but Xavier and Sigyn realized he was Sci-Tech's head counsellor again. She would've told Xavier and Sigyn in advance that James would be joining them but she wanted him to bask in their shocked expressions.

Angela was happy Emily stopped by to visit. She thought about redecorating the condo since James wouldn't be home for a month but she has nothing to change since James already has better and more expensive taste than her. It was a perk of being Janet van Dyne's son and one thing Angela loved about him.

"Any plans?" Angela asks.

Emily shakes her head. "Not really. Daniel's doing lab work with his dad all day."

"What about Merida?"

Emily's eyes widen. "I just found out she's in California!"

"California?" Angela asks, already knowing why Merida would be visiting there. "How do you know she's there?"

"I called her earlier, an hour ago, and she answered wondering why I was calling a 6 in the morning. I didn't question it so she never noticed her blunder. Why else would she be out west?"

Angela grins. "So… California."

"California."

The two women stand silently, eyeing each other waiting for the other to make the first move on a shared plan they both have.

"You know," Emily says, "I probably have work to do in California. And you know what? We can visit my parents."

"I'll join you," Angela states.

-o-

Camp SHIELD - 11:57 AM

Sigyn follows Xavier to their shared single cabin since he was alumni and no longer a cadet. He puts their bags down beside the bed as Sigyn sits on the surprisingly soft mattress. She can't help but notice that Xavier is still happily wearing his Camp Dad windbreaker. She knows that he wasn't kidding when he said he wouldn't take it off. Even she can't deny he doesn't look good in it.

"We'll handle that later," Xavier says, referring to their bags. He looks at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she responds. "Why?"

"Nothing. You kinda looked like you spaced out, kind of like some freshmen cadets we passed. Look, you can relax here for a minute. This place is a lot. I have to head to the cafeteria and find Vander. Okay?"

"I'll just be a minute." She smiles and he kisses her before heading out.

Sigyn sighs as she lies back on the bed, legs still crossed. She looks up at the log ceiling and can't help but think about Apollo on Asgard. He seemed fine when she visited and mentioned Camp. It didn't look like he was about to teeter again. If anything, she was more concerned about Freya. A part of her is concerned that she left Freya with Apollo but they would've been forcing her to be at Camp. They know she would be better here.

Sigyn finally gets up and heads over to the cafeteria, walking across Camp to get there. She enters and it's exactly what she envisioned a cafeteria to look like. It reminds her of high school with the tables and cadets in different coloured windbreakers per program scattered in cliques. She notices James talking to a group of Sci-Tech cadets. If she had to guess, he was showing off his Ph.D. Then she catches Xavier's eye and he waves her over. As Sigyn walks across the cafeteria, she sees that Xavier was talking to an older man she only assumes is Xavier's SO. Once she's close enough, Xavier takes her hand and kisses the side of her head which makes her heart flutter.

"Agent Vander, this is Sigyn," Xavier introduces, "Sigyn, my SO, Agent Vander."

"Sigyn," Agent Vander greets with a small nod. "Welcome to Camp. I was just telling Xavier that our Communications' head counsellor had to step out for a sudden family emergency so we're trying to strategize what to do as a replacement."

Sigyn lights up at the chance and unintentionally tights her grip on Xavier's hand. She can get a windbreaker. "I'll do it."

Xavier quickly looks at her in shock. "What?"

"Rogers?" Vander questions.

Sigyn steps forwards and faces Agent Vander. "I have Communications experience."

Agent Vander raises a brow. "You do?"

"Oh boy…" Xavier mutters.

"Agent Vander," Sigyn says sweetly, "I don't know if Xavier mentioned this about me but I lived in Director Lauren Everest's International Housing Services, SHIELD's orphanage, for about 13 years before my aunt found me and took me in as her daughter."

Agent Vander glances at Xavier for clarification and he nods. "Damn."

"So, what do you say?"

Agent Vander looks off for a second. "Dr. Pym over there is kneeling on a cafeteria table begging me not to do it."

Xavier and Sigyn turn to see James pleading from a cafeteria table as if he's asking for mercy.

"So now you gotta do it," Xavier and Sigyn say in sync. They look at each other and smile.

Agent Vander clears his throat to make an announcement for the whole cafeteria who was already looking at him from the moment James kneeled on a table. "Alright, cadets, listen up! Communications, your head counsellor had to step out so you'll now be under the leadership of…" his voice trails off as he looks at Sigyn to introduce herself.

"Sigyn Rogers, effective immediately, right Agent Vander?" She introduces before looking at him.

Agent Vander is taken aback by her last name but Sigyn doesn't blink. Xavier is surprised and enamoured with her, holding a hand around her hip as he had to take a seat after hearing her say her name like that. James shrieks which garnered some attention and a smile from Sigyn. As if she would've announced her last name Lokisdottir at Camp SHIELD. The cadets are already whispering about Rogers as her cover.

