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While Merrick was still getting everything in order to move, something that not everyone knew was even happening, Landon finally got his chance to try and work with his students more specifically Alice. Professor Cuthbert was out sick and instead of getting a sub the school chose to let Landon run the class for the three days Cuthbert was going to be out. Landon was very excited about this choosing to even somewhat look professional wearing one of his narrow black ties he normally wore for gigs with one of his navy button ups but still kept is casual with jeans. “A tie?”, Cora Lee teased pouring her coffee noticing her brother leaning in the fridge. “I’m supposed to actually teach today. Cuthbert is out with the flu for the next few days. Figure should maybe look slightly more professional.”, Landon smirked closing the fridge tossing his sister her creamer before setting out the items he needed to make his ham and swiss sandwich to bring. “Don’t pick on him. I think he looks handsome when he wears a tie.”, Rachel smiled grabbing an apple from the bowl on the island taking a bite smiling at Landon. “Thank you.”, Landon smiled leaning across the island counter giving her a kiss on the cheek. Cora Lee rolled her eyes stirring her coffee now that she had added her creamer. “Of course you think that Rach, he’s your fiance. For me he’s my brother and it’s my job to tease him.” , Cora Lee smiled. “Who are we teasing?”, Malcolm asked with an arched brow straightening his tie.
Landon laughed. “My sister is teasing me because I’m wearing a tie for work. Watch out you might be next.”, Landon smirked fixing his sandwich. “What’s wrong with my tie? I’m interviewing at Silvercloud this morning for a paid internship in their applied sciences division to put what I’ve learned so far on the road to my masters in chemistry to use. And she picked the tie.”, Malcolm frowned looking down at his dark purple tie against his white dress shirt. Landon laughed hearing Silvercloud. He was one of the only from their generation that knew who Silvercloud really was. “Aw I won’t pick on you baby. You look hot all dressed up.”, Cora Lee smiled walking past her brother giving him a smack on the back of the head before straightening Malcolm’s tie. “Who are you interviewing with from Silvercloud? The Silvercloud or just some random underling?”, Landon asked. “Um… Doctor Peter Connors whose head of the division I’m applying for. You know as well as I do that no one has seen Jonathan Silvercloud in person in like fifteen years. But it’s a good company. Xavier works for them in Glasgow. You seem to swear by their tech.”, Malcolm replied pointing to Landon’s tablet that was sitting on the counter with the Silvercloud Owl logo. “I don’t know Connors. But Silvercloud is the best. Good luck bro. I better get going to be there early for my first day teaching.”, Landon smirked grabbing his lunch and tablet and stuffing them into his messenger bag. “Good luck.”, Rachel smiled giving him a quick kiss before he had to leave.
“Anyone else get the feeling Landon knows something about Silvercloud he’s not telling?”, Malcolm asked getting his coffee ready. “It’s Landon he always knows more about things than he tells.”, Cora Lee shrugged. “Landon only keeps secrets these days he has to. He knows better than to keep anything important from us.”, Rachel said. Malcolm shrugged. “Yeah. And he thinks highly of Silvercloud so that’s a good thing. Not like someone trying to kill him and him not telling anyone like last time.”, Malcolm smiled. “Don’t even joke. My brother got out of the hero business. If his curiosity switch could turn off maybe he’d not have gotten involved with what Excalibur is doing. I know he’s been helping Xavier and Forge with research. And it’s big.”, Cora Lee frowned. “Landon’s just helping with the research Cora Lee. He’s not going all hero again. We have a plan. We both graduate, we get married and we go to Greece to see if we can prove our shared theory correct. Nowhere in that plan does it involve him putting his uniform back on and going into fights.”, Rachel shook her head. “For now. But we all know he misses it, a part of him has to. Why else does he get up at four every morning to go use the MDR?”, Malcolm said. “We all use the MDR.”, Rachel argued. “Yeah because we’ve had it beaten into our heads to train. But Landon was on the track to running the Institute of leading the X-Men and being a hero. That’s just a lot to walk away from. I mean Rose and Atif thought they’d gotten away from it but it pulled them in and now there’s Excalibur. And we all saw how Landon was in Glasgow against the COH guys. I just don’t know with all the shit that’s going down how long we can all ride the pine. I better go though. Don’t want to be late for my interview.”, Malcolm smiled giving Cora Lee a kiss before heading out.
Rachel didn’t want to think about Landon putting his old uniform back on and going into fights again. She knew him choosing to not be an X-Men wasn’t an easy thing for him. He’d trained his whole life to become an X-Men. But he’d made the choice he wanted a different life. He wanted to travel and to follow clues and uncover secrets to mutant history. She hoped that it would be enough, that their plans would be enough to keep him out of this mess. None of them knew that everything Landon had helped uncover about the FOH and COH was exactly what Duncan planned to leverage to bring Landon back to the X-Men. While everyone headed off to work or classes back at the Institute Duncan was meeting with Forge. “Alright so based on what I’ve found another attack is going to happen this time the target is more local. They plan on not just protesting but getting a bit more violent about it at the UN meeting happening this weekend in the city. The subject of mutant rights is on the docket and because of the success of Leah’s Lost Souls in the UK a lot of countries are leaning in the direction of giving more mutant equality.”, Forge explained to Duncan. “This is sounding a lot like twenty years ago Forge. When it felt like we were going to get somewhere and the rug got pulled from under us and mutant rights got pushed back.”, Duncan sighed looking over the intel on the screens. “Yeah it does. And I’m not the only one that got this information. I at least obtained it without hurting anyone. But I know that Azazel captured and tortured this information from these two men.”, Forge said pulling up a screen of two men.
“They don’t look injured.”, Duncan commented looking at the two. “Well of course not. Azazel called in Phoenix...well Phoenix II. My understanding is Damon retired and only runs his martial arts school. But that doesn’t mean Azazel can’t use his future son-in-law Alexander who has his father’s talents.”, Forge explained. “Jean did a mental scan of these two when they were found without any memory on the beach by a couple local police officers. The Frosts tried to hide what they did. But they lack your talent of permanently extracting a memory. Jean found the memories. These two told Alexander everything that I found out. So you know Azazel will make a move and will send a team in.”, Forge explained. “Alright so let’s send a team of X-Men in as well.”, Duncan concluded. “I don’t have anyone of seasoned X-Men to send. Mikali, Annai, Anita, and Justin are handling a situation in Oregon. Violet, Adian, Warren and Paige are in Kentucky on a mission. Scott, Meghan, Max and Kyung are in Louisiana. Kamal, Callisto, Mia and Cero are dealing with some stuff in California. Jean and Sadria are on a recruiting mission in Michigan. Collin, Mary and Alison are in Texas. You, Karli, Iver and Lindee are going on that mission to Florida. Teresa and Hudson are running a country. Which just leaves me, Aurelia and Kisa. Kisa has to stay to be on call for recovery. I have to stay to keep the school running. Aurelia is picking up teaching slack. John’s retired and you won’t bring Logan back. This is going to big. And I know you don’t like the idea but I’m going to have to send a student team.”, Forge explained his stance.
Duncan groaned they were rather spread out trying to handle the FOH as they were getting much more daring with their attacks. “Which team?”, he asked. “Alpha. I’ve got Beta and Gamma handling some local issues with smaller FOH groups that have plans to attack some local businesses for being mutant owned or employers of mutants.”, Forge explained. “I...I don’t want to send my daughter.”, Duncan shook his head. “Ororo is powerful, more than you give her credit Duncan. “, Forge argued. “Ah kne she’s powerful. But wid Stephan on her team and apparently dem dating...don’t get me started on ‘ow pissed Ah am about dat. Ah don’t kne if her ‘ead will be in it.”, Duncan shook his head his Scottish accent slipping out. Forge chuckled. “Oh I have an idea since you just went Scottish accent. You only do that when you’re annoyed. You yelled in that accent and used a few choice gaelic words when I started dating Karli and then again when I broke up with her. Stephan’s a good kid, you know that. They don’t get gentler or kinder than Stephan Wagner. And we’ve all known that Ororo had a crush on him and vice versa, so it was bound to happen. They’ve never let their feelings interfere in their training sessions so I doubt it will be an issue on a mission.”, Forge smiled trying to not laugh. Duncan narrowed his visible hazel eye at Forge. “You aren’t sending Charles or Junior on these missions are you?”, he asked. “No I’m not. They stay behind. I told them that till they are older I won’t send them out. But I need to send Alpha for this. I’ve got no one else.”, Forge reiterated. “What about the college kids?”, he asked. “Hope, Gabriel and Bianca are dealing with some protest happening in Boston already. They volunteered to tackle that.”, Forge shook his head.
