Westchester
Xavier Institute

Offers. Life came with many offers throughout the short time of one’s existence. Some offers were good and some were bad. Some were the type you jumped on right away while others you had to mull over day in and day out till you came to an agonizing choice of taking it or not. No one ever really envied the person getting an offer unless the offer was one that was really beneficial or supremely positive in scope. Getting to meet someone famous or publish your work or become rich or many other things. It was when the offer weighed on your shoulders that there was no envy involved when the person waited for your answer. This was one of those times.

Surely Sam could have made getting the offer to teach the next generation of mutants to be more prepared for the world and easier decision and just accepted it, but something had made him hesitate for a moment. Truth be told it was a god send of sorts as the young man had been at a crossroads. Just as soon as he had come off the Avengers, his time in the big spotlight, than the X-Corps he had planned to join had come to an end. Wandering and wondering he had come to the Institute to find some semblance of balance within his life and instead had found students in trouble as an assault had been made on the school. In the end all the students that were kidnapped had been returned safely with Sam’s help. Now their very futures were being placed within his hands as well.

The offer had come a few days before and still there was no end of the decision making in sight. A walk around the grounds had offered no great insight. There was no epiphany as he stared out into nature as the whole future became clear. Nothing but nature in its infinite beauty lay out before him.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

A smile spread across Sam’s face as a familiar figure with long blond hair came out of the brush. The red and yellow within her chosen top and pants for the day was reminiscent of the young woman’s time with the group that had been deemed ‘Generation X’ by themselves and others. Paige Guthrie had grown quite a bit since that time, but in Sam’s eyes she’d always be his lovely baby sister.

“Ah don’t think a penny will do it this time. Y’ got anything bigger in currency?”

“Not sure that there actually worth more.” There was little indication of Paige’s Southern upbringing within her voice as she had long ago learned to mask her accent. Unlike her brother who refused to do such a thing.

“Don’t make me go get Momma.”

Paige smirked and sat on a nearby log, and indicated for her big brother to join her. “I heard what Beast is offering you.”

“Did ya now?” Sam found a spot on the log that didn’t seem to be that dirty or moist. A hand ran through his blond locks as he tried to get comfortable. “Ah figure that must be why y’ suddenly came from Genosha t’ find me and chat? That about right?”

“Maybe I just wanted to spend time with my brother.”

“Paige, ah’m a bit slow sometimes but ah’m not that dim.”

“All right. I did come to talk about it somewhat. I’m also here to check in before heading back for the humanitarian work in Genosha. I wanted to see what you chose.”

Shifting uncomfortably upon the log, Sam found it momentarily funny that it was the little sister questioning him on his choice for a life direction instead of the other way around. Life had a funny way of throwing curve balls at you.

“Ah’m not sure. Ah didn’t want ta get back right into things after tha Avengers. Ah told Hank ah didn’t want ta be a poster child for where mutants are accepted.”

“Why not? You’re time on the Avengers is something these kids can and should aspire to. The X-Men are a grand thing to be part of but the fight for mutant rights might never fully be over. Heroics might be the place for some of these kids. Wouldn’t it suit them then to be trained by someone that has been through that? Someone that fought side by side with the likes of Captain America and Iron Man.”

“Ah suppose. Not sure what ah have ta offer though.”

Paige sighed and raised her hand up to bring it up against the back of her brother’s head for a moment. Sam’s head went forward with the momentum of the mid-strength hit that came with contact. “Besides what I just said you could bring to the table, you know exactly why you should take this offer and that you already know you will. You’re the nurturing type Sam. Your first instinct is to be therefore others. Like the rest of us when Daddy died. The fact that right as you got here and students were in trouble and you went above and beyond to save them speaks volumes. You wanted something in life, a place? Something new? Well this is it. Something you’ve been ready for your entire life. Don’t let it get away from you.”

Paige rose from the log and placed a kiss upon the forehead of her sibling before moving off back towards the mansion in the distance. Sam stared at the ground for a few moments as it was all mulled over. The funny thing was that Paige was right and Sam had realized it long before but had just denied it. With the Avengers left behind it was now time to do something new. “All right, ah guess ah’m a teacher now.”