"Effective immediately," Agent Vander confirms.

"Agent Vander, I object on behalf of Sci-Tech!" James exclaims, now standing on the cafeteria table.

"Denied."

"Come on! You didn't even hear my arguments!"

"Sit down," Sigyn orders and James drops like a dead fly, actually stumbling off the table and onto the floor. He barely makes the landing. She grins as she walks through the cafeteria and the cadets follow with their eyes. "Communications, we're meeting by the lake now."

All the bright yellow windbreakers rise and immediately follow her out. Once they're gone, the entire cafeteria is left in silence.

Agent Vander exhales a small laugh as he pats Xavier's shoulder. "You picked a good one. Alright, Rogers, I'll be on my way after I hand Sigyn some important papers to review. Don't break Camp this time."

Xavier snaps back to reality after daydreaming about Sigyn Rogers. "Sir, James broke it last time he was here!"

"Agent Vander," James says once he scurries over, shaking his leg a bit, "may I be excused from Camp? I'm scared for my life."

"Denied," Agent Vander states.

-o-

Once lunch started being served, yellow windbreakers started making their way back into the cafeteria. Sigyn was the last to enter, now wearing her own bright yellow windbreaker with a similar Head Counsellor style to James'. She saunters towards the table where Xavier and James are sitting, eating sandwiches. She's happy there's one for her.

"Just a little rundown on how things will be with me since I don't know what I'm doing," Sigyn says as she sits between them. She looks at Xavier. "My cabin asked how we met."

"Why?" Xavier asks.

Sigyn shrugs as she bites her sandwich which was surprisingly good. "They said you were a loner in the Academy and suddenly have a," her lips twitch into a smile, "a wife."

Xavier couldn't keep a straight face either. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't thinking about that at all, especially after she introduced herself to Camp as Sigyn Rogers. They didn't confirm any relationship status after she returned and they attended Emily and Daniel's wedding. All they knew was that they were together in some form and exclusive.

James laughs. "Because Xavier was a loner and - I'm sorry, did you two elope or something?"

Xavier's face reddens which makes Sigyn blush. They don't look at each other.

"It's a cover," Sigyn explains. "A believable one by the looks of it. They're too busy conspiring and wondering to really think about it logically. Anyways, before I told Communications that we met in eighth grade when I came to town, I said we unofficially met at Agent Wilson's funeral a few years prior."

"And?" Xavier asks.

"They brought up how it was a Communications' funeral and said-"

"How poetic," James comments, putting a hand on his heart.

"-said exactly that," Sigyn eyes him strangely, believing he overheard their meeting. "Say, why did you object to me being in charge? I'm offended."

"It has nothing to do with you … or everything. Back in our third year, when Xavier and I were head counsellors, I wanted to team up with Communications because I was scared of Xavier pranking me. Communications told me to screw off so I thought that if you were in Communications, you would team up with me but realized you'd go with Xavier because you're sleeping with him."

"Team up for what?"

"Prank war," Xavier states.

Sigyn perks up excitedly. "There's a prank war? Angela and Merida didn't mention that. Hell, you didn't mention that when you invited me."

"Sci-Tech and Operations have been at it since the start of the Academy and Camp. Ever since James destroyed Camp and killed me, we had to go light."

"And Communications?"

"Never gets involved," James explains. "Just watches. They've preferred it that way since the start."

"That's lame."

Xavier and James shrug as they go back to their lunch. Sigyn pokes at her sandwich before an idea comes to mind and she stands on her cafeteria table's seat, gathering all the cadets' attention and even getting confused looks from Xavier and James beside her.

"Cadets, listen up," Sigyn announces. "This year, Communications will be partaking in the Sci-Tech vs. Operations prank war. Our own side."

The cadets burst into commotion. Some, mostly Operations and Sci-Tech, protest but Communications is intrigued. She notices some of her cadets already conspiring in hushed whispers and scribbling on napkins. Sigyn smiles, knowing the uproar she planted will bloom into a success story for Camp history … and she hasn't even been here for half a day.

"Effective immediately," Sigyn states before taking her seat again.

Xavier suddenly lost his appetite. "Goddamn."

"I should've said no to Camp," James grumbles as he scribbled his final will and testament on a napkin.

Sigyn smirks before looking at Xavier. "I'm also sleeping in Communications' head counsellor's cabin."

Xavier is taken aback. "Wait, what? When?"

"I already got my stuff." She kisses his cheek before getting up. "Effective immediately."

This is only the start of the Camp chaos to come.

So in case anyone is interested, I published a Multiverse of Madness-esque fic called "Anything Goes."