“What about the ones in Manhattan?”, he asked looking for anyway to not have students take this assignment. “They won’t. They have washed their hands of being X-Men after they captured Wanda.”, Forge sighed. “Yeah like they washed their hands of this in Glasgow?”, Duncan countered. “That was different. They were protecting the boys.”, Forge countered. “Yes but they haven’t lost their fighting spirits. As I understood it Landon told Thomas and Malcolm to take the boys back to the hotel opting to fight and keeping his sister, cousin and girlfriend to fight at his side. He’s still a leader. He still has the thirst for the fight.”, Duncan said. “We leave Landon out Duncan. He told you when he graduated he was done. I could maybe call Lily or Cora Lee to see if one or both would help out Alpha if it’d make you feel better but I’m sure the answer will be no that they don’t want to be involved.”, Forge protested. “You don’t walk away from being an X-Men.”, Duncan said getting up. “Let me bring in Logan. He’d go with Alpha, he’d protect them as needed and I bet you that Azazel’s team would never expect to see him.”, Forge offered. “Logan stays retired. I’ll make some calls. If Alpha goes I want X-Men with them on this.”, Duncan said getting in the final word as he walked out of the lab and headed for his office. Forge groaned. “This isn’t going to go well. I can just feel it.”, Forge sighed as he started pulling up schematics and sending out details to the various teams that were already enroute to their missions.
Landon had just gotten to his classroom and was all ready for his first period class as teacher. The students started to file in and all looked confused for a moment not seeing Cuthbert but smiled realizing today they just had Landon. All except Alice who had the same vacant expression. “As you have all noticed Mister Cuthbert is not here today. He is out with the flu so you are stuck with just little ole me for the next few days. Today I want to change things up. We are flipping the seating. From the back of the class I want you to move three rows forward and the first three rows move to the back. Mister Cuthbert had a very specific lesson plan. Which we will follow...just not to the letter.”, Landon instructed with a smile. The students quickly found the new seats, well the temporary seats. Which placed Alice and some other students he knew Cuthbert ignored when it came to answering questions into the front row. “So Cuthbert wanted this week for us to start covering the foundation of the English colonies. Which he wants you to read chapter 4 to learn more about. However…”, Landon said setting down his tablet on the desk and turned it out pulling up a program that brought up a projection. “We are going to do this my way.”, Landon smiled as the kids seemed to light up at the idea of him using tech. They went through the chapter but via his tablet which offered a bit more interaction.
“Alright I’ve got a sentence here from one of the worksheets I’ll be assigning and I want you to fill in the blanks. British colonists lived along the….”, Landon read the start of the sentence to the first blank. Hands shot up from the students he’d moved to the back. “Trevor.”, he said pointing to one of the boys in the front who was never called on and didn’t have his hand raised. “Huh Mister Bryant?”, Trevor questioned. “Landon, my name is Landon. And fill in the blank. British colonists lived along the blank. You know the answer we just talked about it.”, Landon encouraged. “Um the East Coast?”, Trevor answered. “Exactly. Thank you Trevor. So British colonists lived along the Atlantic Seaboard, just a fancy way of say east coast, for reasons of blank, blank and blank. I want one person to give me all three answers.”, Landon said looking over the class. Again hands near the back shot up, they were used to getting called on by Cuthbert. “Alice, what are the three reasons that the colonists settled along the atlantic seaboard.”, Landon said looking directly at the glazed over eyes of Alice. There was some grumbled in the back about him calling on people who didn’t even raise their hands. “Trade, shipping and communication Mister Bryant.”, Alice said her voice soft barely a whisper like she hardly used it. Landon smiled, so the medication wasn’t causing her to not pay attention just look completely out of it. That would be the ritalin he figured. It was sad that no teachers called on her because they all figured she had some mental condition. “Landon. But thank you those are exactly the reasons I was looking for.”, he nodded.
“Alright everyone you have your worksheets that Mister Cuthbert left. They are due tomorrow. And we will stick to our current seating till Mister Cuthbert returns.”, Landon said as the bell started to ring. “Alice...can I talk to you for a moment.”, Landon said stopping her mid stride. Alice nodded softly turning around and walking back to the desk. “Yes Mister Bryant?”, she asked. “Landon, you can call me Landon Alice. Why don’t you ever raise your hand? You know the answers.”, he asked correcting her on his name. Alice shrugged a little. “I just don’t think to. And teachers don’t call on me.”, she said softly. Landon sighed. “I’m not trying to pry or be rude. How long have you been on your medication?”, he asked. Alice blinked. “Um started middle of last year.”, she said quietly. Landon nodded. “I know why you have that medication. We have a lot in common mouse, believe it or not.”, Landon smiled. “I...doubt that Mister Bryant.”, she sighed glancing to the clock. Landon reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a print out about the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. “Take a look at it, even talk to your parents about it. That’s where I went when I was your age. And trust me we’ve got a lot in common. And here..”, he said writing a note handing it to her. “Incase you are late getting to your next class.”, he added. “Um thanks.”, she said softly before walking out heading for her second period.
The day went rather well. He got the kids who Cuthbert wrote off and ignored to sit closer and answer the questions. He finally really felt like he was making a difference. He just hoped that he’d made enough of a different with Alice. On his walk from the bus station to the house his cell started ring. But he paused as he reached for it. “The imperial march? Duncan…”, he groaned before picking up. “Yes?”, he questioned. “Nice way to greet your old headmaster.”, Duncan commented. “Given that you don’t call me I figure it’s appropriate. You obviously want something Duncan. So what is it?”, Landon asked unlocking the front door and walking inside setting down his messenger back and kicking off his sneakers. “We need you back.”, Duncan said. Landon groaned heading to the kitchen grabbing a beer and popping the top. “I am not an X-Men Duncan. I made my choice when I graduated high school. I’m devoting my life to finding truths. To unraveling the history of mutants. To teaching others. I’m not a fighter anymore.”, he shook his head as he grabbed his tablet from his messenger back. “You never stop being a fighter Landon. You are a natural fighter. It’s second nature to you. Like how you fought those Church of Humanity protesters in Glasgow that went after the boys. You never stop being an X-Men.”, Duncan stated. “John chose to and you forced Sensei Logan to. I chose to walk away. Glasgow was different. The boys were my responsibility. It was my duty to protect them at any cost to myself.”, Landon countered slumping onto the sofa opening his music app having an idea for a song in his head that had been begging to escape all day.
“John is very old and wants to grow old with Sarael. How could I tell a warrior such as him that he couldn’t leave the X-Men just because we need him. And Logan, that’s a different story. He doesn’t want to face what happened while he was in limbo or discuss any of it. And I need to know his mental state before I can let him back into the field. I know your mental state. You didn't even let Scarlet Witch scare you. You still have that drive to fight and to protect. And you are still a leader. I know you took charge in Glasgow. You know what is going on. You helped Forge and Xavier uncover all this. And we are getting spread thin. I’ve got all available X-Men on missions. We are having to send the student teams out. And there’s something big happening this weekend at the UN. And the only team I’ve got left is Alpha.”, Duncan tried to explain. “And? Alpha is competent. I’m sure they can handle it. Is this you thinking they can’t handle it or being the overprotective dad not wanting Ororo on a mission?”, Landon asked. “I think they can handle it. And maybe I’m being protective, but it’s not just of Ororo. This is big. This is something I’d send seasoned X-Men on if I had them to spare. And last mission Alpha went on Nathan’s power overloaded and he killed several people and was stabbed. I just want someone seasoned with them. Someone that will protect them all. That has faced some of the toughest out there and won.”, Duncan sighed explaining his position.