AN OFFER YOU CAN’T REFUSE

By Scott Redmond

Common Room

In the last few days some progress had been made to repair the damage inflicted on the room by Omega Sentinel and the Plague Dogs that had come for students. Not the best way to start out a brand new semester, but really par for the course when either a mutant or attending the Xavier Institute. There was no such thing as a down day it seemed. Thus one had to enjoy them when they did rarely come.

A loud cheer went out as the rocky mutant known as Rockslide, but Santo to his friends, bounced in the chair that had been chosen to sit in earlier. With all the various mutations around campus the furniture had been built to withstand just about everything, yet it still groaned some under the weight of the giant living rock. Santo’s giant hands dwarfed the small X-Box 360 control that sat within those same hands. “Take that lizard breath!”

Victor Borkowski, the aptly named Anole, sighed and rubbed at his forehead. Why he was taking the time to play video games with the slab of granite was beyond him. No one else had really been interested and Victor had really wanted to try out his new game against someone else. It was Santo or no one. No one was beginning to seem attractive. “Lucky first shot. It’s easy to be faster shooting and stuff when your giant fingers are mashing all the buttons at the same time.”

“Pfft don’t be jealous of my incredible skills. I got mad skills.”

“Boys play nice. I don’t have time to separate you.” Cessily Kincaid, a mutant named Mercury with a silvery malleable body made out of living Mercury, ran a brush through her dark red mane of hair as she stared at the boys.

“Don’t worry Cess I’m just gonna cream the kid. Show em’ why freshman babies shouldn’t mess with the big kids.”

“Oh go fu…”

“What you too afraid to cuss eel boy?”

The sound of a throat clearing brought the three teens eyes towards the doorway and the figure of Sam standing within it. “Ah’m pretty sure Santo that Eel’s and lizards got nothing really in common.” A friendly smile spread across the man’s face as he glanced at each one of them. “Ya kids got a moment, ah got an offer for ya.”

Nori’s Room

“I’m fine David, really.” Noriko Ashida said with a sigh as she flinched away from the wash cloth that just moments before had been against her face. A couple of scratches dotted her face as reminders of the battle only a few days behind them. Blue hair swished against the neck as she moved, two gauntleted hands rising to wave off further use of the cloth. “Besides wouldn’t you rather be using this time to be making out with your stunningly gorgeous girlfriend?”

“Quite the ego you have there. Might need to send you to the guidance counselor for that.”

Nori scoffed. “As if. We don’t even have one of those dork.”

David shrugged and chuckled, hand rising to nervously readjust the glasses upon his face. It was a habit from far back as he could remember. Sure Nori was his girlfriend, but that didn’t mean his shy nervous nature just went away. In fact it was magnified around her really.

“Oh David dear, you’re quite hopeless aren’t you?” Nori chuckled and leaned forward to lie against her boyfriend. It was a nice simple moment which was something they weren’t getting often not after the whole thing with Pandemic.

A soft knock at the door brought them both out of the moment as it opened a bit and the face of Sam Guthrie could be seen. “Sorry ta interrupt ya two but ah need ta see ya in the Danger Room in about ten minutes. Ah got something ta talk about that ah’m quite sure you’ll like ta hear.” Still smiling Sam backed up and left the two teens alone.

Rising up, David glanced at the door. “Guess the rumors about Mr. Guthrie being asked to stick around and teach us somehow are true. Taught by an honest to goodness former Avenger, who would have thought.”

Nori shrugged. “Guess we should go see what he wants then.”

David was already moving out the door as Nori rose and stared after him. “I’ll uh catch up in a minute David. Just have to check something.”

The young man gave a nod and headed out of the room leaving her behind. Gauntleted hands pulled open the nearest drawer and pulled a brown pill bottle out, the pills making sounds as they shuffled around within. Three of them were dropped into the palm of the gauntlet covered hand and popped into her mouth. Sparks of electricity began to appear all around her body for a moment before they stopped. Sighing, Nori placed them away and after composing herself left the room behind.