"You do realize that you're leveraging children to get me to do this?", Landon rolled his eyes. "Are you going to help out or not?", Duncan asked. Landon groaned. "Fine. This doesn't mean I'm back or changing my life plans. ", Landon sighed pulling up the info about the mission in his tablet. "Send the team to my house Friday after school. Tell then they'll be staying here for the weekend. I'll have a simulation ready in the MDR to run with them based on the mission.", Landon added. "Spoken like a true leader. You'll have room for all six of them?", Duncan asked. "We've got three spare rooms. Taylor and Marco can bunk in one room, Stephan and Nathan in another and Ororo and Inola in the other.", Landon started. "Alright. I'll let the team know. The older boys might have an issue with work schedule. But keep an eye on Ororo and Stephan.", Duncan requested. "I'm sure my dad will survive a weekend with his back up bartenders. And what do you mean keep an eye on them?", Landon asked. Duncan groaned. "They are... Lord help me.... Dating.", Duncan sighed. Landon covered his mouth but still laughed. He looked up seeing the rest of the house looking at him confused. "This isn't funny Landon. Stephan is older than her.", Duncan groaned. "And? They have the same age difference as me and Rachel and we started dating when she was fourteen. Stephan is a good kid, way better behaved than I was or am. But if it makes you feel better we'll all keep an eye on them. Just send the team Friday night I'll meet them at station. I gotta go I’m getting looks by my roommates.", Landon said hanging up.
“What is going on? What about my cousin and what team is coming Friday?”, Rachel asked sitting onto the sofa snuggling into his side while the others sat down looking at him waiting for answers. Landon smiled moving his arm around Rachel as she snuggled up to him. “I’ve been guilted into taking a mission from Duncan.”, he explained. “You did what!? You let him get his hooks in you? I thought you were done with being an x-men.”, Lily demanded. “You guys know what I helped Forge and Xavier uncover. And since then I’ve helped Forge find more and the X-Men are all out on missions so they have the student teams taking smaller missions. But there’s a mission at the UN it’s a bigger one and the only team left is alpha. Duncan doesn’t want to send them without someone seasoned with them.”, Landon explained. “So he leveraged the kids to get you to agree? Wow he is sinking rather low with that.”, Cora Lee shook her head. “Yeah well it worked. Most of them are about the same age we were when we took down Wanda. But then there’s the younger ones like Ororo and Inola. And Nathan’s powerful but if he tries to use too much power he could overload again. So I agreed. I told him to send the kids here Friday after school and I’ll meet them at the train station.”, he sighed. “So how many and what kids are we dealing with this weekend?”, Tommy asked. “Taylor, Marco, Stephan, Nathan, Ororo and Inola.”, Landon answered. “So what were you talking about Stephan being a good kid and talking about how old we were when we started dating?”, Rachel asked. “Oh well that… apparently your feathered cousin plucked up some courage and asked Ororo out. Which her dad was asking me to keep an ‘eye’ on them since they’d be staying this weekend.”, Landon laughed.
Rachel laughed leaning into him. “Oh I doubt we have much to worry about with my cousin.”, Rachel smiled. “That’s what I was saying. He’s a much more well behaved boy than I was.”, Landon smirked. “So true. Somehow I don’t see Stephan pinning Ororo to a danger room wall kissing her or pulling her in the back seat of a van to make out with her.”, Rachel teased with a small smile. Cora Lee laughed and shook her head. “Yeah well I think with his feathers and fur don’t have to worry about him getting a bunch of hickies from Ororo either.”, she laughed. “Very true. I’m pretty sure we’ve got little to nothing to worry about at this point with the pair. In say four years then maybe, depending on how like her mother or Karli Ororo is.”, Landon smiled. “Do I dare ask? Remember Tommy and I didn’t grow up around the X-Men.”, Malcolm asked. “Duncan met his wife Lindee in the club. Lindee was a very popular model back then too. Duncan had no clue who she was cause well Duncan is just that out of it even then. She dragged him to the dance floor by his tie and then back to her hotel for a rather ungentlemanly one night stand that ended up not being a one nighter. And Karli, well she got back from Scotland after she graduated high school and ended up in bed with Forge and dating the poor man for a decade before they broke up. And as rumors go after that she started sleeping with your buddy Merrick.”, Landon explained. Malcolm covered his face laughed and shaking his head. “Knowing Merrick he probably did. But alright so six teens/tweens will descend upon the house Friday for a mission. What fun. I’m going to go take a shower.”, Malcolm nodded standing up before leaning to Cora Lee’s ear.
“You coming beautiful?”, he asked in a whisper. Cora Lee smirked and nodded. “Oh I’m coming Sparky.”, she smiled getting up. Landon rolled his eyes shaking his head. Cora Lee smirked sticking her tongue out at her big brother before taking Malcolm’s hand heading upstairs to the attached bathroom of the bedroom they shared. Tommy grinned getting up offering a hand to Lily. “I think my cousin has a good idea.”, he winked. “Getting dirty while getting clean?”, Lily laughed. “Something like that gorgeous. What do you say future Misses Bryant?”, he asked. “Hmm...let me think about it.”, Lily smiled before standing up. “I say yes future Mister Bryant.”, Lily answered. “See you guys later.”, Tommy smiled leading Lily to the stairs. Rachel sighed shaking her head. “Guess that just leaves you and me. Other than Duncan talking you into a mission, how was your day?”, she asked. “It went well actually. Got the kids a lot more engaged in class. Even talked to Alice a little. She’s smart just no one ever calls on her to know it. I gave her some information about the Institute. Between Uncle Mikali, Kisa and Aunt Isis they’d set her parents straight about that medication. She speaks so quiet like a little mouse.”, he smiled rubbing her arm. “While they are all busy guess that means we can actually enjoy some quiet time and watch one of our shows.”, he smiled turning on the tv and shifting on the sofa so he was leaning against the arm of the sofa. Rachel smiled and shifted cuddling to him resting her head on his chest. “I love you.”, she smiled. “Mmm I love you too.”, he smiled tilting her head up giving her a kiss before they cuddled watching one of the tv shows they enjoyed.
Duncan waited till the next day before he had to leave on his mission to give the instructions for team alpha having called them to his office. “What's your dad want?”, Inola asked Ororo as the team walked to his office. “I have no idea. Daddy hasn’t spoken too much to me in the last few days. He’s still kind of mad that I’m dating Stephan.”, Ororo shrugged. Stephan frowned a little reaching back and taking her hand giving it a light squeeze. He felt bad that them dating had upset her father. Though he doubted her father had called the whole team about their relationship. Ororo smiled a little squeezing his hand back. “I have no clue what the headmaster wants, but I’m sure it has nothing to do with you two dating. Unless he was as blind as you two were he knew it was bound to happen. Nate? Marco? Either of you have a heads up on what’s going down?”, Taylor smiled glancing back. Marco and Nathan shook their heads. “No clue. Remember staff’s minds are blocked by my mother. And unless you’d like me to overload I can’t get past her power.”, Nathan explained as they reached the door. “Well guess we find out the old fashion way.”, Taylor stated knocking. “Professor?”, Taylor questioned as he opened the door the rest of the team following him inside. Stephan and Ororo let each other’s hands go as they lined up in front of Duncan’s desk. “You asked to see the team minus Junior sir.”, Marco spoke up.
Duncan raised his eyes from his paperwork and looked at the team and noticed Stephan and his daughter standing next to each other and he could tell by body language they were nervous and were resisting the urge to hold hands for comfort. Duncan forced back a sigh. “Yes I’m not certain if Forge has spoken to you in regards to missions as of yet.”, Duncan said turning his attention to Marco and Taylor as the leaders of the team. “We were supposed to speak with him later after training. We know that basically all the X-Men are out on assignments and our fellow students on Gamma and Beta have been given assignments.”, Taylor answered. Duncan nodded. “Indeed. We are running a bit thin at the moment. There’s a rather important and much larger scale mission that typically I’d prefer to have assigned to seasoned X-Men. But as you stated we are all out on assignments. I leave for mine in a matter of hours. Forge will be left in charge with Kisa and Aurelia as back up.”, Duncan explained. “So you are giving us this important larger scale mission?”, Marco asked with a raised eyebrow. “Reluctantly yes. As Forge was keen to point out I have no one else to send. However because this mission is bigger I do not wish to send the team without someone that is a seasoned X-Men.”, Duncan explained. “Are you taking Professor Logan out of retirement for this?”, Nathan asked. “No I am not.”, Duncan sighed shaking his head. “Then who sir? As you stated everyone but Forge, Misses Kearney and Misses Howlett are on assignment and they are here to keep the school running.”, Stephan asked confused.
“Landon.”, Duncan stated simply. Inola furrowed her brow, she’d heard the name a few times but didn’t know him. The others all blinked in startled surprise. “Landon? Sir are you certain? Does my cousin know about this? He’d never agree to take a mission. He resigned from the active roster when he went to college.”, Nathan questioned uncertain. “I spoke with Landon yesterday in regards to this mission. He knows what is happening. He knows what is at stake. And he knows that only four of you have really been on a mission that yes ended without the FOH completing their assassination attempt but at some cost.”, Duncan explained. “So you guilted my cousin into suiting up again and used us as your justification. Fantastic.”, Nathan grumbled. “I made Landon aware of the situation and the need we have. He understood that. I’m not expecting this to mean he is coming back to the X-Men. He made his position rather clear five years ago when he told me he had no intention of taking on the role as headmaster when I retire or even being an active member of the X-Men. None the less he has agreed to go on this mission with you six. You will follow his lead, I trust that won’t be a problem.”, Duncan said looking at all of them. Taylor shook his head. “No problem at all sir. We will happily follow him.”, Taylor stated. “Of course. So he has requested that the six of you pack bags including your team uniforms. You will board the train here in Bayville directly after public school dismisses on Friday. He will be waiting for you at grand central station and you will bunk at the Manhattan house to train with him in his MDR prior to going on the mission. You are dismissed, Forge will give you all the exact details of your mission in your meeting with him. I need to get my things to head on mine.”, Duncan said getting up from his desk leaving the room.
“Wow… guys we get to actually go on a mission with Landon. I didn’t think that was ever going to be possible.”, Taylor smiled as they started out of the office. “Someone want to give me the skinny on Landon? Remember new student.”, Inola asked as the group walked. “Landon Bryant is well a legend. He was a team leader on Alpha in his day with Ashley Alston well now Yashida. He was also the leader of the team leaders. So Ashley, Atif, Cora Lee, Lily and Rose all followed him. He is probably the coolest guy to graduate from the institute. His mother ran the daycare all of us were basically raised in. We all grew up looking up to him. He has the ability to make any organic matter into whatever he wants. When he wasn’t much older than you and Ororo he turned his stepfather who, as the story goes, had hit him and pointed a shotgun at Rose and Cora Lee into a pig and then into a lollypop. He’s also the guy that pieced together the secret all the adults were keeping and led his team of leaders along with Thomas and William Maximoff against Scarlet Witch and freed Logan from limbo. Then in that same year he led them yet again against Scarlet Witch and captured her. He was one of Forge’s apprentices and is great with tech. He was the one that came up with the MDR.”, Taylor raved. “Impressive track record for a guy that’s in his twenties. What’s an MDR and why’d he give up being an X-Men and what’s this about being headmaster?”, Inola asked.
“MDR is just shorthand for mobile danger room. He worked with Forge in creating a danger room that fits into the palm of your hand till you activate it and then it can take up as much or as little space as you want. He used the MDR to set a trap for Scarlet Witch. He kept the MDR when he left the institute. So he and the others can still train if they want. As for why he left…”, Marco explained. “My cousin left because he’d had it with being a hero. In a span of a year he almost died at the hands of Scarlet Witch twice. He wanted to focus on educating people. He has this theory that mutants have been around a lot longer than people give credit. Him and Rachel plan to travel the world and prove their shared theory right after they get married. He figures the more people know about mutants the better they can understand and the less afraid they’ll be. But before he made it clear he didn’t want to be an X-Men after high school the Professor wanted him to take on being headmaster. Basically because Landon could do the job. Landon earned the respect of all the other X-Men through his actions and he already had all of our respects we look up to him. We’d all willingly follow him. Landon just doesn’t want that responsibility. But he still cares about the X-Men and all of us. It’s just not in him I guess to walk away from a fight or not defend people. Like how he defended Hiro, Evan, Darren and Junior while in Glasgow.”, Nathan explained. Inola nodded. “So the guy is epic and knows his shit. Got it. Is he related to Merrick? You said Bryant and boss-man’s last name has Bryant in it.”, Inola asked.
Stephan nodded. “Yes they are cousins. Landon’s father is David, the owner of the Draven, who is cousins to Merrick’s mother Kim.”, Stephan explained. “Are they anything alike?”, she asked. “A little. Both are fierce fighters. Landon’s just a bit more approachable I guess.”, Ororo shrugged taking Stephan’s hand. Inola shrugged she didn’t find Merrick unapproachable, but it was her understanding she was getting to know a different Merrick than what he used to be a few years ago. “Oh well. This should be fun. Finally get to go on a mission. And we get to spend a weekend in Manhattan. I wonder what the mission is going to be.”, Inola smiled. “It’s gotta be something big. We’ll find out after training. Stephan and Ororo better behave themselves or we’ll never be trusted to stay off campus as a team again.”, Taylor teased elbowing Stephan’s side. Ororo turned a bright shade of red and reached past Stephan and punched Taylor. Stephan blushed behind his white feathers shaking his head. “Taylor…”, he sighed. “Just for that comment you pig you fight me in training today. Maybe getting your ass kicked will teach you to hold your tongue. We aren’t all like you and Hiro.”, Ororo scolded. Inola, Nathan and Marco laughed. Taylor rubbed his arm pouting a little but smiled. “Speaking of Hiro how goes his fling with your model friend Alaric who he snagged from under your nose?”, Taylor laughed. Ororo rolled her eyes. “He didn’t snag Alaric from me. I didn’t want Alaric. I have who I wanted. And I guess it’s going okay. They talk every now and then. Alaric said next time work brings him to town he’ll have to stop by for some ‘face time’ with Hiro.”, Ororo shook her head squeezing Stephan’s hand. “You mean suck face time.”, Marco laughed as they walked into the danger room for training.
The institute’s team Alpha wasn’t the only team getting prepared for the UN assignment. At the academy the team of Shaw Frost, Adam Frost, Salena Posoda, and Arieannah Frost were also preparing for this. “I wonder who the Institute is going to be sending.”, Arieannah pondered as she dodged attacks from Salena while the team was going through training at the Phoenix Dojo. “I don’t think it will matter. The Friends of Humanity plan to detonate bombs at the UN building while it’s in session. We aren’t trying to stop the bombs, because what does the Demon King care for a bunch of humans that think they can dictate how mutants should be treated? Our task is to make sure as many of the Friends of Humanity go down with the world government representatives. And hey if some of the X-Men fall at the same time who are we to argue.”, Shaw shrugged as he blocked the attacks of his identical twin brother Adam. “What if it’s his grandson’s team?”, Salena asked. “We act as normal. We aren’t Esabelle’s team where we have some kind of blood bond to him. He is the enemy, it doesn’t matter if he’s the grandson of the Demon King. His father is an X-Men and he's been raised as one as well. If he wants to defy his grandfather than he takes the same risk and pays the same price as anyone else from the Institute.”, Adam commented. “I need the space for my paying clients.”, Damon stated pulling back the screen that separated the training area from the front of the dojo. The four all stopped their attacks hearing Damon speak and turned to face him giving a respectful bow. “Yes sifu Damon.”, Shaw and Adam spoke in unison. “Yes sifu Damon.”, Arieannah and Salena said moments after following the lead of the twins.
Damon nodded to each of them his characteristic white hair hidden beneath the dark blue scarf belonging to his wife, Isadora, that he always wore at the dojo. “Gather your gear and report back to the Academy.”, Damon instructed as he started to rearrange things in the room for his training with a class of human students. “Of course sifu. Thank you.”, Shaw nodded heading for his things. The others silently started to gather up their belongings. It was still strange that they trained under Damon despite him retiring from active Acolyte duty two year ago all for a woman. It made no sense, at least to Adam and Shaw to give up the Acolytes over a woman. They thought it was ridiculous enough that their own Uncle had given up being an Acolyte for their Aunt and worse that the Maximoff twins and Malcolm had given up their futures as Acolytes for the ‘love’ of Institute students. And their older step cousin Merrick gave up being an Acolyte for his mother which they could almost respect till he chose to love a Howlett. They were both glad that their girlfriends were Academy so they’d never fall prey to this weakness they’d seen so many men exhibit for love. “Goodnight sifu.”, Adam commented as the group walked out walking confidently past the human students who they didn’t even look at. Damon sighed shaking his head a little before welcoming his class and starting their session. He tried to not think about what he’d heard the team discussing for their upcoming mission. After all there was nothing he could do about it.