The Dorms
Pixie and Loa’s Room

In the time since the return of the students captured and the repairs made on the school, Alani had found that she was more comfortable within the confines of her room than elsewhere. It just seemed safer. Then again most of the students that had been kidnapped had it happen in their own room. A fact that she was loathe to admit. To admit such a thing would of course put a hole in the logic of her plan to stay in the room and that just would not do.

“We should really go do something. Maybe we can go back to the amusement park in the Danger Room! That was really fun.”

Alani’s roommate one Megan Gwynn sat at the edge of her own bed in the room and was bouncing up and down as if she was full of energy waiting to burst out. Then again knowing Megan she no doubt was full of energy, most likely from sugar.

“Pass.”

“What about the snow peaks for sledding?”

“Pass.”

“Alannniiiiiiiiii!”

The begging of her new friend was annoying yet at the same time it was reassuring as it meant that the other girl cared and was trying to reach out.

“What?”

“We neeeeeed to go do something. Pleassseeeee?”

“You don’t give up do you?”

“No Dr. McCoy called me tenacious when I kept asking him about rooming us together, but I don’t know what that means.”

“It’s a word that fits you well, trust me.”

“Oooh we could go surfing!”

Alani actually cracked a smile and laughed as Megan’s attention span was that of a small child most times and clearly it had been lost as she reverted back to the former conversation.

A soft knock sounded at the door and then a folded piece of paper came under the door. Megan bounced off the bed and raced to the door, shoving her pink haired head out into the hallway. There was not a soul in sight. Closing it she grabbed the paper and looked it over.

“What’s it say?”

“Mr. Guthrie wants to see us in the Danger Room in twenty minutes…you don’t think we’re in trouble or something do you?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Danger Room

“Ah’m sure y’all are wondering why you’re here right now?”

Sam spoke out as he stood before all of the gathered students. There was quite the variety in the bunch that he had called for. Santo Vaccaro the living mountain of rock known aptly as Rockslide. The blue haired hothead Noriko Ashida, or Surge. Her boyfriend David Alleyne with the codename Prodigy. Victor Borkowski had decided to call himself Anole as of late due to his lizard like mutation. Megan Gwyn and Alani Ryan were roommates and were known now as Pixie and Loa respectively. Cessily Kincaid was known as Mercury based on the fact that her body was made up of a liquid metal form that resembled some properties of mercury. Sooraya Quadir, known as Dust, stood a bit away from the others her black burqa making her stand out from the rest. Wallflower, one Laurie Collins, stood closer to Noriko and David seeking comfort from her two friends in such trying times. The last student Nicholas Gleason was one of the youngest and had chosen Wolf Cub partly for that reason and that his feral mutation resembled a wolf.

A few shrugs were given as most of the youths were just waiting to see what was going on. A few figured they were in trouble perhaps while others figured it had to do with the recent kidnapping. Only those like David figured it had to do with rumors of Cannonball becoming their new teacher. Most hadn’t either heard the rumors or dismissed them as it wasn’t the juicy type of gossip that teens sought out instead.

“Battle Royale!”

All eyes focused on Santo as the large Italian had his hands raised up in the air as if in victory. Catching their blank looks his rocky shoulders moved in an approximation of a shrug. “Just a guess.”

Sam chuckled and shook his head. “No ah’m sorry Santo, no Battle Royale or anything like it for ya today. Y’all know about what happened lately as most of ya were a major part of it. Tha goal with being at tha school was that you’d never have ta worry about such things. That we’d teach ya ta use your powers and ya would go out into tha world and make ya way there. Protection. That was tha one thing we thought we could offer. We were wrong.”

A pause was taken as Sam began to pace before the students, meeting each of their gazes. “Ya went through hell in some cases with tha kidnapping. Ya had ta face forces ya never ever should have been against, yet ya came out the other side. Ya faced the Marauders, foes that have plagued even tha X-Men before. Ya all didn’t come back though.” Sam’s gaze met Laurie’s as the blond cast her eyes down and tried not to let her emotions get out of hand, thoughts of Josh dominating her mind. “But ya showed that ya have it in ya ta protect yahself for tha most part. That is why we’re here now.”