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While Merrick was still getting everything in order to move, something that not everyone knew was even happening, Landon finally got his chance to try and work with his students more specifically Alice. Professor Cuthbert was out sick and instead of getting a sub the school chose to let Landon run the class for the three days Cuthbert was going to be out. Landon was very excited about this choosing to even somewhat look professional wearing one of his narrow black ties he normally wore for gigs with one of his navy button ups but still kept is casual with jeans. “A tie?”, Cora Lee teased pouring her coffee noticing her brother leaning in the fridge. “I’m supposed to actually teach today. Cuthbert is out with the flu for the next few days. Figure should maybe look slightly more professional.”, Landon smirked closing the fridge tossing his sister her creamer before setting out the items he needed to make his ham and swiss sandwich to bring. “Don’t pick on him. I think he looks handsome when he wears a tie.”, Rachel smiled grabbing an apple from the bowl on the island taking a bite smiling at Landon. “Thank you.”, Landon smiled leaning across the island counter giving her a kiss on the cheek. Cora Lee rolled her eyes stirring her coffee now that she had added her creamer. “Of course you think that Rach, he’s your fiance. For me he’s my brother and it’s my job to tease him.” , Cora Lee smiled. “Who are we teasing?”, Malcolm asked with an arched brow straightening his tie.
Landon laughed. “My sister is teasing me because I’m wearing a tie for work. Watch out you might be next.”, Landon smirked fixing his sandwich. “What’s wrong with my tie? I’m interviewing at Silvercloud this morning for a paid internship in their applied sciences division to put what I’ve learned so far on the road to my masters in chemistry to use. And she picked the tie.”, Malcolm frowned looking down at his dark purple tie against his white dress shirt. Landon laughed hearing Silvercloud. He was one of the only from their generation that knew who Silvercloud really was. “Aw I won’t pick on you baby. You look hot all dressed up.”, Cora Lee smiled walking past her brother giving him a smack on the back of the head before straightening Malcolm’s tie. “Who are you interviewing with from Silvercloud? The Silvercloud or just some random underling?”, Landon asked. “Um… Doctor Peter Connors whose head of the division I’m applying for. You know as well as I do that no one has seen Jonathan Silvercloud in person in like fifteen years. But it’s a good company. Xavier works for them in Glasgow. You seem to swear by their tech.”, Malcolm replied pointing to Landon’s tablet that was sitting on the counter with the Silvercloud Owl logo. “I don’t know Connors. But Silvercloud is the best. Good luck bro. I better get going to be there early for my first day teaching.”, Landon smirked grabbing his lunch and tablet and stuffing them into his messenger bag. “Good luck.”, Rachel smiled giving him a quick kiss before he had to leave.
“Anyone else get the feeling Landon knows something about Silvercloud he’s not telling?”, Malcolm asked getting his coffee ready. “It’s Landon he always knows more about things than he tells.”, Cora Lee shrugged. “Landon only keeps secrets these days he has to. He knows better than to keep anything important from us.”, Rachel said. Malcolm shrugged. “Yeah. And he thinks highly of Silvercloud so that’s a good thing. Not like someone trying to kill him and him not telling anyone like last time.”, Malcolm smiled. “Don’t even joke. My brother got out of the hero business. If his curiosity switch could turn off maybe he’d not have gotten involved with what Excalibur is doing. I know he’s been helping Xavier and Forge with research. And it’s big.”, Cora Lee frowned. “Landon’s just helping with the research Cora Lee. He’s not going all hero again. We have a plan. We both graduate, we get married and we go to Greece to see if we can prove our shared theory correct. Nowhere in that plan does it involve him putting his uniform back on and going into fights.”, Rachel shook her head. “For now. But we all know he misses it, a part of him has to. Why else does he get up at four every morning to go use the MDR?”, Malcolm said. “We all use the MDR.”, Rachel argued. “Yeah because we’ve had it beaten into our heads to train. But Landon was on the track to running the Institute of leading the X-Men and being a hero. That’s just a lot to walk away from. I mean Rose and Atif thought they’d gotten away from it but it pulled them in and now there’s Excalibur. And we all saw how Landon was in Glasgow against the COH guys. I just don’t know with all the shit that’s going down how long we can all ride the pine. I better go though. Don’t want to be late for my interview.”, Malcolm smiled giving Cora Lee a kiss before heading out.
Rachel didn’t want to think about Landon putting his old uniform back on and going into fights again. She knew him choosing to not be an X-Men wasn’t an easy thing for him. He’d trained his whole life to become an X-Men. But he’d made the choice he wanted a different life. He wanted to travel and to follow clues and uncover secrets to mutant history. She hoped that it would be enough, that their plans would be enough to keep him out of this mess. None of them knew that everything Landon had helped uncover about the FOH and COH was exactly what Duncan planned to leverage to bring Landon back to the X-Men. While everyone headed off to work or classes back at the Institute Duncan was meeting with Forge. “Alright so based on what I’ve found another attack is going to happen this time the target is more local. They plan on not just protesting but getting a bit more violent about it at the UN meeting happening this weekend in the city. The subject of mutant rights is on the docket and because of the success of Leah’s Lost Souls in the UK a lot of countries are leaning in the direction of giving more mutant equality.”, Forge explained to Duncan. “This is sounding a lot like twenty years ago Forge. When it felt like we were going to get somewhere and the rug got pulled from under us and mutant rights got pushed back.”, Duncan sighed looking over the intel on the screens. “Yeah it does. And I’m not the only one that got this information. I at least obtained it without hurting anyone. But I know that Azazel captured and tortured this information from these two men.”, Forge said pulling up a screen of two men.
“They don’t look injured.”, Duncan commented looking at the two. “Well of course not. Azazel called in Phoenix...well Phoenix II. My understanding is Damon retired and only runs his martial arts school. But that doesn’t mean Azazel can’t use his future son-in-law Alexander who has his father’s talents.”, Forge explained. “Jean did a mental scan of these two when they were found without any memory on the beach by a couple local police officers. The Frosts tried to hide what they did. But they lack your talent of permanently extracting a memory. Jean found the memories. These two told Alexander everything that I found out. So you know Azazel will make a move and will send a team in.”, Forge explained. “Alright so let’s send a team of X-Men in as well.”, Duncan concluded. “I don’t have anyone of seasoned X-Men to send. Mikali, Annai, Anita, and Justin are handling a situation in Oregon. Violet, Adian, Warren and Paige are in Kentucky on a mission. Scott, Meghan, Max and Kyung are in Louisiana. Kamal, Callisto, Mia and Cero are dealing with some stuff in California. Jean and Sadria are on a recruiting mission in Michigan. Collin, Mary and Alison are in Texas. You, Karli, Iver and Lindee are going on that mission to Florida. Teresa and Hudson are running a country. Which just leaves me, Aurelia and Kisa. Kisa has to stay to be on call for recovery. I have to stay to keep the school running. Aurelia is picking up teaching slack. John’s retired and you won’t bring Logan back. This is going to big. And I know you don’t like the idea but I’m going to have to send a student team.”, Forge explained his stance.
Duncan groaned they were rather spread out trying to handle the FOH as they were getting much more daring with their attacks. “Which team?”, he asked. “Alpha. I’ve got Beta and Gamma handling some local issues with smaller FOH groups that have plans to attack some local businesses for being mutant owned or employers of mutants.”, Forge explained. “I...I don’t want to send my daughter.”, Duncan shook his head. “Ororo is powerful, more than you give her credit Duncan. “, Forge argued. “Ah kne she’s powerful. But wid Stephan on her team and apparently dem dating...don’t get me started on ‘ow pissed Ah am about dat. Ah don’t kne if her ‘ead will be in it.”, Duncan shook his head his Scottish accent slipping out. Forge chuckled. “Oh I have an idea since you just went Scottish accent. You only do that when you’re annoyed. You yelled in that accent and used a few choice gaelic words when I started dating Karli and then again when I broke up with her. Stephan’s a good kid, you know that. They don’t get gentler or kinder than Stephan Wagner. And we’ve all known that Ororo had a crush on him and vice versa, so it was bound to happen. They’ve never let their feelings interfere in their training sessions so I doubt it will be an issue on a mission.”, Forge smiled trying to not laugh. Duncan narrowed his visible hazel eye at Forge. “You aren’t sending Charles or Junior on these missions are you?”, he asked. “No I’m not. They stay behind. I told them that till they are older I won’t send them out. But I need to send Alpha for this. I’ve got no one else.”, Forge reiterated. “What about the college kids?”, he asked. “Hope, Gabriel and Bianca are dealing with some protest happening in Boston already. They volunteered to tackle that.”, Forge shook his head.
“What about the ones in Manhattan?”, he asked looking for anyway to not have students take this assignment. “They won’t. They have washed their hands of being X-Men after they captured Wanda.”, Forge sighed. “Yeah like they washed their hands of this in Glasgow?”, Duncan countered. “That was different. They were protecting the boys.”, Forge countered. “Yes but they haven’t lost their fighting spirits. As I understood it Landon told Thomas and Malcolm to take the boys back to the hotel opting to fight and keeping his sister, cousin and girlfriend to fight at his side. He’s still a leader. He still has the thirst for the fight.”, Duncan said. “We leave Landon out Duncan. He told you when he graduated he was done. I could maybe call Lily or Cora Lee to see if one or both would help out Alpha if it’d make you feel better but I’m sure the answer will be no that they don’t want to be involved.”, Forge protested. “You don’t walk away from being an X-Men.”, Duncan said getting up. “Let me bring in Logan. He’d go with Alpha, he’d protect them as needed and I bet you that Azazel’s team would never expect to see him.”, Forge offered. “Logan stays retired. I’ll make some calls. If Alpha goes I want X-Men with them on this.”, Duncan said getting in the final word as he walked out of the lab and headed for his office. Forge groaned. “This isn’t going to go well. I can just feel it.”, Forge sighed as he started pulling up schematics and sending out details to the various teams that were already enroute to their missions.
Landon had just gotten to his classroom and was all ready for his first period class as teacher. The students started to file in and all looked confused for a moment not seeing Cuthbert but smiled realizing today they just had Landon. All except Alice who had the same vacant expression. “As you have all noticed Mister Cuthbert is not here today. He is out with the flu so you are stuck with just little ole me for the next few days. Today I want to change things up. We are flipping the seating. From the back of the class I want you to move three rows forward and the first three rows move to the back. Mister Cuthbert had a very specific lesson plan. Which we will follow...just not to the letter.”, Landon instructed with a smile. The students quickly found the new seats, well the temporary seats. Which placed Alice and some other students he knew Cuthbert ignored when it came to answering questions into the front row. “So Cuthbert wanted this week for us to start covering the foundation of the English colonies. Which he wants you to read chapter 4 to learn more about. However…”, Landon said setting down his tablet on the desk and turned it out pulling up a program that brought up a projection. “We are going to do this my way.”, Landon smiled as the kids seemed to light up at the idea of him using tech. They went through the chapter but via his tablet which offered a bit more interaction.
“Alright I’ve got a sentence here from one of the worksheets I’ll be assigning and I want you to fill in the blanks. British colonists lived along the….”, Landon read the start of the sentence to the first blank. Hands shot up from the students he’d moved to the back. “Trevor.”, he said pointing to one of the boys in the front who was never called on and didn’t have his hand raised. “Huh Mister Bryant?”, Trevor questioned. “Landon, my name is Landon. And fill in the blank. British colonists lived along the blank. You know the answer we just talked about it.”, Landon encouraged. “Um the East Coast?”, Trevor answered. “Exactly. Thank you Trevor. So British colonists lived along the Atlantic Seaboard, just a fancy way of say east coast, for reasons of blank, blank and blank. I want one person to give me all three answers.”, Landon said looking over the class. Again hands near the back shot up, they were used to getting called on by Cuthbert. “Alice, what are the three reasons that the colonists settled along the atlantic seaboard.”, Landon said looking directly at the glazed over eyes of Alice. There was some grumbled in the back about him calling on people who didn’t even raise their hands. “Trade, shipping and communication Mister Bryant.”, Alice said her voice soft barely a whisper like she hardly used it. Landon smiled, so the medication wasn’t causing her to not pay attention just look completely out of it. That would be the ritalin he figured. It was sad that no teachers called on her because they all figured she had some mental condition. “Landon. But thank you those are exactly the reasons I was looking for.”, he nodded.
“Alright everyone you have your worksheets that Mister Cuthbert left. They are due tomorrow. And we will stick to our current seating till Mister Cuthbert returns.”, Landon said as the bell started to ring. “Alice...can I talk to you for a moment.”, Landon said stopping her mid stride. Alice nodded softly turning around and walking back to the desk. “Yes Mister Bryant?”, she asked. “Landon, you can call me Landon Alice. Why don’t you ever raise your hand? You know the answers.”, he asked correcting her on his name. Alice shrugged a little. “I just don’t think to. And teachers don’t call on me.”, she said softly. Landon sighed. “I’m not trying to pry or be rude. How long have you been on your medication?”, he asked. Alice blinked. “Um started middle of last year.”, she said quietly. Landon nodded. “I know why you have that medication. We have a lot in common mouse, believe it or not.”, Landon smiled. “I...doubt that Mister Bryant.”, she sighed glancing to the clock. Landon reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a print out about the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. “Take a look at it, even talk to your parents about it. That’s where I went when I was your age. And trust me we’ve got a lot in common. And here..”, he said writing a note handing it to her. “Incase you are late getting to your next class.”, he added. “Um thanks.”, she said softly before walking out heading for her second period.
The day went rather well. He got the kids who Cuthbert wrote off and ignored to sit closer and answer the questions. He finally really felt like he was making a difference. He just hoped that he’d made enough of a different with Alice. On his walk from the bus station to the house his cell started ring. But he paused as he reached for it. “The imperial march? Duncan…”, he groaned before picking up. “Yes?”, he questioned. “Nice way to greet your old headmaster.”, Duncan commented. “Given that you don’t call me I figure it’s appropriate. You obviously want something Duncan. So what is it?”, Landon asked unlocking the front door and walking inside setting down his messenger back and kicking off his sneakers. “We need you back.”, Duncan said. Landon groaned heading to the kitchen grabbing a beer and popping the top. “I am not an X-Men Duncan. I made my choice when I graduated high school. I’m devoting my life to finding truths. To unraveling the history of mutants. To teaching others. I’m not a fighter anymore.”, he shook his head as he grabbed his tablet from his messenger back. “You never stop being a fighter Landon. You are a natural fighter. It’s second nature to you. Like how you fought those Church of Humanity protesters in Glasgow that went after the boys. You never stop being an X-Men.”, Duncan stated. “John chose to and you forced Sensei Logan to. I chose to walk away. Glasgow was different. The boys were my responsibility. It was my duty to protect them at any cost to myself.”, Landon countered slumping onto the sofa opening his music app having an idea for a song in his head that had been begging to escape all day.
“John is very old and wants to grow old with Sarael. How could I tell a warrior such as him that he couldn’t leave the X-Men just because we need him. And Logan, that’s a different story. He doesn’t want to face what happened while he was in limbo or discuss any of it. And I need to know his mental state before I can let him back into the field. I know your mental state. You didn't even let Scarlet Witch scare you. You still have that drive to fight and to protect. And you are still a leader. I know you took charge in Glasgow. You know what is going on. You helped Forge and Xavier uncover all this. And we are getting spread thin. I’ve got all available X-Men on missions. We are having to send the student teams out. And there’s something big happening this weekend at the UN. And the only team I’ve got left is Alpha.”, Duncan tried to explain. “And? Alpha is competent. I’m sure they can handle it. Is this you thinking they can’t handle it or being the overprotective dad not wanting Ororo on a mission?”, Landon asked. “I think they can handle it. And maybe I’m being protective, but it’s not just of Ororo. This is big. This is something I’d send seasoned X-Men on if I had them to spare. And last mission Alpha went on Nathan’s power overloaded and he killed several people and was stabbed. I just want someone seasoned with them. Someone that will protect them all. That has faced some of the toughest out there and won.”, Duncan sighed explaining his position.