Sam came to a stop in his original place and looked down the line gathered before him. “Ya here because ya are the best and ya held ya own. Ya here because ah’m gonna teach ya ta be better. Ta be able ta protect yahself no matter what. All of the lessons and schooling that normally come with being a student apply here. What this group here will do though is train more. Train ya so that our need to protect you won’t have to be as major so that if we fail again ya won’t be at tha mercy of people like Pandemic.

None of you will be forced to be part of this. It’s by your choice only. If ya don’t want ta be here walk out tha door now and no one will judge you.” said Sam as he crossed his arms upon his chest and waited.

Each of them glanced at each other for a moment before there seemed to be some consensus reached without words and David stepped forward. Adjusting his glasses nervously for a moment, at last he spoke. “I think I speak for all of us sir when I say we’re in.”

“What nerd boy means is we’re ready to smash some skulls.” Santo emphasized his words by slamming one rocky hand into another.

Nori’s eyes rolled at the words and motions. “That’s not what he means rock for brains.”

“Who’s the idiot now, course I have rocks for a brain. I’m a rock!”

“I think you have to have a brain first for it to be made of rocks.” Victor added with a snicker.

“Don’t test me eel boy, I’ll smash you up.”

“I’m a lizard you freaking moron!”

As the session descended into teenage name calling and bickering, Sam could only smile. Memories of the past and his own youth filtered in as the man excused himself. As the door of the Danger Room closed behind him there was only the sound of youth and it made him happy in a way.

The steady click of the clock upon the small shelf in the corner filled the small office as the sole occupant and new owner of the office sat back within the plush leather chair. Sam’s fingers idly drummed lightly against the edge of the oak desk before him, papers scattered all about with each of the students chosen for his group pictured on some of the papers. While the initial work of gathering them was over there was still so much to do.

“Penny for your thoughts? That is the correct phrase right?”

Sam couldn’t help but smile as he glanced up to see Karima standing within the doorway. “That’s correct.” A light chuckle emerged as he thought about earlier that day.

“Amused by my double checking my understanding of American lingo?” While the words could be taken as the woman being offended the whimsical look upon her face showed she wasn’t serious.

“No. No ah was just reminded of something from earlier today. Ya know ya got a lot in common with mah sister. Ya two would probably get along well.”

Karima raised an eyebrow for a moment. “My bonding with your sibling aside, I hear you’re helping the students prepare for incidents like…well like the one I helped perpetrate here.”

“Ya heard right. Ah figure it’s the least ah can do. Ah’ve been an Avenger after all, maybe ah can help tha kids with what Cap and Iron Man and tha others taught me.”

“A very sound strategy. Though I also heard you spoke to Dr. McCoy about me. That you wanted to talk to me about your little endeavor.”

“Hmm is that so? Ah suppose one can’t expect word not ta travel when ya live in a giant school. Gossip fuels the masses it seems.”

“Why?”

“Ah’m sorry?”

“Why do you want to see me?”

Sam leaned forward, his arms placed upon the desk. “A think ya know why. Ya weren’t yahself during that attack. As yah very well know.”

“Doesn’t matter, I was part of the attacking force that kidnapped your students. Not the sort of face they’d want around here.”

Sam rose from the desk and moved around to its front and perched upon the edge. “Ya know of Rogue, don’t ya? One of the most stalwart and long serving of tha X-Men?”

“Yes. What about her?”

“Ya know she was once part of tha Brotherhood right? She attacked and stole the power and memories of Ms. Marvel. Yet now here she is on tha X-Men as she has been for years. Look at mahself. Ah started off helping the Hellfire Club till Xavier helped me ta see tha light. No one has ta be defined by tha mistakes they make. Only ya get ta decide where ya go from here and how people will see ya. So why not help me, help me teach these children. Show them, and show yahself, that one can work past anything.”

Karima’s face changed as a smile began to grow there. It wasn’t often one saw a smile on the face of the cybernetically enhanced woman. “All right Guthrie, you got a deal. I’ll stay. Where’d you learn how to convince people like that? Quite the silver tongue.”

Sam paused and tilted his head in thought for a moment before replying. “Ah learned it from mah sister.”