"You do realize that you're leveraging children to get me to do this?", Landon rolled his eyes. "Are you going to help out or not?", Duncan asked. Landon groaned. "Fine. This doesn't mean I'm back or changing my life plans. ", Landon sighed pulling up the info about the mission in his tablet. "Send the team to my house Friday after school. Tell then they'll be staying here for the weekend. I'll have a simulation ready in the MDR to run with them based on the mission.", Landon added. "Spoken like a true leader. You'll have room for all six of them?", Duncan asked. "We've got three spare rooms. Taylor and Marco can bunk in one room, Stephan and Nathan in another and Ororo and Inola in the other.", Landon started. "Alright. I'll let the team know. The older boys might have an issue with work schedule. But keep an eye on Ororo and Stephan.", Duncan requested. "I'm sure my dad will survive a weekend with his back up bartenders. And what do you mean keep an eye on them?", Landon asked. Duncan groaned. "They are... Lord help me.... Dating.", Duncan sighed. Landon covered his mouth but still laughed. He looked up seeing the rest of the house looking at him confused. "This isn't funny Landon. Stephan is older than her.", Duncan groaned. "And? They have the same age difference as me and Rachel and we started dating when she was fourteen. Stephan is a good kid, way better behaved than I was or am. But if it makes you feel better we'll all keep an eye on them. Just send the team Friday night I'll meet them at station. I gotta go I’m getting looks by my roommates.", Landon said hanging up.
“What is going on? What about my cousin and what team is coming Friday?”, Rachel asked sitting onto the sofa snuggling into his side while the others sat down looking at him waiting for answers. Landon smiled moving his arm around Rachel as she snuggled up to him. “I’ve been guilted into taking a mission from Duncan.”, he explained. “You did what!? You let him get his hooks in you? I thought you were done with being an x-men.”, Lily demanded. “You guys know what I helped Forge and Xavier uncover. And since then I’ve helped Forge find more and the X-Men are all out on missions so they have the student teams taking smaller missions. But there’s a mission at the UN it’s a bigger one and the only team left is alpha. Duncan doesn’t want to send them without someone seasoned with them.”, Landon explained. “So he leveraged the kids to get you to agree? Wow he is sinking rather low with that.”, Cora Lee shook her head. “Yeah well it worked. Most of them are about the same age we were when we took down Wanda. But then there’s the younger ones like Ororo and Inola. And Nathan’s powerful but if he tries to use too much power he could overload again. So I agreed. I told him to send the kids here Friday after school and I’ll meet them at the train station.”, he sighed. “So how many and what kids are we dealing with this weekend?”, Tommy asked. “Taylor, Marco, Stephan, Nathan, Ororo and Inola.”, Landon answered. “So what were you talking about Stephan being a good kid and talking about how old we were when we started dating?”, Rachel asked. “Oh well that… apparently your feathered cousin plucked up some courage and asked Ororo out. Which her dad was asking me to keep an ‘eye’ on them since they’d be staying this weekend.”, Landon laughed.
Rachel laughed leaning into him. “Oh I doubt we have much to worry about with my cousin.”, Rachel smiled. “That’s what I was saying. He’s a much more well behaved boy than I was.”, Landon smirked. “So true. Somehow I don’t see Stephan pinning Ororo to a danger room wall kissing her or pulling her in the back seat of a van to make out with her.”, Rachel teased with a small smile. Cora Lee laughed and shook her head. “Yeah well I think with his feathers and fur don’t have to worry about him getting a bunch of hickies from Ororo either.”, she laughed. “Very true. I’m pretty sure we’ve got little to nothing to worry about at this point with the pair. In say four years then maybe, depending on how like her mother or Karli Ororo is.”, Landon smiled. “Do I dare ask? Remember Tommy and I didn’t grow up around the X-Men.”, Malcolm asked. “Duncan met his wife Lindee in the club. Lindee was a very popular model back then too. Duncan had no clue who she was cause well Duncan is just that out of it even then. She dragged him to the dance floor by his tie and then back to her hotel for a rather ungentlemanly one night stand that ended up not being a one nighter. And Karli, well she got back from Scotland after she graduated high school and ended up in bed with Forge and dating the poor man for a decade before they broke up. And as rumors go after that she started sleeping with your buddy Merrick.”, Landon explained. Malcolm covered his face laughed and shaking his head. “Knowing Merrick he probably did. But alright so six teens/tweens will descend upon the house Friday for a mission. What fun. I’m going to go take a shower.”, Malcolm nodded standing up before leaning to Cora Lee’s ear.
“You coming beautiful?”, he asked in a whisper. Cora Lee smirked and nodded. “Oh I’m coming Sparky.”, she smiled getting up. Landon rolled his eyes shaking his head. Cora Lee smirked sticking her tongue out at her big brother before taking Malcolm’s hand heading upstairs to the attached bathroom of the bedroom they shared. Tommy grinned getting up offering a hand to Lily. “I think my cousin has a good idea.”, he winked. “Getting dirty while getting clean?”, Lily laughed. “Something like that gorgeous. What do you say future Misses Bryant?”, he asked. “Hmm...let me think about it.”, Lily smiled before standing up. “I say yes future Mister Bryant.”, Lily answered. “See you guys later.”, Tommy smiled leading Lily to the stairs. Rachel sighed shaking her head. “Guess that just leaves you and me. Other than Duncan talking you into a mission, how was your day?”, she asked. “It went well actually. Got the kids a lot more engaged in class. Even talked to Alice a little. She’s smart just no one ever calls on her to know it. I gave her some information about the Institute. Between Uncle Mikali, Kisa and Aunt Isis they’d set her parents straight about that medication. She speaks so quiet like a little mouse.”, he smiled rubbing her arm. “While they are all busy guess that means we can actually enjoy some quiet time and watch one of our shows.”, he smiled turning on the tv and shifting on the sofa so he was leaning against the arm of the sofa. Rachel smiled and shifted cuddling to him resting her head on his chest. “I love you.”, she smiled. “Mmm I love you too.”, he smiled tilting her head up giving her a kiss before they cuddled watching one of the tv shows they enjoyed.
Duncan waited till the next day before he had to leave on his mission to give the instructions for team alpha having called them to his office. “What's your dad want?”, Inola asked Ororo as the team walked to his office. “I have no idea. Daddy hasn’t spoken too much to me in the last few days. He’s still kind of mad that I’m dating Stephan.”, Ororo shrugged. Stephan frowned a little reaching back and taking her hand giving it a light squeeze. He felt bad that them dating had upset her father. Though he doubted her father had called the whole team about their relationship. Ororo smiled a little squeezing his hand back. “I have no clue what the headmaster wants, but I’m sure it has nothing to do with you two dating. Unless he was as blind as you two were he knew it was bound to happen. Nate? Marco? Either of you have a heads up on what’s going down?”, Taylor smiled glancing back. Marco and Nathan shook their heads. “No clue. Remember staff’s minds are blocked by my mother. And unless you’d like me to overload I can’t get past her power.”, Nathan explained as they reached the door. “Well guess we find out the old fashion way.”, Taylor stated knocking. “Professor?”, Taylor questioned as he opened the door the rest of the team following him inside. Stephan and Ororo let each other’s hands go as they lined up in front of Duncan’s desk. “You asked to see the team minus Junior sir.”, Marco spoke up.
Duncan raised his eyes from his paperwork and looked at the team and noticed Stephan and his daughter standing next to each other and he could tell by body language they were nervous and were resisting the urge to hold hands for comfort. Duncan forced back a sigh. “Yes I’m not certain if Forge has spoken to you in regards to missions as of yet.”, Duncan said turning his attention to Marco and Taylor as the leaders of the team. “We were supposed to speak with him later after training. We know that basically all the X-Men are out on assignments and our fellow students on Gamma and Beta have been given assignments.”, Taylor answered. Duncan nodded. “Indeed. We are running a bit thin at the moment. There’s a rather important and much larger scale mission that typically I’d prefer to have assigned to seasoned X-Men. But as you stated we are all out on assignments. I leave for mine in a matter of hours. Forge will be left in charge with Kisa and Aurelia as back up.”, Duncan explained. “So you are giving us this important larger scale mission?”, Marco asked with a raised eyebrow. “Reluctantly yes. As Forge was keen to point out I have no one else to send. However because this mission is bigger I do not wish to send the team without someone that is a seasoned X-Men.”, Duncan explained. “Are you taking Professor Logan out of retirement for this?”, Nathan asked. “No I am not.”, Duncan sighed shaking his head. “Then who sir? As you stated everyone but Forge, Misses Kearney and Misses Howlett are on assignment and they are here to keep the school running.”, Stephan asked confused.
“Landon.”, Duncan stated simply. Inola furrowed her brow, she’d heard the name a few times but didn’t know him. The others all blinked in startled surprise. “Landon? Sir are you certain? Does my cousin know about this? He’d never agree to take a mission. He resigned from the active roster when he went to college.”, Nathan questioned uncertain. “I spoke with Landon yesterday in regards to this mission. He knows what is happening. He knows what is at stake. And he knows that only four of you have really been on a mission that yes ended without the FOH completing their assassination attempt but at some cost.”, Duncan explained. “So you guilted my cousin into suiting up again and used us as your justification. Fantastic.”, Nathan grumbled. “I made Landon aware of the situation and the need we have. He understood that. I’m not expecting this to mean he is coming back to the X-Men. He made his position rather clear five years ago when he told me he had no intention of taking on the role as headmaster when I retire or even being an active member of the X-Men. None the less he has agreed to go on this mission with you six. You will follow his lead, I trust that won’t be a problem.”, Duncan said looking at all of them. Taylor shook his head. “No problem at all sir. We will happily follow him.”, Taylor stated. “Of course. So he has requested that the six of you pack bags including your team uniforms. You will board the train here in Bayville directly after public school dismisses on Friday. He will be waiting for you at grand central station and you will bunk at the Manhattan house to train with him in his MDR prior to going on the mission. You are dismissed, Forge will give you all the exact details of your mission in your meeting with him. I need to get my things to head on mine.”, Duncan said getting up from his desk leaving the room.
“Wow… guys we get to actually go on a mission with Landon. I didn’t think that was ever going to be possible.”, Taylor smiled as they started out of the office. “Someone want to give me the skinny on Landon? Remember new student.”, Inola asked as the group walked. “Landon Bryant is well a legend. He was a team leader on Alpha in his day with Ashley Alston well now Yashida. He was also the leader of the team leaders. So Ashley, Atif, Cora Lee, Lily and Rose all followed him. He is probably the coolest guy to graduate from the institute. His mother ran the daycare all of us were basically raised in. We all grew up looking up to him. He has the ability to make any organic matter into whatever he wants. When he wasn’t much older than you and Ororo he turned his stepfather who, as the story goes, had hit him and pointed a shotgun at Rose and Cora Lee into a pig and then into a lollypop. He’s also the guy that pieced together the secret all the adults were keeping and led his team of leaders along with Thomas and William Maximoff against Scarlet Witch and freed Logan from limbo. Then in that same year he led them yet again against Scarlet Witch and captured her. He was one of Forge’s apprentices and is great with tech. He was the one that came up with the MDR.”, Taylor raved. “Impressive track record for a guy that’s in his twenties. What’s an MDR and why’d he give up being an X-Men and what’s this about being headmaster?”, Inola asked.
“MDR is just shorthand for mobile danger room. He worked with Forge in creating a danger room that fits into the palm of your hand till you activate it and then it can take up as much or as little space as you want. He used the MDR to set a trap for Scarlet Witch. He kept the MDR when he left the institute. So he and the others can still train if they want. As for why he left…”, Marco explained. “My cousin left because he’d had it with being a hero. In a span of a year he almost died at the hands of Scarlet Witch twice. He wanted to focus on educating people. He has this theory that mutants have been around a lot longer than people give credit. Him and Rachel plan to travel the world and prove their shared theory right after they get married. He figures the more people know about mutants the better they can understand and the less afraid they’ll be. But before he made it clear he didn’t want to be an X-Men after high school the Professor wanted him to take on being headmaster. Basically because Landon could do the job. Landon earned the respect of all the other X-Men through his actions and he already had all of our respects we look up to him. We’d all willingly follow him. Landon just doesn’t want that responsibility. But he still cares about the X-Men and all of us. It’s just not in him I guess to walk away from a fight or not defend people. Like how he defended Hiro, Evan, Darren and Junior while in Glasgow.”, Nathan explained. Inola nodded. “So the guy is epic and knows his shit. Got it. Is he related to Merrick? You said Bryant and boss-man’s last name has Bryant in it.”, Inola asked.
Stephan nodded. “Yes they are cousins. Landon’s father is David, the owner of the Draven, who is cousins to Merrick’s mother Kim.”, Stephan explained. “Are they anything alike?”, she asked. “A little. Both are fierce fighters. Landon’s just a bit more approachable I guess.”, Ororo shrugged taking Stephan’s hand. Inola shrugged she didn’t find Merrick unapproachable, but it was her understanding she was getting to know a different Merrick than what he used to be a few years ago. “Oh well. This should be fun. Finally get to go on a mission. And we get to spend a weekend in Manhattan. I wonder what the mission is going to be.”, Inola smiled. “It’s gotta be something big. We’ll find out after training. Stephan and Ororo better behave themselves or we’ll never be trusted to stay off campus as a team again.”, Taylor teased elbowing Stephan’s side. Ororo turned a bright shade of red and reached past Stephan and punched Taylor. Stephan blushed behind his white feathers shaking his head. “Taylor…”, he sighed. “Just for that comment you pig you fight me in training today. Maybe getting your ass kicked will teach you to hold your tongue. We aren’t all like you and Hiro.”, Ororo scolded. Inola, Nathan and Marco laughed. Taylor rubbed his arm pouting a little but smiled. “Speaking of Hiro how goes his fling with your model friend Alaric who he snagged from under your nose?”, Taylor laughed. Ororo rolled her eyes. “He didn’t snag Alaric from me. I didn’t want Alaric. I have who I wanted. And I guess it’s going okay. They talk every now and then. Alaric said next time work brings him to town he’ll have to stop by for some ‘face time’ with Hiro.”, Ororo shook her head squeezing Stephan’s hand. “You mean suck face time.”, Marco laughed as they walked into the danger room for training.
The institute’s team Alpha wasn’t the only team getting prepared for the UN assignment. At the academy the team of Shaw Frost, Adam Frost, Salena Posoda, and Arieannah Frost were also preparing for this. “I wonder who the Institute is going to be sending.”, Arieannah pondered as she dodged attacks from Salena while the team was going through training at the Phoenix Dojo. “I don’t think it will matter. The Friends of Humanity plan to detonate bombs at the UN building while it’s in session. We aren’t trying to stop the bombs, because what does the Demon King care for a bunch of humans that think they can dictate how mutants should be treated? Our task is to make sure as many of the Friends of Humanity go down with the world government representatives. And hey if some of the X-Men fall at the same time who are we to argue.”, Shaw shrugged as he blocked the attacks of his identical twin brother Adam. “What if it’s his grandson’s team?”, Salena asked. “We act as normal. We aren’t Esabelle’s team where we have some kind of blood bond to him. He is the enemy, it doesn’t matter if he’s the grandson of the Demon King. His father is an X-Men and he's been raised as one as well. If he wants to defy his grandfather than he takes the same risk and pays the same price as anyone else from the Institute.”, Adam commented. “I need the space for my paying clients.”, Damon stated pulling back the screen that separated the training area from the front of the dojo. The four all stopped their attacks hearing Damon speak and turned to face him giving a respectful bow. “Yes sifu Damon.”, Shaw and Adam spoke in unison. “Yes sifu Damon.”, Arieannah and Salena said moments after following the lead of the twins.
Damon nodded to each of them his characteristic white hair hidden beneath the dark blue scarf belonging to his wife, Isadora, that he always wore at the dojo. “Gather your gear and report back to the Academy.”, Damon instructed as he started to rearrange things in the room for his training with a class of human students. “Of course sifu. Thank you.”, Shaw nodded heading for his things. The others silently started to gather up their belongings. It was still strange that they trained under Damon despite him retiring from active Acolyte duty two year ago all for a woman. It made no sense, at least to Adam and Shaw to give up the Acolytes over a woman. They thought it was ridiculous enough that their own Uncle had given up being an Acolyte for their Aunt and worse that the Maximoff twins and Malcolm had given up their futures as Acolytes for the ‘love’ of Institute students. And their older step cousin Merrick gave up being an Acolyte for his mother which they could almost respect till he chose to love a Howlett. They were both glad that their girlfriends were Academy so they’d never fall prey to this weakness they’d seen so many men exhibit for love. “Goodnight sifu.”, Adam commented as the group walked out walking confidently past the human students who they didn’t even look at. Damon sighed shaking his head a little before welcoming his class and starting their session. He tried to not think about what he’d heard the team discussing for their upcoming mission. After all there was nothing he could do about it.